For years in the NBA when you thought of the fastest player in the League, it was Allen Iverson. But the Answer got older and it seems that guards somehow got even faster. In the current issue of HOOP Magazine, Hornets rookie Darren Collison came out and said that he’s at the top of the list: “I definitely think I’m the fastest player. I got a chance to watch Ty Lawson’s game and he is probably up there. I’d definitely say I’m the fastest.” Whether or not you believe the rookie is up to you, but here’s my list of the NBA’s top 10 fastest players. Read More »
A transition like this is commonplace when one legendary coach retires (Lute Olson) and a younger coach takes over. But for first-year AZ boss Sean Miller — who made the Big Dance field in four of his five years at Xavier, including an Elite Eight — it’s not something he’s used to. Read More »
With a day off in between the All-Star Game and the continuation of the NBA schedule, Monday was a time for trades, post-trade fallout, and trade rumors … As we wrote this column, the Blazers and Clippers were reportedly very close to closing a deal that would send Marcus Camby to Portland for Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake. The Blazers have to do something to cover the hole left at center by Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla’s injuries, because going into the playoffs with Juwan Howard starting in the middle is just asking for a first-round exit. Read More »
How much do the ladies love Rudy Fernandez? So much that they’re willing to to risk the wrath of arena security and the legal consequences that come along with running on to the court during a timeout to hug Rudy and to tell them how much they love him.
From yesterday’s OregonLive Blazers blog post from Jason Quick: Read More »
Nothing against LeBron, Kobe, ‘Melo and the rest of the usual suspects, but if the Hornets make the playoffs, let’s just scrap the voting process and hand the MVP to Chris Paul. With his team battling to stay above .500 and tied for 10th in the West, CP might be carrying a bigger load than any superstar — and that’s only a “might be” because of Dwyane Wade … Hosting the red-hot Grizzlies, Paul again had to dominate just for N.O. to squeak out a win. He took over after Memphis went up by nine with 4:30 to go, scoring or assisting 17 of the Hornets’ final 20 points. With 40 seconds left, N.O. was up one when Paul (21 pts, 13 asts) froze Jamaal Tinsley with a series of shakes and stuck a mid-range jumper. “You just don’t want Child Welfare to come and say anything about the way he’s shaking him!” laughed announcer Gil McGregor … Read More »
You needed a picture-in-picture screen and some quick thumbs to keep up with all the down-to-the-wire finishes on Friday’s NBA schedule. We had to attack it newspaper style … PHILADELPHIA–It was a fourth-quarter battle between Chris Bosh and Lou Williams (no, really) that came down to one bad call and one superbad play. Williams’ jumper with one minute left capped a personal 7-0 run and brought the Sixers within one, then Sam Dalembert gave them the lead with a follow dunk in transition. Raps ball, Bosh (29 pts, 9 rebs, 6 asts) squared up on the Dalembeast, shook him going right and got fouled on the floor. Only the refs allowed Bosh to take the contact, brush his teeth, read The Economist, take two steps, clip his toenails and then get his shot off for the longest continuation and-one you’ve seen since Jordan’s prime. Read More »
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not KG, Kobe or LeBron’s fault.
If you want to blame anybody, blame Carmelo.
Via my quick unofficial study, the rate of freshmen entering the NBA Draft and leaving college programs scrounging for talent has increased since the League enacted its age limit and one-year-removed-from-high-school rule following the ‘05 Draft. Read More »
Everybody had the day off on Christmas Eve, with no pro or college hoops on the schedule. So if you weren’t into watching SMU beat the brakes off Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl, or that 7th-8th-9th replay of Home Alone, it was just sitting and waiting for today’s all-national TV slate. Consider this a user’s guide on what to watch for Christmas Day …
Heat at Knicks (12 p.m. EST, ESPN). D-Wade’s history with New York is up-and-down: He dropped 55 on ‘em last year, but also got 52 dropped on him at MSG by Jamal Crawford a couple years back. Read More »
Beast of the Night:Dwight Howard put up 13 points, 20 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks and 3 turnovers in 33 minutes of a blowout victory over the Rockets last night. He shot 71 percent (5-7) from the floor and 75 percent (3-4) from the free throw line. His scoring, rebounding and blocks are down this year, and his turnovers are higher compared to last season, but you know what you’re getting with Howard. Read More »
