From the intensity of the playoffs, the most memorable moments arise. Amid the chaos, reputations are forged, particularly for those whose renown does not (yet) land them gaudy shoe deals. Yesterday we took a look at hidden x-factors in the Grizzlies/Clippers series. Read More »

Tonight, Memphis will be rocking with the Grizzlies back in town and their season on the line. The pressure is there — if they lose this game, not only is the series over, but there’s a chance the team gets broken up in the offseason. Chris Paul saved the Clippers in Game 2, hitting a running floater off the glass at the buzzer to win it. But he’ll need help now that they’re on the road and in hostile territory. Read More »

This year’s Basketball Hall of Fame class was officially announced yesterday, and taking his rightful place among the game’s greats in September will be Gary Payton. The Glove holds the distinction of being the only point guard ever to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, an honor given to him for his suffocating work during the 1995-96 season. It was, however, his work that postseason that immortalized his defensive reputation. Read More »

The Memphis Grizzlies have clinched a playoff berth and are now vying with the Clippers and Nuggets to sort out who will hold the third, fourth, and fifth seeds in the Western Conference. When the Grizzlies traded alleged franchise centerpiece Rudy Gay to Toronto, more than a few pundits lamented what appeared to them to be the front office’s decision to play for next year. Read More »

Sportswriting often speaks about ephemeral events in inflated, grandiose terms. Just about all of us who love sports and attempt to write or speak about it are guilty of this at one time or another. Prisoners of the moment, we forget, as time passes, about the events that we once deemed so significant, the result of some combination of our collective societal attention deficit and the actual triviality of the events. Read More »

Conventional wisdom says teams that play at a fast pace cannot succeed in the half-court, grind-it-out game that (supposedly) is the NBA Playoffs. You’ll hear this axiom relayed from TV analysts, casual fans, and basketball nerds alike. But is this really true? Welcome to Mythbusters, Dime style. Read More »

Duke basketball is one of the most polarizing programs in sports, this we already know. From their perennial success, to the line-crossing Cameron Crazies, to their reputation as a haven for silver spooners, there are plenty of reasons to have Jalen Rose-levels of hate for the Blue Devils. Read More »

Back on Dec. 10, Jeremy Lin matched his career high in scoring, dropping 38 in a Lone Star State thriller against San Antonio. The Rockets lost in overtime, but Lin’s performance was an encouraging sign. Up to that point, his production had been inconsistent, even getting benched for key stretches. Where did the 38 point outburst come from, then? Read More »

In the drama-filled aftermath of the Rudy Gay trade, something to keep an eye on is the development and usage of Ed Davis in Memphis. Should the ongoing discord between Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins and the front office continue, Davis may become collateral damage. Read More »