The Crab Dribble Episode 64, New Beginnings
The Crab Dribble is back to dissect a slow start for the Lakers, James Harden’s impact on the league and comment on those players receiving contract extensions in the hours leading up to the deadline. It’s a fast, fun-filled show, so enjoy it responsibly, and leave your comments below.
The Crab Dribble Episode 2.19, The King’s Crowned
The Crab Dribble puts a bow on the 2011-2012 season by praising The Chosen One for finally reaching the top of the mountain. Not everyone on the podcast is pleased with the outcome, but we also dissect the lottery picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. The season may be over, but TCD lives on.
End of the Bench, Volume 2.19
So Andrew Luck went first huh? Never saw that coming. That’s why you have to love the NFL Draft – the unpredictability and intrigue is unmatched in the world of sports.
But believe it or not, there are more important things happening…namely the start of the NBA Playoffs. The condensed season has come to an end – mercifully for some – and we’re ready to see who has what it takes to cut down the nets. Can LeBron James lead the Heat to where we all expect them to go? Can the youth of the Thunder overcome the veteran savvy of the Spurs? Do the Lakers and Celtics have enough left in the tank to make a run? Will Dwight Howard request to be traded halfway through the first round? There’s so much to debate, and the fun is just getting started. So go ahead and make yourself comfortable in the best seat in the house. (more…)
End of the Bench, Volume 2.18
We’ve reached the apocalypse in the NBA. The Lakers are winning without Kobe Bryant. The Heat are winning without Dwyane Wade. The Bulls are winning without Derrick Rose. Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony – neither of whom exactly conjures up images of John Stockton – are putting up double-digit assist games. Chaos has officially ensued. Forget everything you thought you knew about the NBA.
Okay, that’s perhaps a tad strong. Delonte West is still behaving bizarrely, to put it mildly. Kevin Garnett is still setting blatantly illegal screens all over the court. LeBron James is still filling out a stat sheet like few can. And the Bobcats are still embarrassing themselves. There’s so much to cover, and so little time, what with the playoffs right around the corner. But let’s get started, shall we? Pull up a chair and let’s see what it looks like from the best seat in the house. (more…)
End of the Bench, Volume 2.11
Hey there – welcome back! The second half of the NBA season has tipped off, Kobe Bryant is a masked man, trade rumors are flying and the Bobcats are…well…they’re still losing games. With a shortened season, the playoff push begins now for some teams, as the margin for error is slim. Just ask the Jazz, who currently sit in last place in the Northwest Division, yet are only a two-game winning streak from taking over second place. Or the Grizzlies, who currently own the seventh seed in the West, but are one win away from the fourth seed. And what about the Wizards, who…ah never mind.
At any rate, the second half of the season brings some intriguing storylines, and EOTB is going to be right up front for every one of them. Join me, won’t you? I’ve saved you a spot right here, in the best seat in the house. (more…)
The Surprising 5
Because of the All-Star break , there’s only been a handful of games since last week’s rankings, and there seemed to be little purpose in reading too much into them. Instead, with half of the season now in the rearview mirror, here’s a look at the five biggest surprises so far in the season. Think we’ve missed one? Let us hear about it in the comments section.
1). Boston Celtics (15-17)
Everyone knew Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were getting older, and a condensed season might pose some problem, but few probably envisioned the Celtics struggling this much. Losing Jeff Green for the season didn’t help, and Rajon Rondo missed eight games with a wrist injury (plus two more for a suspension), but even that doesn’t explain how mediocre the Celtics have looked at times. There was the five game losing streak in mid-January (with four of those at home), plus unexplainable losses to the Hornets, Cavs, Suns, Pistons and Raptors. Twelve Celtic players have started a game this year, including somebody named Greg Stiemsma, and the team just hasn’t been able to find a rhythm. It would still be a major shock if they don’t pull together and make a run at the playoffs, but as of right now, they no longer strike fear into their opponents. (more…)
All-Star Saturday Diary
Is there anything better than spending a Saturday night inside watching television? Sure, some people go on dates, hit the bars or go to a party, but here at The Crab Dribble, we’re all about basketball, even at the expense of our social lives. So for those of you unfortunate enough to miss the All-Star Saturday Night festivities, have no fear. We kept a running diary of the events – just for you – so you can relive all the excitement. Enjoy!
