ALL BALL NERVE CENTER – New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson‘s goatee doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Perfectly trimmed, densely populated, nearly symmetric, Mike Woodson’s goatee might be the NBA’s most wholly realized facial hair. And in order to fully explore Coach Woodson’s facial hair, the Knicks recently sent their “Kid Reporters” Ryan and Jaylah out to interview several Knicks players, to try and get to the bottom of the existential riddle that is Coach Woodson’s goatee.
Is Woodson’s goatee, as Carmelo Anthony suggests, completely detachable?
Does Coach Woodson dye it, Steve Novak wonders?
Is Mike Woodson actually 70 years old, as JR Smith asks?
While many NBA players have brought their unique style to the podium during the 2013 playoffs, some trends have popped up multiple times throughout the first week.
DENIM: This postseason, players have embraced the utilitarian fabric to make bold statements. In the gallery below, Blake Griffin and Raymond Felton wear tailored denim button down shirts, while James Harden has an edgier take with a distressed shirt and plaid vest. Brandon Jennings looks summer-ready with a faded chambray shirt and white ankle pants, while LeBron James mixes it up by pairing a crisp denim button down with a black tie under a shawl collar sweater.
PINK: The color has range. Brandon Jennings spruces up a classic tan blazer with a warm pink button down, and Deron Williams wears the same shade under his gray jacket. For bolder variations, Caron Butler’s pink shirt pops under a gray suit and muted blue tie, while Matt Barnes pairs mauve pants with a black jacket and tie.
Let us know who wore these trends best, and if you could imagine them in your closet, tell us about it on Twitter using the hashtag #NBAStyle… -
For the complete Bragging Rights rules and to vote for other matchups, click here. We now continue in the East region, with No. 2 seed UNC taking on The Cuse.
Missed the cut: Ed Davis, Raptors; Wayne Ellington, Timberwolves; Brendan Haywood, Mavericks; Antawn Jamison, Cavaliers (injured); Brandan Wright, Nets
Team synopsis: With Jamison hurt, Hansbrough rides his recent hot streak into the starting lineup for the Tar Heels, which is a good thing for UNC because this team lacks an inside presence otherwise. Lawson and Felton take turns at the point in Denver, but share the backcourt here. Vinsanity may not be the force of nature he once was, but North Carolina will still need him to be the go-to scorer on this team.
It’s been a minute or two since we’ve done one of these, but with the announcement of the All-Star starters, everyone’s attention is now on which players will be named All-Star reserves.
Last night on the TNT pregame show, Kenny, Charles, and EJ gave their picks for the East, and they all agreed on five players: Atlanta’s Al Horford, and the Celtics’ foursome of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen.
There was no consensus for the last two spots, as they each picked a different pair from amongst Miami’s Chris Bosh, Atlanta’s Joe Johnson, and New York’s Raymond Felton. Given the lack of agreement, I thought now would be a good time to revisit everyone’s favorite game, Extend, Trade, or Cut.
Just to refresh you on the rules, picture yourself as the GM of a mythical NBA franchise, and pretend that you have to choose between three players. One player you can extend with a new contract, one player you have to trade for some mythical asset(s), and one player you must cut from your roster for eternity (it’s a harsh world). You may choose each option only once.
Let’s examine the evidence:
Chris Bosh: Is he on the same level as his more famous teammates? No, he’s not. But he’s still a guy that can get you 20 and 10 on a given night, and he’s one of the sweeter-shooting big men in the game. He has caught some flak lately for suggesting that players maybe shouldn’t try so hard all the time.
Joe Johnson: For this exercise, we are only considering his merits as a basketball player. Therefore, you should disregard the fact that he most likely has at present the worst contract in the NBA. JJ’s had a bit of a down year, but some of that was due to an elbow injury, and he seems to have regained his form in January.
Raymond Felton: Has helped reignite the age decade old NBA question, is it the point guard, or is it Mike D’Antoni‘s system? On the other hand, some might argue that Felton has always been a capable PG, but was too restrained in Charlotte under the heavy hand of Larry Brown. Either way, there is no doubt that Felton is having a career year in his first season in New York City.
That’s the choices. What’s your decisions?
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By the way, Derek Fisher and Andrew Bogut weren’t the only late-game heroes last night (just the onlyones to get the Horry treatment) — there was nearly a buzzer-beater epidemic, as Rudy Gay and Raymond Felton also came up big in the clutch.
In case you missed any of it, our brethren on the multimedia desk here at NBA.com put together a pretty sweet round-up of all of last night’s fireworks. Roll it!
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Catch up on every single game-winning buzzer beater during the season and see how it rates on the Horry Scale.
