Report Card Grades for Every NBA Team Entering 2016-17 Season’s Midway Point
January 10th, 2017 by Dan Favale No comments »
Sometimes, it's hard to believe the 2016-17 NBA season is roughly halfway gone. But then you realize how many hot takes we've all developed since opening night, at which point it becomes totally believable.
This revelation is followed by the sudden, irrepressible urge to pass judgment on everything we've seen. And there's no reason to fight it; we have plenty of red pens.
Midseason report cards will take the entire year so far into account. Teams will not be brutally punished for hitting a recent rough patch. On the flip side, immediacy matters: Squads that have reinvented themselves of late will get better-than-expected grades if the turnaround is deemed sustainable.
Like last time, all marks will be doled out relative to each individual case; better teams are held to higher standards, so a curve must be implemented. It's possible for a contender to receive the same grade as a bottom-feeder without implying that the ...
NHL All-Star Game 2017 Rosters: Full Player List, Comments and Reaction
January 10th, 2017 by Tim Daniels No comments »
The NHL released the official rosters for the 2017 All-Star Game on Tuesday. The 62nd edition of the annual showcase is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 29 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Here's a look at the full rosters, per NHL.com:
This year's game will once again feature the three-on-three format that debuted one year ago. It creates an exciting end-to-end brand of attacking hockey that's more entertaining than the standard five-on-five approach of years past since there was little defense played anyway.
The Metropolitan Division is stacked at forward with the presence of Pittsburgh Penguins teammates Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, as well as Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin. It will be intriguing to see whether those three end up on the ice together without a defenseman at some point.
Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, the heir apparent to Crosby as the best player in the league, is making his All-Star debut after missing ...
Orien Greene Arrested: Latest Details, Mugshot and More for Former NBA Player
January 10th, 2017 by Mike Chiari No comments »
Former NBA player Orien Greene was arrested Monday morning in Florida and charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor battery.
According to TMZ Sports, Greene broke into two homes, and when he encountered a sleeping 40-year-old woman in the second home, he allegedly kissed her on the neck and rubbed her butt before running to his girlfriend's home when the woman woke up.
TMZ tweeted the following look at Greene's mugshot:
Greene was a second-round pick by the Boston Celtics in 2005 and last appeared in an NBA regular-season game for the then-New Jersey Nets in 2010-11.
In addition to stints with the Celtics, Nets, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings, Greene played for three different teams in the NBA Development League.
He has also played professional basketball in New Zealand, Israel, the Netherlands, Canada, Libya and Mexico.
The 34-year-old currently plays for Guaros de Lara of the Venezuelan LPB after signing with them on Dec. 31.
Greene is perhaps best known for ...
NBA Player Power Rankings: B/R’s Top 30 Shooting Guards at the Halfway Point
January 10th, 2017 by Adam Fromal No comments »
Remember when the shooting guard position was in trouble? We don't.
Even with Kobe Bryant retired, James Harden running the point for the Houston Rockets and Dwyane Wade no longer submitting MVP-caliber seasons, it's in great hands. Plenty of veterans are still thriving at the 2, and they're competing with up-and-comers such as C.J. McCollum and Bradley Beal for supremacy.
This is where you find some of the NBA's best shooters; it's home to a handful of defensive stoppers and a plethora of three-and-D contributors.
And some standouts can just do it all.
By analyzing the work these players have already done in 2016-17, as well as their reputations from previous seasons and the expectations going forward, we're putting the top 30 shooting guards in order. The goal is to identify the players we'd most want to build around for the remainder of the campaign, so long-term upside and prowess in the distant past are ...
Watch for OKC Thunder to Be Active in NBA’s Trade Deadline Arms Race
January 10th, 2017 by Jon Hamm No comments »
The Oklahoma City Thunder are 23-16, good for seventh in the West. They have a roomy seven game lead on the eighth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers through Monday night’s games.
However, the Thunder are 9.5 games back of where they prefer to be—a top-three spot in the conference. Getting back there this season probably isn’t realistic because the first step back to conference-heavyweight status is acquiring another star to pair with Russell Westbrook.
Finding the right one and having the right assets on hand is very tricky.
According to recent reports, a few stars could be available prior to the February 23 trade deadline. The Atlanta Hawks have reportedly been listening to offers for All-Star forward Paul Millsap, and Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher reported the Chicago Bulls have been shopping star swingman Jimmy Butler.
The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski has since reported that Millsap is no longer on the trading block, but that Atlanta could "change course ... and return ...
