After the lottery went down earlier this week, the 2013 NBA Draft is set. While this draft doesn’t appear to be particularly strong, at least on the surface, there have been other draft classes surrounded by lofty expectations. Those picking in the lottery are looking for a savior. Read More »

We’ve heard this sort of thing before with Greg Oden, so take it for what it’s worth. [Back in January, he assured people was working his way back to a 2013-14 comeback.]

Former Ohio State star forward DeShaun Thomas has apparently been working out with Oden in Indianpolis as part of his pre-NBA Draft preparation and is raving about Greg. Read More »

Coming into a meaningful matchup with OKC, the Lakers were 1-9 against the top four seeds in the West, and 1-10 on the road against the top eight in the West. Maybe they saw a performance like last night coming? They looked rattled and nervous, like a bunch of freshmen making their first start in a JV game. The Lakers fell behind 10-1 before Kendrick Perkins even had a chance to scowl. Read More »

Depending on the person there may be more to it than this, but I tend to count Greg Oden news by its five stages: Surprise, the weighing of pros and cons, realizing you were probably too optimistic, earnestly seeing how he would fit, and disappointment. After news broke several teams were monitoring his progress, I gave two reasons each why his comeback could be good, or could be more of the same disappointment for the former No. 1 pick. Read More »

No one, perhaps not even Greg Oden, is sure what the big man will have left in the tank once he’s healthy enough to play in the NBA again. We have questions marks on his foot speed, his love of the game, and oh yeah, all that other off-court stuff, too.

But that won’t stop teams from monitoring his progress, not with so many squads in dire need of a backup center who can rebound and block shots. Read More »

Greg Oden wants to make it in the NBA. Even after a tortured career in Portland after being picked No. 1, Oden’s promise is still strong enough three years after last appearing in an NBA game that some teams are lining up to sign him, according to an ESPN report. It’s not as much of a risk as one might think: A team can sign him for multiple years, allow him to train with supervision of a team’s medical staff, and bring him back to the court slowly, free of any timetable. Read More »

The morning perusal of various basketball websites brings its usual all-over-the-map type news – everything from Daniel Gibson trade rumors to Dwyane Wade’s get-me-through-the-day inspiration. But one wistfully hopeful piece over at SB Nation’s Raptors HQ caught my eye (even if it’s a few days old). Read More »

Kevin Durant‘s contribution to his new movie, Thunderstruck, has been interesting to watch evolve. Maybe the biggest reason for that feeling is that I just don’t picture KD as a guy with movie ambitions. Need him on set? He’s probably still at the gym hoisting his 500th jumper of his second shooting session of the day (conveniently, he plays a basketball player in the new movie). So the thinking began: Who else could make a surprising movie star — and do they have a role tailored for them? Read More »

Going into next season, pundits and fans are putting the pressure target directly on Carmelo Anthony‘s back. It makes sense. He’s a star that’s never won anything. He hasn’t gotten any better since coming to New York City, and has developed a reputation as both a selfish player and a coach killer who doesn’t play defense and likes to shoot contested 20-footers after holding the ball for 4.7 seconds. Fair? Not entirely. But when you don’t win, the stories and rumors floating around you will be predictable. Then, they’ll attach themselves and suck the life out of you. With all of that being said, why isn’t anyone talking about Amar’e Stoudemire? If there’s anyone in New York who needs to step it up this year, it’s STAT. Read More »

Greg Oden gave a very candid interview to former Ohio State bench warmer and current Grantland college basketball writer Mark Titus earlier this year. It was disheartening and empathetic watching a man begrudgingly describe his fall from grace, and you couldn’t help but pull for Oden and hope that he finds his way back into an NBA jersey one day. Well, that day may come as soon as next season, according to his agent Mike Conley Sr., father of Memphis Grizzlies’ point guard Mike Conley Jr. Read More »