With his Philadelphia 76ers tied 109-109 with the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 29, James Harden caught the ball on the left wing with just over 20 seconds remaining. He had just crossed half court. He held the ball for a moment and waited for a screen from Joel Embiid. He jab stepped, took a slow […]
Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers were arguably the NBA’s most improved team. After going just 22-50 during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign, Cleveland improved its record all the way to 44-38, making the second-largest season-to-season jump in winning percentage behind the Minnesota Timberwolves. And on a per-possession basis, the Cavs lapped the field in improvement with […]
When it comes to putting together a championship-caliber team, there are a few tried-and-true methods. Teams can build their nucleus through the draft like the Golden State Warriors did with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. They can make a franchise-altering trade like the blockbuster deal the Toronto Raptors pulled off to acquire Kawhi […]
Throughout Kyrie Irving’s many basketball hiatuses over the years — whether due to injuries, refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine or, most recently, suspension for promoting an anti-Semitic documentary — the mercurial star’s on-court brilliance has rarely been questioned. Contemporaries have often called him the most skilled player in the history of the NBA, with […]
This past NBA offseason was defined by high-profile trades — including both those that did happen, and those that didn’t. Following a fire sale by the Utah Jazz, Rudy Gobert is now a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, while Donovan Mitchell is a Cleveland Cavalier. Meanwhile, if Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were available in […]