A reoccurring argument among NBA circles is the All-Star selection process. Should fans have all the say? Do coaches have enough power? Should the league ever intervene? Most importantly, who makes it and why. Does the best player on a bad team deserved to make it, or does a good player on a great team deserved to make it, I think it’s the latter. Lance Stephenson has been the Indiana Pacers third-best player all season. The shooting guard is pressing harder to
Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers wants to be an All-Star this season. How far is he willing to go to get your vote? This far: https://t.co/zkvZHW1wYr — Lance Stephenson (@StephensonLance) January 15, 2014 Stephenson plays with a sense of urgency and intensity every time he steps on the court, but he also seems to take time to have a little fun, too, evidenced by his All-Star campaign video and his tendency to showboat after plays like this. Stephenson is enjoying a career year
As the great Jerry Seinfeld once said, knowing George Costanza was like taking a walk through the jungle. He didn’t know what he was going to find next, and he was real scared. I feel the same way about this NBA season. All of the injuries – Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, and now Most Improved Player favorite Eric Bledsoe – have basketball fans treading lightly, hoping not to get eaten by a tarantula or something with
I covered the Lakers in 2010-11 when they were chasing a third straight title and four straight Finals appearances. It was a strange experience. That group started the season 13-2, feasting on a home-heavy, fairly soft schedule. But from there, warning signs started popping up. They had several multiple-game losing streaks, and dropped games to some absolutely hideous teams (the 19-win Cleveland Cavaliers, for example). Those Lakers, save a brilliant run of 17 victories in 18 games coming out of the All-Star
Mitch Kupchak shouldn’t be playing hardball. In his desire to trade Pau Gasol, the GM of the Los Angeles Lakers should not have insisted on receiving Dion Waiters or a first-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nobody has overpaid for a rental since Ernie Grunfeld sent Ray Allen to Seattle for Gary Payton — and that was a long time ago. Kupchak should have lowered his demands to match the team’s expectations. The Lakers are done for this season and should be
Last week, we ran a post from @Betropolitan listing the incredible odds on winning the Eastern Conference for teams other than the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. It seemed strange at the time that the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls were the third choice, at 25-1, but it was a reminder that Vegas is all-knowing. And those oddsmakers look even smarter this morning after the Raptors put together their signature win of the season, defeating the mighty Indiana Pacers 95-92 last
Amid its myriad injuries, its dozen teams below .500 and its 44-98 record against the Western Conference, there is a looming question regarding the Eastern Conference: Can the East even field an All-Star team? A year ago, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Tyson Chandler, Kyrie Irving, Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday were among the East’s All-Stars. You can make the argument – irrefutable in some cases, strong in others – that none of those players should be invited back
Can money buy happiness? If you’re the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, the answer is no. The Nets have the league’s highest payroll, while the Knicks rank second. The combined exorbitant payroll has produced a deflating 18-38 record and proven any championship aspirations were merely a pipe dream. Ironically, speaking of the pipe, J.R. Smith was the first Knick to panic back when the team was only 3-8 at the time. Now, it appears Smith’s anxiety was warranted. Thanks to injuries, a lack