After going through the Midwest, South, and West regions, we’ll wrap up the NCAA Tournament Players to Watch with four from the East region:
ISHMAEL SMITH, Wake Forest, PG, Sr.
These past four years must have felt like 10 for Smith. He came to Wake as the heir apparent to Chris Paul, but after leading the ACC in assists as a freshman — something CP3 never did in college — he and the program were rocked by the death of coach Skip Prosser. Read More »
Dwight Howard isn’t as brand-new as you think. Though it doesn’t seem like that long ago since he took the stage on NBA Draft night ‘04 with those braces shining on his teeth, and while his persona makes him seem younger than he is, Dwight is a veteran at 24 years old and now in his sixth pro season.
In other words, it’s not too early to discuss (or at least make realistic projections for) his place in history. Read More »
One by one, Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith walk into the small media room inside Cameron Indoor Stadium and take a seat behind a wooden table with one mic amidst a sea of digital recorders. Over and over, they answer geeky notebook-jotting reporters who try and find smarter ways to recycle the same question.
It’s boring and typical, and Duke’s “Big Three” — arguably the storied program’s most talented and productive trio since Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill — all know it. Still, consummate professionals, they embrace the redundancy. Even have a little fun with it. Read More »
Weekend Wonder:LeBron James put up 40 points, 3 threes, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks and 4 turnovers on Friday. He shot 59 percent (16-27) from the field and 83 percent (5-6) from the line, and sprained an ankle in the process. He sat out his first game of the season the next day but should be back on the court soon. Read More »
If the Cleveland team that showed up Monday night routinely shows up this May/June, there’s no way LeBron doesn’t win his first NBA championship in 2010. Yeah, they were playing the Knicks. Still, the Cavs would’ve been tough for the ’80s Pistons to stop last night with the way they passed, moved without the ball, and played D — plus everybody had an extra spring in their step like it was Midnight Madness on a college campus … LeBron (22 pts, 7 rebs, 7 asts) had about 3-4 dunks in the first quarter, then in the second he hit some other level of craziness: Read More »
NBA players are mostly creatures of habit. Whether it’s the superstars or the guys fighting for roster spots, you’re likely to uncover a similar pattern of routines: from workouts to eating and sleeping rituals to post-game relaxation tactics employed on a daily basis.
At 37 years old, Grant Hill has endured injuries that would have ended other men’s careers, and yet he still excels today thanks to discipline with old habits and learning to adapt to new ones as his health becomes increasingly crucial. The 15-year vet, averaging 11.3 points and 5.3 boards as the Suns’ full-time starting SF, takes us through his typical game day routine: Read More »
This much is a given: Our annual All-Star issue means we have to — scratch that, we get to — put Dime’s best foot forward and come with a A1 top-level star on the cover of the magazine. The complicated part? Every other mag is thinking the same thing.
So while we knew there would be a good chance Dime wouldn’t be the only mag to have Kobe Bryant grace its cover this month, we do have one advantage over the competition as the entire basketball world descends on Dallas this weekend with their brand-new issues in tow: Ours is just better. Read More »
Score a few more votes for Lionel Hollins in the Coach of the Year race, because he may have just figured out the best way to guard Kobe Bryant at the end of a game. Last night the Grizzlies were up two on the Lakers with 21 seconds left when Mike Conley blew a chance to ice the win and bricked two free throws. Then it was Kobe’s turn, and as he was going into his move to get space for his trusty mid-range jumper over O.J. Mayo, Marc Gasol switched onto him. The 7-footer kept his arms up the entire time, and was quick enough on his feet to stay in front of Kobe long enough to force him to pass. Kobe did find Ron Artest wide open on the wing, but he missed and Memphis won. Read More »
It’s not that Rashard Lewis isn’t clutch. Anybody who watched him take down the Cavs and scare the Lakers with some big-time shots in last year’s playoffs knows better than that. But the way Raw Lew sent the Celtics home last night — not with a corner three or a turnaround jumper, but with a strong drive to the cup past one of the best defenders in the world — it was the last thing you’d expect out of him … Read More »
