Author: Drew Type

For seven years, Thunder point-of-attack defense came with one dependable instruction: give Lu Dort the opponent’s nastiest perimeter assignment and let him make the night miserable. Luka Dončić felt that pressure during the 2024 playoffs. Anthony Edwards dealt with Dort’s strength and angle control in the 2025 Western Conference finals. Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and other stars received versions of the same treatment. Now he plays in Atlanta. The Thunder traded Dort in July, receiving three future second-round picks while dropping below the NBA’s second tax apron. The deal also generated a $17 million trade exception, giving Oklahoma City additional…

Thunder half-court spacing became impossible to ignore when Victor Wembanyama settled near the paint during the Western Conference Finals and Oklahoma City kept running into bodies. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would turn the corner, see Wembanyama waiting, then search for a passing angle before another defender recovered. Driving lanes that had looked enormous against Phoenix and Los Angeles suddenly felt narrow. In that moment, Oklahoma City’s greatest offensive strength became harder to access. Gilgeous-Alexander could still score. He poured in 35 points in Game 7. Cason Wallace attacked openings and added 17. Yet every possession demanded another difficult read against a San…

The rim protection question facing the 76ers before camp starts the instant Joel Embiid walks toward the bench. Philadelphia strengthened nearly every layer around him this offseason, adding Jaylen Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, LeBron James and other veteran help to a roster already built around Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. The perimeter should be tougher. The rotations should be cleaner. None of that produces another Embiid. When he sits, Nick Nurse must find 12 to 16 dependable minutes of paint defense from Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti or Dominick Barlow. Each offers a different solution. Each also creates a different problem.…

Lineup versatility will define the Suns in 2026-27 because Oklahoma City already showed Phoenix what happens when one idea dies in April. The Thunder swept Phoenix out of the first round in four games. With each loss, the floor seemed to shrink. Transition opportunities disappeared. Driving lanes tightened. Devin Booker saw more bodies whenever he reached his preferred spots, and Phoenix never found enough counters to change the geometry. That ending stung because Jordan Ott’s first season had produced real progress. The Suns jumped from 36 victories to 45-37, finished 10th in defensive rating and returned to the playoffs. Yet…