Category Archives: Rodney McGruder

Today’s Best NBA Reporting And Analysis 1/20/19

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– ATL: DeWayne Dedmon Is Crushing It (from Chris Guest, Soaring Down South):
– ATL: Trae Young, Rising Star (from Bret Anderson, Atlanta Sports HQ):
– BKN: Joe Harris Is Ridiculous (from Jonathan Rosenberg, BBall Index):
–  BKN: Nets Thriving Because Russell, Dinwiddie Finally Figured It Out (from Brian Lewis, NY Post):
– BOS: Takeaways From Win Over Hawks (from Keith Smith, Celtics Blog):
– CLE: Cavs Are Struggling To Find Positives Amidst Rash Of Injuries (from Chris Fedor, cleveland.com):
– DEN: Podcast: POBO Tim Connelly On Building The Nuggets (from Adam Mares, Denver Stiffs):
– GSW: The Problems DMC Solves (from Ethan Strauss, The Athletic):
– GSW: Video Breakdown: DMC’s Return (from Coach Nick, BBall Breakdown):
– GSW: Dubs Are Seeing “Playoff Iguodala” In The Regular Season (from Mark Medina, Mercury News):
– GSW: Inside The Dubs’ 51 Point Quarter (from Jannelle Moore, BBall Index):
– LAL: Ingram Needs To Focus On Being A Playmaker (from Dan Woike, LA Times):
– MIA: McGruder Reaches CBA’s “Starter Criteria”  (from Ira Winderman, SunSentinel):
– MIL: At Last, Bucks Will Retire Marques Johnson’s #8 (from Matt Velazquez, jsonline):
– OKC: PG-13 Is The Steadying Influence The Thunder Needs (from Royce Young, ESPN):
– PHI:  Sixers- Thunder: Final Seconds Review (from Sarah Todd, philly.com):
– PHI: Video Analysis: Ben Simmons: Point Big Man (from Ben Taylor, Thinking Basketball):
– PHI: Do The Sixers Need To Stop Playing Simmons & McConnell Together? (from Kyle Neubeck, Philly Voice):
– SAC: What A Difference A Year Makes For Vlade (from Marcos Breton, Sacramento Bee):
– *UTA: Here Come The Jazz (from Sara Peters, The Basketball Writers):
– December In Review (from Justin, Nylon Calculus):
– Inside The NBA’s Efforts To Reach A Global Audience (from Patrick Murray, Forbes):
– *UTA: Here Come The Jazz (from Sara Peters, The Basketball Writers):
As a spiritual outgrowth of Basketball Intelligence, The Basketball Writers features original NBA- and other pro basketball-related content from great writers that you can support directly via your subscription. TBW’s mission is to enhance your appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of the game. Check out details and subscription info here:   
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Today’s Best NBA Reporting And Analysis 1/17/19 PART TWO

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– BOS: As Usual Baynes Did The Little Things That Made Life Easier For His Teammates (from John Karalis, Mass Live):
Read it here:  https://www.masslive.com//celtics/2019/01/boston-celtics-center-aron-baynes-pestered-celtics-for-weeks-to-return.html
– DEN: Malik Beasley Is Shooting & Scoring At A High Level (from Ryan Blackburn, Denver Stiffs):
– *GSW: Dubs Just Sent A Message To The NBA (from Adam Spinella, The Basketball Writers):
– GSW: Breaking Down The Dubs’ Record-Setting 1st Quarter Vs Denver (from Danny Leroux, The Athletic):
Read and watch it here:  https://theathletic.com/770551/2019/01/16/leroux-breaking-down-51-points-on-24-trips-as-the-warriors-make-history-with-their-explosive-first-quarter/
– GSW: DMC Tried To Get Cleared To Return A Few Weeks Ago (from Chris Haynes, Yahoo Sports):
Read it here:  https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-demarcus-cousins-attempted-get-cleared-return-injury-weeks-ago-152827876.html
– HOU: Will Harden’s Hot Streak Burn Him Out?  (from Chris Herring, FiveThirtyEight):
– HOU: The Must-See Numbers From Harden’s Hot Streak (from ESPN):
– HOU: Harden’s Impossible Box Scores, Explained (from Tom Ziller, SBNation):
NOTE: I’ve been pushing this issue for years.  Positive Residual at Nylon Calculus uses “scoring opportunities” (including FTs) instead of shots but very few others have followed his (& my) lead.

