http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti An NBA basketball blog Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:42:52 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Thug life. Prison ball. Going hard. That’s what being in the netherworld of corruption and violence is about. Dudes can fake about that Lexus they had on the street but they can't fake about their b-ball game. Either they got one or not. In the pen you can't front on ... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti/2008/01/08/lorton-ball/ They call him Maine. The kid from Harlem. He goes hard on the court. His game is like that. He makes it look effortless. Driving and slicing to the rim. The kid got moves. Did I say his game was like that? Well, I'll say it again. The dude is ... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti/2007/12/04/harlem-raised/ Two players to look out for in the upcoming season. Dwight Howard and Luol Deng. Both of these young players are ready to break out and reach their potential. To become superstars and lead their teams to glory. They've put in their time, they've worked on their games and they've ... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti/2007/11/05/stepping-it-up/ “I go hard as hell,” says Larry “Lam” Jackson. The little dude who’s built like an NFL running back at 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds isn’t playing. The 34-year-old from Gary, Indiana is like a package of dynamite. His game is explosive and on the court he does whatever it takes ... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti/2007/09/23/baronestic/ The NBA is the image-conscious league. The players-must-dress-appropriately league. The no-violence-and-no-controversy league. But David Stern has it messed up. Controversy sells, violence sells. Look at the NHL. Do you honestly believe people are watching hockey for the game? They're waiting for the fights to break out. Do you honestly think ... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti/2007/08/31/hood-icons/ Solid but not spectacular. Dependable but not a superstar. A finished product but no potential. A team player. A model of consistency. Sacrificing his personal game for the good of the team. Players that embody these ideals are a coach's dream. In the me-first, get-me-the-money, what-have-you-done-for-me lately culture of the ... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti/2007/08/14/difference-makers/ Dwyane who? Dirk what? Duncan why? KG where? Nash how? In the mighty, mighty world of the NBA, the league that boasts the world’s finest athletes, the debate can rage on forever. Who is the best? The most exciting? The most dominating? Ask a hundred people and you might get ... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti/2007/07/27/kobe-vs-lebron/ Slam Magazine called him the King of Cali streetball. And for real this dude has been doing it nationwide. The kid from California with the sick handle has played on the And1 tour, played against the best in the country every summer at UCLA as a Magic Johnson All Star, ... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti/2007/07/23/all-around-game/ Long, lean, a slam dunk machine. In the world of prison basketball, you have crash test dummies and then you have players like Ali "B3" Tatum, who at 6-foot-5 1/2 and 225 pounds might not even know the true extent of his abilities on the court. Dudes on the pound ... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti/2007/07/11/slam-dunk-machine/ Who is the best player of the last decade? I can only think of two players that merit the debate: Shaquile O’Neal and Tim Duncan. But who is better and why? Each player has their favorable traits, assets and abilities that make them stand out. Both are dominant and with ... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/ferranti/2007/06/18/shaq-or-duncan/