Pre-Christmas week brought a foreshadowing of what was coming, as an e-mail from columnist and NBA Encylopedia author Jan Hubbard (who lives in Dallas) included a notation that he was in Los Angeles, where the locals are still infatuated with Kobe Bryant to an extreme degree — or so it seemed to an outsider and objective observer, as Hubbard was. Christmas then brought the news that Bryant is running away with the lead in All-Star balloting, which is always a popularity
Can we now stop pretending that Anthony Davis is the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain? Can we now stop with the hyperbolic declarations that Davis is going to own the NBA in two years or that Davis is going to make the New Orleans Pelicans a perennial title contender? Can we now stop calling Davis a top-five player? Top-five players elevate teams by themselves. Top-five players assure their teams of 50 wins and playoff berths, regardless of circumstances. Top-five players don’t say, “We
Injuries and illnesses are a fact of life in pro sports. In deep traditional fantasy leagues, if you drafted Emmanuel Mudiay (ankle) you play a man short until he returns. In DFS, his temporary replacement Jameer Nelson $4200 could pay off handsomely. [Read more…]
Ever heard of a racehorse named Twice a Prince? Ever heard of a young woman from Nevada named Nia Sanchez? Or how about the poker player Joshua Beckley, who had a whole bunch of TV time in November. Any of those names ring a bell? Probably not … and you know why? They all finished second. Twice a Prince finished a mere 31 lengths behind the legendary Secretariat in the 1973 Belmont Stakes. Sanchez, despite a controversy over whether she qualified for Nevada residency or
The Warriors’ season-opening unbeaten streak is already a record, for the NBA and all major sports leagues. [Read more…]
Is the NBA inching toward parity? Or slowly sinking into mediocrity? Those may seem like strange questions during a season in which the Golden State Warriors have imposed their dominance over the rest of the league in unprecedented fashion. Yes, at 22-0 the Warriors have obliterated the best start in NBA history and have looked downright unbeatable while the clock was ticking during a vast majority of those 22 games. In that sense, they present a very strong argument against the notion
It’s an unusual NBA Saturday, getting under way at 1:00 EST with the Nuggets in Philadelphia. Then at 5:00, the mighty Warriors go for win #21 in Toronto. Those two games matter at DraftKings only in Early and All-Day action. [Read more…]
We’re a quarter of the way through the regular season and the NBA landscape has shifted dramatically. Kobe Bryant is retiring after this season and wants to be remembered as a “talented overachiever” when it’s all said and done. Meanwhile, Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers (3-15) trail only the Philadelphia 76ers (1-19) for the league’s worst record. With every loss, the Lakers grow closer to keeping their top-three protected draft pick and potentially land top prospect Ben Simmons. On the flip side, the Golden