Articles by Mat Issa (119)
As we’ve discussed before, shooting is an integral part of the game of basketball. It gives you access to 3-point possessions. It gives you spacing. So, it also clears the lane to give you access to shots in the paint. Shooting makes you dangerous. Because of the skill’s value, it is important to figure out which […]
Outside of (obviously) basketball, something I love is hearing about random famous people interact. For instance, did you know Jeremy Piven (Ari Gold from “Entourage”) and Mike Tyson are friends (they even co-host a podcast together)? Anyway, former two-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA forward Carlos Boozer had a pretty crazy connection to a famous figure […]
After spending the last few seasons plagued by irrelevancy, the Indiana Pacers are now the talk of the town. With Tyrese Haliburton and their dynamic offensive machine, the Pacers are sitting pretty at 20-15, which is good for seventh in the Eastern Conference. And along with being one of the most fun watches in the […]
Hey yo! What’s up? It’s your favorite NBA writer, Mat Issa. I’m here to bring you the very first edition of my (hopefully) new column at Basketball Insiders: Matty Ice’s Mailbag. This mailbag isn’t too different from other mailbags you’ve consumed in the past. You ask me questions on Twitter (@matissa15), and I answer them […]
Key Highlights: Isaiah Joe is wildly important to the Thunder because of his shooting and synergy with Gilgeous-Alexander Joe may need to be a part of the Thunder’s best five man lineup if they are going to make a deep playoff run There are questions about how Joe’s defense will translate to a playoff setting […]
Key Highlights: In sports, having good spacing makes everything easier But just because you don’t have good spacing doesn’t mean you can’t win The Pelicans showed us that you can combat bad spacing through effort, physicality, and tough shot-making I’ve been watching basketball for a long time. And usually, when you do something for a […]
Key Highlights: Tyrese Maxey, Terry Rozier, and Anfernee Simons are all having great offensive seasons. Meanwhile, Jordan Poole is struggling heavily. CJ McCollum is having a surprisingly good defensive season. Simons is having a rough defensive year. Maxey has a strong case as the best offense-first combo guard in the NBA. They say that the […]
Key Highlights The regular season is important, in part, because it gives us glimpses of schemes/tactics that could be used in the playoffs Michael Porter Jr. is a better low man defender than Jamal Murray If you attack Jamal Murray on defense, you can defang the Murray/Jokic two-man tandem A common complaint I hear from […]
Key Highlights: Markkanen is like a seven-foot Stephen Curry when he’s playing off the ball Markkanen is a better defender than most people give him credit for Markkanen is worth what the Jazz are asking for in a trade Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen looks like he may be the next star player to change […]
This year has been a weird year for Minnesota Timberwolves All-NBA big man Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite playing his usual minutes, Towns is averaging his fewest points and field goal attempts per game in a healthy season since his first All-Star campaign in 2017-18. However, his head coach, Chris Finch, still has his back. Towns Is […]