Higher Level Basketball Thinking

im in ur brackitz killin ur chansiz

2009-03-21T12:06:00.002-04:00

Fantasy Fix

2008-03-03T00:30:00.002-05:00

Drew highlights a few hoops players and fantasy trends based on this past week’s games.Devin Harris – Not a shabby start to Harris’s career as a New Jersey Net. He has notched 42 pts, seven threes, seven assists, six rebounds in only 57 minutes in his first two games. The only red flag is the quantity of three pointers – he only averaged .6 threes per game in Dallas, and now all of the sudden

Pitt vs. Duke Recap (as Seen on nbadraft.net)

2007-12-24T14:09:00.000-05:00

By Drew Wolin NBADraft.net 12/21/07The Pittsburgh Panthers tied a school record by overcoming a twelve point halftime deficit and defeated the previously unbeaten Duke Blue Devils 65-64 at Madison Square Garden. Pittsburgh's Brooklyn-bred guard Levance Fields came up big in his homecoming, hitting

Dejuan Blair Scouting Report (as Seen on nbadraft.net)

2007-12-24T14:06:00.000-05:00

NBA Comparison: Craig Smith Strengths: Blair is a man with great girth … He does what he looks like he should do – bang on the inside, grab rebounds, and with his 7'3" wingspan, anchor his team's interior defense ... Very soft hands … Generally stays out of foul trouble, something especially impressive for someone of his size and propensity for contact … Very competitive and eager to improve,

Fantasy Catch-Up Week 5

2007-12-24T14:05:00.001-05:00

Jose Calderon -- A not so sturdy Ford broke down in Toronto, which made way for this import to crack the starting lineup and become the driving force behind the Raptors. Calderon has led the Raptors to a 4-2 record in his six games as a starter, the last two of which Ford has been active for. Calderon has dished out 10+ assists in all but one of his six

Fantasy Catch-Up Week 4

2007-12-24T14:03:00.000-05:00

Goodbye, Gilbert Gilbert Arenas owners, take a seat before proceeding with the reading. Your franchise fantasy player may be done for the season, according to one NBA news source (other sources have yet to confirm). Arenas is going to be extra cautious with his problematic knee and only come back once he is 111% sure that he is ready to lace ‘em up and go to work. Essentially, what this

Fantasy Catch-Up Week 3

2007-12-24T13:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delayed post, this is from the third week of the fantasy season Fantasy Fake or For Real? Jamario Moon -- Tell me what college Jamario went to without looking it up and I will give you a prize. The mystery man with the strange name has simultaneously earned the respect of the Raptors’ coaching staff and the hatred of Andrea Bargnani owners. Moon, a small forward, stole

Fantasy NBA: Week 3 (11/4-11/11)

2007-11-12T02:20:00.001-05:00

Just two weeks into the fantasy season, there are already some incredible things happening in the NBA (see Freaky Friday). Find out who’s hot in the wonderful world of fantasy basketball.Freaky Friday: I have never seen anything quite like what happened on the night of Friday the 9th. 25 Players had double figure rebound games. Shawn Marion, Emeka Okafor, and Dwight Howard grabbed 20+

Fantasy NBA: Week 2 (10/29-11/4)

2007-11-06T10:38:00.000-05:00

The first week of the 2007-2008 fantasy season has officially come to an end. Do not freak out if the number of field goal attempts by your first and second round picks equals their field goal percentage (yes, you, Gilbert and Vince owners), and most importantly, take advantage of those who do! Buy low and sell high. Perhaps you should think about shipping some of the following players out to

Fantasy Preview for the 2007-08 NBA Season

2007-10-28T23:42:00.000-04:00

Articles will be written weekly, and all readers are encouraged to e-mail me any questions regarding the fantasy NBA season @ dwolin@gmail.com. The article is designed to guide you through your draft.Early Rounds:Ron Artest - The Tru Warier is in a contract year. His second career as a rapper has not worked out too well thus far, and the man will need to feed his family somehow. Though he may

