Mark Cuban went through a spell during the Mavs’ championship run in 2011 where he was as quiet as we’ve ever heard him. He made no headlines, said no controversial things and didn’t even get fined by the NBA. He’s making up for lost time this summer. Recently, not only did he say Jason Kidd wouldn’t get his jersey retired in Dallas anytime soon, but also that Dirk Nowitzki has better job security than Barney Stinson. After declaring Dallas nearly traded for Kobe Bryant while Cuban was practicing for Dancing With The Stars, Cuban is now saying he believes his squad is better off without Deron Williams. Read More »

At least we can tell Mark Cuban gets it. He knows how to throw a party. Over the summer, he staged a weeklong extravaganza that must’ve been the greatest postgame party since Dean Cain ate a few weed brownies and dropped some funk in a Harvard alumni shindig. Then recently, Cuban gave his players the chance to design their own championship rings. When asked by Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd for between $150,000 and $200,000, per ring, Cuban didn’t even flinch. He knew it was a violation of rules – there goes David Stern again – and figured the plan wasn’t realistic. But I’m guessing if it was up to him, he’d have put together rings so luxurious, they would’ve made every other one from the past look like wedding rings. Read More »

The Miami Heat’s shortcomings last season were well-documented. That said, it should do nothing to diminish the fact that this time has some serious fantasy firepower. Aside from the Big Three, there is some residual value to be had on this squad. Whenever the NBA starts up again, fantasy owners would do well to keep a close eye on which players the Heat adds to its roster, and which of its free agents it chooses to re-sign. It’s very possible that this team will have a whole new batch of role players once its retooling is over with. Read More »

During the last CBA, we saw a startling jump in player salaries, poor owner decisions and roster moves that made the average fan scratch their head. Most teams spent tens of millions of dollars on big-name, flashy shooting guards and small forwards who put the ball in the bucket, put wins in the “W” column and most importantly, put the butts in the seats.

Meanwhile, the undercurrent in the NBA has been the overpayment of no-name, blundering big men. The most famous of the bunch is Erick Dampier, who signed a deal with Mark Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks that ended up paying him a whopping $12.1 million in the last year. Read More »

On July 8th of last year, LeBron James announced in front of a national audience on ESPN, “I’m taking my talents to South Beach.” That announcement unleashed a strong legion of “haters” – primarily from Cleveland – but with members all over the country. These haters are people who suddenly became fervently anti-LeBron for a variety of reasons: “The Decision” was a slap in the face to Cleveland, he’s a coward who can’t win without Dwyane Wade, he turned his back on a city that adored him, and the list goes on and on. I must admit, I am one of those people. Read More »

He’s gone from a No. 1 pick and a city’s great hope to an injured star whose career is in jeopardy. But to Greg Oden, that’s in the past – he’s looking up, and for good reason. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Kyle Lowry lit up the Sixers with 36 points, four rebounds, seven assists, one steal and six three-pointers in a losing effort. He shot 83 percent (15-18) from the field, missed his only free-throw attempt and had just one turnover. Lowry continues to hold down his starting gig, staving off Aaron Brooks and his weak attempts at getting his starting gig back. There’s little reason to think Lowry will lose the starting gig anytime soon, and he’s turning out to be one of the bigger waiver-wire steals of the season. Read More »

On paper, Magic vs. Clippers was shaping up to be a nice showcase for the NBA. You had Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin, the two most ferocious dunkers and beastly physical specimens in the League, sharing the court. You had one of the top teams in the East hosting an up-and-coming threat in the West. You had random entertaining guys like Jason Richardson, Baron Davis, Gilbert Arenas and DeAndre Jordan lurking in the supporting cast ready to do something … But then the game started, and frankly, both teams looked amateurish for stretches while putting the Amway Arena crowd to sleep. Read More »

Is there a way David Stern can schedule Orlando vs. Oklahoma City every night? If not, can he at least just give us the Thunder seven nights a week? We can’t be alone when we say they get more exciting as the team gets better. Orlando combined with OKC last night for some serious fireworks … Behind spectacular games from Russell Westbrook (32 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists) and Kevin Durant (36 points) — who abused whomever Orlando checked them with — the Thunder led throughout and answered every run the Magic tried to make. 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 »