Two games. If you were in the office pool to get action on the first time Tracy McGrady would start showing signs in New York of why the Rockets never trusted him enough to give him a featured role this season, whoever had “two games” gets the pot. In the second half of last night’s home loss to Milwaukee — the Knicks’ seventh L in a row, by the way — McGrady was noticeably limping around. After the game Mac admitted his knee had taken some punishment and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to play against the Celtics tonight … On top of the knee issues, McGrady got his first taste of what it’s really like to be a Knick in the 21st century. Read More »
It took about 22 seconds for the wounded, jaded Knicks fans at MSG to fall in love with Tracy McGrady. As soon as Knicks/Thunder tipped off and it became obvious T-Mac was the best player on the team and genuinely psyched to be in New York, the crowd was his. McGrady dropped 26 points (10-17 FG) and 5 assists in what was the most electric NY home game of the year, blowing past defenders for and-ones, hitting jumpers off-glass, and making some sick passes … With eight minutes to go in the fourth, the Knicks were down four and the crowd started chanting “We want T-Mac!” Read More »
Steering clear of a competition with the Texas/Alabama national championship game, the NBA had just one game on the schedule last night, with the Bobcats visiting the Knicks at MSG. Not exactly the bright lights of a LeBron or Kobe appearance, not I’d Rather Watch ‘Man vs. Wild’ either. In fact, it’s not crazy at all to suggest both of these teams could wind up in the playoffs in 2010 … The Bobcats were up 10 late in the third, but NY put together a quick 15-0 run that bled into the fourth, highlighted by a couple of Nate Robinson threes, plus one play where he crossed up D.J. Augustin and took off from the dotted line, catching a dunk that would’ve been nasty if he was 6-foot-3; but was downright disrespectful considering he’s the size of a jockey … Read More »
Last week, a reader commented on my All-Star snubs-to-be post that Gilbert Arenas should start for the East at point guard. Even as an Arenas supporter, I laughed when I read that. But just as I was preparing to rip into the guy’s idea — keep in mind, this was before Gil slapped 45 and 13 on G-State on national TV — I realized that it’s actually not too crazy. Read More »
Having been given a few years in the League to develop—and for some, that was a few years too many—these once projected gems, have surely not helped their GM’s resumes. For each of these players, their expectations—either be when they entered the League or were given a generous contract—have been high at one point or another in their respective careers. But with failed production and diminished minutes, each has seen their stock plummet. Read More »
Weekend Wonder:LeBron James had a monstrous weekend, averaging 38.5 points, 3 threes, 7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.5 steals, 1.5 blocks and 2.5 turnovers in two games. He shot 57 percent from the field and 60 percent from the free throw line. His value has dipped just a smidgen from last season, but James’ fantasy value is obvious. Read More »
Working at Dime Magazine, a ton of headlines, news and opinions pass through our website each week. Everyday a new story breaks and we change our focus to the next game on the schedule. Friday was hectic for us at Dime, as we worked to get our site back up and running. Now that we are back online, I took the time to reflect on what the NBA taught me last week. Read More »
There is a buzz circulating around NYC as of late. For the past week, the Knicks have actually been playing some decent basketball. They’ve won three in a row and four of their last five (three of which were against winning teams). Coach Mike D’Antoni’s troops have definitely played harder and more importantly, they’ve been playing some defense. Last night against the Blazers, the Knicks forced 19 turnovers and blocked six shots. By the third quarter, New York was blowing out Portland. Read More »
Weekend Wonder: Chris Paul made a somewhat surprising early return from a sprained ankle on Friday and dropped some jaws with his 16 points, 6 boards, 15 dimes, 8 steals and 1 block. He hit 46 percent (6-13) of his shots, all of his three free throws and chipped in a three-pointer. He had 3 turnovers, but a 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio ain’t shabby. This line must’ve been painful for his owners who understandably benched him in weekly formats, but it’s safe to say that CP3 won’t need any time to recover his status as the best fantasy baller in the land. Read More »
