Chris Paul has become a great shooter. His average shot distance last season was 16.5 feet, the furthest of his career (7.8% further than his previous longest). And it’s 5 feet longer than his average shot distance as a rookie. Last season, 29.8% of his shots were 3-pointers. That was the highest rate of his career, about 40% higher than his career average. Because he made his 3-pointers at a high rate (39.8%), he had the highest effective field goal percentage
The kinder, gentler NBA schedule is out. First, here’s the stuff you want. Opening Night is Tuesday, Oct. 27 and has a TNT doubleheader with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting the Chicago Bulls and the New Orleans Pelicans visiting MVP Stephen Curry and the defending champion Golden State Warriors, who will be handing out rings and hoisting their title banner. Both are rematches of playoff showdowns. The following night, it’s ESPN’s turn with Kevin Durant returning for the Oklahoma City Thunder
Not too long ago, you could make the case that Rajon Rondo was the best point guard in the NBA. At the current moment, you could make the argument that DeMarcus Cousins is the best center in the NBA. And as far as pure scorers go, it is not a reach to say that Rudy Gay is in the top 10. Oh, and George Karl is a very good coach. Not many would dispute that. All of those guys are now members
It takes a lot to make the NBA playoffs if you are in the Western Conference. The West is the grown-up table of the NBA. It has had at least one team finish above .500 and miss the postseason every year since 2007. There will be some shuffling in the West’s playoff picture this season. But who is in the frame, and who gets cropped out? And has any team improved enough to topple the defending champion Golden State Warriors? The staff of
Has Daryl Morey finally landed his third big fish? After his well-chronicled search for the “third-best player on a championship team” led to narrow misses on the likes of Chris Bosh and LaMarcus Aldridge, the GM of the Houston Rockets finally made a big splash this summer with his trade for Ty Lawson, the talented-but-troubled point guard formerly of the Denver Nuggets. [Read more…]
We have already looked at the Eastern Conference and told you who has won and lost the offseason. Now it is time to look at the Western Conference, which seems to get stronger and stronger every year. How much did DeAndre Jordan’s indecision really impact the conference? Has anyone closed the gap on the defending champion Golden State Warriors? Our staff takes a look in the Three-Man Weave. 1. Which Western Conference team has had the best offseason thus far? [Read more…]
“Fuhgetaboutit!” That’s what Brooklyn Nets fans were saying on Twitter when the team announced it had agreed to terms with Andrea Bargnani. Nets fans in Little Italy applauded the move. The agreement is reportedly a two-year deal for the veteran’s minimum salary, according to the New York Post. The second year of the deal is a player option. Barring a catastrophically bad season, Bargnani would opt out after this season. Fans of the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks may laugh at the signing,
By now, we all know what happened between DeAndre Jordan and the Dallas Mavericks. Long story short: Jordan agreed to sign with them at the beginning of free agency, changed his mind a week later after getting lured back in by Doc Rivers and company, signed with the Los Angeles Clippers for four years earlier in the week and devastating Mark Cuban and the Mavericks in the process. [Read more…]