Ever since Quin Snyder took over as head coach of the Utah Jazz in 2014-15, the team has experienced continual improvement, both offensively and defensively. Unsurprisingly, this has also resulted in continual improvement in the area that matters most: wins and losses. Utah Jazz Improvement Under Quin Snyder Season Head Coach Off Rtg Rank Def…
NBA General Managers believe the 2018 Rookie of the Year will be the Lonzo Ball prize. Their case for Lonzo, who is not a scorer but a playmaker, would make more sense if he was on a team of experienced finishers who he had to set up for double digit assists. But the Lakers core…
James Harden’s leadership has been an open question since he made the move from OKC to Houston with most giving him a below average grade. Last season, with Mike D’Antoni playing the offense whisperer to James Harden’s iso game, Harden altered the perception. He led the team with his playmaking and offense and seemed to…
Warriors owner Joe Lacob had to be talked into giving Steph Curry the supermax contract of $200 million. Implied in the Lacob talking to by GM Bob Myers is the Lacob paradox. Outwardly, he finds every opportunity to spike the football in everyone else’s face while behind the scenes he has doubts about his golden…
Trust the Process. This phrase has rung in the ears of NBA fans throughout the offseason. While superteams formed elsewhere, a core of young, talented players stayed put in Philadelphia. This offseason signaled the end of the tanking years for the Philadelphia 76ers. They possess one of the most exciting young cores in the league,…
There is a scene in his Facebook reality show in which Lavar Ball decides his recovering from a stroke wife doesn’t need speech therapy from trained pathologists. He decides to teach her himself. Who knows his wife better than Lavar knows her? No one, except her parents. This is the same argument, give or take…
The NBA All-Star game is an exhibition game. There have been some compelling moments. Shaq posterizing David Robinson (1996). Wilt’s 42 points and 24 rebounds in a loss; the winning team scored 196 points (1962). Jerry West’s game winner over Walt Frazier (1972). Jordan dropping 40 in Chicago (1988). Magic Johnson’s return after he was…
On February 4, 2017, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic posted 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 121-117 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. In honor of his performance, Nuggets head coach Mike Malone bestowed Jokic with the game ball. In return, Malone received an appreciative hug from his 6’10”, 250-pound, Serbian big man.…
The epitaph of the traditional pass-first point guard writes itself. Gone are the good old days when point guards dribbled only with their dominant hand and perfected the craft of the two-handed chest pass. Whether it be a funeral or a passing of the torch, the pass-first point guards’ extinction continues to draw near, and…