What a Time to Be a 5: Why NBA Bigs Are Launching More Threes Than Ever
December 27th, 2016 by Josh Martin No comments »
Joel Embiid entered the NBA with the tools to rule the paint.
The arachnoid frame, with room to pack on mass. The footwork of a ballet dancer. The gliding strides of a gazelle. The soft touch on his shot. The hunger to improve, having only recently picked up basketball as a teenager in his native Cameroon.
But after missing what would've been his rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers not once but twice on account of a tricky foot injury—and adding height and muscle to his body during that interminable wait—Embiid wanted more. He wanted to own the league inside and out.
This past summer, in preparation for his pro debut, Embiid enlisted the help of NBA skills trainer Drew Hanlen to sharpen his shot.
They hopped from gym to gym around Los Angeles, watching film of Hakeem Olajuwon and working the Dream Shake into Embiid’s repertoire. But by and large, Hanlen had Embiid, ...
LeBron James Named 2016 AP Male Athlete of the Year
December 27th, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
LeBron James delivered the Cleveland Cavaliers their first NBA title and handed the city its first major pro sports championship since 1964 thanks to a stunning comeback against the Golden State Warriors. He was recognized for those efforts Tuesday when he was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.
According to the AP, James captured 24 of a possible 59 first-place votes to win the award. Decorated Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps secured 16 first-place votes, while sprinter Usain Bolt came in third with nine.
The Cavaliers made history when they became the first NBA team to erase a 3-1 series deficit to win an NBA title, and James was a major reason why.
The 2016 Finals MVP averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks in the seven-game series, and he made a statement of epic proportions with a chase-down block of Andre Iguodala that preceded Kyrie Irving's game-winning three-pointer ...
Christmas Day Shoes 2016: Top Kicks on Court
December 27th, 2016 by Giancarlo Ferrari-King No comments »
We hope you all enjoyed Christmas. As friends, family and everyone in between gathered, the NBA gave us its annual Christmas Day slate of games.
Besides intense on-court action, we also got to see some of the cleanest sneakers of the year. Three signature models were unveiled, an Air Jordan retro was on display, and a "Player Exclusive" model worthy of loot showed up in Los Angeles.
Recap all of the heat below and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.Begin Slideshow
Josh McRoberts Injury: Heat PF Out Indefinitely with Stress Fracture in Foot
December 27th, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
Miami Heat forward Josh McRoberts is out indefinitely after he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot, the team announced Tuesday on Twitter.
According to the Miami Herald's Manny Navarro, the stress fracture is in the same foot he broke during Game 6 of the Heat's 2016 playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.
McRoberts has provided the Heat with a lift when healthy, but as Navarro noted, he's rarely been at full strength since signing to play in South Beach prior to the 2014-15 season.
Just 17 games into his first campaign in Miami, McRoberts was forced to undergo season-ending surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee.
After recovering and rehabilitating, McRoberts missed more than a month's worth of games during a stretch that spanned from mid-December to late January during the 2015-16 season because of soreness in that same knee before he broke his foot in the playoffs.
Now a season ...
Paul George Comments on Referees’ Treatment of Pacers
December 27th, 2016 by Mike Chiari No comments »
Following the Indiana Pacers' 90-85 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday, Pacers forward Paul George blasted officials for what he believed were missed calls.
According to ESPN.com's Nick Friedell, George said:
I've been fined multiple times. I've been vocal to the point where the league issues [a statement], 'Hey, we missed a call. Hey, we missed that.' Officials do it during games [saying], 'I missed that call, I missed this call. We're sorry. We're sorry.'
It's getting repetitive. They see it, they know what's going on. They know what's a foul. They know what's not a foul. It comes down from somewhere else how these games are going, I believe.
He continued:
Since I've been in this jersey, we've always fought this battle. Ever since I've been playing, ever since I've been in this jersey we've fought this battle. Maybe the league has teams they like so they can give them the benefit of ...
Burning Questions for the NHL in 2017
December 27th, 2016 by Carol Schram No comments »
After a three-day holiday break, the National Hockey League returns to action on December 27.
