Zone Coverage

23 hours ago | zonecoverage.com | Andrew Dukowitz |Alex Dukowitz

On March 14, 2016, Kawhi Leonard explained why he has such a quiet demeanor. “I don’t like to bring attention to myself,” he told Sports Illustrated. “I don’t like to make a scene.”Leonard earned his first All-Star appearance in 2016. He would win his second Defensive Player of the Year award and finish second to Stephen Curry in Most Valuable Player voting. At 24 years old, Leonard established himself as one of the best defenders in the 2010s and a rising star in the NBA.

2 days ago | zonecoverage.com | Tyler Ireland

When it comes to the draft, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn’t like investing significant capital at running back, largely due to the lack of career longevity and positional value the position provides. Ty Chandler was Adofo-Mensah’s biggest investment at running back until the Jordan Mason trade, whom the Minnesota Vikings selected with the 169th pick in the now-infamous 2022 NFL Draft. Chandler somehow found himself as one of the most productive players for Minnesota from that class.

2 days ago | zonecoverage.com | Tom Schreier

I was talking to someone before Week 4 of the Minnesota Vikings season, and he said something that caught me off guard. It was a weird conversation. Alcohol was involved, but not much. I’m just a weirdo who will strike up a conversation with a random person as we wait in a line that’s too long for a draught that’s too expensive. The guy told me he’s a Vikings fan. That wouldn’t have been weird, except we were at a Crystal Palace game in south London, and I was talking to a German man.

3 days ago | zonecoverage.com | Andrew Dukowitz |Alex Dukowitz

Naz Reid spoke on what it took to steal a win in Golden State after Saturday night’s 102-97 rock fight to take a 2-1 series lead. “Defense. Defense,” Neid said. “Stuff happens, not gonna play perfect for 82-plus games, so you have to figure out how to dog the game out and win it.”Naz would bring up defense again when reflecting on the game moments later. “We didn’t play the best basketball ourselves.” Reid continued.

3 days ago | zonecoverage.com | Tom Schreier

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ reserves expected the Golden State Warriors’ depth players to pressure them full court when Chris Finch and Steve Kerr emptied the bench in Game 2. They knew Kerr drew criticism (and praise) for pulling his starters early in Game 5 of the first round against the Houston Rockets. Like Golden State’s starters, its depth guys are relentless. It’s part of their team identity.