Is there any team in the league that pisses off basketball fans more than Atlanta? In reality though, why should we get so aggravated when they struggle? As Reggie and Charles pointed out, you’re only as good as your best player. Despite that, with LeBron and Dwyane Wade dressed up (What the hell was that shirt ‘Bron had on?) on the sidelines, the Heat rode Chris Bosh (33 points, 14 rebounds) and a bunch of role players to a surprising 116-109 win in triple OT. Read More »

New Jersey will be coming for that NYC crown soon enough, but at least for now, the Knicks are still the big brother. Even if it was preseason, New York gets bragging rights for at least a few more weeks, beating the Nets in Newark 92-83. While we can’t take too much away from a preseason game – c’mon, Renaldo Balkman led everyone with 20 – both teams got some nice contributions from their role players. Rookie Iman Shumpert (16 points) outplayed every other perimeter player for the Knicks, and rookie Marshon Brooks (10 points) and Anthony Morrow (15 points) put in work from the perimeter … At least offensively, Amar’e Stoudemire (10 points) and Carmelo Anthony (17 points in three quarters) looked pretty in-tune for the first preseason game. Read More »

Didn’t we kinda sorta predict this? Stephen Jackson hasn’t been practicing up in Milwaukee because of some back spasms, but some are saying he’s been sitting out for entirely different reasons. Reportedly, Jackson isn’t happy with his contract, one that will pay him over $9 million this season and $10 million next season. He wanted an extension in Charlotte – as a 33-year-old, you know the guaranteed years are weighing heavily on him – and the Bobcats decided to ship him out instead of offering one. Jackson hasn’t said a word about it during training camp. Read More »

For a team that has been sooo agonizingly close to pulling off huge acquisitions for the franchise, the Nets are now sort of a mess. And in lots of ways they’re in a borderline disastrous spot.

The team is now no closer to Dwight Howard than they were two weeks ago, and with this guy staying home, and the regular season less than two weeks away, they don’t have much of a roster. Read More »

On Friday, when we posted the unfortunate news about Brandon Roy being forced into medical retirement, we were moved by the instant outpouring of love for B-Roy from our readers. So we thought today was as good as any to post Roy’s national magazine cover debut from Dime #48. Read More »

It’s always sad to see teams feel forced into a trade in preparation of the inevitable. But if a franchise can’t make a convincing argument for a player to stay – whether it be a competitive roster or boatloads of cash – then there’s nothing they can do. Like any investment that doesn’t pan out, businesses have to cut their losses and make the best move for the future. We saw this last season with the trades of Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams to the Eastern Conference, and could see it again real soon in the case of Dwight Howard. Read More »

There has been a lot of talk over the last several weeks about the new CBA’s “Amnesty Clause” for NBA teams. In it’s most basic sense, the clause is a do-over for teams, where they can rid themselves of one hideous contract. So in a league awash in bad deals that cripple teams, the rule would provide the option to eliminate the absolute worst of the worse. (Stuff you need to know: it’s not as easy as just eliminating a contract. Check this out for the details of the clause.)

Depending on how many teams decide to use the clause, there could be a lot of very talented NBA players instantly unemployed. So who are the best of the “worst” players who could potentially be available? Here are my Top 5: Read More »

So they think they need a committee to study this stuff huh? It shouldn’t take a genius or even a formulation of a number of basketball minds to figure this one out, but as Yahoo! Sports is reporting, the NBA and the Player’s Association are discussing whether to form a committee to study the age minimum for the NBA draft with “the possibility that no immediate changes to the ‘one-and-done’ rule will come in the finalization of the new collective bargaining agreement.”

Good. Maybe they’ll finally discover what I’ve been saying all along. Read More »

The New Jersey Nets really don’t offer that much from a fantasy perspective. While they have two prominent fantasy assets, the problem is that one is a point guard whose wrist may require a dose of caution, and the other is a big man who seems to have something of an allergy to rebounds. The team’s activities during the next window of free agency will ultimately determine its appeal – and the possibility for Kardashian jokes. Read More »

When O.J. Mayo told Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix there were times last year where he wasn’t sure he even wanted to play basketball anymore, my eyes opened. I’ll admit that Mayo is and always will be one of my favorite players. His ruthlessness in high school hooked me. Three years into his pro career, I never would’ve guessed that someone had stolen his confidence. But it definitely happened.

One thing you realize when speaking to enough players is that it’s more about the situation than it is the player. Sure, there are times when someone loses motivation, and their game falls off. But take away the very best players in the world, and what do you have left? Read More »