NBA Articles - Page 4667

With the Boston Celtics opening their preseason on Monday, it gave their players a chance to play the closest to competitive basketball for the first time since last season. That said, it’s understandable that they may not be at their best yet, as they continue to work on their strength and conditioning following the long […]

Although he has his own signature shoes from Big Baller Brand, Lonzo Ball still wore other NBA stars’ during the Summer League. From Stephen Curry to James Harden’s sneakers, he both rocked them on the court back then. Now with the Los Angeles Lakers playing their second preseason game on Monday, the 19-year-old rookie was […]

Marcus Smart did not get the start for the Boston Celtics in their opening preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets. Instead, Jaylen Brown got the start at shooting guard while Smart came off the bench. Scott Souza reports that Smart is completely fine with this setup going forward if it helps the team. #Celtics Marcus […]

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jarell Martin is a man with some extra motivation to perform this preseason. The third-year big man is likely to be waived by the Grizzlies and won’t be on their regular season roster. But he’s been given the chance to play and feature himself for other teams during preseason. Martin is definitely […]

After taking the Boston Celtics to seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Washington Wizards signed John Wall to a contract extension, re-signed Otto Porter, and improved their bench depth in free agency. While all the talk has been about the Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, Bradley Beal has other ideas. Beal, who is coming […]

Unlike in the past, NBA players are now more outspoken about different social issues their countries are currently facing. With a lot of violence happening in the province of Catalonia in Spain, Pau Gasol and Marc Gasol used their platform and influence to raise awareness, and making it known that they are not in favor […]

It did not take long for Kyrie Irving to announce the start of his era with the Boston Celtics. With his team opening their preseason on Monday against the Charlotte Hornets, the newly-acquired point guard completed an impressive play to the delight of the Beantown faithful inside the TD Garden. With 7:10 left in the […]

The Chicago Bulls have shifted the entire attention of the organization toward a clear rebuild. One of those building pieces will be rookie forward Lauri Markkanen, who will reportedly miss the first two games of the preseason due to back spasms, according to Vincent Goodwill of NBC Chicago. Bulls rookie Lauri Markkanen will miss the […]

Dragan Bender had by all accounts a disappointing rookie year with the Phoenix Suns. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft suffered a season-ending ankle injury which limited him to 43 games. However, even before the injury, he struggled to make an impact as he averaged just 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds […]

In the NBA, the preseason is often viewed as a time for a franchise to get their first feel of their assembled roster while working out some of the kinks ahead of the regular season. It is also a time for players to further establish bonds with their teammates before things hit into full swing. […]

In the last three seasons, the Golden State Warriors have become the powerhouse team in the league behind three trips to the NBA Finals while earning a pair of NBA titles. It should come as no surprise to hear that the Warriors lead in jersey sales with two-time MVP Stephen Curry also being the top jersey […]

Since being selected with the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft, rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina has already dealt with nagging injuries. According to Alan Hahn of ESPN Radio, the 19-year-old has suffered yet another injury that has forced him to miss practice. Ntilikina missed practice today with a sore groin. Doesn’t sound serious, […]

The Washington Wizards have established themselves as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference over the last few seasons. With much of their core group of players coming back this year, head coach Scott Brooks wants to use the preseason as a chance to experiment with the rotation, according to Candace Buckner of the […]

Los Angeles Lakers center Ivica Zubac had a strong start to his preseason campaign. With Brook Lopez sidelined with back spasms, Zubac scored nine points with five rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After the game, the young big man told Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints that the game now feels […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves undoubtedly have some big expectations going into the 2017-18 NBA season. The Timberwolves’ newly revamped roster is a testament to how much confidence head coach and President of Basketball Operations Tom Thibodeau has in their young talent. Of course, it all begins with center/power forward Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns has become arguably the […]

Despite preseason games having no-bearing, coaches take advantage of them to see first hand how prepared their players are for the coming season. It allows them to run some sets they practiced during training camp, and also experiment on some combinations they can use in the future. That is exactly the case for Brad Stevens, […]

The Orlando Magic are the midst of a five-year playoff drought, which is the longest stretch in the franchise’s 28-year history. However, guard Elfrid Payton is hoping that he can help lead the Magic to a strong start to set the tone early for this upcoming season, according to John Denton of Magic.com. “We definitely […]

With all the success he’s had in his career, it’s not an easy feat to gain Gregg Popovich’s respect and receive high praise from him. However, Joffrey Lauvergne did enough during the San Antonio Spurs’ training camp to earn just that, as the veteran head coach only had good words to say about his performance […]

Only a few weeks into the beginning of the academic year, LaVar Ball has chosen to pull his youngest son, LaMelo Ball, out of Chino Hills High School, according to Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times. This is the same school which his two brothers; Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball and UCLA commit LiAngelo […]

