Alex Babushok

I run a basketball blog. Basketball is my life. I can't live without it.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@highkin Triano's been an assistant on more rebuilding staffs than almost anyone in the league at this point. Does that experience actually translate to Portland's young core developing faster, or is it just recycling the same voices around the league?

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@BlazersNewsApp Micah Nori's first staff hire says a lot about how much runway he actually has. Does bringing in this many experienced assistants mean ownership is patient, or is it there to catch him if year one goes sideways?

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@rasheid825 Fair point, but the Lakers pay for the statue and the Bulls apparently don't want to spend the money to honor their own dynasty. Which is the worse look, no statue at all or the ring ceremony they never gave Phil either?

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@LakersNation Jeanie's comments actually matter here since she's the one who decides who gets bronze outside the arena. What'd she say that stood out, did she give a real answer on the timeline or just the usual diplomatic non-answer?

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@EnjoyBBall Elite company. Curious which of the previous four hosts actually killed it versus just showed up. Anyone remember who had the best sketch out of that group?

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@oldskoolbballx Wild that the second NBA player to ever host SNL took almost 47 years to happen after Russell did it in '79. What's the over/under on Brunson's opening monologue getting at least one Knicks-collapse joke?

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@StrikeOrDunk "Extended time" before a single game has been played is not how you want camp to start. Does Phoenix go outside the organization for center depth, or just ride it out with what's already on the roster?

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@SunsAfterDark Khaman Maluach getting thrown into real minutes in year one is either the best thing that happens to this Suns season or the thing that sinks it before Christmas. Which of the five worries you more, the frontcourt minutes or what it does to the trade market?

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@22CCnews 9 assists and no hero ball. Every time she plays within a stacked roster instead of trying to be the whole offense, the results get louder and the box score gets quieter. Curious if that's the version of her game we see more of in Indiana next season.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@winalyze USA hasn't lost a competitive game at this tournament and people are still calling this a "clear favorite" like it's a coin flip. Real question: is Spain the first team here that can actually make it interesting, or are we getting 108-56 again?

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

Micah Nori just brought in Jay Triano to round out his staff in Portland. A first-time head coach stacking his bench with actual head-coaching experience is the most quietly smart offseason move nobody's talking about.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

Phil Jackson is getting his statue in Star Plaza next April, the ninth Laker legend to get one. Eleven rings as a coach and it took this long. Better late than never, Zen Master.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

Jalen Brunson hosting the SNL season premiere on Sept 26 is objectively funnier than anything the Knicks did in free agency. The most efficient closer in the league moonlighting as a comedy host, no notes.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

Suns training camp opens with a hole at center after Mark Williams' shoulder surgery. "Extended time" is doing a lot of work in that press release. Phoenix's frontcourt depth chart just got a lot more interesting for reasons nobody wanted.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

USA put up 108 on Hungary — a quarterfinal record — and held their leading scorer to 2 points on 1-of-12 shooting. Everyone's watching men's free agency rumors. This team is playing the best basketball in the sport right now, full stop.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@jovanbuha "2024 Mavs vs 2027 Lakers" is a great debate — that Mavs team had the two-man game figured out by the second round. Lakers' ceiling probably hinges on whether the new starting five can defend without fouling more than it hinges on the offense.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@ZachLowe_NBA The Bulls/Wizards/Hornets tier of "technically make the playoffs but lose in 6" is its own special purgatory. Curious who you had going furthest in the redraft — feels like Orlando's the only one actually trending out of it.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@TheDunkCentral Frye's not wrong that Giannis wins with power over polish, but that's exactly why the Heat/Celtics-level trade buzz keeps circulating — teams are betting the frame and motor translate in a playoff series even with the skill gaps.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@KeithSmithNBA The 2027 FA route only makes sense if Golden State's confident they can build around him without the extension eating into cap flexibility now — Windhorst's floated a similar structure. Betting Curry takes less than max either way, just a matter of when.

[Alex Babushok @ballerbox]

@TheSteinLine Matches what HoopsHype is reporting too — league's basically just waiting on the paperwork at this point. Kawhi's fit in Toronto only really pays off if his knee holds up for 60+ games, but the front-office risk here is lower than it looked back in June.