With NBA training camps now open, every team will be using October to try to answer questions about their rosters. But for teams with injured stars, the questions have greater significance. Like, how long can the Lakers stay afloat without Kobe Bryant? Is Danny Granger going to come off the bench for the Pacers? Are the Warriors really a better team without David Lee? No less than nine current or former All-Stars will start the 2013-14 season with doubt swirling around them because they
NBA Media Day is in full swing for teams all around the league, which means plenty of status updates on players, coaching plans, headline-worthy quotes and more. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so we’ll get right to it: Danny Ainge realizes that the Celtics roster needs work, from Mark Murphy of Boston Herald: “The C’s are loaded at both forwards spots with Green, Brandon Bass, Gerald Wallace and (for now) Kris Humphries. Green’s versatility could actually find the scorer
As glamorous as it may seem, the NBA can be a tough place to make it for certain players. Being in the league alone justifies your level of talent. But it takes more than talent to survive. Just ask J.R. Smith and Lamar Odom, two of the more talented players in the league who cannot seem to get out of their own way. While it may not be drugs that are bringing Minnesota’s Derrick Williams down, the former No. 2 overall draft pick
New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith has been suspended five games by the NBA for violating the anti-drug program. The NBA made the announcement Friday, continuing a string of off-court news for Smith, the reigning Sixth Man Award winner. Two days after winning the Sixth Man Award, Smith was suspended one game for elbowing Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. Upon his return, he shot just 29 percent (34-of-117) – including 13-of-50 from 3-point range
On September 8, 2013, former star Gary Payton will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The man they once called “The Glove” – a nickname given to him for the ability to shut his opponents down on the defensive end – sat with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports to discuss how his speech will go down and the hopes of avoiding tears when all said and done. Along the way, Payton explained why he chose John Stockton as one of
The New York Knicks were stuck in neutral while other Eastern Conference teams improved mightily this offseason. Are they still No. 2 as they were last regular season? Probably not. After a disappointing loss to Indiana in the Eastern Conference semifinals that denied them a shot at the NBA champion Miami Heat, the Knicks essentially replaced Chris Copeland, Jason Kidd and Steve Novak with Metta World Peace, Beno Udrih and Andrea Bargnani. The team also re-signed J.R. Smith, Pablo Prigioni and Kenyon
The New York Knicks, compared to what they have been over the past decade or so, were a wildly successful team last season. They were the second best team in the Eastern Conference and had high hopes heading into the playoffs. Prior to the start of the season, they were written off as an old team that had next to no chance of beating the Miami Heat. Yet, they managed to beat the Heat in three of four regular season games.
While the NBA offseason can at times seem to drag, there are still quite a bit of stories to help get us to tip-off. With that being said, let’s take a look at the latest news around the NBA: [Read more…]