Blog | off-the-glass

Mar 6, 2017
2 min

The Best NBA Throwback Jerseys of All-Time

NBA jerseys have always been more than just clothing worn on the court. They have been a fashion statement off the court. You wear your favorite jersey of your favorite team, or you wear the jersey you think looks the coolest. Here’s my list of the best throwback jerseys of all-time. 10. Nuggets’ Rainbow The Nuggets’ throwback is one for the ages. It mixes a rainbow theme with the mountains and that is just a classic move. 9. Timberwolves’ Black, Blue, and Green Kevin Garnett

Matthew Handel

Mar 6, 2017
2 min

4-Point Shot Coming to the NBA?

The NBA's All-Star has been a joke for the past few years and a lot of fans are growing tired of it. The game takes place in the middle of the regular season so not a lot of players want to risk injury by playing too hard, but a happy medium between playing hard and having fun is the goal. In a recent article on CBSsports.com, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, had this to say about the most recent All-Star game. “It is an All-Star Game, and you are out there to have fun,” Silver

Who Gives the Cavs the Most Intriguing Match-Up?

Matthew Handel

Mar 3, 2017
3 min

Who Gives the Cavs the Most Intriguing Match-Up?

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the top dog in the Eastern Conference and many have them pegged to reach the NBA Finals. But, to make it to the NBA Finals, they will need to go through, what will end up being the second best team in the Eastern Conference. There are a few teams that have a chance to give this Cavs team a run in a 7-game Eastern Conference Finals series, but which team would give us the most exciting one? The Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and W

The Cavs New Additions Make Them Championship Favorites

Matthew Handel

Mar 1, 2017
2 min

The Cavs New Additions Make Them Championship Favorites

The Cleveland Cavaliers recently added Deron Williams and reportedly Andrew Bogut. Williams will most likely join a bench that, when the Cavs are fully healthy, is stacked. Four guys on the bench could start on a lot of NBA rosters. Kyle Korver, who was picked up at the beginning of the new year, has been scorching hot lately, scoring at least 12 points in the Cavs last 4 games . Iman Shumpert, who will play off the bench when J.R. Smith returns from injury, hasn’t been playi

Matthew Handel

Feb 17, 2017
3 min

All-Star Weekend Predictions

It’s one of the most exciting times of the NBA season, besides the Finals, and it’s finally here this weekend. New Orleans will play host to the 2017 All-Star Weekend and the events will kick off on Friday starting with the Celebrity All-Star Game. Composed of the West and East team, coached by Michael Smith and Jemele Hill respectively, each team has some interesting “players”. The West is headlined by owner of the Mavericks, Mark Cuban, former NBA point guard, Baron Davis,

Matthew Handel

Feb 17, 2017
3 min

No Love for the Cavs?

The Cleveland Cavaliers have endured their fair share of adversity so far this season, specifically with injuries. J.R. Smith isn’t expected back until March, Iman Shumpert has a banged up ankle and now, Kevin Love is out six weeks after having successful arthroscopic knee surgery . The media has gone into a frenzy with the news about Love and the Toronto Raptors just traded for Serge Ibaka, so the Cavs stock is at a low for most. Some are saying that the Cavs are not the top

Matthew Handel

Jan 23, 2017
5 min

Fulfilling a King’s Wish

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing well this season, but not to their full potential. They have had some injuries, most notably J.R. Smith (likely out for the regular season), and they have struggled some with bench play. Most recently, they traded for veteran sharpshooter, Kyle Korver, and that is exactly what LeBron James wanted right? Well, yes and no. LeBron will be excited about getting yet another shooter for him to drive and kick to, but there is one position t

Matthew Handel

Jan 21, 2017
4 min

The Best Division in the NBA

With the All-Star starters being revealed Thursday night, and the top players in the league getting recognition, or lack thereof in Westbrook’s case (that’s another story), I asked myself, what's the best division in the NBA? The best division in the NBA has three, possibly four, playoff teams, three of the top ten players in the league, and a player that is having a record-breaking season. This division, if you haven’t figured it out by now, is the Southwest Division. It con

Matthew Handel

Jan 8, 2017
2 min

Which Player Do You Take?

These two players are two of the very best in the league. They play for great teams, they have made a name for themselves, and they have both had championship success. The best part about this comparison is that without putting names on either at first, you can’t go wrong. The whole point of taking the name away at first is so that you don’t have any judgment going in. I’ll ask you this, who would you rather have between these two guys if you were starting a team? Player A: C

Matthew Handel

Dec 15, 2016
3 min

Nine Years Too Long for the Jazz

The Jazz haven’t won a Northwest Division title since the 2007-2008 season, but this year that can change. The division is wide open, with the Thunder only playing well when Westbrook triple-doubles, and the Trailblazers looking average at best, the Jazz, and it’s core of young superstars, could make a run for the crown. It all starts and finishes with their small forward, Gordon Hayward, who has really developed into a great player. Hayward had an injury to start the season,

