NBA Editorials Articles - Page 8

MIAMI – As the Miami Heat signed Nikola Jovic to a $62.4 million contract extension, his key role to the team was put on display, despite the 103-93 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the preseason home opener. With Jovic saying he is ready to give everything for the Heat this season, head coach Erik […]

The NBA’s push toward global expansion has slowly moved from aspiration to reality. Commissioner Adam Silver has long championed international growth, and now teams are experiencing what that vision looks like in practice. For Tuomas Iisalo’s regrouped Memphis Grizzlies, that future arrives this January with games in London and Berlin. However, Santi Aldama already knows […]

Throughout their history, the Denver Nuggets have been a consistent presence in the postseason, though until very recently of course, that had never translated into the ultimate success. But that hasn’t stopped them being home to some incredibly good NBA players over the course of their more-than-50 years in the league. Numerous NBA greats have […]

Kawhi Leonard is one of the best superstars in the NBA today. It wasn’t long ago when the Los Angeles Clippers rejoiced when they successfully lured him from the Toronto Raptors. After all, Leonard automatically elevates any franchise into a championship contender, having earned two NBA championships and Finals MVPs with two different franchises. However, […]

The NBA is a star-driven league. In order to find success, teams need their best players to step up. Teams that employ some of the best players in the league are likely to contend for championships, whereas teams without a bona fide top option will likely rebuild until they find one. The 2025-26 season will […]

Detroit Pistons preseason action kicks off next Monday at 8:00 PM ET when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies. After finally reaching improved grounds of team success, the Pistons are looking to build off that momentum. Detroit concluded last season by tripling its win total with a 44-38 record and making its first postseason appearance […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In 2023, the Washington Wizards’ new regime decided to rebuild with young talent after five straight losing seasons with a veteran core under the prior administration. However, it still keeps elder statesmen like CJ McCollum around to set an example for the kids. During Wizards Media Day on Sept. 29, the 34-year-old […]

The Dallas Mavericks have had a topsy-turvy year and a half and will attempt to stay relevant near the top of the Western Conference next season. Last season’s 39-43 record only earned them a place in the play-in, where the Memphis Grizzlies eventually knocked them out in the absence of Kyrie Irving. The nine-time All-Star’s […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the 2025-26 season as the defending NBA champions, coming off a historic 68-win campaign that culminated in their first title since relocating to Oklahoma City. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, fresh off capturing MVP, Finals MVP, and the scoring title in the same season, stands as the cornerstone of a championship-caliber roster built […]

The Miami Heat are in the middle of a transition period similar to where they were before they brought in Jimmy Butler in 2019. They have enough talent to compete for playoff spot next season, especially in the weaker Eastern Conference, but they can probably forget about mounting a deep playoff run unless they acquire […]

After deviating from their original practice plans on Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back indoors on Friday, the fourth day of training camp at IMG Academy. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson explained that they were initially supposed to return to the court following a track session to condition. Instead, Donovan Mitchell pleaded his case for […]

In the more than 50 years which have passed since the franchise came into existence, the Milwaukee Bucks have seen some pretty high-level talent walk through their doors. Though they had an extended period with minimal success, their 58-year history was nearly book-ended by Bucks championships, and it’s little surprise that some of the most […]

The Dallas Mavericks franchise has existed in the NBA for over 40 years, as its inaugural season was back in 1980-81 when it was an expansion team. Over the last four decades, the Mavericks have won one title — in 2011 — and made the NBA Finals three times (in 2006, 2011 and 2024). Compared […]

Kawhi Leonard is one of the biggest stars in the NBA today. He’s one of the few players to win multiple championships with different franchises, having led the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors to the pinnacle. Although Leonard is widely known for his playoff breakouts, The Klaw has also triggered some negative reactions due […]

When the 2024-25 season came to a screeching halt for the Golden State Warriors, with Stephen Curry injuring his hamstring and the team losing in the Western Conference semifinals to the Minnesota Timberwolves, all eyes turned to what offseason negotiations with Jonathan Kuminga would look like. The future of the Warriors hung in the balance […]

SAN FRANCISCO– To put it kindly, the Golden State Warriors are not young, at least in NBA terms. The Warriors enter the 2025-26 season with the second-oldest average age in the league at around 27.53 years old, ahead of only the Los Angeles Clippers. And with four of their most crucial players in Stephen Curry, […]

The Golden State Warriors enter the 2025-26 NBA season standing at a precarious crossroads. On one hand, their core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler remains intact, with enough championship pedigree to believe that one more run at glory is still possible. Meanwhile, the signing of veteran big man Al Horford and the […]

The Los Angeles Clippers are once again entering an NBA season with championship-or-bust expectations. After years of chasing the right roster construction, they may have finally found a balance between star power, veteran leadership, and depth. The offseason brought significant reinforcements in the form of Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, and John Collins. These […]

The Golden State Warriors stand at a crossroads entering the 2025-26 season. Their dynasty is no longer untouchable, but it isn’t over either. Stephen Curry remains their centerpiece, and Jimmy Butler is still an elite two-way force. Yet at the heart of everything Golden State does, both emotionally and tactically, lies Draymond Green. The 35-year-old […]

The Denver Nuggets enter the 2025-26 NBA season retooled, reenergized, and perhaps more dangerous than they’ve been since their championship run in 2023. While much of the attention has centered around the front office shakeups, the Michael Porter Jr. trade, and the welcome return of Bruce Brown, the real gravitational pull remains Nikola Jokić. The […]

