Tim Duncan is a horrible pretty darn bad free throw shooter. If you’ve been following the NBA for the past decade and a half, you have probably come to accept that truism. Except for one thing: It isn’t true anymore. It’s not even close to true. It is, in fact, astoundingly untrue this season. [Read more…]
Now 11-2 under coach P.J. Carlesimo, the Nets rode the hot hand of Joe Johnson (25 PTS, 5 AST, 3 REB) at the beginning and end of an excellent game. Brooklyn earns temporary NYC bragging rights and is now just one game back of the Knicks in the Atlantic Division. [Read more…]
A dozen teams have played at least half their schedule and another seven will join them today, when the most of the most significant holidays in this country’s history becomes the season’s unofficial midway point. So Dr. Martin Luther King Day is as good a time as any to examine the current front-runners for the annual awards. Included are links to both our staff’s preseason picks and the current rankings. And as always, we’ve included snide remarks if/when necessary. [Read more…]
Breaking my own rule about ‘falling in love’ with any player on any given day, I thought Dwight Howard would destroy the Raptors yesterday, as Aaron Gray isn’t very good and undersized Amir Johnson is playing hurt. [Read more…]
In a big surprise, Stephen Curry started on his sore ankle, contributed (20 PTS, 7 AST, 4 STL) and led the tired, shorthanded Warriors — David Lee (ankle) sat out — over a fully-rested Hornets team that had been playing extremely well. [Read more…]
It took overtime, 52 points from Kevin Durant and 31 by Russell Westbrook to finally subdue the Mavericks. KD’s career high came on 13-for-31 shooting, so it wasn’t a marvel of efficiency. Serge Ibaka (11 PTS, 14 REB, 2 BLK) played almost 45 minutes. [Read more…]
No matter what apologies Josh Smith (1-game suspension) issues, he and coach Larry Drew are not getting along. Internal squabbles often inspire other players in the short term; I changed my DraftStreet lineups to include Zaza Pachulia (13 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST) and he came up big. Al Horford (17 PTS, 13 REB) was also solid, but it was Jeff Teague — with a career-high 28 points and 11 assists — who led the fast-paced attack. Devin Harris (18 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB, 4
Imagine David Stern as Gregg Popovich’s high school teacher many years ago. Many, many, many years ago. Popovich undoubtedly would have been the class jester, playing all sorts of pranks on the unsuspecting ruler. He’s the guy who would have glued Stern’s coffee cup to the desk. He’s the guy who would have arrived to class early and set the clock 10 minutes forward. [Read more…]