Insidehoops Article: Optimistic Knicks

2007-07-13T17:45:00.000-04:00

Visit:http://www.insidehoops.com/blogs/?p=51

2007 NBA Draft

2007-07-02T12:41:00.000-04:00

The 2007 NBA draft was one of the most top-heavy drafts in the history of professional basketball. At this point in time, even the most conservative of NBA fans would have no problem with saying that both #1 draft choice Greg Oden and #2 draft choice Kevin Durant are future all-stars. It is a staunch pessimist that will not admit that at least one of the two will be in the Hall of Fame -- first

High School: St. Patrick's vs. Huntington on ESPN2 Tonight

2007-02-22T17:13:00.000-05:00

Top ranked St. Patrick's High School of New Jersey will be squaring off against 6th ranked Huntington High School of West Virginia tonight at 7:00 on ESPN2. Best believe I will be sitting in my comfy chair tuned in to the station that those on ESPN affectionately refer to as "the Deuce." The game will boast a few future NBA players (possible all-stars), and multiple high Division One players.*

NBA Dunk Contest: MJ's Still the Best

2007-02-18T09:57:00.000-05:00

The NBA decided to change the rules for the dunk contest, yet again. Unlike the past two years, when dunkers had an infinite amount of time to complete their dunks (which we can thank for travesties like this - click here), 2007 dunk contest participants were given two minutes to complete each dunk. If time ran out, they got two more tries. Thankfully, the rule was pushed to its limit only

Arenas the Anomaly: A Breath of Fresh Air?

2007-02-13T23:27:00.000-05:00

Crazy? Debatable.Different? Most definitely.Selfish? Some would say so.Good for the game? Well...Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas is known as much for his off-court antics as his offensive aptitude on the hardwood. For every one of his 40+ point games, there is a news story which details his quirkiness. Gilbert Scores 54, Admits to Trading Signed Shoes for a Box of All-Star Ballots.

The Debut of Greg Oden

2006-12-03T13:25:00.000-05:00

The top ranked freshman in the country, Greg Oden, made an earlier than expected debut for the Ohio State Buckeyes yesterday. What happens when a team who was ranked #1 in the country sans the #1 freshman in the country squares off against a mid-major with the help of its aforementioned Diaper Dandy? Well, in Ohio State's case, it meant a 20 point victory over Valparaiso.The 7 foot, 250 pound

Quick Tech's: Two Thumbs Down

2006-11-03T14:33:00.001-05:00

From last night's Knick game against the Hawks:Nate Robinson contested a Hawks player's shot, and was whistled for a foul. It was a very questionable call; Nate felt that he had a clean block. After the whistle, Nate jumped up and down - not to show up the official, he simply was not happy with the outcome of the play. It was not the least bit surprising - saying that Nate plays with emotion is

HLBT Daily: It's Finally Here!

2006-10-31T20:42:00.000-05:00

I have spent the past week doing all sorts of fantasy basketball prep - the draft for my league took place yesterday (Sunday) morning. I encourage you to ask me any fantasy basketball questions you may have. I would love to help you win your league (so long as you aren't in mine), and trust me, my advice will help you win your league.---So... tonight is Opening Night of the NBA! Here are some

Has the Business Side of the NBA Taken the Fun out of the Game? Arvydas Macijauskas Thinks so...

2006-10-25T09:30:00.000-04:00

The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets signed Lithuanian shooting guard Arvydas Macijauskas in August, 2005. Multiple DNP, Coach's Decisions later, Arvydas requested a trade. The Hornets eventually released him from their roster.Perhaps still bitter from his not-so-eventful stint with the Hornets, Arvydas had this to say about The League: "The NBA isn't fun. Teams are not teams, there's no true

HLBT Daily: "Lebron Ruined my Childhood"

2006-10-20T18:56:00.001-04:00

The Cavaliers recently played a pre-season game in Rochester, NY. Roughly a five+ hour drive from Madison Square Garden, the inhabitants of the cold city in upstate New York seldom get the opportunity to see NBA basketball live. The last time the city hosted an NBA game, Gloria James had not yet given birth to the child we now know as Lebron.So when promoter’s touted Lebron as the event's main

HLBT Daily: David Stern - Chief of the Fashion Police, Cuban's Physicists

2006-10-18T20:54:00.000-04:00

Commissioner David Stern is turning into Chief of the Fashion Police Force. Not only has he given himself the power to dictate what "his" players wear off the court, though he now mandates that players take off their warm-ups in front of the bench, rather than in front of the press table. 99% of the players in the league undress in front of the table; some are even still ripping off their

