Tracy McGrady is finally a Knick, Nate Robinson is a Celtic and Tyrus Thomas has transformed from a sulky Bull into a brooding Bobcat. There were also a few odds and ends to note as the trade deadline passed, and it’s clear that fantasy owners have some work to do if they want to sort through the debris to separate the gems from the rubble. Let’s take a look at the notable fantasy implications. Read More »

So much for the Knicks not being able to land Tracy McGrady’s expiring contract, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, the Rockets, Kings and Knicks have agreed to terms that will expand the Houston-Sacramento deal into a three-way trade that lands Tracy McGrady and Sergio Rodriguez in New York, Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries and Hilton Armstrong in Houston and Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey and Larry Hughes in Sacramento. Read More »

By now you don’t need a Clyde Frazier pimp poem to tell you the Knicks probably wish they would have drafted Brandon Jennings — or Terrence Williams, or Tyler Hansbrough, or Ty Lawson — over Jordan Hill in last year’s NBA Draft.

Two-thirds of the way through his rookie year, Hill has played in less than half of New York’s games, and hasn’t done much (4.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg) when he does see the court. The 6-10 power forward out of Arizona appears every bit like just another left-too-early Draft bust. Read More »

Maybe it’s just last-second posturing to swing the best deal possible for the Knicks. Maybe Donnie Walsh knows something that no one else in basketball knows. Whatever it is, it appears that the piece standing in the way of the Knicks potentially being able to sign both LeBron James and Chris Bosh (or someone on his level) is … Jordan Hill? Read More »

I don’t believe in curses. If I did, I wouldn’t have allowed myself to become a Cleveland Browns fan in the ’80s — and then again in the ’90s. I wouldn’t have been surprised when Aaron Boone hit that home run in ’03. And I wouldn’t have looked into a bathroom mirror and said “Candyman” five times. (OK, I didn’t really do the last one. Tony Todd still scares me to this day.)

Point is, I don’t believe there’s a curse on the L.A. Clippers. Read More »

The word “professional” is probably not the first adjective you would’ve chosen to describe Nate Robinson in the past. But that’s exactly what he was and how he acted like during his 13-game benching. Despite not playing for a month and having to deal with all the embarrassment and drama (mainly between his agent and the team), Robinson kept his mouth shut, cheered for his team and most importantly, stayed ready – both physically and mentally. Read More »

With a 74-72 double overtime loss to UNLV last night – setting its record at 3-3 – it’s an understatement to say that Arizona is not run by flash and big names this year. With Lute Olson thrice removed and the Encinitas Enigma, (coined by yours truly; shirt orders to my Twitter…) Chase Budinger, and Jordan “Coach’s Decision” Hill both gone to the pros, the ‘Cats aren’t the national draw they once were. Add into the mix a Pac-10 conference that is seeing its lowest production in years and an influx of untested youth, and you have a recipe for bland, mistake-riddled basketball. In a region dominated largely by guard play, most of the attention has surrounded Cal’s Jerome Randle and Washington’s Isaiah Thomas – and deservedly so.

Someone forgot to relay the message to ‘Zona’s Nic Wise. Read More »

As much as I applauded Brandon Jennings for thinking outside the box, taking a risk and playing pro ball in Europe before coming to the NBA, the Pac-10 fan in me was kind of hating that I wouldn’t get to see “Young Money” rip it up for a year at Arizona.

The 12th-seeded ‘Zona squad that made an unexpected run to the Sweet Sixteen last spring would have been a national title contender with Jennings distributing the rock to Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger and Nic Wise. He might have been reason enough for Lute Olson not to retire. Read More »

Sports media lately has been hit by cupid’s Italian love arrow with an over saturation of all things Brandon Jennings. We all know by now what Young Money and fellow rookies Tyreke Evans and Ty Lawson are capable of. But quietly, the rest of the rookie pile is exceeding many people’s expectations of their class prior to last June’s draft. Across the board, there are numerous rooks making an impact with their respective teams. Here are a few young guys whose play should demand more minutes and attention. Read More »

If you haven’t heard, this is supposed to be a down year for the Pac-10.

Over the summer the conference lost James Harden, Jordan Hill, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison, Taj Gibson, Jeff Pendergraph, Jon Brockman and Chase Budinger to the NBA Draft. Going back to 2008, the Pac-10 also lost O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, the Lopez twins, Jerryd Bayless and Ryan Anderson, all of whom would still been in school today had they not gone pro early. Read More »