Each week Court Grip will bring you a prime basketball highlight made possible by having an edge – in skills, performance and technology. This week features Jamal Crawford‘s second appearance in the last three weeks [Watch him murder Rudy Gay with a crossover]. Watch what Jamal did last night to one of his long-time recurring victims, Ray Allen. Read More »

How hard could the recruitment of Ray Allen been, really, for Miami? Playing alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade has its perks. So does this place he calls temporary home, according to Curbed Miami, for $50,000 a month. Hit the jump to see a video tour of the $13.9 million, 10 bedroom, 9.5 baths, 11,533-square-foot rental home he’s renting in Miami — complete with a private, man-made beach. Read More »

We don’t want to say we called it, but… we kinda did. After Ray Allen splashed his first shot of the season on a wide-open corner triple, we noted that he’s pretty much automatic from that area. If he gets a look from the corner, you might as well start walking down to the other end. Well last night in Miami’s wild 119-116 win over Denver (the Nuggets offense finally showed up for the first time this year), the Nuggets had a one-point lead in the closing seconds before LeBron James (20 points, nine boards, 11 assists) drove hard to the rim and found Jesus wide open in the corner. Read More »

It’s not where you start, but when you play. Like a baseball middle reliever shoring up the mess a starter left behind or holding the lead the starter built, the best Sixth Men hold the line given them, then build on it with their own play. There’s a certain distinction that goes along with being a starter, but there’s something devastating about changing the flow of a game at the first substitution. These 10 all have that capability, and it’s why they’re the top 10 candidates for 2012-13 Sixth Man of the Year. All week Dime has counted down the best rookies and best coach for our awards predictions. Today, let’s look at the super subs. Read More »

If you thought old age might calm down Kevin Garnett, you were wrong. He’s getting worse, and his famed intensity often has him acting stupid. Take last night for instance. Ray Allen and the Celtics were exchanging barbs all summer after Jesus left New England to take less money and live on South Beach. What originally started as a reported beef between Allen and Rajon Rondo escalated into Allen versus the entire team, with KG in the center of it. Read More »

It’s a new season in the NBA, the Heat and LeBron James have new championship rings, and yet nothing has changed. You still got the haves and the have-nots, which was easily apparent switching back and forth between the freshman ball (Wizards/Cavs) and the varsity (Celtics/Heat). The fans still don’t understand the concept behind the MVP chant (Seriously? In the first game of the season?) And Kevin Garnett is still super ornery. Read More »

Tonight is the night: The NBA is back in business. The moment that we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. We’re seeing the real deal tonight — no longer are we stuck in preseason mode or Summer League.

For some of us, this is like Christmas in October. I’ve been waiting for this day since June and I’m sure that many of you have had the same feeling, too. Read More »

When most fans of the NBA think about reserve players, they think about the best sixth men. The role of the sixth man continues to grow as fans see guys like James Harden (pre-Houston), Jason Terry and Manu Ginobili “ball out” for their respective teams.

However, having super-subs doesn’t necessarily mean a team has a strong bench. Many times those elite sixth men primarily play with the starters, and don’t develop the same on-court chemistry with the other subs on the roster. Read More »

In the midst of the NBA’s point guard revolution, the off guards have lived up to another moniker — cast to the side, buried underneath near endless highlight reels of Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose.

But even with positions as fluent as they’ve ever been, the shooting guard remains an all-important cog in the NBA lineup. Some of the league’s best players, old and young, occupy the position once defined by Michael Jordan, and a close look reveals a surprisingly deep crop of talent. Read More »

Shooting is tough enough with a hand in your face. But wait just a second, Miami’s players are saying: try shooting with no one near you. The LeBron James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh trio is so good at bunching defenders together in one place that it’s leaving Heat shooters in a predicament few would consider a drawback. They’re simply too wide open. “You’re naked,” Shane Battier told the Sun-Sentinel today. Read More »