Through most of his 12 seasons in Memphis, Mike Conley Jr. was a true floor general. The Grizzlies, who also featured All-Star big men Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, ran an offense that relied heavily on post-ups and the pick and roll to create scoring opportunities. It was regularly among the slowest offenses in the […]
If you’re an NBA fan, then you’re already familiar with the Philadelphia 76ers’ structural problem: Their best player, Joel Embiid, is a behemoth with balletic feet who’s best when brutalizing opponents down on the block. Their second-best player, Ben Simmons, is an athletic marvel, a gazelle-like 6-foot-11 point guard with a preternatural ability to pass […]
In July 2019, when Kemba Walker joined the Celtics in the largest free-agent acquisition in franchise history, he arrived in Boston with the expectation of augmenting the trajectories of young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The first year of Boston’s newest Big Three ended promisingly in a six-game showing in the Eastern Conference finals, […]
When the Phoenix Suns followed up their spectacular 8-0 performance in the NBA bubble with a bold trade for Chris Paul, the goal they had in mind seemed clear: build on that success and solidify themselves as a surefire playoff team, rather than one that had a chance to be left on the outside of […]
The runners-up in the NBA Finals over the past few years have started the following season in a deep malaise. After falling in the 2018 Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost 16 of their first 20 games to start the 2018-19 season. Likewise, after dropping the 2019 Finals, the Golden State Warriors opened the next season […]