In today’s NBA, the formula for winning in recent years was simple: Accumulate as many maximum-salary stars as you can without breaking the bank. But when you start piling up eight-figure salaries against the luxury tax, the bank breaks pretty quickly. So teams fill out their rosters with minimum-salary veterans. And if you look at the top of the NBA standings right now, many teams are getting very productive seasons from veterans signed to minimum-salary deals. The Chicago Bulls added Pau Gasol to Jimmy
Rookie Rankings, Week 7: Mirotic Earning His Minutes With Bulls
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
Forget Brook Lopez: Nets need to stick with Mason Plumlee as starter
The league is beginning to recognize what kind of player the Brooklyn Nets have in Mason Plumlee, and the team is starting to realize it as well. After starting the last seven games at center, Brooklyn finally has a healthy, young core foundation piece for the present and future. Brooklyn was reportedly not enthused with a recent trade offer from Sacramento for point guard Deron Williams. It turns out, according to ESPN, that the Kings’ main target was Plumlee, not Williams. The Nets are reportedly unwilling
Rookie Rankings, Week 6: Injuries Hurt Development, Too
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
Rookie Rankings, Week 5: Young Wolves Showing Some Bite
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
Rookie Rankings, Week 4: Parker Keeps Things in Perspective
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
Rookie Rankings, Week 3: Wiggins Making a Push on Parker
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
Rookie Rankings, Week 2: Kidd’s Return Overshadows Top Rookies
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