Blog | off-the-glass

Apr 14, 2018
2 min

2018 NBA Playoff Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves

Season Recap: The Wolves’ season could be seen as a disappointment to some, and a great step for others. On one hand, the Wolves made the playoffs for the first time since 2004, ending what is the current longest playoff drought in the Association. On the other hand, with the addition of Jimmy Butler and Jamal Crawford, the team was expected to not just make the playoffs, but potentially be a top seed in the West. The fact that they are the eighth seed can be considered an un

The Tank Tournament: The Best Way to Stop Tanking in the NBA

Brett Carroll

Apr 7, 2018
4 min

The Tank Tournament: The Best Way to Stop Tanking in the NBA

The NBA has had a tanking problem since before I was even born. It’s the reason why they created the lottery system in the first place, back in 1985. Still, over 30 years later, the NBA still has a tanking problem, and it has only gotten worse in the past decade. Analytics, (and common sense) state that if a team doesn’t have a realistic chance at a title, it should try to lose as many games as possible, and stock up on high draft picks to become a better team down the road.

The King and Korver: How the Cavs Made Everything Right in the Land

Brett Carrol

Dec 14, 2017
4 min

The King and Korver: How the Cavs Made Everything Right in the Land

The Cleveland Cavaliers were struggling. Big time. They were out of sync. They were battered, bruised, and injured. And, most importantly, they were losing. The Cavs sat at 5-7 and if the playoffs would have started that day, LeBron and company wouldn’t have made the tournament. Thank God those playoffs didn’t start that day, and the Cavs have been looking like world beaters ever since. It started with a 13-game winning streak, tying the franchise record for most wins in a ro

Realigning and Expanding the NBA: How to Fix Basketball Parity

Brett Carroll

Oct 26, 2017
4 min

Realigning and Expanding the NBA: How to Fix Basketball Parity

Fans have been complaining about the lack of parity and concomitant Western Conference superiority in the NBA for ages now. The masses have petitioned that the Association get rid of its current playoff system for a “winner-takes-all” bracket of the top 16 teams, regardless of conference. That alternative isn’t so great either. Conferences and divisions are great; they bring drama and competition between rival teams when done right. Honestly, I’ve been a proponent of letting

Brett Carroll

Aug 25, 2017
3 min

NBA Players and Their GOT Counterparts

With all the drama going on the past two NBA offseasons, one could mistake the league for a never ending episode of Game of Thrones. But maybe the comparison is a lot closer than one might expect. Let’s hop on our dragons, grab as much dragon glass as possible, and set a course to Westeros! As NBA fans will say, Fall is Coming, so let’s see the characters who will be major players in the upcoming season. Isaiah Thomas/Tyrion Lannister I mean this one’s so easy it writes itsel

Head of the Throne: What's Going on With Cleveland's Front Office?

Brett Carroll

Jul 19, 2017
5 min

Head of the Throne: What's Going on With Cleveland's Front Office?

The three-time Eastern Conference Champions are in a bit of trouble this offseason. After letting their general manager David Griffin walk just days before the NBA Draft, the team has been unable to find Griffin’s long term replacement. The team was linked to former NBA point guard Chauncey Billups for a while, but after a reportedly “low ball” offer, Billups removed himself from consideration. So what’s the problem? Why can’t Cleveland land a GM? Why did they let Griffin go?

Righting the Ship: An Overview of the Cavaliers Offseason

Brett Carroll

Jul 11, 2017
3 min

Righting the Ship: An Overview of the Cavaliers Offseason

The Cavaliers offseason has been drama filled to say the least. From the never ending trade rumors to the team letting go of David Griffin just days before the NBA Draft. The Cavs have been a mess this summer. Coming off a disappointing NBA Finals appearance, the Cavaliers needed to make some moves this summer to try to catch up with the juggernaut out west in Golden State. However, the big moves that everyone was expecting didn’t happen as of yet, and doesn’t look like they

Missing Brook: Why I Don’t Like the Brook Lopez Trade

Brett Carroll

Jun 24, 2017
6 min

Missing Brook: Why I Don’t Like the Brook Lopez Trade

The Brooklyn Nets have traded loved center Brook Lopez to the Los Angeles Lakers for young point guard D’Angelo Russell and center Timofey Mozgov. The Nets also sent the Lakers the 27th pick in the draft as part of the trade as well. While the trade might have seemed like a fair one for both teams, and certainly fills needs for both organizations, I’m not a fan. I’m not a fan of this trade as a Nets fan, for many reasons. I loved Lopez, and I wanted to see him play his entire

Coming up K-Lutch: Why the Cavs Need More Kyrie

Brett Carroll

Jun 6, 2017
4 min

Coming up K-Lutch: Why the Cavs Need More Kyrie

The Golden State Warriors now have a commanding 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, largely due to the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. The Warriors have been hitting on all cylinders so far and even though the Cavs put up a much better effort in Game 2, it wasn’t enough. One of the reasons (among many) why the Cavs are losing is because both Curry and Durant are getting the better of the duo of Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, especially Curr

NBA Finals 2017: Kyrie Irving vs. Stephen Curry

Brett Carroll

May 31, 2017
5 min

NBA Finals 2017: Kyrie Irving vs. Stephen Curry

Come June 1st, NBA fans will be treated to the matchup that we’ve been waiting for all year: Cavs vs. Warriors Part III. The two teams have split the last two NBA Finals, and the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers will have to dig even deeper this year to repeat as champions against this installment of the Golden State Warriors who added Kevin Durant last July. While everyone will be focusing on the matchup between LeBron James and the aforementioned Durant, the real matc

