It’s not just us, and it’s not just you. It’s everyone. Everyone is sick of charity games, of celebrity games and nights ending up 170-168. It was cool for a while. That got us through the summer of no basketball, trade rumors or signings: “Capital Punishment,” “The Big Payback,” and all the rest. But Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams are promising something different. Seattle and Atlanta are two consistently overlooked hoop hotbeds. But now we’ll have the chance to see which city is better. Expect it to be heated. Expect it to be real. Read More »
While it seemed all eyes were on the charity games hosted by Matt Barnes (San Jose) and LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland) this weekend, there was another game going on as well. Case in point: Damien Wilkins‘ Monster Slam went down on Saturday at Clark Atlanta University, and players like Shannon Brown, Jeff Green, Lou Williams, Derrick Favors, Jordan Crawford, and Jarrett Jack put in work.
After leading Washington to back-to-back conference titles in the Pac-10 Tournament the last two seasons, Isaiah Thomas decided the time was right to test his talents on another level: the NBA. During his time in Seattle, the 5-9 guard was nothing short of an offensive force. Averaging 16.8 points and 6.1 assists per game last season, Zeke was able to navigate UW to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament. And as the kid embarks on his journey away from college and into the pros, we wanted to give him his own space, and voice, to roam. In his sixth installment, follow along with Isaiah on his journey as a member of the Sacramento Kings…Read More »
We’ve been showing you highlights from Pro-Ams and summer leagues around the country, but have you seen any of the action taking place in the ATL? The nation’s best ballers that spend their offseason in Hotlanta take their talents to the Wallace Prather Jr. Pro-Am, a group that includes Josh Smith, Lou Williams, Derrick Favors, Jarrett Jack and Damien Wilkins. See what went down…
You’d be crazy to think that there wasn’t some serious hoop being played in Atlanta this summer. And if you’re searching for the best run, look no further than the Wallace Prather Jr. Pro-Am. Featuring NBA talent from the likes of Lou Williams, Josh Smith, Derrick Favors, Jarrett Jack and Damien Wilkins, you better believe the Rosel Fann Recreation Center gets busy. With that, check out some highlights from Saturday’s action.
Damien Wilkins‘ last few deals with NBA teams read something like this: signed one-year minimum unguaranteed contract, waived, 10-day contract, another 10-day contract and finally, guaranteed for remainder of season. Here’s to guessing Dominique‘s nephew doesn’t have the digs of multi-millionaire basketball players like monster truck meister Joe Johnson.
That means they don’t have as much closet space, which becomes an issue for Wilkins because like most NBA players, he loves shoes. Read More »
Last year, in the weeks leading up to the NBA season, I ranked the League’s go-to guys. Using the rationale that even the most balanced team has one identifiable if-all-else-fails leader that they look to in crunch time (see Team USA and Kevin Durant), I picked one player per squad for a final list of 30. Again, ONE PLAYER PER TEAM.
Being a go-to guy isn’t always about who takes the last-second shot. It’s the guy who regularly gets the basketball when things are getting tense in the fourth quarter; the guy expected to calm things down when teammates are getting antsy; 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? Read More »
It’s funny how these NBA team execs get all critical of their superstars after they leave, and act like they weren’t all that in the first place, even though they probably just made an impassioned pitch trying to keep said superstar in town. Case in point: Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, who in an interview yesterday hinted that Chris Bosh milked injuries, quit on the Raptors during this past season, and isn’t really a franchise player. Total PR move on Colangelo’s part — even taking pages from Vince Carter‘s Blueprint to Guaranteed Canadian Hatred — to make sure Bosh is the bad guy and the Raps are the good guys in the eyes of the public. Read More »
Can you say contract year? There have been moments this season where Carlos Boozer has been looking like an absolute beast. Just last week, we posted this video of him giving Udonis Haslam the business. Last night against the Spurs, Boozer crushed rookie DeJuan Blair’s self esteem with this dunk. While he probably won’t be an All-Star, he’s definitely helping out his free agent stock by averaging 19.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Read More »
Last night, Damien Wilkins made his uncle Dominique proud with a ridiculous posterization of Nenad Krstic. The Thunder better hope he doesn’t head back to Europe after this. This has to be up there for Dunk of the Year.
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