Fadeaway Friday: Does Nate Robinson have any juice left?

                                                     (Credit: Keith Allison. Click here for source) 

Earlier this week, Nate Robinson made his return to pro basketball by signing with the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League. At 32 years of age, Nate Robinson still believes he has some gas left in the tank despite only playing 2 games for the New Orleans Pelicans last season before signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel.

In his prime, Nate Robinson was one of the most entertaining players in the history of the NBA. At just 5’9”, Robinson was able to entertain crowds with his ability to dunk, winning three NBA Slam Dunk Contest championships in 2006, 2009, and 2010. In addition to being the second coming of Spud Webb, Robinson was actually a pretty good player, averaging 11.0 points 2.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game for his career and 17.2 points and 4.1 assists per game during the 2008-09 season with the New York Knicks. Robinson had a good 11 year career in the NBA, but as far as whether or not he can get back to the NBA, that remains to be seen.

What’s cool is that Nate Robinson still wants to play and he has a forum by which he can prove that he still belongs. The D-League exists not only for the purpose of giving young bucks a shot at the NBA but also giving veteran guys one more shot at NBA glory. If Nate Robinson is able to produce for the Delaware 87ers, odds are good an NBA team will give him one more shot. Even if he isn’t able to get back to the NBA, he is sure to entertain D-League fans and help put the league on the map, so either way, nothing but good can come from this.

It is certainly my hope that Nate Robinson finds his way back to the NBA since he was one of my favorite players to watch when he was in his prime. He always had a smile on his face and genuine enthusiasm for the game of basketball. He has always understood that at the end of the day the NBA is about entertaining the fans and he always did his best to put on a show. The league needs more guys like Nate Robinson and so it would really be a treat to have him back in the league, even if it’s just for the remainder of this season.

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Wednesday Windmill: Charles Oakley has every right to go after James Dolan

                                         (Credit: Kevin Coles. Click here for source) 

On Wednesday, New York Knicks legend Charles Oakley was arrested and ejected from Madison Square Garden after an altercation with security during the Knicks' home game against the Los Angeles Clippers, a game the Clippers won 119-115. Bleacher Report provides a good run down of the events that transpired, that you can read here.  Oakley has reportedly harbored feelings of ill-will towards Knicks owner James Dolan for quite some time and the Knicks claim that he directly attacked Dolan, a claim that he denies.

I don't want to get into whether or not Charles Oakley actually attacked James Dolan or if the New York Knicks overreacted to his presence. I wasn't at the game and we have conflicting stories of as to what happened. What I do want to express is my opinion that Charles Oakley has every right to be upset with the direction of the New York Knicks and if he is so passionate about the sorry state of the team that he would go bananas at Madison Square Garden, I say good on him.

When I think of the New York Knicks, I still think of Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and Charles Oakley. I remember their fierce battles with the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, and Orlando Magic in the 1990s and look back at those days as if they were billions of years ago. It feels like an eternity since the Knicks were relevant and quite honestly, their owner James Dolan should feel embarrassed that he has let such a storied franchise essentially rot and decay for the last 15+ years.

Sadly, it appears as though James Dolan doesn't give a hoot about the Knicks' pathetic state. He seems content to watch the team continue to flounder as Phil Jackson continues to show the rest of the NBA that he is not cut out for an NBA front office job. Dolan, a bloated doppelgänger of George Zimmer, has made a fool of himself and the Knicks for far too long and it's about time a Knicks legend flies off the handle in disgust.

What I want to make clear is that I am not indicting Charles Oakley of going bananas at Madison Square Garden. I have no proof that his arrest was justified. What I am saying is that if he did in fact unleash a tirade of epic proportions directed at James Dolan, he has my full support. While NBA owners do have full control of their teams, it doesn't make their actions pertaining to the franchise justified or morally acceptable. NBA owners may own a team, but they don't own everything that pertains to that team. They don't own the history, the legacy, or the significance that a team has to its city. That stuff belongs to the fans and the city that the team resides, which is why Charles Oakley has every right to be upset.

