When NBA teams hire head coaches, they’re not just looking for a person to organize the practice schedule and call the plays on game day. They’re also looking for a specific type of leader. Maybe they want a demanding tone-setter, like Tom Thibodeau. Perhaps they want a cheerful, measured type, like Mike D’Antoni. Maybe they […]
There’s a “full-circle” feeling to the Phoenix Suns’ chase of their first-ever NBA championship. As the team tips off the 2021 Finals tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks, the rebuild pushed forward by Executive of the Year James Jones is just four wins away from realization. Jones’s two biggest moves — hiring head coach Monty Williams […]
When NBA teams began reopening their stadiums to fans this winter and spring, players and coaches identified the crowd’s energy as the missing ingredient from empty arenas. From December to May, every team except for the Oklahoma City Thunder gradually permitted fans to return at limited capacity, but each team’s timing differed. As a result, […]
tchow (Tony Chow, video producer): Andres, Jared, Louis, I thank you all for not getting injured and for making it to another one of our postseason NBA chats. I want to start today by talking about the Western Conference champions Phoenix Suns, because honestly, they deserve it. First Finals berth for the franchise in 28 […]
At many points this year, the Atlanta Hawks’ season has seemed to teeter on the brink of destruction. They started out with a sub-.500 record under former coach Lloyd Pierce before switching to Nate McMillan at midseason; they were heavily picked against by the media going into the first round of the playoffs against the […]