Detroit Is Dominant And The Raps Are Real. NBA Brain Food - Eastern Conference - November 21st

Chris Schwegler. Getty Images.

This is the blog written by super fans of each team. Get the pulse on the entire Eastern Conference here. 

New blogs out each week with Eastern Conference on Fridays and Western Conference on Tuesdays.
Western Conference from Tuesday November 18th here:

This is your NBA Brain Food for Friday November 21st:

Atlanta Hawks (9-7, 8th in the East) 

• The Hawks have dropped two straight games after winning five in a row.

• The team is playing good ball while their All-Star, Trae Young has been out with an injury raising questions on if he'll be a trade candidate.

• Jalen Johnson has been on fire averaging 26/12/9 with 61% shooting and 59% from three in his last five games

• Kristaps Porzingis came back after missing a week playing 29 minutes with 16 points and 5 rebounds

• Zaccharie Risacher missed a game after a scary fall after a dunk vs. the Suns and returned with a dud last night vs. the Spurs 2-2-1 on 1/10 shooting

• Onyeka Okongwu has been on fire from 3 recently, hitting multiple 3-pointers in five straight games on 7.6 attempts from downtown.

Boston Celtics (8-7, 10th in the East) via Dan F

• The Celtics come into Friday’s NBA Cup game on a three game winning streak partly thanks to their improved three point shooting (41% or better in L3).
• After coming into the game with a net rating of -32.7 in the clutch this season, it was nice to see a one-two punch of Pritchard and Brown supplying 30 points each as the Celtics edged out the Clippers in a 121-118 battle at the Garden. They only turned the ball over six times in this one, helping their league best 11 turnovers per game.
• Payton Pritchard has seemingly settled in to his new starting role. After shooting 8-46 from three in his first six games, Pritchard went 8-13 in their game against the Clippers alone on his way to a season-high 30 points.
• Jordan Walsh has been given the starting nod in three straight, highlighted by a three-steal and eight-rebound performance against the Clippers in a season-high 33 minutes on Sunday. As great as his efforts have been on the defensive end, foul trouble has limited his minutes in two of his last three games, opening the door to minutes for Josh Minott.
• Jaylen Brown continues to be the engine for the Celtics, and that was evident with his 17 point third quarter against Brooklyn Tuesday night. In a season that has fans feeling like they’re living a fever dream, Brown’s leadership and effort has definitely been a bright spot.
• Keep an eye out for Hugo Gonzalez. His minutes have been very up and down as should be expected for a 19 year old rookie, but his intensity and energy off the bench lead me to believe his playing time could become more consistent as the season progresses. The coaching staff has looked to him to be a spark plug off the bench at times, and he has delivered, helping create turnovers and providing fresh energy in his limited minutes so far.

Brooklyn Nets (2-12, 13th in the East) via Justin S

• In the first 355 games of Michael Porter Jr. career he’s surpassed 6 assists 0 times. He has 7 or more assists twice in the past week.
• Over the last 7 games Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 27 ppg 7.4 rpg and 3.4 apg. He’s excelling as the focal point of the Nets offense but don’t expect to see a team trade for him this year. He’s making $40m which would account for 25% of a team’s cap space.
• Saw a lot of people on Nets twitter upset that the team beat the Wizards in this week’s Tank-Off. Since the 2019 rule change, the team with the worst overall record has never won the lottery. In the last three lotteries the worst team has received the 5th pick and a Play-In team has received the 1st pick. 

Charlotte Hornets (4-11, 12th in the East) via Jake L

• LaMelo Ball has returned from injury, but hasn’t looked good, shooting under 30% from 3. The Hornets need him to return to a top scorer in the league as they continue to struggle to score ranking 19th in points per game and 21st in field goal %
• Coach Charles Lee continues to harp on the importance of defense creating easier shots on offense. Hornets are 23rd in the league in Defensive Rating and watching them, they look like the worst perimeter defending team in the league. Luckily the rookie Kalkbrenner has been a great interior defender with over 2 blocks per game.
• Hornets have started to use more pick and roll sets to try and make life easier for their guards to create, but shots just haven’t been falling lately. I expect the Hornets offense to bounce back soon, but they’ll have a more difficult time finding solutions on defense
• It feels like the roster isn’t setup for success. Lamelo is such a ball dominant guard (has the ball for 6 seconds or more 47% of the time) that you need to be shooting well to be efficient on offense. They don’t have a shutdown defender, they don’t seem to have a leader in the locker room, and they relay HEAVILY on their rookie standouts. 

