Do you need a point guard? With so many little guys infiltrating the NBA these days, you’d think many teams would be aching to ship off some of their smaller contributors. But for every five me-first, get-my-own, shoot-‘till-my-arm-is-numb lil’ guys, we might have one legit point guard left. They’re a dying breed, even as teams line their benches with quick-hitting spark plugs. At this point, there are a few guys available, and you take what you can get – shoot-first or not – as long as they can run an offense. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Kyle Lowry lit up the Lakers for 22 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and four three-pointers. He shot 42 percent (8-19) from the field, 100 percent from the free-throw line (2-2) and turned the ball over twice. Believe it or not, Lowry is putting up top three overall averages so far this NBA season. Read More »

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Another week, another DimeBag. We’re a little downtrodden this week – okay, let’s be honest – depressingly terrified of the owners’ “take it or leave it” demands, or, the day basketball blew up in a puff of immature bargaining smoke. It’s a sad state of affairs, especially when the owners can roll around in their leverage and hurl ridiculous ultimatums wrapped in extended middle fingers. Alright, enough lockout talk. Let’s get to the mindless minutae that will carry us through. Read More »

We all might be angry… at the very least, extremely frustrated. It’s gotten so annoying that even Bill Clinton showed up, showing the players support and handing out his book, “Back To Work.” But some folks around the league are voicing a different opinion. They’re calling it “sad.” No, the efforts of guys like Steve Blake didn’t come through in the clutch yesterday. The players rejected the owners’ latest offer (apparently no one wanted the deal) with Derek Fisher simply saying it’s not good enough, even though it might just be the best offer they get from here on out. But before you start submitting yourself to ugly Eastern Illinois vs. Indiana State games – either that or drinking away your sorrows – the two sides did leave some hope for today. Read More »

Thank God for Steve Blake. The man who couldn’t hit a shot to save the Lakers’ season in the playoffs might just be bold enough to save the NBA season. Sam Amick and Adrian Wojnarowski broke the story on Twitter, saying Blake is doing whatever he can to rally the troops, and gain support for a vote by Wednesday. He’s irate at the union and wants to play. He’s not pushing them to take the deal; He just wants a vote. A few other players, and some big names like Kobe Bryant and LaMarcus Aldridge, are willing to look into this deal the owners are offering. Amick even said he called two agents who represent 19 players in total, and that every one of those players wanted to take the NBA’s deal. Read More »

We tend to highlight the Rashard Lewises and Eddy Currys whose contracts, concocted largely in part by NBA front offices, lead to pro ball purgatory (i.e. the NBA Lockout). However we often lose sight of the other end of the spectrum on the road to a new CBA: second round draft picks. USA Today published a piece on second round rookies like Travis Leslie, Isaiah Thomas and Josh Selby and how they’ve managed their finances, or relative lack thereof, until play resumes. Read More »

What if Charles Barkley could be quiet? The world would end. The Chuckster may not be in NBA 2K12, but he’s still letting his voice be heard one way or another, mentioning on the “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000 that he doesn’t think Derrick Rose should go overseas and play. Actually, Barkley doesn’t think any great player should do it. It’s too much of a risk, and the incentive to actually make a move like that isn’t large enough. Read More »

Before cameras on cell phones and the advent of Flip cams, normally what happened in a gym stayed there. There was no export to YouTube or Facebook option, and if something went down, it was between the people involved and whomever was there to witness it. So when rising senior Steve Blake and incoming freshman John Gilchrist got into it on July 2, 2002 during a pickup game at University of Maryland’s Cole Field House after Gary Williams Basketball Camp, word travelled fast, but that was about it. Nine years later, we have video. Read More »

“To master a skill, you need 10,000 hours of practice.” That is an old adage that if taken too literal, could be a theory that comes back to hurt you in the long run. Literally.

For Northern Illinois University (NIU) guard Xavier Silas, he found that out the hard way while preparing for his junior season, his first with the team after transferring from the University of Colorado in 2009. He was originally recruited by head coach Ricardo Patton en route to Colorado, but when Patton left it blazed the trail for Silas to follow him to NIU. Read More »

MTV’s Extreme Makeover needs to get at the Lakers. From Ugly Betty to Brooklyn Decker, no one can figure out how they do it. All year long, they have that just-got-out-of-bed sluggishness. Then spring comes around with all that fresh air and nice weather and all of a sudden, they look completely different and they are out there dunking on people, staring people down and tossing opposing coaches aside. Dallas invaded L.A. last night. They were left with a reminder: the champ is here … Read More »