With the season already past the midway point, NBA GMs have their minds set on the NBA Playoffs. But for those teams that will be counting ping pong balls instead of playoff victories, the upcoming NBA Draft has many intriguing prospects that need to be recognized. So before March Madness takes over, Dime contributor Lucas Shapiro will be profiling players and giving them a team that would best fit their talent. First up was Kentucky’s John Wall, so now we’re on to Ohio State’s Evan Turner. Read More »

Weekend Wonder: LeBron James dropped some jaws with his 47 points, 6 threes, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals on Saturday. He had 5 turnovers, but shot 55 percent (17-31) from the field and 100 percent (7-7) from the free throw line. It’s tough not to take him for granted. Read More »

Buy Low: Kobe Bryant, as everyone knows, is very banged up right now. The Black Mamba’s lost some of his bite during the past month, thanks to poor shooting from the floor and the free throw line. But with All-Star Weekend on the horizon, expect Kobe to get enough rest to heal up a bit and bring sexy back before February’s done. Unless his fantasy owner is impatient, or if your league is incredibly shallow, you probably won’t be able to nab him for too little. Offering your second-best player might do the job though. Read More »

This interview is from last year, but I just came across it yesterday and found it interesting for the comments regarding one Kobe Bryant. Have fun, L.A. fans…

Beast of the Night: LeBron James led the Cavs to victory with 36 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers and a three. He shot 56 percent (9-16) from the field and 81 percent (17-21) from the line. Is anyone else yawning? Read More »

In the final seconds of the fourth quarter of last night’s Sixers/Bulls game, Philly was down one with the ball. Allen Iverson was not in the building, as he was home dealing with a family illness. Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala, respectively, were having perhaps their best games of the season.

But even I’ve seen enough Sixers games to know what every Philly fan was fearing most: Lou Williams was going to take it upon his shoulders to lose this game. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Dwyane Wade hit up the Celtics with 30 points, 5 boards, 13 dimes, 1 steal and 2 blocks. He hit 2 threes and shot 69 percent (11-16) from the field and 75 percent (6-8) from the line. Wade did have 6 turnovers, but they weren’t enough to weigh down this line. Read More »

If we had told you Nazr Mohammed more than quadrupled Kobe Bryant’s scoring total on a night where Kobe played 36 minutes and wasn’t missing a major limb or anything, would you believe that the Lakers still won the game? Moreover, would you believe that we weren’t on ’shrooms? … Following his 44-point performance against Memphis, Kobe scored a season-low five points (2-12 FG) against the Bobcats, and yet L.A. still managed a win. Kobe made a three in the second quarter, hit a fadeaway in the third, and otherwise bricked everything he threw up and hurt his foot when Lamar Odom stepped on it. Read More »

In the days leading up to All-Star break, you can always count on some of the vets who were selected for the game coming up with nagging injuries. If anything, it gives them a convenient excuse just in case they decide last-minute to skip the All-Star festivities and take the weekend for vacation.

So far you’ve got Steve Nash (back/abs), Paul Pierce (foot), Kevin Garnett (knee), Carmelo Anthony (knee/ankle), Dwyane Wade (back), Allen Iverson (personal), Brandon Roy (hamstring) and Kobe Bryant (everything) dealing with aches and pains, not to mention Chris Paul having already been scratched with a legit knee problem. Read More »

It seems only fitting that after Kobe broke his record, that we show Jerry West some love too. Check out as the NBA Hall of Famer talks about how he started playing golf and who his favorite PGA Tour players are in this well put together feature.