8:32: Welcome to All-Star Saturday Night, which for some reason, has its own pregame show. But we decided to skip to the good stuff, which means we’re opening with the required camera scan of the celebrities and players in attendance. Am I the only one who doesn’t get the black-framed glasses fad?
8:34: It’s time to meet the teams for the Haier Shooting Stars Challenge! Can you feel the excitement? (more…)
The Crab Dribble Episode 2.6, Buy low, sell high
The Crab Dribble returns this week with thoughts on All-Star snubs, teams that need to push players to the trading block, and those teams needing to pick discarded players no one else wanted. Also, Kenyon Martin is back. It’s a full show, so stay until the end, and then write us at thecrabdribble@thecrabdribble.com.
Game of the Week: Boston at Washington, Jan. 22
The Game of the Week is chosen because it’s likely to be the worst or ugliest game of that given week. Ladies and gentlemen, we just hit the nail on the head.
Wizards finally Flip the switch
After weeks of some of the most painful NBA basketball I have seen in many years, the Washington Wizards finally put Flip Saunders out of his misery with the ol’ pink slip. Word is assistant coach Randy Wittman will be assuming the interim head coaching duties for the rest of the season. Because that Minnesota Timberwolves coaching tree is so rich and fertile… yeah.
Look, my opinion of Flip’s coaching abilities certainly hasn’t grown after his tenure in D.C. But it hasn’t really fallen either. Flip is what he is. He’s a players’ coach who is good at staying out of the way of a veteran roster. There is something to be said for that. Good Lord, though, his coaching skill set was a terrible fit with this team. (more…)
Thursday linkage: Jan. 12, 2012
Here we go – five-layer link NBA burrito.
* David West – from Xavier University – was offered $24 million over three years from the Celtics last month. The Pacers countered with $20 million over two. West signed with the Pacers. Some critics, including West’s could’ve-been-teammate Ray Allen, called the former Hornet all-star out for a blatant cash grab. Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated explains that it’s not quite that simple.
* What do you think of the new Utah Jazz billboard campaign? Personally, they seem a little bit funereal for my tastes.
* Another huge injury situation has a playoff contender scrambling for answers. The Hawks without Horford is like an Arby Q without a bun. Shiz gon get messy.
* I’m sorry if I keep hitting you with Wizards talk. “Why talk about the Wizards?” you ask. “They were irrelevant last year, and they’re even more irrelevant this year.” Fair, fair. I just can’t help it. I’m utterly fascinated by this team’s disastrously awful performance this season. How are they this bad? They have John Wall running point, for goodness sake.
Oh, but they’re bad. Real bad. Sixty-four points last night, guys?
Sekou Smith is the latest to take a shot at sorting it all out.
* Speaking of the Wizards, time to start scouting Andre Drummond, Washington fans!
Ben Walpole is a producer and blogger for The Crab Dribble. He strongly advocates giving Jan Vesely more playing time, in case anyone was interested in how he’d fix the Wizards.
End of the Bench, Volume 2.3
The calendar has turned, and in a typical year, that means we’ve reached the point where we’ve got a pretty good feel for each team. However, this year is anything but typical. Last year, most teams had played 25-30 games before the ball dropped; this year some teams hadn’t even played five. So with barely two weeks under our belt, is it too early to draw any conclusions? Of course not! In fact, snap decisions and knee-jerk reactions are what we do best at The Crab Dribble!
So pull up a chair and let’s see what it looks like from the best seat in the house.
– Tough break for two of the West’s best, as the Spurs learned Manu Ginobili will be out up to two months with a broken hand, while the Grizzlies learned Zach Randolph will miss 6-8 weeks with a torn MCL. Combine those with Dallas’ slow start and the Lakers still adjusting to a new style, and the West certainly looks like it’s Oklahoma City’s to lose. (more…)
Wednesday linkage: Jan. 4, 2012
It’s the best Wednesday of the year so far. So let’s take a trip around the league.
* Rookie sensation Norris Cole isn’t competing against Mario Chalmers for minutes. They actually work well together.
* And here we thought the rush of player movement was about over. The Bleacher Report says, ‘Not so fast, my friend.”
* Lee Eric Smith of 3 Shades Of Blue is pumped up about the big trade going down this morning.
