Let’s be blunt: the Toronto Raptors are a sorry bunch, in real life and in fantasy terms. Sure, there are a decent number of potential breakout candidates on this squad whenever the next NBA season begins, but there are also timeshares awaiting a few positions. There’s no true stud here, but when you’re in the latter rounds of your draft, keep some of these Canadian dinosaurs in mind. Read More »

This block from last night’s Bulls/Raptors game is just incredible. Derrick Rose turned the ball over, leading to a Toronto fast break. Clearly pissed that he coughed up the ball, Rose raced down the court and obliterated James Johnson‘s lefty offering.

Just look at how high off the floor Rose gets on this play – he’s up by the top of the box on the backboard when he punches the shot:

Monday’s National Championship game is set after UConn and Butler emerged victorious from two hard-fought semi-final games yesterday in Houston. In the heavyweight game, the Huskies took out the Kentucky Wildcats behind Kemba Walker’s 18 points, seven dimes and six boards. The game was won in the backcourt, as Walker and mates Shabazz Napier (four points) and Jeremy Lamb (12 points) outplayed the Kentucky duo of Brandon Knight (17 points on 6-23 shooting) and Doron Lamb (13 points). Kentucky was down 10 at intermission but came storming back in the second half to tie it up. Down two with the ball and 16 seconds left on the clock, Kentucky came out of a timeout and ran a “play” that saw Knight dribble around for several seconds before passing to DeAndre Liggins for a fadeaway, contested 30-footer that had no chance. Ballgame … Read More »

Do not get Kobe Bryant fired up to the point where he wants to steal your soul. Just don’t do it. In an intense, physical game in L.A. last night, the Portland Trail Blazers awoke the sleeping giant that has been Kobe over the last few games and paid dearly for it. Portland was in control until the last seven or eight minutes of the game, when the tide started to turn. Kobe was the best he’s looked since hurting his ankle a few games ago and was more emotional than we’ve seen him in a long time, fist-pumping after shots and stops, extra animated when jawing with the refs, and he had a serious scowl going for the entire fourth quarter. The Lakers eventually took the lead and Bryant hit his patented right baseline, pullup fadeway over Brandon Roy to put them up six and essentially end the game. Bryant went nuts after the shot fell, high-fiving fans, fist-pumping, yelling, and almost ripped his off own jersey. Lakers color guy Stu Lantz screamed, “The best finisher in the game comes through in the clutch!” … Immediately after the game, a Lakers sideline reporter asked a still visibly agitated Kobe what he was thinking before that jumper. Read More »

North Carolina has always been a basketball hotbed, but the last few years in particular have been a boom period for the point guard position. Chris Paul, Stephen Curry and John Wall headline the group of young N.C.-bred PG’s invading the NBA and major college ranks, with current prep stars Rodney Purvis and Tyler Lewis waiting in the wings.

Ishmael Smith has earned his way onto that list. The Concord, N.C., product was a four-year standout at Wake Forest, but didn’t hear his name called in the 2010 NBA Draft. Signing up with the Houston Rockets’ summer-league squad, Smith impressed the organization enough to earn a training camp invitation, where he earned a spot on the final roster. Read More »

As the NBA preseason gets underway, we preview the upcoming campaign with the “Highs and Lows” system — predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team.

Added: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Kurt Thomas, Omer Asik, C.J. Watson

Lost: Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller, Hakim Warrick, Flip Murray, Jannero Pargo, Joe Alexander Read More »

Despite the fact Dirk Nowitzki signed a new four-year contract with the Mavericks this summer, the realistic oddsmaker knows Dallas’ championship window for the Dirk era only has a couple of years left — if it hasn’t been slammed shut already by the likes of Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade and Baron Davis — before it’s officially rebuilding time. The Mavs took another hit this weekend, as rising star Rodrigue Beaubois broke his left foot while playing for Team France, a setback in the young guard’s development. Read More »

The timing was just too perfect to be a coincidence. On the same night when they’d have to compete with the NFL Draft for ratings, the NBA just happened to roll out a schedule with Kobe and LeBron both in playoff action — the first time that had happened this postseason. Too bad the superstars failed to deliver their end of the c-o-n-spiracy, dropping road games to respective 8-seeds OKC and Chicago to make each series interesting again … You can’t watch a Thunder home game without hearing “college-type atmosphere” in the first 10 minutes. Read More »

This was the text message I got last night from Austin after this happened: James Johnson‘s just been assassinated. Cops have it on tape: It was LeBron James.

Right before Cavs/Bulls tipped off last night, Charles Barkley said, “Unless something happens to LeBron James in the next two minutes, this game is history.” It wasn’t nearly that easy, but LeBron did dominate down the stretch as Cleveland won by 10 and took a 2-0 series lead … The first half was memorable for LeBron unleashing a dunk on James Johnson that may technically count as rookie hazing. Or as Reggie Miller put it: “Click-click, get ready for your Kodak moment!” The game was close until late in the fourth, when LeBron (40 pts, 8 rebs, 8 asts) started raining jumpers to stretch the lead. Read More »