Besides losing a game they needed to win, the Raptors also temporarily lost starting point guard Jose Calderon to a hamstring injury. After the game Calderon was swarmed by the media and he assured them that he hopes to play on Sunday against Miami. As if to prove his point, after the media parted from his locker he walked out of the locker room with his normal stride and no appearance of a tight hamstring.

When people think of the 76ers they generally think of well known names like Elton Brand, Andre Miller or Andre Igoudala. This season there’s a new name to add to that mix as Thaddeus Young is leading the team with 15.4 points per game while shooting a sizzling 44% from beyond the arc. Before a recent game Young sat down to chat with Hoops Addict about what he worked on during the summer, his improved three-point shooting this season and why he values winning more than posting gaudy personal stats.

There are two things I noticed about New  York Knicks guard Nate Robinson while I watched him and his teammates  prior to their game against the Washington Wizards.  One, he was clearly the shortest player on the team (he’s generously listed at 5’9″) and two, he was by far the loudest, most enthusisastic and energetic player on the floor.

With adidas returning for a second season of the Brotherhood theme they wanted to gather some feedback from readers of Hoops Addict in regards to what the Brotherhood means to you. In return, they’re offering up a prize pack to a lucky reader.

I only watched part of a recent Orlando Magic game, but I heard Doug Collins talking about Dwight Howard’s free throw shooting. Collins and Kevin Harlan were trying to explain, and almost make excuses, for Howard’s inability to shoot over 60% from the free throw line, and they even mentioned Patrick Ewing’s frustration. Collins blamed Howard’s weight lifting, while Harlan blamed his size.

I have never believed either of these excuses.

Nick Young continues to be the surprise of this young season.  He scored 16 points, got his shot off at will and he even brought the ball up the court a few times.  While DeShawn Stevenson played sluggish all evening, Young was the complete opposite and I would not be surprised to see Young getting more of Stevenson’s minutes in future.

This weeks Buzzer Beaters includes the YouTube clip explaining why ‘Melo cut his braids, an MP3 of the Cavaliers new entrance song this season as well as a ton of other basketball news and links.

It’s unfortunate that the system creates situations where we turn young basketball players into celebrities and then look unfavorably upon the person just because of their basketball success or failure.

If you coach basketball at any level, you need to check out a new site called 180 Shooter. I’ve read Brian McCormick’s book “The Crossover Movement” and watched some of his DVD’s, but 180 Shooter takes things to a whole other level.

A couple weeks back I was approached by adidas Canada to help them generate a discussion about their Brotherhood line which shifts into a Command & Creater theme for the upcoming season. At first I was hesitant, but after some initial discussions I realized it would be beneficial to the readers of Hoops Addict as well as the people at adidas Canada.