The NBA regular season, at least for the teams that hold visions of championships, is just an 82-session practice for the playoffs. So rather than worry about who is the unofficial “best” or “worst” team in the League right now, let’s look at which team is most equipped for the truly important games. Read More »

Two players expected to be dealt before the deadline were Orlando’s J.J. Redick and Atlanta’s Josh Smith. At one point Thursday before the 3 p.m. deadline the two were in a proposed trade package for one another. Only Redick will be traded, however: The shooting guard will be traded to Milwaukee as part of a three-way deal between Orlando, Milwaukee and Charlotte. Read More »

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Larry Sanders (17 points, 20 boards) did his best KG impersonation against KG himself, in a one-man demolition of Boston in the Gah-den on Friday night. Sanders was playing bully ball in the post like this was the culmination of all of his impressive improvement this year, including an alley-oop over the top of Garnett in the fourth. Read More »

Pau Gasol, we hope you surround yourself with protection tonight. You might turn up along the rocks in the Pacific Ocean tomorrow morning, courtesy of a crazed Kobe Bryant. Down two on the last possession last night against the Spurs, Gasol couldn’t find anyone to pass to. Instead, he launched a moon shot from the corner. Even as he was shooting it, Bryant (28 points, eight assists) already had his palms out in the ultimate “WTF ARE YOU DOING?!” stance. Read More »

Wherever your turn tonight (or for the next two weeks) you’re going to get hit in the face with Olympic coverage. We challenge you to find a nicer photo than this. Serge Ibaka looks like he just stepped off the set of Shaft. Thank everything for athletes and their Instagramming and Twittering. That photo was courtesy Kevin Durant‘s account, but of course we’ve seen how Team USA rides from Kevin Love‘s account. Don’t forget Deron Williams, too, who basically gave a photo essay of all the cool Olympians out there tonight. Read More »

I loved what Anthony Davis did this year. He was the dominant player on the best team in college basketball for pretty much the entire season, and then found a way to bend the will of the NCAA Championship Game despite playing like Craig Forth offensively. But speaking of Syracuse, my favorite freshman sensation will always be Carmelo Anthony. He scored 27 points in his collegiate debut, and continued to kill it throughout the season, finishing with averages of 22.2 points and 10 rebounds. Read More »

Some teams get rusty with a seven-day delay like Miami was coming off of. The Heat got nastier while still being down an All-Star with Chris Bosh gone. Portland got run out of its own gym, 107-93, as the team still trying to find itself ran into a buzzsaw of a team that’s discovering how vicious it can be. Dwyane Wade (33 points, 10 assists) had a big follow block that led to Mike Miller’s three on the other end to go up five in the second. If you liked that, the James-Wade combo platter included a two-on-one fast-break alley-oop to LeBron that had Portlanders covering their mouths. Read More »

Three years after Mike D’Antoni left Phoenix for New York, his run-and-gun style still influences Phoenix’s style under Alvin Gentry. And with two-time MVP Steve Nash still running the point, it’s easy to think of the Suns as a guard’s playground.

But as the Suns open their preseason tonight against Denver ahead of Monday’s season opener at home against New Orleans, the intrigue around Phoenix centers around its emerging frontcourt depth. Read More »

The Phoenix Suns remain an offensive machine in the NBA, which makes the squad likable for fantasy purposes. However, with the face of the franchise is slipping into the sunset as he approaches the deep end of his 30s, it’s time for the emergence of new stars in Arizona. A certain hammer of Polish origin will lead the way for this new movement in Phoenix. Read More »