I particularly dislike when TV guys compare efficiency, something like this:
Player A, fouled on all 5 unsuccessful FGAs, goes 10-for-10 from line, so has scored 10 points “on zero shots” – “amazingly efficient”
Player B goes 5-for-5 from field…took him 5 shots to get his 10 points – “much less efficient”   (5 shots vs zero shots)
– IND: Pacers Defense Is Clearly Better With Turner (from Grant Afseth, Kokomo Tribune):
– LAC: Rivers Laments Decision To Cut Ingles (from Andrew Greif, LA Times):
– LAL: Walton Is Trying To Find More Minutes For Svi (from Harrison Faigen, Silver Screen And Roll):
– MIA: What Has Made McGruder A Fixture In The Starting Lineup (from David Furones, SunSentinel):
– OKC: Thunder Fighting Defensive Pick & Roll Pitfalls (from Erik Horne, jsonline.com):
– PHI: Q & A: Anelie Schnittel, VP Of Player Development (from Brian Seltzer, sixers.com):
– SAC: Bagley, Giles Give Glimpse Into Bright Future (from James Ham, NBC Sports):
– WAS: Why Beal & Wizards Are Flourishing Without Wall (from Neil Greenberg, Washington Post):
– Ranking The Best Young Cores In The NBA (from Frank Urbina, Hoops Hype):
The Basketball Writers
– *GSW: The Dubs Just Sent A Message To The NBA (from Adam Spinella, The Basketball Writers):
As a spiritual outgrowth of Basketball Intelligence, The Basketball Writers features original NBA- and other pro basketball-related content from great writers that you can support directly via your subscription. TBW’s mission is to enhance your appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of the game. Check out details and subscription info here:  
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Today’s Best NBA Reporting And Analysis 10/23/18 PART ONE

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– BOS: The Celtics’ Offense Is Failing Them (from Liam O’Brien, Hardwood Houdini):
– BOS: Takeaways From Loss To ORL  (from Keith Smith, Celtics Blog):
– CLE: Give The Defense A Bit More Time For Corrections (from Dan Gilinsky, King James Gospel):
– MIA: The Rise Of Rodney McGruder (from Simon Smith, Hoops Habit):
– MIL: How The Bucks Have Reshaped Their Identity To Get The Best From Giannis (from Michael Shapiro, Sports Illustrated):
– MIN: Tom Thibodeau & The Theory Of Defensive Evolution (from Dane Moore, Zone Coverage):
– MIL: DiVincenzo Is Making A Strong Early Impression  (from Kane Pitman, The Step Back):
– MIN: Thibodeau: DRose, When Healthy, Will Be One Of Assn’s Best (from Jace Frederick, Pioneer Press):
– NYK: Dissecting The Ntilikina Question (from Jonathan Macri, Knicks Film School):
– PHI: Inside The Embiid/Redick Two-Man Game (from Rich Hoffman, The Athletic):
– PHI: Observations From Wins Over CHI & ORL (from Jackson Frank, Liberty Ballers):
– PHI: Fultz & The Sixers Have A Problem Of Overlap (from Ben Ladner, The Step Back):
– PHI: Q & A: Landry Shamet (from Rich Hoffman, The Athletic):
– PHI: Covington Has Offered Most Return On Investment (from Josh Wilson, The Sixer Sense):
– SAS: DeRozan, Spurs Embracing New Normals (from Sean Highkin, Bleacher Report):
– SAS: Popovich Dials Up Old Play To Sink Lakers In OT (from William Lou, The Score):
Read and watch it here:  https://www.thescore.com/news/1635124
– TOR: Kawhi: It Didn’t Take Long For it To Look Like 2017 Again (from Andrew Sharp, Sports Illustrated):
– Notes From NBA-TV’s Open Court,  2018 Coaches Edition (from Zak Boisvert/Jeff Steines, Pick And Pop):
– Answering The Big Questions After The First Week (from MacMullan, Arnovitz, Pelton, MacMahon, Herring, ESPN):
– Answering Questions About The Scoring Binge (from Kevin Pelton, ESPN):
– Full Team-By-Team Roster & Salary Breakdown (from Bobby Marks, ESPN):
– Q & A: Chris Bosh (from Sekou Smith, NBA.com):
– Projecting The Leading Shooters At Each Position (from Adam Fromal, Bleacher Report):
– What Is The NBA Maximum Salary? (from Frank Urbina, Hoops Hype):

