The Thunder are coming off a championship and are just the third team in NBA history to open a season with at least 23 wins in their first 24 games, so it comes as no surprise that general manager Sam Presti came out on top in The Athletic’s annual poll on the league’s best front offices. A group of The Athletic’s NBA writers asked 36 executives around the NBA to rank their top … [Read more...] about And-Ones: Front Offices, I. Mobley, NBA Europe, Quaintance
Bulls Notes: Losing Streak, Okoro, Essengue, Vucevic
Bulls coach Billy Donovan credits the Warriors’ “identity” with helping them to survive a string of injuries, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required), who adds that the identity Donovan’s team is developing should be a major concern. The Bulls dropped their seventh straight game Sunday night, losing by 32 points to a Golden State team that was missing … [Read more...] about Bulls Notes: Losing Streak, Okoro, Essengue, Vucevic
Injury Notes: SGA, Thunder, Booker, Essengue, Schröder
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss his first game of the season on Sunday when the Thunder face the Jazz in Utah, tweets Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire. Gilgeous-Alexander is dealing with bursitis in his left elbow, per the team. The superstar guard is one of seven Oklahoma City players who will be out Sunday. Others include rotation members Luguentz Dort (right … [Read more...] about Injury Notes: SGA, Thunder, Booker, Essengue, Schröder
Central Notes: Green, Robinson, Bulls, Collins, Thompson
The Bucks, already reeling from Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s calf strain, have another injury issue to deal with heading into their matchup with the Pistons on Saturday. Guard A.J. Green suffered a shoulder injury in their loss to Philadelphia on Friday and will undergo an MRI today. “Losing A.J. Green hurts you,” head coach Doc Rivers said, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Green, Robinson, Bulls, Collins, Thompson
And-Ones: First-Time All-Stars, 2026 Draft, NBA Cup, More
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is still over two months away, but a number of players around the league are emerging as legitimate candidates to appear in the game for the first time, writes Zach Harper of The Athletic. Harper points to Bulls guard Josh Giddey, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, Pistons center Jalen Duren, and Heat guard Norman Powell as Eastern Conference standouts who … [Read more...] about And-Ones: First-Time All-Stars, 2026 Draft, NBA Cup, More