Beast of the Night: Brandon Jennings finished with 31 points, four rebounds, eight assists, four steals and seven three-pointers last night. He shot 36 percent (9-25) from the floor, 75 percent (6-8) from the free-throw line and had zero turnovers. Since Jan. 17, Jennings is averaging 24.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 3.6 threes per game, while shooting 45 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free-throw line. For the season, he’s putting up top 10 averages. Read More »

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 »

By now you’ve seen the shoe Hedo Turkoglu has been playing in this season, the adidas adiZero Crazy Light. But we guarantee you’ve never seen it like this. Introducing three of Hedo’s home and away player exclusives. Check ‘em out: Read More »

Minnesota has finally won a game. Dating back to the end of last season, the Wolves were on an 18-game losing streak before surprising Dallas yesterday, 99-82. For all of the highlights and optimism they’ve provided so far this year, it’s a little weird they lasted 294 days in-between wins, and it’s probably even crazier that when they finally did get the W, it came against the reeling defending champs. Minnesota didn’t just beat Dallas. They ran right through them. Kevin Love was the best player on the court, dropping 25 and 17 and even making five threes (Dirk would be proud with the way this man is shooting.). Read More »

Lamar Odom, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul aren’t walking through that door. The Lakers are what they are right now: an 0-2 team searching for a spark. They took a beheading at the hands of the Kings last night in Sacramento, 100-91 and while everyone wants to drive the stake into them after two games, maybe we should just give some credit to the Kings. Tyreke Evans (20 points on 13 shots) was a monster again last night, and Marcus Thornton (27 points on 13 shots) was dropping bombs on ‘em Outkast-style throughout the second half. Every time L.A. threatened, one of those two made a big offensive play, or DeMarcus Cousins out-hustled everyone in yellow for the ball. 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 »

While Marc Spears is reporting that Greg Oden is “strongly leaning” towards taking the one-year $8.9 million qualifying offer from Portland and just becoming a free agent next summer, there is another team who could go out and snatch up the oft-injured big man. When you roll an entire season with a list of centers that miraculously tops out at Joel Anthony, taking a chance on a talent like Oden isn’t a big risk. Sure, he’s a risk individually. But for the Miami Heat, it’s moves like this that could turn them into a potential dynasty, and if it doesn’t work out, it might not do much harm. Read More »

It’s always sad to see teams feel forced into a trade in preparation of the inevitable. But if a franchise can’t make a convincing argument for a player to stay – whether it be a competitive roster or boatloads of cash – then there’s nothing they can do. Like any investment that doesn’t pan out, businesses have to cut their losses and make the best move for the future. We saw this last season with the trades of Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams to the Eastern Conference, and could see it again real soon in the case of Dwight Howard. Read More »

Outside of their beast in the middle and waterfall of threes, the Orlando Magic are a team of uncertainty for fantasy owners. Their starting shooting guard is most likely on his way out, their backup point guard appears more primed to stir up controversy on Twitter than do anything provocative anything on the court and a timeshare looks likely at the power forward position. All that said, there are open doors for a few players to assert themselves as fantasy stalwarts. Of course, if that beast in the middle wiggles his way out of town before season’s end, this house of cards will come tumbling down – hard. Read More »

With the NBA lockout raging on, Jesus Shuttlesworth has been getting a lot more pub than Ray Allen has around these parts. But that’s about to change. Allen recently said he’s prepared to give up the entire year if that what it means to get a fair deal done. He said it’s his responsibility to his team and to the league to see this thing through to the end. Not exactly what we’d like to hear, but at least he’s committed. Allen is one of the few players that probably wouldn’t miss a beat even if they lost a whole year. Dude is almost obsessed with keeping himself in tip-top shape. Read More »