Unlike James Dolan, Charles Oakley literally put his blood and sweat into the Knicks every time he stepped on the floor in a Knicks uniform. Charles Oakley proudly represented the Knicks while Dolan has made a mockery of them and turned them into one of the most dysfunctional franchises in the NBA. James Dolan probably eats nothing but donuts and coffee judging by his disheveled and sloppy appearance and what's even worse is that he's probably ok with it. If anything, he's probably happy being a rich bum that owns the Knicks without a clue of as to how to make them good. He might as well go to games with a propeller hat on his head and tell jokes at halftime because that's all  that he's good for.

At the end of the day, whether or not Charles Oakley actually attacked James Dolan is neither here nor there. The big story is that we are once again talking about another controversy in the New York Knicks organization and that has to stop. We've seen Derrick Rose evaporate for a period of time, we've heard Carmelo Anthony trade rumors float around, and now we have a team legend reportedly vent his frustrations while at a game. Dysfunction and controversy cannot continue to follow this Knicks team and whether he likes it or not, it's ultimately up to James Dolan to put a stop to this nonsense and get the Knicks back to prominence.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: J.J. Redick is rightfully horrified about Donald Trump's presidency

                                          (Credit: YouTube. Click here for source) 

Last week, Los Angeles Clippers sharpshooter J.J. Redick expressed his "horror" about the Donald Trump administration. Below is an excerpt from The Los Angeles Times: 

“I wasn’t kidding,” Redick said in a later interview. “I’m a voracious reader … and I’ve become sort of obsessed with Trump in the last six months. I don’t really speak about it, not because it’s not my place or I don’t have a voice — I do. But I would say this: There’s been a lot of jokes and side comments from people in the league about [White House Press Secretary] Sean Spicer and alternative facts and all that stuff, but I don’t think any of it is funny.
“I’m actually horrified right now. People who are losing their healthcare, women who are losing their right to decide what to do with their body, that’s not funny to me. So, you can joke about crowd size [at Trump’s inauguration] and all of that B.S., but it’s not funny.”

What J.J. Redick is expressing are the same concerns and fears that millions of Americans have. Those concerns and fears are not unfounded or stemming from "fake news" like Donald Trump wants us to all believe. Those concerns and fears instead stem from the words and actions of a man who appears to be racist, mentally unstable, and arrogant.

I've not hid my views on Donald Trump on here, though I do keep in mind that this site is dedicated to informing NBA fans with quality news and insight. The way in which I try to approach the subject of Donald Trump is from an NBA angle and J.J. Redick expressing his views gives me the perfect vehicle to express my own views on here by responding to his views.

The most significant word that J.J. Redick uses in his comments is "horrified". He's not just in disagreement with Donald Trump's views, he's horrified by them. He sees Trump's positions as morally objectionable on many levels and I too have these same sentiments.

To me, Donald Trump is the most dangerous person to ever take office because of his personality, views, and the era in which he is president. His personality can best be described as "unstable", "erratic", and "illogical". He doesn't use logic and reasoning to back up his claims. Instead, he fabricates stories to paint a picture of a reality that he wants others to believe in. He's the ultimate bullshit artist and what's perhaps even scarier is that he seems to believe his own bullshit.

As for his views, they are simply horrifying. He wants to ban an entire religion from entering the country, he wants to take healthcare away from millions of Americans for no good reason, and he's quicker to defend Vladimir Putin than he is to defend the Constitution of the United States. The era in which he is president is problematic because now more than ever is a time in which we need someone with sound judgment to help us deal with a world that is increasingly becoming more dangerous and complex.

Donald Trump is a dangerous president and J.J. Redick is right to express his views of sheer horror and fear for what Donald Trump may do now that he's in office. The good news is that we live in a country with checks and balances and Donald Trump is only in charge of one of the three branches of government, namely the executive branch. The judiciary and legislative branches are separate from him and have the ability to prevent him from doing a lot of the damage that he wants to do. Let's just hope they do their job and stand up against any crazy or illogical policy that he plans to implement.

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Saturday Slam: The loss of Zach LaVine is brutal for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Earlier today, the Minnesota Timberwolves confirmed that their explosive young point guard Zach LaVine would miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL in his left knee. Below is the official team release.

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) taken this morning at Mayo Clinic by Team Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Diane Dahm revealed that Wolves guard Zach LaVine has a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) in his left knee. LaVine, who will have surgery at a to-be-determined date, will miss the remainder of the season. Further updates as to LaVine’s progress will be issued when more information becomes available.The injury occurred during last night’s 116-108 loss to the Detroit Pistons.In 47 games this season, LaVine averaged 18.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 37.2 minutes per game. In his third NBA season, LaVine holds career averages of 13.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 206 games.

