2026 NBA Draft: Team Needs: Atlantic Division
Brooklyn Nets Needs: Foundational pieces to build aroundPicks: 6, 33, 43 Five first-round picks. That’s what Brooklyn had last season, and they came away with nobody who looks like a surefire long-term cornerstone. Egor Demin was the only one of the five to average double-digit points, nobody averaged more than five rebounds, and nobody averaged…
2026 NBA Draft: Team Needs: Northwest Division
Denver Nuggets Needs: Frontcourt athleticism, re-sign Peyton Watson, depth, salary cap managementPicks: 26, 49 The Denver Nuggets find themselves at something of a crossroads. Nikola Jokic remains one of the best players in the world, but Denver is beginning to feel the pressure of maximizing what remains of its championship window. Jamal Murray is playing…
2026 NBA Draft: Team Needs: Pacific Division
Over the next several days, we’ll break down all 30 NBA teams by conference and division, examining roster construction, offseason priorities, draft positioning, and the biggest needs heading into the 2026 NBA Draft. In the first of this six-part series, we begin with the Pacific Division, featuring the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Golden State…
Elevator Doors: A Purpose-Driven Life
Phew. Greetings, once again, from Elevator Doors HQ, where we have spent the summer in search of meaning amid swirling chaos. If you’ve been wondering what happened to this column for the past couple months, I have a story for you. After yet another night of constant doomscrolling, I looked deep within my heart and…
2025 NBA Draft Grades: Western Conference
(pictured) headlines the West as a potential franchise cornerstone amid a draft with a sea of question marks, rebuilds, and long-term plays. Some teams leaned into their identity while others bet on raw upside or cultural fit. With blockbuster trades, draft stashes, and value swings shaping the night, here we present the Western Conference draft…
2025 NBA Draft Grades: Eastern Conference
(pictured) headlines the East as a high-upside pick with a chance, albeit a remote one, to become the best player in the class. NIL departures thinned what might have been a much deeper draft pool, especially in the late first and early second rounds, leaving several teams hunting for value amid a shallow field. With…
2025 NBA Draft: Instant Analysis
Click Here to Follow the draft pick by pick by our draft expert Nick Prevenas Instant Analysis By Nick Prevenas
2025 NBA Draft: Second Round Mock
Day Two of the 2025 NBA Draft kicks off with our second-round mock draft, featuring picks 31 through 59. With fewer guarantees and more upside bets, teams aim to uncover hidden gems and potential rotation pieces. Of note, the Bulls and Lakers flipped picks 45 and 55 earlier today, getting the action kicked off. Here’s…
Team Needs – Southwest Division
Dallas Mavericks Needs: Cooper Flagg to be a star Picks: 1 The Mavericks only have one pick in the upcoming draft, but it’s the most important one, as they landed the number one overall pick and must land a star that will get the fan base interested again after trading Luka Doncic just months ago.…
Elevator Doors: Champs
It’s why we do this. What is this? Everything. We were blessed with a Game 7. It’s the pinnacle of the best sport in the world. Two teams giving every ounce of energy trapped in their bodies to one 48-minute contest to hoist the one trophy that any hooper truly cares about. Don’t you dare…
Elevator Doors: One Win Away
The hardest win is the last one. To date, the 2024-2025 Oklahoma City Thunder have won 83 games. Their point differential was an astonishing 12.9 points in the regular season – higher than even the 12.3 ppg mark held by the historically dominant 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers – and just a hair under 10 points…
Team Needs – Northwest Division
Utah Jazz Needs: Young talent Picks: 5, 21, 43, 53 Utah has some intriguing young pieces, but not enough of them to currently feel good about the team’s long term potential. Keyonte George showed the ability to score the basketball, but needs to work to improve his efficiency. Walker Kessler is a dominating defender in…
Elevator Doors: Belief
I don’t know what I’m talking about. Here’s the thing, though – nobody else does, either. Last week, I wrote what I thought was a locked-in, well-informed, fully rational take on what I thought would happen in the NBA Finals. Given all the available information and all the games I had watched with my own…
Team Needs – Southeast Division
Charlotte Hornets Needs: A full rebuild, winning culture Picks: 4, 33, 34 Charlotte finds itself in a difficult position, stuck with poor roster construction and a culture lacking direction. LaMelo Ball remains a fan favorite, but his frequent injuries and highlight-driven play style have yet to translate to winning basketball — the Hornets have averaged…
Elevator Doors: The NBA Finals
The NBA Finals: It’s why we do all of this. Zach Lowe makes this point repeatedly in his podcast, and it’s a point I wish more people made as frequently as he does. All the trade rumors, the mock drafts, the free agency intrigue, the coaching carousel – it all churns along for the sole purpose…
Elevator Doors: Welcome to!
Sometimes, two opposing ideas can be equally true. Idea No. 1: The NBA has serious structural issues that require immediate attention. The relentless grind of the 82-game regular season, coupled with the incessant tanking scourge that will never stop as long as the draft lottery remains in place, create an untenable situation. When several teams…
Elevator Doors: March Blandness
March is simultaneously the best and worst month for basketball fans. The best: The NCAA Tournament continues to deliver the goods. While we haven’t had a ton of upsets/Cinderella runs – I have my transfer portal-related theories as to why that is – we have had a lot of hard-fought basketball, tourney heroes (, Jr.,…
Elevator Doors: The MVP Bowl
What can two games in the middle of March tell you about how NBA MVP voters are going to approach (what is supposed to be) an 82-game award? These two games in question told us a little bit of nothing, and a little bit of everything. On Sunday and Monday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder…