Archives

Week ending on Friday, November 16 2012.

Friday, November 16

The Meaning of 6-0: NBA History

by Kevin Pelton

With the Knicks off to the best start in the NBA, a look back at past 6-0 starts offers perspective on just how high expectations should get in Gotham.

Rebuilding: Vanderbilt Replaces Stars

by John Perrotto

Vanderbilt enjoyed a remarkable night in June when three starters were selected in the NBA Draft, two of them in the first round. Now the Commodores must find a way to replace their contributions with a thin roster.

Making a U-Turn: Top Turnarounds

by John Gasaway

In his feature for ESPN Insider John considers five teams who didn't make the 2012 NCAA tournament but should do much better this season: Pitt, Stanford, Minnesota, Saint Joseph's, and Oklahoma State.

Thursday, November 15

Making Statements: Clippers, Grizzlies Impress

by Kevin Pelton

With wins over last season's conference champions during Wednesday's ESPN double-header, the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies provided more evidence that their strong starts are legitimate.

Big Man Barometer: Week Ending 11/13/12

by Bradford Doolittle

In last week's edition, Bradford unveiled his initial season-long rankings of NBA centers and power forwards.

Wednesday, November 14

Still Duke: Maybe the Blue Devils Really Were Underrated

by John Gasaway

In the wake of Duke's 75-68 win over No. 3 Kentucky in Atlanta, John teases out the evidence from two games and 131 possessions to assess how good this team can be.

Anatomy of an Upset: Albany Knocks Off Washington

by Kevin Pelton

On Tuesday, Albany went to Seattle to upset Washington for the program's first win over a major-conference foe since reclassifying to Division I in 2000. How did it happen and what does it mean for the Huskies?

Tuesday, November 13

Finding Space: Precedent for the Lakers and D'Antoni

by Kevin Pelton

For the Los Angeles Lakers to succeed on offense under Mike D'Antoni, the team will have to be able to create space for its star players to operate. The 2007-08 Phoenix Suns suggest that can be done even without ideal shooting ability.

Poised to Break Out: Mid-Major Bigs to Watch

by Corey Schmidt

Not content with having turned your attention to Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O'Quinn before they were a gleam in the NBA's eye, Corey Schmidt is back with five mid-major bigs who are about to make some noise.

Monday, November 12

Graphing the NBA: Early Ratings

by Kevin Pelton

A graphical look at how teams have performed early in the 2012-13 season shows some surprising trends so far.