This is around the time you hear all the stories, all the cliches. This is the moment I’ve been working for…I’ve dreamed about this my whole life…I can’t wait to just get to work, I don’t care who picks me…They are all true, but cliche nonetheless. The NBA Draft is a big night, and it’ll shape many young careers. Transcendent players will be spectacular no matter what. But what about those other guys? Guys who fit well in one system but might struggle in another? Read More »

Even with John Wall’s impressive, yet unspectacular rookie campaign, the Wizards are sitting at an ugly 20-56, ahead of only Cleveland in the East. Some of their young talent has taken advantage of the playing-time opportunities on a roster that has just three players over 30 years old. Some other players haven’t. What about a guy like Mo Evans, actually the oldest player on the team? Not only was he traded during the core of the season, but also went from being a glue guy on a playoff team in Atlanta to an old vet on one of the worst teams in the league. Still, he’s making the most of it. On the court, his numbers in D.C. have increased to 28 minutes and 10 points per game. And off the court, he told me he’s been checking out everything the nation’s capital has to offer. Read More »

You ever spent hours working on a project, then within five minutes it became totally useless? That’s how it was for whoever on the Atlanta Hawks production staff spent their time making fake movie posters hyping the Hawks as “The Road Warriors” because they went into last night’s game in Miami with a 7-2 road record, best in the East. About five minutes into the first quarter, however, before they could even show the graphic, LeBron and D-Wade and Bosh led the Heat on a 14-2 run and built a lead Miami would never lose … This was the game we envisioned when the Heat trio first joined forces. Read More »

The Hawks had the Celtics where they should have wanted them: Rajon Rondo was out, the C’s were on a two-game losing streak, and the Hawks were at home. Nate Robinson, who’s not really a point guard, was starting at point guard for Boston. And although Joe Johnson had shot just 8-for-26 the last two games, he was facing a team that the Hawks swept last regular season.

So what happened? The Hawks fell behind by 26 in the first quarter, and the Rondo-less Celtics bruised and cruised to a 23-point win that was never close. Read More »

The Converse Open Gym program continues to create a buzz, events in Atlanta, Chicago, Philly and Boston have drawn up to 500 kids on the regular to play pickup ball. But this past weekend in Miami, an all-time Open Gym record was set when 1,031 ballplayers took over the courts at Miami Dade College. Between that and the Atlanta Open Gym on the same day drawing close to 500 participants, it was Converse’s most successful Open Gym weekend so far.

Hawks forward Mo Evans dropped by the Open Gym in Atlanta on his day off between games against the Jazz and Timberwolves. Read More »

Have you ever had to hop a fence just to get in a game of 1-on-1, or sneak into a gym to put up some extra shots? It seems like nowadays there aren’t a lot of places to just go and play ball anymore. But Converse is providing a solution to the problem; they’re unlocking gyms across the country and giving inner-city youth the opportunity to hoop it up in a safe and structured environment. And most importantly, the kids are having fun. Read More »

If the Cleveland team that showed up Monday night routinely shows up this May/June, there’s no way LeBron doesn’t win his first NBA championship in 2010. Yeah, they were playing the Knicks. Still, the Cavs would’ve been tough for the ’80s Pistons to stop last night with the way they passed, moved without the ball, and played D — plus everybody had an extra spring in their step like it was Midnight Madness on a college campus … LeBron (22 pts, 7 rebs, 7 asts) had about 3-4 dunks in the first quarter, then in the second he hit some other level of craziness: Read More »

This is where amazing really happens. With almost every single NBA player in town staying in one hotel, the lobby is like looking through your basketball card collection. You have rookie cards (DeMar DeRozan was just kind of chilling by himself) and then you have veterans (like Jerry Stackhouse and Stacey Augmon who rolled in with their kids). You also have guys that grew up together (like D.C. products Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant showing one another some love), and Hall of Famers (like Magic Johnson and Bill Walton). Oh yea, and then there’s Tim Duncan. 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 »

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 »