The Painted Area, with tidy diagrams and everything, breaks down the new ways LeBron James is working in Cleveland's rejuvenated offense: "The stagnant 1-4 sets with LBJ pounding the ball into the ground 30 feet away from the basket were much less prevalent, mainly utilized at the end of quarters. Instead, what the Cavs showed on Saturday was an offense full of motion, with LeBron in the high post, in the low post, catching the ball coming across the lane on cross screens or coming off of down screens."
From the website of the forthcoming documentary The First Basket: "On November 1, 1946, in the opening game of the fledgling Basketball Association of America (BAA), Ossie Schectman scored the opening basket for the New York Knickerbockers against the Toronto Huskies. Schectman and his teammates Sonny Hertzberg, Stan Stutz, Hank Rosenstein, Ralph Kaplowitz, Jake Weber, and Leo 'Ace' Gottlieb went on to win the opening game 68 - 66 and finish the season with a 33 - 27 record. In 1949, the BAA became the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Schectman's shot is considered the first basket in the NBA. In fact, several of the BAA and NBA teams had evolved out of the semi-pro teams, settlement houses, playgrounds, schoolyard and community center leagues, and college teams that sprung from the Jewish inner-city neighborhoods of the early 20th century. While the era of Jewish professional basketball players has passed, the story of these sports pioneers illustrates how the American 20th Century was shaped by the experiences of many immigrant groups." As for the passing of the era of Jewish professional basketball players having passed, players like Jordan Farmar, Omri Casspi, and Yotam Halperin didn't get the memo ...
Nicholas Batum can get turnovers. He can get buckets. What he can not get, however, is his shoes.
A stat geek says San Antonio's early stumbles are part of a larger trend, and that this is a team that's starting to slip.
Buck Williams speaks: "On behalf of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), we are deeply saddened by the passing of NBA veteran, and more importantly, our friend, Nick Weatherspoon. Even while fighting degenerative disc disease and enduring much physical pain these last 30 years, 'Spoon' always remained the same humble, kind and appreciative man we knew back on the basketball court. Thanks to the support of the NBRPA Membership and incredible support of his fans, 'Spoon' received ongoing encouragement throughout his battle. Please continue to show your support by joining the NBRPA in helping to provide the Weatherspoon Family with much needed financial relief by contributing to the Legends of Basketball Weatherspoon Family Fund. He will be missed, but never forgotten." More information.
Comments that include profanity, or personal attacks, or antisocial behavior such as "spamming" or "trolling," or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. We will take steps to block users who violate any of our terms of use. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