HLBT Daily: Welcome Houston Chronicle, My Knicks' First Preseason Game

2006-10-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

I would like to thank all readers from the Houston Chronicle for stopping by. Make yourself at home. And of course, to all the regulars, thanks for the support.Yesterday I watched the Knicks' first preseason game. Their opponent was a Kidd & Carter-less Nets squad.I subscribe to the belief that the outcome of a preseason game matters less than the all-star weekend celebrity game, though for

HLBT Daily: Kings Chemistry Called into Question

2006-10-11T22:21:00.001-04:00

The Sacbee recently put out an article which explains the strained relationship between Sacramento King forwards Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Kenny Thomas. Writer Martin McNeal tells, "[they] squared off briefly Monday during practice." The two are battling to claim duties as a starting forward, though do not believe for a second that a starting spot was the only inspiration for the spar. "The two

HLBT Daily: Greetings to Houston Chronicle, The Transmogrification of Robert Swift

2006-10-10T19:06:00.000-04:00

I'd like to thank all of the readers from the Houston Chronicle (chron.com) for stopping by. Make yourself at home...Fans across the league are still wondering whether or not it was a smart move for Rockets' GM Carroll Dawson to ship high flying Stromile Swift and possible future star Rudy Gay to Memphis for the solid but unexciting Shane Battier. Coincidentally, the trading partners faced off

HLBT Daily: It's Close... I can Smell it

2006-10-07T09:51:00.000-04:00

Let's start things off nice and messy...Stephon Marbury sounded off, yet again, on Larry Brown. "I didn't listen to anything he said last year after he lied to me the first time," Marbury told reporters following the Knicks' training session at the College of Charleston. "To me everything was up in the air. If it landed on its feet, it landed. After he lied the first time I pretty much didn't

HLBT Daily: When Owner/Player Relationship Goes too Far

2006-10-01T14:03:00.000-04:00

Wyc Grousbeck, owner of the Boston Celtics, on one of his players' new slimmed down physique: "Al Jefferson looks like Jessica Simpson." With all due respect, Mr. Grousbeck, I disagree.Doc Rivers, one of my favorite people in the NBA, took a more... normal... approach to commenting on Jefferson's offseason pound shedding. "We felt that he needed to get in better shape... He committed himself to

HLBT Daily: Spurs Healthy, Update on my Beloved Knicks

2006-09-30T08:23:00.000-04:00

According to insidehoops.com, the Knicks have (finally) officially waived Mo Taylor - a move in the right direction toward "prominence in the East." Mo is an offensive talent, though the Knicks have plenty of those. What the Knicks need more of are guys who play tough defense. Maurice Taylor playing defense is just a hypothetical situation. It will never actually happen. The Knicks do not need

HLBT Daily: Rockets, Magic Future of NBA?

2006-09-26T08:47:00.000-04:00

Shaquille O'neal recently obliterated any speculation that he will be teaming with the free-throw king himself, Rick Barry. Spewing verbal diarreah, Shaq explains to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, "Rick Barry's résumé is not good enough to even come into my office to be qualified for a job. I will shoot negative-30 percent before I shoot underhanded." Who does this ABA & NBA champion, career 90% free

HLBT Daily: Show Me the Money!

2006-09-25T15:16:00.000-04:00

Former Detroit Piston and current Best Damn Sports Show... Period host John Salley is the new commissioner of the ABA. Disaster waiting to happen...? John Salley is exceptionally funny (suggestion to TNT: get him in the studio with Ernie, Kenny, and Chuck), though I never thought of him as a business man. Not to say that he isn't - I will keep an eye on how he is doing. It is the ABA after

Watch out for Kevin Durant

2006-09-23T07:59:00.000-04:00

Kevin Durant has the type of talent that comes around only once every few years. At 6'10," his natural position is guard. In terms of his physical tools, think Rudy Gay. In terms of his mental approach to the game, he spends nearly all of his downtime trying to improve - at this point his shooting range extends out to 30 feet. When Kevin steps on the court, he plays with the type of abandon

HLBT Daily

2006-09-22T18:25:00.000-04:00

More like HLBT weekly at this point, but I'll stick to the traditional title, with hope that I will be able to post more often in future weeks... This post should satiate your craving for basketball news for a while. Dime Mag explains, "Juan Dixon improved his vertical over the summer, and has been dunking on cats in pickup games at the Blazers facility." Juan Dixon is one of my favorite

HLBT Daily: Happy Birthday, Yao... Fairwell, Ime.

