By the lofty standards of NBA stardom, Corperryale L’Adorable Harris – a.k.a. Manny Harris of the Cleveland Cavaliers – has been slumming it. As an undrafted rookie backup on the worst team in the League last season, he wasn’t exactly living out the dream according to the script we all drew up in the ninth grade. And yet at the same time, Harris is living a damn good life. Read More »

You’d think with an electric point guard and an authentic Aussie around, the Milwaukee Bucks would be a pretty exciting NBA team. Dig into the team’s statistics from last season and you’ll find otherwise. There isn’t much else in Milwaukee besides some middle-round value, and the most valuable fantasy player the Bucks have to offer is bogged down by serious physical limitations. Maybe Captain Jack can turn the ship around? Read More »

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN — Carmelo Anthony delivered the blow, full-impact right in the face of his opponent, then broke into a speedy yet awkward backpedal, looking like a man built to play defensive end trying to imitate a cornerback.

And the New York crowd, at their loyal and passionate best, gave him a wild standing ovation. Wait … what?

There were plenty of surreal moments during Carmelo’s first game as a Knick, but for me, that was the standout. Read More »

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the Summer of LeBron, it’s that too many fans/media treat athletes like fantasy-roster chips and only view things from a pure basketball standpoint.

Not once in all the anti-LeBron (and now anti-Chris Paul) arguments have I heard a critic acknowledge the biggest human element at play: That maybe LeBron just wanted to leave Cleveland, and didn’t want to live in New York, or live in Chicago, and just really wanted to relocate his life to Miami. No basketball. No business. No legacy. Just a man and his family’s life. Read More »

While everyone has anointed the Heat as the Eastern Conference frontrunner (I believe they are), and the Magic, Celtics and Bulls as the best bet to challenge them, one team has slowly solidified its status as a contender: the Milwaukee Bucks. They didn’t have max money to shell out on free agents, but that hasn’t stopped them from having a brilliant offseason – even if it has gone largely unnoticed. Read More »

Milwaukee ain’t playing around. After a surprise run to the playoffs last season, GM John Hammond must have decided this team couldn’t score, because he’s making moves all over the place to bolster the offense. Recently he’s added Corey Maggette and Chris Douglas-Roberts via trade, and earlier today, Drew Gooden agreed to a 5-year, $32 million deal with the Bucks.

Now it apparently won’t be long until late-season hero John Salmons is on his way back to Milwaukee. The 6-7 swingman is very close to accepting a five-year, $39 million offer according to NBA.com. The deal also includes $5 million in potential bonsues, with a buyout option for the fifth season. Read More »

Later on tonight, 60 ballplayers will live out a dream moment, while at least 60 more will feel the sting of getting pretty close to the dream but falling short. (Before re-focusing on making it the hard way.) That would be the NBA Draft, and as we get closer to the festivities at Madison Square Garden, the trade rumors and high-stock/low-stock speculation is running rampant … For the longest time it seemed the Nets were clearly taking either Derrick Favors or DeMarcus Cousins at No. 3, but yesterday Wes Johnson suddenly entered the picture: On one hand because he’s been killing in workouts, and because there may be a little handshake deal in place where if the Nets take Johnson, his agent will deliver them Carlos Boozer in free agency. Read More »

Following up one great trade yesterday, last night Bucks’ GM John Hammond pulled off another solid deal when agreed in principle to acquire Chris Douglas-Roberts from the Nets in exchange for a 2012 second-round pick. Here we grade the trade for both teams: Read More »

If the New Jersey Nets don’t have a reality TV show next season, somebody either dropped the ball or was just afraid to pull the trigger.

The story lines are already writing themselves: You’ve got a team coming off a comically bad season, a quirky young star in Brook Lopez, and made-for-TV personalities in Terrence Williams and Chris Douglas-Roberts. Read More »

And we’re back with another John Calipari story.

At the end of a week that had to go down as an L for the much-hyped, much-criticized Kentucky coach — where he got the news that top recruiting target C.J. Leslie was choosing N.C. State over UK — Calipari found himself in the middle of another mini-controversy. Read More »