Basketball Intelligence For 10/19/21

Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis

- CLE: Cavs Have Sights Set On Playoffs, But It Is A Year Too Early (from Chris Fedor, cleveland.com):  https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/10/cleveland-cavaliers-have-sights-set-on-playoffs-but-its-a-year-too-early-chris-fedor.html

- DET: Player Preview: Cory Joseph (from Jack Kelly, Detroit Bad Boys):  https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2021/10/18/22730600/detroit-pistons-cory-joseph-player-preview

- DET: Player Preview: Killian Hayes (from Brady Fred, Detroit Bad Boys):  https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2021/10/18/22699548/killian-hayes-nba-player-preview-the-detroit-pistons-next-defensive-stalwart

- DET: Film Study: Sets And Actions Pistons May Run In Regular Season (from Bryce Simon, Detroit Bad Boys ):  https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2021/10/17/22731238/detroit-pistons-philadelphia-sixers-film-review-analysis

- DET: Season Preview: Pistons' Wings (from Bryce Hendricks, Detroit Bad Boys):  https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2021/10/18/22724749/pistons-wings-preview-cade-cunningham-saddiq-bey-jerami-grant-josh-jackson-hamidou-diallo

- DET: Things We Learned From Pistons Preseason (from Lauren Williams, MLive):  https://www.mlive.com/pistons/2021/10/4-things-we-learned-from-the-detroit-pistons-preseason.html

- DET: Anticipation Builds For Cunningham's Debut (from Rod Beard, Detroit News):  https://www.newsobserver.com/article255110187.html

- DET: Cade Cunningham Diary (as told to Marc J.  Spears, The Undefeated):  https://theundefeated.com/features/detroit-pistons-cade-cunningham-diary-season-opener/

- GSW: 5 Factors That Will Shape The Dubs Season (from Tim Kawakami, The Athletic):  https://theathletic.com/2894219/2021/10/18/kawakami-5-factors-that-will-shape-the-warriors-most-unpredictable-season-in-years/

- GSW: Did The Dubs Undefeated Preseason Show Anything Meaningful?  (from Evan Webeck, Mercury News):  https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/did-the-warriors-undefeated-preseason-show-anything-meaningful-about-this/

- GSW: The 7 WC Teams That Threaten Dubs Return To The Top (from Bruce Jenkins, SF Chronicle):  https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/Lakers-aren-t-the-only-threat-in-West-16543284.php

- LAC: Clippers' Storylines To Watch (from Andrew Greif, LA Times):  https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2021-10-19/clippers-5-storylines-kawhi-leonard-return

- LAL: The High Stakes Of Westbrook's L.A. Homecoming (from Dan Woike, LA Times):  https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2021-10-19/lakers-russell-westbrook-returns-home-influences-impact

- LAL: Lakers' Offseason Review (from Luke Adams, Hoops Rumors):  https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/10/2021-nba-offseason-in-review-los-angeles-lakers.html

- LAL: Lakers' Biggest Storylines (from Dan Woike, LA Times):  https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2021-10-19/lakers-5-storylines-season-preview-age-injury-problems

- MEM: Destiny Deferred For Dillon Brooks (from Joe Mullinax, Grizzly Bear Blues):  https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2021/10/18/22731963/destiny-deferred-for-dillon-brooks-nba-memphis-grizzlies-player-previews

- MIN: The Subtle Strength Of Anthony Edwards (from Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic):  https://theathletic.com/2898032/2021/10/19/the-subtle-strength-of-anthony-edwards/

- NOP: Meet The Pels' Newcomers: Devonte' Graham & Jonas Valanciunas (from Christian Clark, The Advocate):  https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/article_b0a1cb66-302b-11ec-9ba0-6b6ee3494595.html

- NYK: Season Preview: Deuce McBride (from Stacy Patton, The Strick.land):  https://www.thestrick.land/strick/2021-22-knicks-season-preview-miles-deuce-mcbride

- NYK: Preseason Takeaways (from Zachary Bachar, Daily Knicks):  https://dailyknicks.com/2021/10/18/new-york-knicks-3-takeaways-preseason/

- PHO: The Ayton-Suns Impasse: The Respective Risks (form Kevin Pelton, ESPN):  https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/32425494/deandre-ayton-phoenix-suns-contract-talks-end-which-side-taking-bigger-risk

- POR: Billups & Changing The Blazers (from Jason Quick, The Athletic):  https://theathletic.com/2893090/2021/10/16/chauncey-billups-and-changing-the-blazers-we-all-have-to-have-a-level-of-patience/