* The fans (read the comments section) in Philly are not so pumped about the big trade going down this morning.
* Timothy Varner of 48 Minutes Of Hell breaks down the fallout in San Antonio following Manu Ginobili’s broken hand.
* I, for one, foresaw big things for the Washington Wizards this season. I thought those new uniforms alone would be good for an eight seed in the East. But wow, the Wiz iz off to a terrible, terrible start. The guys at Truth About It attempt to sift through the wreckage, touching on such topics as a potential coaching change and the possibility of, dare I say, trading for Demarcus Cousins.
* Here. YOU try to sort out the Golden State backcourt.
End of the Bench Vol. 18
Yep, we’re still here. Still sitting at the end of the bench, even though the crowd has gone home, the lights have been turned out and the janitor is cleaning gum wads off the bottom of the bleachers. Still waiting, hoping and praying that we haven’t seen the last of basketball for a while.
Okay, not exactly an upbeat and positive way to start out. But that pretty much sums up the mood around the NBA these days, as the lockout rages on with no end in sight. Nevertheless, TCD is still forging ahead, delivering podcasts full of basketball knowledge that you won’t believe you ever lived without. So be sure to check out the last podcast, keep an eye out for the next one, and then settle in to enjoy the view. (more…)
Lockout may hinder Team USA
Is it over yet?
It’s been less than three weeks since the NBA lockout officially went into effect, but the consequences are already being felt. We’ve seen players – including one superstar – leave to go play overseas, with the door open for more to follow. We’ve seen the cancellation of the summer league, which normally allows undrafted rookies the chance to make a roster. We’ve seen teams have to cut all communications with their players, leading to some humorous, and awkward, stories. We’ve seen posturing from both the players’ union and the owners, as both sides try to sway public sentiment to their side even as they’re busy ruining the game we all care about.
But one more damaging aspect of the lockout came to light early this week, when it was reported that NBA players may choose not to play in the 2012 Olympics if the lockout is still going. While that’s a ways off, it’s certainly not out of the question to think that the 2012 Team USA could be vastly different than the one we’ve imagined, especially given the success at the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 World Championships. (more…)
Draft breakdown: Southeast
The 2011 NBA Draft is in the books, and we can only hope that the pending lockout doesn’t get in the way of seeing these new rookies take the floor. The draft had a strong international influence, and while it may be short on superstars, it’s certainly got plenty of interesting storylines. How will Jimmer be welcomed into the Sacramento locker room? Will Brandon Knight’s basketball IQ be wasted in Detroit? Will Raptors fans even bother showing up next season?
But don’t worry. In case you missed portions of the draft while Googling “Jan Vesely’s girlfriend,” TCD is here to recap it for you, division by division. As always, let us know what you think on Twitter and Facebook, and be sure to check out our mock draft on the latest podcast. I promise I called Nolan Smith going #21, no matter what you may hear.
Today, we’re looking at the Southeast. Be sure to also check out the Atlantic and Central. (more…)
The Crab Dribble Episode 13: The Doctor Is In
This week, The Crab Dribble debates whether the Knicks and Heat are for real, if Patty Mills is worth all the pub he gets on the show, and we look to the coming of NBA goodness.
The Crab Dribble: An NBA Podcast Episode 11 ’22.8 percent’
It’s episode 11, and we’re honoring those players, teams and coaches who’ve stepped their games up in the first 22.8 percent of the season. We also discuss the Miami Heat (typical, I know) and look ahead at the coming week, which is now the current week.
(Editor’s note: This podcast took longer than usual to load for unknown reasons. We’re still figuring this whole thing out, so stick with us.)
The Crab Dribble: An NBA Podcast – Episode 7 'The Knee Jerk'
The Crab Dribble: An NBA Podcast – Episode 7 ‘The Knee Jerk’
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The Crab Dribble brings you a jam-packed 34 minutes today full of the news, views and sound effects you need to sort out the first week of the new NBA season.
The Crab Dribble: An NBA Podcast – Episode 3 ‘The Heat Check’
The Crab Dribble: An NBA Podcast – Episode 3
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Is it getting hot in herre?
The Crab Dribble gives you a heat check of South Beach and beyond in the Southeast Division.
What they’re saying