The Portland Trail Blazers have a considerable dose of fantasy appeal. They boast five players who can feasibly be taken in the first half of most standard-sized drafts, which is an impressive feat. Armed with a new, able point guard, the Blazers should be a darling for fantasy owners whenever the league resumes. And if the knees of its hometown hero and hometown bust hold up during a shortened season — wait, let’s not get too greedy. Read More »

Whether it’s accurate or not, you often hear Kevin Garnett being referred to as a bully. Well, last night the Boston Celtics did what bullies do – they humiliated a weaker, defenseless opponent. The Milwaukee Bucks experienced the equivalent of having their lunch money taken and then stuffed in a locker as Boston held them to just 56 points – a record low for the shot clock era (Boston scored 87). It was an absolute defensive clinic by the Celtics who just imposed their will on the Bucks. “That’s about as humiliating a defeat as you’ll ever see,” a disgusted Scott Skiles said after the game. “They got us on our heels and took our competitive fight away from us. We pretty much just gave into it.” … How bad was it for the Bucks? Earl Barron (10 points) was the only Milwaukee player who finished in double figures. John Salmons, who seems to exist only to put the ball in the hoop, failed to record a single point … Read More »

The Phoenix Suns have rolled through three general managers, three coaches and a slew of All-Stars and talented role players since 2005. After the sale of the franchise from long-time sports owner Jerry Colangelo to businessman Robert Sarver, this question looms: How much time does a team under new ownership need to settle down?

Composing winning teams in the NBA means team ownership must pair talented players with adaptable coaches. But championship-caliber teams keep those pieces static. Retaining players and coaches requires that the ownership have patience and trust in everyone in the organization –- no panicking allowed. Read More »

While the Suns came out on the losing end of a 138-133 shootout with the Nuggets this past Sunday, Steve Nash‘s team displayed some of the better offensive execution I saw all Thanksgiving weekend. In particular, Phoenix ran some outstanding plays while inbounding the ball: Read More »

I’ve long been a fan of the NBA D-League, for no other reason than it provides an opportunity for a lot of my favorite college players (not yet ready for the NBA) to keep playing ball. But this year, the D-League has become a vital contributor to the lifeblood of NBA teams – think the ultimate sixth man – as their guys have filled out rosters all season. Just look at Earl Barron‘s second NBA game this season for the Knicks last night where he finished with 17 points and 18 rebounds against the Celtics. In total, there have been an all-time record 34 GATORADE Call-Ups, and there are 80 players currently on NBA rosters with D-League experience. Read More »

You couldn’t have scripted it better for Deron Williams. A few hours before the Jazz hosted the Thunder last night, we asked the question on DimeMag.com: Who has been the NBA’s best point guard this season? D-Will was already the clubhouse leader (at least in our office), but then he went out on Tuesday and effectively ended the discussion, dropping 42 points (14-23 FG), 10 assists and the game-winner in overtime … Utah went up double-figures late in the third quarter when Carlos Boozer took a pass from Deron and crushed Serge Ibaka‘s inner soul, then stared him down so cold that Booz (28 pts, 15 rebs) got a technical despite not saying a word or even taking a step toward Ibaka. Read More »