Tag: Washington Wizards (Page 2 of 2)

Wizards Cast Spell, Climb 10 Spots (Power Rankings: Dec. 23, 2016 Edition)

December 23, 2016 / Joshua Fischman / 0 Comments

23-year-old shooting guard Bradley Beal has nearly equaled his age in points per game, as the Wizards continue their stellar play (Keith Allison/Creative Commons).

While nine teams held the same ranking from our previous edition, six squads rose or dropped at least six spots. Leading the way among most improved from last edition, the Washington Wizards jumped from 22nd to 12th. Thanks to lethal 3-point shooting, the Rockets continued their ascent to fourth even as starting center Clint Capela will be sidelined for the next month at the very least. The Nuggets also impressed the panel, playing extremely well in their first stretch as a completely healthy unit. The returns of Danilo Gallinari and Gary Harris have Denver fans feeling as high as their city’s altitude. The Lakers, however, continue their slide and can no longer use injury as the lone excuse for dropping 11 of their last 12 games. Since our second edition, which was published four weeks ago, the Lakers have dropped from 13th to 27th or seven spots every two weeks.

Biggest Jumps: Washington Wizards (+10), Denver Nuggets (+7), Dallas Mavericks (+6)

Biggest Falls: Los Angeles Lakers (-7), Portland Trail Blazers (-7), Detroit Pistons (-7) Continue reading

Hawks Grounded, While Giannis and the Bucks Soar (Power Rankings: Dec. 9, 2016 Edition)

December 9, 2016 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

The Hawks earned a 13-spot demotion by struggling mightily after storming out of the gates with a 9-2 start (Keith Allison/Creative Commons).

Due to stellar play from the Rockets, Jazz, Thunder and Celtics, the red-hot Grizzlies actually dropped a couple slots. The panel was indeed impressed by Memphis’ ability to win five of its last six games without Mike Conley Jr. on the court; it’s just those other teams were deemed to be even better. On the other side of the coin, the Hawks have been dreadful for nearly three weeks now and are paying for it by falling precipitously in this edition. Their 13-place drop on our list may be awfully difficult for teams to “beat” in future rankings.

Biggest Jumps: Milwaukee Bucks (+8), Orlando Magic (+7), Oklahoma City Thunder (+6)

Biggest Drops: Atlanta Hawks (-13), Chicago Bulls (-10), Denver Nuggets (-9), New Orleans Pelicans (-7), Los Angeles Lakers (-7)

Jonathan Abrams Discusses New Book, “Boys Among Men,” on the Lasting Impact of the Prep-to-Pro Players

March 16, 2016 / Aaron Fischman / 0 Comments

Abrams' first book showcases the good, the bad and the ugly of the Prep-to-Pro Generation and hints at where the NBA may be headed with regard to draft eligibility rules.

Abrams’ first book, which debuted March 15, 2016, showcases the good, the bad and the ugly of the prep-to-pro generation and hints at where the NBA may be headed with regard to draft eligibility rules.

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The wait is over. Jonathan Abrams’ highly anticipated book, “Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution,” is finally out! In it, he expertly chronicles the impact of the players who came to the NBA directly from high school before the rule was changed after the 2005 draft. Aaron spoke with the author in detail about the book and some of its most fascinating takeaways. To get you in the mood, we’ve transcribed some sexy clips:

9:37-10:07; Abrams on how he set out to humanize larger-than-life NBA players: “I don’t think there’s that much of a challenge if you just look at these people as human beings, which they are. They all have stories and origin tales of where they began. And I try to look at each story almost like, ‘OK, how did this guy become who he is today? What influenced him and what made him become that person?’ You just start from there and try to unravel the tape and figure it all out.”

13:55-14:48 on the challenge of structuring the narrative: “It was difficult. That was one of the things that I struggled with for a little while. The first thing I did was try to do as much as reporting on the subject as I could. Try to talk to as many coaches and players and agents as possible. And then I tried to construct how the book was gonna flow. And yeah, it was difficult at first. I didn’t want the same story over and over again in different chapters, and I didn’t want the chapters to seem all disconnected. And I think the one thing that did make sense was to try to connect it through kind of how the NBA grew up and matured, because back when Kobe and KG were entering the league, Michael Jordan was still king and NBA salaries weren’t anywhere near where it is today. So you can almost say that the NBA grew up during this time with these players as well.” Continue reading

Rondo’s Mishandling of Bill Kennedy Incident, Combating Homophobia in the NBA

December 20, 2015 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

Rajon Rondo’s bounce-back season with the Kings has sadly been obscured by the enigmatic point guard’s poor handling of the unfortunate Bill Kennedy ordeal (Sacramento Kings’ Instagram).

