Western surprises
We did the East, but now we do the good teams: NOT SURPRISED At the bodacious NBA ball so far, performed in spite of the Thunder on the horizon. Oh, they say you can't see thunder, but if that ain't thunder, then what is it I&
Eastern Surprises
Nobody's shocked that Detroit won 14 of 16 to start the season. Surprised, surely, but not put off by the Piston ascent. This team was good last season, won some close games in the regular season before losing some closer ones in the playoffs. But everyone improved, and
The worst general managers
Is that fair? That I sat down to write about Nico Harrison but wrote the title of the column first? Well, is he? To his credit, Nico Harrison didn't blow the Cooper Flagg selection. NAILED THAT. To his credit, when the Charlotte Hornet and Washington Wizard front offices
Waiting on life without LeBron
LeBron James will be revaluated in a week by his Lakers, determining when his sciatic nerve problems will allow him to play NBA basketball in 2025-26, his 23rd pro season. Not counting his semi-pro senior year of high school, 2002-03, when James was paid with a resoundingly cool Wes Unseld
Autumn accomplishments
Fall has flung, it is autumn. Beautiful out there, too bad the leaves aren't here to see it. The NBA is two weeks into its season. Most NBA teams already worked seven, eight games. They have, in spite of the slim term, gotten much out of the way.
Don't be afraid of the ball
The idea that baseball is a cruel, unsupportive sport doesn't need re-recognition. That notion has been around for as long as sportswriters could count to three, doing our best to ape dear, old, Tennyson on our way toward detailing how some hirsute rounder struck out on three swings.
The undefeated Bulls
The problem with the first week of an 82-game NBA season is that everybody is right, still. Everyone is correct. Every misstep is a merely blip, never a sign, rather a one-off to be attributed to luck or novelty. Every small fissure drips with an easy, in-house, fix. Everyone is
Central Division preview
PREVIOUSLY: ATLANTIC, SOUTHEAST, PACIFIC, SOUTHWEST, NORTHWEST. MILWAUKEE BUCKS Last season: 48-34, lost to Pacers again in playoffs, lost Damian Lillard to Achilles tear. Offseason: Milwaukee shocks NBA and waives Dame, hires Myles Turner but also, out of grave necessity, employs Cole Anthony. C: Myles Turner – block machine who spreads the
Northwest division preview
PREVIOUSLY: ATLANTIC, SOUTHEAST, PACIFIC, SOUTHWEST. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER Last season: dominated NBA from stem to stern, won 68 games and 2025 title. Offseason: NBA did little to dissuade anyone from thinking the Thunder aren't back-to-back-to-back-to-back-viable. C: Isaiah Hartenstein – do-it-all center is without question the league's greatest
Southwest Division preview
Reminder that power isn't something you earn, power is something you take. PREVIOUSLY: ATLANTIC, SOUTHEAST, PACIFIC. DALLAS MAVERICKS Last season: 39-43, fell in Play-In, traded Luka Dončić for some reason? Offseason: earned the No. 1 pick, for some reason? Everything's legal now. C: Dereck Lively – yeah,
Pacific Division preview
Howdy! In a few years, when the Warriors fall, this might be the collection of the five worst owners in professional sports. PREVIOUSLY: ATLANTIC, SOUTHEAST. LOS ANGELES LAKERS Last season: 50-32, somehow traded for Luka Dončić, lost in opening round to Minnesota even though head coach J.J. Redick played
Southeast Division preview
Hey. Welcome to the week. Let's talk about the worst NBA division. Perpetually, bad. Please subscribe, better NBA teams in follow-up emails. Or, maybe you're from Florida. In that case, we thank your beautiful state for the band Saigon Kick. ORLANDO MAGIC Last season: 41-41, lost