Behind every Sherlock lies a Watson. Lurking in the shadows of a potential MVP can be tough for anyone, though C.J. Watson seems to be making the best out of his back-up role in Chicago. Coming from a Warriors team where he was averaging 27-plus minutes and putting up good numbers, you would think C.J. would be upset about getting significantly less playing time. Not so much. As an integral part of the surging Bulls’ second unit – a bench many regard as the best in the League – he is now playing for a team destined to make a serious splash in the postseason. Last I checked, the Warriors aren’t exactly contenders. We got up with Mr. Watson to discuss playing behind Derrick Rose, his favorite sneakers and Miami’s “Crygate.” Read More »

Life is all about change, but there are still some things we always expect to be the same. I cannot imagine the day when Coach K leaves Duke. It will be surreal when Joe Paterno is not on the sidelines for Penn State. And I’m sure, for most of us, the same can be said for Jerry Sloan‘s absence from the Utah Jazz bench.

After 23 years in the same place, what could make the Hall of Fame NBA coch resign in the middle of a season? The rumors are swirling that Sloan’s relationship with Deron Williams was the culprit. Read More »

In his first nine months as majority owner of an NBA franchise, Michael Jordan has been through a few years’ worth of experiences:

He watched his Charlotte Bobcats make their first-ever playoff appearance, then watched them suffer their first-ever postseason series sweep. In free agency he re-signed a promising future building block (Tyrus Thomas), then let a potential All-Star point guard walk (Ray Felton). Now he has helped facilitate the departure of his team’s head coach, Larry Brown, meaning Jordan’s next big task will be hiring a replacement. Read More »

Ranking the NBA from worst to first…

30. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-17) Last week — Lost at Philadelphia, lost to Chicago, lost at Houston, lost at Oklahoma City They could snap this eight-game losing streak at Miami on Wednesday. And Brett Favre could go one week without appearing on SportsCenter, and Mel Gibson could actually respect people who aren’t like him. Read More »

As the NBA regular season approaches, we preview the upcoming campaign with the “Highs and Lows” system — predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team.

Added: David Lee, Ekpe Udoh, Dorell Wright, Louis Amundson, Charlie Bell, Rodney Carney, Dan Gadzuric, Jeremy Lin

Lost: Anthony Randolph, Corey Maggette, Anthony Morrow, Raja Bell, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike, C.J. Watson, Anthony Tolliver Read More »

One of the biggest myths about the NBA has resurfaced during the Carmelo Anthony trade rumor mill, as teams like Chicago and New Jersey debate whether or not to part with non-superstar centers like Joakim Noah and Brook Lopez to get a proven superstar in ‘Melo. That myth:

Scorers come a dime-a-dozen.

Not true. Yes, any player who is good enough to be in the NBA would treat your Wednesday rec league to a heaping plate of Buckets Tempura. Read More »

Almost every year heading into the playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks are among the favorites to contend for the big prize. They come into every season stacked with experienced veterans and a deep bench of players who could start for most other teams. In recent years, we have seen them active during the trade deadline, improving their team by bringing in guys like Jason Kidd and Caron Butler.

Despite all of their appeal, though, the Mavs always disappoint their believers by falling short of their championship goal. Read More »

And we’re back to no basketball. The day after the World Championship wrapped up, reality set in that we’re still a couple of weeks away from NBA training camp and even farther away from preseason action. (Question: What happens if the All-WC squad of Serbia’s Milos Teodosic, Turkey’s Hedo Turkoglu, Lithuania’s Linas Kleiza, Team USA’s Kevin Durant and Argentina’s Luis Scola played the Timberwolves’ starting five?) … This is the time when everyone is predicting who will have a breakout season, and while there are 100 candidates for which you could make a solid argument, definitely keep an eye on LaMarcus Aldridge. Read More »

Timing is everything. LeBron James bought a full-page ad in the Akron Beacon Journal, thanking his hometown fans, friends and family. “For all my life, I have lived in Akron — and for that, I am truly a lucky man,” the ad reads. “It was here where I first learned how to play basketball, and where I met the people who would become my lifelong friends and mentors. Their guidance, encouragement and support will always be with me. Akron is my home, and the central focus of my life. It’s where I started, and it’s where I will always come back to. You can be sure that I will continue to do everything I can for this city, which is so important to my family and me. Thank you for your love and support. You mean everything to me.” Read More »

With Chris Cohan officially out as owner of the Warriors, Bay Area fans are elated he’s finally gone. Since they are so happy about the end of his unsuccessful tenure, the fans will have a bit of a honeymoon period with new owner Joe Lacob. While fans will give Lacob a year or two to turn things around, he and his ownership team have important decisions to make right now. The most pressing of those decisions is whether or not to retain Don Nelson for the final year of his contract, something the Warriors should not do. Read More »