Danilo Gallinari will never make us forget Carmelo Anthony. But on Friday night he showed he’s willing to take – and can make – some big shots.
Gallo could replace Melo for Nuggets – The Denver Post
Benjamin Hochman breaks down Gallinari’s second game as a Nugget when he went for 30 points and almost made the game-winner in overtime for Denver. Most impressively for me, he had 17 free throw attempts in that game and only missed two. Unfortunately, one of those two misses was at the end of regulation and should have sealed the Nuggets victory.
If lockout is needed to save NBA, then bring it on – NBA – CBSSports.com Basketball
In a must-read piece by Gregg Doyel, Doyel writes that the NBA is in danger of being more top-heavy than baseball. As superstar after superstar forces his way to big markets, more and more franchises are rendered irrelevant. Doyel says there's one solution: a lockout.
Hochman: Karl isn’t buying superstar blueprint – The Denver Post
George Karl sells the media on why this Nuggets team could be as good as any he has ever had. It’s just funny to me how giddy Karl is to be coaching these guys and it shows how much he couldn’t stand coaching Melo this season.
Toxic tweets not so sweet for Karl, Melo – The Denver Post
Speaking of not being able to stand Melo, Hochman gives a blow-by-blow account of the Karl vs. Melo feud that erupted this past week.
Sobering reality behind joyous Melo debut at Garden – NBA – CBSSports.com Basketball
The arrival of Melo returns New York to center stage and MSG to life. And while the Knicks enjoy their renaissance, Ken Berger can’t get the vision of impending NBA doom out of his head.
From the Archives…
Uplifting Uprising – 01.08.01 – SI Vault
With Rip Hamilton and several other Detroit Piston players allegedly staging a player revolt against head coach John Kuester this week, I couldn’t help but be reminded of when Nick Van Exel led a player revolt against Dan Issel in Decemer of 2000. This article chronicles that entire episode, and this is my favorite segment (keep this in mind when Issel gets re-nominated for the Denver Stiffs Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award)…
The Nuggets felt it was hypocritical of Issel to question their dedication when he doesn’t put in the long hours typical of NBA coaches. He doesn’t believe in studying film and computer printouts to break down the tendencies of opponents. When most of the players met in Denver for voluntary workouts last September, neither Issel nor his assistants were on hand to work with them. Asked if the players are justified in accusing him of not working hard enough, Issel says, “It’s probably a fair criticism. But I’ve got to coach like I’ve got to coach, and if we’re not successful, then they can have somebody else do it.”
And in case you missed it, I joined The Knick Blog’s Tommy Dee on Friday to talk about the aftermath of the Melo trade. And before you say anything about the backdrop no, that’s not my mother’s basement. It’s actually my very undecorated office…
