For years, even as he masqueraded between the NBA’s best passer and a subsequent weirdo off the court, we heard the Celtics’ were Rajon Rondo‘s team. In a sense, we were right: they go as he goes, and during the playoffs – when the chips are most valuable – Rondo perennially turned in near-ESPN Classic performances. But did Boston follow his lead in the locker room? Did he have the presence to outweigh Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett? Read More »

The Roy-Hibbert-to-Portland talk that began as soon as free agency began July 1 is now dead, according to ESPN. It seemed quizzical to us why Portland was adamant as soon as yesterday it was going to offer him a max deal of four years and $58 million. After considering what life without a nice, developing big would have been like, the Pacers decided to match any offer for him. By not offering Hibbert, the Blazers can go after Nicolas Batum‘s offer sheet. Minnesota is trying to compile a Portland reunion and will offer Batum a big deal. The Blazers would have had the first year of Hibbert’s salary put on their cap for next season if they’d offered him. Without that money now, Portland can be a little more flexible about its positioning. … Read More »

The Rockets want Dwight Howard the way the dudes from Workaholics want off from work. Also like those three, Houston is willing to do some crazy things for its dream to happen. Today they agreed to send Marcus Camby to New York in a sign-and-trade for three years and $13.2 million. Camby is 38, which adds to this year’s free agency class as possibly the greatest coup for the over 35 crowd in free agency’s history. This isn’t about Camby, though. Read More »

That gasp you hear is the rest of the NBA. As if Miami wasn’t top-heavy enough, they’re looking to add another Hall of Famer to the cast of LeBronaires for next season, and for once, it doesn’t feel like a pipe dream. The money may not be great, but it doesn’t have to be to attract Jesus. The Ray Allen era in Boston is hanging by a strand of Paul Pierce‘s loose facial hair. He could go back, but the Celtics don’t have a starting spot for him and won’t overpay to bring him back. Does Mr. Shuttlesworth want to go to Miami? Yes, he’s interested. Would he be willing to accept a bench role behind two of the best players in the NBA? That’ll dictate whether we ended up seeing Flo Allen-Hopson in AmericanAirlines Arena next year. Read More »

Following the shocking NBA Draft Lottery in New York City where everyone and their momma is now saying David Stern and the NBA rigged it to make sure the top prize landed in New Orleans, now we can now begin to get an idea of how the first round of the draft will play out after the top spot. After we took a stab at the first round immediately following the events of the lottery, here is the second of many Dime mock drafts leading up to June 28. As usual, it’s a combination of what we think teams should do and what we think they will do: Read More »

They used to call it one of the best draft classes of the last 25 years. Now, it’s looking more and more like Anthony Davis… and then everybody else. Still, on June 28, the 2012 NBA Draft will bring hope, and hopefully new talent to some teams that desperately need it.

As we do every year, Dime will be holding you down with Mock Drafts, player interviews and diaries (you should check out Dion Waiters‘ draft diary), and we will also be bringing you draft profiles for every potential prospect deemed worthy. With this year’s crop of talent, that list is long. Our last profile was on University of Connecticut’s freshman center Andre Drummond. Today, we’re looking into the future of Baylor’s explosive prospect, Perry Jones III. Read More »

To call this past season’s dunk contest embarrassing might be an understatement. While fans dream of the stars duking it out like the good ol’ days, the NBA continues to try and market their younger, up-and-coming players. All of this public outcry isn’t enough to make Dwyane Wade change his mind. Back in February, he told The Palm Beach Post, “You don’t want to see me in that. I’m not a Slam Dunk kind of person. I’m a game dunker. I’m not creative enough. I don’t jump as high as those guys, or do all these things in the air that they can do. No one wants to see me in there. That’s why I have never raised my eyebrow to being in the dunk contest.” Read More »

Words. Lucas Shapiro

Following last night’s shocking NBA Draft Lottery in New York City where everyone and their momma is now saying David Stern and the NBA rigged it to make sure the top prize landed in New Orleans, now we can now begin to get an idea of how the first round of the draft will play out after the top spot. This is the first of many Dime mock drafts leading up to June 28. As usual, it’s a combination of what we think teams should do and what we think they will do: Read More »

Since he watches so much college basketball, you’ll be pressed to find someone besides Doug Gottlieb with a better handle on which NBA Draft prospects will succeed and which ones will become busts. With that, we give you an exclusive conversation we recently had with the ESPN analyst. In part one of this conversation that we ran Sunday afternoon, Gottlieb broke down the tournament and college basketball in general, speaking on parity and the notion that recruiting has drastically changed in the past few years. Read More »

If you’re LeBron, what’s the point? He could afford to be passive last night because Chris Bosh was getting busy in the fourth quarter of Miami’s 92-85 win over Cleveland. Kyra Sedgwick went off for 17 fourth quarter points, and had two of the biggest buckets of the game: a three-point play off the dribble and then a pull-up J in the closing minutes. His two free throws with 55 seconds left put Miami up eight, icing the win. It wasn’t so much that Bosh didn’t get help. ‘Bron had 18. But Bosh took the Cavs’ best punches all night, drawing foul after foul and finishing everything. Read More »