When you’re an adored star in this league, you get a pass on a lot of things. And Dwyane Wade got a pass for an absolutely rockhead play in Miami’s inexplicable loss to Boston on Saturday. The Heat led by four with less than two seconds to play. On their home floor. Against the Celtics. And lost. In regulation. And most of it was on Wade, who (a) faltered in the clutch; (b) made his own strategic decision without any input from the
First impressions are everything. For Philadelphia 76ers rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams, his first impression was a thorough domination of the defending NBA champion Miami Heat. Carter-Williams finished his regular season debut with 22 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and nine steals on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 from the arc as the Sixers pulled off a shocking 114-110 upset. If you’re impressed by those numbers, don’t stand up just yet – Carter-Williams was so good that he will sweep
BROOKLYN– Brad Stevens is new to the NBA, and the Boston Celtics have had to grow familiar with his brand of coaching over the course of training camp and the preseason. With just about two weeks before the start of the season – and a new era for the franchise – the Celtics seem pleased with the progress the team is making under Stevens’ early stewardship. If general manager Danny Ainge’s plan for the franchise is for the rookie coach to grow
Not all rookies are created equal in the NBA. Over the years we’ve seen some of the most talented, “can’t miss” prospects fail, and we’ve seen second rounders blossom into core pieces on championship teams. Ask Stromile Swift and Kwame Brown. Ask Greg Oden and Marvin Williams. Then ask Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. [Read more…]
I’m definitely not the first one to say this, but can we please put an end to the use of the term “tanking” when we really mean “rebuilding”? [Read more…]
With four Game 6’s on Friday night, we were assured of seeing four teams playing for their playoff lives. Unfortunately, none of the teams facing elimination – Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets – were able to extend their respective series. All of them had some form of drama – from Blake Griffin getting into a wrestling match with Zach Randolph, the Hawks bringing their game against the Indiana Pacers to the wire, Kevin Durant and Omer Asik
This week marks the final edition of our Sixth Man Rankings, and we have a winner. While major alterations to the list have been made throughout this process, the race ultimately has come down to two players on opposite sides of the country: Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford and New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith. Both players are in their first full season with their teams and both were able to add a bench scoring dimension to which neither team had