Today’s Best NBA Reporting And Analysis 2/26/17

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– Gary Payton, Isaiah Thomas And Lessons In Fearlessness (from Gary Washburn, Boston Globe):

Read it here:  https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2017/02/25/gary-washburn-gary-payton-isaiah-thomas-and-lessons-fearlessness/rQfO26WEPlLjjN8YOMOYmL/story.html

– Isaiah Thomas Needs Fourth Quarter Help (from Gary Washburn, Boston Glove):

Read it here:   http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2017/02/25/isaiah-thomas-needs-help-fourth-quarter/RDRVbhtZ5Qs29Z4yJynQQK/story.html

– Flip’s Kids Are Alright: The Wolves’ Future Is Now  (from Adam Joseph, 16 Wins A Ring):

Read it here: https://16winsaring.com/flips-kids-are-alright-the-future-is-now-in-minnesota-for-the-wolves-young-core-c530c1b4fc37#.wk6pmaqdu

– Nerlens Noel’s Dallas Debut  (from Eddie Sefko, Dallas Morning News):

Read it here:  http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-mavericks/mavericks/2017/02/25/nerlens-noel-makes-strong-first-impression-mavericks-debut-dallas-beats-new-orleans

From Bobby Karalla, mavs.com:  https://www.mavs.com/nerlens-noels-gravity-had-mavs-offense-rolling-in-his-debut/

– Deron Williams: The Cavs Finally Have Their Backup PG (from Carter Rodriguez, Fear The Sword):

Read and watch it here:  http://www.fearthesword.com/2017/2/25/14739642/deron-williams-cavaliers-signing-analysis

– Two New Offensive Weapons Nurkic Gives The Blazers (from Spencer Gordon, Rip City Project):

Read it here: http://ripcityproject.com/2017/02/25/nurkic-blazers-new-offensive-weapons/

– Divac: : “It Was Time To Start Over” (from Ailene Voisin, Sacramento Bee):

Read it here:  http://www.sacbee.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/ailene-voisin/article135024309.html

– Frank Kaminsky Takes Control At Center (from AP ):

Read it here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nba/charlotte-hornets/article135036919.html

– OKC’s Victory Shows Blueprint For Success (from Max Seng, Hoops Habit):

Read it here:  http://hoopshabit.com/2017/02/25/oklahoma-city-thunder-victory-shows-blueprint-success/

– Player Profile: Doug McDermott (from Matthew Hallett, Thunderous Intentions):

Read it here:  http://thunderousintentions.com/2017/02/26/doug-mcdermott-player-profile/

– The Magic Are Playing With Renewed Defensive Energy  (from Philip Rossman-Reich, Orlando Magic Daily):

Read it here:  http://orlandomagicdaily.com/2017/02/26/orlando-magic-build-energy-hustle-stats/

– PJ Tucker Gets A Chance To Finish What He Started In Toronto  (from Justin Rowan, Hoops Habit):

Read it here:  http://hoopshabit.com/2017/02/25/toronto-raptors-p-j-tucker-gets-chance-to-finish-what-he-started/

From Jesse Blancarte, Basketball Insiders:  http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-saturday-p-j-tucker-brings-versatility-to-toronto/

From Sean Woodley, Raptors HQ:  http://www.raptorshq.com/2017/2/25/14737352/fridays-game-a-win-for-the-raptors-and-qualitative-analysis-celtics-raptors-long-recap

–  Film Room: Terrence Ross  (from Josh Cohen, magic.com):

Read it here: http://www.nba.com/magic/news/film-room-assessing-terrence-ross-performance-vs-hawks-cohen-20170226

– Pistons Searching For A Way To Jump Start Reggie Jackson  (from Aaron McMann, MLive):

Read it here:  http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2017/02/pistons_searching_for_ways_to.html

– Suns: Vowing To Play Their Young Bench Players  (from Dave King, Bright Side Of The Sun):

Read it here:  http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2017/2/26/14742354/kids-are-coming-out-to-play-for-suns-in-second-half

– Rodney McGruder’s Defensive Toughness  (from Anthony Chang, Palm Beach Post):

Read it here:  http://heatzone.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/02/26/heat-rookie-rodney-mcgruder-if-you-need-me-to-be-a-pest-i-will-be/

– D-League: Chinanu Onuaku Continues To Impress (from Dakota Schmidt, Ridiculous Upside):

Read it here:  http://www.ridiculousupside.com/2017/2/25/14737872/chinanu-onuaku-rio-grande-valley-vipers-nba-dleague