Of all the owners, executives, GMs, and other management types in the NBA, few approach Mark Cuban and Daryl Morey in terms of openness with the media. Neither is afraid to speak their mind, and neither has a reputation for pulling any punches. That’s part of why their first-round matchup is among the most interesting. There’s also the Chandler Parsons saga from last summer, and a rivalry that’s been simmering for a while, but the main sources of fuel for that
The last week of the season is a great time to be a fan of any of the five teams still fighting to make the Eastern Conference playoffs. Yeah, the Bucks/Celtics/Nets/Pacers/Heat have been kinda bad all season, and they stand little chance against the Hawks and Cavs of the world, but this week, they’ll be playing meaningful basketball, and they’ll have a realistic chance to win and go to the playoffs. The last week of the season is also when things
Any time the University of Kentucky does anything (like they did Saturday night), two subjects come up: John Calipari and the NBA’s age restriction. The two are inextricably linked, and how you feel about one most likely influences how you feel about the other. If you think that making players play a year in college before going pro is good because it means better players at the college level, and more polished players entering the NBA, you might love (or at
Growing up, I wasn’t immediately an NBA fan. I lived in Baltimore, and the Wizards were too DC for me to really get behind. I watched the college game for my basketball fix. I was aware of the NBA, I followed it, but it wasn’t a big part of my sports-watching life. Steve Nash and the Suns changed all that. For one thing, they were fun to watch. After basically my entire NBA-aware life had been dominated by the Kobe/Shaq Lakers, who,
Friday night’s Cavs-Hawks game was a treat to watch. It wasn’t really competitive, but it showcased some excellent basketball, particularly from the Hawks. Cleveland had its moments, for sure, but for the most part it was a showcase of just how good the Hawks can be when they’re firing on all cylinders. Like the Warriors out west, the Hawks have not just a high-powered offense that can attack from any spot on the court, but a smothering defense that, on Friday,
Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com has written a really important piece about mental health in the NBA. The piece’s main subject is Larry Sanders, but it’s this opening passage that I’d like to highlight: “We don’t do a very good job with mental health,” said an NBA team executive as he looked down at the sad contents of his boxed lunch and sighed. “We don’t have any answers, and we’re not doing a good job looking for them.” This was three years ago
It’s been covered time and time again how crazy the trade deadline was, what with half the NBA playing Musical Point Guards and Pat Riley ending up taking home the grand prize, as he so often does. Lost amid all the Phoenix-related insanity was Stan Van Gundy doing his thing and picking up Reggie Jackson for the basketball equivalent of loose change, the Blazers adding someone to their bench who is actually good, and of course, Sam Hinkie picking up a
All-Star Saturday is the best, and this year’s was one to remember. We got the Curry/Thompson showdown in the 3-point shootout, Zach LaVine effectively winning the dunk contest after one dunk, and Chris Bosh’s incredible dominance of the Shooting Stars Challenge. The main event’s Sunday night, and it’ll be fun, for sure. But nobody’s going to put on a Tune Squad jersey. There’ll be plenty more recapping the night (and the weekend) here on Sheridan Hoops coming up, so let’s get to