As you probably heard, the Knicks are on the verge of their first title since 1972-73. That got me thinking about that last title team. While they are well-remembered for winning a second title for the Walt Frazier-Willis Reed core, most nostalgia focuses on the 1969-70 title and the epic Finals against the Lakers. [ ] The post Revisiting the 1972-73 Knicks first appeared on Hoops Analyst .
By popular demand, we are going to do an examination of the October 1997 three-way trade where the Sonics sent their star power forward Shawn Kemp to Cleveland and received back Vin Baker (the Bucks, acting as an intermediary, received Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill from Cleveland). This trade portended imminent decline for both the [ ] The post Revisiting Shawn Kemp for Vin Baker first appeared…
Hard as it is to believe, we are now at the 40th anniversary of the highest scoring playoff game in NBA history: Michael Jordan’s 63-point masterpiece against the Celtics. The story of the game is well known. Boston would prevail in double-overtime and Larry Bird famously remarked that the performance was “God disguised as Michael [ ] The post Revisiting Michael Jordan’s 63-Point Game first…
The playoffs are here again, and it’s time to examine some of the key questions that stand out—FAQ style…. Yes, the Oklahoma City Thunder are favorites, but are they prohibitive favorites? OKC lapped the field again, going 64–18 despite some key injuries and a general sense that they eased up after their amazing start. Their [ ] The post NBA Playoffs 2025-26 Quick Thoughts first appeared on Hoops…
Last night, ten months after a catastrophic Achilles injury, Jayson Tatum made his amazing return to the court. He put up 15 points, 12 boards, and 7 assists in only 27 minutes. While it is premature to say Tatum is totally back to pre-injury form, early returns are quite encouraging. In our current argumentative culture, [ ] The post Revisiting Wilt’s Knee Injury Comeback first appeared on Hoops…
The post Hoops Analyst Podcast 2: Talking ABA and Soul Power with Jason Levin first appeared on Hoops Analyst .
It’s hard to believe but the 76ers’ last Finals appearance is going on its 25th anniversary. I thought this would be a good time to go back and do a moderate dive on the 2000-01 76ers, a gritty group built around Allen Iverson and a bunch of role players. If you don’t recall, the 76ers [ ] The post The Allen Iverson 76ers FAQ first appeared on Hoops Analyst .
Let’s explore a few thoughts on the Trae Young deal, FAQ style: Is this trade a big deal? Yes and no. Trae has been a charismatic star and the face of the Hawks franchise since 2018. On the other hand, the return (Corey Kispert and a 34-year-old CJ McCollum) shows that, objectively, this [ ] The post The Trae Young Trade FAQ first appeared on Hoops Analyst .
After a nice start to the season, the Bulls have regressed back to the .500ish play-in team that they have been basically the entire decade so far. Coach Billy Donovan has overseen this entire run of mediocrity. For the past five years, the Bulls have made a single playoff appearance and won only one playoff [ ] The post On Billy Donovan and Playoff Futility first appeared on Hoops Analyst .
For a change of pace, we did an in-depth via podcast instead of words. We had a great time getting into with the weeds with Paul Knepper about Moses Malone and his cool new book: The post Q&A with Paul Knepper on his new book: Moses Malone, The Life of a Basketball Prophet first appeared on Hoops Analyst .