When the Golden State Warriors take the court in Game 1 of their series against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, it won’t be quite the same group we saw when the team last played in the postseason. Nor would we expect it to be: A lot has changed for the franchise since the end of […]
“The game slows down in the playoffs.” It’s an old NBA adage that has persisted into many modern circles. With focus and energy levels so much higher possession by possession, the thinking goes, playoff basketball becomes more of a grind. Teams that thrive on pace and athleticism don’t hold the same edges they would over […]
No NBA team was more disappointing this season than the Los Angeles Lakers. L.A. opened the season among the inner circle of favorites to win the NBA championship, joining the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks as the only teams with better than 10-to-1 title odds, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Alas, the Lakers won’t even get to […]
Before Monday night, no team in the NBA was hotter than the Boston Celtics. Boston had won six games in a row, as well as 11 of its previous 12 and 24 of its previous 28, outscoring opponents by 15.8 points per game along the way as it charged into a tie for first place […]
In the immediate wake of the Philadelphia 76ers’ blockbuster trade for James Harden, most of the focus was on how Harden would mesh with Philly’s incumbent MVP candidate, Joel Embiid. The early returns on that front have been mostly encouraging, give or take an embarrassing blowout loss to Harden’s former team, the Brooklyn Nets, and […]