As a personal purveyor of the beard, I have a special affinity towards players that rock ‘em on the court. So that’s why I was so excited to see James Harden tweet the following question last week: In the NBA what’s yall top 5 all beard team by position? At first you think this might be easy, but it’s the by position that makes it hard. Here we go… Read More »

Dwyane Wade needed a team like the Warriors on the schedule last night. In just his second game back from the calf injury that cost him four crucial games as the Heat try to stay in the playoff picture, Wade was coming off a 6-for-17 effort against Orlando; G-State’s crew of D-League call-ups running Nellie’s defensive “system” was the perfect opportunity to get back in rhythm … Wade finished with 35 points (15-23 FG) and 12 assists — throwing in crazy-angle bankers, pull-ups, finger rolls and one alley-oop from Carlos Arroyo where he had to move his head out of the way so he wouldn’t hit the rim — but the Heat still got all they could handle for a Warriors squad whose roster of injured guys would beat the healthy guys more often than not. Read More »

Forget Siskel & Ebert & Roeper, next time I’m looking for a movie critique I’m gonna hit up Ronny Turiaf. Check out as the Warriors’ energy guy reviews 2009 releases “The Hangover” and “Law Abiding Citizen.”

Working at Dime Magazine, a ton of headlines, news and opinions pass through our website each week. Everyday a new story breaks and we change our focus to the next game on the schedule. Before this week gets started, I’ll take the time to reflect on what the NBA taught me last week. Read More »

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never seen consecutive nights with nasty blocks on Kobe. First it was Robin Lopez with the chase down block, and now his former teammate Ronny Turiaf rising to block the Black Mamba’s dunk.

One 15-second sequence before halftime of Cavs/Hawks delivered the kind of excitement promised by a national TV matchup of the two best teams in the East (watch out for the batteries and water bottles being thrown by Boston and Orlando fans), but it was some unexciting basic defense that proved the difference down the stretch … Read More »

Logically, after ticking off points, rebounds, assists and steals, it’s time to move on to looking at late-round players who can help you in the blocks category. This is a list of big men, naturally, so most can help field goal percentage as well, but our focus today is on blocks. Listed below, in no particular order, are some players that will likely be available in the later rounds of your fantasy drafts and can help fulfill your need for blocks. As always, let us know what you think. Read More »

In yesterday’s gold-medal game at the FIBA European Championships, Spain made their opening-round hiccup against Serbia look exactly like what it was — a random hiccup. In a rematch with Serbia, Pau Gasol’s crew waxed the opposition, going up by 15 in the first quarter, making it a 20-piece McNugget by the second quarter, and ultimately winning by 22. Big brother Gasol led the way with 18 points, 11 boards and three blocks, while Rudy Fernandez scored 13 and J.C. Navarro added 12 points. Ricky Rubio had 10 points and one assist. Spain dominated the glass, getting almost as many offensive boards (18) as Serbia had total rebounds (24). Read More »

Even before the tournament field was set, Spain vs. France was the most anticipated matchup at the FIBA European Championships. With both squads only missing a couple of their high-profile players — Jose Calderon and Sergio Rodriguez for Spain, Joakim Noah and Mickael Pietrus for France — these were clearly the two most star-studded rosters and favorites in the tourney. Throw in the drama of Spain looking very vulnerable thanks to some early-round struggles, and it was at least expected to be interesting. But then in yesterday’s quarterfinal matchup, Spain laid the hammer down in a 20-piecing that wasn’t even competitive. Rudy Fernandez (16 pts, 6 stls, 5 rebs) knocked down three triples in the first quarter as Spain got out to a blazing start and never looked back. Read More »

Even if you’re one of those who believes Allen Iverson is washed up at 34 years old and has nothing left, you have to admit the Grizzlies made a smart move by bringing him in for a one-year rental. The weeks of rumors finally became (almost) official yesterday, as both Iverson and Memphis management confirmed an agreement had been reached, with a contract signing and press conference soon to follow. And really, what’s the worst that can happen here? Memphis was headed for the Lottery anyway in a tough Southwest Division (Spurs, Mavs, Hornets, Rockets), and it’s not like O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay need somebody to show them how to be ball-hogs. Read More »