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Mat Issa

Sports Editor

About

Mat Issa is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Yes, he spells his name with one "t." He's obsessed with NBA history, so much so that he's dedicated nearly two years of research to his two mini-series', "Blazing the Trail" and "The Quest for the Best." Right now, Mat goes to law school and writes about the NBA for The Analyst, Forbes, and of course, Basketball Insiders. His work has also been featured in ESPN, SB Nation, FanSided, Basketball News, ONE37pm, and Raptors Republic. Also, he's a lifelong Spartans fan. Go Green!

Articles by Mat Issa (132)

What is the best five man lineup in the NBA right now?

In a lot of ways, basketball is a complicated game. But in a lot of ways, basketball is also a simple game. And part of that simplicity involves the fact that, sometimes, a game/series/season can come down to which team can put together the most effective five man lineup. For instance, last season, the Denver Nuggets won […]

Mat Issa  •  20 Dec 2023
Nike is bringing back these classic holiday Kevin Durant sneakers

It looks like Christmas…well, on time. This holiday season, fans of Kevin Durant (and his sneakers) can enjoy his greatness with the revitalization of his KD3 “Christmas” edition sneakers. The fan favorite is available (starting on December 19th) at select Nike Basketball accounts and on the SNKRS app. .@ianstonebrook’s got all the details on the […]

Mat Issa  •  20 Dec 2023
Shaquille O’Neal says Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry are better than him

Everyone who loves the NBA loves the NBA on TNT. A big reason for this (along with the fact that their banter is awesome) is that the show features some of the greatest players in NBA history. The two biggest faces of the show – Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley – are widely considered to […]

Mat Issa  •  20 Dec 2023
Kawhi Leonard just did something no NBA player has ever done before

After an 8-10 start to the season, the superteam Los Angeles Clippers have emerged victorious in each of their last eight games, pushing themselves all the way to fifth in the Western Conference (they are tied with the Dallas Mavericks). A big reason for their recent success has been the phenomenal play of former two-time […]

Mat Issa  •  19 Dec 2023
Which NBA teams have the best (and worst) injury luck?

To win in the NBA, you need to be good. But you also need to be healthy. If you take a look at all the past NBA champions, you’ll see that, oftentimes, they were the team that was able to stay the healthiest throughout the postseason. After all, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. With […]

Mat Issa  •  19 Dec 2023
What is the best sports drink in 2023?

Ever since the days of Michael Jordan Gatorade commercials, sports drinks (like alcohol) have been a huge part of the NBA and sports as a whole — hence the name (duh). Sidenote: Man, were those be like Mike Gatorade commercials of the 1990s electric. Anyway, what is the best sports drink in the game right now? […]

Mat Issa  •  18 Dec 2023
Super Max: Is Max Christie a legit rotational player for the Lakers?

Key Highlights: Christie’s combination of point-of-attack defense, length, off-ball awareness, and defensive rebounding might make him Los Angeles’ best perimeter defender Christie is a better shooter than his 3-point percentage this year indicates Christie could be the perfect fifth player in Lakers’ closing lineup in the playoffs Last week, in his column “Four Things With […]

Mat Issa  •  18 Dec 2023
Which NBA team gets Google searched the most? (Hint: It’s not who you think)

With the end of 2023 almost here, all the major companies are releasing their website data for the year. Everyone is sharing their Spotify Wrapped and Apple Replay on their social media accounts. Google, of course, is not going to be missing out on all the fun. Over the last few weeks, they have been […]

Mat Issa  •  15 Dec 2023
The complete list of black NBA owners in 2023

In August, Michael Jordan completed the sale of his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall. With that transaction, there are no longer any black majority owners in the NBA. The only two majority owners of color left now are Joe Tsai (of the Brooklyn Nets) and Vivek Ranadive (Sacramento Kings). […]

Mat Issa  •  14 Dec 2023
NBA Study: How do you build a good NBA defense?

Key Highlights: The three main ways to build a top-10 defense is through having good rim protection, defensive playmaking, or point-of-attack defense There is a fourth, less common, way to build a top-10 defensive unit If your offense isn’t elite, you need to be at least good (top-10 level) on defense A couple of weeks ago, […]

Mat Issa  •  11 Dec 2023