FRESH PICKINGS Devin Harris (26 percent owned in Yahoo!, nine percent in ESPN) Lou Williams, one of the NBA’s biggest spark plugs, recently suffered a devastating knee injury which will keep him out for the rest of the season, and perhaps the beginning of next season, too. So who on the Atlanta Hawks will step up? You can expect an uptick in minutes from DeShawn Stevenson, Anthony Morrow and rookie John Jenkins, but I think the one to own is Devin Harris. Read More »

When most fans of the NBA think about reserve players, they think about the best sixth men. The role of the sixth man continues to grow as fans see guys like James Harden (pre-Houston), Jason Terry and Manu Ginobili “ball out” for their respective teams.

However, having super-subs doesn’t necessarily mean a team has a strong bench. Many times those elite sixth men primarily play with the starters, and don’t develop the same on-court chemistry with the other subs on the roster. Read More »

Do positions even matter anymore? They feel arbitrary. Shooting guards and small forwards should be wings or swingmen. Power forwards and centers should just be bigs. Most of the time, those are the terms people within the sport use. But for fans and the media, having specific one through five positions help to make sense of it all. Read More »

Is this End of Dwightmare Eve? Could the league’s best center — who also leads the NBA in being publicly disgruntled — actually be leaving for Laker pastures? It’s almost a near certainty that by this time tomorrow, Howard will be readying for his official debut as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers’ storied tradition of centers. Wilt, Kareem and Shaq also arrived at Los Angeles from another stop elsewhere, and all went on to next-level careers in the purple and gold. It’s time to introduce the wet blanket on this party in Lakerland, however: “IF.” Read More »

Yesterday, we brought you our list of the top 25 most overpaid players in the League. Today, we’re taking a break from condemnation and doling out some praise. Although the number is smaller, plenty of NBAers deserve a little more cash. Whether it’s because they’re on their rookie contracts or they exploded after signing a long-term deal, some guys could have some serious contract gripes. Here are, in our estimation, 25 of those underpaid players, beginning with No. 25. Read More »

According to Chris Broussard, multiple teams are targeting the youthful core of the Denver Nuggets. Broussard specifically notes one deal, however: the Golden State Warriors’ No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft for Wilson Chandler. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Kevin Durant posted 32 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, a block and a three-pointer last night. He shot 56 percent (10-18) from the field and 100 percent (11-11) from the free-throw line, and turned the ball over four times. This was a nice bounce-back game after notching a mediocre 18/6/2 (along with six turnovers) the night before. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Dirk Nowitzki finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, a block and three three-pointers in just 31:21 of work last night. He shot 63 percent (12-19) from the floor and 75 percent (6-8) from the free-throw line, and had three turnovers. Diggler’s finally clicking and has been a top 15 contributor in the past month. Read More »

Actually, we’re not even sure we should call Orlando a contender after last night. They fell apart and surrendered to Carlos Boozer and the Bulls, 85-59. At home. With Derrick Rose in street clothes. Boozer had 24 and 13 while John Lucas III continued to play out of his mind, burning Orlando in the first quarter and finishing with 20 points in 21 minutes, and helping steer Tom Thibodeau to 100 career coaching wins. Thibs is also the fastest coach in NBA history to reach that milestone … Read More »

As the second half begins, Dime looks at a burning question facing each team. Here’s the Northwest Division.

*** *** ***

Oklahoma City Thunder When do the Thunder get tired? When OKC gets tired as the playoffs get closer, Scott Brooks will look to rest his team, even if it is one of the league’s youngest rosters. That, in turn, means a search for regaining momentum before the playoffs start — the proverbial “flipped switch.” The Thunder made a Western Conference Finals run last year and are tied for an NBA-best 27-7 with Miami, but their sample size is still too small to have full confidence in their playoff maturity. Read More »