In a teleconference last week, we asked NBA analysts Chris Webber and Greg Anthony to pick a Western Conference team which missed the playoffs last season but will make the playoffs this season. “Dallas, mainly because of Dirk Nowitzki,” Webber said. “He’ll be back healthy. What he does, with spacing, getting guys involved … We take his game for granted.” “I would go with the Pelicans,” Anthony said. “I think that’s a team that could make sizeable leaps and surprise a lot
When news hit that Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu pledged to cut as much as 10 inches of his hair for a noteworthy charity, Portland Trail Blazers forward Dorell Wright took notice. His son, Devin—as pictured in his tweet, seems to favor Polamalu (and his hair). [Read more…]
The 2012-13 season was not a kind one to the Portland Trail Blazers. Forget the NBA Rookie of the Year Award given unanimously for only the fourth time in history to Damian Lillard. Forget, too, the second straight All-Star nod for LaMarcus Aldridge. Also forget that Aldridge, Lillard, Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews comprised the top four-man lineup in the league. Portland finished the campaign on a franchise-worst 13-game losing streak and wasn’t competitive in a game for more than a month. This season is shaping
With transactions reduced from a torrent to a trickle, the NBA is now truly in its offseason. Yes, there’s still a few prominent names out there – Lamar Odom, Corey Maggette and Tyrus Thomas among them – but no one who is going to crash our list of the top 10 free agent signings. [Read more…]
In an era where one in every three—24 million total—children in the United States grow up without their biological father, it is heartwarming to hear about those who have been there. Such is the case in Dorell Wright’s family, as Oregonian writer John Canzano illustrates in his latest column on the veteran forward. [Read more…]
With transactions reduced from a torrent to a trickle, the NBA is now truly in its offseason. Yes, there’s still a few prominent names out there – Lamar Odom, Antawn Jamison, Corey Maggette and Tyrus Thomas among them – but no one who is going to crash our list of the top 10 free agent signings. [Read more…]
Damian Lillard, last season’s Rookie of the Year, led the NBA in minutes played. To put that into perspective, over the last five seasons, only two rookies – O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose in 2008-2009 – even placed in the top 15 in minutes played. That comes out to three rookies among 75 players, a minuscule 4 percent. It is beyond a tremendous burden to put on a rookie, much less one who is handling the ball. That burden extended to the
Most of the star players in free agency are now off the board, but there are still plenty of impact players to discuss in this updated version of the Free Agency Breakdown with unique analytic angles. We here at Sheridan Hoops will break everything down for you into bite sized Winners & Losers style pieces. The Houston Rockets, GM Daryl Morey and Dwight Howard were WINNERS after agreeing to a four-year deal worth $88 million to finally, mercifully, ending the Dwight Howard sweepstakes.