Everyone wants to know why Irving took a sabbatical, but Yasmin Duale thinks there's a simple answer: Like all of us, he needed a break.

Kyrie Irving's sabbatical is most normal thing in NBA right now

Yasmin Duale examines how this year's top rookies are performing through the first few weeks of the 2020-21 NBA season.

Assessing the early play of the NBA’s 2020 lottery picks

One week into the NBA season, Yasmin Duale picks out four scenarios to pay attention to in the Eastern Conference.

Plotlines to follow this season: Eastern Conference

One week into the NBA season, Yasmin Duale picks out four scenarios to pay attention to in the Western Conference.

Plotlines to follow this season: Western Conference

Yasmin Duale breaks down the new-look Toronto Raptors and shares five observations from the team's three preseason games.

5 preseason observations for the new-look Toronto Raptors

The Philadelphia 76ers should absolutely flip Ben Simmons for James Harden, pairing the NBA's best scorer with Joel Embiid.

Why the 76ers should trade Ben Simmons for James Harden

Stemming from what we saw in the NBA Finals, Yasmin Duale points out some strategies that teams could use more in 2020-21.

Major offensive trends to watch for this NBA season

Yasmin Duale explains how the Portland Trail Blazers filled some key voids through free agency and trades this offseason.

The Blazers quietly executed a perfect offseason

With the No. 29 pick, the Toronto Raptors selected a pick-and-roll wizard and potential steal in point guard Malachi Flynn.

The Raptors landed a potential steal in Malachi Flynn

Yasmin Duale breaks down what's next for the West's middle-of-the-pack teams: the Jazz, Mavericks, Blazers, Grizzlies and Suns.

What does next season hold for West's middling teams?

Yasmin Duale dives into the Eastern Conference's 'in-between' squads and what each club should do next year to improve.

What does next season hold for East's middling teams?

Fred VanVleet has been terrific for the Toronto Raptors, but he can elevate his game by improving in a few areas, writes Yasmin Duale.

What Fred VanVleet can learn from other small, successful guards

Yasmin Duale is a West Toronto based NBA culture writer and podcaster, specializing in the grey area between these two worlds and the ways in which they intersect through players and play. She has a soft spot for diasporic African players, overzealous league showmen and well-tailored uniforms. Follow her on Twitter @carmelohdrama, as well as her NBA & culture journal "The Neon Playbook."