Welcome to the 2021-22 NBA season, folks! And welcome back to FiveThirtyEight’s NBA forecast, which is based on our RAPTOR player ratings. Before we get into the results of this year’s model and how our forecast sees the battle to dethrone the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks playing out, let’s quickly address a few of the […]
If the NBA is a star-driven league, the Brooklyn Nets might be the supernova of basketball. In Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, the Nets have a pedigree of a combined two MVP awards, seven scoring titles, 18 All-NBA selections and many, many more opposing players’ broken ankles. Rarely in the sport’s history has […]
After a month of drama and no shortage of trade speculation, the Houston Rockets finally dealt disgruntled superstar James Harden on Wednesday, shipping him to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team megatrade that also involved the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. The haul for Harden? Three players (headlined by Caris LeVert, whom Houston sent to […]
The NBA’s Western Conference may end up looking like one of those cartoon scenes where a bunch of characters get into a long, bruising skirmish, kicking up dirt and producing “POW” sound effects, with one finally emerging the victor. The East, on the other hand, is widely perceived to be a two-team race between the […]
Keep track of the chaotic NBA offseason with our Free Agency Diary. Dear NBA Diary, it’s been two days since the Brooklyn Nets hauled in three of the biggest free agents on the market (Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan), and I’m still adjusting to the reality of those stars suiting up for the […]