David Yapkowitz Articles - Page 18

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to square off against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, and as of publication, the game is scheduled to proceed. The Lakers’ game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday was postponed due to the ongoing wildfires in California. But should the Lakers’ matchup against the Spurs proceeds, they’ll get […]

During the 2022 offseason, Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein both joined the New York Knicks together. Brunson was coming off a career year with the Dallas Mavericks while Hartenstein had a strong season with the Los Angeles Clippers. Both were among the better free agents at their position and both signed with the Knicks. But […]

The Golden State Warriors were without Andrew Wiggins during their most recent game, a 107-104 win against the Detroit Pistons on the road. Andrew Wiggins was listed on the Warriors injury report as being out due to personal reasons, and following the Pistons win, head coach Steve Kerr gave an update on his status for […]

The Golden State Warriors came into their road matchup against the Detroit Pistons a little bit short-handed with no Andrew Wiggins or Jonathan Kuminga available. But amid the key absences in the Warriors’ rotation, they got a huge boost from Gui Santos as they managed to grab a 107-104 win. Following the Warriors’ win, Gui […]

Amid the Philadelphia 76ers’ tough start to the season, one of the few bright spots was the Rookie of the Year campaign from rookie guard Jared McCain. But just a couple of months into Jared McCain’s rookie season, he suffered a devastating injury. On on Thursday, the 76ers just confirmed what had already been common […]

There’s no question that Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is one of the top NBA players in the league right now. Coming off his first championship and helping lead his team as one of the top contenders this season, his legacy is still being written. But with such success also comes the detractors. One of […]

Amid the ongoing wildfires that have engulfed a large portion of the Los Angeles area, many NBA personnel were among those affected by the disaster. Los Angeles Clippers’ star Kawhi Leonard took a leave from the team to attend to his family who were among those evacuated by the Palisades fire. Golden State Warriors head […]

LOS ANGELES – Since Max Christie was moved into the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup, he’s drawn some of the toughest defensive assignments in the league. Last month, he found himself matched up against Ja Morant, Trae Young, Cade Cunningham and ultimately Stephen Curry. Albeit the tough matchups, he’s proven himself as one of the […]

Last season, Cam Spencer was on top of the world. In his final year of college basketball eligibility, he transferred to UConn and ended up played a pivotal role in the Huskies’ 2024 national championship run. He was one of the top players during the NCAA Tournament and was selected in the second round of […]

As the NBA trade deadline is about one month away, the biggest name swirling in trade rumors is Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler. Following a statement by Heat president Pat Riley that the team would not be trading Butler, the 14-year veteran essentially requested a trade. That was followed by the Heat suspending Butler for […]

In what was a possible NBA Finals preview, the Oklahoma City Thunder dispatched the visiting Boston Celtics, 105-92. The Thunder improved to 30-5 while the Celtics dropped to 26-10. Immediately following the big win, the Thunder made a couple of roster moves on a pair of young players, as per Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire. […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves are still trying to find their footing after the Karl-Anthony Towns to New York Knicks trade that shocked the NBA world. The Wolves are currently 17-17 and in tenth place in the Western Conference standings. Perhaps looking to add quality depth, the Timberwolves made a recent roster move with the signing of […]

The Detroit Pistons have been a vastly improved team behind the All-Star campaign of Cade Cunningham, firmly in the mix for a playoff spot after finishing with the worst record in the NBA in 2023-24. They recently suffered a setback though following the worrisome injury to Jaden Ivey. In a move that could address their backcourt […]

The Sacramento Kings drew plenty of criticism last month when they decided to fire head coach Mike Brown amid a disappointing start to the 2024-25 season. It’s more likely that the real culprit of the team’s poor start is their roster construction. With the NBA trade deadline approaching next month, the team is looking to […]

Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 119-102 win against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, they moved up into the top-five in the Western Conference standings with a record of 20-14. The Lakers have a big test coming up on the road against the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Ahead of their matchup against the Rockets, the Lakers […]

LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers squared off against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, they welcomed a familiar face back in the lineup. With Anthony Davis out due to injury, Jaxson Hayes stepped into the Lakers’ lineup as he made his return from an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for 21 […]

LOS ANGELES – When it comes to defense, the Los Angeles Lakers’ game-plan starts and ends with Anthony Davis. The Lakers’ big man is one of the best and most versatile defenders in the NBA. So when you add a defensive-minded player like Shake Milton, the way the Lakers did via trade with the Brooklyn […]

LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers decided to trade D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets this past weekend, it signaled two things. The first was their need to address their front-court depth and versatility, which they did by acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith. The second was it signaled the Lakers’ confidence in Austin Reaves playing […]

The New York Knicks were set to square off against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, but they received a bit of worrisome news before the game even started. Knicks backup guard Miles ‘Deuce’ McBride, a key reserve this year, suffered an injury during warmups, as per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Miles McBride […]

