If I wasn’t so out of touch with reality, I probably would’ve started hating on Watch The Throne. Twitter sunk into a listening/slobbering session for nearly 72 hours, and the predictable response from the public came pouring out: -FIRST: this album is incredible!!! #classic -THEN: you serious? Overrated…#goesbacktoplayingBDP -FINALLY: #WTT is growing on me…

From a masterpiece to a failure to somewhere in between, it’s always the same. Read More »

As a diehard Nets fan growing up, some of my favorite memories as a child are watching the Nets of the 2000s. With Jason Kidd running the show those teams were incredibly exciting and while Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter were the stars of those teams at various points, there was another player who was a constant on those perennial playoff squads: Jason Collins. Read More »

It’s tired and cliché but it’s still true: the playoffs are a different animal than the regular season. What worked during the 82-game run may not work in the playoffs. Still, normally you can find clues to determine who will move on and who’s starting the summer early, and it’s not always the big names that make the difference. It’s the supporting cast, the good players, the guys only the bloggers and hardcore fans who watch the same team every night of the year truly appreciate. (Guys like James Harden.)

With that, here are my key players for each series: Read More »

Imagine you’re Shaq. (OK, you’d probably have to go back and eat about twice your normal breakfast to really get into character, then put on socks big enough to use as a backpack.) Now you’re waiting in free-agency purgatory for somebody to sign you, and you know the Hawks are in the mix. You get a call from your agent who says, “Sorry Big Fella, but it looks like Atlanta signed another center.” As you’re quickly flipping through your mental depth chart to think of any decent fives still on the market, the agent says, “They got Jason Collins.” … Read More »

I was on the NBA Store’s official website the other day looking for some Nets gear. While there, I got drawn to the clearance section looking for bargains. Just like the clearance rack at any store, there were some hidden gems, but also some things that were plain ridiculous. I came across some funny items skimming through the clearances, and here are the five funniest: Read More »

Recapping the Magic’s 43-point Game 1 flogging of the Hawks, we joked that Vince Carter complemented Dwight Howard‘s individual dunk contest with his own “barely above-the-rim” antics. Vince got plenty high enough in last night’s Game 2, and in addition to some vintage highlight-reel dunks, had his best game of the playoffs so far. He put up 24 points and 7 boards, scoring 11 in the fourth as the Magic fought off an Atlanta squad that actually showed up this time but still got beat convincingly … Read More »

Kevin Durant is a freak of nature. And everybody knows it. When I was down in Dallas for All-Star, I asked Steven A. Smith about KD and this is what he had to say: “Kevin Durant is the real deal. And I think that within the next two or three years, he will easily be one of the top three players in the NBA. He’s that good.” After his streak of 29 straight games with at least 25 points ended in late February, this got people thinking: Who leads the way on the NBA’s Anti-Kevin Durant Team? Check it out. Read More »

They fetched donuts, they rode the pine at times and they got their feet wet. Now members of last year’s rookie class are ready to contribute. Of course we know that this year, Derrick Rose will continue his rise to that Deron Williams/Chris Paul point guard status and O.J. Mayo will build on his sensational rookie campaign. But there are several sophomores who have flown under the radar that you might need to start keeping tabs on. Here’s my five. Read More »

While any casual NBA fan would be hard pressed to differentiate between Jarron Collins and Jason Collins on the street, it will make it easier when one of them is wearing a Phoenix Suns jersey. After being waived by the Blazers along with Ime Udoka in favor signing rookie Patty Mills, word out of Phoenix is that the Suns are very interested in signing the seven-footer. Read More »