For about an hour, it looked like Tuesday would be the night that sparked 1,000 TV features and Internet columns about how the tides are changing in L.A., and the Clippers are seriously challenging the Lakers for local supremacy. The Clippers were outplaying the Mavs in the first half of a huge road game, while the Lakers had a dangerous Utah team on the schedule. The stage was set. But by the end of the night, status quo had been maintained … Read More »
30. Sacramento Kings (5-20)Last week — Lost at Houston, lost at New Orleans, lost at Oklahoma City, lost to Houston Thirteen losses in their last 14 tries, but at least DeMarcus Cousins is starting to produce. He’s averaged 17 points and 9.5 boards in his last four games. Read More »
It’s too early. Obviously. Three weeks into the NBA season, no team has played more than 11 games. There’s still about 85 percent of the schedule left. It’s not even reasonable to start talking playoff matchups or gauging Lottery odds.
But it’s never too early to start compiling contenders for the league’s Most Valuable Player award. And while the early MVP debate has centered around Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol — and even Joakim Noah according to some national analysts — right now Deron Williams should be ahead of the pack. Read More »
During the past week we’ve looked at the projected top 10 fantasy point guards, shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards. Now it’s time to complete the puzzle by examining the projected top 10 fantasy centers for the 2010-11 season. Solid centers are the rarest of breeds for fantasy basketball, but that doesn’t make it any easier to rank them. Share your reactions below, and remember that this is based on a nine-category perspective. Read More »
Last year, in the weeks leading up to the NBA season, I ranked the League’s go-to guys. Using the rationale that even the most balanced team has one identifiable if-all-else-fails leader that they look to in crunch time (see Team USA and Kevin Durant), I picked one player per squad for a final list of 30. Again, ONE PLAYER PER TEAM. Read More »
To the basketball critic, dunking is like fashion or art: It’s all about personal preference and aesthetic opinion. If you truly believe Mehmet Okur is a better dunker than Rudy Gay, I can’t tell you you’re wrong, because obviously Okur’s dunks appeal more to you. Still, I’m not getting how Dominique Wilkins is currently last-place in today’s DimeMag.com poll: “Who was the better in-game dunker?” behind Vince Carter, Michael Jordan and Shawn Kemp. If you ask me, ‘Nique should at least be ahead of MJ. But that’s just me.
OK, somebody with an NBA rulebook clear this up for us: Is there still a dress code or not? We were under the impression that any time a player is “on business” he has to dress according to the code, but over the last couple of seasons we’ve seen guys arriving at the arena and sitting on the bench wearing stuff that should’ve drawn fines and nobody said anything. And it’s not like it’s just the young dudes. Yesterday, T-Mac had his introductory press conference with the Pistons — that counts as “on business,” right? — and our man showed up in a white tee. Read More »
In the least-surprising turn of events since the backlash against Barack Obama for not instantly fixing a broken system, the NBA announced it will put Heat/Lakers on center stage as its Christmas Day main event, as well as put the Heat, Lakers and Celtics on display for Opening Night in October.
The League announced a lot of other marquee national-TV games last night, too, most of which aren’t being talked about much this morning. Here are some of the hidden gems just in opening week: Read More »
Saturday night’s intra-squad scrimmage only re-confirmed some conspicuous truths regarding Team USA: They’re athletic, they can shoot, and they’ve got pure scorers all over the place.
But while Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Derrick Rose and Eric Gordon were busy dropping buckets from beyond the arc and above the rim, Team USA’s lack of depth among big men was also a glaring reality. The box score doesn’t tell the whole story, but it can’t go ignored: Read More »
Maybe even more than the Cavaliers, the Utah Jazz are the NBA team that has lost the most this summer. All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer left in free agency for Chicago, along with the best shooter on the team, Kyle Korver. Then the Blazers signed starting two-guard Wes Matthews to an unbelievable 5-year, $34 million offer sheet, which the Jazz probably won’t match.
While the Jazz are losing a lot of pieces right now, and it may seem like they are losing the momentum of last year’s playoff run — Deron Williams recently admitted he was frustrated with the way things have gone this summer — here are five things Utah should do to ensure long-term success: Read More »
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