When and if Giannis Antetokounmpo does decide to leave the Milwaukee Bucks, he would be leaving behind a stellar legacy only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar clearly exceeds. The 2021 NBA Champions have been put under considerable pressure this offseason after being knocked out in the first round of the playoffs for three years running. In their bid […]

When Anthony Davis made his debut for the Dallas Mavericks last season, he yelled to the fans at American Airlines Center: “I’m here!” Until he wasn’t. Davis, who was having a monster performance, failed to finish that game against the Houston Rockets as he suffered an adductor strain, which sidelined him for multiple weeks. He […]

French sensation Victor Wembanyama’s second season for the San Antonio Spurs ended in disaster as he was ruled out after suffering from deep vein thrombosis or DVT in February 2025. As a result, the Spurs, seen by many to finally be a playoff-contending team, finished 13th in the West with a 34-48 record. San Antonio […]

Player development isn’t always confined to the weight room and the practice court in the NBA. Sometimes, it’s found behind the wheel of a vintage car with a stubborn steering wheel and brakes that demand pure strength. At least that is how the Memphis Grizzlies sold a vintage idea to Jaylen Wells. The All-Rookie wonder […]

As Tuomas Iisalo’s Memphis Grizzlies kick off their training camp, the air is thick with competition, camaraderie, and a palpable sense of urgency. After a rollercoaster 2024-25 season that saw the team navigate a late-season coaching change and playoff heartbreak, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s Grizzlies are embracing a fresh start. At the heart […]

Entering his second NBA season with the aggressively moving Memphis Grizzlies, Zach Edey is no stranger to making bold statements. The 7-foot-4 powerhouse, who turned heads in his rookie year with gritty rebounding and efficient scoring inside, showed up to Media Day with more than just refined footwork and added muscle. Edey also arrived with […]

In the high-stakes poker game of NBA free agency, the Memphis Grizzlies entered the offseason holding a limited hand. With their financial resources rightly prioritized towards securing franchise cornerstone Jaren Jackson Jr., the front office was relegated to operating as a “room team,” possessing just one significant tool: the room exception. It was with this modest […]

NBA Media Days would be nothing without a few clichés and backslapping before the season starts. Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies were no exception. When pressed on how owner Robert Pera’s ballooning fortune influences the willingness to flirt with the NBA’s punishing luxury tax, EVP/GM Zach Kleiman masterfully sidestepped the specifics while heaping praise on the […]

SAN FRANCISCO– Like any top-heavy team, the success of the Golden State Warriors this season obviously hinges on the play of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. But a good chunk of them and the Warriors’ effectiveness on the court this season also rests on the shoulders of stretch five center Al Horford, whose […]

Karl-Anthony Towns is entering his second season with the New York Knicks under very different circumstances than when he arrived just 20 days before last year’s opening night. The late timing of his blockbuster trade from Minnesota made it nearly impossible for him to establish rhythm with his teammates, and as a result, he was […]

The Los Angeles Clippers enter the 2025-26 season with one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the NBA. After an offseason in which they added Bradley Beal and Chris Paul, the franchise is hoping this is finally the year that their stars align at the right time. For James Harden, the stakes could […]

Kevin Durant will write another chapter in his colorful career as he is set to enter his first year with the Houston Rockets in the upcoming season after being traded by the Phoenix Suns. The Rockets are Durant’s fifth team, and he is hoping for a much better stint compared to his largely mediocre three-year […]

Hopes are high for the Atlanta Hawks for the upcoming season; the Hawks arguably have the most improved roster over the offseason following the additions of Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard. Atlanta is clearly on an upward trajectory, and the players they added fit so seamlessly within their Trae Young-led nascent core that […]

INGLEWOOD, CA — With Kawhi Leonard back healthy and the free agency addition of Bradley Beal, the Los Angeles Clippers are looking to reign in James Harden and his sky-high usage rate during the 2025-26 regular season. Harden is coming off of one of the better recent seasons in his career, following what many considered […]

INGLEWOOD, CA — While Kawhi Leonard entered training camp 100 percent healthy, the LA Clippers are hopeful their two best shooters are also at 100 percent by the time the regular season tips off. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Bradley Beal are both limited to start camp for the Clippers, but are slowly trending upwards. Beal underwent […]

When Monty McCutchen, the NBA’s Senior Vice President of Referee Development and Training, discusses what separates good referees from great ones, he doesn’t focus on rulebook knowledge or positioning fundamentals. Instead, the legendary referee with NBA Finals appearances repeatedly returns to a single concept: processing power. It’s a revealing choice of terminology borrowed from computer […]

Amid the relentless intensity of NBA games, where razor-thin margins and heated rivalries amplify every whistle, accountability stands as the unsung hero of top-tier refereeing. It is an undeniable necessity as few roles face more scrutiny than the game’s officials. Every decision is dissected in real-time by thousands in attendance and millions watching at home. […]

The Washington Wizards have yet to acquire D.C.-area native Kevin Durant since he got drafted in 2007, but they did get a shooter inspired by him. The Wizards drafted Texas guard Tre Johnson No. 6 overall in June, who played for the same college as the 15-time NBA All-Star. Johnson told ClutchPoints on Monday’s Media […]

In his younger days, Monty McCutchen, now the Senior Vice President and Head of Referee Development & Training for the NBA, had few prospects for a professional basketball career. Money was tight for his family and the junior college playing days were all but over, but he was driven to attend a referee camp to […]