The first domino falls and a bunch of others fall with it.
Several prominent NBA players made their attentions clear after LeBron chose to go back home to Cleveland. First, LeBron's now ex-teammate Chris Bosh has decided to stay with the Miami Heat favoring a 5 year $118 million contract over going to Rockets. He will presumably now represent the Dynamic Duo of Bosh and Dwayne Wade in Miami providing that Wade chooses to stay.
Another player also decided to stay where he is for the time being. Reports have begun circulating that Carmelo Anthony's representatives are talking to the Knicks about a new contract after informing the Bulls that they are out of the Melo sweepstakes. Melo will stay in the Big Apple.
There is one player that is on the move and it's Pau Gasol. He's agreed to go to Chicago to become part of the Bulls. Not official yet as the Bulls still have make cap space in order to get Pau.
A lot to talk about with these moves and decisions. First, Bosh in Miami (presumably with Wade) keeps the Heat in the playoff picture but little else. LeBron was the driving force of that team and without him pulling them along in the playoffs and actually going against them, they won't get far.
As for Melo, most likely staying in New York for the money. Sure, he might want to win titles and maybe he believes that Phil Jackson will get the right people around him but for the time being, no one around the league will believe he wants championships over money. Now take significantly less money in order to get some decent players...
With Pau going to Chicago, he's better than Carlos Boozer and is certainly an upgrade but won't likely get them any closer to winning a championship. A healthy non-injury prone Derrick Rose is the only one that can do that for them.
More moves are certainly to come with one of them being the Lakers still searching for a head coach. Hopefully whoever the team wants to lead them can pass the most important test of all: Kobe's approval.
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Friday, July 5, 2013
Dwight Howard Going to Houston
Looks like Texas just got a little bigger.
As first reported by USA Today, Dwight Howard has chosen to join the Houston Rockets. Howard had met with the Rockets earlier this week and also several other teams vying for the affection of Dwight. Howard now joins James Harden and Jeremy Lin in hopes of bringing a championship back to Houston.
This might not be the only star player the Rockets get. Houston and Atlanta might make a sign-and-trade deal involving sending Josh Smith to the Rockets in exchange for Omer Asik who doesn't want to play with Dwight Howard.
A huge day for the Rockets as their bar has been raised to championship highs and instantly with this news. It's probably fair to expect a championship now that Howard is on the team but unless they can get Josh Smith as well, I'm not sure whether they are the best team in the West. OKC is still strong with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, San Antonio has proven to never count them out, and even Golden State can surprise you.
As for the Lakers, they are apparently still in denial. It's a first that an all time great player has walked away from the Lakers. Though to be fair, the Lakers sort of drove Howard away. While Dwight and Kobe might've never gotten along anyway, the Lakers hurt their chances of keeping Howard long term when they hired Mike D'Antoni as head coach. Combine that with how everything else went in LA during Howard's one year there and how do you expect him stay?
The Rockets now look like title contenders while the Lakers just look like another borderline playoff team at best. Oh what a difference a year makes.
As first reported by USA Today, Dwight Howard has chosen to join the Houston Rockets. Howard had met with the Rockets earlier this week and also several other teams vying for the affection of Dwight. Howard now joins James Harden and Jeremy Lin in hopes of bringing a championship back to Houston.
This might not be the only star player the Rockets get. Houston and Atlanta might make a sign-and-trade deal involving sending Josh Smith to the Rockets in exchange for Omer Asik who doesn't want to play with Dwight Howard.
A huge day for the Rockets as their bar has been raised to championship highs and instantly with this news. It's probably fair to expect a championship now that Howard is on the team but unless they can get Josh Smith as well, I'm not sure whether they are the best team in the West. OKC is still strong with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, San Antonio has proven to never count them out, and even Golden State can surprise you.
As for the Lakers, they are apparently still in denial. It's a first that an all time great player has walked away from the Lakers. Though to be fair, the Lakers sort of drove Howard away. While Dwight and Kobe might've never gotten along anyway, the Lakers hurt their chances of keeping Howard long term when they hired Mike D'Antoni as head coach. Combine that with how everything else went in LA during Howard's one year there and how do you expect him stay?
The Rockets now look like title contenders while the Lakers just look like another borderline playoff team at best. Oh what a difference a year makes.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Celtics Name Brad Stevens as Head Coach
Big move coming out of Boston.
