David Yapkowitz Articles - Page 20

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 […]

The Los Angeles Lakers came away with a thrilling 115-113 win against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, culminating with a game-winner bucket from Austin Reaves. But after the game, one of the most pressing concerns was the status of Lakers big man Anthony Davis, who left the game with an injury scare. But […]

The Philadelphia 76ers took another step towards turning their season around with a big, 118-114 win against the defending champ Boston Celtics. The 76ers have now won seven of their last ten games and continue to creep up the standings in the Eastern Conference. During the 76ers win, Tyrese Maxey reached Christmas Day numbers that […]

The San Antonio Spurs have been in the mix for a postseason berth this year, but they took a bit of a step back with their 117-114 loss to the New York Knicks on Christmas Day. Following the game, Spurs veteran point guard Chris Paul spoke about what the team needs to do to start […]

The Dallas Mavericks have shot up to the upper echelon of the Western Conference standings, and a big reason for that has been the play of star point guard Kyrie Irving. Coming into the Mavericks’ Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kyrie Irving dropped major praise on Wolves’ star Anthony Edwards. Following the Wolves’ […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves have had an inconsistent season this year after trading franchise star Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. But they got a much-needed win on Christmas against the Dallas Mavericks. Following the win, Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards spoke about the team’s inconsistent season, as per Chris […]

The Dallas Mavericks may have lost their Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 105-99, but they put up a fight, crawling back from a 20+ point deficit to get back into the game. In the process, Mavericks guard Klay Thompson passed former NBA great Reggie Miller on the all-time three-point list. Following the game, […]

The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Golden State Warriors in a big Christmas Day matchup. The Lakers have been battling the injury bug this season, and they might be a little short-handed against the Warriors on Christmas. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are listed on the team’s report, and there’s one new notable […]

LOS ANGELES – Coming into the Los Angeles Lakers’ Christmas Day clash against the Golden State Warriors, Max Christie knows that the task of chasing Stephen Curry around for 48 minutes will likely fall on him. It’s not like he isn’t used that type of challenge though. Within the past month alone, Christie has drawn […]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers’ three-game winning streak was snapped on Monday following a 117–114 loss to the Detroit Pistons at home. The Lakers have had their share of injury concerns this season and before the game, head coach JJ Redick provided the latest injury news for Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood. After […]

The Los Angeles Lakers came into the 2024-25 season short-handed in the frontcourt as both Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood were sidelined due to injury. Both players have yet to make their season debuts. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Jaxson Hayes joined them on the sidelines with an ankle injury. Sometimes the news is there is […]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers have won four of their last five games, which coincides with when Max Christie became part of the starting lineup. Since then, Christie has contributed with all-around play, especially on the defensive end. Now in his third season with the Lakers, Max Christie attributes his development this year […]

The Los Angeles Lakers will return home on Monday against the Detroit Pistons following a successful 2-0 mini-road trip against the Sacramento Kings. For a team that has seen their share of injury concerns this season, the Lakers listed both LeBron James and Anthony Davis on their injury report ahead of their matchup with the […]

Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet is a revered name in Toronto. He was a key member of the Toronto Raptors team that won the 2019 NBA championship, which is the only title in their franchise’s history. VanVleet made his annual return to Toronto against the Raptors as an opponent with the Rockets on Sunday […]