Who are these old guys, anyway? Shouldn’t San Antonio’s core of Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker be content with riding out their careers with rings and memories in hand?

Think again. The Southwest Division this year has been up for grabs dating back to Memphis’ playoff upset and Dallas’ offseason moves that made its title defense a question. This division used to be the Spurs and Mavericks’ personal playground every year. Only the Hornets in 2007-08 broke the hold of those two teams’ titles going back to 2004. Read More »

Derrick Rose said he was gonna go crazy against Washington last night, and dude did go a little nuts. Not only did he pick up a technical, but he was as aggressive as we’ve seen him all year in the first half, weaving into the lane and throwing up more of those high-arching floaters he’s grown fond of. John Wall gave him some run during the first half of Chicago’s 10-point win, but there’s still one glaring difference between the two: John Wall makes tough shots. Derrick Rose makes tough shots look easy. Read More »

Laker fans never have to worry. When the NBA released its revised schedule about a week ago, they made sure the league’s most polarizing franchise was delivered to it’s ever-expanding fan base. Is 29 out of 66 enough? 29 times this season the Lakers will be playing on national TV, which is only about 25 times more than the New Jersey Nets, despite their star point guard and despite their jet ski-riding, womanizing owner (and even those four games got the shaft that is NBA TV). The NBA knows the big names and the big teams will make the most money. Cleveland at Milwaukee in February is for no one outside of the diehards. Read More »

For the first time since 1994, Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning will be together again – that is, in Africa. The three NBA legends will headline Basketball Without Borders‘ trip to South Africa next month, where the global basketball development and community outreach program will use basketball to influence positive social change. Read More »

The x-factor in the Mavs’ entire postseason run? No doubt about it, that guy has been Shawn Marion. He was kinda forgotten about, his numbers down since leaving Steve Nash and his athleticism waning as his age advances. Remember, earlier this year, dude wasn’t even starting. Then Caron Butler got hurt, the Matrix reloaded and in his last five postseason games, he’s averaging 15.4 points a game. Read More »

On Feb. 1, 2008, Michael Heisley, the owner of the Memphis Grizzlies, and Chris Wallace, the team’s general manager, were the two most vilified men in the NBA. They had just traded Pau Gasol to the Lakers in a move that was seen as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. They turned the Lakers into instant championship contenders, while getting pennies on the dollar in return. The package they got included Javaris Crittenton (now out of the League), Kwame Brown, a practically retired Aaron McKie, two late first-round picks, and the rights to Pau’s brother, Marc Gasol. Read More »

Somewhere hidden within last night’s 19-point rout (which wasn’t even that close) was a Memphis Grizzlies team that could actually challenge the L.A. Lakers. Like, in a playoff series. I’m serious.

You can learn a lot from a blowout, but if I’m Memphis coach Lionel Hollins, I’m focusing today’s film session on the third quarter, when the Grizzlies outscored L.A. 30-24. That was when the Grizzlies used their athleticism, rebounding, defense and a nothing-to-lose attitude while looking a lot like the Oklahoma City Thunder squad that pushed Kobe Bryant‘s team to six games in the first round of the 2010 postseason. 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…

RUDY GAY, Memphis Grizzlies

Follow the money. If you’re looking at the Grizzlies roster and seeing at least three, maybe four players who could rightfully claim the title “go-to guy,” all you have to do to solve the puzzle is figure out the financials. Read More »

This is one of the craziest things I’ve seen in a long time. After Kenyon Martin blocked Hamed Haddadi into the stands, when he went to go retrieve the ball, Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins decided he was going to swat K-Mart. Hilarious.

Mike Conley hit the genetics lottery. The son of an Olympic gold-medal triple jumper, he is a natural athlete. After he and Greg Oden led Ohio State to the NCAA national title game as freshmen, Conley was drafted fourth overall in the ’07 NBA Draft.

Since then, he has gone from Memphis’ point guard of the future, to backup, then back to being a starter again. Read More »