David Yapkowitz Articles - Page 48

LOS ANGELES – If the Los Angeles Lakers hope to be a contender in the NBA this season, they’re going to need a big year from All-Star big man Anthony Davis. While LeBron James might be the team’s best player, Davis is arguably their most important player in that they need him playing at a […]

LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers begin the 2024-25 season this week, one player whom they’re going to need to have a big year is Rui Hachimura. Although he has not played in the last two preseason games, he is expected to be ready for the season opener. And one key area of […]

Philadelphia 76ers backup center Andre Drummond recently made a controversial comment about why he is able to rebound so well in the NBA. He initially said that when he came into the NBA, he would watch other players miss shots and study where their shots would come off the rim in order to grab rebounds. […]

Since the 2024 WNBA regular season ended, several head coaches have been let go from their respective teams. The Los Angeles Sparks opted to part ways with Curt Miller after two seasons of lottery finishes. The Sparks search for a new head coach has brought them to possibility of Las Vegas Aces assistant coach Tyler […]

NBA teams are facing next week’s deadline to trim their rosters down to a maximum of 15 standard contracts and three two-way contracts. Several teams made those final roster cuts and decisions this weekend. The San Antonio Spurs opted to fill their final two-way contract roster spot with former Ohio Valley Conference Player of the […]

NBA teams faced an approaching deadline early next week to finalize their rosters in advance of the 2024-25 NBA season opener. With Exhibit 9 and 10 contracts incurring cap hits each day they were on the roster past Saturday, several teams made roster cuts this weekend. Those losses were other team gains as the Detroit […]

The Chicago Bulls wrapped up their preseason schedule on Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But there could be some cause for concern following the game. Bulls forward Patrick Williams suffered an apparent ankle injury during the preseason game and was ruled out, the team announced. There was no immediate update, only that he was going […]

When the 2025 WNBA season tips-off, there will be a new expansion team in the Golden State Valkyries. It’s the first expansion team in the league since the Atlanta Dream in 2008. With the addition of the Valkyries will come an expansion draft. The Los Angeles Sparks, and every other team in the league, will […]

The Los Angeles Lakers season opener is next week on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Teams are facing the deadline to finalize their rosters, and while the Lakers are still pursuing impact players via trade, they made a flurry of roster moves on Friday. The Lakers added former Belmont star Grayson Murphy […]

As the start of the 2024-25 NBA season draws near, the Chicago Bulls got a huge roster boost in the form of Lonzo Ball. Now as training camp winds down and preseason is over, rosters need to be finalized. The Bulls recently made a big roster decision on former Ohio State star EJ Liddell, opting […]

The Los Angeles Clippers received bad news this week when it was revealed that Kawhi Leonard would be unavailable for the season opener due to injury. It’s been an unfortunate set of circumstances for the Clippers and Leonard the past couple of seasons with Leonard being limited during the team’s past two playoff runs. He […]

ROSEMONT IL – Flashback to the 2023 offseason, and the UCLA Bruins were loaded up with incoming freshmen. Mick Cronin was rebuilding on the fly after losing the core group that had secured a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and had advanced to the Sweet 16. But the 2024-25 roster is going to […]

The New York Liberty took a 2-1 series lead in the WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx, putting them one win away from their first championship in franchise history. It was a game winner from Sabrina Ionescu that sealed the win for the Liberty. Following the game, Sabrina Ionescu reacted to her game winner that […]

The Minnesota Lynx returned home on Tuesday for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty with the series tied 1-1. During this run to the Finals, Alanna Smith has been a very important player for the Lynx, but she suffered an injury scare in the first half of Game 3. Alanna […]

It’s been two years, but the moment that Chicago Bulls fans have been waiting for finally happened during preseason against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. Lonzo Ball returned to the lineup for the Bulls amid a standing ovation from the home crowd, and proceeded to knock down his first shot of the game, a […]

There’s no question that the transfer portal has changed the college basketball landscape forever. Whether it’s for the better or for the worse, it depends on who you talk to. For Georgetown Hoyas head coach Ed Cooley, while he acknowledges the need to change with the landscape, he also sees some of the downfalls of […]

The UConn Huskies are the premier program in college basketball right now. With back to back national championships and several players off to the NBA, it’s hard to argue against them. And head coach Dan Hurley has had success off the court too when it comes to the recruiting trail. UConn just picked up a […]

The night of the NBA Draft is a big night for draft hopefuls. The anticipation of hearing your name called is like no other; the culmination of all the hard work and sacrifice put in that led this moment. For some though, it can be an eye-opener. Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas had a moment […]

This past weekend, Crossroads High School in Santa Monica, CA played host to the second year of the Flight Club Invitational. A partnership between sneaker consignment store Flight Club and Crossroads, the event showcased several of the top high school basketball teams and players in Southern California, including Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming into the 2024-25 NBA season as the only team in the league who did not make any free agent signings in the offseason. That means that they’re going to be looking for breakout seasons from key players. One player in particular that the Lakers should expect a big season […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have been without Jarred Vanderbilt since last February as he’s been recovering from a foot injury. Vanderbilt has undergone procedures on both of his feet and the last time he suited up for the Lakers was back on Feb. 1. But as far as the 2024-25 season is concerned, the plan […]

