Mike D’Antoni’s Magic Is Working Again with the Houston Rockets
December 15th, 2016 by Maurice Bobb No comments »
Now that the Houston Rockets are flying high again—they boast a 19-7 record, are tied for third place in the Western Conference and average an NBA-leading 14.5 made three-pointers per game—it begs the question:
How does head coach Mike D'Antoni do it?
How did he get the high-scoring James Harden to move over to point guard and not only thrive, but also lead the league in assists at 11.7 per game?
How is he able to get the most out of role players like Clint Capela, Patrick Beverley and Ryan Anderson? How did he completely revitalize Eric Gordon and get him to buy in to a sixth-man role—to the point he's a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate?
Create a buffet.
Simply put, in D'Antoni's high-powered offense, everybody eats.
That's why the Rockets are now at a point where they can go out and get a season-high 40 assists on 50 field goals like they ...
James Harden Ties Hakeem Olajuwon for Most Triple-Doubles in Rockets History
December 15th, 2016 by Bleacher Report Milestones No comments »
Houston Rockets guard James Harden posted his 14th triple-double as a member of the franchise, tying him with Hakeem Olajuwon for the most in franchise history, per ESPN Stats & Info. However, he required 837 fewer games to reach the total.
Harden finished the contest with 15 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds over 30 minutes, leading the Rockets to a dominant 132-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings. He now owns five triple-doubles this season, ranking second behind just Russell Westbrook (12) of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While Harden's points-per-game average has dropped slightly from last season, he's upped his assists per game by over four (7.5 to 11.7) and is averaging a double-double this season. The eighth-year player out of Arizona State has also posted a career-high 27.88 player efficiency rating, topping his previous best mark of 26.76, per ESPN's advanced stats.
The Rockets possess the NBA's longest winning streak, having emerged ...
Kris Letang Injury: Penguins D Out Multiple Weeks Due to Lower-Body Injury
December 15th, 2016 by Adam Wells No comments »
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will be out for at least the next two weeks after suffering a lower-body injury.
Per Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official website, head coach Mike Sullivan announced Letang's injury and said his star would miss "a couple of weeks."
On Saturday, the Penguins announced they placed Letang on injured reserve.
It's not clear when Letang suffered the injury. He played more than 26 minutes in Wednesday's game against the Boston Bruins, notably hitting David Pastrnak with an elbow to the head that led to him being called for a two-minute interference penalty.
Later in the game, Bruins winger David Backes delivered a huge hit to Letang that knocked the 29-year-old off his feet, into the boards and down to the ice.
Letang is one of the most valuable players on the Penguins roster. He ranks third on the team with 17 assists and fourth with 19 points as a defenseman.
The Penguins are no ...
Cleveland Cavaliers Are Boring and Want to Stay That Way
December 15th, 2016 by David Cassilo No comments »
CLEVELAND — Comparisons to those consistent San Antonio Spurs teams of the Tim Duncan era have already begun: The Cleveland Cavaliers are boring.
That's by design.
Every summer brings NBA roster upheaval through free agency and trades. However, given how much LeBron James prizes continuity, the Cavs have elected to maintain their core for the last two seasons while swapping a few minor bench pieces.
The result? Two NBA Finals appearances, one title and the current top seed in the Eastern Conference.
"Having the same nucleus definitely helps," James said Tuesday. "It's helped fast-track the camaraderie and the chemistry. You don't have to add too many guys where we're all learning the system or learning what we need to do to win."
A look at James' career shows what maintaining a tangible core can mean to a player of his stature. In seasons in which four players who started the previous campaign returned—28 games started ...
Quarter-Season Grades for Each Cleveland Cavaliers Player
December 15th, 2016 by Greg Swartz No comments »
Now 25 percent through the regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers remain perched atop the Eastern Conference. They shouldn't be moving down anytime soon.
Led by an inspired and cohesive Big Three, the Cavs are getting surprise contributions throughout the lineup that have fueled their 18-6 start. Yet, for every pleasant surprise (Channing Frye), there seems to be a player still yet to find his groove (J.R. Smith).
As good as the Cavs look most nights, the potential to be better is still very much hovering above them.
