Every NBA team has a go-to guy, and there’s really only room for one. And it’s not always about taking a last-second shot. It’s the guy who regularly gets the ball when things are getting tense in the fourth; the guy expected to calm things down when teammates are getting sloppy; the guy called upon to snuff out an opponent’s rally, or spark a rally of his own; the guy who’s not just supposed to make shots, but make the right decisions.

Bottom line: Who do you want the offense to run through when everything is on the line? From #30 to #1, these are the League’s best go-to guys… Read More »

Almost is probably the best word to describe the career of Darius Rice. If you remember, Rice was one of the most celebrated preps in the country back in 2000. The nephew of the football legend Jerry Rice, Darius has always been on NBA GM’s radars ever since he graduated from the University of Miami in ’04. Although he has been close several times to earning a contract, it’s now 2009 and D-Rice is still not in the league. Read More »

It was a big night for the young superstars of the NBA. While Chris Paul was on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and LeBron James was on the Late Show with David Letterman, Carmelo Anthony was on Jimmy Kimmel Live. While there was no dodgeball or shooting competitions involved, ‘Melo talked to Kimmel about why he cut off his braids and why Syracuse is building a new basketball practice facility and naming it after him (in the clip after the jump).

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While Chris Paul was on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, LeBron James was on the Late Show with David Letterman. Watch Dave and LeBron go head-to-head in a basketball shoot-off.

In case you missed it last night, Chris Paul was on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. But before he could leave, CP3 and Jimmy had to take on SNL’s Seth Meyers and his brother Josh in a game of dodgeball in an active elevator bank at 30 Rock. Hilarious.

Since Michael Jordan won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in the 1984-85 season, the player who received the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy has gone on to great success. Patrick Ewing (1985-86), David Robinson (1989-90) and Shaquille O’Neal (1992-93) are all in the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players, Tim Duncan (1997-98) has won four rings and LeBron James (2003-04) is well, LeBron James. But when you look at the complete list, there’s one name that just doesn’t belong: Mike Miller. Read More »

Ray Felton‘s objective should be obvious to anyone who’s been paying attention to this summer of free agency: Sometime around January/February, Ray wants to be in the All-Star conversation, setting himself up lovely for a fatter contract in 2010, and as icing on the cake, making everyone wonder just why the hell it took so long for somebody to get him signed in the first place. Felton agreed to the Bobcats’ one-year qualifying offer yesterday ($5.5 million), setting Charlotte up for another run at getting that elusive first-ever playoff berth with Felton and D.J. Augustin at the point, Raja Bell/Gerald Henderson at the two, Gerald Wallace at the three, Boris Diaw at the four, Tyson Chandler in the middle and Alexis Ajinca getting cramps from sitting down for extended periods of time. Read More »

It looks like the Bobcats don’t need Allen Iverson after all. According to Sean Deveney of The Baseline, Ray Felton will sign a one-year, $5.5 million qualifying offer with the Bobcats after talks broke down last week over a long-term deal. All I can say is that it look them long enough. Read More »

Every NBA team has a go-to guy, and there’s really only room for one. And it’s not always about taking a last-second shot. It’s the guy who regularly gets the ball when things are getting tense in the fourth; the guy expected to calm things down when teammates are getting sloppy; the guy called upon to snuff out an opponent’s rally, or spark a rally of his own; the guy who’s not just supposed to make shots, but make the right decisions. Bottom line: Who do you want the offense to run through when everything is on the line? From #30 to #1, these are the League’s best go-to guys… Read More »

He can’t shoot a free throw worth a damn (38.5 percent), but the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan can wreck shop in the paint. The 21-year-old center has some big moments as a rookie last year. In a game against the Lakers back in January, Jordan exploded for 23 points and 12 rebounds. A few nights later versus the Lakers he collected 20 boards. In just 14.5 minutes, the big man out of Texas A&M averaged 4.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 1.1 bpg.

As Marcus Camby reaching near the end of his career, coach Mike Dunleavy is counting on Jordan to continue to develop this season. We caught up with DeAndre over the phone yesterday as he finished his workout at the Clippers’ practice facility. Read More »