Chicago Bulls (8-6, 7th in the East) via Anthony T

• Bulls getting great bench production surpassing the Memphis Grizzles as the top bench scoring team in the league at 48.1 ppg
• The Bulls are constantly in track meets: They are 5th in scoring at 121.7 ppg however 25th in points allowed at 121.9 ppg
• Coby White and Josh Giddey both returned from this week with both getting solid production particularly Coby coming off the bench. Tyus Jones however, has missed the last 3 games.
• A big issue for the Bulls is giving up big leads late. The latest example coming tonight blowing a 21 point lead to the Blazers, they did hang on thanks to a Nikola Vucevic game winning 3 at the buzzer! Vuc’s 2nd game winner of the season!
• The Bulls have scored 110 or more points in 42 consecutive games dating back to last year. This streak is 2nd in NBA history.
• Bulls finish this short road road trip 2-2 with one of those victories coming in Denver against a likely championship contending team
• Bulls have a good chance to win their group in the NBA Cup especially with Giannis missing time

Cleveland Cavaliers (10-6, 4th in the East) via Joe R

• Cavs go 2-2 in their last four games, currently sitting at 4th in the eastern conference after Losing to the rockets on Wednesday ending a 2 game win streak.
• Cavs are struggling to find their identity. Injuries have not helped. Jaylon Tyson missed the last 5 games with a concussion. Max Struss remains out for multiple weeks, Sam Merrill out with an hand injury, and Darius garland is “real close” to returning.
• Against the rockets, in the 14 minutes Sengun and Adams played against Mobley and Allen, the Rockets out rebounded the Cavs 22-8 with.  Cavs continue to struggle against strong bigs and free throws continue to be a problem.
• From 10mins a game last year, and now 18mins a game this year, Craig Porter Jr has been great for the Cavs. shooting 44.8% from 3 on the season, and In his last 5 games he’s had:
  9-7-5
  11-1-0
  3–3-1
  10-1-5
  19-4-9
• Lonzo Ball has also been a wonderful addition. Averging 23.2 mins on the season, he’s provided lite playmaking and defending, he’s given the Cavs his last 5 games:
  7-2-2
  6-5-5
  9-7-5
  15-2-8
  9-4-2

Detroit Pistons (13-2, 1st in the East) via Adam M

• The Pistons have won 11 straight games and are 13-2 to start the season. Their first time winning 11 straight since the 07-08 season. In the coming week they will be on the road vs the Bucks, Pacers, and Celtics before returning home to play the Magic in the final group game of NBA Cup play. 
• In an interview this week, JB Bickerstaff referred to the team as a bunch of “nasty dawgs” while highlighting the teams physical and competitive nature. He said “they thrive when things get thick, when it gets messy and ugly.” Bickerstaff has completely changed the culture since being hired in Detroit. 
• Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren all returned to the line up this week. Also, Jaden Ivey was officially assigned to the g-league affiliate Motor City Cruise as he eyes a December return to the Pistons. 
• Jalen Duren is making himself a star at 22 years old. Now starting to handle the ball more and hitting pull up jumpers in the game vs the Hawks. In his last 6 Duren is averaging 24.5 points, 14.3 rebounds and shooting 73.3% from the floor. 
• Expect to continue to see action from Dannis Jenkins, even as the team gets healthier. While Cade was out, Jenkins averaged 21.7 points while shooting 42% from 3, solidifying himself as a key rotational piece for this team. 

Indiana Pacers (2-13, 14th in the East) via Ryan S

• Benn Mathurin returned to the Pacers line up in their Monday night loss to the Pistons (112-127). This game marked the team’s 8th loss in a row with a 5 game stretch of losing on average by 25 points. The worst start in franchise history (1-13).
• The next game, the Pacers doubled their wins this season defeating the Charlotte Hornets (127-118) on Wednesday night.
• Mathurin continued to play well in their win. He had 24 points, 12 rebounds and a fast break block on Collin Sexton that arguably saved the game. His toughness and competitive mindset is a huge spark for this team that desperately needs it.
• Jay Huff had a great game against the Hornets scoring 20 points, shooting 7-13 from the floor and 4-9 from 3PT. He also added 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks while playing the anchor role in a zone defense that was mixed in throughout the game.
• Jarace Walker (29.8 FG%) and Ben Sheppard (31.4 FG%) also played well which was great to see from two players that have been struggling so far this season. Siakam continues to play consistently well this season (25ppg, 7.1rpb and 4.8apg).
• Quentin Jackson, Johnny Furphy and rookie Kam Jones are expected to return from injury in the next few weeks. Aaron Nesmith, who left the game against the Suns with a left knee sprain is expected to return mid December. 

