Ranking the Most Overrated 2017 NBA All-Star Game Candidates
January 16th, 2017 by Dan Favale No comments »
Assembling an indefensible NBA All-Star roster is ridiculously hard.
Even when people call out snubs, they struggle to name who those snubs should replace. And the field of worthy players is so vast that All-Star voters would have to completely sabotage their ballots in order to fill rosters with utterly undeserving players (shoutout to Zaza Pachulia stans).
That doesn't mean every All-Star candidate is beyond dispute. Some of the league's biggest names find themselves unjustly propped above other options or mistakenly included in the conversation at all. Fan voting is part of this determining factor—certain players remained hopelessly out of place on the ballot ladder in the latest returns. But many of these blips, like Pachulia, are harmless.
The trick is recognizing players who may actually be named starters or earn roster spots at the expense of more deserving possibilities. Their All-Star credentials are overrated—because, while they may be stars, the love they're receiving doesn't ...
Warriors, Cavaliers Renew Rivalry with New Looks and New Faces
January 16th, 2017 by Erik Malinowski No comments »
OAKLAND, Calif. — LeBron James says it's not a rivalry.
Everyone else—from Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to Tyronn Lue, his own coach—might well disagree.
Regardless of where you fall on this issue of semantics, it's an inarguable certainty that the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers are the league's most dynamic pairing and a near-guarantee every time out to deliver on their innate promise.
They are, without a doubt, the NBA's two best teams. Their showdown at Quickens Loans Arena on Christmas Day had drama to spare and was undecided right down to the final seconds, as the Cavs pulled off a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback to win, 109-108, in their first matchup since Game 7 of the NBA Finals last June.
Now, the two superpowers meet again on Monday night in Oakland. The Warriors (34-6) have the best record in the league. The Cavs (29-10) have the best record in the East.
Something, once ...
2017 NBA Rookie Ladder: New Year’s Rankings for League’s Next Wave
January 15th, 2017 by Josh Martin No comments »
The 2016 NBA draft class has so far proved to be as underwhelming as the year itself. Of the rookies on this top-20 list, only 12 were picked this past June.
That could change over the second half of the 2016-17 season. Ben Simmons has yet to make his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is only now making his presence felt in the City of Brotherly Love. Kyle Korver's departure from the Atlanta Hawks could open up a world of possibilities for Taurean Prince and DeAndre' Bembry. If Denzel Valentine can stay healthy enough to play, he could figure prominently into the Chicago Bulls' youth movement.
And, frankly, all the other first-years who tip-toed their way through the Association in 2016 should start to shine as they shake off their rookie jitters and settle into 2017.
So before we all resolve to brush this class aside and set our sights ...
NHL Power Rankings: B/R Experts’ Week 15 Poll
January 15th, 2017 by Adrian Dater No comments »
It's been a streaky season in the NHL, and the Washington Capitals are the latest team to find themselves in one, all to the good.
We almost saw the Columbus Blue Jackets tie the NHL's all-time win streak of 17 recently, before they were shut out by the Caps in what would have been their 17th straight victory. The Capitals are more than halfway to equaling the mark, which was set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins.
Washington has won nine in a row. Not only did the Caps finally cool off the Blue Jackets, but they also beat some other good teams, including a 6-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks Friday night and Pittsburgh the game before that, in which Alex Ovechkin posted his 1,000th career point. Sunday, they waxed the Philadelphia Flyers 5-0.
The Capitals thus made a move in the latest Bleacher Report NHL Power Rankings, though there wasn't much higher ...
Carmelo Anthony Comments on Future with New York Knicks
January 15th, 2017 by Tyler Conway No comments »
With the New York Knicks' season descending into despair, the rumor mill is again abuzz regarding potential trade destinations for Carmelo Anthony.
If his comments following Sunday's 116-101 loss to the Toronto Raptors were any indication, it appears Anthony is growing fed up.
"If they feel like my time in New York is over, I guess that's a conversation we should have," Anthony said, per Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
Anthony also confirmed he has not given any consideration to waiving the no-trade clause in his contract yet.
Longtime friend Dwyane Wade told Daniel Popper of the New York Daily News on Thursday he doesn't believe Anthony has any desire to leave New York:
He loves it here. He loves being here. His family loves it here. And he wants to win here. He's going to be here as long as they want him here — win, lose or draw.
It's not ...