The Celtics have found their next head coach and it's Brad Stevens from Butler. Stevens has been head coach of the Bulldogs men's basketball team for the last six years and is most noted for getting Butler to the National Title game twice. Stevens has no coaching experience in the NBA as he takes over for Doc Rivers who lead the team to an NBA title.
It's ironic but not surprising that the Celtics get another coach to leave their team to coach for them. It is surprising it turned out to be Brad Stevens of Butler. Good for Stevens getting his shot in the NBA but I wonder if this move will work out long term. Stevens won't be expected to make an impact immediately but regardless where the team stands in a few years, he will be expected to lead the Celtics deep into the postseason.
Overall, this is a win-win for Stevens. He gets his shot as an NBA head coach and if he fails, he's free to choose any university team that wants him, guilt free.
The Celtics have found their next head coach and it's Brad Stevens from Butler. Stevens has been head coach of the Bulldogs men's basketball team for the last six years and is most noted for getting Butler to the National Title game twice. Stevens has no coaching experience in the NBA as he takes over for Doc Rivers who lead the team to an NBA title.
It's ironic but not surprising that the Celtics get another coach to leave their team to coach for them. It is surprising it turned out to be Brad Stevens of Butler. Good for Stevens getting his shot in the NBA but I wonder if this move will work out long term. Stevens won't be expected to make an impact immediately but regardless where the team stands in a few years, he will be expected to lead the Celtics deep into the postseason.
Overall, this is a win-win for Stevens. He gets his shot as an NBA head coach and if he fails, he's free to choose any university team that wants him, guilt free.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Heat Win Second Straight Title; LeBron Finals MVP
I guess nobody was leaving the AmericanAirlines Arena early tonight.
The Heat won game 7 of the NBA Finals by a final of 95-88. It was a close game throughout and it wasn't until the final minutes did Miami manage to separate themselves from San Antonio. A huge jumper made by James with 27 seconds left and costly turnovers by the Spurs sealed the win for the Heat as they claim their second title in a row.
LeBron James, NBA Finals MVP, had 37 points in the title clinching game along with 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Dwayne Wade had 23 points in the game, Shane Battier came alive with 18 himself, and Mario Chalmers had 14. Chris Bosh actually didn't score a point in game 5 but did have 7 boards, 2 assists, and 1 block.
It seemed like it was just Tim Duncan trying to keep the Spurs alive late in the 4th quarter. Duncan would have 24 points in the game along with 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. Tony Parker only had 10 points going 3-12 from the floor. Manu Ginoboli did have 18 points but committed 4 turnovers with one of those coming within the final half-minute of the game.
Many people say that the Heat should be better than this, that they should be able to win this series before the 7th game. I don't think so. I'm not bashing the Heat, they're a great team. But San Antonio is a great team as well that has been here before and quite frankly the kind of opponent you want to beat in the Finals. A team that has won titles and have claimed a dynasty in their own way.
This win OVER THE SPURS legitimizes this Heat team as an historic team. Maybe not the best in NBA history, you can't make that argument now and if you tried, most ex-players wouldn't hear you out. But they have done well enough to become memorable.
P.S. Again, not the best yet, but LeBron has earned memorable mention in NBA history as well.
The Heat won game 7 of the NBA Finals by a final of 95-88. It was a close game throughout and it wasn't until the final minutes did Miami manage to separate themselves from San Antonio. A huge jumper made by James with 27 seconds left and costly turnovers by the Spurs sealed the win for the Heat as they claim their second title in a row.
LeBron James, NBA Finals MVP, had 37 points in the title clinching game along with 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Dwayne Wade had 23 points in the game, Shane Battier came alive with 18 himself, and Mario Chalmers had 14. Chris Bosh actually didn't score a point in game 5 but did have 7 boards, 2 assists, and 1 block.
It seemed like it was just Tim Duncan trying to keep the Spurs alive late in the 4th quarter. Duncan would have 24 points in the game along with 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. Tony Parker only had 10 points going 3-12 from the floor. Manu Ginoboli did have 18 points but committed 4 turnovers with one of those coming within the final half-minute of the game.
Many people say that the Heat should be better than this, that they should be able to win this series before the 7th game. I don't think so. I'm not bashing the Heat, they're a great team. But San Antonio is a great team as well that has been here before and quite frankly the kind of opponent you want to beat in the Finals. A team that has won titles and have claimed a dynasty in their own way.
