Who has a shot to beat the Miami Heat in a seven-game playoff series? That’s the question everybody was asking on opening night of the 2013-’14 NBA season. The Bulls did not seem worthy in their 107-95 loss. San Antonio, Indiana, Chicago, Brooklyn and Oklahoma City all are considered elite while the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks have this season to make their case to join that group. [Read more…]
While the headlines on Friday evening were dominated by the first trade of the young NBA season — Washington and Phoenix completed a deal centered around Emeka Okafor, Marcin Gortat and a 2014 1st round draft pick — one team out West made yet another under-the-radar move that could alter the landscape of the Western Conference. [Read more…]
Tuesday, October 22 Daily Trivia: Which team won the first NBA Draft Lottery? Answer below. NBA GMs survey released Posted at 06:54 PM ET The controversial and sometimes questionable general managers survey was released Tuesday, and though most predictions seemed reasonable, one vote in particular may shock some people. As Chris Sheridan writes, Kobe Bryant has lost his title as the top shooting guard. “The general managers have spoken, and boy — they’ve said a mouthful. For the first time in the 12-year
With the NBA regular season just nine short days away, players and teams are turning it up a notch to prepare for the first meaningful games since spring. Chris Paul dropped 40 last night. Kevin Durant 36 two nights before. Luol Deng doesn’t bring that type of offensive firepower to the table, but he’s still more than ready to get back on the court with the Chicago Bulls, a popular favorite to dethrone the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. [Read more…]
The NBA, arguably better than any major sport, has made extreme efforts to become a global league. While it’s not reported on consistently in the media, both the NBA and the NFL have an eye on London as the hub of a new international team. [Read more…]
Right now, all the Lakers have is Pau Gasol. There is hope that Kobe Bryant will return early this season, but at age 37 and coming off a torn Achilles, the Black Mamba returning as his former self is no certainty. So as Gasol enters the final year of his contract with the Lakers, that precarious question has been asked: will Gasol take less money to help the Lakers improve next year? [Read more…]
There aren’t generally many surprises throughout an NBA season. We know who the best players are. The best teams, in due time, surface to the top. But occasionally, maybe once a year, a player comes from out of nowhere and puts together a breakout year. It’s impossible to predict at this point, but after the preseason opened this weekend, Xavier Henry of the Los Angeles Lakers has at least put his name on the ballot. [Read more…]
The greatest mistake that you can make in life is to be continually fearing the one you might make. With all eyes on Derrick Rose this weekend, as he prepares to play his first game in 500-plus days, this familiar ethos can’t be how the former MVP approaches his return to the court. The last time we saw Rose play he was 23 years old and one season removed from becoming the NBA’s youngest MVP. Rose turned 25 today. [Read more…]