Shane Young Articles - Page 2

When the eight playoff teams became locked in the West, the goal for many of the bottom seeds was to maneuver their way into a series with the Denver Nuggets. Every team in the mix — the Spurs, Thunder, and Clippers — certainly would have rather faced a team that hadn’t been tested in a […]

In a fitting matchup between two teams on opposite ends of the playoff experience spectrum, the reward for a 54-win Denver Nuggets season is a San Antonio Spurs squad that is built to take advantage of newcomers. Gregg Popovich has coached 277 playoff games to Michael Malone’s zero. Given their relationship, it creates a fun […]

The final week of the NBA regular season is upon us, which means the playoff matchups are close to being set. For the Golden State Warriors, a three-peat is on the table. It hasn’t been accomplished since the 2002 Lakers and 1998 Bulls. As the Warriors enter the postseason as the title favorite for the […]

For the Toronto Raptors, integrating Marc Gasol at the trade deadline was always going to be an intricate process. This wasn’t a team struggling to stay alive in the heat of a playoff race. It wasn’t even an organization dealing with the pressure of a disgruntled superstar, similar to the 2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers that […]

OAKLAND — After nearly a full year of nursing a torn left Achilles’ tendon, DeMarcus Cousins is finally on the runway back to stepping on the court. To the dismay of fans that argue for NBA parity and competitive balance, that return will be with the Golden State Warriors. The last time Cousins played in a […]

OAKLAND — Motivation is one of the most fragile aspects of anyone’s mind. It can spark out of nowhere in the most random settings. It can also disappear instantly, especially after good fortune lands in your lap and peak success is achieved. What more is there to fight and grind for every day once you’re […]

What do Jordan Clarkson, Reggie Jackson, and Ricky Rubio all have in common? They are all shooting better from 3-point range than Klay Thompson, who has been a 42.8 percent long-distance shooter since Steve Kerr took over the Golden State Warriors in 2014. In what has turned into an extremely up-and-down season for the Warriors […]

When he immediately agreed to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 1st, Paul George faced a load of questions. Why would you return to a situation that looked even bleaker than your Indiana days? Why wouldn’t you wait until LeBron James made his intentions clear before deciding? Why not at least take a […]

It was definitely worth the wait. The first full week of the 2018-19 NBA season is in the books. There was no shortage of exhilarating moments, between the high-scoring affairs, a Staples Center brawl, and Jonas Jerebko being the most valuable Warrior for just one possession. With full acknowledgement that “small sample size!!!” arguments usually […]

INDIANAPOLIS — “We don’t F with the game.” It was a comment before training camp that accompanied a quick smile, but carried the most serious intentions. Indiana Pacers’ Head Coach Nate McMillan not only wants his team to increase its professionalism and maturity with each season he’s there. He also covets his players to take […]

Leading the Cleveland Cavaliers by six with less than a minute to play, Kevin Durant calmly walked to the huddle without emotion. For any player, the 43-point, 13-rebound, and seven-assist performance would be a legacy defining moment. For the Golden State Warriors’ superstar, it was just another Wednesday in the office. Durant put the Quicken […]

Spoiling a playoff career-high for LeBron James feels like a crime. Heading into Game 1, James’s teams were 23-7 in the regular season and playoffs when he scored at least 45 points. When he poured in at least 50, they were 9-0. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ supporting cast couldn’t help itself. The mistakes came in all […]

This is a strange time in the NBA. Not only will the same two teams square off in the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive year — a first in American pro sports — but something that feels impossible has emerged as true. The world’s best, most terrorizing player seemingly doesn’t have a chance in […]

After the Game 2 beatdown the Houston Rockets delivered the Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green said it best. “We allow one of those a series. Now it’s time to lock in.” Stephen Curry’s third quarter explosion may have gotten all the attention after Game 3, but it was the defense that got the Warriors rolling. […]

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets fought all year for this moment, spending countless hours to lift itself to a championship pedigree. Houston thought it was prepared. Importing the craftiest, most well-rounded point guard in NBA history, 65 wins, and a point differential over 8.0 will give a team all the hope in the world. The […]

We’re finally here.  On May 14, the Golden State Warriors will kick off their fourth consecutive Western Conference Finals appearance, facing the Houston Rockets. Except this time, it won’t be at home. From the moment Chris Paul navigated his way to Texas, this clash has seemed inevitable; pitting the two most efficient predators in a matchup […]

Carried solely by adrenaline after 42 minutes of packing an entire team and city on his shoulders, he jogged to the scorer’s table and leaped to the top. There, staring at thousands of fans as they scream in jubilation, he lets them know why it was never time to panic. “You know me!” Expressing the […]

Five years ago, former Philadelphia 76ers’ general manager Sam Hinkie jumpstarted The Process with a draft night trade. It sent 23-year-old Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for newly drafted Nerlens Noel and a future first-round pick. Holiday had just earned his only all-star selection, leading the 34-win Sixers in scoring and […]

Four years ago, Chris Paul committed two turnovers in the final 17 seconds of Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals in a series the Oklahoma City Thunder won 4-2. For all the brilliance Paul has produced in the playoffs, memorably dismantling the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 during the 2015 postseason, the specter […]

Nearly five years ago, a 23-year-old Paul George stood eye-to-eye with, arguably, the greatest force in basketball history. And didn’t blink. In the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James was at the apex of his career, having completed one of the five most dominant individuals seasons ever. Paul George was a rising star who’d become […]

When the NBA Playoffs arrive, so does higher viewership. Because of how long and tedious the regular season schedule can be, some fans wait until the spring to attentively watch. The excitement surrounding the opening weekend of the postseason is unmatched, as we get to see many hungry teams giving the top-seeded favorites their best […]