Whether you are in the schoolyard or the prison yard, the theory remains the same: If you’re the new guy and want to prove your toughness, go pick a fight with the biggest guy in the yard. That’s what Boston Celtics rookie Marcus Smart did in Wednesday’s home win over the Sacramento Kings. In the fourth quarter with the Celtics pulling away, the 6-4, 220-pound Smart ran directly into the chest of the 6-11, 270-pound DeMarcus Cousins, who was trying to set
When the offseason began, all the talk around the Chicago Bulls was regarding the acquisition of veteran All-Star forward-center Pau Gasol and how he would work in a three-man big rotation with Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Then the focus shifted to former MVP point guard Derrick Rose and his arduous comeback from a pair of debilitating knee injuries as he played for Team USA in the World Cup and arrived in training camp. Once the first two months of the season
When looking at the lottery picks of the 2014 NBA draft, it’s almost easier to list those who are healthy than those who are not. The torn ACL suffered this week by No. 2 pick Jabari Parker was devastating news for the Milwaukee Bucks, who have been surprisingly competitive throughout the first third of the season, currently 6th in the East, and appeared to have the Rookie of the Year favorite in their starting lineup. But Parker’s injury also continued a trend among the most
Which team has the best rookie duo this season? Coming out of the draft, you had to like the Chicago Bulls, who traded into the lottery to grab Doug McDermott and finally signed Nikola Mirotic. But while Mirotic has been a pretty steady contributor, McBuckets might need a new nickname – like McD-League. The Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic each had two first-round picks that looked like they might be able to crack the rotation. But James Young has been
When Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker learned he had won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November, he wasn’t planning any celebrations. “It’s all good and dandy,” said Parker, who averaged 12.2 points and 5.9 rebounds for the surprisingly competitive Bucks. “I’m not trying to be disrespectful or ungrateful, but it’s only one month. “It’s just because I’m insecure, that’s all. … That’s the honest truth. You may not be able to brag about the same things a month (later).” Parker’s honesty
There was a bit of NBA history made in the Milwaukee-Minnesota game Wednesday. The matchup was billed as the first meeting between Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, the top two picks in the 2014 draft. But for the first time, four teenagers played in the same game. The Bucks had Parker and second-year forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Timberwolves had Wiggins and fellow rookie Zach LaVine. Not only did all four teenyboppers play, they all started. And not only did they all
Did you watch the Bucks-Nets game on Wednesday night? If you didn’t, you missed a good one. Unlike most NBA regular season games, it had a terrific storyline, with power-hungry backstabber upwardly mobile coach Jason Kidd returning to Brooklyn for the first time since his failed takeover move to Milwaukee. And the game was perhaps the best of the young season. Before a somewhat energized crowd, the Bucks and Nets battled into triple overtime. Brooklyn was on a four-game skid and desperately needed a
This is the third season of Rookie Rankings at SheridanHoops. In each of the first two seasons, a highly trusting coach has given a point guard the keys to the Ferrari and these instructions: “Try not to wreck the thing, OK, kid?” Two years ago, it was Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, who became the first rookie to lead the NBA in minutes played since Elvin Hayes in 1970. Last year, it was Michael Carter-Williams of the tanking rebuilding Philadelphia