With the 2016 section of their schedule nearly complete, which Cavaliers are passing and failing their early-season tests?Begin Slideshow
NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Rudy Gay, Greg Monroe and More
December 15th, 2016 by Rob Goldberg No comments »
There are more than two months remaining before the Feb. 23 NBA trade deadline, but the rumors are starting to pick up around the league.
Although teams might wait to make a move as the contenders and pretenders separate themselves, every front office already knows what is needed to improve its roster. Perhaps most importantly, organizations are also deciding who is available for a trade on their own squads.
These are some of the players who could be on the move in the coming weeks.
Rudy Gay, Sacramento Kings
There will always be interested teams when an elite scorer is available, and that appears to be the case with Rudy Gay.
Adrian Wojnarowski discussed the player's availability on The Vertical Podcast Wednesday.
"There's no question Oklahoma City. Indiana has had interest in him," Wojnarowski said, via NESN. "Houston has had some peripheral interest. I don't think they have the pieces ...
Phil Jackson Enjoying His Knicks Reunion so Much, He’s Planning Long-Term Stay
December 15th, 2016 by Kevin Ding No comments »
PHOENIX — He truly enjoys living in New York.
He truly is committed to the Knicks.
So midway through his five-year contract as Knicks president, Phil Jackson isn't expected to go anywhere.
As much as Jackson's late-in-life return to his original franchise has been questioned from every angle, he has found a level of comfort with his new job and environs.
Jackson fully intends to finish the two years after this season on his Knicks contract, according to NBA sources. Despite all the attention on his opt-out clause in 2017, he might even want to do a new deal that starts in 2019.
Jackson's competitive fire is fully aflame now that the Knicks are on the upswing—they are 14-11 and have won 11 of their past 16 games entering Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors—but it's more than just feeling better about his work.
Jackson has settled into life away from Los Angeles and fiancee Jeanie Buss, ...
Russell Westbrook Comments on Triple-Doubles, Winning After Loss to Jazz
December 15th, 2016 by Scott Polacek No comments »
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook put up impressive individual statistics during Wednesday's 109-89 loss to the Utah Jazz, but he was more focused on the outcome than the numbers after the game.
"Honestly, man, people and this triple-double thing is kind of getting on my nerves," he said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. "People think if I don't get it, it's like a big thing. When I do get it, it's a thing. … All I care about is winning, man, honestly."
Westbrook finished with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists in the loss, finishing well short of a triple-double in the process.
Despite his comments on Wednesday, whether Westbrook notches a triple-double or not when he takes the floor has been one of the primary storylines in the initial portions of the 2016-17 NBA season.
Coming into Wednesday's game, he was averaging 30.7 points, 10.8 assists and 10.7 rebounds a night ...
How the NBA’s New CBA Impacts Trade Market, Free Agency
December 14th, 2016 by Grant Hughes No comments »
The full deal isn't done just yet, but the NBA announced Wednesday it had reached a tentative accord with the NBPA on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Once ratified, the agreement will bring about significant changes to roster sizes, season length, player salaries and D-League assignments. You can find details on those proposed tweaks in reports from NBA.com's David Aldridge and The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Here, we'll narrow the focus to how the new rules could impact potential trades and free agency.
Thanks for Staying
The last CBA generally prevented marquee players from leaving the small-market clubs that drafted them, despite extension rules that actually made it smarter for most to choose free agency over the three-year add-on. Kevin Durant hung around with the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise for nine years before bouncing, Anthony Davis re-signed with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2015, and, mostly, stars entering restricted free agency after their rookie deals didn't leave.
John Wall, ...
Celtics vs. Spurs: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
December 14th, 2016 by Scott Polacek No comments »
The San Antonio Spurs have been unstoppable forces on the road this season, but they did some home cooking at the expense of the Boston Celtics on Wednesday with a 108-101 victory.
San Antonio used a strong first quarter and timely responses to every Boston run to control the proceedings. Six different Spurs scored in double figures, led by Kawhi Leonard. The forward was his typical all-around dominant self with 26 points and six assists, and the Spurs as a whole shot 55 percent from the field with 33 assists on 44 made field goals.
San Antonio moved to 20-5 with the win, although the victory was just its seventh at the AT&T Center this season. The Spurs are an impressive 13-1 on the road and clinched the season sweep over the Celtics after already beating them in Boston on Nov. 25.
With Wednesday's defeat, the C's have lost three games in ...