The New York Knicks have been held down by their defense in recent seasons, making it a reason for concern throughout this training camp. Last season, New York ranked sixth-worst in the league in defensive rating — a true concern for the coaching staff , which they have since tried to fix. Head coach Jeff […]

Heading into this upcoming season, there is a growing sense of optimism around the outlook for the Philadelphia 76ers. A huge bulk of this lies on the shoulders of big man Joel Embiid, who looked completely loose and comfortable during an open practice over the weekend as he danced on the court. . @JoelEmbiid didn't […]

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown is coming off his first NBA season, one that was was an eye opener for him in many different ways. One of which he revealed to Adam Caparell of Complex Sports was having to guard 10-time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony that occurred in his first preseason action. “Here in New […]

In the last three seasons, the Golden State Warriors have become the top team in the league behind their talented and deep roster. One of the key cogs to the Warriors’ success has been All-Star guard Klay Thompson, who has become one of the league’s top two-way players. However, there has been some concern arising about […]

The starting power forward position will be a hotly contested spot for the Chicago Bulls this season. Bobby Portis will be one of at least three players in the running for the job, but the third-year big man told the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson that he intends to make that position his own. “I want […]

One of the key additions the San Antonio Spurs made over the offseason was signing veteran forward Rudy Gay to a two-year, $17.5 million deal after he opted out of his previous deal with the Sacramento Kings. The 31-year-old is coming off a torn Achilles that he suffered back in January and has been steadily […]

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard J.J. Redick likes what he’s seen with Furkan Korkmaz. He likes it so much that when asked what he thought of the Sixers rookie, Redick couldn’t help but blurt out a two-word expletive. Head coach Brett Brown echoed Redick’s sentiments. Via the Newark Star-Ledger: “Holy s–t. He just came out of […]

The new-look Minnesota Timberwolves will have a long preseason schedule before getting back to their anxious fans, hoping to see what this 2017-18 season has in store with the additions of Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson, Jamal Crawford and all the returning player that will take part on the equation. Following their Media Day […]

Over this past offseason, there has been a huge shift in optimism surrounding the Brooklyn Nets’ outlook for the upcoming campaign. This renewed mind frame has leaked over to fourth-year guard Joe Harris, who has set a major individual bar of expectation next season, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “That’s just a […]

Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder is ready to learn from his mistakes. Following his latest off-court incident that saw him arrested for charges of misdemeanor battery, the 24-year-old has finally opened up and addressed the issue for the first time. “I’ve been here four years. Came here at 19 and I think (showed) improvement […]

Heading into his first season with the New York Knicks, veteran forward Michael Beasley has a chance to latch onto a significant role with the franchise. Up to this point in his career, he hasn’t exactly met up to the lofty expectations that come with being a No. 2 overall pick, but there is no […]

Tim Hardaway Jr.’s reunion with the New York Knicks isn’t just a second go-around in the Big Apple and the rowdy basketball-loving fans at Madison Square Garden, but a mission to achieve what was once out of his hands in his first two years in the league. “My expectation is for this team to go […]

For NBA players, there are different reasons why they are motivated to play at their best. From their families, loved ones, to securing their futures, these are just some of the more popular ones that help them perform better night in and night out. However, for Los Angeles Lakers big man Ivica Zubac, he uses […]

Backup point guard Raymond Felton is slated to start against the Houston Rockets in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s preseason opener, according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Reigning MVP and starting point guard Russell Westbrook did more work with the first team today, according to head coach Billy Donovan, still recovering from a PRP injection […]

The upcoming season will be a big one for Kristaps Porzingis. The budding young superstar is finally set to get the keys to the New York Knicks team now that Carmelo Anthony is gone. Porzingis talked to ESPN’s Ian Begley about the prospect of being the team’s focal point offensively, which is something he has […]

Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol is doubtful to play in tonight’s preseason opener against the Orlando Magic, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. The Spanish international suffered a high left ankle sprain playing for his national team in this year’s EuroBasket, and is still nursing the injury, as he noted in the royalest […]

Kyrie Irving made perhaps a first when it comes to ballsy player offseason moves this summer, requesting a trade from a perennial championship and playing alongside arguably the best player in the world. His choice to make a move took the NBA by storm, shocking teammates, opponents, and front offices who couldn’t get their hands […]

According to the Boston Sports Journal’s Brian Robb, the Celtics have listed Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford as four of their five projected starters for their opening preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets. However, the Celtics are still not certain who the fifth starter to play alongside those four will be. […]

Paul George is bound to be one of the key components on a new-look Oklahoma City Thunder roster bound to change the scheme of Billy Donovan’s outlook for this season. The former Indiana Pacers star was once reportedly hellbent to end up in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey by the start of 2018, but after […]

On Sunday, Kyrie Irving’s debut playing in front of the Boston Celtics fans happened, as he took part in their scrimmage. He received a huge ovation from them, as he is now part of the storied franchise, and will be tasked to lead team to greater success in the coming years. Asked how he felt […]