Addition by subtraction. Depletion by addition. That’s been the NBA’s prevailing theme this season. So many teams aren’t where they’re supposed to be. And I mean so many. Can anyone explain the Phoenix Suns, lottery-dwellers of 2012-13? Though they added Eric Bledsoe, they traded away Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley. Now they’re among the Western [...]
December 18, 2013
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Power Rankings
He’s back. Kobe Bryant has officially returned for the Los Angeles Lakers, blowing our weekly NBA power rankings straight to hell…is what I would’ve written if that actually happened. The Black Mamba is indeed back, but hasn’t done anything to shift our standings. If anything, he hurt the Lakers by not rising up out of [...]
December 11, 2013
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Power Rankings
We meet again. One of these times, it won’t be under such dire circumstances. I’ll come to you, wrapped in multi-colored robes and fluorescent glitter, talking about health, durability and how uncommon fragility has become. There will be no mention of a Derrick Rose injury. Or Marc Gasol catastrophe. Or Anthony Davis fracture. Or Paul [...]
December 4, 2013
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Power Rankings
This isn’t fair. What else can we say? Injuries have taken their toll on the NBA early, and it hasn’t been pretty. If we’re not anxiously awaiting the returns of Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo, we’re watching Andre Iguodala go down. Marc Gasol go down. Derrick Rose go down. For the season. Again. Put simply, [...]
November 27, 2013
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Power Rankings
Now we’re getting somewhere. More than 10 percent of the NBA season is in the books, allowing us to form conclusions based off more than two games and a bottle of Grey Goose. Now’s the time when the tankers begin to settle in and contenders that aren’t the Miami Heat start playing like they care. [...]
November 19, 2013
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Power Rankings
Mike D’Antoni hasn’t sugarcoated anything since joining the Los Angeles Lakers. When he was coaching the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, you could never really get inside his head. Not like you can now. In Phoenix, there was an air of bravado in the way he spoke and confidence in his step. With the [...]
November 13, 2013
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Blogs
Expectations are a funny thing. Did I say funny? Sorry, I meant to say that expectations are a cruel-hearted, unshaven bastard. Especially in the NBA. Early on, we cannot escape them. They’re with us always. Always, always, always. And they screw around with our power rankings. At heart, weekly evaluations should be impulsive and read [...]
November 12, 2013
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Blogs
Be careful what you wish for. Months were spent fawning over the thought of regular-season basketball. The offseason was too much. The preseason was even worse. Meaningful basketball just couldn’t get here fast enough. Mercifully, the regular season came upon us. Then, we blinked. And now, all hell has broken loose. The Miami Heat appear [...]
November 6, 2013
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Power Rankings
Donald Sterling is a tyrant. Worse, he’s a tyrannical fool. The Los Angeles Clippers owner has long been known for his despotic and often-senseless rule. Logic isn’t always a part of his thought process and before Chris Paul’s arrival, he was known for pinching pennies and escorts’ asses (kidding, I think), not building a winner. [...]
October 30, 2013
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Blogs
It’s over. You made it. No need to send reinforcements. The battle is over and the war has been won—the NBA offseason, preseason and all the crap that comes with it is over. Finally. You spent months wading through all the proverbial and, if you’re team is tanking, literal bull shit. Now you’ll be rewarded, [...]
October 28, 2013
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Power Rankings