Has there ever been a point like this in NBA history? So many young players. So many good young players. Back in the day, unless you played three or four years in college and dominated, you were catching bench splinters for your first few runs in the NBA. Now kids come in ready – physically and mentally – to play at 19, 20 years old. By 22 or 23, the best are already aiming at the All-Star Game. Basketball is a young man’s game. But never before have we seen so many ready to overcome the customary rookie hazing to impact games.

Two of those newcomers are James Harden and DeMar DeRozan, a couple of swingmen who have the talent and skills to make the jump to star status. Read More »

Sometimes when you’re putting together an issue it takes on a life of its own. That’s definitely the case for Dime #66. Typically this would be our NBA Preview Issue, looking at all the stars and storylines for the upcoming year. But with the 2011-12 NBA season indefinitely on hold until a new collective bargaining agreement is in place, a central theme began to arise while we were planning. Read More »

Let’s be blunt: the Toronto Raptors are a sorry bunch, in real life and in fantasy terms. Sure, there are a decent number of potential breakout candidates on this squad whenever the next NBA season begins, but there are also timeshares awaiting a few positions. There’s no true stud here, but when you’re in the latter rounds of your draft, keep some of these Canadian dinosaurs in mind. Read More »

As you know, all eyes in the hoops world last night were on Kevin Durant‘s Oklahoma City Invitational. Couldn’t make it to the game? We got you. Here are highlights from KD’s 176-171 overtime victory in which Durant’s 42 points, 26 rebounds and 11 assists was countered by 56 from Michael Beasley. Check out the Top 10 plays from one of the best games of the lockout below.

Read More »

We’re not quite ready to unleash all of Dime #66 on you just yet, but we are more than happy to give you a little preview of one of the issue’s main features.

Are you familiar with Kristen Mann‘s work on and off the court? You’re about to be … and you can thank us later (click on the pics to make them larger)… Read More »

Michael Beasley‘s makeover project continues. Yesterday in the Oklahoma City charity game, Beasley’s team didn’t get the win – losing 176-171 in overtime – but in a game of stars, B-Easy showed he can play with anyone. He led everybody with 56 points, Still, the end result didn’t go as planned. Just as he seemingly always is, Kevin Durant was one step ahead of his boy, going for a Wilt-like line of 42 points, 26 rebounds and 11 assists. 2K numbers. KD led a team that included LeBron James (40 points) and Russell Westbrook (34 points, 13 rebounds) to a fourth quarter rally, taking out Beasley, Carmelo Anthony (43 points) and Chris Paul (14 points, 13 rebounds and 25 assists). Read More »

How will this lockout affect the game? A lot… if you ask Brandon Jennings. He’s a basketball junkie – you could literally find him anywhere this summer – but he can recognize that taking the time off might throw off teams’ timing. For example, what if anyone in Milwaukee comes back next year with a new game? “It’s been so long,” Jennings told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “We haven’t been around each other. For me as a point guard, it’s something I’m worried about right now.” Could a lockout really affect the way a team plays? It’s possible, especially a young team still coming into its own. Jennings might have much to work on as a player, but he knows ball and he’s right in this instance … Read More »

When we talk about the players just “man-ing” up, accepting a deal and getting on with the game, it doesn’t come out right. We seem like bitter fans – selfish fans – who just want our game back. We don’t truly care about the business aspect of it, don’t really care about the players’ lifestyles. We just want to see the NBA again. So we can’t blame the players for not listening to us. But when an NHL player says it, it holds more weight. Why? The league canceled their entire 2004-05 season because of a lockout, and former Dallas Stars forward Bill Guerin is trying to save the NBA players from themselves. Read More »

When the Jordan Melo M8 dropped last week, New York finally had a shoe they could be proud to rock. And last night, Carmelo Anthony gave the Big Apple a spectacle like it’s never seen before at Hudson River Park’s Pier 54.

Read More »

It’s often said that too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Too much ice cream will get you fat. Too much studying can leave you drained. Too much drinking will have you running your mouth or throwing bartenders 50 percent tips. In the NBA, it’s the same. How often do we complain about underachieving teams? How often does the most talented team win? Winning of course takes talent. But there has to be some rules in place. For a team of individuals working together, you can’t have too much talent that doesn’t know its place. You have to have hierarchy. But where can coaches and organizations draw the line? One Northwestern University study is trying to figure that out. Read More »