Harlan Schreiber

NBA Icons as GMs and Magic Johnson

March 11, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

For Lakers fans, there seems to be a palpable sense of excitement connected to the hiring of Magic Johnson as team president. Having a franchise icon help run the show certainly sounds good on paper. Many are quick to point out that being a great player does not mean one will be a good coach and being coach does not mean one will be a great GM (see Jackson, Phil). How effective will the new Lakers front office of Magic and Rob Pelinka end up being? Certainly, Magic’s banal tweets aren’t … [Read more...] about NBA Icons as GMs and Magic Johnson

Down With the Kings? Trading DMC

February 21, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

Mercifully, another All-Star game is over and we can now focus in on the homestretch of the 2016-17 season. The next big shoe dropped quickly when it was reported that the Kings dealt DeMarcus Cousins (with Omri Casspi) to the Hornets for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, a 2017 first-round pick and a 2017 second-round pick. The initial reaction from most writers/fan has been that the Kings did not get a fair return. Let’s unwrap the deal a bit more and see if that reaction is … [Read more...] about Down With the Kings? Trading DMC

Transactions: Plumlee for Nurkic

February 13, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

The Mason Plumlee-Jusuf Nurkic trade reveals much about the state of Portland and Denver. Let’s start with the vitals: Denver Nuggets acquire -Mason Plumlee, age-26, 28.1 mpg, 11.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 18.7 PER, 3.0 BPM (restricted free agent after season) -A second round pick and cash Portland Trail Blazers acquire -Jusuf Nurkic, age-22, 17.9 mpg. 8.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.3 apg, 14.9 PER, -2.4 BPM (restricted free agent after 2017-18) -Memphis’ 2017 first round pick (currently … [Read more...] about Transactions: Plumlee for Nurkic

Quick Thoughts Dumb Controversy Edition

February 8, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

Nearing the middle of the season, NBA fans find that the main stories of the month have been controversies: (1) LeBron James complaining about management (2) Charles Barkley complaining about LeBron’s complaints, (3) LeBron’s complaints about Barkley’s complaints about LeBron’s complaints, and, of course, (4) Phil Jackson passive aggressive one-sided feud with Carmelo Anthony. Each of these stories has elements of ridiculousness. But lost in the silliness are there any legitimately serious … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts Dumb Controversy Edition

Fan All-Star Voting, It’s Fantastic!

January 20, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

The concept of the NBA All-Star game (like most All-Star games), is more interesting in theory than in reality. It’s great to debate who deserves to be chosen and to see the superstars play. Ultimately, the game is a letdown because the players rarely can manufacture the intensity and it has the feel of a casual pickup game. Despite all that, following the fan vote is fun. It is a glorified popularity contest and there have been some crazy outcomes. This has changed a bit this year, where … [Read more...] about Fan All-Star Voting, It’s Fantastic!

The George Karl FAQ

January 10, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

George Karl’s controversial recent book has brought him back into the focus of the NBA. First, he wrote in an excerpt from the book about some issues in Denver with Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony and blamed any problems with dime store psychology: “Kenyon and Carmelo carried two big burdens: all that money and no father to show them how to act like a man.” Later, in an interview for the book, Karl told New York Magazine that Portland’s struggles this year were attribute to Damian Lillard … [Read more...] about The George Karl FAQ