The Art of the Dunk and the Science of Wine

Swish Weekly - February 16

With last week's whirlwind of a trade deadline, a bit of a drop off would have been expected, but here at Swish Weekly, we aren't about lowering the quality of our content. We have a fantastic slate of pieces dressed and ready for you to indulge on. A couple personal favorites are the pieces about the history of the slam dunk and the burgeoning obsession with wine in the NBA. Will we see a generation defining dunk contest on Saturday? Only time will tell, but I have high hopes for this year's young crop. So sit back, grab a glass of your favorite merlot and enjoy this edition of Swish Weekly.

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https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/9/16995832/trade-deadline-exit-survey-cavs-suns-grizzlies

NBA Trade Deadline Exit Survey - The Ringer - Ringer Staff

We can finally take a breath with the trade deadline having passed us last week. Now that the dust has completely settled, it's time to really dig deep into the moves that happened (and the ones that didn't) and there's no better way to do so than you take a look at a Ringer Staff Exit Survey. They discuss the deals that matter, the ones that don't, and whether or not the Warriors are still the best team in the universe.

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http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22401850/nba-power-rankings-our-expert-panel-unveils-rankings-week-18

NBA Power Rankings: New-Look Cavs jump back into the top 10 - ESPN - ESPN.com

We don't normally put your run of the mill Power Rankings articles in Swish Weekly, but we wanted to highlight what the national media at large is saying about the Cavs. After dropping a doozie of a game in Orlando, the Cavs blew up the team (as we saw through multiple pieces last week). Since the trade, the Cavs have won their past two games against the Hawks and Celtics. Whether that's actually due to the players the Cavs brought in or simply just due to the shakeup of the roster, we'll just have to wait and see.

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https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/12/17003274/udonis-haslem-miami-heat-appreciation-dwyane-wade

In Appreciation of Udonis Haslem, Miami Heat Legend - The Ringer - Shea Serrano

Few players are able to fly under the radar in such a way as Udonis Haslem. Haslem grew up in Miami and has spent his entire 15-year career with the Heat. It's hard at this point to truly separate the two and in a sense, that's exactly the way Haslem would like it. In this phenomenal piece by the Ringer's Shea Serrano, Haslem gets his appreciative due. With Dwyane Wade back in Miami and likely in his final season as a pro, it's only fitting that waiting to welcome him with open arms is Haslem. The consummate pro, and the rock of the Miami Heat.

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http://hoopshype.com/2018/02/09/nba-players-weigh-in-on-the-trade-deadlines-winners-and-losers/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

NBA players weigh in on the trade deadline's winners and losers - HoopsHype - Alex Kennedy

We at Swish Weekly have always been fascinated by articles and pieces of content that come from people "in the industry" and this piece is no different. As the title suggests, in this piece, current and former players give their thoughts on what transpired at the trade deadline. There was a pretty wide range of opinions, but one thing is for sure, the Cavs are a completely different squad than they were before the February 8th deadline.

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http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/Woj22432626/how-cleveland-cavaliers-changed-their-season-flurry-trades-adrian-wojnarowski

Inside the 24 hours that changed the Cavaliers' season - ESPN - Adrian Wojnarowski

It was only a matter of time before we found out the real story of Cavaliers' GM Koby Altman's wheeling and dealing at the trade deadline. We know the deals that were made, but some of the ways in which the transactions came to fruition is news to us. A couple things we weren't surprised to hear: 1. That the Cavs had a deal set and ready to acquire DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers but opted to go with Larry Nance Jr. instead. 2. That the Kings are horrible to deal with and their front office is a dumpster fire.

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https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/14/17010310/2015-nba-draft-karl-anthony-towns-devin-booker-kristaps-porzingis

The Great 2015 NBA Redraft - The Ringer - Ringer Staff

The 2015 NBA draft class has turned into one of the better classes in recent memory. While it may not have the star power of the 2003 draft, it has the potential to have players that are the faces of franchises and guys who could be in the conversation for best young talent. Obviously, it's far easier to draft with the benefit of hindsight, but some teams will clearly be kicking themselves for passing up on other players. The redraft goes all the way through the lottery so stick around to the end for some hilarious banter between the Ringer Staffers.

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http://mag.bleacherreport.com/inside-the-art-of-the-dunk/

Inside the Art of the Dunk - Bleacher Report - Jonathan Abrams

This piece is an absolute behemoth, but it's worth every single second you spend on it. The slam dunk has been a part of basketball since the early days, but the addition of the dunk contest to All-Star weekend truly brought the dunk to center stage. In the current times of twitter and things going viral almost instantly, it's hard to know whether dunks have become more mundane or whether we're just desensitized from it. This piece goes through some of the greatest dunks of all time and easily the most memorable one and talks to players about how they remember each dunk. It's a fascinating piece and definitely deserves your attention.

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http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/22358028/the-nba-obsession-wine

The NBA's Secret Wine Society - ESPN the Magazine - Baxter Holmes

The title of this article is a tad misleading. It's really no secret that wine is a huge part of NBA culture and this article helps to prove such a claim. While this article specifically follows the Cleveland Cavaliers and their use of wine as team bonding, there are plenty of players in the league that would call themselves oenophiles. This piece is a bit long and probably won't interest you if you don't know a pinot noir from a pinot gris, but I've always found it fascinating to see what NBA players are into and this is one of the best articles for doing just that.

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http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22459076/zach-lowe-10-things-like-including-great-nba-tank-race

Ten things I like and don't like, including the NBA tank battle - ESPN - Zach Lowe

Another week, another Zach Lowe ten things article. The namesake item in this piece is about the quietly epic battle for the worst record in the NBA. As you'll see in the piece, there are eight teams within a few games of the worst record in the league and could make for a tight race to the bottom following the All-Star break. We'll have to wait and see exactly how blatant the tanking comes this year, but by all accounts, the race for the best lottery odds could be tighter than the race for the playoffs.

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