LeBron James came into the weekend with the hype he’s built through the monstrous 60 percent, 30-point tear that he’d been on for nearly seven straight games. Kevin Durant dropped (another) 30-spot: It was his third straight 30-point All-Star game. Kobe Bryant made an timely, game-sealing block with the West up 134-126 and under 2:40 seconds to play in the game. Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade each played a well-rounded game. [Read more…]
Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA. Yes, still. He also is (a) incapable of making an elbow jumper, (b) unreliable at the free-throw line, (c) susceptible to long-term injury, (d) hypersensitive to criticism from teammates and coaches, (e) more interested in becoming the next Bill Murray rather than the next Bill Russell and (f) wondering why no one has handed him the icon status he desperately craves. But the worst thing Howard is – and unlike the items above,
HOUSTON — If you watched the All-Star game, you gained an appreciation for Kobe Bryant’s defensive determination. If you stood 3 feet away from him and spoke to him afterward, as I did, you gained a clearer understanding of where he stands on the whole question of what the Lakers should do with Dwight Howard. And if you read a little into his quotes, you get the feeling that Bryant wouldn’t be surprised in the least, or even bothered, if the Lakers
The last two games of the ‘first half’ are in the books. Actually, the ‘second half’ of the NBA season is more like the final third. Every team has played at least 50 games, some as many as 56. There are only five weeks left in many Head-to-Head fantasy leagues until the playoffs begin, and trade deadlines are looming in both real basketball and our imaginary version. [Read more…]
What a first half of the season, huh? As we head into the break, the Three-Man Weave covers LeBron James’ remarkable run, what to look forward to during All-Star Weekend 2013 edition, and which teams may be poised for a second-half push that sneaks them into the postseason. Without further ado, the second edition of the Three-Man Weave: [Read more…]
It was a wacky Wednesday in the NBA, with blowouts on some courts and futility on others. Tonight’s final two games of the first half are must-see TV. [Read more…]
The Golden State Warriors are generally recognized as a very nice, non-confrontational type of group, led by their coach and pastor Mark Jackson, who will never use a curse word to get his point across. Apparently, that attitude does not fly with center Andrew Bogut, who went on a rant about the lack of defense played by his teammates after suffering another embarrassing defeat to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night at home. Here’s what he had to say, from Marcus
The Lakers go into the All-Star break with one major immediate concern and one major long-term concern. Short-term, how do they measure up against their hallway rivals, the Clippers? We’ll find out Thursday night, and as Mark Heisler reports in this video with CineSport’s Noah Coslov: “It’s more significant than they would like. One way or the other, it’s going to be a real big upper or a real big downer.” [Read more…]