This win OVER THE SPURS legitimizes this Heat team as an historic team. Maybe not the best in NBA history, you can't make that argument now and if you tried, most ex-players wouldn't hear you out. But they have done well enough to become memorable.
P.S. Again, not the best yet, but LeBron has earned memorable mention in NBA history as well.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Owners Vote Against Kings Relocation to Seattle
It looks like the Kings are staying in Sacramento... for now.
The NBA Owners voted down the proposed relocation to Seattle by a vote of 22-8. This vote coming after the relocation committee's unanimous recommendation against Kings proposed move. The Maloof family, who owns the team, has been talking to an investment group lead by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen which would've relocated the team to Seattle. That deal now seems doomed by this recent vote.
NBA Commissioner David Stern said at a news conference "It is my expectation that we'll be able to make a deal with the Maloofs and the Ranadive group to transfer title of the team in Sacramento," latter adding "It's not a certainty, but we're going to work [toward] that result."
It seems that Maloofs are stuck in ownership purgatory. They found an ownership group that they wanted to sell to but the NBA owners shot down the one thing needed to make that deal go through. And while their back up plan might include selling a minority stake of the team to the Hansen group, I'd bet that the the NBA Owners would reject that sale knowing the group's intentions.
As for the Ranadive group, the Maloofs don't seem to want to sell to them right now despite the fact that the group has managed to match the original bid put up by the Hansen group of $525 million. Now of course the Hansen group raised their bid significantly to a total of $625 million, but the Ranadive group has shown they are serious about buying the team. Unless the Maloofs can be persuaded, it seems that they are stuck with the Kings until they find a buyer they like and also wants to keep the team in Sacramento.
P.S. While I admit that I was mostly rooting for the Kings to stay in Sacramento, I can't help but feel sympathetic to Seattle. They lost the SuperSonics in 2008 and now have failed to attract a replacement team with the Kings. I get that you feel like you just got sucker punched by league a 2nd time. But understand this; you've got the Mariners, the Seahawks, and even the Sounders to fall back on. What else does Sacramento have?
Besides, I bet you'll get another chance with a different team unsatisfied with their current location real soon.
The NBA Owners voted down the proposed relocation to Seattle by a vote of 22-8. This vote coming after the relocation committee's unanimous recommendation against Kings proposed move. The Maloof family, who owns the team, has been talking to an investment group lead by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen which would've relocated the team to Seattle. That deal now seems doomed by this recent vote.
NBA Commissioner David Stern said at a news conference "It is my expectation that we'll be able to make a deal with the Maloofs and the Ranadive group to transfer title of the team in Sacramento," latter adding "It's not a certainty, but we're going to work [toward] that result."
It seems that Maloofs are stuck in ownership purgatory. They found an ownership group that they wanted to sell to but the NBA owners shot down the one thing needed to make that deal go through. And while their back up plan might include selling a minority stake of the team to the Hansen group, I'd bet that the the NBA Owners would reject that sale knowing the group's intentions.
As for the Ranadive group, the Maloofs don't seem to want to sell to them right now despite the fact that the group has managed to match the original bid put up by the Hansen group of $525 million. Now of course the Hansen group raised their bid significantly to a total of $625 million, but the Ranadive group has shown they are serious about buying the team. Unless the Maloofs can be persuaded, it seems that they are stuck with the Kings until they find a buyer they like and also wants to keep the team in Sacramento.
P.S. While I admit that I was mostly rooting for the Kings to stay in Sacramento, I can't help but feel sympathetic to Seattle. They lost the SuperSonics in 2008 and now have failed to attract a replacement team with the Kings. I get that you feel like you just got sucker punched by league a 2nd time. But understand this; you've got the Mariners, the Seahawks, and even the Sounders to fall back on. What else does Sacramento have?
Besides, I bet you'll get another chance with a different team unsatisfied with their current location real soon.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Knicks Survive and Win 1st Playoff Series Since 2000
Sorry, Jets. You're the only embarrassing sports franchise left in New York City. Well, at least AROUND New York City.
The New York Knicks decided not to dress in black this time as they went into Boston to face the Celtics in game 6 of their series. New York started strong by actually moving the ball around to score 24 points in the first quarter compared to the Celtics 10. The Knicks actually played a great game for the most part. They were up by as much as 26 points in the 4th quarter.
Then the Celtics caught fire. Boston went on a 20-0 run in the 4th quarter which would cut the lead down to 6. They would later cut the lead down to 4 with 3:31 to go.