The Indiana Pacers have been off to a disappointing start this season. They are currently 16-18 and in eight place in the Eastern Conference standings, and do not resemble the team that made an Eastern Conference Finals run last season. To help bolster their roster, the Pacers made a trade for Thomas Bryant for additional […]

LOS ANGELES – If there was one player on the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster who had seen his name the most in trade rumors, it was D’Angelo Russell. The Lakers had re-acquired Russell in a midseason trade during the 2022-23 season, and it seemed like his name had been in trade chatter ever since. The […]

LOS ANGELES – Adjusting to the NBA can be challenging for a rookie. In the case of Dalton Knecht, during his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers, he’s always seen plenty of ups and downs. Knecht has alternated between the bench and the starting lineup, and he’s currently one of the team’s top reserves. […]

The Denver Nuggets have not looked like a championship contender since they won the 2023 NBA title, which is why the Nuggets have been in trade rumors in terms of looking to upgrade their roster by the deadline. One name the Nuggets had been linked to is the Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine, but those talks […]

The Utah Jazz are one of the teams firmly in the tanking race for the 2025 NBA Draft where the top three players are expected to be Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. When a team is mired in a rebuild like the Jazz are, finding quality players on the edges and developing prospects […]

The Miami Heat got a big win, 104-100, against the Houston Rockets on Sunday, but the main headline following the game was the altercation between Tyler Herro and Amen Thompson. Both the Heat and the Rockets are currently awaiting potential punishment from the NBA. In the meantime, however, that hasn’t stopped either team from speaking […]

With the Los Angeles Lakers trading D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets, they lost some of their backcourt depth. But in recent weeks, the consistent, strong play from Austin Reaves, Max Christie and Gabe Vincent made the Lakers more amenable to trading Russell. But in the coming days, the Lakers are hoping that they won’t […]

LOS ANGELES – To say the Los Angeles Lakers have been hit with injuries to their frontcourt this season would be a major understatement. To this point, Anthony Davis has been the only available center on the standard roster. The Lakers have used two-way contract player Christian Koloko at times, but head coach JJ Redick […]

LOS ANGELES – In the Los Angeles Lakers’ last two games, they’ve been without one or the other of their superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. During the Lakers’ win against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas, Davis didn’t finish the game due to an injury scare, while James didn’t suit up against […]

Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball didn’t exactly have a smooth path to the NBA. While Ball was always considered to be a very good NBA prospect back during his early high school days at Chino Hills, his pathway to the league was anything but ordinary and included a stint in Lithuania. During a recent interview […]

The Milwaukee Bucks have turned their season around after a dreadful start, and part of that has coincided with the return of All-Star guard Khris Middleton from injury. But the Bucks got a little bit of a scare on Saturday during their game against the Chicago Bulls. Khris Middleton rose up to shoot a three-point […]

The Los Angeles Lakers took a step towards improving their roster this weekend in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets sending D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. It seemed like it was only a matter of time as Russell’s name has popped up in trade rumors […]

The Los Angeles Lakers’ frontcourt has been depleted this season due to injuries with Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt having yet to make their 2024-25 season debut. Back in November, Jaxson Hayes was added to the Lakers’ injury report after suffering an ankle injury in practice. Jaxson Hayes initially made a return to the Lakers’ […]

LOS ANGELES – The Sacramento Kings shocked the NBA world on Friday when they fired head coach Mike Brown right before the team was scheduled to fly south for a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. In his stead, the Kings named assistant coach Doug Christie as interim head coach with his coaching debut coming […]

LOS ANGELES – The day the Sacramento Kings traveled South for their clash against the Los Angeles Lakers, they were one passenger short of their usual traveling party. Head coach Mike Brown was fired by the Kings as the team was scheduled to depart for Los Angeles, causing a stir in the basketball world. During […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have a big Western Conference clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday in a meeting of the two top seeds in the West. It will be a major test for the Grizzlies, but they’re going to be a little short-handed. The Grizzlies got an update on both Santi Aldama and Marcus […]

The Detroit Pistons are in an interesting place in the weeks leading up to the NBA trade deadline. This is a team that has undergone a remarkable transformation from last year to this one. Under new head coach JB Bickerstaff, the Pistons are contending for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after finishing last […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently the top seed in the Western Conference and looking like the top title contender in the West. Even with the injury to Chet Holmgren, the Thunder have not missed a beat. They are 24-5 and 3.5 games ahead of the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies. In the weeks leading up […]

The Atlanta Hawks have been quietly creeping up the Eastern Conference standings and have climbed over .500 with a current 16-15 record. Obviously a big part of the Hawks’ improved play is the production of star point guard Trae Young, who reached an important career-milestone on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls. The career-milestone that Trae […]

The Sacramento Kings have gotten off to a disappointing start to the 2024-25 season. With a little over a quarter of the season through, the Kings are sitting at 13-17 and outside the postseason picture. There’s still a little while remaining before the NBA trade deadline, and the Kings have a player or two that […]