Sure Knicks rookie Andy Rautins has only played three NBA games so far this year, but that was to be expected. Why? Because after being the starting shooting guard at Syracuse last season, where he finished his career second on the school’s all-time list with 282 career three-point field goals made, Rautins has had to make the transition to the point. We got up with Andy recently to chat about his rookie season and Syracuse hoops. Read More »

NBA Rookie of the Year. Franchise centerpiece. An unmovable place in history alongside Jordan, Oscar and LeBron. Tyreke Evans was made for this. The 21-year-old Sacramento King is on a course to take over the basketball world, a goal that was in his sights before he even knew it.

Midway through his sophomore year, Tyreke is averaging 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists while playing through a painful foot injury for most of the season. His Kings are still looking up in the standings at the rest of the West, but their go-to player gives the organization no reason not to be optimistic. Read More »

As the Lakers/Nets/Rockets trade yesterday opened the door for another round of Carmelo Anthony rumors and scenarios, it also inevitably led to further discussion on the future of J.R. Smith.

The perception has long been held that, if Denver has to reluctantly give up ‘Melo, they’ll try to unload the sometimes-problematic Smith at the same time, whether as part of the seemingly inevitably ‘Melo deal or in a separate move to continue the rebuilding process. Read More »

When he left the University of North Carolina in 2009, Wayne Ellington was on top of the college basketball world. The 6-5 shooting guard averaged 15.8 points per game as a junior, hit a career-high 41.7 percent of his threes, helped the Tar Heels win a national championship, and Ellington won Final Four Most Outstanding Player after dropping 20 points on Villanova in the national semi and 19 on Michigan State in the title game.

Since being selected in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, however, Ellington has seen the contrasting side to success. Read More »

“Either you define the moment or the moment defines you.” Clippers’ announcer Mike Smith put it the best you could and captured the way Eric Gordon (29 pts) went into straight beast mode during the fourth quarter of last night’s win over the Kings … After Sacramento had come all the way back from a 17-point deficit to tie it up with under a minute left, Gordon freed himself off a screen and laced a deep trey, serenaded by an epic “BIIIIIIIIIIINGOOOOOOOOO!!” from L.A.’s Ralph Lawler. Gordon rebounded a Sacramento miss, and after the ensuing timeout, the Kings completely fell apart. Read More »

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in 14th place in the Western Conference. Only one team (the Clippers) has fewer wins than the four W’s the Wolves have accumulated. And yet, they’re still better than a lot of analysts predicted during the preseason.

The Wolves have been competitive. They came within a few overtime possessions of snapping San Antonio’s early-season win streak when it was up to 11. They hung around with the Lakers before losing by five. They upset the Bucks in the second game of the season before the reigning Eastern Conference 6-seed began its current tailspin. Read More »

Kevin Durant has always been a big-stage performer. He just needs the stage. So when no members of the Redeem Team suited up for Team USA at the World Championship this summer, Durant took full advantage of his opportunity to become basketball’s leading man. Now as his fourth NBA season is underway and he leads the League in scoring (again) — averaging 28.3 points per game through the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first 15 games — the 22-year-old occupies rarified air as perhaps the best player on the planet. Read More »

Despite a solid win last night in Sacramento, the 2-7 Timberwolves need point guard help. Fast. After offseason hip surgery, Jonny Flynn has yet to play a game and is still one to three weeks away from returning. Luke Ridnour is out at least a week with a hamstring injury. And that leaves Sebastian Telfair as the only healthy PG on the roster. Yes, Bassy did look good last night, but the T-Wolves are looking to bring in some replacements. Read More »

As the NBA regular season approaches, we preview the upcoming campaign with the “Highs and Lows” system — predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team.

Added: Michael Beasley, Wesley Johnson, Luke Ridnour, Martell Webster, Anthony Tolliver, Nikola Pekovic, Kosta Koufos, Sebastian Telfair, Lazar Hayward

Lost: Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins, Damien Wilkins, Sasha Pavlovic Read More »

Who do you want your offense to run through with the game on the line? Counting down from 30th to 1st (one per team), I’ve ranked the League’s go-to guys…

DANNY GRANGER, Indiana Pacers As much as fantasy owners love Granger, basketball sabermetricians hate him. Why such a divide between the two most stat-obsessed hoop fans on the landscape? Because Granger is living, breathing, buckets-getting proof that numbers don’t tell the entire story. Read More »