Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 22h

Wrote about the plausible next evolutions of the Thunder: Shai becoming the Best Player Alive, the best Big 3 since the Heatles, or a '15-16 Warriors-ish regular season run? www.teamziller.com/thunder-shai...

What's in it for the Thunder?

Oklahoma City didn't have the cleanest run to the title, but they got it. What now? Good morning. Let's basketball.

www.teamziller.com

1 2

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 22h

Off of a missed free throw.

treykerby @treykerby.bsky.social · 23h

1 14

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 1d

My basketball writing legacy:

- I named the Derrick Rose rule
- I popularized the concept of "Lakers exceptionalism"
- I reminded everyone once a year that the NBA spent eight months testing Smoothie King's products before letting the Pels name their arena Smoothie King Center

1 17

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 1d

The NBA: "we can't possibly review all these nine figure sponsorship deals to prevent cap circumvention or embarrassment"

Also the NBA: [investigates Smoothie King for 8 months before signing off on New Orleans arena naming deal] www.teamziller.com/adam-silver-...

The NBA's scrutiny double standards

Adam Silver claims the NBA can't be expected to vet all major sponsors. And yet when the league wants to look deeper before signing off, it does. Good morning. Let's basketball.

www.teamziller.com

2 3 31

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 3d

Sometimes normies get it right, and Firebird Suite and The Planets being hugely popular among normies are the two best examples of that in classical

1 11

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 6d

I also wrote a blurb on Peacock's NBA premiere. Scorebug: good. Halftime chat: refreshing. Melo's fashion: absolutely impeccable (as if you'd expect anything less).

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 6d

Free newsletter of the week. I wrote about Giannis, who is still a Buck despite the latest wellspring of attention to the matter of when he will not be a Buck. www.teamziller.com/giannis-ante...

Giannis is still a Buck

Despite more news circulating around Antetokounmpo's potential interest in leaving Milwaukee, the dude is still there. Stakes remain high, but he's still there. Good morning. Let's basketball.

www.teamziller.com

10

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 6d

Free newsletter of the week. I wrote about Giannis, who is still a Buck despite the latest wellspring of attention to the matter of when he will not be a Buck. www.teamziller.com/giannis-ante...

Giannis is still a Buck

Despite more news circulating around Antetokounmpo's potential interest in leaving Milwaukee, the dude is still there. Stakes remain high, but he's still there. Good morning. Let's basketball.

www.teamziller.com

5 13

Reposted by Tomb Ziller

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 12d

According to eyewitnesses, armed ICE agents dragged kids out of their beds in the middle of the night, zip tied them and put them in rented vans while raiding an * entire apartment building* on the South Side of Chicago.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOXO...

‘F--- them kids’: ICE agents drag children out of bed, ransack Chicago building

YouTube video by MSNBC

www.youtube.com

1.2K 7.2K 14K

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 11d

Other than health, the biggest hurdles will certainly be Poole measuring up to McCollum, a young and unproven supporting cast stepping up and (of course) team defense. Zion, Trey and Herb (if healthy) are going to be awesome. The rest is guesswork. But it could turn out well!

1 2

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 11d

Wrote about the theory that LAST SEASON was the aberration and the Pelicans, if things break right, could actually be pretty good. They won 49 games two years ago! www.teamziller.com/pelicans-zio...

Considering the New Orleans Peli-coulds

The New Orleans Pelicans were pretty good two years ago. It's possible they could return to form based solely on a return to form for Zion Williamson, a healthy Trey Murphy III and some more reliable ...

www.teamziller.com

1 1 8

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 13d

Wrote about PHEEther. Napheesa Collier framed the battle for the soul of American pro women's basketball in a piece of brilliant rhetoric. It's a hell of an opening salvo. www.teamziller.com/napheesa-col...

Phee your mind

Napheesa Collier, a top-3 player in the WNBA, union officer and co-founder of Unrivaled, puts WNBA leadership on blast by name. It is the WNBA rank-and-file's final blow of the revolt against bad offi...

www.teamziller.com

2 12

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 14d

Wrote about Fox's secret injury and Kyrie's timetable and the total lack of margin in the West for their teams: www.teamziller.com/deaaron-fox-...

