Originated in 1986, the Most Improved Player award highlights the player who took the biggest leap in the respective season, clearly exceeding the expectations put onto them in the preseason. In recent years, the award has begun to reward players for making the jump to star or superstardom rather than from a bench player to a high quality starter. Being an All-Star - or at least a borderline one - has started to become expected to qualify for the MIP award.Ja Morant won the 2022 Kia MIP Award...

Originated in 1986, the Most Improved Player award highlights the player who took the biggest leap in the respective season, clearly exceeding the expectations put onto them in the preseason. In recent years, the award has begun to reward players for making the jump to star or superstardom rather than from a bench player to a high quality starter. Being an All-Star - or at least a borderline one - has started to become expected to qualify for the MIP award.Ja Morant won the 2022 Kia MIP Award...

March Madness is arguably the best postseason event in American sports. The intensity and suspense of the 68-team, single-elimination tournament makes for unforgettable wins and losses seemingly routinely. Every year in March, history is made in one way, shape, or form. Teams reach the tournament for the first or second time ever, or perhaps for the first time in decades. It’s incredibly meaningful to these schools to accomplish these feats, even if it means an unfortunate first round exit. M...

March Madness is arguably the best postseason event in American sports. The intensity and suspense of the 68-team, single-elimination tournament makes for unforgettable wins and losses seemingly routinely. Every year in March, history is made in one way, shape, or form. Teams reach the tournament for the first or second time ever, or perhaps for the first time in decades. It’s incredibly meaningful to these schools to accomplish these feats, even if it means an unfortunate first round exit. M...

Being named an all-star is considered an extraordinary feat in the NBA, giving credit to those players who are having excellent seasons. Now, in 2022-23, there are players who can average over 22 points per game and not be an All-Star. The talent in the league right now is at an all-time high, so being named as an All-Star (roughly one of the top 24 players in the league, barring replacements) is simply amazing. It’s also on the checklist of a player’s legacy. Checking off that All-Star on a ...

Being named an all-star is considered an extraordinary feat in the NBA, giving credit to those players who are having excellent seasons. Now, in 2022-23, there are players who can average over 22 points per game and not be an All-Star. The talent in the league right now is at an all-time high, so being named as an All-Star (roughly one of the top 24 players in the league, barring replacements) is simply amazing. It’s also on the checklist of a player’s legacy. Checking off that All-Star on a ...

The last time that a #8 seed beat a #1 seed in a 7 game series throughout NBA history was in 1994 when the Denver Nuggets defeated the Seattle SuperSonics. Correction: The last time that a #8 seed beat a #1 seed in a 7 game series throughout NBA history was in 2023 when the Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks. With no Tyler Herro (a 20 PPG regular season scorer), the Heat took the Bucks and the 2x MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo down in 5 games and are advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifi...

The last time that a #8 seed beat a #1 seed in a 7 game series throughout NBA history was in 1994 when the Denver Nuggets defeated the Seattle SuperSonics. Correction: The last time that a #8 seed beat a #1 seed in a 7 game series throughout NBA history was in 2023 when the Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks. With no Tyler Herro (a 20 PPG regular season scorer), the Heat took the Bucks and the 2x MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo down in 5 games and are advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifi...

In the first round of the playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant suffered injuries due to defenders attempting to take charges. Many NBA fans and media members questioned the role of the charge in the rule book as a result, as the charges — or attempt to draw one — had caused injuries to two (highly touted) players in such a short time span. Also in that similar time frame of early playoffs, Miami’s Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo were both injured, a big hit for the Miami guard room. J...

In the first round of the playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant suffered injuries due to defenders attempting to take charges. Many NBA fans and media members questioned the role of the charge in the rule book as a result, as the charges — or attempt to draw one — had caused injuries to two (highly touted) players in such a short time span. Also in that similar time frame of early playoffs, Miami’s Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo were both injured, a big hit for the Miami guard room. J...

Max Strus grabbed the Jarrett Allen rebound that could have ended the game had the free throw gone through the bucket. On Wednesday, the Miami Heat found themselves down three with the ball with about twenty seconds to go. Tyler Herro, now with the ball strutting up the court, gets picked up by Allen. Jimmy Butler comes from the opposite wing to set a pindown for Max Strus for a 27-footer to tie it with five to go. Miss. The Heat dropped to 35-32 and 3-7 in their last ten. Why do I tell you t...

Max Strus grabbed the Jarrett Allen rebound that could have ended the game had the free throw gone through the bucket. On Wednesday, the Miami Heat found themselves down three with the ball with about twenty seconds to go. Tyler Herro, now with the ball strutting up the court, gets picked up by Allen. Jimmy Butler comes from the opposite wing to set a pindown for Max Strus for a 27-footer to tie it with five to go. Miss. The Heat dropped to 35-32 and 3-7 in their last ten. Why do I tell you t...

