It is pretty rare when an elite superstar, a player at the top of their game, is traded off by a team. Circumstances have to reach a boiling point where the team is not going anywhere or the player sees greener pastures and nothing will stop that fixation. In the NBA today, superstars (and those who think they are superstars) are all built the same. If their team has not won a championship or when they see their friends winning them in a brief amount of time, they see it as a need for a new setting. Read More »

Hype is a dangerous thing. Realistically, when you think about it, what does hype do? It creates pressure, problems, anxiety amongst organizations in an effort to reach expectations. Really, hype doesn’t do anything but divide and destroy. When was the last time hype helped a team win a title? Some squads are able to do it in spite of the hype, but words and predictions rarely mean anymore than what they are. With the hype of the NBA exploding through the creation of so many superteams, this year is promising to be one with many disappointments. Read More »

At least we can tell Mark Cuban gets it. He knows how to throw a party. Over the summer, he staged a weeklong extravaganza that must’ve been the greatest postgame party since Dean Cain ate a few weed brownies and dropped some funk in a Harvard alumni shindig. Then recently, Cuban gave his players the chance to design their own championship rings. When asked by Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd for between $150,000 and $200,000, per ring, Cuban didn’t even flinch. He knew it was a violation of rules – there goes David Stern again – and figured the plan wasn’t realistic. But I’m guessing if it was up to him, he’d have put together rings so luxurious, they would’ve made every other one from the past look like wedding rings. Read More »

Before real NBA action kicks off again on Christmas Day, take a couple minutes to relive the dramatic 2010-11 NBA season and get ready for big things to come. Read More »

This has been the week of the point guard. With all the Rajon Rondo trade talk, Chris Paul trade talk, Rondo-for-Paul trade talk, and Deron Williams planning to opt out of his Nets deal, point guards have dominated the NBA landscape.

One of the most heated arguments of the week was over who would you rather have, Rondo or CP3? With that in mind, I decided to rank my Top 10 point guards in the NBA right now. Read More »

With no return date in sight for the 2011-12 NBA season, there are at least 10 current players that wake up every morning during this lockout and check their watch, clock or calendar to see what day it is. Because unless they can channel Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, each 24 hours means their internal NBA clock is ticking closer to the zero. Not everyone can be John Stockton or Karl Malone and play into their 40s. As we saw at the end of last season with Shaquille O’Neal‘s retirement, all good things must come to an end. With that, we evaluate the future of the NBA’s 10 oldest players: Read More »

Last week in New York City, our friends at Under Armour held an exclusive event to preview their new campaign, and to see the latest collection of UA Basketball footwear and apparel. In addition to catching up with Brandon Jennings and Derrick Williams to talk about everything from kicks to the NBA lockout, I got the chance to speak with Ryan Drew, UA’s Director of Basketball Footwear, about the past, the present and future of the brand. Read More »

When the NBA released its schedule for the 2011-12 season back in July, we all got excited. I mean, who wouldn’t? A new season means a fresh start before any true delusions of grandeur set in. “Believe me, the T-Wolves could go 82-0!” “Why wouldn’t the Magic trade us Dwight Howard for Theo Ratliff?!” “I bet Blake Griffin will dunk from out of bounds this season.” Although I can’t tell you exactly who said these things, just know that they’ve all been said. Somewhere. But until a new collective bargaining agreement is in place, these conversations won’t be happening near an NBA area any time soon. Read More »

A nice dish may be the most underrated play in basketball. Obsessing over a dunk or a crossover is common, but how often do you really see a one-of-a-kind assist? Very rarely. They’re always overblown and overhyped. A no-look pass is almost never that. We almost never get a truly breathtaking pass because lets face it, no one practices passing. Kids go to the gym and work on ballhandling for hours – crossovers, behind-the-backs and through-the-legs. Then some Plyometrics or squats because we all want to dunk and we all want to walk into a gym and get instant cred. No one respects a pass; Everyone respects a dunk. Read More »

The first task for fantasy owners looking at the Dallas Mavericks is to take extra care to separate reality from fantasy. Yes, the Mavs were the underdogs-turned-NBA-champions in June, but that means absolutely nothing for fantasy basketball purposes. Assuming the team can reassemble itself into something resembling the 2010-11 champs, the Mavs will have one first-round stud and a handful of other usable parts, many of whom will be well into their 30s when the next season starts. Get those coughs out of your system and read on to see what the Mavericks can offer to fantasy owners next season. Read More »