Hoops Analyst -

The Kobe FAQ

February 5, 2020 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

It’s hard to fully process the terrible circumstances surrounding Kobe Bryant’s death last week. Yes, there are other tragedies in the world that are worthy of note (as well as eight other people, including young children who died with Kobe) but this was horrid on many levels. Rather than dwell on this terrible part of his story, I thought this would be a good time to do a detailed FAQ (as we have with a bunch NBA greats who have retired), remembering his story and some of the forgotten … [Read more...] about The Kobe FAQ

Quick Thoughts

January 8, 2020 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

1. The Worst of the Last 20: As 2020 is upon us, there has been a lot written about the moments and teams of the last decade. Some of this is quite interesting but when I step back, I’m more interested in the larger picture. We are now 20% of the way through this 21st Century and I have watched/followed more NBA since 2000 than before (my NBA sentience started in the early 1980s). In other words, I’ve watched much more basketball without Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan than I have with … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts

Quick Thoughts

December 26, 2019 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

1. Mid-Season Tourney?: In an effort to boost fan interest, Adam Silver has floated the idea of a mid-season elimination tournament, NCAA style, where all the NBA teams would be eligible and the winner could get cash bonuses ($1 million for each player on the winner) and an extra draft pick for the team that wins the tourney. Silver has been touting this as a possibility for several months, trying to drum up fan interest with multiple tourneys like the European clubs play. Silver correctly … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts

Quick Thoughts (Melo’s Return Edition)

November 30, 2019 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

1. Melo, Requiem for a Chucker?: One of the bigger stories of the last few weeks was the return of Carmelo Anthony to the NBA. Melo’s ending with the Rockets last season was tough. He played poorly (as did the team) during his stint and he was put on hiatus by the team by early November 2018 (after a game that they lost to OKC by 18 and Melo shot 1-11 from the field) before being cut. The Rockets’ treatment was seemingly designed to make let him go softly but actually had the opposite effect … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts (Melo’s Return Edition)

Quick Thoughts (So Far)

November 13, 2019 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

With most teams having not played more than nine or ten games played so far, it is way too early to make many meaningful conclusions away. Having said that, premature judgments are what the internet exists for. So, let’s knock around some snap judgments…. Best Surprise: Phoenix Suns The Suns are clearly the biggest positive surprise so far. They looked like the worst team in the West on paper and that was before Deandre Ayton was suspended. Somehow, they are 6-3 and have the second … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts (So Far)

The China/NBA FAQ

October 20, 2019 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

The NBA’s kerfuffle with China has been all the talk of the pre-season. I was frankly hoping it would blow over and we could focus on the game, but the fact is that the issue is quite significant and bears a moment of our time. Most coverage of the issue involves whether the NBA has compromised its values to ease the anger of a large business partner. This is the largest of the issues from this dispute but there are number of interesting sub-issues/questions that also occur to me. I thought … [Read more...] about The China/NBA FAQ