In the brave new world of basketball analytics, trends and modules, a simpler stat surfaced this week that was utterly inexplicable. Two teams have lost 10 games this season in which they led after three quarters. One is the league-worst Philadelphia 76ers, who have no one on their roster who knows how to win a game. The other is the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have two of the supposed best closers in the game in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. [Read more…]
We waited all season for this? Are you kidding me? A day of dumpster diving? Ugh. Well, let’s break it all down: LeBron James lost a friend, and that friend, Anderson Varejao, was immediately waived and may just come back to haunt his former team if he signs with an Eastern Conference contender after spending 12 seasons in Cleveland. In related news since we are talking about LeBron’s recent past, Miami Heat owner Mickey Arison saved millions and millions of luxury tax dollars.
NEW YORK – It is rare when an assistant coach steals the show at an NBA game, but that is exactly what Mike Woodson did in his victorious return to Madison Square Garden. Less than a year after being fired by the perpetually rebuilding New York Knicks, Woodson was back in The Big Apple, riding shotgun alongside Doc Rivers on the staff of the title-contending Los Angeles Clippers. He met the voracious New York media before the game, then made a surprise
No matter how close players on a team are, trades are as inevitable as anything else in the NBA. In fact the only constant one can ever truly expect is that things change, and fast. For the veteran Steve Novak, this truth became a reality once again. The three-point specialist was traded from the Toronto Raptors to the Utah Jazz for a future second round pick. This will be the third team for Novak in three years as he was traded
With many around the league waiting for free agency to kick off at midnight, whether curious to see what happens with LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony—all of whom opted out of their contracts in hopes of competing for NBA championships—or waiting to see what teams establish themselves as 2014-15 contenders, some teams are already making moves. Enter the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets. As you’ve likely heard by now, the Bucks have agreed to trade two second-round draft
Finally, the monkey is off the proverbial back so to speak. For the past few days, perhaps even the past few weeks, ever since the New York Knicks announced the arrival of Phil Jackson—one of the most respected names in NBA history—would be taking over as President of Basketball Operations, back in mid-March, it seemed only a matter of time before he would begin reconstructing the team organization. Monday marked the beginning of the likely multi-faceted project, as Jackson addressed the elephant
The Toronto Raptors had no intention of making the playoffs this season. Head coach Dwane Casey admitted as much earlier in the season, but the talent on the team turned out to be above average in an Eastern Conference that turned out to be historically subpar. So general manager Masai Ujiri sent the overpaid Rudy Gay to Sacramento on Dec. 8 with the team in first place at 7-12, and the Raptors have turned into one of the East’s best teams. Toronto
Finally. After much anticipation, and to some chagrin, the NBA’s coaches have submitted their list of reserves for the forthcoming 2014 NBA All-Star game in New Orleans, LA. Many of the All-Star reserve selections are expected, though there were a few selections (and snubs) that were unconventional, though deserving. In the Eastern Conference, Chris Bosh [Miami Heat], DeMar DeRozan [Toronto Raptors], Paul Millsap [Atlanta Hawks], John Wall [Washington Wizards], Joe Johnson [Brooklyn Nets], Roy Hibbert [Indiana Pacers] and Joakim Noah [Chicago Bulls] all join