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How Olympic stars are performing so far in 2024-25

HoopsHype examines how some of the NBA’s biggest starts are performing after taking part in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Although the Olympics are viewed as the top international tournament for basketball players and a huge honor to participate in, playing there is still a sacrifice that could have negative consequences, particularly for NBA players coming off of strenuous 82-game seasons plus long playoff runs.

Some of those players’ 2023-24 seasons ended in May or early June, giving them a short turnaround before the Olympic basketball tournament started in late July, ending in August. There were also pre-tournament exhibition games in which those players had to partake. Those same players then had to return to their NBA teams in late September for the start of training camp.

That’s a whole lot of basketball without much rest.

Let’s see how some of the game’s biggest stars are performing after such a tough year of nonstop basketball.

The best draft-and-stash players in NBA history

Usually, players drafted in the draft sign their first NBA contracts that same offseason. For most players, and particularly Americans, the NBA is the pinnacle of professional basketball, the place they have always wanted to be. It is also indisputably where the most money is, and so the quicker one can prove themselves in it, the quicker one can earn the really big money.

Each year, though, some players do not join the NBA straight away. Some never come at all, with players as far back as 1986 still technically having their draft rights owned by an NBA franchise on account of never signing an NBA deal. Others will join in the future; after all, being selected in an NBA draft is a privilege, a prestige and an invitation to sign, but not a requirement.

From this latter group, there have been some big successes. Be it through a deliberate decision to stay and get more developmental playing time, a business decision for enhanced money and/or playing minutes, by arrangement with the NBA team who drafted them, or some other set of circumstances, several players in each draft class will not join the NBA at their first opportunity. And in some cases, that has paid big dividends for both the player and their team.

There follows a look at the best draft-and-stash players in NBA history.

Ranking the best No. 2 guys in NBA history

HoopsHype ranks the best No. 2 second-fiddle players in NBA history, including Dwyane Wade, Scottie Pippen, Kyrie Irving and much more.

There’s no shame in being the second-best player on an NBA team, especially if the player ahead of you on the pecking order is an all-time great and your team is doing a lot of winning in the process.

For some players, accepting the No. 2 role on a team is more difficult than it is for others. One player on this list even took the second-fiddle role on his own team after becoming a superstar and winning a championship with that same team.

Below, we present the best No. 2 guys in NBA history, the best Robins to all-time great Batmans.

Norman Powell: ‘I thought about quitting basketball a few times’

Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell discussed how he’s become a Most Improved Player and NBA All-Star candidate after nearly quitting basketball with HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto. Plus, Powell’s NBA journey, how the Clippers have transitioned without Kawhi Leonard and moved on from Paul George with his help and James Harden, how Intuit Dome has changed the organization, Steve Ballmer stories behind the scenes, and the goals behind his Understand The Grind foundation and clothing brand.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell has become a Most Improved Player of the Year and All-Star candidate in his 10th season. Yet, the California native nearly walked away from basketball before his career began.

After overcoming depression and doubts to make his dream a reality, Powell hopes to influence the next generation to chase their dreams and be an inspiration.

Powell discussed the goals behind his Understand The Grind foundation and clothing brand, his NBA journey to become a Most Improved Player and All-Star candidate, how the Clippers have transitioned without Kawhi Leonard and moved on from Paul George with his help and James Harden, how Intuit Dome has changed the organization, Steve Ballmer stories behind the scenes, and more with HoopsHype.

Ranking: The players with the most buzzer beaters in NBA history

HoopsHype put together a list of players with the most game-winning buzzer beaters shots in NBA history, including Jordan, Kobe and LeBron.

5… 4… 3… 2… 1… BUZZZZZZ.

If you grew up a basketball fan, chances are that at some point, you have been in your driveway, local park or in the gym shooting around, dreaming about having the ball late in a close game and hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater.

Today, we put together a list ranking the players with the most buzzer-beaters in NBA history, a list featuring the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Dwyane Wade and more all-time, memorable players.

