Author Archives: Kevin Draper

About Kevin Draper

Kevin “Franklin Mieuli” Draper was born and raised in Oakland, California, and loves it more than you can possibly imagine. Follow him on Twitter @kevinmdraper

Another Happy Bill Simmons Fist Pump

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Kevin Draper

When you look at a list of current ESPN programs, the lack of NBA programming jumps out. NBA Countdown and NBA Shootaround are seen before and after NBA broadcasts. NBA Coast to Coast airs Tuesdays on ESPN2 opposite TNT’s NBA … Continue reading →

Posted in Monday Media | 1 Comment

How Sam Hinkie Makes the NBA Money

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Kevin Draper

As has been amply written about, the 2014 NBA offseason has proceeded among fans at a speed not seen previously. The offseason has always embodied speculation and hope, but never has it felt as central to the NBA fan experience … Continue reading →

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Daryl Morey is not Francois Truffaut

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Kevin Draper

Have you ever had to do something at your job you thought was a bad idea, but had to because your boss told you to? The other day I had to put interview transcripts into an unnecessarily detailed Excel table … Continue reading →

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Extreme Player Movement is the NBA’s Fantasy Football

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Kevin Draper

One of the contributors to the chokehold the NFL has as America’s favorite sport is fantasy football. Give or take a couple of million depending upon the source, somewhere around 30 MILLION people play fantasy football. The combination of almost … Continue reading →

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For LeBron James, Cleveland is Scylla and Miami is Charybdis

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Kevin Draper

Despite what you may have been lead to believe, free agency hasn’t actually started. Teams were allowed to contact players starting 12:01 a.m. on July 1, but they can’t actually sign then until 12:01 a.m. on July 10. Teams are … Continue reading →

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Silly Season Has Arrived, and Basketball Fans Are on Their Own

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Kevin Draper

A couple centuries ago, the term “silly season” was coined to describe the summer months in various European countries. With congresses out of session, there was less for the news media to report on but the same number of pages … Continue reading →

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The San Antonio Spurs Success is Not a Referendum on Team Building

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Kevin Draper

The superstar model is eternally on the verge of extinction. Provisions of the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement were specifically implemented to prevent The Decision 2.0. Influential basketball columnist Adrian Wojnarowski saw the trade of Rudy Gay to Sacramento as a … Continue reading →

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