Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 97

New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis is slated to meet with new executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin on Wednesday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. This will likely be Griffin’s only shot to convince Davis to stay, something he claimed he would try to do upon taking the job. […]

Many analysts and even current players have drawn parallels between this version of the Golden State Warriors, forced to play without an injured Kevin Durant and the 2014-15 team that won it all for the first time in 40 years. While Steve Kerr’s team has reverted to the fun-loving, ball-sharing, constant movement style of offense […]

Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant is reportedly “livid” that his name was mentioned in a scathing report detailing the dysfunction in the Los Angeles Lakers organization, according to ESPN’s Steven A. Smith. While Bryant is by no means involved with the disarray in the organization, an anecdote surrounding his former agent Rob Pelinka, now […]

Stephen Curry is coming off his best-ever playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, now four wins away from capturing a third straight NBA title and what could likely be his first Finals MVP trophy after coming up empty in the last three tries. FOX Sports 1 personality Shannon Sharpe argued that the postseason accolade […]

Kevon Looney has been one of the most unexpected, yet gratefully rewarding surprises of the Golden State Warriors’ last two championship runs. Initially an injury-marred player out of UCLA, Looney stood little to no chance to stick around in a star-heavy Warriors’ rotation, but with the help of Draymond Green and other veterans, he’s soon […]

Despite the uncertainty of his status ahead of the NBA Finals, Kevin Durant will travel with the Golden State Warriors as they prepare for the first two games against the Toronto Raptors, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. While Durant has been already ruled out for Thursday’s Game 1 of this final series, the […]

Alfonzo McKinnie has quite the unique opportunity to get the ultimate last word during this NBA Finals. The Chicago-raised swingman will be an integral part of the Golden State Warriors’ quest for a third straight title by facing none other than his former team, the Toronto Raptors, at this juncture. McKinnie went undrafted out of […]

Former Duke forward Cam Reddish believed his game is better-suited to fit the NBA style of offense than what he showed during his lone year in college. Reddish was thought to be an elite-caliber shooter, drawing comparison’s to Bradley Beal and others capable of rounding the top-five prospective selections due to their unmatched ability to […]

The Orlando Magic greatly depended on Evan Fournier to build on a career-best 2017-18 campaign, hoping he’d be the reliable source of 3-point shots he was a season ago. Yet the French shooting guard had a tough time mustering last season’s accuracy, hitting only 34.8% of his wide-open looks beyond the arc, while eight others […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves have hired former Detroit Pistons assistant general manager Sachin Gupta to become their new executive vice president of basketball operations, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Gupta will be second in the chain of command of a front office led by the newly-hired president Gersson Rosas. The two worked together during […]

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson’s viral reaction to not making the All-NBA team was as raw a footage as one can come across when it comes to missing out on a large chunk of pay. The Warriors shooting guard narrowly missed the cut for an All-NBA selection, shaving a potential $30 million extra from […]

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has already developed a well-storied reputation for his lack of credibility, but one instance among all can take the cake of all the offenses. According to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, Pelinka hasn’t been shy of pulling a fast one during the NBA Draft. The Lakers were expected to select […]

Luke Walton’s third season as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers was perhaps the most chaotic of them all, as he was described as “frustrated” due to the lack of stability around him, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. Walton’s concerns were so dire that following a practice more than a month before the season ended, […]

The Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans have put Tyronn Lue in their crosshairs as a potential top assistant, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. However, Lue’s focus remains on returning as a head coach again. Lue has had a couple of assistant coach offers after the Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with him early […]

DeMarcus Cousins is determined to leave his prints on this run with the Golden State Warriors, as the franchise now sits four wins away from a third straight title and its fourth in the last five seasons. The big man is attempting to return from a torn quad injury he suffered early in the postseason, […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have been living a nightmare these past few years. While the franchise has yet to reach the playoffs in six years, the direction of the organization seems to be going nowhere positive anytime soon with general manager Rob Pelinka now at the helm of basketball operations. There have been deep ongoing […]

The Los Angeles Lakers’ front office is perhaps as dysfunctional as it has ever been in its 72 years of history, and the hiring of president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka made it all the more so: “According to nearly two dozen current and former team staffers, ranging from occupants of executive suites […]

Luke Walton’s former job as the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers was one that only had the illusion of safety from the time LeBron James landed in La La Land after signing a four-year, $154 million deal last summer. According to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, James’ longtime friend and agent, Rich Paul, approached NBA Commissioner […]

Perhaps the best example of the lack of experience and unpreparedness of a front office headlined by former president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and current general manager Rob Pelinka were the puzzling signings made after acquiring their prized jewel in LeBron James. The two executives had their mind made up as to who would […]

Following an earlier airing of dirty laundry and an unabashed diss of Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, former president of basketball operations Magic Johnson seems to have some closet skeletons of his own. According to a report from ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, the former executive used “intimidation and bullying” as a way to showcase […]

Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni is patiently awaiting a contract extension, yet he’s fully confident newly-extended general manager Daryl Morey will upgrade this roster than once again fell shy of expectations. The Rockets have lost two years in a row to the Golden State Warriors, this time with no potential excuse for injury, as it […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni is not buying into the reported back-and-forth between point guard Chris Paul and franchise star James Harden, who reportedly had a heated discussion following a Game 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Paul reportedly had a problem with the lack of touches and ball movement stemming from Harden’s […]

The NBA has officially moved up the free agency deadline from the customary 12:00 am ET on July 1 to June 30 at 6 p.m. in efforts to make the start of free agency friendlier for players and executives involved. The NBA has official moved up the start of free agency to 6 PM ET […]

Cue the reunion posters, because we might have one in the making. Shortly after Kyrie Irving was rumored to be “more open” toward considering the Los Angeles Lakers as a potential free agency destination, it didn’t take long for LeBron James to get in that bandwagon. James liked a recent Instagram post of Irving donning […]

The Portland Trail Blazers have extended their general manager Neil Olshey until the end of the 2023-24 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The longtime NBA executive was rewarded with a five-year extension after the Blazers (53-29, third in West) reached the Western Conference Finals, soon being swept by the Golden State Warriors thereafter. While […]

Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson found out he was being left off the All-NBA team after Anthony Slater of The Athletic brought up the question after the Warriors practice on Thursday, only minutes after the results were revealed. Thompson was irate and in disbelief, but soon shrugged it off after realizing a lot […]

Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet had a postseason to forget after becoming the immediate backup of starter Kyle Lowry. His mission was a vital one, but he’s managed to bounce back formidably in the last two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. VanVleet bounced back from perhaps his worst outing […]

The Toronto Raptors overcame a two-game deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals to put the Milwaukee Bucks at the brink of elimination, winning three straight games, including a 105-99 victory on the road on Thursday. Point guard Kyle Lowry praised new teammate Kawhi Leonard, who has been the difference-maker at both ends of the floor. […]

The Toronto Raptors were facing a potential quick exit in the Eastern Conference Finals, down 0-2 against a potent Milwaukee Bucks team that proved formidable at home. Yet Raptors coach Nick Nurse expected the same of his players that he got from them throughout the regular season. Asked how these Raptors managed to come back […]

As teams approach the evaluation process of NBA hopefuls prior to the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft, there has been a growing concern regarding players’ previous injuries and medical condition ahead of the day they’re selected. Teams often have to gamble and trust their gut instinct when drafting a player with an injury history, making this […]

The Washington Wizards have tried and failed to find the right people to run their front office since firing longtime president Ernie Grunfeld at the end of the season, following a 16-year tenure with the franchise. Team owner Ted Leonsis has now eyed Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey and Golden State Warriors assistant […]

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been as close to a non-factor as there can be at this stage of the game, failing to close out in fourth quarters the way a true MVP finalist should. During Games 4 and 5 against the Toronto Raptors, The Greek Freak’s lack of shooting and ability to create […]

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith shared his thoughts on how Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors have flipped the tables on the Milwaukee Bucks, bouncing back from an 0-2 hole and putting the frontrunner for the last spot in the NBA Finals on the brink of elimination. Smith wasn’t shy about eating a nice slice of […]

Fresh off an All-NBA snub, Klay Thompson was quick to let the disrespect roll off his shoulder, leaving his Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green to build him up for his worth. Green, who joined Thompson as a member of the All-Defensive Second Team, argued his longtime teammate deserved better. “He should have been first […]

Toronto Raptors point man Kyle Lowry explained how it is that his team managed to flip the script on the Milwaukee Bucks after going down 0-2 in the series. The second seed in the East seemingly hit the download button after losing the first two games, making all the right plays down the stretch to […]

The Toronto Raptors have turned the tables on the Milwaukee Bucks, as star forward Kawhi Leonard has put the clamps on Giannis Antetokounmpo, slowing him down and keeping him from having big nights in the last three games. According to Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports, Antetokounmpo scored only 10 points in the 37 possessions in […]

The Milwaukee Bucks are facing a similar scenario that the Boston Celtics did in the previous series, now seeing the Toronto Raptors win three games in a row to turn the tables on them and lead the series 3-2, sitting one game away from elimination. When prompted with this comparison, Giannis Antetokounmpo stopped the reporter […]

Philadelphia 76ers star swingman Jimmy Butler is reportedly interested in joining the Los Angeles Lakers. So much so that he’d be willing to sign in the dotted line as soon as he sees the zeroes on his max-level deal, according to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times. A recent report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst […]

The Toronto Raptors are one win away from reaching their first-ever NBA Finals, and rapper/actor/global ambassador Drake is hoping to speak it into existence. Following a third straight win over the Milwaukee Bucks, which came by way of a 105-99 road victory in Game 5 on Thursday, Drake promised his team would march on to […]