It’s a misnomer to call Thursday’s picks for the rest of the All-Star squads “reserves” considering their place as some of the world’s best ballers, but we learned who filled out the All-Star rosters last night on TNT. Some experts weren’t thrilled by all the picks, which opens up the annual conversation: Do fans want the big names or should they deserve the best in the moment? A perfect example is LaMarcus Aldridge, who was balling last season in Portland but got cut because he wasn’t a hot name. He got his much-deserved All-Star spot last night. Paul Pierce, Luol Deng and Dirk Nowitzki, though? And no Rondo? Read More »
Well Derrick Rose had a nice day. He got paid and became a made man in Chicago if he wasn’t already one. Then in the capper, he methodically picked apart everyone’s Eastern Conference sleeper, Indiana, in Chicago’s 93-85 win. We felt like it was April and we were back in the first round of the playoffs again. Rose (12 points, nine assists) was destroying Darren Collison (1-for-7, six points), Psycho T was doing his bowling ball routine (24 points, 13 rebounds) and the Bulls’ defense was more suffocating than an only child’s mother, holding Indiana to 36 percent from the field. Read More »
“He’s incredible. The Broncos gave him NO shot! They don’t believe in him. John Fox and John Elway are secretly hoping he screws up so they can point their noses up at fans and say ‘I told you so!’ Tim Tebow has the clutch gene. This kid is special.”
Forgive me for getting my Skip Tebow on for just a second but I had to vent. Tim Tebow may not be a great player in the historical sense of the word – we don’t even really need to argue whether he can pass well enough to make it longterm or if he’s simply a fad. Tebow has become the story of the NFL season because he’s done the incredible. He turned a weak Denver team in a probable playoff and division-winning group that has so much confidence trailing in the fourth quarter that teams should probably start thinking about letting them take leads. Read More »
You know big expectations are in store when you win by 16 points and yet the opposing crowd is still chanting overrated. But that’s just how it’s going to be all season for North Carolina. UNC Asheville isn’t much competition, no matter what Tyler Zeller (27 points) tried to say after the game was over. North Carolina did the same thing on Sunday that they did against Michigan State: play well enough to take control, and go on cruise control the rest of the way. Honestly, this team is so loaded with star power that they can get away with it. Yesterday, it wasn’t just Zeller but all of the big guns. Harrison Barnes dropped another cool 17 points, but was still out-shined by Kendall Marshall (15 assists) and John Henson (20 points, 12 rebounds). It is still early, but do you think they are at all overrated? … Read More »
I have no problem saying Burger King makes the best fries. But McDonald’s won’t send me back home shuffling through my refrigerator at 2 a.m. on a Saturday night either. One version is crispier. The other feels like it needs another two minutes in the oven. Both do the job. Both taste really good. Try comparing NBA teams. It’s nearly impossible when those squads are coming from differing situations. From the players, ownership, the fans and even the style of play or storylines surrounding a team, no two situations will be entirely alike. You can’t compare style. Playoff teams? We’ve seen 65-win juggernauts, lousy 40-win teams getting in only because their timing was so good, and then everything in-between. Read More »
We need you Michael. More than ever. It must be hard for so many of today’s stars, living in Jordan’s shadow. Let’s face it, he’s still a dominating presence in the game, and still holds the attention of the general public. When he says something, people listen. Players might not wilt in the face of the GOAT anymore, but they still love him and they still respect him. As Reggie Miller said recently, he was perhaps the biggest factor in ending the last lockout in 1998-99. When he got involved, everyone listened, from smitten players to hardened owners. They knew his value, his prestige. So where has he been this whole offseason? Read More »
Earlier this week, NBA legends Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller and powerful player agent, Mark Bartelstein, jumped onto NBA TV’s Game Time to talk about the depressing state of affairs in the NBA. Barkley has voiced his opinion constantly for the last six months or so, and he’s always believed we were going to miss the entire season. Both Barkley and Miller don’t see this lockout playing out like the last one (1998-99) at all, and Miller especially voices his criticism of today’s stars not stepping up the way MJ did. That’s not a good look. We could be in for a long wait. Check out some of the highlights from the conversation after the jump. Read More »
You want to know how many Reggie Miller threes I watched as a kid? Boom baby! became one of my catch phrases. Not only am I yelling it at least 10 times during every basketball video game I play, but I use it in real-life situations as well (it’s a bad habit). Because of so many huge playoff moments, Miller was one of the faces of the ’90s generation. The question for me though is was it warranted? In 18 years, he only made three All-NBA teams and five All-Star games. At the same time, he dropped over 25K points and is the owner of dozens of memorable clutch shots…
Let’s thank Andrew Bynum for pointing out the obvious: the Lakers were steamrolled in the playoffs by Dallas because they were tired, mentally and physically, they were overconfident and cocky, they didn’t totally respect the Mavs (who seriously did?) and they felt they could turn it on and off. The three-peat didn’t happen, it ended ugly, and now no one really knows what their future holds. Bynum wants everyone to be more accountable. He called out the whole team, including himself. For the Lakers to get back to the apex, Bynum needs to not only stay healthy, but also mature. Read More »
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