Stephen Jackson is 25 K lighter in the pockets and we’re somewhat responsible. But does that make me lose any sleep? Not really, since he chose to say it and the loss is not even a half percent of his $7.65 million salary. And let’s be honest, he knew exactly what he was doing (but probably didn’t realize what it would cost him). But considering the way it went down, I find that fine highly excessive for a couple of reasons. Read More »
In case you didn’t know, last season there were only five players in the NBA that averaged over 2.0 blocks per game. And now that the offseason landscape has finally settled down, with the majority of the big trades and free agents signings out of the way, here are five guys that will average 2+ blocks this coming season that didn’t last year. Read More »
Every NBA team has a go-to guy, and there’s really only room for one. It’s not about who always gets to take the last-second shot. More realistically, it’s the guy who regularly gets the ball when things are getting tense in the fourth quarter; it’s the guy who is expected to calm things down when teammates are getting sloppy; it’s the guy who is called upon to snuff out an opponent’s rally, or spark a comeback rally of his own; it’s the guy who’s not just supposed to make shots, but make the right decisions when a shot isn’t there. Bottom line: Who do you want the offense to run through when everything is on the line? Read More »
Real life hit the NBA once again yesterday, when reports surfaced that a number of Miami Heat employees — most notably Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra — accepted pay cuts up to 20% in an effort to prevent further layoffs in the organization. It’s been public knowledge for years that some NBA teams are in financial trouble (Grizzlies, Bobcats, etc.), but Miami usually wasn’t in that group. It’s not like Riley or Spoelstra is starving or anything, but it’s got to be scary for a lot of people around the League. And of course, it kicks off an easy round of “Why can’t Underachieving Player X take a pay cut?” Read More »
REGGIE MILLER (by Austin Burton)
For a long time, Reggie Miller was my favorite basketball player (even above hometown heroes Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp) for the same reason I admired Mike Tyson growing up: Because he wasn’t supposed to be where he was as a prime-time player, an underdog who rose to the top.
You might have forgotten since he’s filled out in his post-playing, TV-talking career, but Reggie was a beanpole. He weighed 185 in his prime, and didn’t make up for it with athleticism and grace like fellow skinny dudes T-Mac or George Gervin. His jumper looked funny, he wasn’t a great ball-handler, and the common joke was that his sister was a better ballplayer. Read More »
For several players on the cusp of stardom, it’s never too early to start thinking ahead to February. Whether they want to admit it or not, all players strive to make an all-star team. Last year, we saw four new guys make the midseason classic: Devin Harris, Danny Granger, Jameer Nelson and Mo Williams. Here are five new guys who have a great chance at getting the invite to Cowboys Stadium. Read More »
Since the NBA Finals ended, we’ve been jumping at any chance we could to watch hoops. From NBA Summer League to AAU tournaments to pickup in NYC/LA, we’ve basically gone out of our way to catch as much ball as we could. And who wouldn’t? So with the NBA season right around the corner, there’s no better time than now to start predicting who is going to win some NBA awards this season. First up, Rookie of the Year. Read More »
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