The NBA preseason is underway, meaning it’s time again for Dime’s team-by-team season previews. Last year we debuted the “Highs and Lows” system — predicting the respective ceilings and basements for each team. In other words, what is the realistic best-case and worst-case scenario for the 2009-10 campaign?

Added: Jamal Crawford, Joe Smith, Jeff Teague, Juan Dixon, Courtney Sims Read More »

This will get the LeBron haters’ blood pressure up. The Orlando Sentinel polled 11 “NBA experts” (a.k.a. media) to handicap the Eastern Conference for next season, and the Cavs were given the No. 1 spot. The Celtics ranked second, and Orlando third. Apparently replacing Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee with Vince Carter and Matt Barnes was seen as a step backwards for the Magic, while a healthy Kevin Garnett and the addition of Shaq helped pushed Boston and Cleveland to the top … Read More »

Nothing happened in basketball yesterday. Really. The Celtics are still trying to find a way to make that sign-and-trade for Marquis Daniels work (a.k.a. ringing Chris Wallace’s phone off the hook), the Hawks are looking to add another big man (those auditioning for the role include Joe Smith, Jason Collins, Stromile Swift and D-League MVP Courtney Sims), and Linzas Kleiza is getting closer and closer to signing with Olympiakos (Greece) and making it official that the Nuggets really lost ground on the whole improving-the-team thing this summer. Other than that, most of the weekend was dead basketball-wise, with the first NFL preseason game, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a Yankees/Red Sox series, and Tiger Woods involved in the last day of a tournament owning the headlines … Read More »

Can’t the Timberwolves do anything right? The same franchise that used its first-ever draft pick on Pooh Richardson when Mookie Blaylock, Tim Hardaway and Shawn Kemp were still on the board; that cost itself five years of first-round picks just to overpay Joe Smith under the table; that wasted Kevin Garnett’s prime by not getting him a good enough supporting cast; that may have fumbled their biggest post-KG opportunity at the ‘09 Draft; that’s taking way too long just to eventually hire Elston Turner as its next coach — they’ve done it again. Read More »

Although the ‘09 NBA free agent class isn’t as stacked as in years past — not to mention the League is being more thrifty than ever due to the slumping economy — teams still have holes they want to plug, and players have moves they want to make. On the eve of the negotiation period (players can’t officially sign until July 8), we’re taking the next few days to break down each team’s free agent situation… Read More »

Facing elimination, Dirk Nowitzki played like Video Game Dirk last night. And not just because his numbers were ridiculous (44 pts, 13 rebs), but because video games can’t account for things like heart and nerves and a conscience, there was no trace of the big-game/crunch-time meltdown Dirk critics had come to expect. He was closer to a machine in the fourth quarter, scoring 19 in the quarter including the go-ahead bucket on a pretty fadeaway over K-Mart. Read More »

Remember when the Magic were stumbling at the end of the regular season, but we all figured they were doing themselves a favor anyway by conceding a top-2 seed and avoiding the Pistons? Well, Dwight Howard’s team wishes they were playing Detroit now. Orlando went down 2-1 to the Sixers last night, dropping Game 3 in Philly and joining the Spurs and Hornets in that “WTF, we’re supposed to be better than this!” semi-panic mode … Read More »

Trying to follow D’Antoni Logic will give you a headache. Remember Kobe’s 61-point game, when Coach D waited until Kobe had about 57 on the board before he finally decided to bring a double-team? Last night was the same thing. Dwyane Wade dropped 50 on the Knicks through three quarters, and it literally wasn’t until he’d hit 55 in the fourth — one shy of Glen Rice’s Miami franchise record — and the Heat were up double-digits that D’Antoni started having his guys double D-Wade. Read More »

Andrew wrote this morning that the Celtics should have been more patient, now having a shot at bigger frontcourt contributors Drew Gooden and Joe Smith, but with Mikki Moore and a full roster, Gooden and Smith will have to find another team to suit up for. Turns out, they’re not the only ones.

As GMs cut ties with players before Sunday’s deadline to still be playoff eligible, giving them a chance to participate in the postseason, who will snatch them up? Unless you’re contending, you’re not really looking to spend money, but if you have title aspirations, here are five guys who just became available (since the Knicks just signed Cheikh Samb) and where they’re most likely headed: Read More »

Ever since the notion of Stephon Marbury to the Celtics was mentioned months ago, I’ve been wary. And despite Mr. BET’s life-long adulation of the player formerly known as Starbury, I still am.

After a respectable eight points in 13 minutes in his Celtic debut, Steph was underwhelming to say the least in yesterday’s loss to the Pistons. Zero points (0-for-3), four fouls and two turnovers in only 12 minutes. Those look like numbers I would have if I stepped onto an NBA court for the first time. Read More »