NBA/NCAA 1375
2026 NBA Finals: How the Knicks Are Forcing Bettors to Rethink Wembanyama
The 2026 NBA Finals have created an unexpected betting storyline. Entering the series, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs were widely viewed as the team to beat. Sportsbooks installed San Antonio as the favorite, with many analysts pointing to Wembanyama’s dominance throughout the postseason as the biggest factor behind those odds. New York has […]
NBA Finals: Victor Wembanyama has no more time for calm
Once more, the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama were too calm. Once more, they fell to a vibrant New York Knicks. Emmet Ryan on a need for raw aggression from the Western Conference champions in the NBA Finals. Here’s the thing about being a Zen master. It’s not about running from emotion, it’s about […]
NBA Finals: Victor Wembanyama must turn calm into chaos
It’s possible to be too calm. That’s something Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs need to realise before Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Having lost the opener to the New York Knicks, the Spurs look like they need to change the tempo up a bit, writes Emmet Ryan After winning the Western Conference […]
The Alien is human: Victor Wembanyama, joy, and the NBA Finals
Victor Wembanyama has become the most compelling basketball player alive. There’s stiff competition for that title, yet the San Antonio Spurs star has claimed it as his own. Now, in just his third NBA season, he’s in the NBA Finals for the first time and leading the Spurs against the New York Knicks. Emmet Ryan […]
Why Nikola Jokic Stood Out in the 2026 NBA MVP Futures Race
The NBA calendar has reached its most intense stretch, with the Conference Semifinals unfolding and the Finals just weeks away. Yet, one of the league’s biggest storylines wasn’t decided on the court – The MVP race. Nikola Jokić found himself, once again, at the center of that conversation, even after Denver’s early playoff exit. With […]
Nikola Jokic is right: the Denver Nuggets need changes
It was a grim exit from the NBA Playoffs for the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic knew it too. While he urged against panic, the greatest player in the game today said change is needed. That’s easy to say but making it happen, necessary as it is, won’t be easy, writes Emmet Ryan. The Denver Nuggets […]
Alperen Sengun orchestrates a huge Rockets win
Alperen Sengun needed a few minutes to find the tempo. Once he got it, the Houston Rockets star guided his side to a vital Game 5 win over the LA Lakers in the NBA Playoffs. Emmet Ryan on how Sengun showed poise and maturity at the right time. The Houston Rockets have kept the dream […]
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs pass their entrance exam
The first series for this version of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Playoffs went about as well as could be expected. Victor Wembanyama and company took down the Portland Trailblazers with authority but avoided having a total cakewalk. Emmet Ryan on how this was the right kind of prep for the next big […]
Franz Wagner and the Magic show the good, the bad, & the injured
The Orlando Magic took a huge step towards progressing in the NBA Playoffs with their Game 4 win over the Detroit Pistons. Franz Wagner showed great signs of adjusting to what’s required of him as well in the win. Emmet Ryan on a performance with lots to like but still room for improvement, if he’s […]
Rudy Gobert’s calm intensity drives Timberwolves to series lead
It’s only a few short days since I proclaimed the Minnesota Timberwolves wouldn’t be hanging around long in the NBA Playoffs. Rudy Gobert gave me reason to rethink that in a devastatingly impressive display against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. If you’re feeling generous, I shouldn’t take the L just yet. The Denver Nuggets […]
Inconsistency plagues Franz Wagner and the Orlando Magic
That was a bowling shoe ugly game and an even worse performance from the Orlando Magic. Their series with the Detroit Pistons was predicted to be the toughest watch of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. After an overachieving Game 1, on the entertainment scale, Game 2 saw Franz Wagner and company bullied off […]
Alperen Sengun and Rockets fail to match Lakers intensity
Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets fell to a 2-0 deficit in their NBA Playoffs series with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Sengun was far from his best and that was the norm across the board for a sluggish Rockets team, writes Emmet Ryan. All the criticisms from Houston Rockets fans throughout the […]