PHILADELPHIA—When they wake up and pinch themselves this morning – to the surprise of everyone but themselves – Brett Brown, Michael Carter-Williams and the rest of the Philadelphia 76ers will discover no, this was not a dream. They really did just beat LeBron James and the two-time defending champion Miami Heat, 114-110, at a raucous Wells Fargo Center where many had come to celebrate this franchise’s past but instead wound up cheering on one of the most improbable victories we may
LOS ANGELES — For the Lakers, seems like old times … Well, if you squint your eyes just right. As if still in their days of yore, the Lakers opened their 2013-14 season with an exciting 116-103 victory over a top-flight opponent Tuesday before a jubilant sellout crowd in Staples Center. Think of it, the Lakers among the ranks of the unbeatens! Aside from that, it wasn’t anything like their days of yore. The top-flight opponent, coming off last season’s 4-0 sweep of the season
The NBA regular season finally begins this week, and numerous major publications have put out their preseason predictions and prognostications. Few, picks, if any, are usually bold or daring. Most are run-of-the-mill status quo predictions for the coming season. (Although we have a wide variety of semi-safe picks here at SheridanHoops in our season preview special.) Miami will win another NBA title, with LeBron James as MVP. San Antonio and Oklahoma City will be the top teams in the West. Maybe Houston
I was taping an appearance on the BBC the other day, which of course means that we were breaking everything down to the most basic of basics. “Will the Miami Heat three-peat?” was the first question. And you can’t blame the Brits for asking the same question everyone in the basketball universe is asking. (Aside from “Who will win the Andrew Wiggins lottery?”) Resisting the urge to use the words “bollocks” and “crikey” (keeping those in the vault), I dispensed my wisdom to
It’s no secret that Paul Millsap is one of the league’s most underrated big men. The topic has been discussed at length by bloggers for years and, yet, the lack of credit he continues to receive is borderline criminal. How underrated is Millsap exactly? In every season since 2010-2011, he’s ranked among the league’s best 30 in efficiency. Millsap’s 31.5 cumulative Estimated Wins Added for the Jazz since 2010 ranks him ahead of rival power forwards Chris Bosh, Kevin Garnett and David
Everyone knows the NBA preseason doesn’t mean anything. And everyone is wrong. The preseason is supposed to be when coaches are evaluating their offensive and defensive schemes and players are familiarizing themselves with their teammates. Veterans sit out entire games. Journeymen on make-good deals fight, scratch and claw for minutes to show they deserve that final roster spot. Games are played in exotic faraway places like Taiwan and Rio de Janeiro and domestic outposts from Biloxi to Boise and Asheville to Jacksonville. Referees overuse
NEW YORK — That there is a David Stern bobblehead. Every NBA owner received one last night as part of the farewell tribute to David Stern as he presided over his final Board of Governors meeting. Dan Gilbert joked that the head only moves from side to side. We are taking wagers on which owner puts his up for sale first on eBay. (My money is on Donald Sterling). Wouldn’t be surprised if Mark Cuban has already handed his over to his voodoo
I know a guy who used to work for the Houston Rockets back in the 1990s, when Hakeem Olajuwon was leading the team to back to-back titles and the team played at The Summit — a rickety bandbox that has been converted into a church in the years since the team moved to the Toyota Center. The guy tells a great story about a different era in the NBA, when money flowed as though it was wine at a toga party.