When I read about the issue of resting players in preparation for the playoffs, it reminded me that I miss Wilt Chamberlain, who certainly would wonder what blockhead came up with the notion that players need rest. Rest has been a regular story line for the Golden State Warriors during their pursuit of the best regular season record in NBA history. At 72-9, they need only a victory Wednesday over a struggling, injured Memphis team – which has lost nine of
It’s that time again. We’ve come to the end of another unforgettable season of the Most Improved Player Rankings, and like John Kasich, I’ve already made a pact with myself that I’m not going to cry, no matter what happens. It’s been a great season in this column space. We’ve written classic poetry, made fun of Kobe Bryant, checked in with presidential candidates, wondered if Steph Curry is really just an elaborate Old Spice commercial, kicked LeBron while he’s down, and quietly made
The last time the Golden State Warriors faced the San Antonio Spurs back in March, they had their worst scoring output in the Steve Kerr era with 79 total points. Thursday proved to be a different story, as they got past the Spurs at home 112-101 with relative ease. With the victory, the Warriors became just the second team in NBA history to reach 70 wins. Not surprisingly, Stephen Curry led the way for the Warriors with 27 points, five rebounds, nine
With just 10 days left in the NBA regular season, there’s still a lot to be determined and decided. Records can be broken, playoff fates will be sealed and the season will be mercifully be over for several hopeless teams around the league. With the regular season reaching its last days, we give you the 10 most important questions that needs to be answered before the postseason begins. It’s going to be YUGE. [Read more…]
The juxtaposition was dramatic, but not reflective of the big picture. About 20 hours separated the images of Tim Duncan in San Antonio and Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. The contrast could not have been more striking. Duncan is a master at the art of poker face. But as he sat on the bench in the second half of the Spurs’ victory over Golden State on March 19, it did seem that a little bewilderment, or at least surprise, could be detected. That
Loud people may not understand this column. But as Rocky Balboa once pontificated, there is such a thing as “the disease of being shy.” It’s a tough thing, really. You can’t easily overcome shyness, and it doesn’t really go away over time. Shy people don’t always get everything they deserve, because non-shy people often mistake their shyness for docility or indifference. In our extrovert-dominant, squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease society, being quiet can hurt you. You don’t see a ton of shy people winning Academy Awards, or running for President,
Discussing the state of the modern NBA big man in a USA Today story on Monday night, Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard said, “It’s really like we’re dinosaurs, and they’re trying to extinct us.” Like any creature, company or concept claiming to face extinction, big men around the league should follow the wise words of Charles Darwin: adapt or die. And adapting is exactly what Charlotte center Al Jefferson did, which is one of the many reasons why the Hornets are the Eastern Conference’s hottest
Last season, the Atlanta Hawks were one of the NBA’s best regular-season stories, winning 60 games. This season, they needed almost 60 games to remember what winning is. After their best season since moving to Atlanta nearly 50 years ago, the Hawks have spent most of this season spurting and sputtering. They got off to a 7-1 start, which many took as a good sign considering they were a measly 7-6 out of the gate last season. There was a six-game