2006-09-12T20:55:00.000-04:00

Today is Yao Ming's birthday, and word is he has sprouted up another 3 inches since last season and is still growing (joke).There is a good chance that Yao was taller (as a roughly 6'5") 6th grader than you are now. That should be of no surprise, however. You were not a result of the Chinese government breeding its two tallest specimens, from a selection of over one-billion no less, and you

HLBT Daily: Watch it, Freddy

2006-09-06T20:42:00.000-04:00

John Lucas recently had some very good things to say about Steve Francis. "He's different, different, different. He's changed. I've seen the maturity click in. I've seen a different passion for basketball. He's not a young colt learning his way anymore. These next four years will be the prime years of his basketball career."Steve is as gifted an athlete as LeBron or Kobe, any of them. Every

HLBT Daily: Signings Galore

2006-09-05T11:20:00.000-04:00

Upon the signing of Casey Jacobsen, the Houston Rockets immediately became title contenders (I couldn't resist...). Seriously though, with a healthy T-mac and the acquisitoin of Shane Battier, the Rockets could make the western conference semis next year (I avoided starting the sentence off with a "Realistically speaking," because a healthy T-mac is not necessarily realistic). The team was

HLBT Daily

2006-09-03T09:40:00.000-04:00

After beating Team USA in the semi-finals of the WCOB (101-95) on September 1st, Greece was walloped by a Pau-less Spanish team in the finals (70-47... 47 points for a full game is disgusting to even think about). Do not let it trick you; this does not mean that Team USA was really that much worse than Spain or Greece. Greece was possessed against team USA and was completely burned out for

I'm Back from Vacation & the Elite 24 Basketball Classic @ Rucker Park Recap

2006-09-02T17:01:00.000-04:00

Last night, I was at Rucker Park with a press pass to scout the Elite 24 Basketball Classic. My article is now posted at nbadraft.net. Please go check it out!If you do not click the link above, this is what the recap looks like:"Though the final score of the inaugural Elite 24 Hoops Classic at Rucker Park came to 141-139 in favor of the Blue Team, the defense did not leave spectators pondering,

3 Day Hiatus

2006-08-28T23:38:00.000-04:00

I will not have computer access until Friday, as I will be on the last vacation I will take for a while.When I come back I will have plenty of juicy info.Don't forget, World Champs are taking place. USA plays Germany Wednesday morning @ 6:30 AM (EST) on ESPN2.

Final Mayo Update - Huntington it is

2006-08-28T23:11:00.000-04:00

The Facts: “Arguably we have the best (high school) team in the nation,” is what O.J. has to say about his new school's squad. The move from North College Hill to Huntington High is all but definite. Though Mayo was in class at North College Hill this morning, it was seemingly just to say goodbye. “It’s exciting to go home, but it’s sad leaving North College Hill,” explained Mayo. “I consider

Update on Mayo to Huntington

2006-08-28T16:33:00.000-04:00

Update of Report: O.J. Mayo to Attend Huntington High School The Facts: The school day is now over, and O.J. Mayo was nowhere to be found on the campus of Huntington High in West Virginia. In fact, Ovington J'Anthony Mayo could be found sitting in class at North College Hill today. North College Hill athletic director Joe Nickel told the Cincinnati Enquirer, "I have no idea where these reports

Report: O.J. Mayo to Attend Huntington High School

2006-08-28T09:22:00.000-04:00

The Facts: A report from WSAZ-3 TV in Huntington, WV says that the #1 ranked senior in the country according to scout.com will enroll at Huntington High School in West Virginia today. Huntington High is a public school with roughly 1,700 students. It is no stranger to success, as it will be attempting to defend its West Virginia class AAA state title for the second consecutive year. Mayo had

