Articles

There are several good-enough reasons to root for Jae Crowder, the extravagantly be-dreaded rookie wing on the Dallas Mavericks. But what he might wind up being, and on some nights legitimately appears already to be, is currently a better reason to watch than anything Crowder actually is.

The story of Miladin Kovacevic is one of international intrigue, pipe dreams and poor decisions. But, ultimately, the story of Minja, as nearly everyone calls him, isn't about any of that. It's about Bryan Steinhauer. 

We watch NBA basketball for the players, because the players are where the fun is. But in some rare cases, coaches are able to meld with their players in a way that enriches both. In Tom Thibodeau's case, it has created a team that functions as an extension of his manic, strange, and kind of awesome combination of will and anxiety.

Steve Novak is not quite like any other NBA player. This is what has made his career so strange and mostly undistinguished, but also the thing that makes him so confoundingly, deceptively and inspiringly like the rest of us.