The modern-day uptick in team-switching has made for less of the classic rivalries that defined previous eras. But matchups like Zion v Ja and Celtics v Bucks are bursting with promiseThe NBA’s ever-changing nature means that rivalries are fickle. When Philadelphia traded picks with Boston to take Markelle Fultz with the No 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, and the Celtics selected Jayson Tatum third, the teams’ proximity and prior history had all the makings of a classic. But while Tatum is a perennial All-Star, Fultz soon developed the shooting yips and was quickly shipped to the Magic.The modern-day uptick in team-switching has made for less of the classic rivalries that defined previous eras, such as Magic Johnson’s...
ESPN pundits’ criticism of rookie’s weight draws backlash Williamson delivered on hype with fourth-quarter outburst New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, the No 1 overall pick in last year’s NBA draft who’s been hailed as the best prospect since LeBron James, made his long-awaited professional debut on Wednesday night, a wait that had been made even longer by the team’s cautious approach to his rehabilitation from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.The 19-year-old prodigy managed to deliver on the extraordinary hype that’s preceded him since high school, whipping the sold-out Smoothie King Center into chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” during an electric fourth-quarter stretch where he poured in 17 unanswered points on seven consecutive possessions over a three-minute span.No. 1 overall...
The New Orleans Pelicans took a step forward, the Sacramento Kings took a step back, the LA Lakers hit the reset button – and the Boston Celtics went nowhereHeading into NBA trade deadline day, there was a very real fear that the biggest move of the year had already been made. But while nothing was likely to top the New Orleans Pelicans’ deal for DeMarcus Cousins, there was still plenty of talk that either the Chicago Bulls’ Jimmy Butler or the Indiana Pacers’ Paul George could find their way to a contender before the 3pm ET deadline. Related: NBA trade deadline day: Mavericks get Noel from 76ers – as it happened ⌚️ Continue reading...
The Kings’ gifting of their star center to the Pelicans has been hailed as the worst trade in NBA history, but might there be a method to their madness?The Sacramento Kings have completed a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad trade. A trade that, by large consensus, is being called one of the worst in NBA history. A trade so bad that the artificial intelligence in NBA 2K17 won’t allow it to go through. A trade so terrible that in his press conference discussing the deal, Kings general manager Vlade Divac took on the hopeless appearance of a man held against his will, saying he had a better offer two days ago. For all of Divac’s many failings, a list...
When teams such as the Warriors have depth throughout their roster, the chances of someone like Anthony Davis dragging his team to the Finals diminishI have very little hope for the upcoming Donald Trump presidency. I know, I’m really out on a limb with this one. Don’t worry, folks. The rest of this column won’t be nearly as controversial. A xenophobic, racist Batman vigilante figure chasing women around the Oval Office like a billionaire Benny Hill sounds particularly odious to me and about 45 million other people in this country.But one thing I do know about Donald Trump that could work out in our favor is that he is a sports fan. Sure, he’s the type of sports fan that...