The Los Angeles Lakers were without starting guard Austin Reaves due to injury during their most recent preseason game, a 107-102 win against the Milwaukee Bucks. Reaves has been dealing with ankle soreness, but could be nearing a return to the court. Following practice on Saturday, Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave assembled media an […]

ROSEMONT IL – Coming into the 2024-25 season, the USC Trojans will have an entirely new team. The only returning player from last year’s roster is senior forward Harrison Hornery. But there are a few newcomers on the team who are expected to play a major role, specifically Desmond Claude and Saint Thomas. For head […]

There’s no question that Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is one of the top rising stars in the NBA. One of the subjects of the new Netflix show, ‘Starting 5,’ Anthony Edwards showed he’s a top trash talker as well. So it probably comes as no surprise that Edwards would drop another big take during […]

The WNBA has certainly seen a massive surge in popularity and attention, this season in particular. There are more eyes than ever before watching the league. So it comes as no surprise that, that surge would continue into the WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty. The WNBA Finals tipped-off on Thursday […]

This weekend, the second annual Flight Club Invitational will take place at Crossroads High School in Santa Monica, CA. Billed as a partnership between Crossroads and Flight Club, the original sneaker consignment store, the event will take place across two days (Oct 12-13) and will feature some of the top high school basketball talent in […]

The WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx got underway on Thursday for their best of five series. The series begins on the heels of an announcement that the WNBA playoffs will be restructured in 2025 with the WNBA Finals moving to a best of seven format. But when it comes […]

After reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011, the Dallas Mavericks major offseason acquisition was All-Star guard Klay Thompson. While Klay Thompson sat out the Mavericks first preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies, he made his first appearance in Dallas jersey against the Utah Jazz in their second preseason game. Thompson got […]

The play that San Antonio Spurs fans have been anticipating all offseason finally happened on Wednesday. During the Spurs’ preseason game against the Orlando Magic, new point guard Chris Paul set up Victor Wembanyama with a perfect alley-oop pass for the slam dunk. During the play, Chris Paul drove baseline and found Victor Wembanyama cutting […]

The Memphis Grizzlies plan to be cautious with Ja Morant following an injury scare. The superstar point guard suffered an ankle injury during the team’s preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks, and they need him at full strength. The Grizzlies could have something scary brewing with the Ja Morant and Zach Edey two-man game, at […]

Trashing talking in the game of basketball is age-old tradition. One of the best trash talkers in today’s game is Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. So it comes as no surprise that in the new Netflix documentary, ‘Starting 5,’ Anthony Edwards is at the center of trash talk directed towards Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, […]

It happened on Sunday, what Los Angeles Lakers fans had been anticipating since the NBA Draft, LeBron James and Bronny James shared the court together making history, sort of. During the second quarter of the Lakers preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, Bronny James checked into the game with LeBron James already on […]

One of the biggest questions that Los Angeles Lakers fans have coming into the 2024-25 season is when will they see LeBron James and Bronny James on the court together. The prevailing thought is that it has to come naturally and not feel like it’s being forced at all. And Lakers head coach JJ Redick […]

Following the Connecticut Sun’s Game 3 loss to the Minnesota Lynx in their semifinal series of the WNBA Playoffs, Sun coach Stephanie White was asked about an apparent confrontation between her players and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve after Game 1. And in Game 4 on Sunday, there was another exchange, this time in-game between Cheryl […]

The Connecticut Sun held off elimination and forced a deciding Game 5 against the Minnesota Lynx in their semifinal series of the WNBA Playoffs. The Lynx had used an impressive Game 3 to take control of the series. But the Sun used a big fourth quarter to seize momentum and pull off the 92-82 win. […]

After a surprising 2022-23 season, the Sacramento Kings took a step back last year, failing to make the playoffs after losing in the play-in. To help get back in the Western Conference arms race, the Kings pulled off a sign and trade deal with the Chicago Bulls for DeMar DeRozan. With DeRozan in the fold, […]

Every WNBA team needs a player who doesn’t necessarily need the ball in their hands or to score to impact a game. A player who is willing to do the dirty work and whose impact won’t always show up on the stat sheet. For the Phoenix Mercury, that player has been Natasha Mack. As part […]

When Houston Rockets wing Tari Eason took the court at the Drew League in Los Angeles this summer, it was the first time he had stepped on the court in an actual game setting following a leg injury. Eason dealt with a leg injury all of last season that ended up cutting his second year […]

This season, the Boston Celtics are hoping to become the first team since the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors to repeat as NBA championships. But in order to do so, they have be focused with the right mentality. During a recent episode of the show, ‘Hot Ones’ from First We Feast, Celtics star Jaylen […]