Atlantic Hoops - NBA Blog

Toronto Raptors 4 - 0 Brooklyn Nets The least eventful of the entire first round, with a Nets team without any of their best players had to face an extremely deep and well coached Raptors team. Regardless, two things are worth mentioning: Fred Van Vleet becoming truly the main operator of the offense for the team a Lowry take more off a secondary creator and off-ball role. In Game 2, as the Nets built momentum in the second half behind LeVert's crazy makes from floater range, FVV lead the team to a 19-5 run to start the final quarter and finished the game with 24 point and 10 assists.  The other pressing thought is about the aforementioned Caris LeVert. The combo guard-wing scored 35 points in the elimination game and averaged nearly 10 assists throughout the series. With Irving and Dinwiddie ahead of him in the pecking order, a guard that thrives with the ball in his hands might not have the best environment. LeVert's extension also kicks in next year and it starts at over 16 ...

The partnership of LeBron James and Anthony Davis was formed when the Lakers traded everything that wasn’t nailed down to floor of Staples – Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, the pick that turned into De’Andre Hunter and 1st round picks from the 2021, 2023 (in a swap) and 2024 drafts. Every LA fan knew none of that mattered because they had just created the most precious thing in basketball: a legit window for title contention. And with a collection of rejuvenated veterans, the Lakers were the league’s 3rd best defense while still retaining a top 10 offense. The LeBron-and-AD-lead group soared to a clear first seed in the Western Conference and with the winning percentage of a 60-win team. But performances since the restart have changed perceptions… The team dropped all the way to the 2nd worst offense in the bubble, only ahead of the “why are we here again?” Wizards, and the defense was not amongst the top half of bubble teams. With a full offseason between the pre-Orlando days a...

It’s insane I am actually doing one of these again, let’s see how rusty I am. The NBA is back! And this is a game with real stakes with the Grizzlies fighting for their playoff spot, the only one in contention in the West, and the now-healthy Blazers have no margin for error with also having the Pelicans and their easy schedule standing between them and that disputed Grizzlies spot. 1st Quarter Ja Morant is enough of an athlete to blow by any defender but the Blazers did a fantastic job containing the rookie. Terry Stotts likes having a classic big man protecting the rim and keeping the lane clogged up but the more disrupting aspect has been a strong discipline in getting back to stop transition and the help on drives coming from the wings, forming a wall meant to stop Morant’s drives . You can see the eyes of defenders all focused on Ja. A testament to how effective the Blazers were making their opposition uncomfortable can be seen in how the Grizzlies being 6th in the leagu...