Each Wednesday, we’ll be assessing how the top prospects of the 2013 NBA Draft are faring in college and overseas. Stick with us each week for assorted thoughts, including the biggest risers and fallers, the standouts, the sleepers and what we know and don’t know about the next NBA Draft class… Read More »

SI’s Jim Trotter is currently tweeting that the suspensions levied against former and current Saints players for participating in the bounty scandal will be reversed? This is in no way related to basketball, as you can probably deduce yourself, but how often do suspensions for violence in sports get reversed. And, as a Knicks fan, it got me thinking back to Knicks brawls. Of course I immediately thought of the Knicks-Heat duels, with Jeff Van Gundy clinging to P.J. Brown‘s legs, but I also thought about the Knicks-Nuggets brawl from 2006. Read More »

All hail Jeremy Lin. That’s now two games in a row that the seldom-used backup has torched opponents and lit the Garden on fire as if he was John Starks. Lin dropped 28 and eight in New York’s 99-88 win over Utah. Beast? Lin seems to finish every three point play, make all the right decisions out of the pick-n-roll and has even shown off his deep ball. At one point in the second half, he dropped a high-arching shot and then trotted back on defense with a swag unlimited smirk before sticking his tongue out (It looked like he had been sucking on some blue lollipops during the quarter break). Read More »

As the entire basketball universe will be fixated to their TVs today to finally witness this season commence, there are several underrated gifts under the Christmas tree to unwrap as well. While the league’s brightest stars will be going at it throughout the five-game docket, every hoops junkie should also pay attention to some of the other battles that’ll take place. Kind of like those unexpected cash envelopes you receive from your distant aunt, uncle, or grandparents, the following 10 matchups will surely not disappoint. Read More »

If there’s one thing fantasy basketball owners should know, it’s that a team coached by Mike D’Antoni is a team to embrace. While his attention to offense and disregard for defense bring up valid concerns about the New York Knicks‘ real-life success, it’s pretty much gold for fantasy basketball purposes. There are two players driving the bulk of this team’s fantasy appeal, and in this type of offense there’s always the possibility of plug-and-play success for guys who fill in for injured players, especially in the backcourt. Still, as currently constructed, the Knicks do have some potential issues that diminish their fantasy luster, though not by much. Read More »

Earlier this week, I wrote that Butler’s Shelvin Mack could make an immediate impact in the right situation next year as an NBA rookie. While Mack’s current projection is slated somewhere between the late-first and mid-second round, there are still a ton of other possible hidden gems strewn throughout the class. With this on the brain, UCLA’s Tyler Honeycutt immediately came to mind. Read More »

For all the upset goodness that this past weekend’s first round left us with, Tuesday night went exactly as planned with each of the higher seeds claiming Ws. The Magic took care of the Hawks 88-82, Boston closed out New York 96-93 and the Mavs were able pull away from Rip City in the fourth, 101-89. But what Tuesday lacked in underdog victory, it sure as hell made up for in dramatic endings. And in New York’s case, even with Carmelo Anthony going off the reservation for 42 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, and with a new song in their iPod, everything came down to their other late-season acquisition, Jared Jeffries. Read More »

What happened to all the point guards Minnesota selected in the 2009 NBA Draft? Ricky Rubio is still in Spain, Ty Lawson is starting in Denver, Nick Calathes is playing in Greece and Jonny Flynn is apparently on the block. (And I don’t mean like Shawne Williams.) According to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, the Timberwolves and Rockets are discussing a deal that would send Flynn to the Rockets. Read More »

Just when you thought Carmelo Anthony should start looking for property, elementary schools and good barbers in New Jersey, the Houston Rockets have re-entered the discussion as a potential destination for ‘Melo in the seemingly inevitable trade from Denver.

Yesterday morning, several reports made it appear to be a lock ‘Melo was headed to the Nets — who, along with the Nuggets and Pistons, just had to work out some minor details of a proposed three-way trade that also involved Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and maybe or maybe not Al Harrington, among others. Read More »

Since I’m guessing the Denver Nuggets won’t take my advice and keep Carmelo Anthony this season, and the list of rumored destinations for ‘Melo grows by the week, it’s time to explore what the Nuggets can do trade-wise to get something close to equal value in return for the man who’s been their franchise centerpiece for the last seven years.

Although I still believe ‘Melo ultimately ends up in New York, recent rumors have gained momentum that he has the Houston Rockets at or near the top of his wish list of teams with which he’d sign a long-term extension following a trade. How exactly would ‘Melo end up in Houston, though? Read More »