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: Carlos Arroyo, Quentin Richardson, Shavlik Randolph

Lost: Jamario Moon, Luther Head, Mark Blount Read More »

When the NBA season gets underway, nobody has a longer list of scheduled ass-bustings on his calendar than Mario Chalmers. And not in the sense of getting lit up — more like dishing it out. All summer long, it seemed every out-of-work PG either brought up Miami as a possible destination (or the media did it for them), as if Chalmers would be a small obstacle in their taking a starting job next to D-Wade in the Heat backcourt. If and when those guys get signed, and just to the public in general, Chalmers will get to show them why Pat Riley wasn’t interested. And now you can add Rafer Alston to that list. Read More »

We argue. You decide.

TIM HARDAWAY (by Austin Burton) The first thing you have to understand about Tim Hardaway is that he was more than just a big crossover and a smile.

Maybe not Hall of Famer, maybe not even truly deserving of having his number retired by the Heat or the Warriors, Hardaway still put a stamp on the NBA that should be bigger than one iconic move. He cracked 5,000 points and 2,500 assists faster (at the time) than anyone since Oscar. He was a five-time All-Star and ranks seventh all-time in threes made, 13th in assists. Read More »

Real life hit the NBA once again yesterday, when reports surfaced that a number of Miami Heat employees — most notably Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra — accepted pay cuts up to 20% in an effort to prevent further layoffs in the organization. It’s been public knowledge for years that some NBA teams are in financial trouble (Grizzlies, Bobcats, etc.), but Miami usually wasn’t in that group. It’s not like Riley or Spoelstra is starving or anything, but it’s got to be scary for a lot of people around the League. And of course, it kicks off an easy round of “Why can’t Underachieving Player X take a pay cut?” Read More »

Fresh off his breakup with Khloe Kardashian and a solid outing at the UNC alumni game, it’s time Rashad McCants starts thinking about finding a job. Assuming McCants doesn’t want to play with his ex’s new boyfriend (Lamar Odom), that leaves 29 teams for him to choose from. But of those 29 teams the Nuggets, Bobcats and Heat have all expressed interest in signing the free agent guard. Read More »

In just his first season, Mario Chalmers proved he could make the transition from March Madness hero to a solid NBA player. The former Kansas Jayhawk put together a very nice rookie campaign. He started all 82 games for the Heat and averaged 10 ppg, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals - which was fourth best in the NBA. In the playoffs, Chalmers bumped up that steals average to nearly three a game and was a key contributer to a Miami squad that pushed the Hawks to seven games.

Just an hour ago, I hit up Mario, who was chilling at home in Alaska. Read More »

Welcome to the (so far) most Twitter-infected edition of Smack ever written. We begin with Nate Robinson, who was arrested yesterday in NYC for driving on a suspended license, and broke the news himself — on Twitter. Nate actually tweeted while he was being pulled over (if only this kind of technology existed when Rodney King got popped in ‘91), and what started with his windows being too tinted turned into a revelation that his license had been suspended for an unpaid ticket he says he didn’t know about. Granted, this is a very minor legal matter, but it’s also horrible timing for Nate when he’s still technically unemployed … One of the League’s other high-profile jobless guys, Allen Iverson, took his free agency news to the Twitter crowd. Read More »

Seeing as LeBron has given 15,000 “I’m cool where I’m at/I love Cleveland” interviews and yet you’ve still got dudes in New York City hawking homemade LBJ #23 Knicks jerseys on the street, there’s really no point in superstar free-agents-to-be saying anything about their situation in the months before they hit the market. Especially when they have a chance to sign a contract extension and don’t do it. Dwyane Wade probably gave Miami fans a lift with some recent quotes in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “Next year will be a big year for myself and for the team, but the plan has always been to stay with the Heat, and that’s still the plan,” Wade said. Read More »

Considering the level of celebrity involved, this D-Wade vs. Pat Riley game of million-dollar chicken hasn’t come close to owning the headlines like it would if Kobe and his front-office were at odds. (Good thing that’s never happened before.) If you haven’t been following, here’s the quick version: Wade’s contract expires in 2010, Riley wants Wade to sign an extension before then, Wade wants to make sure he’s not playing for a mediocre team before he signs anything, Riley says he won’t spend a lot of money to improve the roster until he knows Wade is committed. And aside from Riley making an honest run at Lamar Odom and showing interest in Allen Iverson, neither side has hit the brakes yet. Read More »

In Smack over the weekend, the question of Bruce Bowen’s legacy came up. Considering the usual level of hate generated by the Spurs and Bowen everywhere outside San Antonio, the reader response was surprisingly positive. Most people were able to appreciate not only Bowen’s game, but his backstory. Reader Bobby Stew put it best: “Bruce Bowen’s story is that of a man who made something out of nothing. He is the symbol of the American dream. He worked his way from the bottom to the top through hard work, determination, and hustle. Think about it, what real talent did Bowen have?”

The Bowen debate got us talking about some other NBA figures who are near the end of their run, and how their careers will be judged when it’s all said and done. Read More »