Free Ballin’

If the Rockets want to trade Tracy McGrady, they’ll trade him, (despite my quiet, irrational protests).  But I’m not really sure how they’re going to be able to do it and stick to their healthy obsession with maintaining roster flexibility.  Presently, the Rockets have 11 players under contract next year, for about $40 million.  That [...]

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A great man in his own mind once wrote, “Most NBA coaches are hired to be fired.”  I could just as easily have put it, “Nearly all NBA coaches…”   Phil Jackson’s job is safer than anyone’s this side of Mike Krzyzewski and Gregg Popovich and Jerry Sloan are also untouchable; but no other coach [...]

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I avoid reading deeply into advanced basketball metrics the way little kids avoid booster shots or broccoli: I’m told they’re good for me, but they hurt, and taste lousy.  Also, since much of the readily accessible stuff that passes for advanced metrics (like John Hollinger’s PER) is complete and utter bullsh*t, and the stuff being [...]

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I’m an optimist.  When I was six and the Princess in Voltron dove into the pool and her top surfaced before she did, I was fairly confident that something wonderful was about to happen, network television or not.  I’m even confident that there are women somewhere in the world (somewhere) who might be a little [...]

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It’s never been adequately explained why the Memphis Grizzlies are still called the Grizzlies, when they clearly should be the Memphis Blues.  That name was available for years and now it might be too late.  The Memphis Blues of the World Basketball Association Exposure League emerged in 2008.  But who knows?  In this economy, what [...]

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Among the Trailblazers, Rockets, and Thunder, two will make the playoffs.  San Antonio will knock one of them off.  Fortunately, I think it’s the Trailblazers who are most likely lotto bound.  They’ve had a cupcake schedule and without Oden they’re a bubble team.  The Rockets and Thunder have faced some real competition thus far, and [...]

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Portland had no reason to panic.  For a few years they suffered mostly from an embarrassment of riches: a young star in Brandon Roy, loads of other young talented players who weren’t making big dough yet, cap space, draft picks, a generous owner, and a kick-ass city to play in.  It looked to be the [...]

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I wrote about Michael Beasley the other day when Miami played the Trailblazers, and might almost submit that post alone to summarize the Miami Heat.  But they have more going for them than just Beasley’s assent.  They’ve only got $24 million in salary committed next season plus a raise in Wade’s new contract assuming he [...]

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Really, I can’t watch them unless they’re playing against the teams I most enjoy seeing.  And though I want to see if Gilbert Arenas is back to form, the Wizards are so hard on the eyes that I haven’t seen enough of him to have an opinion.  It’s just ugly.  Their core guys don’t pass [...]

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HOUSTON ROCKETS: Is there any doubt that the Rockets are going to set a record for taking charges?  Well, of course there has to be some doubt, unless you know where one can find charges-drawn stats, current and historical; I don’t.  Whatever the case, drawing charges is clearly a huge part of their defensive strategy, [...]

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