Whenever I’m asked if I have been watching the NCAA Tournament, I say, “No. I haven’t.” That raises some eyebrows in my home state of Connecticut, where both genders of Huskies basketball have been winning national championships for nearly a generation and are followed religiously by the Nutmeg State’s hoops fans. But among the many reasons I don’t go mad in March is because over that same generation, the college game has become less and less of a barometer for NBA success.
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
Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Andrew Wiggins told ESPN on Sunday morning that he just wants to play for a team that wants him. The return of LeBron James to Cleveland has put the organization on an expedited “win now” approach, and the talented rookie seems to be the most expendable casualty in their efforts to land another established star. Wiggins has been linked to multiple reports of a potential trade involving him and Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Love for weeks. [Read more…]
What a draft! Adam Silver’s first as commissioner will be one to remember, even though it will be hard getting use to the no-booing part from the fans. We had some nice trades, a 20th pick that made Fran Fraschilla say “He’s two years away from being two years away…”, and latest episode of the Sixers man-crush on an injured guy. So now that we can attach faces with teams, let us skip ahead, as we so often do, and hand out some fake awards.
CHICAGO — No, Andrew Wiggins. No Jabari Parker. No Joel Embiid. Since most of the projected upper-echelon 2014 NBA Draft Lottery picks chose not to participate in drills at the combine, the door was open for other players to come in and catch the attention of GMs and scouts in attendance, who were, of course, out in abundance doing their due diligence and networking with just over a month until draft day. [Read more…]
The trade deadline is behind us, and now almost half the league _ and half of the league’s fan base _ starts looking forward to the draft. By now, we have heard plenty about the much hyped draft class of 2014. Riggin for Wiggins, Sorry for Jabari, Mishandle for Randle and I’m sure there are many more terms out there acting as synonyms for Tankapalooza. It’s without doubt the most eagerly anticipated class since 2003, and whether or not it lives up
College coaches are crisscrossing the country visiting with the top stars in the high school Class of 2013 in hopes of persuading them to choose their schools. In Texas, after Kentucky coach John Calipari showed 6-foot-9 forward Julius Randle his 2012 NCAA championship ring, North Carolina coach Roy Williams one-upped Cal. Or should we say, 29-upped him. Williams brought a case of 30 rings to his home visit with Randle, including Michael Jordan’s 1992 Chicago Bulls championship ring. “He said Jordan gave it to
WASHINGTON – Yeah, Team USA’s here. Big deal. So are hundreds of college basketball coaches and more than a dozen NBA scouts, who converged this weekend on the Nike Global Challenge to evaluate tomorrow’s stars. Here’s a look at some key storylines from the three-day event held at lovely Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. and the not-as-lovely D.C. Armory. CAL’S BEEN BUSY: After coaching the Dominican Republic within one win of an Olympic berth before Thursday’s loss to Team USA in Las Vegas, Kentucky