Daily Thoughts

2006-08-25T21:38:00.000-04:00

For some reason, a few days ago a reporter decided to ask Shaq about Stephon Marbury's relationship with Larry Brown. Not directly answering the question at first, Shaq goes on tell the SportsNet New York reporter, "If you say you're the best point guard in the world, now you have to come out and show that every night. The only time when I really say that is when I have a real big game. You

World Championship Update

2006-08-24T17:28:00.000-04:00

Team USA looked pretty solid in its 94-85 win over Italy on Wednesday. The Italian team is probably top five in the tourny, and the players had their game faces* on for the all-important match up. To make sure that all viewers understood just how much the game meant to them, they played especially dirty (see: ducking between an airborne Dwight Howard's legs, turning his body horizontal, and

Follow up to Previous Post

2006-08-20T10:02:00.000-04:00

1) The US did walk all over China after all- 121-90.2) The Puerto Rican backcourt dominated the Senegalese National Team. Carlos Arroyo netted 29 points on only 15 shots while Elias Ayuso caught fire from 3, converting on 6/8 shots from the land of plenty.*3) Dwyane Wade had 26 points against China. You can only beat who you play, but again... it was China. In other words, he simply avoided

Quick Thoughts on World Basketball Championship

2006-08-20T00:52:00.000-04:00

1) I am not a believer that Team USA should win all of its games easily. That being said, in a few hours China's National Team will do its best doormat impersonation. Wipe your feet at the door, USA. Party's in Japan.2) I was really looking forward to watching the Puerto Rican backcourt of Carlos Arroyo and Elias Ayuso before their and Team USA's first game. They certainly did not dissapoint,

Top Prep Prospect Bill Walker Ruled Ineligible for '06-07 High School Season

2006-07-11T23:36:00.000-04:00

Bill Walker, the top rated player (by scout.com) at this year's ABCD camp and teammate of O.J. Mayo at North College Hill (Cincinnati High school) and the D-1 Greyhounds (Cincinnati based AAU squad), has no predecessor. Nobody has first-hand experience of what to do in his situation. There is no book written on what to do for the select few that have already participated in 8 high school

Knicks Summer League Coverage: Day 2 vs. the Suns

2006-07-09T17:14:00.000-04:00

The Knicks' encore to their stellar performance in their first summer league game was almost as bad as the first game was good. The team looked like last year's Knicks, as they were out-hustled and out-muscled (thanks, Clyde) by a surprisingly spry Suns squad (how's that for alliteration). David Lee was the lone Knick to consistently play with heart, and for the stat-lovers, it showed in the

Coverage of Knicks Summer League

2006-07-08T10:59:00.000-04:00

Special Treat - Balkman's posterizationThere are seemingly two types of Knick fans these days:1) The hopeful, forward thinking breed2) The kind who subconsciously don't want the team to succeed, as their very being revolves around Knick-bashing.Congratulations, group 1 faithful (group 2, time to move on to the Yanks). Yesterday's summer league game against the Cavs looked to be a solacing

Follow up on Allan Ray

2006-07-06T20:45:00.000-04:00

Danny Ainge decided to listen to my pleas... " BOSTON – The Boston Celtics announced today that the club has signed free agent guard Allan Ray."Respect to Danny for having the savvy to sign Allan.

O.J. Mayo to commit to USC

2006-07-05T20:42:00.000-04:00

Informational:The #1 ranked prospect in the class of 2007 isn't going to be playing his (one year of) college ball at West Virginia, where he is from. He won't be the face of the 07-08 Hugginsless Cincinnati Bearcats, who play their home games not too far from North College Hill, the phenom's present school. He may not even be following Huggins, who apparently has a very good relationship with

Introducing... "The Air up There"

2006-07-04T21:09:00.000-04:00

The following videos are complemements of Taurian Fontenette, who goes by his And 1 issued sobriquet of "The Air up There." The 6'2," 185 pounder calls Hitchcock, Texas his home.Not much to say about this one... just "wow" and "if you didn't know, now you know." "The Air up There" on the And 1 mixtape tour.The 720:The highlight tape where he lets everyone know that he "may be the top dumper in

The Allan Ray Situation

2006-06-30T18:16:00.000-04:00

Allan Ray has an unfortunate situation to deal with. Yes, it is a crime that such a talent would go undrafted, however it is not the least bit surprising. Allan is a 6'2" "shooting guard that can't run the point," or at least that is the belief many GMs and scouts across the NBA subscribe to.They are not necessarily the ones to blame for initially having this view; Allan did the majority of

Thoughts on the Knicks' Draft

2006-06-29T09:51:00.000-04:00

"With the 20th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select... Renaldo Balkman."...Just like the thousands of loud, drunk Knick fans at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, I was guilty of pre-mature, impulsive booing. The thought process went something like this: 'The Knicks suck... Marcus Williams was supposed to go in the top 10... he is available at 20... he's a solid player...

