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The Warriors Needed Jordan Poole More Than We Knew

Fourteen months ago, the Golden State Warriors faced a situation that threatened to morph into an existential crisis. They weren’t awful like the previous season, when Stephen Curry missed all but five games with a hand injury and Klay Thompson was out for the first of two full years. They were something far worse for […]

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The Mavericks’ Coaches Have Been Here Before, Even If The Players Haven’t

In the NBA playoffs, experience matters. FiveThirtyEight found that championship-winning rosters almost always have an above-average tally of career playoff minutes played. It’s such a good predictor of success that it’s a part of our NBA projections. This year’s Dallas Mavericks don’t have much of that postseason experience on their roster. They ranked 14th among […]

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To Be The Best, Jayson Tatum Is Having To Beat The Best

Being almost the best player in the NBA is a far cry from being the best. Just ask Jayson Tatum.  After toppling Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the NBAplayoffs, Tatum and his Boston Celtics currently trail 0-1 in a second-round series against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Milwaukee […]

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Roster Construction Doomed The Brooklyn Nets

After opening the season as championship favorites, the Brooklyn Nets are instead gone fishing, the first actual playoff participants eliminated from the real postseason tournament after they were swept 4-0 by the Boston Celtics. Though they lost the four games by only a combined 18 points, the Nets often appeared outmanned, outclassed, outexecuted, out-just-about-everything-ed by […]

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