LeBron James Comments on Matchup with Warriors, Says They Aren’t a Rival of Cavs
January 15th, 2017 by Scott Polacek No comments »
LeBron James made it clear his Cleveland Cavaliers will be facing the NBA's best team—but not a rival—when they play the Golden State Warriors on Monday.
"We don't look at it as a rival," James said Friday night, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. "They're a great team. They've been the best team the last couple years, last three years."
In theory, the Cavaliers and Warriors aren't traditional rivals, as Cleveland plays in the Eastern Conference and Golden State is in the West. Cleveland has more long-term history with teams such as the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons, and Golden State can say the same of the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.
However, the current versions of the Cavaliers and Warriors have been intricately tied to each other over the past few seasons, and Vardon stressed they "are rivals."
Cleveland beat Golden State in last season's NBA Finals and prevented the 73-win Warriors ...
Stephen Curry Comments on Future with Warriors, Potential Max Contract
January 15th, 2017 by Rob Goldberg No comments »
Anyone who thought the Golden State Warriors' new dynamic would force Stephen Curry out can put those notions to bed.
When Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News asked Curry on Saturday if he could see himself leaving the Warriors when he becomes a free agent this summer, the point guard responded:
I can't. Like I've said from Day 1 when I was first asked about free agency, this is a perfect place to play. Bay Area fans are amazing, our organization's amazing, we've put together an amazing team that's competing for championships every year.
There's really no reason that I can see right now that would draw me elsewhere.
Curry is in the final season of a four-year deal worth $44 million, which is a relatively minimal amount, considering he has won back-to-back NBA MVP awards. Curry ranks fourth on his own team in annual salary.
With the three-time All-Star being outranked financially on ...
Jimmer Fredette Says Twitter Account Was Hacked and He’s Not Quitting Basketball
January 15th, 2017 by Tyler Conway No comments »
Former NBA guard Jimmer Fredette, who is playing for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, stated his Twitter account was hacked Sunday morning and that he is not quitting basketball.
Joe Curci of WOR 710 in New York captured a screenshot of the hacker's tweets:
Fredette, 27, left his Chinese league game Friday night with an injury. He had been perhaps the CBA's best player during his first season with the Sharks, earning player of the month honors for November and December from Asia-Basket.com. He averaged 39.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in December.
Selected No. 10 overall in the 2011 NBA draft, Fredette largely struggled while playing in parts of five seasons. He had career per-game averages of 6.0 points, 1.4 assists and 1.0 rebound while playing for the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks.
Fredette made the move overseas after he attempted to make an NBA roster in ...
Adam Silver Comments on Potentially Adding Mexico City Franchise
January 15th, 2017 by Timothy Rapp No comments »
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league not only wants to bring more regular-season games to Mexico, but it may also consider adding a franchise in Mexico City in the future, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com.
"In terms of a franchise in Mexico City, it's something that we're going to look at," Silver said. "This is a competitive market, well over 20 million people. While we have no immediate plans to expand the NBA, one of the things that we look at is whether expanding would be additive to the league as a whole."
He continued: "Clearly coming to Mexico City just because of the huge population here in Mexico but in essence as a gateway to the rest of Latin America could potentially be very important to the league. You clearly have a beautiful state-of-the-art arena here, and you can tell by ticket sales that we have the interest."
Silver also noted the Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, ...
Rodney Hood Injury: Updates on Jazz Guard’s Knee and Return
January 14th, 2017 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
Utah Jazz shooting guard Rodney Hood suffered a bone bruise to his knee on Saturday against the Orlando Magic and needed assistance getting off the floor after grabbing his knee while attempting a layup. He has not played since.
It is uncertain when he will return to action.
Continue for updates.
Latest on Hood's Timeline for Return
Monday, Jan. 16
Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters he hopes to have Hood back in Utah's lineup in two weeks.
Hood's Diagnosis Revealed
Sunday, Jan. 15
Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune reported Hood underwent an MRI and was diagnosed with a bone bruise. However, Jones noted there was no other structural damage.
After the game, Snyder told reporters that Hood had hyperextended the knee.
Hood Was Playing His Best Basketball Before Injury
The 24-year-old Hood has been a secondary scoring option as Utah's starting shooting guard.
Entering Saturday night, he had averaged 14 points and 3.6 rebounds per game to support Gordon Hayward and George Hill.
But Hood had recently been ...