- POR: Zeller Returns From Broken Nose With Mask, No Fear (from Aaron Fentress, Oregon Live):  https://www.oregonlive.com/nba/2021/10/trail-blazers-center-cody-zeller-returns-from-broken-nose-with-mask-no-fear-ive-played-a-reckless-style-of-play-my-whole-career.html

- SAC: Bagley: No Extension; What Now?  (from Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee):  https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article255096542.html

- SAS: Can Lonnie Walker Turn Moments Into More?  (from Tom Petrini, KENS5):  https://www.kens5.com/article/sports/nba/spurs/spurs-lonnie-walker-iv-contract-year/273-183af6c7-535b-4966-a218-0877ceb505a9

- TOR: Spotlight Firmly On Anunoby This Season (from Mike Ganter, Toronto Sun):  https://torontosun.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors/spotlight-firmly-on-raptors-anunoby-this-season

- UTA: Opening Night For Childhood Friends Mitchell & Paschall Will Be Night To Remember (from Sarah Todd, Deseret News):  https://www.deseret.com/2021/10/18/22732752/utah-jazz-opening-night-for-donovan-mitchell-eric-paschall-will-be-one-to-remember-nba-vivint-arena

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- Big Men Control The NBA Balance Of Power Again (from Jonathan Tjarks, The Ringer):  https://www.theringer.com/2021/10/19/22733833/anthony-davis-giannis-antetokounmpo-nba-2021-22-season

- PODCAST: "If I Ran An NBA Scouting Department" with Adam Spinella (from Ray LeBov, The Unrestricted Area):  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1517914/9380356



- Ranking The Teams By Tiers (from Zach Harper, The Athletic):  https://theathletic.com/2848842/2021/10/18/nba-power-rankings-its-time-to-be-mad-plus-random-predictions-for-2021-22-and-introducing-tiers/



- NBA Season Preview: Assorted Variables Make Projections Tricky (from Mirjam Swanson, OC Register):  https://www.dailynews.com/2021/10/18/nba-2021-22-preview-assorted-variables-make-projections-tricky/
From David Thorpe, True Hoop: 

Predicting every NBA team's win total

- Season Preview: One Crucial Stat For Each team (from Max Mortenson, Nylon Calculus):  https://fansided.com/2021/10/19/nba-season-preview-2021-22-crucial-stat-every-team/
- Pacific Division Preview (from Adam Spinella, The Box And One): 

5x5 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division

-2021-22 Storylines (from Brad Botkin, CBS Sports):  https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/20-nba-storylines-for-2021-22-season-lebron-james-vs-father-time-ben-simmons-saga-nets-minus-kyrie-irving/



- LBJ & KD Have Built Teams With Title Hopes And Plenty Of Drama (from Ben Golliver, Washigton Post):  https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/10/19/lebron-james-kevin-durant-lakers-nets/




- LBJ & Steph Test Different Paths Back To NBA Peak (from Scott Cacciola, NY Times):  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/19/sports/basketball/lakers-golden-state-lebron-james-stephen-curry.html



- SW Division Season Preview (from Nekias Duncan, Basketball News):  https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-22-nba-season-preview-southwest-division



- What's Next For The Players Who Didn't Sign Contract Extensions? (from Bobby Marks, ESPN):  https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/32425428/next-nba-players-sign-contract-extensions
From Luke Adams, Hoops Rumors: https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/10/2021-nba-rookie-scale-extension-recap.html



- Previewing Aussies In The NBA For 2021-22 (from Leigh Ellis, Sporting News):  https://www.sportingnews.com/au/nba/news/previewing-aussies-in-the-nba-with-leigh-ellis-2021-22-season/183llax21o7zk1tegq68an4ok4

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- Announcing A New Basketball Intelligence/The Box And One Project:

From Scratch: NBA Team-Building from the Ground Floor is a long-term project spearheaded by Ray LeBov (Basketball Intelligence) and Adam Spinella (The Box and One, head coach at The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland) that serves as a case study of five NBA franchises who share in the challenge of rebuilding their roster from bottom of the league to championship contender.

The project will be a multi-year case study focusing on five franchises: the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings. From Scratch will focus on each franchise’s team-building process, beginning after the 2019-20 NBA season, and delve into the nuances of organizational structure, scouting and player development and the hits or misses along the way. From Scratch will be released periodically with progress reports through each season to reflect important developments, with its culmination aiming for publication after a completed case study following the 2024-25 season.

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FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY: from the BI archives:

http://basketballintelligence.net/2017/10/19/todays-best-nba-reporting-analysis-101917/