NBA Writer for EssentiallySports
Mat Issa is an NBA Writer for EssentiallySports. Mat has been covering the NBA at-large for five years.
Mat is also a member of the Professional Basketball Writers' Association (PBWA).
He attended Michigan State University, where he earned both his Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a Juris Doctorate. He is a lifelong Spartans fan. Go Green!
Along with his role at Essentially Sports, you can also find his work at Forbes, SB Nation, and Opta Analyst.
One Key Factor Behind Lakers, Warriors, Spurs & Every Western Conference Team’s Title Hopes in 2026-27
Every team has a player whose performance will make or break their season, here is one player for each Western Conference team.
One Key Factor Behind Knicks, 76ers & Every Eastern Conference Team’s Title Hopes in 2026-27
How these players perform will play a large part in how each Eastern Conference3 team ultimately views their season.
Carmelo Anthony Has One Big Problem With Today’s NBA Stars
Former All-NBA forward Carmelo Anthony shares some insight that reveals the harsh reality of the analytics movement in the NBA.
How Modern NBA Analytics Ruined Jonathan Kuminga and Bennedict Mathurin’s Careers
Bennedict Mathurin and Jonathan Kuminga lost out on a lot of money because of the evolution of analytics in sports.
The Worst Contracts Of The 2026 Offseason
With the 2026 offseason starting to wind down, we review some of the worst contracts that were signed during this period.
The Best Contracts Of The 2026 Offseason
Now that the offseason is starting to wind down, here are the best contracts based on a formula for calculating production value.
NBA Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas Showcased the League’s Changing Landscape
The NBA Vegas Summer League has grown a lot over the years, and now, it's championing great change in the game.
What Jayson Tatum Isn’t Saying About Jaylen Brown Is the Real Story
Everyone is talking about Jaylen Brown, except the person whose opinion matters more than anyone else...his co-star.
Top Seven Landing Spots if LeBron James Decides to Leave LA
If LeBron James is actually going to leave Los Angeles, here are the seven best spots for him to consider ending his career at.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Won’t Fix Everything for the Heat Despite Blockbuster Trade
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade means that the Miami Heat finally got their superstar. But what do they do next?
The Top 25 NBA Players of the 2025–26 Season
With the playoffs now over, we rank the 25 best players of the 2025-26 NBA Season. Who is the best player on the planet right now?
Karl-Anthony Towns Is Like Dirk…Just Not in the Way Everyone Thinks
They have been connected for Towns' whole career, but now, the comparison to Dirk Nowitzki finally makes some sense.