Restricted NHL Free Agents Making Themselves Hot Commodities in 2016-17
January 10th, 2017 by Jonathan Willis No comments »
When the Chicago Blackhawks re-signed Artemi Panarin just after Christmas, they did more than lock up a key part of their roster. They also took the player who might have been this summer’s most intriguing restricted free agent off the market.
The market for RFAs often exists more in imagination than reality. Even with offer sheets a long-standing component of collective bargaining agreements between the NHL and NHLPA, teams rarely seem interested in committing the money and draft picks necessary to poach a player from another team. In those instances where they do, the offer sheet is usually matched quickly.
Even with offer sheets an underused tool, negotiations between cap-strapped teams and good young players are often fascinating. The players, understandably, want the best contract possible; just as logically, teams often have to fight for every penny of cap space they can.
The following slideshow looks at some of the best young players ...
What We Know About Derrick Rose’s Mysterious Absence
January 9th, 2017 by Yaron Weitzman No comments »
NEW YORK — The first indication that something wasn't right came just about two hours before tipoff Monday night.
It was then that New York Knicks assistant coach Joshua Longstaff could be seen scanning the Madison Square Garden court. Longstaff had just wrapped up a session with point guard Ron Baker and was waiting for his next partner, Derrick Rose, to come onto the floor.
"Has anyone seen Derrick?" he asked out loud while standing next to a group of assistant coaches.
Rose never showed up—for his pregame routine or the Knicks' contest against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Rose's absence was a surprise, to fans and the Knicks. Head coach Jeff Hornacek made no mention of Rose during his pregame news conference, and the team didn't announce he'd be missing the game until 7:33 p.m.—three minutes after tipoff.
The given reason: "not with the team."
New York declined to comment further during the game, even as ...
Brandon Ingram Has Started Turning the Corner for Los Angeles Lakers
January 9th, 2017 by Eric Pincus No comments »
LOS ANGELES — Midway through the third period of the Los Angeles D-Fenders' 123-121 Saturday victory over the Grand Rapids Drive, 19-year-old rookie Brandon Ingram arrived confused at the Los Angeles Lakers' El Segundo practice facility.
The Lakers had the day off after games Thursday and Friday night, but Ingram came in early anyway to work with assistant Brian Keefe. After taking a break, the 6'9" forward returned later that night to the Toyota Sports Center, only to find the court was occupied.
"I really didn't have any idea that they were playing," Ingram said of the Lakers' NBA Development League affiliate. "I just came in to get some shots up."
He settled instead at a nearby gym to put in his extra time.
"It's down the street, the Bay Club or something," Ingram said. "[It's] about five minutes from the facility."
This sort of conflict won't be an issue next year when the Lakers ...
Thunder vs. Bulls: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016-17 Regular Season
January 9th, 2017 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
The Oklahoma City Thunder went into the United Center on Monday night and thumped the Chicago Bulls 109-94 for their second consecutive win.
In what was poised to be a tasty matchup, an illness put a damper on the battle between Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and Chicago's Jimmy Butler.
Butler, who was coming off a 42-point effort Saturday against the Toronto Raptors, suited up despite battling flu-like symptoms but lasted only three quarters while scoring just a single point.
Westbrook recorded his 17th triple-double of the season during Oklahoma City's 121-106 win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday and looked poised to make it 18 on Monday.
However, he came up a rebound short, posting 21 points, 14 assists and nine boards to pace the Thunder.
While Westbrook facilitated Oklahoma City's offense, veteran Dwyane Wade attempted to carry the Bulls, posting 22 points in the loss.
In the process, he showed he still can be explosive, ...
Jimmy Butler Illness: Bulls Star Ruled out vs. Wizards
January 9th, 2017 by Timothy Rapp No comments »
Chicago Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler will miss Tuesday's game against the Washington Wizards with an illness, head coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters Monday night.
Butler left after playing 29 minutes in Monday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was limited to one point on 0-of-6 shooting.
Butler entered the night averaging 25.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He's been the bright spot in an up-and-down season for Chicago.
The Bulls weren't at full strength last season, and the 2016-17 campaign has adopted the familiar injury trend—this time with Butler being sidelined.
With Butler trying to create chemistry with several new teammates, including Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, the latest setback is another impediment to that process. Butler has established himself as one of the best wing players in the NBA and is certainly the face of the Bulls organization for the foreseeable future. The Bulls have a mediocre roster without him in the mix.
The ...