The NBA’s compressed 66-game schedule was the epicenter of discussion in the NBA after what happened to Chicago Bulls All-Star guard Derrick Rose and New York Knicks rookie guard Iman Shumpert Saturday when they tore their ACLs within hours of each other. A lot players feel the frenetic post-lockout pace is to blame for the … [Read more…]
In somewhat of a surprising move, Rajon Rondo has decided to withdraw from the United States basketball team. Rondo told USA Basketball President Jerry Colangelo that he had some personal matters. Translation: Rondo saved himself the embarrassment of being cut from the squad. The Boston Celtics All-Star point guard saw the writing on the wall … [Read more…]
Not a single player from the 2008 U.S. national team will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, so Team USA will have a brand new look. If the 2008 U.S. squad – a group that included Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade – was nicknamed the Redeem Team, then the 2010 U.S. team … [Read more…]
Score one for Chauncey Billups. The chess matchup between the Lakers and Nuggets took a different turn in Game 2. Lakers Coach Jackson geared his perimeter defense to smothering Billups in Game 1, putting Kobe Bryant on him for much of the game, but Billups made the proper adjustment in Game 2 by being more … [Read more…]
Los Angeles Lakers Coach Phil Jackson made the first move in the Western Conference finals and now it is up to the Denver Nuggets to adjust. Jackson put Kobe Bryant, his best defender, on Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups for much of Game 1. Even though Billups scored 18 points, he made just 38% of … [Read more…]
Here are some observations and analysis from the first week of the NBA playoffs. Boston’s Rajon Rondo is enjoying a big time coming out party. The Celtics’ point guard has been an absolute superstar in the first round. Chicago Bulls rookie Derrick Rose got all the ink after a tremendous Game 1 at Boston’s TD … [Read more…]
Larry Bird, Hall-of-Famer and three-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, once said that a true basketball “assassin” is someone who is not afraid to shoot when the game is on the line. Bird explained that it is easy to shoot a potential game-winning shot when the game is tied, and the worst thing that … [Read more…]