"Looking back at this, it looks more like Williams was trying to block the punches thrown by Alvarado rather than engage in an all-out brawl. What is he supposed to do, just sit there and allow someone to swing at him?" www.brightsideofthesun.com/suns-news/95...

Lakers stopped throwing lobs to white guys and now they can’t stop scoring

New season starts now

"The Mavericks have yet to see Flagg, Davis and Irving play together... and I'm told that new Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont is certainly among those in the organization who would prefer to see how that trio looks before doing something else drastic." marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-bes...

“Care, in basketball, is largely responsive, it’s also hugely generative, but it also has to originate on its own, to spring forth from nothing.” open.substack.com/pub/basketba...

"Research on Maxey and Edgecombe’s performances in games with Embiid and George on the floor would suggest that Nurse has not done a good job of empowering his young guards in every game this season." www.libertyballers.com/76ers-analys...

“Golden State would likely be hesitant to give up multiple first-round picks for Davis given his sizable contract, which has two more guaranteed seasons after this one, and injury history.” www.goldenstateofmind.com/nba-rumors-n...

“Long story short, a Garland trade is either A) incredibly tricky, and/or B) a terrible deal for the Cavs. But likely, it would be both.” www.fearthesword.com/cavs-rumors/...

Numbers that back up the eye test www.nytimes.com/athletic/691...

Mia’s Christmas gift to me was a diary of letters she wrote me over the last year in real time and I’m reading it today and it’s hilarious because like every four pages is a story of why she was mad at the Lakers or Dodgers that day

First father-son duo to score in the same Christmas game #WeAreAllWitnesses

Why are you putting Luka back in to limp around down 20?

Will I understand Greenland 2 if I haven’t been to the first one?

This is the type of performance where a coach really has to send a message: No more team screening of Marty Supreme.

I have a feeling Dillon Brooks is going to speak with the media tonight

. @vanfayaz.bsky.social wants the Bucks to trade for Chris Paul... but maybe not for the reason you're thinking www.brewhoop.com/bucks-analys...

Luka is not moving right at all

For Luka fans new to this: the Lakers get blown out by the Clippers by 30 like at least once a year no matter how good either side is, it’s kind of a tradition

Started to say out loud “The Lakers’ cutting looks good tonight” and then remembered who they’re playing lol

I have consumed the latest on the CP3 drama and decided my official stance:

“Yes, it’s unsavory. Yes, the system sucks, and we all wish it weren’t this way. But in basketball as in life, you can only control what you can control.” www.slcdunk.com/jazz-analysi...

“The question now isn’t whether the Mavericks can retool again. It’s whether the conditions that made retooling possible for 25 years still exist.” www.mavsmoneyball.com/mavericks-fe...

“Insiders tell NetsDaily that there’s is no indication that Brooklyn is going to stray from its plan — abandon the ‘probabilities’ of tanking in pursuit of a top pick.” www.netsdaily.com/nets-rumors/...

You know it's midseason and the Warriors aren't playing well when... www.goldenstateofmind.com/warriors-fea...

Have to questions Giannis’s competitive drive if he joins the current champs. OKC should trade for him to see if he can get them over the hump and finally win #TheCup

Shaq seeing how many ads Blake Griffin is in

This Wemby performance is like a combination of the Flu Game and Willis Reed. Honor and a privilege to watch the highest level hoops on the planet #TheCup

I can’t believe they’re doing “Stan Crush” when “Player I Stan” was right there

NBA says they should have kicked out Dillon Brooks sooner www.silverscreenandroll.com/lakers-news/...

That was a moral defeat but I’ll take the win

Social media if LeBron had missed one more of those free throws

Everyone keeps talking about the Thunder being unbeatable and I feel like I’m crazy because we haven’t even seen them win on the league’s biggest stage a single time.

Wemby and Shai both Respect The Cup. League is in good hands with real winners.

"The Washington Wizards are on an epic bizarro heater — consecutive seasons of historically awful basketball, which could well end up as the worst two-year run in NBA history. Yes, even worse than The Process Sixers." www.bulletsforever.com/washington-w...

"[JJ] understands his team’s flaws are showing and that even though they’ve won at a strong rate to start the year, losing the way they have been can be demoralizing when it’s clear there’s not a natural counter he can turn to to make it stop." www.silverscreenandroll.com/lakers-analy...

The 2021 Lakers tried to turn the wrong AD into a stretch five www.libertyballers.com/76ers-analys...

“League sources say that the Clippers want to facilitate a trade as soon as possible to help Paul find a new home.”

OKC may be the first team they should start removing from national games because they are too good

The first and third “hated by fans” votes being basically unanimous was the funniest part of this process @celticsblog.com.web.brid.gy

“Patience isn’t exciting, but it’s how real players are built.” www.brightsideofthesun.com/suns-analysi...

How are YOU getting ready for #TheCup? I painted Sasha different colors so he’d understand today, the stakes are higher

“betrayal, like grief, can’t be preempted. Imagining it, mentally going down all its painful streets of possibility, won’t soften the eventual blow.” There is no one who writes quite like @wtevs.bsky.social. open.substack.com/pub/basketba...

I think LeBron is gonna get to 10 tonight

Apparently a straight line can be drawn from those Sidetalk postgame Knicks fan videos to Giannis wanting to play there if and when he asks out open.substack.com/pub/marcstei...

Here is CP3's statement to Chris Haynes from the other site

Blake Griffin's comments on Chris Paul, via Prime

"Best guess is that the two are only mildly related. Lots of teams are trying to play fast this year. Some of them have injuries, some less so." www.blazersedge.com/trail-blazer...

The Suns got a good one in Goodwin www.brightsideofthesun.com/suns-analysi...