Miami Heat (9-6, 5th in the East) via Nicky Smokes

• Leave it to the Miami Heat to win an instant classic against a relatively healthy Cavs team… only to follow it up by losing to their G-League squad. That’s just who they are. After that wild two-game series vs Cleveland, Miami split another mini-series with the Knicks and then handled a Golden State Warriors reserve team like they were supposed to.
• The bright spot? Bam Adebayo returned after a two-week absence and didn’t miss a single beat, dropping 20 points and 7 boards like he never left. But it’s not just Bam. Miami Heat fans’ Kel’el Ware prayers are officially being answered—he’s been on a straight-up tear with 6 double-doubles in his last 8 games and 10+ rebounds in six straight.
• And honestly, the best part about this team right now is that everyone is contributing. Davion Mitchell has stepped up in a huge way, scoring 10+ in six of his last eight and adding 5+ assists in five of those. Pelle Larson has found his rhythm too, putting up double figures in six of his last seven. And of course, Jaime Jaquez continues building a rock-solid 6th Man of the Year résumé.
• Players to Watch (bet on):
  • Kel’el Ware Rebounds: Ideal line at 9.5
  • Norman Powell 3s: 3 threes has been the sweet spot
  • Pelle Larson o9.5 points: Especially at home

Milwaukee Bucks (8-8, 11th in the East) via Colin B

• Incredibly rough week for the Cream City. 1-3 with losses against the Lakers, Cavaliers, and 76ers. Only win was a comeback win in overtime at home against the lowly Hornets (no offense Hornets guy). Expectations for this team among the fanbase have shifted drastically, with the team now in the bottom 5 of the East standings.
• To make matters worse, Giannis Antetokounmpo got hurt in the loss @ Cleveland, suffering a low-grade groin strain and will be out at least 1-2 weeks. Giannis' injury further strains the lack of wings on this team, with Taurean Prince still out with a herniated disc in his neck. Look for the Bucks' struggles to continue until Giannis is cleared to return.
• The lack of combo guard/wing depth continues to be a problem defensively. Gave up 32 points to Kon Kneuppel (career high), 32 points to Miles Bridges41 points to Luka, 37 points to Donovan Mitchell, and 54 points to Tyrese Maxey (career high) this week. 
• On the bright side, Ryan Rollins continues his breakout, dropping 32 points and 14 assists against the 76ers. Currently at +900 on the DraftKings Sportsbook to win Most Improved Player. If Giannis continues to miss time, this could be a value bet. Now averaging 18.6 PPG (up from 6.5 PPG last year) and 5.9 APG on 51.1% shooting from the field.
• This week, Bucks have the Pistons at home (11/22), the Trail Blazers at home (11/24) and are @ the Heat (11/26). 

New York Knicks (9-5, 3rd in the East) via Rebecca C

• Jalen Brunson’s sprained ankle only ended up costing him 2 games, but OG Anunoby went down early on Friday and will miss at least the next two weeks. The Knicks went 1-1 without their captain and picked up their first road win in his return on Wednesday in Dallas.
• Landry Shamet stepped up with a career high 36 points in the Knick’s victory over Miami on Friday. He shot 12-19 from the floor and 6-12 from downtown. Shamet also hit two clutch 3 pointers down the stretch of the win against the Mavs. It looks like Shamet will be starting while OG is out.
• Also in the Friday night cup win against Miami, Josh Hart recorded his first Triple Double of the year. He set the Knicks single season record last year with nine. This one was off the bench!
• Mikal Bridges has been emphatic on the defensive end with 12 steals and 8 blocks in the last three games. He is second in the league in stocks (steals + blocks) with 3.3 (2.1 steals + 1.2 blocks). He also has one of the best assists to turnover ratios in the league at 4.58.
• Radio play-by-play broadcaster Tyler Murray once told me he’d like to see if we can win when the 3’s aren’t falling. They shot 28.6% from behind the arc Wednesday, but relied on their defense clamping down in the 4th quarter to secure the win.
• Jordan Clarkson is seeing more time on the court, averaging 26.3 minutes the past 3 games with 15.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. 
• Mitchell Robinson has been cleared for more minutes. In the past three games, he’s gone up from 14 to 18 to 21 minutes averaging 5.3 offensive rebounds. Unfortunately, his free throw woes continue. 
• KAT was a monster on Friday night with 39 points on 6-14 from deep. Since then, his 3-point shooting has gone cold, going 1-7 Monday and 1-6 Wednesday. It hasn’t slowed him on the boards with an average of 13.3 in the 3 games.

