There were no NBA games last night as we all take a breather before the playoffs start Saturday. That doesn’t mean the NBA universe was dormant though as front offices made moves and social media buzzed …

Remember when Jay-Z dropped a fired up “Open Letter” last week to address things that were pissing him off, including the attention he was getting for selling his stake in the Brooklyn Nets in order to become a sports agent? Yesterday afternoon he took a more even-keeled approach with the image you see above and the following post on his Life + Times platform to talk about his move and his relationship with the franchise: Read More »

(NBA Coaching) Heads continue to roll. A few hours ago, it was Byron Scott who got the business, it is now apparently Lawrence Frank‘s turn. Whereas B-Scott’s dismissal was reported to be at least partially tied up in issues with Dan Gilbert and Kyrie Irving, it looks like Frank was doomed mainly because the Pistons stink. Terribly.

From Marc Stein on ESPN.com: Read More »

Only two dozen or so games remain in the NBA regular season and we still don’t fully understand the identity of either the Rockets or the Nets. Brooklyn’s right in the middle of the East’s divide between the upper and lower half of its playoff spots. Read More »

Andre Drummond has been excellent through the first half of his rookie year. But he’s not getting the playing time many feel he deserves. Critics of keeping Drummond on the bench point to his high efficiency and his defensive dominance on the block. If you stretch his production to 36 minutes, he’s giving you a double-double, almost three blocks and 1.7 steals a night while shooting a ridiculous 61 percent from the floor. Read More »

Over the summer, I spent time working on a big feature for Dime #65. It was on Ben Gordon, and whether we had lost the real Ben Gordon for good somewhere along the line. He was always one of my favorite players… one of those cats who wasn’t quite a superstar, but yet still had you altering your schedule to catch his games. You never knew when he’d drop a 20-piece in a fourth quarter or catch someone slipping with a nasty step-back crossover. Then he signed a big deal with Detroit, left the cozy confines of Chicago, and hasn’t really been heard from since. Read More »

UPDATE: Chad Ford is reporting that Rodney Stuckey is “balking at the Pistons’ 5-year, $40-$45 million offer.”

As a guard and then a Pistons executive, Joe Dumars is experienced at building Detroit into a winner and what parts such a run require. Not all of those parts are always easy to work with, and Dumars understands that playing with Isiah Thomas. But he’s proven his savvy as a GM in that same regard, turning Chauncey Billups from a journeyman to a building block after his arrival in 2002.

If he wants to turn Detroit, 30-52 during a contentious 2010-11 season, into a contender again for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, he knows a first step would be keeping Rodney Stuckey as his premier guard. But at what cost? Read More »

We aren’t sure how much more we can take of this. Something needs to happen. Something. Perhaps FIBA took the first step in announcing that NBA players will indeed be allowed to play in FIBA-affiliated leagues during the lockout. As Deron Williams may or may not be fist pumping in his home’s office (he may or may not really care depending on who you talk to), the deal comes with a few regulations. The biggest one is that when the lockout ends, an NBA player MUST return to his team. Okay, that’s great news for NBA fans, knowing guys like Williams will be able to play somewhere else, but definitely won’t miss any time here. Read More »

Would you pay to get Kobe to play? It seems like Besiktas is willing to take anything at this point. The club is on the verge of making the biggest international signing ever, but don’t quite have to funds to pull Bryant from the States. Depending on who you talk to, Kobe is interested or had his managers contact the team or is waiting on an offer that might not be worth it unless a sponsorship steps up to front the loot. However, the New York Times is reporting that the Turkish club has indeed made an offer to the Laker and is only waiting on a response from his agent … Read More »

File this under “NO F’ing Way This Will Happen”: According to Draft Express, the Golden State Warriors have reportedly offered a package of Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Andris Biedrins to the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard. It is a general rule that unless it’s a total steal, you almost never deal big for small in the NBA. It hardly, if ever, works. We would say that when you’re talking about the best big in the NBA, that rule is extra airtight. Monta Ellis is nice and all, but he’s not one of the A-List NBA guards that would be required to get the Magic to even think twice about a deal for Dwight. On top of that, Read More »

The Blazers organization has been one of the most stable over the last few NBA seasons. They had young building blocks in place (LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy), a great GM (Kevin Pritchard) and stability at the head coaching position (Nate McMillan). But now chaos is starting to reign supreme in Portland.

During the season, the Blazers fired Tom Penn who was Pritchard’s right hand man in the front office, and now word is that Pritchard may also be on his way out of town. In addition to the front office troubles, the Blazers’ coaching staff is also in a bit of turmoil. Monty Williams recently left to take the Hornets head coaching job, rumors are flying that Dean Demopoulos may be on his way out, and according to Dave D’Alessandro of The Star-Ledger, Joe Prunty appears on his way to New Jersey to join Avery Johnson. Read More »