David Yapkowitz Articles - Page 54

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James are often considered as the faces of the NBA along with Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. James and Curry have squared off against each other five times in the NBA playoffs with Curry’s team winning three of the five matchups. Many have […]

When the NBA season began, Shake Milton was part of the Minnesota Timberwolves who have been the top team in the Western Conference this season. But at the NBA Trade Deadline, the Wolves traded Shake Milton to the Detroit Pistons, a team that is in the running for the worst team in the league. The […]

Iowa star Caitlin Clark has rapidly become the biggest name in college basketball on either the men or women’s side. This season she became the NCAA women’s basketball all-time leading scorer. She’s a mere 17 points away from passing Pistol Pete Maravich as the overall NCAA leading scorer. Caitlin Clark made the decision this week […]

The Golden State Warriors have begun playing better basketball since their early inconsistent play. The team is a likely lock for one of the play-in spots in the Western Conference. Since the Warriors rise in the NBA with Stephen Curry at the helm, they’ve been credited with helping steer the offensive explosion the league is […]

One of the most disappointing teams in recent NBA history is the Brooklyn Nets team that featured Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. That trio was supposed to bring championship glory to the franchise but injuries and unavailability hindered their chances. One player who was a part of those Nets rosters is current Cleveland […]

With LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant entering the twilight of their NBA careers, there’s much a lot of discussion amongst fans and players alike as to who the next face of the NBA will be. The league has a few young stars who appear ready to carry on the mantle. During a recent […]

The Milwaukee Bucks have had one of the greatest shooters in NBA history suit up for the franchise in Hall of Famer Ray Allen. Allen began his NBA career with the Bucks and played there for six and a half seasons before being traded to the Seattle Sonics. He shot 40.6 percent from three-point range […]

The Golden State Warriors were at Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks on Wednesday, hoping to continue their recent streak where they’ve won eight of their last ten games. With the Warriors leading by ten against the Knicks as the third quarter came to an end, Chris Paul rammed his shoulder in […]

The Sacramento Kings caught a lot of teams by surprise last season, but this year that hasn’t really been the case. While they were a top four seed for the majority of last season, this year the Kings have been hovering near the lower half of the playoff bracket in the Western Conference standings. The […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves have held on to the top seed in the Western Conference standings throughout the season. They’ve consistently been one of the best teams in the West and have held off potential challengers so far. A major part of the Timberwolves success is the MVP level play of Anthony Edwards. Anthony Edwards suffered […]

The Kansas Jayhawks have been one of the best teams in the country this season, but they’ve suffered a major blow recently in the form of a knee injury to star guard Kevin McCullar Jr. The Jayhawks have played inconsistent basketball as of late and recently head coach Bill Self suggested McCullar’s injury could be […]

The USC Trojans might be one of the worst teams in the Pac-12 this season, but perhaps the most talked about storyline is what Bronny James will do at the end of the season. Coming into this season, Bronny James was often thought to be a one and done player and would declare for the […]

The Milwaukee Bucks have struggled a bit on the court since firing Adrian Griffin and replacing him with Doc Rivers as their head coach. They have won three games in a row though and seem to be on their way to playing better basketball. The Bucks are fighting for positioning in the Eastern Conference standings […]

The Golden State Warriors have been playing better basketball as of late and have made a push to fight for one of the lower playoff seeds. They’ve gone 8-2 in their last 10 games and are looking to try and move up in the Western Conference standings. To do so though, the Warriors are going […]

After starting out the 2023-24 season poorly, the UCLA Bruins had been playing better basketball as of late. However, UCLA dropped a game over the weekend against crosstown rival USC. It was a poor loss as USC has been hovering near the bottom of the Pac-12 standings all season. In any case, the Bruins have […]

Throughout NBA history, there have been a few players who have been notoriously poor free throw shooters. The name Shaquille O’Neal comes to mind, but he always said he made them when it counted. In today’s NBA, Rudy Gobert is probably in contention for being a poor free throw shooter. While the Minnesota Timberwolves center […]

The 2024 Olympics are set to be held this summer in Paris, France and Team USA Basketball’s roster will look drastically different than the team that finished with a poor showing last summer at the FIBA World Cup. That team didn’t even win a medal. There are few players in contention for the final roster […]

Once NBA free agency comes around in the offseason, one of the potential top players on the market is Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson. Thompson has been able to sign a contract extension with the Warriors but so far the two sides have failed to reach an agreement. If Thompson becomes a free agent, […]

The Boston Celtics have jumped out to the best record in the NBA this season and that’s largely due to the MVP caliber season that Jayson Tatum is putting up. Surprisingly though, Tatum hasn’t gotten as much buzz for the award as other players have. In any case, voters are definitely going to have to […]

Back when the Los Angeles Clippers made the Chris Paul trade with the Houston Rockets, it was known that the Rockets were Paul’s preferred destination. Chris Paul spent only two seasons with the Rockets before they traded him in the 2017 offseason to the Oklahoma City Thunder. On a recent appearance on Dwyane Wade’s podcast, […]

If Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark is the biggest name in college basketball right now, then USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins is a very close second. Watkins, only a freshman, has been eclipsing various feats and setting records left and right. Just recently, she was given the prestigious honor of gracing the cover of SLAM […]

Back in 2020, it wasn’t clear whether Keyontae Johnson would ever play basketball again. He had collapsed on the court while still in college at Florida. He sat out for almost two years before resuming his basketball career at Kansas State. The NBA’s Fitness to Play panel had to clear Keyontae Johnson before the Oklahoma […]

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their Sunday matinee game against the Phoenix Suns, 123-113. While they were able to make a game of it, what ultimately doomed the Lakers was their slow start giving up 45 points to the Suns in the first quarter. It’s tough to come back and win especially on the road […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have had their season derailed due to an ever-increasing injury report. The Grizzlies are starting to get a little more healthy amid the final months of the season, but they’ve been relying on rookies and two-way contract players for a good portion of this season. Rookie GG Jackson has been thrust into […]

The Miami Heat are in the midst of a big road trip with their next game coming on Monday against the Sacramento Kings. Following the major altercation that took place between the Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans, the Heat will be short-handed in addition to the multiple injuries they’re dealing with. There could be […]

The Orlando Magic have been a much improved team this season and that’s largely due to the continued development of star forward Paolo Banchero. The Detroit Pistons, meanwhile have been on the wrong side of history having set the record for most consecutive losses in a season. The Pistons woes continued on Saturday against the […]

The Atlanta Hawks were involved in a bit of controversy on Friday during their game against the Toronto Raptors. Hawks head coach Quin Snyder was ejected after arguing a no-call on Jakob Poeltl that knocked Trae Young to the ground. Young was seemingly hurt on the play and rolled over to the sideline. He remained […]

The Chicago Sky are entering a new era for the 2024 WNBA season. They’re not that far removed from the 2021 championship team, but they have a vastly different roster. The Sky brought in a new head coach in WNBA legend Teresa Weatherspoon and their rebuilding direction was cemented when they traded franchise cornerstone Kahleah […]

The Indiana Hoosiers have struggled mightily this season. It’s the third season for Mike Woodson as Indiana head coach and it’s shaping up to be his worst season yet. Indiana is currently 6-9 in Big 10 Conference play and just recently suffered another loss to Penn State. Following the game, Woodson took full responsibility for […]

It was a brutal Friday for the New Orleans Pelicans. Not only did the Pelicans lose CJ McCollum during the game due to an ankle injury, but they will likely have several key players suspended in the coming days due to their role in the altercation with the Miami Heat. The Pelicans could be dealing […]

The New Orleans Pelicans home game against the Miami Heat on Friday quickly descended into chaos during the fourth quarter. Players from both the Pelicans and Heat bench got involved in the fight that began when Kevin Love seemingly fouled Zion Williamson intentionally. Naji Marshall came over to defend Williamson and that was when he […]

The San Antonio Spurs may be the worst team in the Western Conference record-wise, but they have been a must-see team due to the presence of rookie star Victor Wembanyama. The No. 1 overall pick has so far lived up to the hype that was bestowed upon him coming into this season. His dazzling display […]

The New Orleans Pelicans suffered a major blow on Friday during their game against the Miami Heat when CJ McCollum sustained an ankle injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game as per the team. He was originally listed as questionable to return, but ultimately ruled out. The Pelicans had been playing […]

The Atlanta Hawks are fighting for a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference, and one of the teams behind them in the standings is the Toronto Raptors. The team has been inconsistent this year and has dealt with rumors about the availability of star point guard Trae Young. The Hawks have the opportunity to gain […]

While the Memphis Grizzlies have been hit hard by injuries this season, they’ve turned into a fun team to watch. Part of the reason the Grizzlies have become an exciting team is their youth led by promising rookie GG Jackson. Jackson began the season not playing much for the Grizzlies but with all the injury […]

The Seattle Storm revamped their roster for the upcoming WNBA season, adding All-Stars Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith to pair alongside Jewell Loyd. With these new additions, the Storm have seemingly vaulted themselves back into championship contention. They’re still going to have to go through the Las Vegas Aces but they’re closer to title contention. […]

The Chicago Bulls are a team that’s seemingly stuck in no-man’s land. They aren’t good enough to be a top playoff team but they aren’t bad enough to get a top draft pick. They’re probably locked into a play-in spot and have a shot at one of the lower playoff seeds but aren’t good enough […]

There isn’t a bigger name in college basketball right now than Iowa star Caitlin Clark. Clark has captivated fans across the country this season, selling out arenas both at home and on the road. Clark made history this season as she surpassed Kelsey Plum to become the women’s NCAA Division 1 all-time leading scorer. With […]

When the New York Knicks pulled off a trade with the Toronto Raptors near the end of December, the prize in the deal for the Knicks was OG Anunoby. The versatile wing defender was sure to strengthen the Knicks defensive approach. But one player in the deal who has arguably had an equal impact on […]