When you think of Joe Johnson’s play for the Brooklyn Nets this year, some of the words that come to mind include underwhelming, disappointing, mediocre and any other word that describes a pretty terrible year for someone who is in a contract year and is getting paid nearly $25 million to average 11.8 points on 40 percent shooting from the field. To be fair, he has been playing worlds-apart better since the calendar hit 2016 compared to the first two months
It’s time to get serious about the Golden State Warriors and their pursuit of 73 wins. Even before the advent of the 24-hour news cycle required media members to have an ironclad opinion 10 minutes after something happened, I have always been a more patient sort. Yes, a record 24 straight wins to start the season got my attention. But that is less than one-third of an NBA campaign. Over the course of 5 1/2 months and 82 games, teams slump. Teams
It’s NBA All-Star week, with only three days of daily fantasy action before the league takes its annual hiatus. In traditional head-to-head leagues, the two “short weeks” are combined. [Read more…]
PHILOSOPHICAL QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.” -W. Clement Stone [Read more…]
There is a pretty significant football game today, with parties to organize or attend. Four NBA games begin very early — daily fantasy contests at DraftKings close at 1:00 Eastern. [Read more…]
Steve Nash is celebrating his 42nd birthday today. He is considered one of the best point guards of all time. **Drafted 15th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, Nash is the lowest draft pick in history to win an MVP. Kobe Bryant (1996) and Karl Malone (1985) are the second-lowest at 13th overall. Both Bryant and Nash were part of the 1996 NBA Draft class, which has produced the most MVPs of any draft class in NBA history (Allen Iverson, Bryant, Nash). **Nash
Allen Iverson once said he would rather retire than come off the bench. So, I guess he’s not reading this column. And while that certainly hurts (I loved you, A.I.), it’s not going to stop me from practicing my craft here. We talkin’ ’bout practice. PRAC—TICE. Something that you do to get better. Ah, forget it. It takes a special type of player to adapt to coming off the bench. Several guys, who we threw under the bus—er—uh, mentioned in our Most Improved Player Rankings
Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside missed six games recently with an oblique injury, but he’s hardly shown any signs of discomfort since his recent return. [Read more…]