Cup check www.teamziller.com/nba-cup-elim...

The NBA Cup is giving us four high-stakes games on Friday. Cool! www.teamziller.com/pistons-celt...

It's unlocked newsletter Wednesday (that's a thing, right?). Lots of links, some highlights, all your Cupstakes notes heading into a busy Cup night. www.teamziller.com/nba-cup-grou...

Wrote about the Pistons' miracle 2-year rise in the context of that other recent miracle 2-year rise that felt less like a miracle because it was so choreographed (talkin' about the Thunder). Two different ways to bake a cake. www.teamziller.com/detroit-pist...

kangzism is contagious

In the post-2000 NBA, James Harden is on track to be the best player without a title. CP3, to me, is the biggest WINNER without a title.

Wrote a bit about CP3, the ultimate winner. Also recapped a whole lot of basketball from the weekend: www.teamziller.com/chris-paul-r...

My brief review of Nuggets-Rockets is that if Murray maintains this level and AG gets/stays healthy, HOU needs a ton more juice from KD on offense to compete in a series.

Nope.

Wrote about the reported mutual annoyance between LaMelo and the Hornets, and came up with a cursed trade machine slop sandwich that will haunt me all weekend. www.teamziller.com/lamelo-ball-...

Wrote about how the cold, calculating Clippers didn't want to pay the price for Norm Powell, so now they are paying the price for trading Norm Powell. www.teamziller.com/norman-powel...

Against my better judgment, I wrote about the Kings. 🔓 www.teamziller.com/sacramento-k...

Not to beat a dead horse, but the Pelicans' decision-making has been an all-out disaster since June. www.teamziller.com/willie-green...

Also: Draymond Green will hear "An-gel Reese" chants taking free throws at a road arena this season, and GMIB readers will know why.

Wrote about the Warriors and Spurs, whose Friday instant classic stuck with me, and who are on opposite ends of the development curve but could both disrupt the West playoffs www.teamziller.com/warriors-vs-...

I’m excited for the USA vs World All Star format mostly because I want to see which guys denounce their heritage for a chance at an All Star selection, especially when there are contract incentives involved. Like, does Sabonis play the “I was born in Portland” card?

I played out the new USA vs. USA vs. The World All-Star format and folks, let me tell you: we might see some Americans getting their asses wholly kicked. www.teamziller.com/nba-all-star...

No idea why the NBA YouTube page posted this now, but I'll see you in 22 minutes and 40 seconds

Nikola Jokic had 52 in three quarters against a good center. He's shooting 78% on twos and 42% on threes. He's better than ever, possibly. There's a chance we're talking about him in the top-5 all time by the end of the season, if we're not already there. www.teamziller.com/nikola-jokic...

As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history. Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX

Desperately rooting for the Clippers to make a run and force a reluctant Jokic to put a 70 piece on their heads.

The Pistons shouldn’t trade a bunch of stuff for Markkanen. They should trade some stuff for Zach LaVine and Dennis Schroder.

Absolutely diabolical headline & art combo from @teamziller.bsky.social this morning. I am in awe.

Maybe the Kings can try firing Mike Brown again?

Today's GMIB on Patrick Dumont firing Nico Harrison without acknowledging that Nico screwed up or laying out a path to recovery for the team (plus the daily Scores) is unlocked for all readers: www.teamziller.com/nico-harriso...

For years, advertising has been how Stereogum made money to pay its writers. While we made progress moving away from that model, Google AI search has decimated the business almost overnight. Today we relaunch with a greater focus on subscription. We’d love your support: stereogum.com/2478838/ster...

That was the wildest night of regular season NBA basketball I can remember. www.teamziller.com/andrew-wiggi...

I don't really know anything about this dude or his politics but I'm over here clapping. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcjm...

Rodger is a delight to read on any sports exclamation point topic. Strong recommend.

I wrote about why the Jazz shouldn't trade Lauri Markkanen. The context of the roster around him has changed (despite Kessler's injury) and there is a path to a good team with Lauri soon. www.teamziller.com/lauri-markka...

I distinctly remember Nico Harrison calling the Mavericks a championship contender *before* they won the lottery. How's that going? www.teamziller.com/dallas-maver...

Oh yeah I wrote a newsletter this morning. Unlocked. Read it if you want. Who cares? Go Bulls? www.teamziller.com/bulls-vs-six...

1. James Naismith was alive until Chuck Grassley was in grade school. 2. Grassley was born a year earlier than Elgin Baylor and Bill Russell. 3. Grassley became a Senator in 1981 at age 48 (7 years older than LeBron is now). In '81, LeBron was not yet born. Grassley is still in the Senate.

Case in point: Zohran Mamdani is older than Kyrie Irving.

oops here is the gift link

It does not appear that the Ja Morant situation is all hunky dory now. www.teamziller.com/ja-morant-su...

If you tuned out the NBA this weekend, you missed Ja Morant loafing it up against the Lakers, responding poorly to criticism from his coach, getting suspended by the team and serving that suspension. Eventful three days. All that plus lots more in Monday's GMIB: www.teamziller.com/ja-morant-su...

Good morning. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKqF...

My every moment on the internet over the past 15 years has been spent chasing the feeling of hearing this random Busta Rhymes x Architecture in Helsinki remix for the first time off of some MP3 blog. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfyP...

Finished @chrisdeville.bsky.social's SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS. Excellent read: snappy, fun and comprehensive. I laughed out loud at the single sentence about Architecture in Helsinki, who put out one of my top five albums of the 2000s (IN CASE WE DIE). bookshop.org/p/books/such...

I remember buying STANKONIA and At The Drive-In's RELATIONSHIP OF COMMAND for $10 each on a trip to Best Buy and somehow picking up two speeding tickets within the next month. Weird.

A spicy morning take: the NBA should take over the New Orleans basketball franchise again until the league finds local owners who will give a damn. www.teamziller.com/pelicans-gay...

[GIFT LINK] Lots of folks are sharing this incisive commentary from @tressiemcphd.bsky.social on the Nazi tattoo candidate and the Democrats' insistence that we have to tolerate a smidge of racism to appeal to the working class. She, of course takes, that apart. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o...

Wrote about what new magic the Warriors appear to have unlocked, and also GIANNIS and Maxey and the Kings and Coast2Coast confusion and a few of the 57 excellent 6MOY candidates. FREE PREVIEW WEEK CONTINUES APACE www.teamziller.com/warriors-jim...

Lots of reactions/highlights and LOTS of links in today's unlocked newsletter. FREE PREVIEW WEEK continues on GMIB. www.teamziller.com/tyrese-maxey...

It's FREE PREVIEW WEEK at GMIB. All five issues this week will be unlocked. A great time to try it out, a great time to share. #nbasky Today: reaction from the two dozen weekend games, including more predictable Giannis dominance and some gobsmacking Victor work. www.teamziller.com/giannis-ante...

"Billups was palling around with dogs. It should be no surprise he got fleas. And the NBA has been palling around with the gambling world. It should be no surprise it got fleas." www.teamziller.com/chauncey-bil...

Unlocked a 2nd newsletter this week. The iceberg's coming. Will the gambling money still be worth it to the NBA and betting advocates in the media after the next scandal? The one after that? At what point do you see this for what it is? www.teamziller.com/chauncey-bil...