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
Group B Likely to advance 1. Lithuania One of the most fully loaded squads in his year’s Eurobasket, the Lithuanian squad is poised to be one of the juggernauts of this year’s competition. Veteran point guard Sarunas Jasikevicus will be sitting this one out, but the Grateful Dead’s favorite European basketball team will be a force to be reckoned with. Starting with Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas, the Lithuanians will be loaded with horses in the paint. Valanciunas had a solid rookie season, but seems
The Toronto Raptors are a team in flux. Gone is President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo and many of his front office staff. Now in charge – strangely enough – is his one-time understudy in Toronto, Masai Ujiri, fresh off an exceptional run as GM of the Denver Nuggets. Ujiri was lured away from the Nuggets by new Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke. Ujiri and Leiweke represent not only a changing of the guard for the Dinos but potentially
After going through an 82-game NBA season, many young NBA players are like caged lions ready to bust out when given the chance. I have just spent the better part of two weeks witnessing it first-hand, watching 15 games in Orlando and more than two dozen so far in Vegas, baby, where the games continue through July 22. The NBA summer leagues are a great opportunity for unproven players to show NBA coaches and decision makers that they deserve a chance
This is the final edition of the Rookie Rankings, and we will allow Kobe Bryant to have the final word on a race that was decided long ago. Bryant is a student of the game who understands its history and normally is not given to hyperbole. So when he offers an evaluation of an opponent – most of whom he holds in disdain – it should not be taken with a grain of salt. And here’s what he had to say about
This week, Damian Lillard set an NBA rookie record for 3-pointers, passing Stephen Curry’s mark set three years ago. But that is not his most impressive number. For virtually the entire season, Lillard has led all rookies in scoring, assists and free throws. But those are not his most impressive numbers, either. As this version of our Rookie Rankings is published, Lillard leads in minutes played. Not all rookies. All players. [Read more…]
Early next week, Rookies of the Month for March will be handed out. It is possible that Anthony Davis could end Damian Lillard’s stranglehold on the Western Conference honor, while the East will be a toss-up between Moe Harkless and Jonas Valanciunas. Davis, Harkless and Valanciunas have yet to win the award. But as we approach the season’s final month, it is the time where many previously unheralded rookies make a name for themselves. Last year, Atlanta’s Ivan Johnson broke through in
Yes, there are 16 more games in the NCAA tournament today, making the NBA an afterthought for countless hoops fans. Sure, your bracket is important and the Madness is contagious, but season-long fantasy leagues are based on the pro game and it’s getting to be crunch time, with trade deadlines looming, Head-to-Head playoffs around the corner and Roto standings getting tighter. [Read more…]