Who needs the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus to come to town when you have the Knicks at Madison Square Garden? Just when you think it can’t get worse for the Knicks, it does. Carmelo Anthony appears more tired than ever of being the ringleader. Before facing the Miami Heat on Thursday night, Anthony told the media which factors he will consider when making his free agency decision – and it’s not good news for the Knicks. “A lot of things
When forward Mike Scott came to Atlanta Hawks training camp in 2012, he was labeled by then-coach Larry Drew as “a solid pick-and-roll option.” In other words, although Scott proved himself to be a legitimate offensive weapon in his five years at Virginia (medical redshirt in 2010), no one really expected him to develop into more than a decent midrange shooter at the next level. [Read more…]
Does anyone want Danny Granger? How about Jimmer Fredette? This is the last week for contenders to shore up their playoff rosters with NBA players for a run they hope will last into June. Teams have until March 1 to sign players eligible for the playoffs. The Los Angeles Clippers already made a big splash on that front by signing Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who had the final two years of his contract bought out by Orlando. It’s a good fit. The Clippers desperately
Enjoy “February free agency” while it lasts, folks. After Metta World Peace and maybe even Danny Granger get bought out and waived, you know what awaits? The dark days. March Numbness … or Sadness … or Badness. If you think the Sixers are bad now, allowing 130 points to the Bucks on Monday night, just wait. It will be mind-numbing. The six weeks after All Star Weekend is the part of the schedule that players dread. It’s the part of the season
All season, the Indiana Pacers have maintained that homecourt advantage for the Eastern Conference playoffs, and their chemistry will give them a great chance to dethrone the two-time NBA champion Miami Heat. Are both slipping away? In the last two weeks, Indiana’s grip on the East’s best record has loosened considerably. And the Pacers’ big move at Thursday’s trading deadline, acquiring Evan Turner, illustrated that their belief in chemistry may have been overstated. [Read more…]
I noticed recently that ESPN’s Bill Simmons had been using the term “Third Banana” when referring to the third-best player on a team. A simple concept, but it did get me thinking. Who are the best “third bananas” in the NBA? I decided to put together a list ranking every team’s third-best player, and then I’d put that player into an overall league ranking, from 1-30. Ultimately I was hoping to stumble upon a correlation between how high a teams Third Banana
Catch that riveting Celtics-Lakers game Friday night? Yeah, neither did I. Talk about a scheduling nightmare. The game featuring the two marquee franchises – as opposed to teams – was the second of ESPN’s Friday Night doubleheader. It featured two teams who have a combined 13 wins over the last two-plus months. With Kobe Bryant and the calcifying-before-our-eyes Steve Nash out, the Lakers’ only discernible attraction was Pau Gasol. The Celtics had Rajon Rondo, whose much-trumpeted comeback from knee surgery has helped
Now you know why we call it the best day of the NBA season. Deals go down, fact triumphs over fiction, Sam Hinkie is outed as a hoarder and Larry Bird wins big at the buzzer. A total of 10 trades were agreed to already today after two deals were made Wednesday on the day before the NBA trading deadline (Steve Blake from the Lakers to the Warriors for Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks; and Marcus Thornton from Sacramento to Brooklyn for