Our flagging faith in our readers’ knowledge has been restored after Kyle came up with the correct answer for last week’s Bernucca List, which was “active All-Stars who never have won a playoff series.” This week’s list is below and includes teams rather than players. See if you can find the common thread among the teams listed. If you think you know the answer, you can enter it in the Comments section or Tweet it to me. Good luck! The Bernucca List Atlanta Hawks Charlotte Bobcats Los Angeles
This had been a perfect season for Stan Van Gundy. Well, check that. In a lot of ways, it has been a nightmare season for the head coach of the Orlando Magic, who has been feuding with his trade-me, don’t-trade-me franchise center, living and dying by the 3-pointer and enduring a soap opera of a year that just keeps coming up with new twists and turns. But through it all, Van Gundy had maintained enough cool to not be called for a single
Every time it looks like the Minnesota Timberwolves are no longer part of the Western Conference playoff race, Kevin Love takes over a game, leads them to a win and keeps them in the hunt. The Wolves have no right chasing a postseason berth. They were 100 games under .500 over the last two seasons. Their prized rookie point lived up to the hype, then went down with a torn ACL. Their center, a double-double revelation in his own right, also
You have to wonder what criteria the NBA is using to determine its Players of the Week. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, who averaged 33.5 points, 15.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 52.2 percent from 3-point range, somehow did not win Western Conference Player of the Week honors announced Monday. That honor went to Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant, whose numbers were 29.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting under 50 percent (42-of-86)
Pencils down and papers forward, please. Here are my grades on how teams did at the trading deadline. We aren’t going to evaluate whether Dallas was helped or hindered by Thursday’s wheeling and dealing. The Mavericks – and 13 other teams – didn’t make a deal, so consider their grade to be incomplete. Or a withdrawal, if you prefer. No one got an F, although the Nets came awfully close. At the other end of the scale, the Rockets are officially the teacher’s
The Oklahoma City Thunder head to Atlanta on Saturday to play their one game against Hawks this season and may be without All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook rolled his ankle with 5:46 remaining against the Orlando Magic on Thursday, but didn’t leave until 20 seconds remained to ensure Thunder’s 105-102 win. “Russell has a heart of a lion. That’s the bottom line.” said coach Scott Brooks. Westbrook was a little more candid. “I don’t know. I was just playing, man, trying to find
Erick Dampier will be with the Atlanta Hawks for the rest of the season. After signing the veteran center to a pair of 10-day contracts, the Hawks on Thursday signed Dampier for the remainder of the season, the team announced. Dampier was signed after both All-Star starter Al Horford (torn pectoral muscle) and backup Jason Collins (sprained elbow) went down with injuries. He has played 30 minutes over six games and yet to score but is averaging 1.8 rebounds backing up Zaza
There’s still more than two weeks until the March 15 trading deadline, but the rumor mill already is churning. Most of the buzz is around Dwight Howard, whom the Orlando Magic don’t have to trade. Really. However, there are a handful of players who have to be traded for the greater good of their teams. Whether it be removing a problem, creating financial flexibility or moving someone one year early rather than one year late, some big names will be changing teams