Matt Wilkes Articles - Page 2

After sitting out the 2015-16 season as he recovered from left ankle surgery, Glen Davis is ready to make his NBA comeback, he told TMZ. However, he noted that he needs to lose around 30 pounds before he does so, with the goal of getting his weight down to 300. “Big Baby” has spent nine […]

After a surprising year that led them all the way to the second round of the playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers will try to take the next step in the 2016-17 season. That could come via a big free-agent signing. General manager Neil Olshey met with the media on Wednesday and said the team would look […]

According to a report from Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News, forward Thomas Robinson is expected to opt out of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets and become a free agent this summer. Robinson has one year and $1 million left on his contract, but he has a player option for next season. Young […]

Just last week, it was reported that ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy was considered a leading candidate to become the Houston Rockets‘ next head coach. Now, he’s apparently out of the running and never even ended up meeting with the team, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Sources: Jeff Van Gundy is no longer a […]

In an effort to win immediately, the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets have given up a lot in recent years, including a ton of draft picks. As it turns out, the two Big Apple teams have missed out on some great players in the draft because of that, while their moves largely blew up in […]

Kobe Bryant‘s last career game was one for the ages, and someone paid a hefty price to own a part of that history. According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, a piece of the floor from the Staples Center used during the game sold online for $179,100 to an anonymous buyer, with the proceeds going to the Laker […]

Before the NBA draft lottery results were announced on Tuesday evening, ex-Philadelphia 76ers star center Dikembe Mutombo had already tweeted a congratulatory message to his former team on earning the No. 1 pick. A few hours later, who got the top selection? You guessed it, the Sixers. Predictably, this sent conspiracy theorists into a frenzy, claiming that the […]

The NBA Draft is over a month away, but the Philadelphia 76ers already have a good idea about who they want with the first overall selection. According to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, the Sixers are “leaning heavily” toward taking LSU forward Ben Simmons. The Australia native did a bit of everything in his only […]

With the NBA game shifting more and more to the perimeter, there has been concern from many that the days of traditional big men are numbered. The Golden State Warriors are certainly the poster child for this trend, having recently shattered the record for three pointers made in a single season with 1,077. The previous […]

Although no team would admit to doing it, tanking has been an issue in many sports over the years. The issue may be most prevalent in the NBA. Year after year, there are a handful of teams who trade away their top players and don’t exactly put the best possible roster on the floor in an […]

Having spent his entire career in the organization, impending free agent Jared Sullinger said that he would like to stay with the Boston Celtics. Due to concerns with his back, the 6-foot-9 center fell in the 2012 NBA Draft before the Celtics took him with the 21st overall pick. In an interview with Chris Mannix on […]

We knew LeBron James‘ endorsement with Nike was worth more than any other the company has ever given. But the deal, which was signed in December, still might be worth even more than anybody originally thought. James’ business partner, Maverick Carter, told GQ Magazine that the lifetime agreement was for more than $1 billion. Carter […]

Late in the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Game 1 win over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, point guard Russell Westbrook committed an obvious travel at halfcourt with his team up three points in the final moments. But the referees didn’t call the violation, instead awarding him with a timeout after he had […]

In a move that probably took too long to come, Billy King‘s tumultuous tenure as general manager of the Brooklyn Nets was ended in January after more than five seasons at the helm. Although the team went all-in on its quest to compete for a championship, it finished with a losing record in four of […]

For their last four games, the Toronto Raptors have been without their starting center, Jonas Valanciunas. As coach Dwane Casey told the media on Monday, that will continue for at least the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavs. Casey says won't rule out Valanciunas for series but can't see Game […]

The Houston Rockets are beginning to whittle down their list of head coaching candidates, and they told TNT analyst and former player Kenny Smith that he is no longer in the running, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen: Rockets coaching search focused on former head coaches, very experienced assts, per source. Kenny Smith impressed, but […]

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Memphis Grizzlies met with San Antonio Spurs assistant coach James Borrego on Sunday to discuss the team’s head coach opening. Borrego does have head coaching experience, having served in an interim capacity for the Orlando Magic in the 2015 after Jacque Vaughn had been fired. The Magic went 10-20 under his tutelage, and […]

