Five matchups to watch on Tuesday’s nine-game schedule…

Denver @ Indiana: Carmelo Anthony vs. Danny Granger Buckets, buckets and more buckets. By normal human standards, Granger is having a great start, averaging 26.5 points in two games. But ‘Melo is on some extraterrestrial level right now, dropping 37.7 points on 53% shooting and looking like an MVP in the making. Read More »

Even with Vince Carter’s ankle keeping him sidelined for his latest return to Toronto (where he could get booed in an Orlando uniform this time), there were more than enough ready-made story lines going into Magic/Raptors: Hedo Turkoglu’s first game against his old squad, the next chapter in the Dwight Howard vs. Chris Bosh rivalry (quietly and consistently more exciting than Deron Williams vs. Chris Paul), and the intrigue of seeing which players would be visibly sleep-walking for a 1 p.m. EST tip-off the day after Halloween. So you can understand why nobody was ready for J.J. Redick to become the headliner. Read More »

Even though there was no NBA game action last night, there was tons of activity in the League. As we mentioned yesterday in Smack, while there were certainly some memorable plays in the tune-up games, this preseason will be known for two things: a lack of “real” NBA refs and injuries. Thankfully the former has been cleared up after the NBA reached an agreement with the referees, but unfortunately the latter seems to be an overwhelming reality for many of the League’s standout players … On the eve of the season opener, which includes a matchup between the Lakers and Clippers in a battle for Los Angeles (well, not really), it appears the Clippers will be without their superstar. Announced late last night, Blake Griffin may miss up to six weeks with a stress fracture of his left patella. Suffered during the Clippers’ last preseason game against the Hornets on Friday, this is horrible news for the No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year favorite … Read More »

Last year we debuted the “Highs and Lows” system — previewing the NBA season by predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team. Same theme, different season…

Added: Andre Miller, Juwan Howard, Jeff Pendergraph, Dante Cunningham, Ime Udoka

Lost: Sergio Rodriguez, Channing Frye, Michael Ruffin, Shavlik Randolph Read More »

Martell Webster is finding himself in an unfamiliar position heading into the upcoming season. The former Seattle Prep star and Blazer starter from ’07-’08 is playing catch-up in Portland.

Webster’s foot injury, which kept him from seeing the floor for all but five minutes last season, is ready and cleared for action. Still, Webster is stuck in a logjam of small forwards vying for the starting nod. Read More »

Last week we brought up the point guard battle going on in Portland, and were pretty certain that after signing Andre Miller to a three-year, $21 million deal, it was a no-brainer that the 12-year vet was going to start. Not so fast. According to The Oregonian, Nate McMillan was very clear with Miller when the team recruited him this summer saying that he “envisioned Miller coming off the bench, running pick and rolls with Oden and funneling fast-break passes to Fernandez and Webster streaking on the wings.” And it appears that’s how it’s going to be. Read More »

The Blazers were supposed to have a logjam at small forward last year, when Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster were expected to battle with rookies Rudy Fernandez and Nic Batum for minutes. But then Webster — the one initially penciled in to start — suffered a broken foot that pretty much forced him to miss the entire season, and everything somehow worked out fine.

This offseason, it’s about to get even more congested. Read More »

Solidly wedged between Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio in all the pre-draft hype, Hasheem Thabeet has mostly flown under the radar during all the workouts, combines and rumors of the past couple months. Maybe it’s because he’s a lock to either go 2nd to Memphis or, at the worst, 3rd to Oklahoma City — the second-most secure lock this side of Blake going #1 — but there’s hardly been any intrigue surrounding the 7-3 beanstalk. Read More »

After ranking the top 30 players of the first round, who brought up the rear as the biggest flops of the postseason so far? (Second round included.)

10. Travis Outlaw “Mr. 4th Quarter” needs to show up for the other three. He had a couple crunch-time moments in the Blazers/Rockets series, but Outlaw’s shot was generally off throughout (31% FG, 9.0 ppg). With a $4 million salary that comes off the books in 2010, and the Blazers bringing back a healthy Martell Webster next season, don’t be surprised if Outlaw gets traded. Read More »

“How One Player is Changing the Game Forever.”

When I first saw that work-in-progress headline for Brandon Jennings‘ Dime #46 cover, admittedly I thought it was a reach. But eventually I talked myself into it, and came to believe that Jennings’ groundbreaking decision to sidestep David Stern’s NBA age limit and still get money right after high school would reverberate on every level of basketball — from high schoolers being presented with another option besides college, to colleges having yet another competitor in the recruiting wars, to the on-court effects of the NBA introducing players with a unique background of having played American high school and international pro ball. Read More »