Ranking the NBA from worst to first …

30. New Orleans Hornets (3-15) Last Week: 25, -5 Since they started off the year 2-0, the Hornets have lost more than just their sting. They’re 1-15 since and haven’t sniffed an ounce of winning. One thing you can say about them is they fight. Their last nine losses have all been by 10 or less against teams sporting a .606 winning percentage. Read More »

It’s not like flopping is a cultural phenomenon solely owned by the NBA. It’s a disease that’s infiltrating every corner of professional sports. Take last weekend for example. Jerome Simpson, a 25-year-old wide receiver for Cincinnati, drew a 15-yard penalty against the Browns last Sunday by flopping harder than Rollerball. One little shove and boom, he was up, up and away, launching himself five feet off the ground, the largest jack rabbit anyone had ever seen. What made it even worse was the ref didn’t see it and yet still drew the flag. Read More »

The Utah Jazz are a frontcourt-heavy team. They have about 3-4 big men capable of producing usable numbers if given sufficient minutes, which means that unless a trade happens to free things up there, some frustrating minutes-based limitations are in the cards. That said, the Jazz have a nice balance of productive veterans and up-and-coming players ready to make an impact on fantasy basketball whenever the NBA starts again. Read More »

How will this lockout affect the game? A lot… if you ask Brandon Jennings. He’s a basketball junkie – you could literally find him anywhere this summer – but he can recognize that taking the time off might throw off teams’ timing. For example, what if anyone in Milwaukee comes back next year with a new game? “It’s been so long,” Jennings told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “We haven’t been around each other. For me as a point guard, it’s something I’m worried about right now.” Could a lockout really affect the way a team plays? It’s possible, especially a young team still coming into its own. Jennings might have much to work on as a player, but he knows ball and he’s right in this instance … Read More »

Amid the frenzy of the NBA Draft and the looming lockout, Steve Nash gathered some of his best friends from the basketball and soccer worlds to Sara D. Roosevelt Park in the Lower East Side for his 4th Annual Showdown in Chinatown. On a sultry day with rain clouds threatening, the players did what they do best: play sports and entertain. The event benefited the Steve Nash Foundation, which provides medical support, personal development and education to under privileged kids. Read More »

This is kind of embarrassing…

Read More »

Need a reason why the Utah Jazz agreed to a one-year contact extension with Jerry Sloan yesterday? Watch this. From Al Jefferson to Kyrylo Fesenko to Raja Bell in 1.7 seconds, it doesn’t get any prettier from an X’s and O’s standpoint.

Read More »

Words. Dave Dulberg

During a troubling time in the state’s sports scene, Arizona’s aficionados are comforted by the grace in his fadeaway jump shot, the unnatural ease by which he floats through the lane and the work ethic he puts on display hours before the US Airways Center is even near capacity. Steve Nash isn’t just a two-time MVP or a seven-time All-Star, he’s the face of not only a fading Phoenix Suns team, but of a city whose professional sports identity has withered away in recent years as iconic stars like Luis Gonzalez, Randy Johnson and Kurt Warner quietly walked away when their ticking clocks finally wound down.

But with Nash’s Suns falling further behind in the Western Conference standings (15-21), currently sitting in the uncomfortable position of 11th place, where does Suns owner Robert Sarver and Co. go from here? Perhaps Chris Webber was right: It may finally be time to “Free Steve Nash.” Read More »

The Phoenix Suns have rolled through three general managers, three coaches and a slew of All-Stars and talented role players since 2005. After the sale of the franchise from long-time sports owner Jerry Colangelo to businessman Robert Sarver, this question looms: How much time does a team under new ownership need to settle down?

Composing winning teams in the NBA means team ownership must pair talented players with adaptable coaches. But championship-caliber teams keep those pieces static. Retaining players and coaches requires that the ownership have patience and trust in everyone in the organization –- no panicking allowed. 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 »