Joel Embiid carries the weight of expectations differently than others. As his fanbase and national media have constructed stories that have him as the potential messiah in a decade-long process of experimental team-building, coupled with the unusual rabidity of Philadelphia sports fans, he has accepted this role sincerely. Read more »

For many, Kevin Durant's career has been less about his skills and more a cause for referendum on modern league politics, and on what happens when a player attempts to fully tell their own story. Read more »

After a dull weekend of Game 1s, a doubleheader between Knicks/Sixers and then Nuggets/Lakers delivered an excess of drama. You never know when a basketball cult might be formed or broken. Read more »

On the Cavaliers doing to the Magic what the Knicks did to them last season, Milwaukee saving up their competitive juices, New York's rabid hustle cult, Minnesota vanquishing their playoff inexperience, a nerve-inducing game in OKC and more. Read more »

Because of the staggering expectations they set for themselves by loading so much neon into their superstar billboard, they inspire more malaise than optimism. That might be changing, though. Read more »

The NBA will now be weathering various strange controversies as a part of what is maybe a process toward better future health. And it will take some much bigger blow-ups before anything is seriously done about the situation. Read more »

The likes of Gilbert Arenas, Jeff Teague and Kwame Brown have shown us that the option to be a professional vibesmith is larger than ever, and the blueprint for a post-playing career is forever changed. Read more »

Zion Williamson is still 23, but he is now a layup artist, getting on the scoreboard in decidedly less pyrotechnic ways than before. He's stayed healthy this season and the Pelicans figure to enter the playoffs more formidable than ever. Read more »

The Nuggets won't rack up a lot of blowouts, but they don't have to fret much to win games, either. Pressure, for them, is a bathhouse; the heat of it relaxes them. Read more »

If there is a meaningful future for the All-Star Game, it should be in further exploring the range of this dopey anti-competition. Read more »

As Chicago and Milwaukee sit 90 miles away from each other, there is a dichotomy between both present and past of their respective NBA franchises. Read more »

Giannis Antetokounmpo was unassailable in the public realm, but he ultimately is more like other stars than previously imagined, and less the exception to their characteristic profile than assumed. Read more »

A Zach LaVine trade is not an ideal scenario for either the Lakers or the Bulls- not now, and not after they potentially make this trade. But there aren't superior options on the table, or even on the horizon for two teams that need some humble reorganization. Read more »

If Ja Morant is endangering himself or others, that's an issue that needs addressing, but when it comes to how he wants to be, well, that's up to him, and it looks as though he's decided for now that his freedom to speak and signal as he does matters more to him than maximizing his branding opportunities. Read more »

You don't have to squint too much to see how, through all the deflated hype and underwhelming results, Zion Williamson remains indomitable enough pull his team through the postseason. Read more »

Here we are, at the start of something, which one of the greatest players of all time felt strongly enough about to make it an important conquest in his shockingly lengthy farewell cruise. Read more »

On Jalen Suggs, Jamahl Mosley, Tyrese Haliburton, De'Aaron Fox, plus notes on the Thunder, Clippers and Pelicans. Read more »