The Knicks and Carmelo Anthony, however, would be able to refocus. Melo then made a couple of jumpers with one of them being a 3 pointer to get the lead back up to 9. The J.R. Smith then made a lay up and one at the free throw line to make it a 12 point game with 1:21 left. Finals score was 88-80 with the Knicks winning the series 4-2.
New York manages to stave off 0-3 series comeback attempt from the Celtics and win their first playoff series since the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. the Pacers which, ironically, who they will play next. Indiana just put away Atlanta last night 81-73 to win their series 4-2.
As for the Celtics, they go home with questions surrounding them. It's the first time since Kevin Garnett arrived in Boston that the Celtics have been eliminated in the 1st round of the postseason.
It's not likely that things will get better in Boston for next season. Rajon Rondo will be back but KG and Paul Pierce will be another year older. Heck, Pierce and Garnett may not be back next year depending on how they feel and how the team feels.
Meanwhile, the Knicks move on trying to establish a notable era themselves. However, they've had trouble with Indiana this season splitting the season series with them 2-2. If they do get past them, then they will face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
P.S. I would say 'likely face Miami' but seriously, Come On....
The New York Knicks decided not to dress in black this time as they went into Boston to face the Celtics in game 6 of their series. New York started strong by actually moving the ball around to score 24 points in the first quarter compared to the Celtics 10. The Knicks actually played a great game for the most part. They were up by as much as 26 points in the 4th quarter.
Then the Celtics caught fire. Boston went on a 20-0 run in the 4th quarter which would cut the lead down to 6. They would later cut the lead down to 4 with 3:31 to go.
The Knicks and Carmelo Anthony, however, would be able to refocus. Melo then made a couple of jumpers with one of them being a 3 pointer to get the lead back up to 9. The J.R. Smith then made a lay up and one at the free throw line to make it a 12 point game with 1:21 left. Finals score was 88-80 with the Knicks winning the series 4-2.
New York manages to stave off 0-3 series comeback attempt from the Celtics and win their first playoff series since the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. the Pacers which, ironically, who they will play next. Indiana just put away Atlanta last night 81-73 to win their series 4-2.
As for the Celtics, they go home with questions surrounding them. It's the first time since Kevin Garnett arrived in Boston that the Celtics have been eliminated in the 1st round of the postseason.
It's not likely that things will get better in Boston for next season. Rajon Rondo will be back but KG and Paul Pierce will be another year older. Heck, Pierce and Garnett may not be back next year depending on how they feel and how the team feels.
Meanwhile, the Knicks move on trying to establish a notable era themselves. However, they've had trouble with Indiana this season splitting the season series with them 2-2. If they do get past them, then they will face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
P.S. I would say 'likely face Miami' but seriously, Come On....
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Howard Still in LA and No Major Trades Done
The trade deadline in the NBA has passed and no major deal has been done. Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks, who was cited several times as the most likely player to move, is staying in place despite all the offers that the team received for him. The Hawks will take their chances with Smith in the summer. Josh, on the other hand, might end up somewhere else anyway with max money on his mind.
Dwight Howard was another player not traded away, not that many expected him to be traded from the incompetent Los Angeles Lakers. GM Mitch Kupchak has stressed that Howard is indeed the future of the Lakers despite the fact that Howard can walk for nothing this summer. There is a little hope considering that the Lakers won an emotional game against the Celtics last night 113-99. Howard scored 24 points and got 12 rebounds in the win.
There were a number of smaller trades around the NBA. The most notable player among them was J.J. Redick who was traded to Milwaukee as part of a 6 player deal between the Bucks and the Magic. And no, Redick looks nothing like Josh Reddick (I wish). There were 8 deals in all on Thursday.
Not great non-moves from the Hawks or the Lakers. Both teams are taking huge risks in hoping that their players will come back to them for another contract. Without them committing long term means a bleak future for those organizations.
That goes double for the Lakers who are putting their entire future on Dwight Howard. Nothing has really gone right in LA so far that would convince Dwight to stay long term: they hired Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson, he and Kobe Bryant don't get along, and the Lakers are not even over .500. To add on to that, Howard never wanted to go to LA in the first place. Likelihood is that this summer he will still want to skip town and head for either Brooklyn or Dallas.
I do have to give credit to Dwight Howard. For a guy that wants to be liked, he sure knows how to cause unrest wherever he goes.
