Get Ready For Another Summer of Dwight

It’s almost June, so that means it’s time for Dwight Howard to take over as the NBA’s prime story. Everyone knew that the Houston Rockets were gearing to make a big splash this offseason, but the Dwight Howard rumors just got cranked to full volume. In a complete reversal of narrative from last summer, when sources claimed Howard would absolutely not sign with Houston, we’re now swimming in reports that he’s very interested in what the Rockets have to offer. Gird whatever you may have to gird; the Rockets are about to be at the center of the chaos. Read More »

Posted in Food for Thought | Sharethis | Permalink

Grading Chandler Parsons

Chandler Parsons wasn’t Houston’s flashiest player, or Houston’s best player, or even Houston’s most famous player. Parsons wasn’t the primary scorer, or the defensive anchor, or the team’s distributor. Despite all that, Chandler Parsons was something even more important. Chandler Parsons, despite being only a sophomore in the NBA, managed to become the soul of the brand new Houston Rockets. Read More »

Posted in essays | 8 Comments | Sharethis | Permalink

Grading Omer Asik

What does an underrated NBA player look like? Before we answer that question, let’s first define what underrated means. According to the dictionary widget on my laptop, it’s to “underestimate the extent, value, or importance of (someone or something).”

Related to NBA players, it’s watching someone play and not realizing how good he is. It’s rarely bringing their name up in conversation when other, equally/lesser productive players, are dancing on our tongues and endlessly touring NBA Twitter. Read More »

Posted in essays | 10 Comments | Sharethis | Permalink

On the NBA: More Musings from the Second Season

The All-Playoff, First Team

LeBron James

Give me LeBron because he’s the best. He hasn’t exactly stood out this postseason because he’s merely done what he always does: influence every aspect of the game, every minute he’s on the floor. The spider-string of dominance he casts on both ends of the floor has become rote. But he can also slay you with stylistic daggers, the kind of posterizations that ruin a legacy, or a run. He’s everything, and it’s terrifying.

Read More »

Posted in NBA-related, On the NBA | 28 Comments | Sharethis | Permalink

Grading James Harden

What more could James Harden have realistically accomplished this season? Before judging his porous defense (which I’ll be doing in a little while) or hounding on his sometimes poor decision-making in crunch time (he just missed another step back jumper), try and answer the question reasonably.

What more could he have done as a 23-year-old assuming the weight of an entire franchise for the first time? There are so many fantastic things Harden did for the Houston Rockets this season, and almost all of them exceeded everyone’s expectations. Read More »

Posted in essays | 108 Comments | Sharethis | Permalink