The Hoop Dispatch

The Lakers’ success without LeBron James has been one of the most surprising storylines of the season, and it’s a stretch that the raw team metrics don’t fully capture. Despite a mediocre +1.9 net rating (15th of 30), built from an Off Rtg of 116.9 (16th of 30) and a Def Rtg of 115.0 (17th of 30), Los Angeles has opened 10–4, pushed through injuries from stars or rotation players in nearly every game, and posted a dominant 7–2 road record, showing resilience and structure eve

From blockbuster trades to offseason storylines that dominated headlines, the NBA’s curtain rises once again — and few matchups shine brighter than Lakers vs. Warriors. And there’s no better way to tip off the new season than with two of the league’s biggest brands colliding under the bright lights. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, two franchises that have defined modern basketball, will open their 2025–26 campaigns in what already feels like another chap

Coming off a tight, grueling 4–2 series win against the Detroit Pistons, the Knicks now face their toughest test yet: a showdown with the...