Orlando Magic (9-7, 10th in the East) via Mason M

• After losing Paolo to a groin injury the Magic figured to struggle offensively due to Paolo usage rate and role in the offense. However it only took one game vs the Nets to shake out the issues
• The Magic are 3-1 since the last blog with wins over The Nets, Clippers and Golden State. The one loss being a 4 point loss to the 10-3 Rockets
• After his offensive struggles in the first 10 games (14.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg 4.1 apg) Bane has found his footing averaging 21.7 ppg 5.2 rbg  5.2 apg)
• One of the players to step up since Paolo’s injury has been Tristian Da Silva avg 16.8 ppg and 6.8 rpg and going 13/28 (46% from 3pt range)
• There is no timetable for Paolo’s groin injury however if the players like Da Silva and Anthony Black (17 ppg over the last 3) step up The Magic will hold pace with The Eastern Conference until Paolo’s return

Philadelphia 76ers (9-6, 6th in the East) via Devin C

• Up-and-Down Week for the 76ers. The Sixers continue to tread water with Joel Embiid sidelined by knee soreness.  Lack of wing defense proved costly, leading to losses against the Pistons on Friday and the Raptors at home on Wednesday. However, they were able to take down the Clippers on Monday, thanks in part to the officials swallowing their whistles on James Harden’s potential game-winning three at the buzzer. Finally, on Thursday, it took all of Tyrese Maxey’s career-high 54 points to push Philadelphia past the Giannis-less Bucks in an overtime thriller.
• Quentin Grimes has been a spark plug off the bench for the Sixers, averaging 17.1 points per game—second among all NBA reserves. On Monday night, his nine fourth-quarter points fueled a double-digit comeback against the Clippers. That victory marked Philadelphia’s fourth win this season when trailing by 10 or more in the final period—the most in the NBA.
• Thursday night Paul George showed flashes of what he could bring to the team when healthy. George started the game strong, scoring the team’s first 11 points. But truly his experience handling the ball when the offense slows down is what the team needed most. Expect to see PG handling the ball more and more as he conditions his way back to a full workload.

Toronto Raptors (10-5, 2nd in the East) via Shay L

• The Toronto Raptors are on a 5 game win streak and sitting in 2nd in the Eastern Conference, playing their best basketball of the season. Over this stretch they’re averaging 121.5 points per game while holding opponents to 110.3, good for a dominant +11.2 margin of victory.  
• The Raptors core 4 of Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are all averaging over 30 mins a game and are leading this charge. - Leading the league in fast break points, as Scottie, BI and RJ all have the ability to get on the glass and push the tempo which contributes to the high scoring the team is currently seeing. 
• After a slow start to the season IQ has found his shooting touch, over the last 4 games he is shooting 45% on average of 8 attempts per game. These attempts will stay steady as teams are focusing their defence around Ingram and Barnes both who have the abililty to pass out of double teams to find open shooters and find open shooters in transition. 
• Scottie is building his case early for an all star appearance this year, defensively in passing lanes and not be afraid to meeting opponents at the rim. He had the game winning block against the hornets this week to extend the winning streak.
• My favourite player props this season has been Scottie Barnes "Assists + Rebounds" and "Blocks + Steals" 

Washington Wizards (1-13, 15th in the East) via Robbie G

• In a November 16th game against the Nets, the Wizards' defensive woes continued. The Wizards allowed the Brooklyn Nets, yes, the Brooklyn Nets, to outscore them 129-106. This team can not guard anyone, leading to high scoring in most games. In fact, the over has hit in 9/14 games this season. This is hitting at a 64.3% rate so far.
• Kyshawn George dropped 29 points against the Nets, while making 5 threes. Kyshawn has improved exponentially compared to last season. In the 2024-2025 season, Kyshawn averaged 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Through 14 games in the 2025-2026 season, this has grown to 17.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.
• After the terrible performance against the Nets, the team had a “Players Only” meeting. This is the first “Players Only” meeting for the NBA season. At least, the Wizards can be first at something. 
• Alex Sarr missed the November 19th game against the Timberwolves with “left toe soreness”. This is not thought to be a long-term injury. In the loss to the Timberwolves, the Wizards were being outscored 71-46 at the half. In the second half, we finally saw some heart defensively from this team. They started to make stops and ended up only losing by 11 points.
• This team is in a predicament. The front office is not incentivized whatsoever to make this team better this year. If the Wizards manage to win a few games this year and pick ninth or lower, they will lose their first-round pick to the Knicks. This would set this team back yet another year.