Dwight Howard was another player not traded away, not that many expected him to be traded from the incompetent Los Angeles Lakers. GM Mitch Kupchak has stressed that Howard is indeed the future of the Lakers despite the fact that Howard can walk for nothing this summer. There is a little hope considering that the Lakers won an emotional game against the Celtics last night 113-99. Howard scored 24 points and got 12 rebounds in the win.
There were a number of smaller trades around the NBA. The most notable player among them was J.J. Redick who was traded to Milwaukee as part of a 6 player deal between the Bucks and the Magic. And no, Redick looks nothing like Josh Reddick (I wish). There were 8 deals in all on Thursday.
Not great non-moves from the Hawks or the Lakers. Both teams are taking huge risks in hoping that their players will come back to them for another contract. Without them committing long term means a bleak future for those organizations.
That goes double for the Lakers who are putting their entire future on Dwight Howard. Nothing has really gone right in LA so far that would convince Dwight to stay long term: they hired Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson, he and Kobe Bryant don't get along, and the Lakers are not even over .500. To add on to that, Howard never wanted to go to LA in the first place. Likelihood is that this summer he will still want to skip town and head for either Brooklyn or Dallas.
I do have to give credit to Dwight Howard. For a guy that wants to be liked, he sure knows how to cause unrest wherever he goes.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
STOP EXPANDING FOOTBALL!!!
You know what I hate the most about Hockey and Basketball? The fact that just over half of the teams in each sport manage to get into the playoffs. It rewards teams that haven't earned it and diminishes the regular season so much that it's basically meaningless. Apparently the NFL is intrigued by how the NBA and the NHL do business.
Roger Goodell mentioned that at the owner's meeting the idea of expanding the playoffs came up. It might've been tossed around a little bit but to the extent that the NFL is considering expanding the playoffs to 14 teams and even possibly 16 teams which would be half of the league. More teams in the playoffs would mean more teams that wouldn't belong instead of the occasional team that doesn't belong (like the New York Giants last year).
Why does the league and the owners want to risk ruining the most popular league in the country? The answer is of course money. Every business always wants to expand and while that isn't a bad thing, you can expand too fast or simply too much. This is one of those things that takes away from the game while trying to add to it. The season would mean less, especially for the better NFL clubs, and teams that are just average (not good teams) will be able to play spoiler especially if they are on a hot streak.
I do not blame the owners for exploring new options of revenue but adding more playoff teams or even games just cheapens the sport and hurts it's popularity. Keep the game the way it is because it is already perfect.
P.S. Also, why are you looking at lesser leagues as an example to strive for?
Roger Goodell mentioned that at the owner's meeting the idea of expanding the playoffs came up. It might've been tossed around a little bit but to the extent that the NFL is considering expanding the playoffs to 14 teams and even possibly 16 teams which would be half of the league. More teams in the playoffs would mean more teams that wouldn't belong instead of the occasional team that doesn't belong (like the New York Giants last year).
Why does the league and the owners want to risk ruining the most popular league in the country? The answer is of course money. Every business always wants to expand and while that isn't a bad thing, you can expand too fast or simply too much. This is one of those things that takes away from the game while trying to add to it. The season would mean less, especially for the better NFL clubs, and teams that are just average (not good teams) will be able to play spoiler especially if they are on a hot streak.
I do not blame the owners for exploring new options of revenue but adding more playoff teams or even games just cheapens the sport and hurts it's popularity. Keep the game the way it is because it is already perfect.
P.S. Also, why are you looking at lesser leagues as an example to strive for?
Friday, November 30, 2012
Ain't No Rest For The Spurs
Apparently you can get fined for resting players... AT ALL!!!!
The Spurs were near the end of a 6 game road trip dating back to last Wednesday and were about to play their 4th game in five days last night in Miami. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich decided to not wear out his stars on an early season road trip and sent Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Danny Green ( I don't know) back to San Antonio so they can rest for a Saturday home game against the Grizzlies. The Heat would win a close game105-100 leaving me to wonder how good the Heat are so early in the season.
David Stern didn't like the fact that Popovich and the Spurs did this instead of playing their stars and losing to the Miami Heat (like a good boy). So Stern has fined them $250,000 for not playing their stars Thursday night in Miami. In a statement made by Stern he said: "The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case. The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game that was the team's only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans."
Or in other words: "IT'S NOT YOUR BREAK YET SO F**K YOU!!!"