Things got chippy late in the Toronto Raptors‘ Game 7 win against the Miami Heat on Sunday. With about eight minutes to go and the Raptors comfortably in front, Heat center Josh McRoberts stopped fellow center Bismack Biyombo from driving to the hoop, but did so in an, uh, illegal manner: https://vine.co/v/i0AiOFxUtlT McRoberts was clearly […]

Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo had himself quite the series against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, culminating in a 17-point, 16-rebound effort in his team’s 116-89 win in Game 7. In the opening stages of the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, Biyombo threw down a monster dunk over Dwyane Wade, serving as a […]

We didn’t get the clash between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals that many people expected, but might we have gotten the next-best thing? According to Neil Payne of FiveThirtyEight.com, the Warriors taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder will still be pretty darn good. Per the site’s Elo […]

Earlier this week, LeBron James said Stephen Curry was deserving of the MVP award and that he was the best player in the NBA this season. But the Cleveland Cavaliers small forward questioned whether the true most valuable player was crowned. Per ESPN: I think sometimes the word ‘valuable’ or best player of the year, […]

Seemingly every year, Jeff Van Gundy is among the many names thrown around for various NBA head coaching vacancies. That is the case again, as he is possibly the leading candidate for the Houston Rockets job, according to the Racine Journal Times’ Gary Woelfel. Source says Jeff Van Gundy remains a finalist and, may indeed be […]

The San Antonio Spurs were just bounced from the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but 14-year veteran guard Manu Ginobili isn’t ready to say whether he’ll retire or not. A four-time NBA champion and two-time All-Star, Ginobili averaged just 9.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game during the regular season, his lowest […]

A former Hall of Fame player looks to be a hot commodity for several teams on the prowl for new head coaches. Current Charlotte Hornets assistant coach and former New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing is being considered by at least two teams as a candidate to take over their open head coach positions. The Memphis Grizzlies have […]

Jonas who? The Toronto Raptors have gotten an infusion of energy from Bismack Biyombo tonight, who is starting at center in place of the injured Jonas Valanciunas. Biyombo had himself quite the first half tonight in Game 5 of his team’s series against the Miami Heat. The Congolese big man had 10 points, five rebounds and four blocks, none […]

Tim Duncan is one of the most esteemed basketball players to ever take the court. The future Hall of Famer has won five NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs, he’s gone to the All-Star game 15 times, he’s twice won the league’s Most Valuable Player award, and he has received numerous other honors earned throughout his […]

After narrowly missing the playoffs this year, the Utah Jazz will look a bit different the next time we see them take the court. According to Paul Lukas of uni-watch.com, the new symbol will be revealed on Thursday; the mountain logo with which fans have been familiar for years is now a thing of the past. […]

The entire postseason has been a struggle for DeMar DeRozan, and things have only gotten worse lately. In Game 1 against the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors shooting guard injured his right thumb, which is having an adverse effect on his ability to grip the ball, according to CBS Sports’ James Herbert: Re: thumb, DeMar […]

Through the first four quarters of his return to the court on Monday, Stephen Curry came off the bench, and wasn’t expected to get heavy minutes. But then Shaun Livingston was ejected in the third quarter, forcing the hand of Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr. Curry was slow to get going in regulation, shooting just […]

After being without the services of center Hassan Whiteside in their Game 4 win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, the Miami Heat will once again have to play without their star big man in Game 5 on the road. The team has announced that the seven-footer did not make the trip north as he continues […]

Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry took home his second straight Most Valuable Player award on Tuesday and earned all 131 first-place votes, making him the first player in NBA history to earn the honor unanimously. It’s hard to disagree with Curry becoming the league’s first unanimous MVP. His 402 three pointers obliterated his […]

The Toronto Raptors haven’t received a good performance from star guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan so far during the postseason, and they know it. Despite being the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors find themselves tied at two games apiece with the Indiana Pacers, in large part due to the struggles […]

After smashing the single-season record for three pointers in a season (1,077), it was only appropriate that the Golden State Warriors break the single-game playoff record as well. In their 121-94 win over Houston Rockets in Game 4 on Sunday, the Warriors knocked down 21 shots from distance, breaking the previous record of 20. The old […]

Stephen Curry‘s game against the Houston Rockets was cut short on Sunday afternoon due to a sprained knee. Dealing with a right ankle injury as well, he didn’t have his normal impact, scoring just six points and dishing five assists. The Golden State Warriors superstar did make his presence known early on in the game with this […]