The first drops of blood in the West

De'Aaron Fox may not be ready for opening night. Kyrie Irving isn't recovering fast. Can their teams survive the slim margins to make a run in a loaded Western Conference? Good morning. Let's basketba...

www.teamziller.com

7

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 15d

Wrote up my preseason MVP longlist. There are four obvious options, a few more dark horses and some ... uh, darker horses. www.teamziller.com/nba-mvp-pres...

8

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 15d

Imagine the rush @pablo.show must have felt when he realized he had enough material to publish another video on the fake tree scandal on Clippers' media day www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab7k...

Kawhi's Agent Pushed Aspiration to Pay Up. The Feds Closed In. Ballmer Made a Quiet Donation. | PTFO

YouTube video by PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT

www.youtube.com

1 27

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 18d

Within a few hours of me publishing a column declaring the Sixers as legitimate title contenders, Jared McCain tore a thumb ligament. My bad, Philly. www.teamziller.com/jared-mccain...

My bad, Philly

As soon as I published a piece heralding the 76ers as real title contenders, Jared McCain is tagged with an injury that will keep him out the first month of the season. Welp. Good morning. Let's baske...

www.teamziller.com

3 13

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 18d

Cure society by putting Street Fighter II cabinets back in convenience stores.

Alan Zilberman @alanzilberman.bsky.social · 19d

My cure to the male loneliness epidemic is to take away every boy’s phone and young man’s phone, then force them to get together to play Goldeneye and Mario Party in a basement for hours on end. Bingo bango, problem solved.

1 5 42

Reposted by Tomb Ziller

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 19d

"The sheer number of American elites willing to acquiesce to the destruction of democratic institutions is demoralizing. But it’s worth noting that many ordinary people seem to be made of sterner stuff."
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Lower Than Cowards

The surrender of America’s elites

www.theatlantic.com

41 390 1.4K

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 19d

???

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 19d

Father Time on the hot seat

1

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 19d

It is unlocked newsletter Thursday. I took the opportunity to publish a piece I've been thinking about all summer, one which will surely not come back to bite me in the ass. Go Birds. www.teamziller.com/sixers-champ...

The Philadelphia 76ers have a clear and obvious title case

An MVP level player. Multiple other players capable of All-Star caliber player. Decent depth. A championship coach. A front office that will do whatever it takes. Here is the case for the Philadelphia...

www.teamziller.com

8 3 20

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 20d

Wrote about Austin Reaves' future www.teamziller.com/austin-reave...

The Austin Reaves question

The Lakers have one more season with Austin Reaves at a huge bargain. Should they trade him now or pay up on a big contract next summer? Good morning. Let's basketball.

www.teamziller.com

4

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 25d

Wrote about the T.V. stars that can't be silenced (unless they don't want to speak up): star athletes.

Will we see a re-politicization of an NBA that has been pretty quiet for the first eight months of the second term? www.teamziller.com/jimmy-kimmel...

The T.V. stars that can't be silenced

Jimmy Kimmel is off the air. Corporate media is acting terrified of the Administration. Will NBA stars re-politicize? Good morning. Let's basketball.

www.teamziller.com

4 16

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 26d

I wrote about the controversy around Adam Silver's true but tone-deaf comments on the cost of watching the NBA in the new streaming environment. This is the weekly unlocked newsletter. www.teamziller.com/adam-silver-...

Adam Silver forgot his audience

Last week, the commissioner called basketball a "highlights-based sport" in response to a question about rising costs for fans. Then he got defensive when called out about it. His biggest problem with...

www.teamziller.com

2 7 23

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 27d

And another one. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_ow...

Exclusive: Kawhi and Aspiration Needed Cash. Ballmer and the Clippers Sent $118M in 18 Months | PTFO

YouTube video by PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT

www.youtube.com

1 2 13

Tomb Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · Sep 12

Wrote about why shady off-the-books payroll is actually more useful than ever in the harder-cap NBA, which creates extra pressure on Silver to shut it down or open the floodgates with how he treats the Clippers: www.teamziller.com/steve-ballme...

Hard cap, big shadows

If the league doesn't hammer the Clippers, this will become the norm. Good morning. Let's basketball.

www.teamziller.com

7