Will Bynum is not the only guy from the Chi who has handles. Derrick Rose had some ridiculous crossovers last year and is resorting back to old habits. Against the Thunder last night, D-Rose victimized Thabo Sefolosha by luring him in with a couple of casual between the legs dribbles before faking left and crossing over. Read More »

Since hearing about the relaunch of NBA Jam last week, the talk of the office has been which players are going to make it in the game. As you know, the best part of NBA Jam back in the day was the player combinations. With that in mind, EA Sports has come through, giving fans the chance to select which three players from each team they would like to see represented in the revival. Read More »

Sometimes he’s the enforcer. Sometimes he’s the fullback. Sometimes he’s the safety outlet. Sometimes he’s the emotional center. Whatever you want to call him, he’s usually not the star of the team; he’s the guy the star can’t win without.

The NBA is set up for each team to have its superstar (or two), who is then surrounded by role players. And truth be told, there isn’t that much difference between the superstars — Kobe and Brandon Roy can go shot-for-shot on any given night, same goes for Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki, and so on — but what separates stars with rings to stars without are the role players. Read More »

Some extended thoughts from the last night’s games that weren’t big enough to warrant an entire column …

WANTED: SOONER SHOOTER Before we start talking about Oklahoma City as a juggernaut for the next decade, or even as a tough out in the 2010 playoffs, the Thunder need to get another shooter.

After Chris Paul shredded their D for an easy layup with 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter, OKC trailed by three. Obviously they would have to go to Kevin Durant, as he’s not only their go-to superstar, but also the only real three-point threat on the court, with James Harden (35% from deep) running a distant second. Read More »

Apparently Rodney Stuckey got his holidays mixed up, because he treated New Year’s Eve like it was Halloween, trying his best to fill out an Isiah Thomas costume. In the first quarter of Pistons/Bulls, Stuckey got the ball on a fast break and planted his left foot wrong, dropping to the floor with a sprained ankle. Pulling himself off the floor like Zeke in ‘88 Finals, Stuckey toughed it out until a little later in the half, when he was coming around a corner and rolled the ankle again. Stuck left after that one, but soon returned and played the rest of the game in obvious pain while still putting up a team-high 22 points … Read More »

In the ’80s, it was all about the “Showtime” Lakers. Then it was MJ’s Bulls that ruled the ’90s, and the Lakers and Spurs took turns dominating the last 10 years. With a new year and a new decade on the horizon, it begs the question:

Who will be the team of the next decade?

The easy answer would be whatever team LeBron is on, or whatever team D-Wade is on. But it’s hard to say that when you don’t even know which teams (or team) that will be. Read More »

“Just like the point guards, [there's] a diverse mix of old and young, shooters and slashers, champions and franchise players. Looking at this season’s rosters, almost every team has an established or budding star at the three, with every night providing multiple marquee matchups. Basically, reason No. 295 why you need to get NBA League Pass.”

That was from Dime’s NBA season preview issue, regarding the beginning of what looks like a golden era for small forwards. And Sunday was one of those nights we talked about, where the small forwards shined everywhere. The main event had LeBron and Kevin Durant squaring off in Oklahoma City, and ‘Bron turned in maybe his best performance of the year. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Dirk Nowitzki was an absolute animal last night, putting up 40 points on 55 percent (12-22) shooting from the field and 94 percent (15-16) from the line, chipping in a three-pointer along with 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 5 blocks and no turnovers. He scored 29 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, playing like Mehmet Okur bad-mouthed David Hasselhoff. You can’t get much better than this in fantasy ball and Diggler is in for a great year. Read More »

Last week I was writing about the possible contract extensions for guys in the 2006 NBA Draft class, and how to-date only Andrea Bargnani, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy had received them. Then the other day word broke that Thabo Sefolosha signed a four-year, around $14 million extension with the Thunder, leaving guys like Rajon Rondo, Rudy Gay and Tyrus Thomas waiting for an offer. Good news though: the league has pushed back the deadline from Saturday to Monday. Read More »

We argue. You decide.

RAY ALLEN (by Ben York) “I want to take Ray Allen’s jump shot out for dinner to the best restaurant every night. I want to marry it and raise a family with it. It’s so f’ing pretty. It’s a g**damn thing of beauty.”

Couldn’t say it any better than that.

To be fair, as we all know, there are dozens of other assets to being a great NBA player besides a pretty jump shot. But, holy hell is that thing pretty; and it’s been consistently gorgeous for 14 years in the league. Read More »