Thank you, NBA rookies, for gathering here today. I see you received my urgent memo, entitled “Beware of Rookie Wall.” Some of you have already slammed into it pretty hard, and some of you are about to make contact. Before I begin, I’d like to excuse Al Thornton. Al, February has been your finest month. […]

While in Puerto Vallarta, I was fortunate enough to find a Champions Sports Bar (I highly recommend the potato skins) and watch some of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge. In this week’s installment of Next Generation, I’m grading the rookies solely on their performance in this exhibition. Sean Williams: Williams put up 17 points, 10 rebounds,

Javaris Crittenton is expected to get every chance to show what he can do, especially if Memphis makes another deal. (MSG Photos) The NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching (February 22), and we’ve already seen Pau Gasol, Shawn Marion and Shaquille O’Neal moved in NBA landscape-changing deals. Before the next trade is made, the time

Sean Williams, left, when he isn’t making inappropriate contact with A.I., has shown tremendous potential as a shot-blocking centre. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) It’s decision time. Now is the time in the season when you are forced to make a decision. Do you think your team has what it takes to win it all, or do

Thaddeus Young, on our Keep an Eye on list last week, came through big time Monday night. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy) We have a first here at Next Generation – a repeat performer, both among the rising and the falling. This is particularly rare because the one thing we do know about rookies is that they

Mike Conley Jr. is starting to get plenty of attention. (Grizzlies.com) Welcome back for the first Next Generation of 2008. To ring in the new year, the rooks put together an exciting video for my readers that will amaze and at the same time repulse. I don’t want to name names, but one Seattle rookie