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Zach Kram

@zachkram

NBA at ESPN | formerly at The Ringer

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23.11.2024
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Latest posts by Zach Kram @zachkram

Italy and Mexico can reenact the Disgrace of Gijon in their WBC game tomorrow, if they want to both advance at the United States' expense

11.03.2026 04:21 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Which NBA Star Is Most Likely to Break Wilt’s 100-Point Record? The NBA’s recent surge of spectacular scoring efforts made us wonder: Is Wilt Chamberlain’s single-game record breakable? And if so, by whom?

A couple years ago I broke down which NBA player was most likely to challenge Wilt's 100-point game. Bam didn't even make my preliminary list of 50 candidates.

What an outrageous performance.

11.03.2026 02:12 πŸ‘ 125 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 3

Bam Adebayo has a new career high in points, with 43. It's halftime.

11.03.2026 00:44 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 3
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NBA alternate reality: 17 ripple effects of KD's sneaker on the line ESPN analyst Zach Kram examines a reality in which Durant's foot didn't touch the 3-point line in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals -- and its ripple effects throughout the NBA.

Had a lot of fun with this one:

How would the NBA have changed if Kevin Durant's foot were behind the 3-point line on his shot against the Bucks in 2021? Here's all the ripple effects, in an alternate history of the last 5 years of the NBA.

10.03.2026 17:19 πŸ‘ 24 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 3

I would like to see seven more Thunder-Nuggets battles again in the playoffs this year. What a game.

10.03.2026 02:12 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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How NBA's conference gap has shrunk this season, playoff impact ESPN analyst Zach Kram explores the Western Conference's recent dominance and how the East's underrated strength could surprise in the postseason.

Everyone keeps talking about how much better the Western Conference is. But the East has four really good teams (and Charlotte!), too.

Here's why the conferences have surprising parity this season, and what that means for the playoffs:

04.03.2026 17:14 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Predicting the 2028 USA Olympic basketball roster: Top 12 players In a time of transition for USA basketball, here's what the 12-man squad that will go up against a competitive international slate could look like.

With the Winter Olympics coming to a close, I peered ahead to the 2028 Summer Gamesβ€”and projected a 12-man Team USA men's basketball roster, full of youth and defense

23.02.2026 15:54 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 2

The Thunder are only up 3 games on the Spurs, and San Antonio has a much easier remaining schedule and the tiebreaker, if necessary.

These lingering injuries could very plausibly cost OKC the #1 seed.

19.02.2026 23:54 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Generation Jalen: How one name dominates the NBA like few before The Jalens (and Jaylens, Jaylins and Jaylons) are running the modern NBA -- but could they beat some of the all-time greats if they teamed up?

If all the Jalens in the NBA joined forces, they'd be a championship contender. But are they the best "same name" team in NBA history?

Today, I survey the Jalens and Mikes and Bobs and Bills to answer this extremely important basketball question.

18.02.2026 15:55 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

That’s what I had in mind.

Unless you count Durant refusing to draft Harden right after the Nets drama.

16.02.2026 00:07 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Recency bias, perhaps, but it feels like that Kawhi stretch is the coolest All-Star Game moment in years

15.02.2026 23:59 πŸ‘ 18 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1

Starting a conspiracy theory that the Shooting Stars challenge was rigged for the Knicks because they got Rick Brunson as their designated passer instead of an actual celebrity

14.02.2026 23:31 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

My favorite anti-tanking idea is to set aside $1.23 billion of annual league revenue. Instead of an even 30-way split, teams get that money at a rate of $1 million per win.

Want to tank for better lottery odds? Fine. But you have to convince your owner that's worth ~$15 million.

11.02.2026 20:35 πŸ‘ 25 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 9 πŸ“Œ 3

Pistons-Hornets just had the biggest NBA fight in a whileβ€”especially notable because this is a very plausible first-round playoff series

10.02.2026 01:39 πŸ‘ 33 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 4
Preview
NBA trade deadline: The biggest winners and losers of a busy week After a wild week of superstar movement, Zach Kram unveils his winners and losers of the NBA trade deadline.

The Cavs! The Thunder! Surprise star destinations!

Here are the biggest winners, losers, and trends of the trade deadline:

05.02.2026 21:14 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

Between the Clippers getting worse, the Jazz getting better, and the other top teams in the West not getting much betterβ€”plus a shrewd trade of their ownβ€”the Thunder are the big winners of the deadline with 40 minutes to go

05.02.2026 19:20 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Pretty wild that the two biggest buyers of the trade deadline so far are the Jazz and Wizards, with a combined record of 29-71 (and two top-8-protected picks they're both desperate to keep)

04.02.2026 18:46 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

I read the Washington Post sports section every day growing up. My hands and elbows often turned purple from so much time pressed against the newspaper ink.

To close the sports department is shameful.

04.02.2026 13:49 πŸ‘ 18 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Over the last three seasons, 47 players are averaging at least 20 ppg.

Fewest assists among that group:

47. Lauri Markkanen (1.9 per game)
46. Jaren Jackson Jr. (2.1 per game)

Nobody else is below 3 assists per game.

03.02.2026 19:06 πŸ‘ 28 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

This news hit me like a strong zinc pull from a Rioter. I'm bursting with excitement.

28.01.2026 21:46 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

The Rockets have a plus-11.8 net rating with Adams on the floor this seasonβ€”the best mark on the team.

This is a massive loss for a championship contender, and a huge bummer for a fun, unique player.

28.01.2026 20:33 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
NBA rookie rankings: Who takes No. 1 spot at midseason mark? With the NBA now at the midpoint of its season, ESPN analyst Zach Kram ranks the top 10 rookies based on their performance.

New rookie rankings!

- How high did Cooper Flagg rise since his early-season struggles?
- Which new rookies are in the top 10?
- Who are Kon Knueppel's outrageous statistical comps?

22.01.2026 17:35 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
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NBA midseason trends: Four storylines to watch amid playoff race ESPN analysts Zach Kram and Kevin Pelton break down the league's biggest storylines from leading challengers to surprise contenders.

Took a spin with @kpelton.bsky.social through four of the NBA's biggest questions at the midway point of the season, discussing slumps in OKC and NYC, the surging Clippers, and comps for Paolo Banchero

20.01.2026 17:02 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Are blockbuster NBA trades actually worth it? We evaluated 14 big deals since 2013 As teams shy away from dealing first-rounders for stars, which trades have been the biggest successes and utter failures?

With reporters suggesting that NBA teams are starting to shy away from all-in blockbuster trades, I analyzed the trades with the most draft picks in league history to see if they're worth it, or if in fact they should be avoided

12.01.2026 21:54 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Heat-Bulls PPD due to condensation on court The scheduled game between the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat was postponed due to condensation on the court in Chicago on Thursday night.

Quick story from an unusual scene in Chicago, where Bulls-Heat was postponed due to condensation on the court

09.01.2026 03:43 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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What NBA moment will define 2025? Looking back at the most memorable events since 1954 On the heels of the new year, ESPN analyst Zach Kram picks a moment from each basketball season that NBA fans will most likely learn about and remember for years to come.

In case you missed it last week:

Go for a drive down memory lane, as I wrote about the defining moment of every basketball season since 1954.

05.01.2026 19:07 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
What NBA moment will define 2025? Looking back at the most memorable events since 1954 On the heels of the new year, ESPN analyst Zach Kram picks a moment from each basketball season that NBA fans will most likely learn about and remember for years to come.

As another year ends, I'm not just reviewing the last year for ESPNβ€”I'm reviewing the last 7 decades of NBA history, with a big project that answers the question: What moment defines every NBA season since 1954?

(h/t @sammillerbb.bsky.social for the original idea)

31.12.2025 15:56 πŸ‘ 17 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2

Jokic has finished 1st or 2nd in MVP voting for the last five years. But if he doesn't return within 31 days, he won't be eligible for MVP voting (or All-NBA or other postseason awards) this year.

30.12.2025 16:38 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Reasons for optimism and pessimism for all 10 NBA teams that played on Christmas ESPN analyst Zach Kram picks two stats for the teams that played on Dec. 25, and breaks down why fans should be happy and worried about their title aspirations.

I wrote about the hopes and concerns for the 10 teams that played on Christmas, featuring:

- OKC's imbalanced schedule
- the Nuggets without Jokic
- shaky young shooters
- the Lakers in and out of clutch time

And much more!

26.12.2025 16:34 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The Thunder are now 3-3 with a +1.8 point differential against the other teams in the West's top six.

For comparison, they're 23-1 with a +18.2 differential against all other opponents.

24.12.2025 03:50 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0