Kent Williams gets a well deserved day away today, so I will be filling in with our fantasy spin. Real games are just a week away and the pre-season is starting to wind down. Teams are playing their starters more, making their final roster decisions and being very cautious with the slightest ailments. The better organizations knew the answers to most questions before the pre-season began whereas the weaker ones are still trying to figure things out. If you take anything away
It’s always intriguing to read the minds of general managers of the NBA: they are the ones who produce the teams we watch, afterall. NBA.com’s annual GM Survey was released on Monday and predictably, the Heat and LeBron James were on top of many of the winning categories. Along the way, though, you’ll find some interesting – if not somewhat funny (see “Who will win the 2012-2013 MVP” section) – votes that went to places you may or may not expect.
It seemed more like an inevitability than a possibility when news about the status of Dirk Nowitzki’s knee broke out earlier in the preseason. There was swelling in his knee, and the German hinted at the possibility of surgery if the condition did not improve. Unfortunately, the swelling continued, forcing Nowitzki to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on Friday. The procedure will sideline him for about six weeks. Chris Bernucca has the details of the situation. Playing without the heart of the team
The Houston Rockets have dubbed their 2012-2013 season “The New Age.” It couldn’t be more evidenced than by a ride around town … a glimpse at the media guide … a glance at their pocket calendar. No, they are not promoting Kevin Martin. The guys on that there billboard are Jeremy Lin, of course, along with Chandler Parsons and two of Houston’s warehouse full of rookies, Donatas Montejunas and Royce White. The 2011-12 team that flamed out so badly at the end of
The gulf between the NBA’s haves and have-nots has grown since LeBron James and Miami’s Dream-Three celebrated their NBA championship just a little less than five months ago. The Lakers now have a roster than features five Hall-of-Famers, and the Heat probably do, too. The Knicks probably don’t, but what they do have is one of the deepest frontcourts in the NBA. Knick-haters, you have the option to cease reading from this point forth. Because I am here to tell you that this
Take flopping, please. Happily for the NBA, it’s going away, even if the league will pay a higher cost than it knows from crime-and-punishment headlines, stemming from David Stern’s decision to make it a crime, not a basketball play, punishable by huge fines. How hard would this have been: Tell the referees to make defenders be stationary for a count, not an instant. What’s the hard part? Tie goes to the offensive player, as it does to the runner in baseball. Unfortunately, nothing is easy
After playing a vital role in the Olympics for Team USA, gold medalist Kevin Love had high expectations for the Timberwolves and their revamped roster for the upcoming season. Unfortunately for him and the team, those expectations took a major hit on Wednesday afternoon when Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweeted and broke the news that Love has suffered a broken hand. Chris Bernucca has the details of the situation. This really is a tough break for a franchise finally hoping
Here are this morning’s top NBA news stories: “Fisher free to return to Lakers now,” by Marc Stein from ESPN.com “Jeremy Lin wanted to retire with New York Knicks, not Houston Rockets,” Marc Berman from the New York Post “Delonte West of Dallas Mavericks suspended for conduct detrimental to the team,” by Tim MacMahon from ESPN.com “Deron Williams of Brookyln Nets rips A.J. Price of Washington Wizards,” by Mike Mazzeo from ESPN.com “Brandon Bass staying focused despite being unsure of his role on Celtics,” by Gary Washburn from the Boston