Even when the packaging and presentation gets on your nerves, Terrell Owens does at least know what he’s talking about. Last December, during the dog days of another bad season for his Cincinnati Bengals , T.O. laid it out on his talk show:

“I think there is underachieving from the top down,” Owens said. “You start off with the owner, you start off with the coaches, and obviously we as players. We are a product of what the coaches are doing, are coaching us throughout the course of the week. Of course we have to go out there and play the game, but in order for us to do what we’re allowed to do at the best of our ability the coaches have to put the players in the best position.” Read More »

Tony Allen, Tom Thibodeau and Big Baby’s personal pork chef could have filled in for ABC’s announce crew and told you how yesterday’s Lakers/Celtics game was going to turn out. To put it simply: Kobe Bryant cannot beat Boston by himself. Despite 41 points (16-29 FG) from the Black Mamba, L.A. saw its slim halftime lead slip away as the C’s dominated most of the second half in a convincing 109-96 win on Kobe’s floor in what was supposed to be a Game of the Year candidate … Read More »

Things change quickly in the NBA. At the beginning of last season, T.J. Ford and Brandon Rush made up the Indiana Pacers’ starting backcourt on Opening Night. Today, both Ford and Rush are falling out of Indy’s rotation, and very well could be available for whoever wants them as the February trade deadline approaches.

Ford, the 8th-year pro who was once upon a time was knocking on the door as maybe a top-10 point guard in the NBA, has been in and out of coach Jim O’Brien‘s doghouse throughout his tenure with the Pacers. Read More »

“I am raising the stakes right now … If this is a poker game, I am shoving my chips right in the middle of the table. I am raising the ante. Anybody who wants out can get out. This team is going to the playoffs. OK? This team is going to the playoffs.”

I can just imagine Larry Bird repeating the mantra to himself the morning after pulling off a win-win trade for my Indiana Pacers while he’s at his home gym cashing 92 out of 100 threes before breakfast. Read More »

There’s no doubt that the heavy media scrutiny surrounding Vinny Del Negro and his job status is starting to take its toll on everyone on the team, from the players to management to especially, Del Negro himself. With fans calling for his head, there’s intense pressure for the Bulls coach to be flawless in his performance. On top of every mistake and bad decision being magnified, he also has to deal with addressing rumors about his firing every practice, shoot around and pregame and postgame interview. Read More »

One of the few bright spots in the Indiana Pacers’ slow start has been the encouraging play of second-year center Roy Hibbert. Throughout the preseason and the early part of the regular season, the former Georgetown Hoyas standout has upped all his stats. In his first four games of the ’09-10 season, Hibbert is averaging 10.8 points, 10.3 rpg and 2.2 bpg. We sat down with Roy a few nights ago, when the Pacers were in town to play the Knicks. Read More »

When I heard this weekend that new Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis was mostly likely going to add Bill Laimbeer and Reggie Theus to his staff, this got me thinking: If there was a 3-on-3 tournament amongst the NBA’s current coaching staff, who would win? Read More »

If in fact T.J. Ford and Jarrett Jack comprise the least-watchable backcourt in the NBA (personally, I’d go with Mike James and DeShawn Stevenson, but that’s beside the point), it’s because they’re pretty much the same player. Jack is stronger, Ford is faster, but otherwise they’re both shoot-first point guards who happened to land in the ideal situation to suit their games — and aggravate their teammates. Read More »