While I understand that the NBA is about advertising the players rather than the team, it's still a team sport and players need to rest. If Popovich thinks that resting his guys an extra day to win help win a conference game rather than a non-conference game against the Heat, then he should be able to do that. These are older players for the most part and making sure they are not cumulatively worn out for the postseason is a big concern for a team like the Spurs. Plus, I heard that Popovich has done this before without any punishment so it seems even more peculiar that there is a fine.
David Stern is just mad that the Spurs rested stars during a nationally televised game. If this was just local markets, he wouldn't do a thing. But this was a nationally televised game featuring stars from both Miami and San Antonio and Stern is mad that San Antonio decided to not go with the program.
The Spurs were near the end of a 6 game road trip dating back to last Wednesday and were about to play their 4th game in five days last night in Miami. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich decided to not wear out his stars on an early season road trip and sent Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Danny Green ( I don't know) back to San Antonio so they can rest for a Saturday home game against the Grizzlies. The Heat would win a close game105-100 leaving me to wonder how good the Heat are so early in the season.
David Stern didn't like the fact that Popovich and the Spurs did this instead of playing their stars and losing to the Miami Heat (like a good boy). So Stern has fined them $250,000 for not playing their stars Thursday night in Miami. In a statement made by Stern he said: "The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case. The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game that was the team's only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans."
Or in other words: "IT'S NOT YOUR BREAK YET SO F**K YOU!!!"
While I understand that the NBA is about advertising the players rather than the team, it's still a team sport and players need to rest. If Popovich thinks that resting his guys an extra day to win help win a conference game rather than a non-conference game against the Heat, then he should be able to do that. These are older players for the most part and making sure they are not cumulatively worn out for the postseason is a big concern for a team like the Spurs. Plus, I heard that Popovich has done this before without any punishment so it seems even more peculiar that there is a fine.
David Stern is just mad that the Spurs rested stars during a nationally televised game. If this was just local markets, he wouldn't do a thing. But this was a nationally televised game featuring stars from both Miami and San Antonio and Stern is mad that San Antonio decided to not go with the program.
Monday, November 12, 2012
D'ANTONI? REALLY?!?!?!
When you thought the next coach was going to be Phil again, some other guy comes out of the nosebleeds to shock the team.
When the Lakers fired Mike Brown for starting off the season 1-4, the thought was that the team would go to Phil Jackson (again) to be the head coach. After several days of rumors (and I'm sure discussions) Phil Jackson will not be coming out of retirement to coach the Lakers. The reason not to hire Phil back wasn't because they didn't want him or beg him to come back, it's because they would kiss his a** long enough (or to the equivalent of kissing his a** by giving in to contract demands of $10-15 million annually and the options to skip certain road trips).
Instead the Lakers decide to go with Bachelor #doesn'tbelieveindefense. Mike D'Antoni will be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Mike and the team agreed to a 4 year deal as head coach with the 4th year being a club option. D'Antoni was the former head coach of the Phoenix Suns which included Steve Nash who is now a Laker. After that, D'Antoni was head coach of the New York Knicks from 2008-2012 until he resigned in March earlier this year due to the teams performance.
New York worked so well with Melo and Amare so there is no reason why D'Antoni shouldn't work out in LA, right?
The thing about Mike D'Antoni is that he is an offensive coach and that's pretty much it. While that formula has shown to work well enough to get to the playoffs and a bit further, it has not won him a championship. Defense is needed to win titles. Plus, we don't know how his system will work with people not named Steve Nash, particularly Dwight Howard who could become a free agent at the end of this season.
It's definitely a risk hiring Mike D'Antoni as head coach but a glamorous looking one if the offense can perform at a high rate. Now I might be wrong about D'Antoni but so far his system hasn't won a title or gotten him to the NBA Finals. It might be put to the test for the last time in LA.
When the Lakers fired Mike Brown for starting off the season 1-4, the thought was that the team would go to Phil Jackson (again) to be the head coach. After several days of rumors (and I'm sure discussions) Phil Jackson will not be coming out of retirement to coach the Lakers. The reason not to hire Phil back wasn't because they didn't want him or beg him to come back, it's because they would kiss his a** long enough (or to the equivalent of kissing his a** by giving in to contract demands of $10-15 million annually and the options to skip certain road trips).
