The Jruth? Holiday has joined elite point guards

1 Comment

76ers SixersIs it an exaggeration to call Jrue Holiday a member of the elite point guard class in the NBA?

Not entirely.

Sure, it was only last November that Holiday was coming off a disappointing third season in which his reclining numbers and lower efficiency ratings had many analysts wondering whether he had reached his ceiling as nothing more than a competent point guard.

This season, however, Holiday has indisputably become a worthy All-Star selection and has earned a rightful place on the short list of top point guards. The truth? “The Jruth” is still largely underrated by most NBA observers, even though he is one of just three All-Stars born in the 1990s.

Read more

Pages: 1 2

Filed Under: Analytics, Columns Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

SH Blog: Kobe sprains ankle; Delonte West joins the D-League; Boeheim would take Porter #1

3 Comments

Tomorrow is Selection Sunday, and while as usual my Maryland Terrapins are on the bubble (with a crucial game today against North Carolina), there are a number of teams already in the Big Dance. Check out our index of NCAA tournament teams if you need a March Madness primer. And if you really want to win big with your bracket this year, enter our $100,000 Challenge.

In NBA news, we’ve got a column up from Frank Madden on the Heat’s 21-game winning streak, and of course all the NBA news you can handle is right here:

  • ELLIS_MONTA-bucksPretty much a fixture in these Saturday news roundup blogs is Marc Stein’s Weekend Dime at ESPN.com. There’s a new one up today, so click through for the full piece. Here’s one interesting excerpt: “One trusted insider and faithful Weekend Dime reader, upon seeing the mention in this box last week about how some teams out there expect Monta Ellis to consider opting into the final year on his contract at $11 million next season, took strong issue with that notion and urged me to follow up with a projection that Ellis remains far more likely to opt for free agency come July. The whispers in Milwaukee have been in circulation for some time that Ellis would opt out of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, largely because of the number of teams projected to have salary-cap space this summer and the resultant ability to more than recoup that $11 million in a longer-term deal.”
  • Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register has some news that may be scary to the Lakers: “After a scoreless first quarter, Bryant didn’t come back to the Lakers’ game in Indiana on Friday night because of his sprained left ankle. Bryant missed all four of his shots and has lost his man, Lance Stephenson, time after time at the other end early in the game as he struggled to move on defense. During the second quarter while on the bench, Bryant was asked something by assistant coach Chuck Person, and Bryant responded: “I can’t go.” “I just couldn’t move,” Bryant said after the game. “It’s really as simple as that. It just continued to swell and continue to get tight, and more pain, and I couldn’t put any pressure on it.” “

    Pages: 1 2

Filed Under: Blog, News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Five Fast Facts from NBA Games: 3.13.13

Leave a comment

statmannIt was a very busy night in the NBA last night as 11 games were on the schedule. For those of you who enjoy choices, you had your share of stars in NBA sky last night, as nine of the top 10 scorers and seven of the top 10 rebounders were in action.

The Heat make any argument about them going undefeated for the rest of the season more and more legitimate with their 20th straight victory last night in Philadelphia, the Knicks – and I don’t use this term lightly – quit on their fans, coaches and teammates for he second straight game, the Lakers not only lost to the Hawks but also could lose Kobe Bryant for a stretch after he – in his own words – had a “Jalen Rose” pulled on him and the Kings dominated the Bulls, who like the Knicks seem to be falling apart down the stretch.

Impress your friends with our latest edition of Five Fast Facts.

Pages: 1 2

Filed Under: News, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fantasy Spin: West (29) Leads Pacers Over Bulls; Yet Another Cousins Meltdown

Leave a comment

That was hardly the tight defensive game we expected. The Bulls had seven players score in double figures and still lost by ten. Taj Gibson (10 PTS, 11 REB, 5 BLK) made another start for Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) while Carlos Boozer (10 PTS, 5 REB) played just 23 minutes in his return from a sore hamstring.

Read more

Pages: 1 2 3

Filed Under: Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Fantasy Spin: Bosh (28) Enjoys Return to Toronto; Celtics 4-0 Without Rondo

Leave a comment

The 15-point final margin suggests Miami won fairly easily, but this was a 3-point game until the final four minutes. The Canadian patrons relentlessly booed Chris Bosh (28 PTS, 5 REB, 1 BLK) — more knowledgeable fans would direct their wrath at GM Bryan Colangelo, who managed to get nothing at all for the perennial All-Star.

Read more

Pages: 1 2 3

Filed Under: Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,