Brett Carroll

May 29, 2017
4 min

The Brooklyn Nets' Nightmare Continues

The Boston Celtics had a lot to celebrate in the month of May. One day after beating the Washington Wizards and progressing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the ping pong balls fell in their favor as the Celtics won the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. How did the Celtics, who finished with the number 1 seed in the Eastern conference, even have a shot at winning the draft lottery? Well, that was thanks to an infamous trade between the Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets b

Brett Carroll

Mar 28, 2017
4 min

What Lin Means to the Nets

After a few wins with Jeremy Lin in the lineup, it’s time to see what impact the point guard has had on the team this year. Lin’s only played in 27 games this season according to ESPN, but is also having the best season statistically of his career since his original “Linsanity” days as a New York Knick. Lin’s averaging almost 14 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds per game, by far his second best averages of his career besides his magical season at the Garden. It’s also importa

Brett Carroll

Mar 2, 2017
3 min

How Did the Nets Do at the Deadline

The Brooklyn Nets were rumored to trade star center Brook Lopez before this year’s trading deadline. The team fielded multiple offers, but declined to make a move. The Nets asking price for Lopez seemed to be too much, however, even after they lowered their price from two first round picks to a first and second round pick, no one bit. I’m happy that the Nets did not trade Lopez, as I mentioned in an earlier article, I do not believe that the Nets would get nearly enough valu

Taking the ‘Brook’ out of Brooklyn: What the Nets Should Do with Brook Lopez

Brett Carroll

Jan 31, 2017
6 min

Taking the ‘Brook’ out of Brooklyn: What the Nets Should Do with Brook Lopez

I’m going to be blunt: the Brooklyn Nets suck! As a Nets fan, these past few years have been the most trying times as a Nets fan. That’s saying a lot considering the Nets have been a preliminary bad team for most of their existence. The team’s recent struggles however are the bleakest because the light at the end of the tunnel is a lot dimmer than in years past. The ridiculous trade with the Boston Celtics that landed the Nets Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett is really starting

The Trick to the Trade: Why Kyle Korver Might Be the Key

Brett Carroll

Jan 16, 2017
4 min

The Trick to the Trade: Why Kyle Korver Might Be the Key

The first major trade of the NBA season took place last week, when the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for shooting guard Kyle Korver. The Cavs sent the Atlanta Hawks Mo Williams, Mike Dunleavy, and a protected 2019 first round pick in exchange for the sharp shooter’s service. While Korver, who will turn 36 in March, isn’t the same player that he was in his hay-day, the man can still knock down an open jump shot. That alone, might be the key for the Cavaliers to repeat as champion

The ‘Backup’ Plan: Why the Cavaliers Need a Backup Point Guard

Brett Carroll

Dec 16, 2016
3 min

The ‘Backup’ Plan: Why the Cavaliers Need a Backup Point Guard

The Cleveland Cavaliers are rolling, and the defending champs look as if they’re poised to win it all again this year. Their Big 3 is hitting on all cylinders, and some of the other teams in the Eastern Conference that we originally thought might give the Cavs trouble are not living up to their expectations so far this year. Golden State is rolling as well, and the Kevin Durant experiment seems to be passing with flying colors so far. However, the Warriors lack of any interio

LeBron's Magic Touch: Why LeBron Embracing His Inner Magic Johnson Is What's Best for the Ca

Brett Carroll

Nov 4, 2016
3 min

LeBron's Magic Touch: Why LeBron Embracing His Inner Magic Johnson Is What's Best for the Ca

The Cleveland Cavaliers are out to a great start to the new season, and their best players are off to great starts to the season. Kyrie Irving is averaging 25 points a game, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds so far. LeBron James is averaging a double-double with 21, 10, and 8. Kevin Love is averaging almost a double-double as well, with 20 points and 9 rebounds a game. So far, the big three are playing their roles perfectly, and if the Cavs are going to succeed, then this trend needs

Is the King’s Court Ready to Repeat? Why the Cavaliers Could be on the Brink of a Dynasty

Brett Carroll

Oct 25, 2016
5 min

Is the King’s Court Ready to Repeat? Why the Cavaliers Could be on the Brink of a Dynasty

After a long 50+ year curse, the city of Cleveland, Ohio can finally call themselves champions once again! After coming back from a 3-1 deficit to Golden State in the Finals, the Cavaliers were able to capture their first ever championship. The historic comeback further validated LeBron’s decision to come home, and created a memory that Ohio natives will talk about for the rest of time. Now the Cavs are less than a day away from starting their repeat campaign, but the road to

Bringing the Power: Who Gets the Starting Nod?

Brett Carroll

Sep 8, 2016
2 min

Bringing the Power: Who Gets the Starting Nod?

As we near the beginning of the 2016-2017 season, the Brooklyn Nets need to start looking at their roster for the upcoming year. There are a few roster spots that will need to be addressed, but today we will look at the power forward position. Brook Lopez at center might be the only position on the team that’s locked in at this point, but who will be playing next to him on the low blocks? First, let’s take a quick glance at who the Nets have at the position. The Nets head int

Brett Carroll

Aug 10, 2016
2 min

The Brooklyn Nets as Pokémon

Jeremy Lin- Furfrou Furfrou is a gimmick Pokémon that is famous because their fur is styled in hundreds of ways for contests. Lin coincidently, has styled his hair in hundreds of different ways during his career. And no disrespect to Lin, but between his hair styles, teams trying to sign him to take advantage of the “Linsanity” revenue, and his latest Space Jam 3 spoof, Lin’s presence in the league has gotten a lot more gimmicky over the past few years. Rondea Hollis-Jefferso