By now, you should know that when NBA announcers keep saying, “Kobe is really frustrated,” it’s actually code for, “Kobe’s shot isn’t falling and he’s battling with the refs.” … That was the case during Lakers/Mavericks last night, as L.A. got smoked on its homecourt and Kobe (20 pts, 6-19 FG) struggled between breaking out his best whiny faces. Read More »

Caron Butler was on hand for the House of Hoops grand opening in D.C. on Sunday, October 25. Prior to the store’s opening - which is located inside The Mall at Prince Georges in Hyattsville, MD - over 100 kids participated in a free basketball clinic hosted by Chainlink Fundamentals at the Capital Sports and Learning Complex. After the clinic, the kids were bussed over to the mall where they got to see Caron participate in a q&a. Read More »

As we anticipate the commencement of the brand spanking new 2009-10 NBA season, let’s take a look at a handful of fantasy “gangs.” To be more specific, let’s give fun names to certain groups of players who have similar attributes — for fantasy purposes, of course. Hopefully, this post will do two things: offer you some helpful glimpses into what you should expect from these players heading into the regular season, and present you with an amusing read to help you rediscover your smile (especially if you drafted Blake Griffin) and regular breathing patterns amid all the tense eagerness for tonight. Read More »

Last year we debuted the “Highs and Lows” system — previewing the NBA season by predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team. Same theme, different season…

Added: Randy Foye, Mike Miller, Fabricio Oberto, Paul Davis

Lost: Darius Songaila, Etan Thomas, Oleksiy Pecherov, Juan Dixon Read More »

Imagine the disappointment that swept across the NBA TV studios when they found out LeBron was sick and going to miss last night’s big preseason game between the Cavs and Wizards. No tense ‘Bron/DeShawn encounters, no real reason for highlight montages of LBJ taking Washington’s heart in the playoffs, no smooth segues to talk about Mike Miller wearing LeBron’s signature shoes. And to top it off, starting in LBJ’s place was Jawad Williams, who scored 21 points (4 threes) in his last Smack mention of the season, a Cleveland loss … Gilbert Arenas put up 18 points for the Wiz, while Miller scored 24 (5 threes) and Randy Foye scored 21. However, Antawn Jamison hurt his shoulder in the first quarter and didn’t return. Read More »

We’ve looked at the top 10 fantasy point guards and shooting guards this week already and now we’re moving on to look at the projected top 10 fantasy small forwards for the 2009-10 season. As always, your comments are very welcome here so don’t shy away from voicing your opinions.

1. LeBron James: The King needs little explanation here. Though his scoring and rebounding declined last season, James improved on his turnovers and free-throw shooting, two areas that were seen as his weaknesses. Expect a hungry, bitter James to furiously put up nasty lines on a nightly basis as he seeks redemption after last year’s disappointing early exit from the playoffs. Read More »

Just like Prom Night, the new NBA season holds promise for a handful of youngsters to lose their (All-Star Game) virginity. At the same time, each incoming crop of first-timers means there are some ASG incumbents who will be spending that February weekend at home — or at least be restricted to hitting the clubs in whatever city All-Star takes place. A while back, Gerald Narcisco nominated some 2010 first-time All-Stars; here are the guys who stand to lose their spots when the big game goes to Dallas next year: 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 »

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 »

Before you skip the article and head directly to the comments to destroy me, just hear me out. And for fans of the Celtics, Cavs and Magic, it’s not that you don’t think it’s possible, but rather that the thought of the Wizards beating you in the second round of the playoffs makes you sick. But the more and more I think about it, the more and more I convince myself that the Wizards could win the championship this year. Read More »