There have been some fair comparisons drawn between the current 17-game winning streak of the San Antonio Spurs and the remarkable 27-game run put together a year ago by the Miami Heat. Both teams expect to compete for the NBA championship. Both teams found their rhythm at the most opportune time of the season. Both teams stormed to the league’s best record and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. There are obvious differences as well. For one, San Antonio still needs 10
March is about underdogs. That’s why we love it so much. Well, most of us anyway. (Can someone check Chris Bernucca for a pulse?) Just kidding, boss. It’s the incredible stories like Mercer’s upset of Duke, Dayton’s run to the Sweet 16 and Stephen F. Austin’s miraculous comeback against VCU that keep us glued to the TV screen in March, like a month-long Rob Ford press conference. There’s nothing like a good underdog narrative, and year after year, the NCAA Tournament delivers with several
We’re going to have a little fun with this column, which is our little antidote to the dog days of March in the NBA. The quotes are entirely fictitious. Just wanted to make that perfectly clear. [Read more…]
It’s March Madness, and that can only mean one thing. I just spent the past 48 hours writing three paragraphs on all 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament for my blog, RoundballDaily.com. If I have to hit the parentheses button one more time, I’m going to lose my index finger (I put a lot of the stats in parentheses). Dammit. In the spirit of the Big Dance, I’ve decided to take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about the greatest March
A well-proportioned, wise Italian man with a radio show in New York once told me and a listening audience of probably hundreds that the NBA “goes into the clouds” in February and March. I can’t really remember his name, OK? So let’s just call him Ike Manfresca. Manfresca’s quote has always stuck with me, because: (a) it was so strange and (b) it’s the perfect way to describe the seasonal malaise that rolls in around this time of year, like a
The Oscars are over, and since I didn’t watch them or see any of the nominated movies, let’s get this Oscar-themed edition of the Most Improved Player Rankings under way! Because nothing says “balanced sportswriter” like a column full of misinformed pop culture references! The envelopes, please … Best Actor: Anthony Davis. This award goes to the best player in our group, and Davis is the clear choice there. He’s already one of the league’s best big men, and Pelicans fans have already started
Does anyone want Danny Granger? How about Jimmer Fredette? Perhaps Caron Butler? And how about this: Someone — the Memphis Grizzlies — wanted Beno Udrih so badly they claimed him off waivers. This is the last week for contenders to shore up their playoff rosters with NBA players for a run they hope will last into June. It is becoming known as February Free Agency. The official NBA rule is that teams have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, March 1 to waive a
Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers showed he has quite the sense of humor with this All-Star campaign video, and he was at it again on Tuesday after an easy 118-98 victory over the dreadful Los Angeles Lakers. His teammate Ian Mahinmi, who scored nine points – the most he has scored since December 20 when he had 10 points against the Houston Rockets – was being interviewed after the game. Feeling good about the night, Stephenson decided to pull a