Landing a glamor job in professional sports is a numbers game. With so many talented athletes, so many great players just do not receive the opportunities to shine at the highest level. Every year on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” we see examples of deserving players lose their jobs due to lack of roster space, even if they might be pound-for-pound better than another guy on the same team who plays a different position. Read More »

As NBA training camps get underway, we preview the upcoming season with the “Highs and Lows” system — predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team.

Added: DeMarcus Cousins, Sam Dalembert, Hassan Whiteside, Luther Head, Antoine Wright

Lost: Spencer Hawes, Andres Nocioni, Jon Brockman, Ime Udoka, Sean May Read More »

From the All-Star break through the offseason, the Sacramento Kings were out to get more depth in their frontline to complement Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans. At the deadline, Carl Landry was brought in for his scoring, and this summer they obtained a veteran shot blocker in Samuel Dalembert. Also, two of the best bigs from this year’s Draft were picked up in DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside. So where does this leave Jason Thompson? Read More »

If Sunday morning’s roster cuts didn’t give you an idea of what kind of USA team we’re going to see at the World Championship later this month, Sunday afternoon’s USA vs. France exhibition hammered the point home. This squad is going to press and trap and run and shoot — that’s why big men Jeff Green and JaVale McGee were deemed expendable, and how the U.S. destroyed Tony Parker‘s guys at Madison Square Garden … Read More »

Training camp means different things to different players. Whether it’s NFL camp opening up last week, or NBA camp set to open in about a month, the preseason is a collection of established veterans who can safely go through the motions, hungry youngsters looking to make a name for themselves, and desperate fringe types fighting for employment.

With NBA free-agent signings and trades still being completed, not every roster is set in stone, but for the most part we have a good idea who will make up each team’s starting lineup. Except for the handful of incumbent starters who have a battle ahead of them when they get back on the court. Here are 10 NBA starters receiving a tough challenge to hold down their spot: Read More »

The NBA Summer League is supposed to be a chance for the latest draft picks to get acclimated to the pros, and for fringe NBA players to strut their stuff for scouts in hopes of getting a training-camp invite.

While summer league does certainly do those things, it also has become a breeding ground for nepotism at its finest. Up until recently, over the years we’ve seen Rodney Billups (Chauncey’s brother) become a fixture on the Pistons summer squad, while Romeo Travis (one of LeBron’s best friends from high school) found himself in a Cavs summer league uniform frequently. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Derrick Rose wrecked the Celtics with 39 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks and 2 turnovers. He shot 68 percent (15-22) from the field and 90 percent (9-10) from the line. Rose didn’t make quite the second-year jump that many expected of him but that won’t stop owners from tagging him with hopes of a breakout season in 2010-11. Read More »

Beast of the Night: LeBron James slammed down a triple-double in Detroit to the tune of 29 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 4 turnovers. He also hit a three and shot 46 percent (10-22) from the floor and 73 percent (8-11) from the line. Boom goes the dynamite. Read More »

Just minutes after writing that Hakim Warrick‘s arrival in Chicago means Tyrus Thomas is on his way out, CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger is reporting that the Bobcats are close to landing Thomas in a deal that would send expiring contracts and a future No. 1 pick to Chicago. While no names have surfaced, this is what we can deduce. Read More »

The Cavs are locked and loaded for a solid run at the championship, a disgruntled former superstar finds a new home (and maybe another one before the day’s up), the Bulls are in an even better position to make a splash this summer and a perennial lump of dead weight now finds himself with 10,000 lakes to drown in. That pretty much sums up all the NBA trade action from Wednesday night into Thursday morning, in what has shaped up to be a trade season that has lived up to expectations so far. Here’s a quick rundown of the fantasy implications. Read More »