As the NBA tries unsuccessfully to manufacture excitement on Christmas for its slate of games, the real truth is impossible to ignore. The NBA is becoming less compelling to watch because there is no one to hate anymore. Since the 1980s, when the league began expanding from 23 teams to the present 30, the rivalries between teams have been on the slippery slope to insignificance. The league schedule has become just a gigantic list of games with no grudge matches and
Is this how things are going to be for the Brooklyn Nets without their starting center? In the first game since losing Brook Lopez to a season-ending foot injury, the Nets got ripped by the Indiana Pacers and suffered an embarrassing 103-86 loss at home. To be fair, they did lose to the best team in the league (at least from a record perspective). The Pacers are ranked No. 1 in defensive rating and allow a league best 89.4 points. That’s
Kyle Korver won’t tie Dana Barros’ record for most consecutive games with a 3-pointer. At least not tonight. Korver is one of three members of the Atlanta Hawks who did not make the trip to Houston to play the Rockets on Wednesday night. He remained in Atlanta to receive treatment for a bruised rib. So why are we giving you an injury report on an otherwise ordinary player with a fantastic shooting stroke? Because the last time Korver didn’t make a 3-pointer in a
Well, it’s happened. The NBA’s early season darling teams have fallen back to earth. The Phoenix Suns, who started 5-2, are now 5-6 and look poised for the early lottery once again. Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division could be historically bad. The Philadelphia 76ers, who have won only twice in their last 10 games, trail the Toronto Raptors by only a half game for first place. And the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are fighting for Gotham’s infamy as they both stand
The standings are always a little wonky at this point. Some contenders get off to slow starts, some pretenders look like world-beaters. [Read more…]
Growing up, fans are taught several “facts” about team sports. It’s a fact that teamwork is better than selfish play. It’s usually a fact that a good defense beats a good offense. It’s a fact in baseball that last licks is more advantageous than leading off. Perhaps no “fact” is more emphasized, however, than the notion that the best players in every sport always start. In the NBA in 2013, that “fact” is fiction. It couldn’t be further from the truth. [Read more…]
Today the Knicks got destroyed by the Spurs. The Spurs are still great, and the Knicks are missing Tyson Chandler, but this can’t say good things about the Knicks’ ability to stay near the top of the East. [Read more…]
After months of agonizing anticipation, the 2013-14 NBA regular season has finally begun. Three games ushered in the new year, and as one might imagine, the numbers were quite astonishing. No team posted numbers that were as impressive as the Indiana Pacers. Indiana won its season opener by defeating the Orlando Magic 97-87 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Paul George scored 24 points, Lance Stephenson added a surprisingly strong 19 and Orlando Johnson scored nine off of the bench as the defending Central