Nick Angstadt Articles - Page 11

Jimmy Butler has been one of the most polarizing players in the NBA today. After pushing and yelling his way out of the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers, he seems to have found the perfect home for himself in South Beach with the Miami Heat. Butler isn’t the best scorer in the league, […]

There may have never been a more NBA perfect storm than what happened after the Los Angeles Clippers lost Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the rest of Doc Rivers’ squad suffered a monumental upset after failing to make the Western Conference Finals despite their star-studded lineup. Sure enough, after […]

While everyone is piling on the Los Angeles Clippers after blowing a 3-1 series lead and losing to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals, the Mile High City team certainly deserves a lot credit — particularly Nikola Jokic. The Serbian big man had his way with them, and the Clippers didn’t seem to […]

Although he and his team literally limped across the finish line, Damian Lillard had an incredible season this year for the Portland Trail Blazers. Some would argue that Lillard reached an entirely new level and has ascended into the top spot among point guards in the league. On the Locked On Blazers Podcast, host Mike […]

As soon as the Minnesota Timberwolves landed the number one pick in the NBA Draft, they had a massive decision to make. This year’s draft doesn’t have the clear number one pick like Minnesota had with Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015. On the Locked On Wolves Podcast, host Ben Beecken explained why trading for a veteran […]

The Milwaukee Bucks have to make some kind of move to improve their team with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s impending free agency. Chris Paul’s name has been mentioned the most in regards to Milwaukee, but putting actually together a trade package is a little more difficult. On the Locked On Thunder Podcast, host Rylan Stiles explains how […]

The Philadelphia 76ers are in the hunt for a head coach. Tyronn Lue’s name keeps getting mentioned for the job, but many fans have questions about Ty Lue’s abilities. On the Locked On 76ers Podcast, host Keith Pompey takes a look at the Ty Lue situation and explains why there’s a double standard when it […]

The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics have a lot of things in common entering the Eastern Conference Finals. They both have versatile wings who can score and defend. They both have veteran point guards who haven’t had much prior playoff success. They have great coaches. They both have front offices that have assembled title-winning teams […]

The Los Angeles Clippers boasted one of the deepest teams in the league going into the NBA playoffs. They have two Sixth Man of the Year Award winners on their bench with Lou Williams, who has won the award three times, and Montrezl Harrell, who won the award this season. Harrell, who is coming off […]

Nikola Jokic has really stepped up his game for the Denver Nuggets in the 2020 NBA playoffs, drawing immense praise from his teammates. After averaging just under 20 points per game during the regular season, Jokic is scoring 26.1 points per game during this playoff run. That brings his career playoff scoring average to 25.6 […]

After missing the playoffs for the first time since 1997 ,the San Antonio Spurs have entered a rebuilding phase. 18 games into the 1996-97 season, head coach Gregg Popovich took over a really good team whose record didn’t entirely tell the whole story. David Robinson was hurt and Tim Duncan was on his way. But […]

The Houston Rockets’ season came to an abrupt end in Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers. It wasn’t a surprise that they lost to the Lakers, but it was the way they lost. After winning Game 1 by 15 points, the Rockets went on to lose the next four games in a row by […]

The Philadelphia 76ers hit a major wall when they were knocked out of the first round in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. They have since fired head coach Bret Brown as they try to salvage what is left of the famed “Process” and make it work. However, it is clear they have to make some roster […]

After striking out on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency and then missing out on Zion Williamson in the 2019 Draft, the New York Knicks definitely have to change their approach coming into the 2020 offseason. On the Locked On Knicks Podcast, hosts Gavin Schall and Alex Wolfe came up with one option for the Knicks […]

James Harden has been given a lot of compliments in his career. For one, Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey previously claimed that “Harden is a better scorer than Michael Jordan.” Meanwhile, Charles Barkley recently proclaimed Harden as the best 1-on-1 scorer he has ever seen. However, while his scoring ability is unquestionable, Harden seems to […]

Coaching isn’t everything in the NBA. Star players drive the league, but it’s clear as day when a team is overseen by a coach who has the goods. There may be no better example of what good coaching can do for a team than when the Miami Heat toppled the Milwaukee Bucks in this strange […]

The Houston Rockets made a seemingly unprecedented move when they traded away big man Clint Capela, internally deciding to never play anyone taller than 6-foot-9. Instead of a balanced frontcourt, Mike D’Antoni opted to strictly adapt small ball as a team philosophy. As the season went on, the Rockets relied more and more on their […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo has now reached the point in his career where it’s not just good enough to be good. He has to be great and start proving to everyone that he can win and get to the NBA Finals (like Michael Jordan did six times). After the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the second round […]

The Toronto Raptors somehow found another way to beat the Boston Celtics and force a Game 7 in their second-round series. The double-overtime thriller had so many insane moments, it’s hard to keep track of them all. Both teams gave away numerous chances to win Game 6, but one play in particular stands out with […]

As soon as the Milwaukee Bucks went down 0-3 in their second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, fans and the media started crafting their takes about Giannis Antetokounmpo and his free agency decision in the 2021 offseason. On the Locked On NBA Podcast, hosts John Karalis and Jake Madison explained why Bucks fans have […]