The new year's just around the corner, and there's plenty to look forward to. The celebration of the league's 100th anniversary will kick off with the Centennial Classic on January 1 in Toronto, followed by the Winter Classic on January 2 in St. Louis and All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles at the end of the month.
After that, it's the trade deadline at the end of February and the buildup to the most wonderful time of the year—the playoffs, where the Pittsburgh Penguins will attempt to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
Here's a guide to the big NHL stories to watch as the calendar flips to 2017.Begin Slideshow
Monday NBA Roundup: Wizards Turning Corner in Complicated Eastern Conference
December 26th, 2016 by Grant Hughes No comments »
Earning the split in a back-to-back series with the Milwaukee Bucks wouldn't normally qualify as a turning point, but the Washington Wizards' 107-102 win on Monday kind of felt like one anyway.
The Wiz used a 20-4 fourth-quarter comeback surge to avenge Friday's 123-96 loss in Milwaukee and have now won seven of their last 10 games.
Yes, these are the 14-16 Wizards we're talking about. The ones with a negative point differential on the year. The ones whose defensive focus shares the blink-and-you'll-miss-it quality of a John Wall push in transition.
This is a wildly imperfect team whose recent history includes lots of flirting with .500, but not much deal-sealing. So invest hope or interest at your own risk.
Still, in this recent 7-3 stretch, the Wizards' plus-2.9 net rating ranks behind only the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors among Eastern Conference teams. And they fought hard on Monday.
Head coach Scott Brooks must ...
Jeremy Lin Injury: Updates on Nets PG’s Hamstring and Return
December 26th, 2016 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin left Monday's game against the Charlotte Hornets with a strained left hamstring and has not played since. It is currently unclear when he'll return to the court.
Continue for updates.
Marks Comments on Lin's Injury
Wednesday, Dec. 28
Nets General Manager Sean Marks said Lin's injury is not as bad as the last one, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Per Newsday's Greg Logan, Marks added there is no timetable for his return.
Just five games into the season, Lin suffered a left hamstring strain that held him out from Nov. 2 until Dec. 12.
Lin Has Been Star for Nets When Healthy
Upon his return, Lin continued to be the face of the franchise alongside Brook Lopez, averaging 13.6 points, 6.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game entering Monday's contest.
Since bursting onto the national landscape as a member of the New York Knicks during the 2011-12 season, Lin has played ...
NBA’s New CBA May Help Lakers Keep Young Talent, Hurt Chances of Acquiring Star
December 26th, 2016 by Eric Pincus No comments »
LOS ANGELES — Labor peace is at hand.
On Friday, the NBA and the NBPA ratified the next collective bargaining agreement, which will run through the 2023-24 season. That's great news for basketball fans in general. A lockout was averted.
It's the specifics of the deal, as detailed by Basketball Insiders, that will both help and hurt the Los Angeles Lakers in the long term.
The advantage for L.A. is clear when it comes to keeping its young, talented players. A normal rookie-scale extension was limited to four years, but the new agreement will allow teams to utilize two five-year designated player extensions instead of just one.
Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram all have the potential to become All-Star-caliber players. Randle is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, followed by Russell and Ingram one and two years after that, respectively.
As added incentive to stay with their incumbent franchises, designated players are also ...
Adam Silver Discusses Donald Trump, Race and Social Justice
December 26th, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
Ever since President-elect Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in November's general election, buzz has circulated regarding potential boycotts of the White House by NBA players.
Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins reported one member of the Cleveland Cavaliers speculated the defending champions "may be the last NBA team to do that for a while" before they visited President Barack Obama on Nov. 10, and Cavs swingman Iman Shumpert told Complex's Karizza Sanchez he will not return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue if his team repeats in June.
But in a recent conversation with The Undefeated's Mike Wise, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver explained he'd like to see players rethink their opposition and view a trip to the Trump White House as a chance to engender change if they reside on a different segment of the political spectrum:
To me, if a player were to choose not to go to the White House, whether they were choosing not ...