- There's a man on the George Washington University women's basketball team. I salute Kye Allums, George Washington and the NCAA for all handling this gender transition in what appears to be a very cool way. As a society, and as sports fans, we are rabid in demanding everyone fall into male or female categories. But the truth is those categories are not nearly as tidy as everyone once believed. In organizing sports -- and in organizing society -- we're going to have to adjust to that reality. There's no victory in telling someone like Kye to lie about who they really are to make sports fans feel good about themselves.
- Bulls opponents are making 14 percent of their 3-pointers this season, shortly after hiring a defensive-minded coach. It's "small sample size theater" at this point, but this year's Bulls team could be a good test case for the importance of coaching.
- Newark's Prudential center long seemed destined to have zero NBA teams. Now, thanks to the Nets' temporary move, and Madison Square Garden's asbestos issues, it could have two for a little while.
- Tests apparently show the fibers found in Madison Square Garden were not asbestos. The D.E.P. says there's no risk. No one will convince me there isn't more to this story, though. Explain to me, please, very clearly, why then that game was canceled, and we're still not certain when the building will re-open.
- Ted Leonsis won't sell Wizards tickets based on what the Heat are doing.
- Carmelo Anthony is shooting less, which appears to be helping the Nuggets.
- Rick Fox was robbed! He's off "Dancing with the Stars," somehow, before Bristol Palin or Kurt Warner. Yes, I watch that show. No, I'm not ashamed.
- King Kaufman on HoopSpeak: "Look at the last 10 years in the NBA: Five teams have won the championship. In the last 20 years, only seven teams have. The Lakers, Spurs and Bulls have won 15 of the last 20 titles. In baseball, eight teams have won the World Series in the last 10 years, and 13 teams have in the last 20. The Yankees have five titles, and nobody else has more than two."
- 65% of voters in this poll say Rajon Rondo is the best point guard in the NBA, which tells you a hell of a lot about who is being polled.
- Anthony Morrow, maybe the best 3-point shooter ever. By the way, that article is in the Wall Street Journal. And it is there, I'd wager, in no small part because as a Net, Morrow is local to that paper's editorial staff. No one will ever convince me that all markets are created equal in terms of raising one's profile outside the game.
- Doug Collins stressed out and humorless. Doug Collins relaxed and jovial. Doug Collins having his team foul intentionally, holding a 3-point lead. Doug Collins drawing up a nice play.
- Pick your favorite Javale McGee dunk. To me, the second, over Spencer Hawes, is the best.
- Isiah Thomas, talking Heat, on 790 the Ticket in Miami (via Sports Radio Interviews): “Hate is not a bad thing in sports. You need the good guy and the bad guy and not everyone can be the good guy. When you have the good guy matched up against the bad guy, that’s what we all want to see. We don’t want to see two good guys go at it. We want to see the adversaries and the rivalries. Right now I think it’s great for the NBA and it will be great for all these guys in their careers as time moves on that having a little hate and being a little despised that’s not bad all the time. That means that you’re pretty good, you’re touching people’s emotions, a little controversial, and you’re being talked about. That’s what sports is all about. It’s not about the good guy all the time. If they’re chosen as the bad guys that means they’re going to be on television a lot, they’re going to be written about a lot, and they’re going to win a lot of games.”
- Yao Ming makes a lot of money for somebody who plays short minutes and hasn't been producing all that much. But that does not mean the Rockets would be better off without him, for a number of reasons.
- Matt McHale of By the Horns on Joakim Noah's play so far this season: "Noah is, quite simply, outstanding, and anyone who thinks (or thought) that he should have been included in a ‘Melo trade should have their head examined." Matt's less bullish on Derrick Rose's 3-point shooting.
- Watch Travis Outlaw not precisely where he ought to be on defense. Somewhere Nate McMillan nods knowingly.
- Ever wish you could peek at Gregg Popovich's clipboard, and see the play he diagrammed? Now you kind of can.
- Jeff Lind of Salt City Hoops on Blake Griffin: "The guy has no regard for his body, which should excite and terrify all Clippers fans. ... Every time Griffin comes down in a tweak like that, the fans in the Staples Center collectively gasp (all 66 of them). It’s delicious fear, and it’s a great show."
- Euroleague power rankings.
- The play the Wizards ran with the game on the line.
- The ways to measure a team's performance, stat geek-style.
- Handing out grades after the D-League draft.
TRUEHOOP CONTRIBUTORS
Henry AbbottTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
J.A. AdandeTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Kevin ArnovitzTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Chris BroussardTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Chad FordTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Israel GutierrezTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
John HollingerTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Beckley MasonTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Marc SteinTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
HoopIdeaTrueHoop @HoopIdea |
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