In the brave new world of basketball analytics, trends and modules, a simpler stat surfaced this week that was utterly inexplicable. Two teams have lost 10 games this season in which they led after three quarters. One is the league-worst Philadelphia 76ers, who have no one on their roster who knows how to win a game. The other is the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have two of the supposed best closers in the game in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. [Read more…]
As an NBA coach, Scott Skiles has always had a definitive modus operandi. In his three previous jobs, Skiles has dramatically improved his team’s defense, in some cases taking it from near the bottom of the league to near the top. That improvement helps the team become an absolute pain in the neck to play and make a quantum leap from the lottery to the playoffs. Then at some point, Skiles and his hypercompetitive nature become a bit overbearing for some players,
Carmelo Anthony’s knee has been a problem for basically the entire season, and there have been reports of him shutting down for the season on multiple occasions. Well, that report might actually come to life after this weekend’s All-Star festivities. There is another report that surfaced on Thursday that Melo is “likely” to shut it down after the events in New York this weekend. [Read more…]
The glorious history of NBA All-Star Weekend is littered with bad ideas. Remember 2-Ball? The Wheel of Fortune at the Slam Dunk Contest? The game uniforms that had different colors on the front and back, so you couldn’t tell which players were on which team? This week, however, the NBA announced a change to one of the All-Star Weekend events that is a really good idea. The Rising Stars will pit American players against international players. The Rising Stars has undergone several changes
As 2014 begins, more sad news has hit Hollywood and fans of a hit 90s TV show. For those who may not have heard already, actor James Avery, famous for his portrayal of Uncle Phil from the popular show, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air—died Wednesday morning. According to reports, he passed away after undergoing complications from open heart surgery. The first to publicly confirm the news this morning was Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Avery’s onscreen son Carlton Banks. [Read more…]
The gambling life ain’t easy, folks — which is where today’s tale begins. But by the time you get to the end of today’s column, hopefully you’ll be amused by my personal adventures and enlightened by my leaguewide analysis. We are at the quarter-pole of the NBA season, and trends have emerged. First, to truly appreciate what it means to gamble on the NBA on a daily basis, you had to experience what it was like to bet on the Philadelphia 76ers
Growing up, fans are taught several “facts” about team sports. It’s a fact that teamwork is better than selfish play. It’s usually a fact that a good defense beats a good offense. It’s a fact in baseball that last licks is more advantageous than leading off. Perhaps no “fact” is more emphasized, however, than the notion that the best players in every sport always start. In the NBA in 2013, that “fact” is fiction. It couldn’t be further from the truth. [Read more…]
Day 6 of the 2013-14 NBA regular season is officially in the books. While there may not have been feats of historical significance, there were events that helped to re-shape the landscape of the still-young NBA season. Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s action. [Read more…]