Most Los Angeles Lakers Fans agreed that Rajon Rondo was a relative train wreck this season. During the regular season it was hard to watch, but Playoff Rondo has emerged (even if he doesn’t believe it), and he all but won Game’s 2 and 3 for the Lakers. On the Locked On Lakers Podcast, hosts […]

The Miami Heat took down the No. 1 seeded Milwaukee Bucks in just five games. Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, and Bam Adebayo will received a lot of the praise for their play, but the unsung hero (pun intended) of the Heat’s victories in the first two rounds of the playoffs has been Tyler Herro. The […]

Billy Donovan and the Oklahoma City Thunder decided to part ways, putting the franchise at a crossroads. They were one shot away from winning their first-round playoff series, but with Donovan’s departure and the comments Adrian Wojnarowski made reporting his exit, it’s clear the Thunder intend on rebuilding. On the Locked On Thunder Podcast, host […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder franchise has undergone a lot of change in the four years since Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors. Victor Oladipo was brought in and traded away, Paul George was brought in and traded away, and Russell Westbrook re-signed a huge contract before being traded away for Chris Paul. Now, […]

In July of 2019, Zion Williamson signed the largest shoe deal a rookie had ever received with Jordan Brand. So, it should come to no surprise that a signature shoe for Zion is on the way. Jordan Brand announced that Williamson’s shoe the ‘Jordan Z Code’ is set to be released in January of 2021, […]

Last week, Jordan Brand announced that Zion Williamson’s first signature shoe is going to be released in January of 2021, with more details to come. A signature shoe is a massive deal and is usually only reserved for MVPs and perennial All-Stars, but Zion was given his after having played only 24 games in the […]

Rajon Rondo has become the Los Angeles Lakers’ scapegoat and a pariah of sorts. Fans are quick to blame Rondo for any and all mistakes he makes, and slow to forgive or commend him if he plays well. Then Rondo, went off for 10 points, 9 assists, and 5 steals in Game 2 against the […]

The Milwaukee Bucks are on the verge of being eliminated from the NBA playoffs, and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s time in Milwaukee may be coming to a close within the next couple years. He has one year left on his contract, but he is eligible for a huge extension this offseason. On the Hollinger & Duncan NBA […]

The Miami Heat took a commanding two games to none lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2, making Game 3 one of the most important of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career. At this point in the series, the Heat seem to have an advantage with their depth, versatility, and maybe, most importantly, coaching. On the Locked […]

It’s becoming more and more common to hear experts saying that the 2020 NBA Draft doesn’t have a lot of top-end talent, but where would RJ Barrett have gone if he entered the selection process this year instead of 2019? All of the projected top-five picks, including Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, and LaMelo Ball, have […]

The Brooklyn Nets’ highly speculated coaching search didn’t end with any of the usual suspects whose names get passed around when a high profile coaching job is available. Instead, the Nets chose former two-time MVP Steve Nash, who has no coaching experience in the NBA. Some might say this hiring came out of nowhere, but […]

Just two months before the NBA stoppage in March, Lu Dort was still playing in the G-League. Now, Dort is the leading scorer in a Game 7 in the NBA Playoffs that included James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The performance shocked everyone, unless you’ve been paying attention. On today’s Locked On Thunder Podcast, host Rylan […]

Even after their Game 7 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, James Harden has shot just 39.2% from the field in four career Game 7’s while averaging 24.2 points, lower than his career scoring average. Harden has had some awful playoff moments in his career. He was blocked by Manu Ginobili on a last-second shot […]

The NBA is one of the most progressive leagues in the United States. Politics aside, they’re willing to try new things and make changes when something isn’t working. Outside of NBA refereeing. In 1979, they added the three-point line, changing the game forever. In 2004, they removed the hand checking rule to allow more flow […]

The Brooklyn Nets finally found their head coach and took a big risk in doing so. Steve Nash has a personal relationship with both Kevin Durant from their time in Golden State and with Kyrie Irving working out together in the offseason. Nash has never been a head coach before, but all of a sudden […]

After a decent debut season for the Sacramento Kings where he was selected to the All-Rookie First Team, Marvin Bagley III disappointed in year two. Bagley only appeared in 13 games for the Kings while dealing with a foot injury. Now, exasperated by the success of Trae Young, Jaren Jackson Jr., Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Michael Porter […]

On Tuesday, the Utah Jazz lost Game 7 to the Denver Nuggets, abruptly bringing an end to their season. It’s been a roller coaster season for the franchise, which made some great offseason moves that had some experts predicting they could win the title. Then. the NBA stoppage started when Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell […]

The defending champion Toronto Raptors lost one of the best players in the league to free agency this summer in Kawhi Leonard, and a lot people assumed it would be a rebuilding year for Canada’s team. But Pascal Siakam rose to another level, making his first All-Star team while helping the Raptors secure the second […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo is only 25 years old, but with a Defensive Player of the Year Award and soon to be two MVP Awards to his name, there’s pressure on him to start coming through in the playoffs. Locked On Bucks Podcast host Kane Pitman had Frank Madden on the show to discuss how Jimmy Butler […]