Some players surprisingly not on the list include Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and James Harden.

Check out the full list below. (For the record, the average stats are for games where the player hit buzzer-beater game-winning shots).

Top NBA trade candidates for the 2024-25 season

Top NBA trade candidates for the 2024-25 season, including reporting on all 30 teams from HoopsHype Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto.

Following the blockbuster Karl-Anthony Towns deal to the New York Knicks ahead of the season, who are the next top trade candidates around the league?

HoopsHype outlined the top players who could be on the move for all 30 NBA teams, including new reporting where applicable.

12 players making an efficiency leap in the NBA this season

HoopsHype ranks the 12 players who have made the biggest efficiency leaps from 2023-24 to 2024-25, including Chris Paul and Josh Hart.

The first quarter of every NBA season is a blast because there’s so much to learn. We’re creeping up on the 20-game mark for most teams, which means we’re starting to feel a little more grounded in our new evaluations of players, teams, and coaches – although plenty can still change.

Sample sizes at the player level are still small, but they’re not infinitesimal anymore. We can feel better about directional reads on where they’ve improved (or where they haven’t).

In today’s numbers-driven NBA, efficiency is king. We wanted to look at who has optimized their shot diet and leveled up their shotmaking compared to previous years to become a more effective scoring option. I looked at everyone in Basketball-Reference’s qualifying list of players from this year and last year and narrowed it down to players who have attempted at least 7.5 shots per game this season, leaving me with a pool of 119 players. Below are the 12 (the top decile) with the biggest jump in true shooting percentage (TS%).

We’re not at the point where these things are capital-T truths yet; a whole lot of the season still has to go on, and not everyone on this list will remain here if we re-run the exercise at the end of the year. But these players have made such significant jumps that it has to mean something, even if they come back to Earth eventually.

Ranking the Top 19 teenagers in NBA history

HoopsHype uses stats and accolades to determine the 19 best teenagers in NBA history, including LeBron, Zion, Luka, Wemby and more.

Fewer than 200 people in history have appeared in an NBA game as a teenager. And an even smaller – and more elite – group has performed well in the NBA prior to turning 20 years old. In fact, to this day, only one player in NBA history has achieved All-Star honors in their age-19 season or younger. (You might know who that is but as a hint: He wore purple and gold his entire time in the NBA.)

Today, we are going to take a look at the 19 best teenagers in NBA history, a list featuring some of the biggest names the league has ever seen and a few other names who unfortunately wound up disappointing after hot starts to their careers.

The biggest scoring leaps in NBA history

Clippers swingman Norman Powell has really taken advantage of the opportunity afforded by the departure of Paul George and the injury to Kawhi Leonard to spread his wings this season. With a green light to shoot, his scoring average has gone from …

Clippers swingman Norman Powell has really taken advantage of the opportunity afforded by the departure of Paul George and the injury to Kawhi Leonard to spread his wings this season. With a green light to shoot, his scoring average has gone from 13.9 points per game to 23.3 points per game, a 9.4-point improvement in just one year.

That may sound like a lot, but it’s nothing compared to other scoring leaps we’ve seen in NBA history. We rank the biggest ever below. (You may soon notice these scoring explosions were more common back in the day than they are now.)

Air Jordans: Check out all the sneakers through the years

Air Jordan sneakers, created by Nike in collaboration with Michael Jordan, have dominated the kicks market since their debut during the 1984-85 season. In 2024, the Air Jordan 1s with all their color variants are a must-have in every closet. …

Air Jordan sneakers, created by Nike in collaboration with Michael Jordan, have dominated the kicks market since their debut during the 1984-85 season. In 2024, the Air Jordan 1s with all their color variants are a must-have in every closet. Moreover, their commercials like the ones with filmmaker Spike Lee, featuring the unforgettable character Mars Blackmon, provided a cultural touchstone from the very beginning.

Check out all the Jordan sneakers through the years down below: