We're Back After a Too Long Absence!
Swish Weekly - March 30th
I'm really sorry about missing the last couple of weeks. As I mentioned, I was on vacation and was planning on jumping back into the Swish Weekly thing, but real life got in the way and I wasn't able to get the quality content out to you folks as you've come to count on. I always want to give you the best NBA content out there, and I didn't feel I was going to be able to do so. I hope you understand!
With all that out of the way, we have a solid group of content for you to devour. Let's get right into it.
'It Took My Life Over': Inside NBA Players' Fortnite Addiction - Bleacher Report - Leo Sepkowitz
If you haven't heard about this game called "Fortnite" then I have a feeling you've been living under a rock for the past few months. The game has exploded in popularity recently and has even seeped its way into the NBA with star players like Ben Simmons, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Andre Drummond getting in on the madness. What truly stands out from this craze is that it shows just how human these players we look up to really are. Sometimes they just want to chill and play some video games.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/3/27/17167456/markelle-fultz-return-sixers-analysis
Markelle Fultz Back - The Ringer - Kevin O'Connor
It was a night to remember in Philadelphia on March 26, 2018. The top overall selection from this year's draft made his first game appearance since the fourth game of the season when a mysterious shoulder ailment sidelined him for the better part of the season. Fultz finished the game with a solid statline notching 10 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds in just 15 minutes of action. Ironically, the last player to have 10 points and 8 assists in 15 minutes or fewer? ...Celtics GM Danny Ainge who traded down two slots giving the Sixers the chance to take Fultz. Funny how those things work out.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22924664/lebron-james-changed-game-basketball-prodigy-nba
LeBron changed the game as a basketball prodigy - ESPN - Brian Windhorst
When it boils down to it, this article's premise is one thing and one thing only: LeBron has completely changed the athletic landscape. Notice how I didn't say the "basketball" landscape. That's important, because LeBron has transcended the basketball boundaries and elevated himself into full on "icon" status. In this piece, Windhorst posits that it all started with a televised high school game on December 12, 2002. ESPN2 broadcasted the game as LeBron finished with 31 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 assists to lead Oak Hill Academy to the win. LeBron later signed a basketball card contract and shoe deal and, well, the rest is history, but LeBron has changed the game for all to follow.
#NBArank Game Changers: The 25 most influential players ever - ESPN - Multiple Authors
One thing that makes basketball such a great sport is the heated debate that follows whenever people try to rank players. This list from ESPN of the most influential NBA players ever is no different. We've seen a ton of debate, especially in regard to where Kobe Bryant ranks vs Stephen Curry, but it's all in good fun and at the end of the day, all of the players mentioned on the list are there for their own individual reasons. It's hard to argue with the top two guys though. I'll let you decide which one you believe is the top dog.
https://theundefeated.com/features/lebron-james-michael-jordan-ties-record-double-figures-streak/
LeBron James and Michael Jordan: the battle continues, in our imaginations - The Undefeated - Justin Tinsley
On Wednesday, LeBron James tied Michael Jordan for the longest streak of consecutive double-digit scoring performances in the regular season at 866 games. It's one of many Jordan records that LeBron has broken, but one number still looms large: 6. It's the number of championships that Jordan led his Chicago Bulls to. LeBron still lags far behind in the title department with only two wins (which is unlikely to change this year barring injury or an absurd run by LeBron). LeBron still has a chance to catch Jordan in the championships category, but he's elevated himself to nearly level with MJ as the greatest player of all time.
Carmelo Anthony is Having His Worst Season, But The Thunder Don't Seem To Mind - FiveThirtyEight - Tony Chow and Neil Paine
It's been a long fall for Carmelo Anthony. From being one of the most skilled and dangerous scorers in the league just a few short seasons ago, Melo is having his worst season by far in his first year with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This video from FiveThirtyEight breaks down the statistics that show how terrible Melo has been this season. If the Thunder want to make a run in the playoffs this year, they're going to need more from Melo to achieve their goal of an NBA championship.
https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2018/3/28/17172448/kevin-durant-returns-bill-simmons-podcast-part-1 (Part 1)
https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2018/3/30/17179500/kevin-durant-part-two-klay-thompson-lavar-ball-free-agency (Part 2)
Kevin Durant Returns to the Bill Simmons Podcast - The Ringer - Bill Simmons
This is the fifth installment of the Bill Simmons and Kevin Durant duo. They go into a ton of diverse and interesting topics that are fascinating to hear from KD's perspective. Plus, it's led to the greatest quotes of all time when Kevin Durant uses the term "blog boys." It's a hilarious and candid conversation between two extremely knowledgeable basketball minds. Definitely worth the listen.
Ten things I like and don't like, including Boston without Kyrie - ESPN - Zach Lowe
Another week and another great Zach Lowe 10 Things piece. I obviously won't go into all of his points, but the top point about the Boston Celtics troubling offense without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward is especially eye-opening. Boston is one of the worst teams in the league in terms of scoring at the rim without Kyrie on the floor and only gets worse with the bench unit playing extended minutes due to injury. Definitely take the time to read the entire piece. You won't be disappointed.
And there you have it, another Swish Weekly in the books. Again, I sincerely apologize for missing the past couple weeks. We're back on the grind and I hope you're excited for more great NBA content. If you have any suggestions or want more or less of anything, feel free to email or hit us up on social media (we're @SwishWeekly everywhere).