Instead the Lakers decide to go with Bachelor #doesn'tbelieveindefense. Mike D'Antoni will be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Mike and the team agreed to a 4 year deal as head coach with the 4th year being a club option. D'Antoni was the former head coach of the Phoenix Suns which included Steve Nash who is now a Laker. After that, D'Antoni was head coach of the New York Knicks from 2008-2012 until he resigned in March earlier this year due to the teams performance.
New York worked so well with Melo and Amare so there is no reason why D'Antoni shouldn't work out in LA, right?
The thing about Mike D'Antoni is that he is an offensive coach and that's pretty much it. While that formula has shown to work well enough to get to the playoffs and a bit further, it has not won him a championship. Defense is needed to win titles. Plus, we don't know how his system will work with people not named Steve Nash, particularly Dwight Howard who could become a free agent at the end of this season.
It's definitely a risk hiring Mike D'Antoni as head coach but a glamorous looking one if the offense can perform at a high rate. Now I might be wrong about D'Antoni but so far his system hasn't won a title or gotten him to the NBA Finals. It might be put to the test for the last time in LA.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
2012-13 NBA Season Preview: Lakers vs. Heat in Finals
That's pretty much it.
There were quite a few moves this off season which included Jeremy Lin going to the Rockets, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash going to the Lakers, and the Nets moving from New Jersey to Brooklyn after realizing that the smell couldn't be helped with Febreeze. Howard and Nash to LA are definitely the biggest among them shifting the power quite a bit in the Western Conference. It realistically gives the Lakers a fair chance of getting back to the finals but nothing is guarenteed as the Thunder are still a good team, even without James Harden. Sure, the Lakers lost their first game of the year to the 'Dirkless' Dallas Mavericks but it will take any team some time to get adjusted with their players. The time to panic is later.
The Eastern Conference still has the Miami Heat as the favorite and perhaps much more so now that Ray Allen has taken his talents to South Beach from Boston. The Celtics are still a playoff team (for what it's worth) but they are no longer contenders with the Heat for a spot in the NBA Finals. Heck, I thought they weren't Finals contenders last year.
Quite frankly no team in the East hold a candle to the Miami Heat. The Sixers improve with Andrew Bynum but they aren't ready for the challenge. The Nets will just be happy getting into the postseason in order to sway some fans. The Knicks aren't contentious either and will just be happy to win another playoff game. Lastly, the Bulls only have Derrick Rose on a team that can't win a playoff series without him. The Eastern Conference is a joke and the NBA should just hand the title to the Miami Heat now. Fans of any other Eastern Conference team shouldn't even go to a single game this season just to show their displeasure with how blatantly one sided their conference is.
Looking at the NBA year after year, it's too predictable for me. There are only three legitimate contenders for the NBA title: the Heat, Lakers, and Thunder (Dark horse HA HA HA). The other 27 teams have no chance. For a disclaimer warning: I also don't like Basketball that much, watching it (NBA Finals as well) or playing it. My point is still accurate.
Who is my pick for the NBA title of the Lakers and the Heat? The Heat. Enjoy wasting your time watching regular season games fools.
There were quite a few moves this off season which included Jeremy Lin going to the Rockets, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash going to the Lakers, and the Nets moving from New Jersey to Brooklyn after realizing that the smell couldn't be helped with Febreeze. Howard and Nash to LA are definitely the biggest among them shifting the power quite a bit in the Western Conference. It realistically gives the Lakers a fair chance of getting back to the finals but nothing is guarenteed as the Thunder are still a good team, even without James Harden. Sure, the Lakers lost their first game of the year to the 'Dirkless' Dallas Mavericks but it will take any team some time to get adjusted with their players. The time to panic is later.
The Eastern Conference still has the Miami Heat as the favorite and perhaps much more so now that Ray Allen has taken his talents to South Beach from Boston. The Celtics are still a playoff team (for what it's worth) but they are no longer contenders with the Heat for a spot in the NBA Finals. Heck, I thought they weren't Finals contenders last year.
Quite frankly no team in the East hold a candle to the Miami Heat. The Sixers improve with Andrew Bynum but they aren't ready for the challenge. The Nets will just be happy getting into the postseason in order to sway some fans. The Knicks aren't contentious either and will just be happy to win another playoff game. Lastly, the Bulls only have Derrick Rose on a team that can't win a playoff series without him. The Eastern Conference is a joke and the NBA should just hand the title to the Miami Heat now. Fans of any other Eastern Conference team shouldn't even go to a single game this season just to show their displeasure with how blatantly one sided their conference is.