Thibs Reunion Doesn't Bode Well for Bulls

Matthew Handel

Dec 14, 2016
3 min

Thibs Reunion Doesn't Bode Well for Bulls

The battle between two of the least talked about teams in the NBA, the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves was a great one. Filled with reunions, young studs, and ejections, this game had it all and then some. It was the type of game the Bulls needed to win; it was at home and it was against a young team. For the T’Wolves it was a game that would be nice to win; on the road and against some talented superstars. Games earlier than the All-Star break between two teams figh

Matthew Handel

Nov 18, 2016
3 min

Handel's Rookie Race: Volume 2

We all know about the MVP race, but what about the young guys just trying to make it in this league? They deserve a race too and they have one; the Rookie Race. These are the top 5 NBA rookies so far this year. 1. Joel Embiid (17.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 21.42 PER) Last week: 1 Joel Embiid is beasting and feasting and the best part about it is that he is still on a minute’s restriction. His most recent game is a ten point ten rebound game against the T’Wolves. He went down tw

Matthew Handel

Nov 11, 2016
3 min

Handel's Rookie Race: Volume 1

We all know about the MVP race, but what about the young guys just trying to make it in this league? They deserve a race too and at OTG we give them one; the Rookie Race. These are the top 5 NBA rookies so far this year. It may look like one candidate is running away with the award, but there is plenty of basketball to be played. 1. Joel Embiid (17.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.6 bpg, 24.47 PER) Embiid has been doing it all this season for the 76ers. He has been in the league for three y

Dame Lillard Sets Record, Makes Early MVP Statement

Matthew Handel

Nov 2, 2016
2 min

Dame Lillard Sets Record, Makes Early MVP Statement

Coming into the NBA season, expectations were very high for Damian Lillard. Some had him as a front runner for the MVP award and thought the Blazers would have a great year. After 3 games, Russell Westbrook isn’t the only player in the Northwest Division setting the league on fire so far. Through 3 games Lillard is averaging 35 points, 5.3 assists, and 8 rebounds per game and has set a Portland Trail Blazers franchise record for being the first player to score 100 points in t

Early Takeaways from the Thunder’s First Win

Matthew Handel

Oct 28, 2016
3 min

Early Takeaways from the Thunder’s First Win

Well, it has finally happened, we saw the Oklahoma City Thunder play a game without Kevin Durant. Russell Westbrook, as expected, was amazing and put up Russell Westbrook numbers, but some things weren’t as one would have imagined. Heading into the final quarter, the Thunder found themselves down six to the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that was supposed to be awful this season. The Thunder would eventually win the game by 6, but it was down to wire despite the fact that Westbro

Matthew Handel

Oct 23, 2016
3 min

5 Potential 6th Man Award Winners

We all know about LeBron James, Steph Curry, and every other superstar around the NBA, but these guys will tell you themselves that every good team has great pieces off the bench. With so much attention on the MVP race or the pre-season standings, lets not forget about an award race that sometimes goes unnoticed. These five players won’t start many games, maybe none at all, but they will still have a huge impact on their team this season. Jamal Crawford What has Jamal Crawfor

5 Guys to Watch for in the Central Division

Matthew Handel

Oct 23, 2016
3 min

5 Guys to Watch for in the Central Division

With four out of the five teams in the Central Division being likely playoff teams, this division will be one of the best this season. Highlighted by players like LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Andre Drummond, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, one thing is certain, there is no shortage of star power in this division. But, with these stars taking up most of the attention, a lot of players who play at a high level may go unnoticed. These 5 players are guys that should get mo

Matthew Handel

Oct 17, 2016
3 min

Plenty of Minutes for Improvement

The 2016 Chicago Bulls will be a team full of turnover. Not the type of turnover that happens on the court, but the one that happens on a roster. When Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah left the Bulls to join the New York Knicks the fans had mixed emotions. Rose just wasn’t the same player that had grown up in front of the Chicago faithful’s eyes, and Noah wasn’t the same enforcer down low. Add to that, the departure of All-Star forward Pau Gasol and you have a recipe for a bad yea

Matthew Handel

Oct 12, 2016
2 min

Simmons’ Hype Slowed Down by Injury

The highly anticipated rookie debut of Ben Simmons will have to wait a little longer than we expected. Simmons suffered an injury to his foot that was caused in practice in early October and he has successfully had surgery to correct it. The timetable for his return has been pegged at three months (via ESPN.com). So, as bad as this is, it could be worse and we will hopefully get to see him play sometime in December or January. Obviously, this injury is a depressing start for

Struggles Ben Simmons Will Face His Rookie Year

Matthew Handel

Sep 23, 2016
3 min

Struggles Ben Simmons Will Face His Rookie Year

Ben Simmons, the number one overall draft pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in this past draft, has already been compared to the likes of LeBron James. Most likely for the way he plays the game, always looking for the open man, and trying to create easy baskets for his teammates. With so much hype already around his name, his first season in the NBA is very important; not only for his legacy, but for the 76ers franchise. But, coming into the NBA after only one year in college ca