Not every NBA squad was able to effectively handle their business during the offseason. Longtime Chicago NBA writer Sam Smith, who now blogs for Bulls.com, posted a piece about the five trades he think will happen first this season. Some of the potential moves he writes about aren’t so shocking – everyone in the world knows the Jazz would love to move Carlos Boozer (Smith even notes that the Jazz team shop is selling Boozer jerseys at a 50% discount and that he is nowhere to be found in the team’s marketing campaign this year).
Below are Smith’s predictions and some of the evidence he cites to illustrate that a deal is on the way: Read More »
If you’re a Laker nowadays, you probably have the same star power as a cast member on a CW sitcom. Lamar Odom right now is dominating the tabloids and basically every Laker has been on TMZ. It has gotten so ridiculous, that almost every member of that squad has their own publicist – including D.J. Mbenga. Last March, Jordan Farmar made a cameo on the CBS drama Numb3rs. Apparently, producers were so impressed with his performance that they asked him to return for a small acting role. The Lakers’ back up point guard played an FBI agent in an episode that ran on Friday.
How much of a contribution Delonte West will bring to the Cavs this season is anyone’s guess. Between his legal issues, his likely suspension from the league and just trying to get his personal life and mental health back in order – it’s going to be hard for D-West to focus on a championship. Cleveland is now forced to go forward without him. If the Cavs are planning to compete with Boston and Orlando, somebody in the backcourt other than Mo Williams is going to have to step their game up. Read More »
Every NBA team has a go-to guy, and there’s really only room for one. And it’s not strictly who takes the 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 (one per team), these are the League’s best go-to guys…Read More »
The Knicks rolled out what might be the worst NBA starting lineup you’ll see all year (Chris Duhon, Larry Hughes, Jared Jeffries, Al Harrington, David Lee), but they still managed to beat the Nets in yesterday’s preseason opener for both teams because, frankly, the Nets also have high potential to stink. Harrington led NY with 23 points, Lee had 20 and nine boards, and Wilson Chandler came off the bench for 21 points. Chandler is expected to take over that starting SG spot soon enough, but he’s been a little banged up in training camp … Nate Robinson was curiously quiet, coming off the bench for 17 minutes and scoring six points. Read More »
Sunday is the first multi-game day on the NBA preseason schedule, with Nets at Knicks, Bucks at Wolves, and Clippers at Warriors on the docket. A few months ago, that Minnesota game would’ve been notable for the first Brandon Jennings vs. Ricky Rubio matchup, but Jennings vs. Jonny Flynn ain’t bad, either. Michael Redd will see his first action since tearing his knee up last season; in a team scrimmage yesterday Redd scored 18 of his side’s 54 points and all reviews were glowing. Andrew Bogut, still nursing a back injury, is out for Milwaukee … The traveling circus that is the Warriors could be fun to watch. Will Monta Ellis freeze out Stephen Curry? Will Stephen Jackson show up to the arena in sweats and flip-flops? Read More »
The second game of the NBA preseason, Bulls vs. Pacers, kind of flew under the radar for a few reasons: Nobody cared as much because it wasn’t the debut for the League or the replacement refs, it was on a Friday night when people had better things to do, and the most notable “new face, new place” involved was Bulls’ first-round pick James Johnson — only the most generic (at least in name) first-round pick in this year’s rookie class. Johnson was terrible, by the way, going 1-for-6 from the field and fouling out in 20 minutes … Derrick Rose had 17 points and three assists in Chicago’s win, while John Salmons and Luol Deng (3-10 FG, 9-9 FT) scored 15 apiece. Read More »
Great news for basketball and video game fans in NYC. To celebrate the release of EA Sports’ NBA Live ’10, the NBA Store is hosting an exclusive launch party in New York City Tuesday night. The October 6 event will be held at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue. In attendance will be David Lee, Courtney Lee, Al Harrington and live via satellite will be cover boy Dwight Howard. Read More »
Every NBA team has a go-to guy, and there’s really only room for one. And it’s not strictly who takes the 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 (one per team), these are the League’s best go-to guys…Read More »
Something to kick off the weekend. Scottie Pippen is so famous as a sidekick, sometimes people forget he could be the lead dog. In this game from 1991, Pip gave the Hornets 43 points (16-17 FG), six assists and six steals, while MJ chipped in a quiet 29.
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