It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of the NBA, NCAA or high school – great basketball is great basketball. And yesterday has to go down as one of the greatest days in hoops history. Ever. Take for example the first four games of the day: you had a one point game, a buzzer beater for an upset, an overtime scare and a double overtime thriller. Only if Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery called all four games, could you have asked for anything better … If you were on the site at all yesterday, then you know the Dime crew was on top of everything. So we’ll try and bring some new thoughts and observations to Smack … Let’s start with BYU’s Jimmer Fredette. Read More »

Interesting fact: Of the 28 players that made up this year’s NBA All-Star rosters, 16 of them (57%) were Top-5 Draft picks once upon a time.

That could mean nothing. Or it could mean that, while we all love the second-round underdogs and outside-the-Lottery gems, the more boring truth is that we typically know where our future superstars are coming from.

While it’s been fashionable over the last few years to bemoan the drop in talent on the college level, when you look across the ‘09-10 NCAA landscape, you can still see more than a handful of future NBA All-Stars. Read More »

From the cover of Dime to the cover of GQ, Kobe Bryant has been everywhere lately. Except the basketball court. And it’s been killing him. Previously on his way to one of the most impossible Iron-Man like seasons in recent NBA history — playing through well documented injuries to his fingers, back, knees, shoulders and ankles — Kobe finally had to show human frailty and miss some games sandwiching the All-Star break, including the All-Star Game itself. (Kobe may be the only guy in the League who takes the ASG seriously.)

Last night he returned to the lineup, and in storybook fashion, dropped 32 points and the game-winner in Memphis. This entire season for Kobe has been a self-inflicted cross-examination of his toughness, but is KB24 the toughest man in the NBA? Read More »

I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not out of my mind. While everyone has been talking about the Summer of 2010 with as much voracity as Y2K, people often forget that there are reasons and rules behind people’s actions. Sure Torontans consider it blasphemous that Chris Bosh would opt out and/or not re-sign, just as Clevelanders are convinced that (title or no title) LeBron James will remain atop the throne in his home state, but there are economics backing up the future decisions of the NBA’s superstars this summer. And that is something you cannot argue with. Read More »

By picking up Antawn Jamison at the trade deadline, the Cavs now have one of the most productive frontcourt trios in the NBA, with Shaq at center, Jamison at power forward, and LeBron at small forward. In fact, those three combined for 72 of Cleveland’s 95 points (75 percent) against Orlando on Sunday.

In football, they say the guys on the front line are the ones that determine championships. Basketball is a little different — especially as the game becomes more perimeter and dribble-drive oriented — but it’s no coincidence that the League’s elite teams always have an elite group of forwards and centers. Read More »

Beast of the Night: LeBron James finished the first half of the ‘09-10 NBA season with a bang, putting up 32 points, 2 threes, 8 rebounds, 13 assists and 2 steals. He shot 48 percent (10-21) from the field, 83 percent (10-12) from the line and had three turnovers. The King is undoubtedly the top dog in fantasy ball this season, and there’s no reason to think it won’t be the same story after the All-Star break. Read More »

Buy Low: Kobe Bryant, as everyone knows, is very banged up right now. The Black Mamba’s lost some of his bite during the past month, thanks to poor shooting from the floor and the free throw line. But with All-Star Weekend on the horizon, expect Kobe to get enough rest to heal up a bit and bring sexy back before February’s done. Unless his fantasy owner is impatient, or if your league is incredibly shallow, you probably won’t be able to nab him for too little. Offering your second-best player might do the job though. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Deron Williams returned from a personal leave of absence and put up 18 points, 7 rebounds, 15 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers and hit a three. He shot 47 percent (7-15) from the field and 100 percent (3-3) from the free throw line. January was a forgettable month for Williams, who should get things rolling again in February. Read More »

Score a few more votes for Lionel Hollins in the Coach of the Year race, because he may have just figured out the best way to guard Kobe Bryant at the end of a game. Last night the Grizzlies were up two on the Lakers with 21 seconds left when Mike Conley blew a chance to ice the win and bricked two free throws. Then it was Kobe’s turn, and as he was going into his move to get space for his trusty mid-range jumper over O.J. Mayo, Marc Gasol switched onto him. The 7-footer kept his arms up the entire time, and was quick enough on his feet to stay in front of Kobe long enough to force him to pass. Kobe did find Ron Artest wide open on the wing, but he missed and Memphis won. Read More »

In a lot of ways, Lakers/Celtics shouldn’t have even come down to Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce looking to trade daggers in the final seconds. The Lake Show dominated the first quarter as Andrew Bynum (19 pts, 11 rebs) took ownership of the paint and Kobe (19 pts) hit his typical array of tough shots that he made look easy. Then, after Boston recovered to make it a ballgame, L.A. found themselves down by double-digits in the fourth thanks to Rajon Rondo (21 pts, 12 asts) carving up the defense and Eddie House throwing in some big threes. So the Lakers rallied, and with 45 seconds left, Ron Artest made an awkward runner — yes, you could say all of Ron-Ron’s buckets are awkward — to cut the lead to one. Read More »