From Trevor Booth, Bright Side Of The Sun: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2021/6/1/22464455/monty-williams-game-5-phoenix-suns-nba-playoffs-los-angeles-lakers-chris-paul-devin-booker

From Sanjesh Singh, USA Today: https://lebronwire.usatoday.com/lists/3-takeaways-lakers-completely-unravel-in-30-point-loss-to-suns-in-game-5/

From Anthony Slater, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/2627299/2021/06/02/can-suns-get-enough-from-chris-paul-to-push-them-past-the-lakers-do-they-even-need-it/

From Dan Woike, LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2021-06-01/lakers-suns-game-5-anthony-davis-sits-out-loss

From Kyle Goon, OC Register: https://www.dailynews.com/2021/06/01/lakers-embarrassed-by-suns-in-game-5-blowout-putting-them-on-brink-of-elimination/

From Logan Newman, USA Today: https://okcthunderwire.usatoday.com/2021/06/01/the-most-important-former-okc-guard-in-the-suns-lakers-series-has-been-cam-payne/

- MEM-UTA:

From Dan Clayton, Salt City Hoops: https://saltcityhoops.com/jazz-grizz-parallels-schemes-and-possible-g5-wrinkles/

From Michael Pina, Sports Illustrated: https://www.si.com/nba/2021/06/01/grizzlies-ja-morant-nba-playoffs-floater

From Sarah Todd, Deseret News: https://www.deseret.com/2021/6/1/22461928/utah-jazz-mike-conley-game-changing-sequence-fourth-quarter-vs-memphis-grizlies

- MIA-MIL:

From Eric Nehm, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/2473273/2021/06/02/the-odd-couple-how-frasier-explains-why-lopez-and-budenholzers-eclectic-partnership-drives-the-bucks-defense/

From Dalton Sell, Behind The Buck Pass: https://behindthebuckpass.com/2021/06/02/milwaukee-bucks-reserve-grades-sweep-heat/

- PHI-WAS:

From Rich Hofmann/Derek Bodner, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/2627371/2021/06/02/with-joel-embiid-doubtful-how-will-sixers-adjust-in-game-5-vs-wizards

From Marc Narducci, The Inquirer: https://www.inquirer.com/newsletters/sixers/tobias-harris-joel-embiid-doubtful-sixers-wizards-20210602.html

From KC Johnson, NBC Sports: https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/former-bull-daniel-gafford-taking-advantage-role-wizards

- Rating Each Contender's Chance To Win The Title (from David Thorpe, True Hoop):

Read it here: https://www.truehoop.com/p/everyone-is-an-underdog-now

- BOS: Brad Stevens To Replace Ainge As Celtics' POBO (from Shams Charania/Jay King/Jared Weiss, The Athletic):

Read it here: https://theathletic.com/news/celtics-brad-stevens-replaces-danny-ainge-as-president-of-basketball-operations/jDUeMPnbQnWU?source=twitterhq

- GSW: Jordan Poole Got Better In Every Way (from Brady Klopfer, Golden State Of Mind ):

Read it here: https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2021/6/2/22464794/golden-state-warriors-jordan-poole-improvement-growth

- MIN: Tall Tales Of His Youth Play Into Finch's Quest For NBA Accountability (from Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic):

Readit here: https://theathletic.com/2618607/2021/06/02/how-the-tall-tales-of-chris-finchs-youth-play-into-the-wolves-quest-for-accountability

- ORL: Bamba Will Be Worth The Wait (from Max Mortenson, Orlando Magic Daily):

Read and watch it here: https://orlandomagicdaily.com/2021/06/02/2021-orlando-magic-player-evaluations-mo-bamba-will-be-worth-the-wait/

- TOR: Khem Birch Is Ready For Whatever Comes Next (from Vivek Jacob, Complex):

Read it here: https://www.complex.com/sports/khem-birch-raptors-team-canada-interview

- Free Agent Power Rankings (from Luke Adams, Hoops Rumors):

Read it here: https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/06/2021-nba-free-agent-power-rankings.html

- The Unreliability Of The NBA's Shooting Type Data (from Owen Phillips, F5):

Read and watch it here: https://thef5.substack.com/p/stepping-back-rich-paul

- Q & A: Former NBA GM Pete Babcock (from Etan Thomas, Basketball News):

Read it here: https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/former-nba-gm-confirms-false-narratives-hurt-kwame-brown-others

Today's BI is dedicated to the memory of Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer:

From Scott Fowler: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/scott-fowler/article251835193.html

Basketball Intelligence Newsletter

Today' Best NBA Reporting And Analysis 6/2/21