The reserves for this month’s NBA All-Star Game in Orlando were announced last night, and while I don’t agree with all of them, I DEFINITELY am not feeling Kenny and Chuck‘s reasoning. Listen, the All-Star selection process is fundamentally flawed as it is. Inevitably it comes down to what you deem worthy – is it wins? numbers? impact? – and inevitably, that’s different for everyone. But I’m sorry: Smith and Barkley were way off last night. Read More »

Skyrim is perched over my shoulder like a dark cloud, so I’m extra grateful the guys at Activision hooked me up with an Elite subscription. Now Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 can’t get old. For those of you who have the Elite pass, you’ve probably spent the last few days scampering around the endless staircases of Piazza, and slipping from bush to bunker in Liberation. It’s been a week now since the first content drop, and in-between Blake Griffin dunking on Kendrick Perkins so bad he had to delete his Twitter and the Orlando Magic turning into the Orlando Tragic, I’ve logged my share of time in the trenches. Read More »

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Beast of the Night: Tyson Chandler posted 20 points, 13 rebounds, one assist, three steals and three blocks last night against the Bobcats. He shot 88 percent (7-8) from the floor and 75 percent (6-8) from the free-throw line, and didn’t have any turnovers. Though he’s been a bit inconsistent, Chandler is averaging 12.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 turnovers per game, while shooting 73 percent from the field and 79 percent from the line. Those are top 10 numbers. He’s also playing nearly six more minutes per game than he did last season. So long as he’s healthy, Chandler’s a very helpful fantasy player. Read More »

The Knicks haven’t exactly been outclassing people, but a win is a win even if it took them all of 48 minutes to get one over the Bobcats. Carmelo Anthony (6-for-18, 22 points) struggled for most of the night, but when it counted he hit the buckets and free throws, and gobbled up enough boards to send New York home with a much-needed four-point win. Charlotte had their chances. Down one in the final 20 seconds, D.J. White missed a crazy jumper off the bounce (who drew that one up?). Then, D.J. Augustin (12 points, eight boards) hit a wild three on the following possession to make it a one-point game. Read More »

The Dallas Mavericks haven’t won an NBA game in over six months. A crazy thought, but then again their last win on June 12 won them a championship. Mark Cuban isn’t worried about the Mavs’ 0-3 start this year, but should Dallas fans trust in the owner’s confidence? Read More »

Whereas last summer reshaped the NBA and as a byproduct of that, helped usher in the extended lockout, the upcoming abbreviated free agency period won’t include a single franchise player. There are probably no future Hall of Famers available. Hell, there might not even be a single All-Star out there. But what is being given up will be replaced in a frenzy. The signings and player movement will be fast and furious, and without any sure things, there will be plenty of opportunities to criticize GMs who panic and throw ridiculous contracts at simply average players. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Carmelo Anthony kicked off the 2011-12 NBA season in a big way, finishing Christmas Day with 37 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block and four threes. He shot 59 percent (10-17) from the floor, hit 87 percent (13-15) of his free throws and had five turnovers. ‘Melo clearly thrives in that Knicks offense and will prove himself worthy of a first-round pick this season. Read More »

“Alas! How dreary would be the world if there was no Santa Claus!” Francis P. Church wrote those words in the New York Sun way back in 1897, responding to the inquiry of a young girl by the name of Virginia. Today, with the holidays in full swing and the (lockout shortened) NBA season set to begin, we wanted to take a look at the league’s most charitable on-court players – the ones you would much rather be playing with as opposed to against. Whether they are passing up shots in favor of assists, grabbing tough boards, playing tight defense, diving on the floor for loose balls, forfeiting minutes to youngsters and touches to superstars, or simply reveling in unselfishness and team leadership, these are the guys that will sacrifice and give of themselves for the betterment and happiness of their teammates and franchises. Read More »

Are you making some bets and need help deciding who to take this Christmas Day? Check out the simulations from NBA 2K12. Okay, I wouldn’t do that, but as the most realistic sports video game yet, these videos are a good start. In anticipation of opening day in the NBA, 2K12 simulated all five scheduled games in an attempt to predict who will come out on top. While you might disagree with the results, the means are justified. The game recently released an update with pretty much every roster move that took place over the course of this offseason, including adding rookies, free agent signings, foreign players and even Metta World Peace. Read More »