ICYMI: Ingram impressing, Timberwolves struggling, Westbrook triple-doubling

The content machine here at The Step Back is running in high gear and it can be difficult to keep up with all of the great stuff we’re putting out. To make your life easier, we’re going to be running a regular Friday post that curates some of our favorite stories from the week. Please enjoy.

NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON: Reggie Jackson is back and healthy for the Detroit Pistons. They managed to hang around .500 while he was out which is a win, because Jackson’s return should be a huge boost for their offense.

A WORK IN PROGRESS: Tom Thibodeau’s reputation as a great defensive coach is largely tied up in his creation and implementation of the “ICE” defensive scheme. This is a strategy for defending side pick-and-rolls that calls for the little to jump the screen and send the ball-handler baseline while the big hangs back and protects the rim. The Timberwolves’ defense has been a catastrophe this season and their inability to execute this signature Thibodeau scheme is one of the main problems.

BEST USE OF A CHAIR: Goes to Ben Simmons in this round-up of not-quite-real NBA Awards.

A STAR RISES IN THE WEST: Brandon Ingram, the No. 2 pick in the draft has been fairly underwhelming in terms of statistical achievements to start the season. However, Cole Zwicker has a breakdown of some ways in which Ingram has quietly impressed, particularly on the defensive end. Despite all the Kevin Durant comparisons, defense may be where Ingram ultimately shines the most.

TRIPLE-DOUBLING: Russell Westbrook keeps racking up triple-doubles, with no sign of slowing down. At Nylon Calculus, Positive Residual took at look at the argument that he’s padding his stats and maybe not helping his team in pursuit of these statistical achievements. The answer is complicated. If you’d prefer to listen, the Over and Back guys also talked about Westbrook and the history of triple-doubles on a recent episode.

THE LEAP: One of the prime beneficiaries of Westbrook’s excellence has been Victor Oladipo, who all of a sudden is looking like a dead-eye outside shooter.

SAY IT AIN’T SO, JOE: In his weekly analytics roundup, Justin Willard looks at the way All-Star selections can warp a player’s Hall of Fame chances. The perfect example of Joe Johnson who has a less than elite peak but has hung around long enough to rack up seven All-Star appearances.

MEMORIES: This piece from Andy Tobo was absolutely wonderful, reflecting back on a random night when Dirk Nowitzki and Tracy McGrady traded brilliant performances, and how the path each took from there has a lot to do with how we will remember them.

GET HEALTHY, PLEASE: Expectations have far outpaced the Boston Celtics actual performance thus far. The reasons should be a surprise. The Celtics are not a bust, they just haven’t been healthy enough to get on the same page. Interestingly, their assumed starting lineup has been phenomenal when it’s played.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIANNIS!: For his 22nd birthday, Jack Maloney got Giannis Antetokounmpo the perfect present — a mix of Giannis’ highlights set to Taylor Swift.

FOR YOUR EARHOLES: This week saw the triumphant return of The Replay with El and Al, tackling one of the most important stories right now — the return of Gilmore Girls and what that has to do with basketball.

YOU REALLY CAN HAVE IT ALL: For a few years, Monta Ellis was the shooting guard of Warriors’ fans dreams. And then they met Klay Thompson. (And if you want more context on Thompson’s 60-points-in-29-minutes explosion, check out this episode of the Over and Back podcast on the history of high-scoring games).

ASSISTS FOR DAYS: LeBron James’ assist numbers are scraping career-highs. With the wealth of shooters and cutters the Cavaliers have around him, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Scott Rafferty breaks down exactly how LeBron is piling up all those assists.

WE HAVE PEAK KEVIN DURANT: Kevin Durant’s shooting efficiency is also at career-high levels. He can thank his new team and their beautiful offense for the bump.

DRAFT PREP: The first version of our 2017 NBA Draft Big Board debuted this week. You can keep up with all our prospect scouting reports here. Looking for a little more details on group skills, check out this breakdown of the best wing creators in this year’s class. If you have your eye to the future, read about Luka Doncic, a 17-year old wing who could be the first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and may be the best prospect to ever come out of the Spanish league (including Pau Gasol, Ricky Rubio, and Kristaps Porzingis).

BREAKOUT?: Is Devin Booker having a bad season? The answer to that question has everything to do with preseason expectations.

JIMMY BUTLER IS THE ANTI-JORDAN: Being a star in Chicago, which Jimmy Butler clearly is, means constantly being held up to the Jordan template. But Butler is far more like Jordan’s supporting casts and the blue collar rosters the Bulls have featured the past two decades than he is like Jordan.

THE ALLENS: Tony Allen’s family takes an adorable Christmas portrait. How can you not love this guy?

THE 5: One of my favorite pieces each week is The 5, where Wes Goldberg wraps a few smaller narratives together into a bigger theme. This week he tackled Steve Kerr smoking pot, the coverage of Klay Thompson’s explosion but not John Wall’s, and how weird it is what we choose to pay attention to sometimes.