Just a few years ago, the Brooklyn Nets made a splash in free agency. They inked Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to multi-years in just one summer and had established themselves as future NBA champions. Then, they had a rough start together, particularly with injuries holding each of the duo out at different times. Because of this, they made a blockbuster trade for James Harden, forming the best Big 3 in the league.On paper, this big 3 could have been one of the best trio's ever. Unfortuna...

Just a few years ago, the Brooklyn Nets made a splash in free agency. They inked Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to multi-years in just one summer and had established themselves as future NBA champions. Then, they had a rough start together, particularly with injuries holding each of the duo out at different times. Because of this, they made a blockbuster trade for James Harden, forming the best Big 3 in the league.On paper, this big 3 could have been one of the best trio's ever. Unfortuna...

Brandon Ingram gets swung the ball in the backcourt with 3:22 left in the tied 108-108 game. Shooting 57.1% in the clutch this season, he’s clearly the guy in the clutch for the Pelicans; it only makes sense to go to him. Lu Dort, nicknamed the Dorture Chamber for his on-ball defensive ability -- AKA the guy to get a stop for the Thunder --, picks him up at the 28 foot mark. Ingram hits Dort with a difficult between-the-legs into a spinning floater. Except Dort guards it nearly flawlessly, fo...

Brandon Ingram gets swung the ball in the backcourt with 3:22 left in the tied 108-108 game. Shooting 57.1% in the clutch this season, he’s clearly the guy in the clutch for the Pelicans; it only makes sense to go to him. Lu Dort, nicknamed the Dorture Chamber for his on-ball defensive ability -- AKA the guy to get a stop for the Thunder --, picks him up at the 28 foot mark. Ingram hits Dort with a difficult between-the-legs into a spinning floater. Except Dort guards it nearly flawlessly, fo...

After a pair of 13 point victories in Atlanta, the Celtics are heading back to Boston looking to sweep the Hawks. The scoreboards of this series, only showing 13 point victories, doesn’t do the Celtics’ pure dominance justice, though. Through these two games, they have shown why they are legitimate contenders to win it all after falling just short last year. In Game 1, the Celtics entered halftime with a 74-44 lead, just pure dominance. Their largest lead was up to 32, and in Game 2, that num...

After a pair of 13 point victories in Atlanta, the Celtics are heading back to Boston looking to sweep the Hawks. The scoreboards of this series, only showing 13 point victories, doesn’t do the Celtics’ pure dominance justice, though. Through these two games, they have shown why they are legitimate contenders to win it all after falling just short last year. In Game 1, the Celtics entered halftime with a 74-44 lead, just pure dominance. Their largest lead was up to 32, and in Game 2, that num...

538 gives the Dallas Mavericks a 7% chance to make the playoffs entering Thursday night’s action. ESPN gives them an 8.8% chance. That’s quite bad, especially when considering they’re a team that (1) has Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and (2) had over a 90% chance by both estimates just two months ago.A team with these two superstars should not be out of the playoff race, especially looking at where they were less thanvcccdxdx two months ago.Since the All-Star Break, the Mavs are 7-13 with the ...

538 gives the Dallas Mavericks a 7% chance to make the playoffs entering Thursday night’s action. ESPN gives them an 8.8% chance. That’s quite bad, especially when considering they’re a team that (1) has Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and (2) had over a 90% chance by both estimates just two months ago.A team with these two superstars should not be out of the playoff race, especially looking at where they were less thanvcccdxdx two months ago.Since the All-Star Break, the Mavs are 7-13 with the ...

On Jan. 18, the Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Utah Jazz to drop to a 23-24 record, falling to sub-.500 for the first time this season. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George struggled staying healthy, and the team’s depth didn’t fully live up to its potential. Given this, moves at the trade deadline felt imminent. The new look Clippers all add different components to the Clippers roster that was already strong and was seemingly underperforming this season. With their additions and a health...

On Jan. 18, the Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Utah Jazz to drop to a 23-24 record, falling to sub-.500 for the first time this season. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George struggled staying healthy, and the team’s depth didn’t fully live up to its potential. Given this, moves at the trade deadline felt imminent. The new look Clippers all add different components to the Clippers roster that was already strong and was seemingly underperforming this season. With their additions and a health...

The media and its narratives largely dictate NBA storylines and what certain fans, particularly casual viewers of the NBA, think of certain players. Because of their large impact, the media simply needs to be better and display more truth than it has recently. As of late, it feels like some members of the media simply have not been watching games with some comments being made. The comments that are being made just don’t make any sense what the majority, if not all, basketball fans see when th...

The media and its narratives largely dictate NBA storylines and what certain fans, particularly casual viewers of the NBA, think of certain players. Because of their large impact, the media simply needs to be better and display more truth than it has recently. As of late, it feels like some members of the media simply have not been watching games with some comments being made. The comments that are being made just don’t make any sense what the majority, if not all, basketball fans see when th...