BOSTON — With the preseason officially in the books following Friday night’s victory over Philadelphia, the Boston Celtics turn their focus toward Tuesday’s opening night clash against Detroit. Preseason box scores can often trick casual viewers, but for a title…
BOSTON — When assessing the Boston Celtics during recent championship runs, elite defense was always the baseline. Last season, Joe Mazzulla’s squad posted the NBA’s fourth-ranked defense, yielding a suffocating 111.7 defensive rating. Yet, that success came almost entirely through…
MIAMI — Heat chaos under control is the only phrase that captures what happens when Erik Spoelstra turns his roster loose to run every single time they touch the basketball in preseason. Pushing the tempo into overdrive usually invites a…
OKLAHOMA CITY — Embracing a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander off-ball element to the offense is not just a fun regular-season experiment; it is a necessity for June. When May turns to June and postseason defenses stop biting on routine head fakes, every…
TORONTO — The James Wiseman masterclass for Knicks decision makers changes the entire calculus of the backend bench battle. Just days ago, the conversation around the New York Knicks rotation centered on a hyper efficient cameo from Tony Bradley. Yet…
BOSTON — When Joe Mazzulla revealed his starting unit for Boston’s preseason matchup against Philadelphia, one tactical tweak immediately stole the spotlight: Celtics’ Hugo Gonzalez emergence. Rather than starting microwave guard Payton Pritchard alongside Jayson Tatum and Paul George, Joe…
NEW YORK — During the fourth quarter of a preseason game that had long since lost its competitive compass, a certain New York Knicks big man decided to turn a routine seven minute cameo into a clinic on clinical finishing.…
MACAO, China — When the front office traded up to secure the 25th pick in the draft, scouting reports highlighted a 6-foot-6 Spanish jumbo playmaker capable of manipulating pick-and-roll coverages with veteran poise. Following back-to-back exhibition displays in Macao, that…
NEW YORK — Watching Andre Drummond and Knicks small ball lineups coexist on the same floor creates a fascinating stylistic contrast for the New York Knicks. On one hand, Drummond treats the offensive glass like a demolition derby, vacuuming up…
MIAMI — Preseason basketball rarely provides clean answers regarding how rotation minutes will shake out once the games actually matter. Yet the recent matchup against Minnesota offered a fascinating look at how Pelle Larsson forcing tough choices behind closed doors…
BOSTON — When evaluating preseason exhibition action across the NBA, box score totals can often be deceiving. While the Philadelphia 76ers suffered a heavy 144 to 106 blowout against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night at TD Garden, head coach…
BOSTON — When the Boston Celtics revamped their roster, everyone wondered how Jayson Tatum would handle the load without Jaylen Brown beside him. While Paul George brings smooth veteran wing play to the table, Boston’s 144–106 preseason beatdown of the…
MACAO, China — When the final horn sounded in Macao following a high-scoring 135 to 117 exhibition loss to the Houston Rockets, the box score offered a fascinating preview into the future of Dallas basketball. A Cooper Flagg 19-Point Mavericks…
MIAMI — It only took a few preseason quarters for opposing head coaches to start filing grievances regarding the suffocating nature of Miami Heat defense. Following a high scoring contest where Erik Spoelstra watched his squad dictate tempo on both…
CLEVELAND — When head coach Joe Mazzulla elected to rest his entire starting five for the preseason opener in Cleveland, most observers expected a disjointed exhibition. Instead, the bench reserves put on an offensive masterclass, posting 124 points in a…