Sunday features two matinees at 3:30 Eastern. The Cavaliers are favored to make it six straight wins as the Pacers visit, though LeBron James $10200 is probably not 100% after taking a knee to the thigh on Friday. [Read more…]
Thursday’s 5-game NBA slate tips off at 8:00 Eastern, with the Thunder, smarting from two straight losses, visiting Chicago. Both teams have something to prove, as the Bulls somehow allowed Charlotte to score 130 on Tuesday. [Read more…]
If you take a quick look at the contract extensions given to the 2012 NBA draft class, nothing seems extraordinary. Eight eligible players received extensions. While collusion conspiracy theorists might point out that it’s two less than the 2011 class, it also is one more than the 2010 class and the same number as the 2009 class. As in previous seasons, the top pick got a five-year max deal and at least one other lottery pick also received a max deal of
Well, we’ve almost made it through the first entire week of hoops, and the only significant loss since the season started has been a broken foot that will sideline the Pistons’ Jodie Meeks for 3-4 months. Oh, and Grantland. ESPN’s decision to pull the plug on the offshoot site founded by the groundbreaking Bill Simmons is the latest ill-advised move by the powers that be in Bristol, Conn., site of the fortress-like complex that continues to lower the bar for what constitutes
NBA Sundays are slightly different, with afternoon games to consider. DraftKings offers Early (2 games) and All-Day (7 games) contests at 2:00 Eastern. I like the 5-game evening card at 6:00 best, then the action wraps up with 3-game Late pools at 7:00. [Read more…]
One couldn’t have imagined a worse outcome for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2014-15 season. A massive plague of injuries kept the team below full strength for the entire campaign. Specifically, Kevin Durant missed 55 games, Serge Ibaka missed 18 games and Russell Westbrook missed 15 games. The other four rotation players who started and finished the season with OKC – Anthony Morrow, Steven Adams, Andre Roberson and Nick Collison – missed between eight and 16 games each. All those missed
Statistically, Russell Westbrook had one of the most unconscious years we’ve seen in some time last season. The point guard plays at a pace unmatched by anyone in the league, and was particularly aggressive once Kevin Durant was lost for the year due to a foot injury, averaging 28.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists. Against the Minnesota Timberwolves in his first preseason game on Wednesday, Westbrook was at it again with the ridiculousness. In just 22 minutes, he had 14 points,
The NBA is currently mid-stage in one of its follow-the-leader transitions. This era has been in process for several years. Previously it was called position-less basketball; today we’re calling it small ball. [Read more…]