“Homer Announcing” is Becoming “Homer Voting”

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Stern-trophy1In a conference call last week, NBA commissioner David Stern made it clear that he wasn’t a huge fan of “homer” announcers.

But it’s one thing to watch a broadcast of the Portland Trail Blazers – or any team – and get an earful of blind support for the home team. It’s entirely another when some of these broadcasters extend their undying support when they vote on the NBA’s season-ending awards.

Knicks guard J.R. Smith won the Sixth Man Award today. The league released the voting breakdown and … well, here. You take a look.

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Sheridan Hoops Sixth Man Rankings: Week 22

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Jamal CrawfordBasketball is a team game, but it is also a game that can easily be altered by a single player, moreso than any other major sport.

And that player doesn’t even have to be a starter.

In many games this season, there has been a fairly strong correlation between the success of the Los Angeles Clippers when Jamal Crawford is doing well – and when he isn’t. The same can be said for J.R. Smith in New York.

With two weeks in the regular season remaining, and the race for the Sixth Man Award heating up, Smith and Crawford will be relied on now more than they may have ever been in the past.

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Sheridan Hoops Sixth Man Rankings: Week 21

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Doc_RiversIf it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

As cliché as that may be, it’s something that NBA coaches tend to live by in terms of player rotations. However, sometimes things break, and it’s the coach’s job to fix the mess.

The Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics both have had to deal with adversity of late and have had to make the tough choice to put their most productive sparks off the bench – Gordon Hayward and Jeff Green, respectively – into the starting lineup.

While this isn’t necessarily what they would have preferred at this juncture of the season, it’s what they have to deal with. So far, both players are making the best of the situation, both individually and as a team.

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Sheridan Hoops Sixth Man Rankings: Week 20

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OKC_Martin_KevinA month of the regular season remains. There is still plenty of basketball to be played and still plenty of chances for teams around the league to solidify their playoff positions.

On the other hand, there is a handful of teams whose executives may be forced to look at the draft lottery and beyond, even with about 15 games remaining for most teams.

The key players off the bench around the NBA are all over the league. They play for teams competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy and teams competing for the right to draft Ben McLemore or Nerlens Noel.

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Sheridan Hoops Sixth Man Rankings: Week 19

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Jeff GreenIt’s amazing what an injury to a single player, especially a star player, can do to the entirety of a 15-man roster. Recent injuries to the likes of Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo and Knicks forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire have raised serious questions about how these teams cope without indespensable players.

Some of the NBA’s best sixth men are trying to take full advantage of these very situations.

What can be especially amazing about a star-driven league like the NBA is how many routes and attitudes a team can take when dealing with adversity. Teams either struggle to find their identity without their fallen teammate, similar to the situation J.R. Smith and the Knicks have experienced. Others, such as Jeff Green and the Celtics, see an injury to a big-time player as a chance for them to step up and contribute more.

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