From outlier 3-point shooting to the most inexplicable technical foul you’ve ever seen, last night was a weird one around the NBA. There are 1,230 games in an NBA season, stretched out over six months, an enormous canvas on which to paint all sorts of weird and never-seen-before scenes. But sometimes it all seems to
Portland Trail Blazers
With just three games on the docket in the NBA on Thursday night, the focus turns to the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat in the early games, and the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers later in the night. Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard’s statuses for tonight’s game are in question, which could make
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports The 2022 NBA rookie class has been impressive. Two weeks into the season, here are the way-too-early NBA Rookie of the Year rankings. We are now officially two weeks into the NBA season. This year’s rookie class has made a big impact early. Paolo Banchero and Bennedict Mathurin are both averaging
Damian Lillard has been nearly unstoppable but he’s not the only player off to an impressive start in their comeback seasons. One of the most fascinating storylines coming into this season was the abnormally large number of players returning from injuries or other circumstances that caused them to miss all or most of last season.
Are the Portland Trail Blazers primed to bounce back from their 27-55 season? Last season did not go according to plan for the Portland Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard got off to a disappointing start before suffering a season-ending abdominal injury. Lillard was limited to 29 games, and he posted new career lows in field goal
The back-cut is among the simplest but most spectacular plays in basketball. Gary Payton II and Bruce Brown are two of the best practitioners of this art form. There is something aesthetically captivating about the back-cut and the way it unfolds. Time slows for a second. From the bleachers or our couches, we can see
Damian Lillard made a comment over loyalty, possibly throwing shade Kevin Durant’s way. With Damian Lillard’s comment hinting about being loyal to one franchise, he may have thrown some shade at Kevin Durant and other NBA superstars who have regularly switched allegiances. Lillard has spent his entire professional career with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was
Damian Lillard and other Trail Blazers seemed to shoot their shot with Kevin Durant amid trade rumors but KD’s brother was quick to pour some cold water. Another Brooklyn Nets shakeup seems almost inevitable at this point. After the team sent James Harden away in a trade for Ben Simmons ahead of the deadline this
It’s one of the biggest hypotheticals in NBA Draft history — What if Kevin Durant and Greg Oden had been selected in a different order? The 15th anniversary of the 2007 NBA Draft is here. Sorry, Blazers fans. Let’s get this over with and delve into the latest “What If,” courtesy of Strat-O-Matic, the Market Leader
Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers, Team USA. (Photo by THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images) Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin already eyeing LeBron James’ crown by Cody Williams Damian Lillard posted a photo of himself and Kevin Durant, who was wearing a Portland Trail Blazers uniform, on his Instagram Story. The NBA world
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue Boilermakers. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) Blue Jays: 3 left-handed bats that Toronto should trade for by Eric Treuden Former Purdue basketball star Caleb Swanigan has sadly passed away at the young age of 25. Purdue basketball fans are in mourning, as former Boilermakers standout Caleb Swanigan passed away at the age of
As the effects of the overturning of Roe v. Wade ripple throughout the nation, notable professional athletes and teams speak out while many remain silent. There’s an intersection between social justice and sports not because people are changing, but because platforms are. In 1969, Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists
The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Pistons forward Jerami Grant the day before the 2022 NBA Draft, and didn’t give up much in immediate assets. Grant has flourished in his time with the Pistons, in part due to the saying, “Well, someone has to score.” But Grant is a capable wing, and has been on the
Portland Trail Blazers power forward Greg Brown III. (Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports) Kyle Shanahan expects Deebo Samuel at 49ers mandatory minicamp by Owen Crisafulli With the Trail Blazers on the verge of being sold, NBA owners are reportedly against letting them move to Seattle preferring expansion for the city. The NBA is heading for major
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard could not believe the team fell to the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery. Just ahead of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics was the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery. The event was set to determine the exact
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The NCAA Tournament starts this week shining the spotlight on, among other things, some of the best draft prospects in this year’s class. The consensus seems to be that
While the Suns and Warriors have taken the NBA by storm, the Utah Jazz have quietly improved upon last year’s dominant play with the league’s best offense. The Warriors and Suns currently sit at the center of the NBA world’s attention this week, and rightfully so. The two teams have won a combined 36 of
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. This week on The Long Two, Ben Ladner looked at the difficult decision the Blazers are facing at the trade deadline — whether or not to trade Damian Lillard.