The loss of Zach LaVine obviously really hurts this young Wolves team. At 19-32, they are still very much alive for the 8th seed in the Western Conference playoffs, just 3.5 games back of the 22-28 Denver Nuggets, who are currently clinging to the 8th seed like grim death. With the loss of LaVine, it's going to be really tough for this young Wolves team to make up for his quality production. LaVine was in the middle of having a breakout season, making it all the more sad that he had to go down. The good news of course is that with proper rehab and surgery, LaVine can come back even stronger thanks to the quality medical care that he'll receive at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

                                         (Credit: YouTube. Click here for video). 
           
In terms of who will need to step up, it's obvious that Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, who are both averaging north of 20 points per game, will need to carry even more of the load.  In addition to them, the rest of the Wolves backcourt will need to do all they can to make up for Zach LaVine's production.

The guy in the backcourt who can be expected to step up the most is Shabazz Muhammad, who is averaging 9.0 points per game on 46.6% shooting from the field, 45.8% shooting from three-point range, and 80.2% shooting from the free throw line. During the past 10 games, Muhammad has notched six games with 15+ points, so with Zach LaVine now out for the season, it can be expected for him to continue to put up similar numbers. Ricky Rubio being more of a facilitator can't really be relied on to score more, but he will have to undertake a larger chunk of the point guard duties.

The one guy who is sort of a wild card in all of this is rookie point guard Kris Dunn, who is currently nursing a sore right hand. Dunn was the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft but has so far not really lived up to the hype. LaVine's absence should free up a lot more minutes for him once he returns to the court, giving him a chance to flourish and showcase his skills. If there's any benefit of Zach LaVine going down, it is that his absence gives Kris Dunn more minutes and opportunities for growth. Dunn has to make the most of these extra minutes and prove to the Minnesota franchise that he was worth the fifth overall pick.

There's no question that the loss of Zach LaVine is a major disappointment, but the Timberwolves are still in big picture mode, so as long as he is able to make a full recovery, this shouldn't be too big of a set back. If anything, it will give other guys an opportunity to step up and grow, so maybe in a way this will benefit the team for the long term. Of course, my thoughts and prayers are with Zach LaVine. I've gotten to know a lot of these top basketball players through my work with GoldenBearReport.com of the Rivals Network, so I have nothing but mad respect for all the work that they put in. I hope LaVine comes back stronger than before and helps the Minnesota Timberwolves continue to grow into one of the most elite and dangerous teams in the NBA.

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Fadeaway Friday: Yogi Ferrell is making the most of his 10-day contract

                                         (Credit: SportsCenter on Twitter.) 

Sometimes stars are born out of 10-day contracts and it appears as though Dallas Mavericks guard Yogi Ferrell, an undrafted rookie from Indiana, is on the cusp of being one of those stars. Tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers, Ferrell led the Mavericks to a 108-104 win, scoring 32 points on 9-11 shooting from three-point range. The nine three-pointers in a game is an NBA rookie record.

Tonight, Yogi Ferrell was simply in the zone. He did a good job of getting separation from defenders, swishing virtually every open look he got. He did it all in this game. He hit catch and shoot threes off screens, pull up jumpers, transition, you name it. His offensive arsenal was on full display and Portland simply didn't know how to contain him.

His performance was reminiscent of Jeremy Lin, who put on a similar display when he was claimed off of waivers by the New York Knicks in the 2011-12 season. Nobody expected Jeremy Lin to have the kind of performances that he had and similarly, nobody saw Yogi Ferrell putting up these kind of numbers in the NBA.

Going forward, all that Yogi Ferrell can do is continue to grind and continue to make the most of his 10-day contract. He's certainly playing like a guy who will stick with the Mavericks for the rest of the season, getting similar treatment as Chasson Randle (76ers) and Quincy Acy (Nets), two guys who turned 10-day contracts into multi-year deals.

While I don't think Yogi Ferrell will consistently go off for 30 points in each game, I think it is safe to say that he belongs in the NBA and will stick around in the league for several years to come. Games like tonight aren't flukes. They are the result of hard work. Yogi Ferrell has clearly put the work in to stay in the NBA and as a result, I expect him to sign a multi-year deal with the Mavericks as soon as possible.

