It’s easier when your team sucks. At least it’s easier for the GM/executive/owner in charge of hiring a new head coach. When an NBA team sucks (Clippers, 76ers, Nets) just about anybody who’s different from the previous coach is a good hire. If he’s got a solid resume and some name recognition? Gravy.

But when a team is replacing a coach who was relatively successful, the process becomes tougher. Read More »

On just about every level of basketball, a coach’s fate is largely determined by the expectations preceding him. For proof, look no further than the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks.

It’s been a couple of weeks since coach Mike Woodson‘s Hawks waxed Scott Skiles‘ Bucks in Games Six and Seven of their first-round playoff series, and yet today it’s Skiles whose team is considered moving in the right direction, while Woodson is unemployed and his former team faces a mini-rebuilding summer. It worked out that way because the Bucks overachieved beyond preseason expectations that they’d be one of the worst teams in the NBA, while the Hawks fell short of expectations, looking like they didn’t belong on the court with the Eastern Conference’s elite after eliminating Milwaukee.

So with Skiles’ job secure for the foreseeable future, what do the Bucks have to do this offseason to stay on the right track? Read More »

The NBA is off until Sunday, when the Celtics and Magic tip-off the Eastern Conference Finals (Lakers vs. Suns begins Monday). In the meantime, be prepared for 24/7 LeBron James coverage. With everybody weighing in yesterday to either breakdown what went wrong for the Cavs or speculate where LeBron will end up this summer, it was LBJ overload on Friday. Realistically, it’s going to come down to three teams: Cleveland, Chicago or New York. They’re going to throw everything they have at LeBron, but what happens for the two franchises that miss out on him? Read More »

Forget about NBA championship dreams for now — the Atlanta Hawks are just trying to avoid getting swept out of the second round for the second year in a row.

While last night’s Game 2 loss wasn’t nearly as bad as the 43-point wiping they took in Game 1, the Hawks have yet to show they can steal a game from the Orlando Magic, let alone four games and a series. Last night the Hawks were up eight at halftime and down one going into the fourth quarter before losing by 14. They couldn’t stop Dwight Howard early and couldn’t stop Vince Carter late. Read More »

I said going into the playoffs that, under the radar, Hawks/Bucks could be the best series of the first round. It’s looking like Spurs/Mavs will take that title, but with the Hawks and Bucks tied up at two games apiece going back to Atlanta for tonight’s Game 5, it could still be the only series to go seven games in the first round.

That didn’t seem possible after the Hawks won Games 1 and 2 handily, but then they got swept in Milwaukee, as Brandon Jennings and John Salmons finally started playing well at the same time, and Carlos Delfino went off for six triples and a Dunk of the Playoffs candidate in Game 4. Read More »

For the longest time, it seemed like the Atlanta Hawks could do no wrong. All season, they’ve been near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Behind the play of All-Star Joe Johnson and up-and-coming stars like Josh Smith and Al Horford, the Hawks were the league’s biggest surprise, defeating elite squads like the Celtics, Nuggets and Mavs. But then December 19th hit. Read More »

As little attention as I pay to hockey, I always make sure to catch the final seconds of the clinching game of the NHL Finals. And amidst my second-favorite team sports celebration (after an NCAA Tournament upset), there always seems to be one guy on the newly-crowned champs who’s happier than everyone else, the guy who’s been in the League 15-20 years without winning a Stanley Cup.

In the NBA, Jamal Crawford is that guy, but worse. In a league where half of the teams make the playoffs, Crawford is 10 years deep in the game without even making a postseason. Read More »

Behind every great team is a great coach. Several coaches this year have literally turned around the fortunes of their respected franchises. While Doc Rivers and Phil Jackson are definitely putting in work, it doesn’t really come at a huge surprise that those teams are killing it. We ranked the five coaches that have gotten the most out of their players so far and have posted records that far exceeded expectations. Read More »

The NBA preseason is underway, meaning it’s time again for Dime’s team-by-team season previews. Last year we debuted the “Highs and Lows” system — predicting the respective ceilings and basements for each team. In other words, what is the realistic best-case and worst-case scenario for the 2009-10 campaign?

Added: Jamal Crawford, Joe Smith, Jeff Teague, Juan Dixon, Courtney Sims Read More »

When I heard this weekend that new Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis was mostly likely going to add Bill Laimbeer and Reggie Theus to his staff, this got me thinking: If there was a 3-on-3 tournament amongst the NBA’s current coaching staff, who would win? Read More »