- Zach Lowe of Grantland explains how fandom is lost once you become a writer: “I caught myself several times during that series: The Knicks were playing the Celtics, and zero emotion registered in my body. I wasn’t happy about it, or sad. It was just part of life now. Every NBA writer has his or her favorite teams, and some writers are quite public about their present and past loyalties. But fandom, for me, was just an artifact of a past life. And if I’m being honest, it was almost something I’d come to attach a negative meaning to. Hard-core fans were the ones calling me nasty names on Twitter, or proposing crazy, cap-violating trades in which their favorite team gave up nothing of meaning and received a superstar player. Growing detached from the fan experience is healthy for an objective writer, but it’s also dangerous. It creates barriers.”
Carmelo Anthony and Mike Woodson really like the small-ball lineup of the New York Knicks, from Ian Begley of ESPN NY: “I really like [it]. I don’t have no problem with that. We have had success with that. It seems to be working right now,” Anthony said after Thursday’s win over Cleveland. The Knicks have won four in a row since going to a smaller lineup. And they’ve looked like a different team on offense… For the season, New York is averaging 105 points per 100 possessions. Over the last four games, playing small ball, the Knicks are scoring 125 points per 100 possessions. “I think the small lineup, we know that that works. Hey, I don’t know if I’ll even go back, go away from it at this time,” Mike Woodson said. “I don’t know.”
Woodson is with La La Anthony when it comes to believing Anthony will remain with the Knicks, from Roger Rubin of Daily News: “Carmelo Anthony’s wife says she believes the free agent-to-be “definitely” will stay with the Knicks. “I love it. I’ve been saying the same thing. I think he’s going to stay,” Woodson said Wednesday during his weekly spot on ESPN New York 98.7 FM. “I want him to stay. I think New York fans, they need him here.”… “These past three years the way he’s played has been tremendous,” Woodson said. “If he ends his career here, I think he won’t ever look back and say ‘I should have’ or ‘I could have.” I don’t think that’s ever been an issue. I think Melo was built for New York. I hope he stays here as well.”
Deron Williams says it was hard to recruit free agents when he was with the Utah Jazz, from Stefan Bondy of Daily News: “To me, it really wasn’t big market or small market. It was kind of my options (when I was a free agent). I got traded here. I don’t know if I would’ve looked here if I wasn’t traded here,” Williams told the Daily News. “For someone like (Durant), I think it makes a bigger difference because of the endorsements he’d command in a market like this. I mean, look at what he’s already doing in Oklahoma City. But at the same time, maybe he’s such a big name that it doesn’t matter where he’s at. If LeBron would’ve stayed in Cleveland, he still gets $150 (million) from Nike.”… “It’s hard to get free agents to come (to Utah) and play. … People get a bad perception of Salt Lake City,” he said. “That’s what I was talking about. It’s not so much the size of the market. It’s the perception which is like, ‘Mormon, no fun.'”
Executives believe Chris Bosh will be the one to go if Big 3 breaks up, from Chad Ford of ESPN (h/t Real GM): Chad Ford is skeptical of whether the Big 3 of the Miami Heat will remain on the roster heading into the 14-15 season. “Doubt it,” wrote Ford about LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade all remaining with the Heat beyond the current season. “But I’m not sure it will be LeBron that leaves. From what I can gather talking to teams and agents around the league, it’s Chris Bosh who is the most likely to leave. LeBron and Wade are so good, I think we all forget what a force Bosh can be. Lots of teams would give him the max and feature him in ways Miami can’t. LeBron might leave, but I think the odds are in Miami’s favor.”
- Dwyane Wade is still unsure on whether he will play in the All-Star game, from Shandel Richardson of Sun Sentinel:
Dwyane Wade still mulling the All Star Game. Will decide that week.
— Shandel Richardson (@ShandelRich) January 29, 2014
LeBron James thinks “growing in passing” is “retarded”. He then apologized for using that particular term, from Jason Lieser of Palm Beach Post: “Heat star LeBron James gave an unprompted apology tonight for using the word ‘retarded’ in a pre-game comment. An hour or so before losing 112-95 to Oklahoma City, James was asked about Thunder forward Kevin Durant’s improvement as a passer and replied, “I actually think that’s a pretty funny thing when people say ‘people’s growth of passing the ball.’ That is retarded to me. Kevin Durant’s growth of being a passer? That’s part of basketball.” Before taking questions after the game, he opened by saying, “I used the word ‘retarded’ before the game. Obviously it had nothing to do with kids that are underprivileged. It’s no knock on them. It’s a word that’s been around for a long time where I grew up. It’s a bad habit. I’ll try to break it. If I use it again– I’m gonna try to do my best not to. I mean no disrespect.”
James Park is the chief blogger of Sheridan Hoops. You can find him on twitter @SheridanBlog.
Pages: 1 2
why is JR smith making a shot, why is this a story? Why is Dragic’s destruction of the usually very good george hill not even mentioned by any major hoop outlets? Why do hear about the pathetic cavs and almost as bad Knickjs???
When an NBA player makes another NBA player fall with a crossover, it usually makes it into blogs. You’ll question why write about bad teams, others will wonder why other blogs only talk about the good teams. Can’t make everyone happy, my man.