ATL: Video Breakdown: What the Hawks can count on from Dominick BarlowMalik Brown, Peachtree Hoops
CHI: Bulls’ Season PreviewJared Dubin, Final Evening In Basketball
CHI: Bulls start shift towards younger coreShaun Powell, NBA.com
DEN: The Realist: Michael Porter Jr. And The Denver NuggetsJack Tien-Dana, Actual GM
This yr, Porter is a load-bearing pillar of the Nuggets’ offense; even when he can’t create his personal shot in a conventional sense, he must leverage his presence and his motion to create photographs for the entire group.
On a roster principally devoid of taking pictures, there’s no substitute for what he gives. He’s the underlying bridge that permits Denver’s best moments to sing. The Jokic-Murray pick-and-roll works finest when Porter clears out the house for them to run it; Jokic can join on alley-oops with Gordon as a result of Porter removes the low-man from the equation. When he’s energetic and aggressive, Porter capabilities as a giant-sized Klay Thompson, yanking assist defenders out of place as he roams across the court docket. Conversely, when he’s passive, he simply kinda stands there.
As such, Porter’s efficiency this season represents the Nuggets’ first main inflection level.
DET: Pistons look to shake off worst season in franchise historical pastShaun Powell, NBA.com
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