As the second half of the season looms, the contenders to finish “in the money” in fantasy hoops leagues have been established. Most likely your league’s standings look like the following: a few teams at the top battling to earn first place; a handful of teams scrapping to essentially win back their entry fee and finish third; and lowly bottom-feeders desperate to avoid the dubious distinction of finishing last. As of the All-Star Break, my 9-CAT squad is locked in a
The decline of the Celtics and Lakers; The rise of the Spurs; The trade deadline
csprtContainer(); ORLANDO — We shot this video at the NBA Jam Session at the Orlando Convention Center, the first Jam Session I have spent extensive time at since 1994 when the game was in Minnesota and I saw Gheorghe Muresan walking around the Metrodome like a kid in a candy store. The opening and closing topics here were somewhat related: The first question was what was biggest surprise of the first half of the season, and I went with the decline of
Zagoria: Top 10 Senior Draft Prospects
We have already focused in this space on the top 10 American draft prospects. Now it’s time to give props to the top 10 senior prospects. While the NBA Draft is all about potential – which often hurts those who remain in college for four years – remember that Jeremy Lin spent four years at Harvard before emerging into the global superstar he is now. 1. Tyler Zeller, North Carolina, C Age: 22 Vitals: 7-0, 250 pounds Stats: 15.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg Skinny: Probably
What’s going on at All-Star Weekend? A machete, and more
ORLANDO — We’ll begin this morning by offering our congratulations to Sam Smith for receiving the Curt Gowdy Media Award, which means he gets to join our own Mark Heisler and former AP colleague Jim O’Connell in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Smith, like Heisler a victim of the Tribune company’s talent purge, now writes unfiltered for Bulls.com. You should read his column every Monday. He gets to write without being edited, which can be a blessing and
Fantasy Spin: Saturday Feb. 25
There was one “game” last night, the Rising Stars Challenge. While it was an entertaining exhibition, and Kyrie Irving a deserving MVP, we’re here to report fantasy news. Kawhi Leonard skipped the game with a sore calf that shouldn’t be an ongoing issue. Among the other rookies and sophomores, with no defence being played, a few performances were disappointing. Jeremy Lin, looking tired, was limited to 8:55 on the court and Blake Griffin (10:33) was also given plenty of rest,
Notes from around the NBA: February 24, 2012
Lineups for the 2012 BBVA Rising Stars Game Team Shaq Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns Kemba Walker, Charlotte Bobcats Landry Fields, New York Knicks Norris Cole, Miami Heat Brandon Knight, Detroit Pistons Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons Team Chuck Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves Paul George, Indiana Pacers MarShon Brooks, New Jersey Nets John Wall, Washington Wizards Tiago Splitter, San Antonio Spurs (Missing game due to injury) Evan Turner, Philadelphia 76ers Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz There’s at least one team apparently still with a need for Rasheed Wallace. CSNNE.com
Breaking news: 13-man NBA rosters to become permanent; Waiver rules could be altered
ORLANDO – NBA rosters are going to stay at 13, permanently. The league’s competition committee met Friday and will recommend two rules changes to the Board of Governors, including one that will make 13-man active rosters permanent and another that would change the waiver wire rules and give teams 48 hours to put in a claim — and not just on weekdays. League vice president Stu Jackson said representatives from the 30 NBA teams voted unanimously to recommend making the current 13-man
Reggie Miller among 12 finalists for Hall of Fame
Clutch sharpshooter Reggie Miller is among four first-time finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The list of 12 finalists for the 2012 Hall class was announced Friday at All-Star Weekend in Orlando, Fla. Now an analyst for TNT, Miller did not make the list of finalists a year ago, when Dennis Rodman was inducted. Other first-timers among the 12 finalists announced Friday at All-Star Weekend in Orlando, Fla. are former NBA coach Bill Fitch, current Louisville coach Rick Pitino