Buy Low: DeMar DeRozan has just about flatlined since his hot start to the season. Since Jan. 6, DeRozan has averaged 11.4 points, 2.9 boards, 1.0 assist, 1.0 steal, 0.6 steals, 0.2 threes and 2.8 turnovers per game, while shooting 35 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free-throw line. That’s good for top 300 value, which is nothing to write home to Compton about. This makes DeRozan a low-risk buy-low candidate, the best kind. Andrea Bargnani’s nearing return will help take some pressure off of DeRozan, who still has an appealing ceiling. If he finds that touch he had in the first handful of games in 2011-12, it’ll be well worth spending 50 cents on the dollar for. Read More »

Tuesday brought another Portland victory, this time over the Clippers, at the Rose Garden, where the Trail Blazers are undefeated at home this season. After Brandon Roy‘s retirement, news that LaMarcus Aldridge underwent heart surgery in the fall and another Greg Oden injury setback, things in Portland are perhaps unforeseeably sunny right now after an early December of discontent. Read More »

Up: Ryan Anderson is owning opponents this season, posting averages of 19.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.6 threes per game. He’s also shooting 48 percent from the field and 94 percent from the free-throw line. Many fantasy owners expected Anderson to be good this season, but I’m not sure anyone thought he’d be this good. If you drafted him, two thumbs up; if you somehow nabbed him out of your league’s free-agent pool, bragging on your league’s message board is in order. [Hold] Read More »

Is there any team in the league that pisses off basketball fans more than Atlanta? In reality though, why should we get so aggravated when they struggle? As Reggie and Charles pointed out, you’re only as good as your best player. Despite that, with LeBron and Dwyane Wade dressed up (What the hell was that shirt ‘Bron had on?) on the sidelines, the Heat rode Chris Bosh (33 points, 14 rebounds) and a bunch of role players to a surprising 116-109 win in triple OT. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Ray Allen was in beast mode last night, finishing with 28 points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals and six threes. He shot 67 percent (8-12) from the floor, 100 percent (6-6) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. The dude stayed in good shape during the extended offseason and it’s shown in the first two games of the season. Through two games, Allen is averaging 39 minutes per outing, which isn’t sustainable. Expect his minutes (and production) to be capped soon. Read More »

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Watch Utah’s Jeremy Evans absolutely DESTROY Gerald Wallace with what would have been an early candidate for Dunk of the Year. Read More »

I’ll be honest with you. I’m waiting on Tyson Chandler to not live up to this new contract. It seems inevitable: big man who has career year at 29 years old, finds himself in a perfect situation, plays great D and rebounds but has it magnified because his team finally got through the West and won a title (seriously, if Dallas loses in the Western playoffs, is anyone talking about how great Chandler is right now?). Take it for face value: a 29-year-old, injury prone big man who’s coming off BY FAR the best year of his career, a guy who’s been incredibly up and down throughout his career was just given $56 million to come save the defense in the world’s most crazed media market. Read More »

As more and more NBA free agents sign with teams, roster spots are becoming fewer by the hour. What normally starts on July 1 and winds down by around mid-August, has been condensed into two weeks – with training camp going on at the same time. As you can imagine, this has made it extremely difficult for teams to find any type of cohesion before the season begins on Christmas Day. And the players who are suffering the most are the restricted free agents. Read More »

We keep waiting on New Jersey to make a big move. Since acquiring Deron Williams midway through last season, they’ve been a ticking bomb. There are only so many chances to hit a home run and with Williams doing the obvious – declaring his intentions to be a free agent next summer – the Nets cannot afford to come away empty handed.. again. So knowing the Lakers will always be hot on the trail of Dwight Howard, and seeing their prime target, Nene, get reeled back in by Denver for $67 million last night, earlier this morning ESPN sources said Mikhail Prokhorov‘s bunch are speeding up their efforts to land the best big man of this generation. Read More »

Growing up, before I made it to high school, when I first started playing ball, the small forward spot was my comfort zone. I grew early, was nearly six foot by the seventh grade, but I never wanted to go hard in the paint Waka Flocka-style. For any big man growing up, that three spot was Disney Land. Oh so close, and yet sometimes so far off. It was attainable if you took just enough head-scratching jumpers, and showcased just enough of a propensity to shrink underneath the boards. Then maybe… just maybe they’d move you outside and you’d be free to divulge your inner Sam Perkins. Read More »