The Knicks' Draft Tomorrow

2006-06-27T18:05:00.001-04:00

Maybe making (and posting) these will be good luck for tomorrow's draft.

Sticking to the new philosophy... Steve Nash

2006-06-24T12:27:00.000-04:00

Steve Nash has to be the coolest athlete around. In a league dominated by high-rising black men, (relatively) little white Steve Nash dominates. He has returned each year with a new element to his game, making it one of the most protean that the league has ever seen. It is not common for a point guard to have his best year at age 31; but then again Steve Nash is far from common. Steve was born

New Philosophy

2006-06-24T12:26:00.000-04:00

In order to avoid weeks without posting a thought, I won't be writing big "feature article" type posts all the time. I will write almost every day, often times just about little things I notice.

Draft Steals: Parts I, II, & III

2006-06-01T16:35:00.000-04:00

Talking about draft steals gets me more excited than the Sock ‘em Boppers theme song. I just love it.By draft steals, I mean players that are underrated by NBA front office guys, and thus get chosen later in the draft than they should. Not only is this the classic case of rooting for the underdog, but there is nothing better than seeing all of these basketball minds with the $150,000+ salaries be

Post-Lottery/ Pre-Draft Thoughts

2006-05-25T12:54:00.000-04:00

At the bottom of the page there are the pre-lottery %'s and the official lottery draft order... The NBA Draft Lottery was on Tuesday. There were no real surprises, as the final draft list looks very similar to the pre-lottery draft list. Portland (best chance @ #1) dropped to 4 (like I said, nothing out of the ordinary - things didn't go the Blazers' way. Except this one they can't blame on

The Cavs' Season Ends

2006-05-21T18:09:00.000-04:00

The Cavaliers are now officially out of the NBA playoffs. After the first two games of the series, the Cavs played very well; well enough to beat the Pistons. The second half of game 7, however, was an entirely different story. The Pistons built a 15 point lead by the time the forth quarter was half over, and the Cavs' players looked emotionally drained and completely taken out of the game. It

Knick Players Never Learned to Win

2006-05-16T21:07:00.000-04:00

Here's the post on Knicks and winning I promisedIt is no secret that the New York Knicks have trouble winning.Why don't they win? They have talent... some may say they must play no D... they must play with no passion... they must fight with each other... nobody listens to the coach... And yes, all of this is true. However, this should be of no surprise. If you take a look at their roster, there

Just How Big of a Disgusting Mess are the Knicks?

2006-05-14T09:16:00.000-04:00

Reports are out that Larry Brown and his $10 mil a year contract are going to be bought out after his single season disaster in New York (link). His replacement? None other than Larry's partner in crime in building this disaster, Isiah Thomas.Although I would have loved for Larry to have another year to teach the kiddies basketball, especially given his history of needing time to get his team to

2006 NBA Draft Preview: Top 3

2006-05-07T10:30:00.000-04:00

Due to the new NBA age limit (excluding traditional high school seniors and foreigners under the age of 19 to enter the draft), there is no Greg Oden in this year's draft. No Lebron. No Amare, etc.The consensus top 3 in the 2006 draft goes like this: Lamarcus Aldridge, Adam Morrison, and Tyrus Thomas. The lazy one, the unproven one, and the resembles-Stromile-Swift-too-much one, respectively.The

My first official post

2006-04-24T18:31:00.000-04:00

This is my basketball blog...within it is what I have to say about various basketball topics. There'll be some facts, some history, much opinion, and I'll do my best to make it humorous. There should be a pretty decent mix of current news and just my general basketball thoughts. I'll include NBA, College, and probably even some high school talk (I'd love to write about high school bball, just