Click here to watch highlights of Yogi Ferrell's 32 point game against Portland.

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Wednesday Windmill: The Boston Celtics are gaining ground on the Cleveland Cavaliers

After a 109-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, the Boston Celtics are in sole possession of the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings and only 2.5 games back of the #1 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who just hosted Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, Lance Stephenson, and Jordan Farmar for a workout earlier in the day according to ESPN. 

After speculating of as to whether or not the Celtics need to make another move to contend, it appears as though this Celtics team is making the case that it might be smart to not shake things up and see what this current roster can do. Isaiah Thomas continues to be the major catalyst for the Celtics' success, averaging 29.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 6.4 assists while going off for 40+ points on a fairly regular basis. Al Horford is playing solid ball with his 15.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while Jae Crowder is likewise stepping up with his 14.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. 

This Celtics team is very good and what's scary is that they are getting better. Rookie small forward Jaylen Brown is starting to come into his own more and more as the season goes on and other guys like Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk are doing well in their supportive roles, too. As an added bonus of sorts, Avery Bradley, who averages 17.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, is scheduled to be back soon. Once he comes back, the Celtics' offense and perimeter defense will get a really nice boost. 

I know I said earlier that a trade is something the Celtics should consider, but so long as they play like this, they need to ride this wave out and see where this roster can take them. Making a serious trade midseason shakes things up and this is certainly not a team in need of a shakeup. This is just a team in need of more experience and confidence boosting wins like the one they got on Wednesday. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Dallas Mavericks take out the Spurs and Cavaliers

One team that has been pretty quiet this season is the 18-30 Dallas Mavericks. With Dirk Nowitzki past his prime, this team hasn't been as competitive as they've been in past seasons, but after taking out the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers in back-to-back games, maybe we should pay more attention to them.

In their 105-101 win over the Spurs, Seth Curry led the charge with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists on 4-9 shooting from the field while Harrison Barnes finished with 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. In addition to Curry and Barnes, Wesley Matthews (17 points and 7 rebounds) and Dirk Nowitzki (15 points and 10 rebounds) had solid outings as well. What made the win all the more impressive is the fact that the game was in San Antonio and the Mavericks came back from a 49-59 deficit at the half to win. Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge both played solid games for the Spurs, Leonard finishing with 24 points and 7 rebounds and Aldridge finishing with 16 points and 7 rebounds. It was probably the best game the Mavericks played all season up until that point.

I say up until that point because the very next night in Dallas, the Mavericks took out the Cleveland Cavaliers by a final score of 104-97. Even with LeBron James putting up a near triple double (23 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists), the Mavericks were able to fend off the defending champs and get the win. Harrison Barnes (24 points and 11 rebounds) and Wesley Matthews (21 points and 4 rebounds) were the top performers for the Mavericks in this game, but much like their game against the Spurs, the Mavericks got help from other players as well. Seth Curry finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists while Dwight Powell finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds.

 Perhaps the most shocking contributor was Yogi Ferrell, an undrafted guard out of Indiana who is currently playing on a 10-day contract. Ferrell finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, which should guarantee he stays with the team for the rest of the season. Ferrell stepped up big time and is a major reason for why the Mavericks were able to get the win. If he is able to continue to prove his worth as a solid rotation player, the Mavericks will have hit the jackpot since they desperately need more backcourt depth with Deron Williams and J.J. Barea sidelined with injury.

Even though these wins over the Spurs and Cavaliers are only two games out of 82, they are still very noteworthy and should grab our attention. Especially since the Mavericks are only 4 games back of the 21-25 Denver Nuggets for the 8th seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Mavericks could be on the verge of turning the corner and making a serious push for that final playoff spot.

When looking at this Mavericks roster, there's no good reason to not expect them to make the playoffs. They've been dealing with injuries all season, but at full strength, these guys have the pieces to be a dangerous team. Dirk Nowitzki is a wily old veteran with some juice left while Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews, and Seth Curry are shaping up to be a very solid trio to build around for the future. Unless some other team starts to grab the bull by the horns and take command of the 8th spot in the Western Conference, I got my money on the Dallas Mavericks to be the team that gets it. They have the most talent of all the teams battling for it and the most experience. They just have to stay healthy and continue to play sound basketball on both ends of the floor.

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