A month of the regular season remains. There is still plenty of basketball to be played and still plenty of chances for teams around the league to solidify their playoff positions. On the other hand, there is a handful of teams whose executives may be forced to look at the draft lottery and beyond, even with about 15 games remaining for most teams. The key players off the bench around the NBA are all over the league. They play for teams competing
It’s amazing what an injury to a single player, especially a star player, can do to the entirety of a 15-man roster. Recent injuries to the likes of Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo and Knicks forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire have raised serious questions about how these teams cope without indespensable players. Some of the NBA’s best sixth men are trying to take full advantage of these very situations. What can be especially amazing about a star-driven
Finally, a chance for some our candidates for the Sixth Man Award to get time in the national spotlight. With TNT airing two extra games Tuesday, the week was filled with national TV showcases. While some candidates were able to step up, others didn’t look quite as prepared. While it’s likely that the televising network didn’t have much to do with their success, or lack thereof, the difference in production for a couple players seemed to change when the likes of
When February turns into March, the hope for all NBA coaches is that their teams will be fresh and up to the challenge of competing for respect around the league (relatively speaking for each team, of course). Sometimes things just happen that the neither the coaches nor the players can expect or account for. In a lot of cases, after the All Star break, some players who were on a roll can run into problems. [Read more…]
This year’s trade deadline was a weak one in terms of star power, but it did include one of the top candidates for the NBA Sixth Man Award in J.J. Redick, who was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a six-player deal. Like Redick, many top-notch bench players have been battling injuries for some time now, and the All Star break brought a very convenient period for players such as Jamal Crawford and Gordon Hayward to nurse their injuries and prepare
All Star Weekend begins today. Starting off with the NBA Rising Stars Challenge, most NBA players will finally get some time to recuperate and prepare for the home stretch of the regular season, where much more than a spot in the All Star festivities will be on the line. It couldn’t come at a better time for some of the top bench players in the NBA. With injuries, streaky play, or sometimes a combination being a factor, a number of players have
At this point in the season, with the Feb. 21 trade deadline approaching, many teams with different situations regarding wins and losses are deciding whether a trade is the right move to make. For most of the teams with a player in this week’s Sheridan Hoops Sixth Man Rankings, there hasn’t been too much chatter. The majority of teams with a stud player coming off the bench is in no need of a trade, because the majority of teams with a solid
This was an exciting week for the NBA. There has been a steady supply of great games, such as Dallas at Golden State on Thursday night. Great stories have developed, including the renaming of the New Orleans Hornets, who will adopt the name of their state bird. Ryan Anderson, who has proved all doubters wrong since his move to NOLA, will be a Pelican next season. And lastly, the trade that sent Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors has people buzzing. [Read more…]