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Last week, longtime NBA referee Bill Kennedy publicly announced that he was gay three days after Rajon Rondo was suspended for twice directing a homophobic slur at Kennedy. Before closing out with some Wizards discussion, this episode primarily focuses on how the Kings point guard badly mishandled the Kennedy incident. The hosts contend that, although the incident was ugly and regrettable, once Rondo used the derogatory term, he had a chance to make things right but instead took on a series of disappointing missteps: 1.) On at least a few occasions, the 29-year-old veteran denied to investigators that he even used the term, which was later confirmed by independent audiologists hired by the NBA. 2.) One day before releasing an apology statement on Dec. 16, Rondo fired off two ill-conceived tweets that were effectively non-apologies 3.) According to reports, as of press time, Rondo has yet to personally apologize to Kennedy outside of the statement he released.

Articles on Rondo-Kennedy referenced in the discussion:
Sam Amick’s column for USA Today
Ben Golliver’s Sports Illustrated piece
Dave Zirin’s column for The Nation

Music: “Who Likes to Party?” by Kevin MacLeod

Mike Prada Gives Wizards 30 Percent Chance at Playoffs

December 16, 2015 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

Randy Wittman and John Wall are hoping that the struggling Wizards can turn it around (Keith Allison/Flickr)

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Despite the offseason departure of Paul Pierce, the Washington Wizards and their young core were widely expected to turn in another quality season. Well, things haven’t quite gone that way. SB Nation NBA editor Mike Prada was gracious enough to stop by to discuss what’s holding this young team back, such as a porous defense and an onslaught of key injuries. Here are some of the highlights:

1:55-2:25: On why the once elite defense has taken several steps back this season: “This year, of course, they’re playing small. They only have one big on the floor, and to try to compensate, they’re doing a lot of different switching, overcompensating, and trapping and recovering. It’s not working out very well, they don’t have the personnel for it… Even last year, they didn’t really have great defensive personnel, but they had a system and they had size that they could funnel everyone to. They don’t have that anymore and I think that’s the biggest problem.”

2:35-3:10: On Bradley Beal’s injury: “It’s gonna be really hard, since they don’t have a lot of really good replacements…have to run their offense more through John Wall…hopefully they can hit some 3s…teams are gonna help off Garrett Temple and Otto Porter…it’ll open space a little more…maybe they need to use more of Otto Porter’s playmaking…it’s a bad a injury, they really are going to miss (Beal) quite a bit”

Sean Highkin Talks Bulls’ Frontcourt Depth and Hoiberg vs. Thibodeau

November 4, 2015 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

Can Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls put together another strong season? (Jim Larrison/Creative Commons)

Can the Chicago Bulls put together another strong season? (Jim Larrison/Creative Commons)

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This week, Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report, NBC Sports and Sports on Earth gives us a detailed glimpse into the Chicago Bulls, a talented team that returns much of its roster but is playing under a first-year NBA coach in Fred Hoiberg. Sean highlights the many differences between Hoiberg and his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, including Hoiberg’s considerably more easy-going nature. He also provides us the latest on Derrick Rose and explains why Chicago’s dynamic offense could make up for most of what the team figures to lose on the defensive end. Among other topics, Sean breaks down the Bulls’ impressive depth in the frontcourt, touching upon why Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah have rarely taken the court together. Despite the Bulls’ 130-105 drubbing in Charlotte, which occurred shortly before the interview took place, Sean looks forward to another strong season in the Windy City.

Music: “Who Likes To Party” by Kevin MacLeod

Tag: Washington Wizards (Page 2 of 2)

Wizards Cast Spell, Climb 10 Spots (Power Rankings: Dec. 23, 2016 Edition)

Hawks Grounded, While Giannis and the Bucks Soar (Power Rankings: Dec. 9, 2016 Edition)

Jonathan Abrams Discusses New Book, “Boys Among Men,” on the Lasting Impact of the Prep-to-Pro Players

Rondo’s Mishandling of Bill Kennedy Incident, Combating Homophobia in the NBA

Mike Prada Gives Wizards 30 Percent Chance at Playoffs

Sean Highkin Talks Bulls’ Frontcourt Depth and Hoiberg vs. Thibodeau

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