Brad Stevens Speaks on Jae Crowder’s Criticism of Fans Cheering Gordon Hayward
January 4th, 2017 by Adam Wells No comments »
During pregame introductions for Tuesday's game between the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics, fans at TD Garden were noticeably cheering Jazz star Gordon Hayward, which caused Celtics forward Jae Crowder to criticize them.
Crowder, who has been with the team since 2014, issued this response on Twitter following the game:
Crowder expounded on his thoughts after the game in the locker room, taking the fans' feelings toward Hayward as an attack on him, per ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg:
I heard the cheering before the game. I didn't like that at all. I think that was a sign of disrespect to me from the fans. That sparked a little fire in me. I just felt disrespected.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens spoke Wednesday to 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston and gave this response to a discussion he had with Crowder regarding his comments about Celtics fans, per Forsberg:
On the bright side, Crowder's perception of being ...
C.J. McCollum Trade Rumors: Latest News, Speculation Surrounding Blazers Guard
January 4th, 2017 by Joseph Zucker No comments »
With a 15-21 record and sitting ninth in the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers could potentially use C.J. McCollum as a trade chip to acquire the frontcourt presence they desperately need.
Continue for updates.
Blazers Reportedly Not Shopping McCollum
Wednesday, Jan. 4
ESPN.com's Chris Haynes reported Wednesday the Blazers are holding firm in not making McCollum available in trades.
As part of an offseason spending spree, the Blazers gave McCollum a four-year, $106 million extension that goes into effect starting next year. Portland also re-signed Allen Crabbe and Moe Harkless and spared no expense to bring in Evan Turner and Festus Ezeli as free agents.
According to Spotrac, the Blazers' payroll climbed from 27th in 2015-16 ($66,562,366) to third in 2016-17 ($113,260,408), and that's before McCollum's extension is added to the books.
In October, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that some around the league thought general manager Neil Olshey was essentially acquiring pieces he could later package into a big trade down the road.
Stein also classified McCollum and Damian ...
Best Potential 2016-17 NBA Trade-Deadline Targets for Cleveland Cavaliers
January 4th, 2017 by Greg Swartz No comments »
With the NBA trade deadline merely weeks away, even the reigning champion Cleveland Cavaliers should be looking to upgrade their roster.
Given the sudden retirement of Mo Williams before the start of the season, loss of Chris Andersen to a torn ACL and the possibility of not regaining J.R. Smith from thumb surgery until April means the Cavs have a few areas in need of insurance.
The problem? Cleveland's asset cupboard is essentially bare, given what they've sacrificed to get the roster to the point it currently stands. The Cavs can't trade a first-round pick until 2020, and already have their 2017 and 2018 second-round picks heading out as well.
The team's greatest trade chip is a $9.6 million trade exception gained in the Anderson Varejao-Channing Frye swap that expires Feb. 18. The Cavaliers hold three more exceptions ranging from $845,059 to $1.3 million, per BasketballInsiders.com, and Cleveland does own second-round picks ...
NBA 2016 Review: Looking Back at the Best and Worst of the Year in the NBA
January 4th, 2017 by Josh Martin No comments »
You thought you were all done with 2016, didn't you? The good, the bad, the ugly, the worse-than-bad, the worse-than-worse-than-bad...that was supposed to go the way of the dinosaurs once the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1.
Except, the dinosaurs, while gone, weren't forgotten. Neither can the NBA's 2016 be buried—not yet, anyway.
It was a remarkable year in pro basketball, to say the least.
LeBron James cemented his legacy with the Cleveland Cavaliers' first-ever championship. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett sealed theirs in retirement. Stephen Curry kicked it up a notch, then took a backseat to another MVP in Kevin Durant. Joel Embiid, already a giant on social media, turned out to be an even better basketball player.
Nick Young went from goat to...well, not the GOAT, but a consistent starter for the Los Angeles Lakers.
There's so much more in store for 2017, from Giannis Antetokounmpo's rise to superstardom and something (anything?) big ...
Julius Randle Becomes 6th Player with Multiple Triple-Doubles This Season
January 4th, 2017 by Daily Facts No comments »
Fact: Julius Randle had 19 points, 11 assists and 14 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers' 116-102 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, his second triple-double of the season. He joins Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Draymond Green, Russell Westbrook and James Harden as the only players with multiple triple-doubles this season.