Looking at the NBA year after year, it's too predictable for me. There are only three legitimate contenders for the NBA title: the Heat, Lakers, and Thunder (Dark horse HA HA HA). The other 27 teams have no chance. For a disclaimer warning: I also don't like Basketball that much, watching it (NBA Finals as well) or playing it. My point is still accurate.
Who is my pick for the NBA title of the Lakers and the Heat? The Heat. Enjoy wasting your time watching regular season games fools.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
NOW the Lakers are the Favorite in the West
As the meaningless NBA season starts sometime in the next few days (does it even matter?), a major trade has been executed among two western conference teams.
The Oklahoma City Thunder send James Harden to the Houston Rockets as part of a multi-player trade. The Thunder get Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb along with 2 first round draft picks and a 2nd round draft pick. The Rockets get James Harden along with center Cole Aldrich and forwards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward. Harden and OKC had been negotiating a new long term deal to keep Harden but couldn't come to terms as Harden wanted a max contract. Harden will seemingly get that with the Rockets.
No more room in OKC long term meant that the team had to trade away a key component to their offense. Sure Harden wasn't the biggest star on the team but he sure seemed to be a difference maker with team averaging +9.1 with him on the court as opposed to +1.7 with him off of it. I'm sure the Sixth Man of the Year will do fine in Houston playing with Jeremy Lin but we will have to wait and see how this move will affect the Thunder going forward.
P.S. Someone wake me when the Conference Finals are here.... or when Hockey returns, whichever comes first.
P.P.S. Might go back to sleep if the NBA Conference Finals come first.... just saying.
The Oklahoma City Thunder send James Harden to the Houston Rockets as part of a multi-player trade. The Thunder get Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb along with 2 first round draft picks and a 2nd round draft pick. The Rockets get James Harden along with center Cole Aldrich and forwards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward. Harden and OKC had been negotiating a new long term deal to keep Harden but couldn't come to terms as Harden wanted a max contract. Harden will seemingly get that with the Rockets.
No more room in OKC long term meant that the team had to trade away a key component to their offense. Sure Harden wasn't the biggest star on the team but he sure seemed to be a difference maker with team averaging +9.1 with him on the court as opposed to +1.7 with him off of it. I'm sure the Sixth Man of the Year will do fine in Houston playing with Jeremy Lin but we will have to wait and see how this move will affect the Thunder going forward.
P.S. Someone wake me when the Conference Finals are here.... or when Hockey returns, whichever comes first.
P.P.S. Might go back to sleep if the NBA Conference Finals come first.... just saying.
Friday, July 20, 2012
NBA Changes for Good and $
Some minor changes are coming to the NBA with some involving adding to instant replay. One of them is now officials can check on all flagrant fouls calls in a game. A bit more was added to checking a defender's position around a basket on a charge or blocking foul but only in the final two minutes and in OT. Also Goaltending calls can be reviewed in the late stages of the game. The other thing that came out was the approval by the league to sell small advertising patches on NBA uniforms. This will be implemented starting in the 2013-14 season and the league is hoping to add $100 million dollars in revenue through this method.
I do applaud the expansion of instant replay in the NBA. I do not watch it as much as I should but I can imagine that this helps the game by eliminating more of the human element. That's a good thing in my book. However, I don't like the advertising patches idea. If you follow this blog you know that I follow soccer or futbol and just love the sport but the one thing that I find regrettable is the fact that the teams can put advertising right smack in the chest area of the uniforms. Heck, it seems even worse in Ligue 1. I'll admit that I have grown accustomed to it but I rather that the four big sports in the US don't start heading down this avenue.
It's one thing for Adidas or Nike to show their logo on the uniforms they make for the league. It's just clutter to add anything else.
I do applaud the expansion of instant replay in the NBA. I do not watch it as much as I should but I can imagine that this helps the game by eliminating more of the human element. That's a good thing in my book. However, I don't like the advertising patches idea. If you follow this blog you know that I follow soccer or futbol and just love the sport but the one thing that I find regrettable is the fact that the teams can put advertising right smack in the chest area of the uniforms. Heck, it seems even worse in Ligue 1. I'll admit that I have grown accustomed to it but I rather that the four big sports in the US don't start heading down this avenue.
It's one thing for Adidas or Nike to show their logo on the uniforms they make for the league. It's just clutter to add anything else.
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