This week, there was a groundswell for Kevin Love’s inclusion in the MVP conversation. Thanks for joining us in 2012, folks. Love should should have been in it months ago. We know all the names that already comprised the conversation – LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul – with Tony Parker and Dwight Howard on the periphery. Those six candidates differ from Love in two ways. 1. They all play on winning teams. 2. This season, they all couldn’t wash Love’s socks. Yes,
Things have officially gone wild in the Wild Wild West. Over the past five seasons, at least one team with a winning record has failed to make the playoffs in the Western Conference as the competition has always been fierce and close until the final day of the season. It may never have been this close, however. Currently, 1 1/2 games separate the fourth seed and the ninth seed. Two teams — the Clippers and the Mavericks — are tied for the fourth seed
The Suns are now 10-4 since the All-Star Break. They are second best to only the Chicago Bull, who are 12-2. The Suns have won four straight against the Pacers. Danny Granger scored 28 points. Steve Nash had 12 points and 17 assists. Dwight Howard had his 40th double-double of the season. Kyrie Irving celebrated his 20th birthday. The Magic are one of only two teams that have six players averaging double figures in scoring. Tristan Thompson had 15 points and 11 rebounds. New York had 22 turnovers
Versatile forward Boris Diaw signed with the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, going from the league’s worst team to one of its best. Diaw was in the final year of his contract when he was bought out by the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday. He joins the Spurs, who are second in the Western Conference and appear intent on chasing another championship. Earlier this month, the Bobcats sat down Diaw, 29, for four games as they made a commitment to their younger players.
Boris Diaw is taking his talents to Texas. Diaw, who averaged 7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 37 games this season for the Charlotte Bobcats, the NBA’s worst team, signed with the San Antonio Spurs on Friday after clearing waivers. The nine-year veteran had his best season in 2005-06 when he averaged 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists for the Suns, and Tony Parker of the Spurs was lobbying for the signing of his teammate on the French national team. Diaw
The new-look Nuggets had their hands full because Ben Gordon couldn’t miss. Starting for Rodney Stuckey, Gordon was 13-22 from the floor — including a perfect 9-9 from deep — and hit 10 of 11 free throws for a 45-point outburst. However, Ty Lawson (25) and Arron Afflalo (23) played well, Wilson Chandler double-doubled in his first start since last April and JaVale McGee came off the bench for 15 PTS, 7 REB, 3 BLK and the winning putback dunk
Boris Diaw is a free man — or at least he will be in two days. Diaw and the Charlotte Bobcats reached agreement Wednesday on a buyout of the remainder of his $9 million contract, and he was expected to be waived later today. It takes 48 hours to clear waivers, meaning Diaw could sign with a playoff contender as soon as Friday. Tony Parker is expected will lobby hard, according to Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News, to add Diaw
If there were rankings for the NBA’s overlooked and underestimated, the San Antonio Spurs would be No. 1. They are the contender people love to forget. That’s not to say they aren’t respected. Four titles since 1999 and the potent management duo of Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford translates to a substantial bottom line. But the last few years, it seems that when championship aspirants are rated, any mention of the Spurs is followed with “yeah, well … but … they