Bleacher Report will be bringing sports fans the most interesting and engaging Cold Hard Facts of the day, presented by Coors Light.
Source: B/R InsightsRead more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
NBA B/R Kicks of the Week: Best on Court for NBA Week 11
January 4th, 2017 by Giancarlo Ferrari-King No comments »
With the holiday season now comfortably resting in the rearview mirror, our weekly look at NBA kicks has shifted into a new year.
On Christmas Day, we saw Kyrie Irving and LeBron James both debut signature sneakers—along with Carmelo Anthony. Will this wave of new kicks create a change in various athletes' on-foot choices?
Combined with the usual heat we've been accustomed to seeing, here are the top sneaker choices from the NBA's 11th week of action.Begin Slideshow
Once a No. 1 Candidate, Duke’s Harry Giles III Likely Can’t Save His Draft Stock
January 4th, 2017 by Jonathan Wasserman No comments »
Everything about Harry Giles III's situation at Duke suggests a 2017 NBA draft slide is coming.
Having already torn both ACLs before turning 19 years old, it's become clear just how damaging the timing was of October's setback—a third pre-college surgery that forced him to miss the first 11 games of the 2016-17 season.
Predicting a tumble down June's board isn't a knee-jerk reaction to the 23 total minutes he's played, either. Although, if we learned anything from his early action against Tennessee State, Elon and Virginia Tech, it's that he isn't ready for impact basketball.
Giles still has two-plus months to get back his legs and confidence, of course. The question is whether he'll have the opportunity jumping in midseason to a loaded lineup with national title aspirations.
Senior Amile Jefferson has emerged as one of the country's most valuable players, averaging 13.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks on 63.2 percent shooting. ...
New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers Betting Odds, Analysis, NHL Preview
January 4th, 2017 by OddsShark.com No comments »
The Philadelphia Flyers (20-14-5) will attempt to break a four-game losing streak on Wednesday night, when they host the New York Rangers (26-13-1) as small home betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.
The Flyers have also lost the past four meetings with the Rangers in this Metropolitan Division matchup, including one this season.
New York edged Philadelphia 3-2 back on Nov. 25 behind 40 saves from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Matt Puempel, Derek Stepan and Kevin Hayes tallied the team's goals, and Lundqvist improved to 32-13-4 in his career against the Flyers in a bounce-back performance following a brutal outing in a 6-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The under is 3-0-3 in the previous six games between the teams, according to the OddsShark NHL Database, after two straight overs had cashed on the totals. Philadelphia had won the previous three meetings prior to its current four-game series skid, two of which were ...
P.J. Tucker Trade Rumors: Latest News, Speculation on Suns Wing
January 4th, 2017 by Rob Goldberg No comments »
With the 11-25 Phoenix Suns struggling through the first half of the NBA season, P.J. Tucker has become a possible trade target for contenders.
Continue for updates.
Knicks Targeting Tucker
Wednesday, Jan. 4
According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, the New York Knicks are one team interested in a possible deal for the small forward.
"It doesn’t seem as if any move is imminent," Begley wrote, "but some members of the Knicks front office have labeled Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker as a potential trade target."
Tucker is averaging 6.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in 36 games this season.
The 31-year-old is in his fifth season with the Suns after spending time overseas. The last three years were spent playing under current Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, which makes the move to New York logical.
While Tucker has mostly come off the bench this season, he started 224 of his 241 games played during this span.
The veteran especially brings defensive prowess on the ...
Jae Crowder Comments on Celtics Fans Cheering Gordon Hayward Before Game
January 4th, 2017 by Scott Polacek No comments »
Boston Celtics fans at TD Garden made it clear Tuesday they would like to see Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward in green in the near future, which didn't exactly sit well with Jae Crowder.
Boston handled the Jazz 115-104, but Crowder seemed more concerned with the crowd's reaction to Hayward, per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe: "I heard the cheering [for Hayward] before the game. I didn't like that at all. I think that was a sign of disrespect to me from the fans. That sparked a little fire in me."
Crowder also took to Twitter after the contest:
Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com noted Hayward could be a free agent this offseason and pointed to the connection between Hayward and Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, who were both with Butler University from 2008-10. The crowd must have liked the idea of Hayward in Boston and responded in kind, and Crowder—who plays a ...