archive2026

DHJ Quick Take: The Star-Hunting Strategy The Pick Leverage: Daryl Morey’s acquisition of Clippers’ draft capital—including the 2028 First-Round Pick—is the ultimate chess move. As Los Angeles hovers around the 9th seed in the West, those picks gain value daily. Returning a pick to the Clippers allows them to officially...

DHJ Quick Take: The Week 1 Finale The Smith Catalyst: Alanna Smith's return immediately validated Jose Fernandez's offensive vision. Her ability to secure a rebound and initiate the break herself ("grab-and-go") creates a pace that keeps opposing defenses from setting their half-court shells. This versatility is the engine for the...

DHJ Quick Take: Alanna Smith is Back The Transition Catalyst: The most significant takeaway from Alanna Smith's first practice is the "grab-and-go" capability she adds to the transition game. By starting the break herself off the glass, Smith forces opposing bigs to defend in space and allows Paige Bueckers and...

DHJ Quick Take Lillard’s Potential Return: After missing the entire 2025–26 regular season recovering from a torn left Achilles, Damian Lillard has reportedly not been ruled out for a "surprise appearance" in the 2026 NBA playoffs. Pursuit of Giannis: The Portland Trail Blazers are preparing an offseason trade pitch for...

DHJ Quick Take: The Defensive Focus The Unrivaled Carryover: The most practical takeaway from the first week of camp is Paige Bueckers' conditioning. She noted that the constant isolation reps and lack of "off possessions" in Unrivaled prepared her for the defensive workload that Jose Fernandez requires. Backcourt Balance with...

DHJ Quick Take: Friday Observations The Bueckers-Fudd Synergy: The most significant takeaway from the Day 6 clips is seeing Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd share the floor in the same 5-on-5 unit. Their "read-and-react" chemistry was on full display during a pick-and-roll sequence where Bueckers found Fudd for a mid-range...

DHJ Quick Take: The Day 6 Notebook The Bueckers-Fudd Synergy: A takeaway from Friday was seeing Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd share the floor in the same 5-on-5 unit. Their "read-and-react" chemistry was on full display during a pick-and-roll sequence where Bueckers found Fudd for a mid-range pull-up after a...

DHJ Quick Take: The System Shift The European Influence: Head coach Jose Fernandez is moving the Wings away from isolation-heavy sets toward a "European-style" approach centered on ball movement and misdirection. As Curt Miller noted, the goal is to keep the defense in constant rotation. Unlocking Bueckers Off-Ball: By utilizing...

DHJ Quick Take: Targets to Consider The Flagg Foundation: Despite a 12th-place finish (26-56), the "Information Gain" from the 2025-26 season is the historic arrival of Cooper Flagg. After dropping 51 points on the Magic in April and setting the teenage scoring record, Flagg (21.1 PPG) has validated Nico Harrison's...

DHJ Quick Take Award Winner: Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been named the 2025-26 Kia Most Improved Player, making the Hawks the first team in NBA history to win the award in back-to-back seasons (following Dyson Daniels). Statistical Leap: After being acquired from Minnesota last summer, NAW averaged a...