Whether you are in the schoolyard or the prison yard, the theory remains the same: If you’re the new guy and want to prove your toughness, go pick a fight with the biggest guy in the yard. That’s what Boston Celtics rookie Marcus Smart did in Wednesday’s home win over the Sacramento Kings. In the fourth quarter with the Celtics pulling away, the 6-4, 220-pound Smart ran directly into the chest of the 6-11, 270-pound DeMarcus Cousins, who was trying to set
When looking at the lottery picks of the 2014 NBA draft, it’s almost easier to list those who are healthy than those who are not. The torn ACL suffered this week by No. 2 pick Jabari Parker was devastating news for the Milwaukee Bucks, who have been surprisingly competitive throughout the first third of the season, currently 6th in the East, and appeared to have the Rookie of the Year favorite in their starting lineup. But Parker’s injury also continued a trend among the most
What a draft! Adam Silver’s first as commissioner will be one to remember, even though it will be hard getting use to the no-booing part from the fans. We had some nice trades, a 20th pick that made Fran Fraschilla say “He’s two years away from being two years away…”, and latest episode of the Sixers man-crush on an injured guy. So now that we can attach faces with teams, let us skip ahead, as we so often do, and hand out some fake awards.
12:12 a.m. Eastern -Billy King could not talk about the 59th and 60th picks on record but those deals should be finalized by the end of the night. Xavier Thames and Cory Jefferson, who were selected by other teams, will be Nets. 11:53 p.m. Eastern -Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the newest Knicks player. He hopes to bring energy and effort to the team, he told reporters. 11:44 p.m. Eastern -The Knicks just took Thanasis Antetokounpo, the older brother of Milwaukee’s Giannis. He played for Delaware in the
Something to think about as we barrel toward Thursday night’s draft: Beware the comparisons … you know, the “he is the next (fill in the blank).” Like Joel Embiid, who is either the next Hakeem Olajuwon or the next Greg Oden. Basketball is the most nuanced and elaborated game there is, and this is why NBA Comps are nothing more than bad smokescreens. Take a look at Penny Hardaway for a second. What do you see? You see a long ball-handler, ultra-quick
The Cleveland Cavaliers hit the jackpot by leaving the NBA Draft Lottery with the No. 1 overall pick for the third time in four years. What’s even more amazing than winning the lottery in three of four years? How about the fact that Cleveland’s “human luck charm,” Nick Gilbert, wasn’t in attendance as Joe Kotoch points out in his latest mock draft. Will the No. 1 pick be enough to make a possible trade for Kevin Love and entice LeBron James to
CHICAGO – If there was anything to be learned at the 2014 NBA Draft combine, it is that when discussing prospects, positions are somewhat blown out of proportion. Despite their size, a prospect must must become very well-rounded in order to reach true star status at the next level. “It’s not new to see guys playing multiple positions,” Tom Penn, an ESPN analyst, told the Wall Street Journal in 2012. “But we’ve never seen this many elite players play multiple positions at an elite
With the seedings for the NCAA tournament announced today (and my beloved Maryland Terrapins not even making the NIT), college ball takes centre stage for a few weeks. I used to be primarily a college basketball fan. Sure, I loved watching the NBA, basketball is basketball, but I thought of Joakim Noah as a former Florida Gator, not as a Chicago Bull. I thought it was weird that he wasn’t Al Horford’s teammate any more, and wondered what happened to Taurean