Three days ago Donald Sterling was prepared to fight until the bloody end to maintain ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers. He has since been deemed clinically incompetent to have a voice in the sale of the Clippers. The diagnosis is yet another mysterious turn in this ongoing saga. Hopefully this is the last time Donald Sterling's name is mentioned around NBA matters.
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has agreed in principle to purchase the Clippers. Ballmer really broke the bank in this transaction. The franchise is currently worth an estimated $575 Million dollars. The deal is reportedly worth $2 Billion dollars. This deal nearly quadruples the Milwaukee Bucks record breaking $550 million dollar sale earlier this year.
Ballmer didn't want to pass up on the opportunity to own an NBA franchise. The Clippers could have been sold for 1$ Billion dollars. Ballmer was apparently willing to outbid all suitors.
Shelly Sterling may have saved the league from a nasty legal battle. Her estranged husband seemed ready fight the NBA until the end. At the end of the day Sterling walks away from this ordeal a filthy rich man. 2$ Billion dollars in the bank doesn't seem like much of a punishment.
The sale still has to be approved by the leagues board of trustees. Hopefully the kinks can get worked out sooner than later. The Clippers have a championship caliber team. The franchise cannot afford for this debacle to carry over to next season.
Donald Sterling is the longest tenured owner in the NBA. He purchased the Los Angeles Clippers in 1981 for $12 million dollars. Today the Clippers are worth around $600 million dollars.
Herb Kohl recently sold the Milwaukee Bucks for $550 million dollars. The Clippers are a gold mine compared to the Bucks. The team will likely be sold for around $1 billion dollars. Sterling will live the remainder of his life an extremely wealthy man.
Judging by the comments released on TMZ, Sterling is obviously an extremely stubborn man. Adam Silver is a seasoned lawyer. He had to have expected Sterling to put up a fight to remain in the league.
Sterling has a great legal team. Getting rid of him will not be an easy task. However, the NBA is a private league. Sterling's comments are bad for business. A bigot such as himself has no place in a league dominated by minorities.
Sterling has one last chance to prove his case to the rest of the NBA's owners. The other 29 owners will vote on June 3rd, 2014 on whether or not to force a sale. The owners need to make a statement by voting unanimously to get rid of Sterling for good. Mark Cuban has taken a public stand defending the troubled owner. Cuban is no stranger to controversy. I trust that the rest of the owners will do the right thing.
The clock is ticking on Donald Sterling. Lets just hope for the sake of the NBA family he's gone sooner than later.
Sooner or later the naysayers are going to have to back off of Russell Westbrook. During Kevin Durant's acceptance speech he called Russell an MVP-caliber player. That's exactly how he looked in game four of the Western Conference Finals. He posted 40 points, 10 assists and five steals in 46 minutes.
Last year this time Russell was at home nursing a torn meniscus. That time off may serve as a blessing in disguise. This was the first serious injury in his life. He had never missed a game during his high school, college and NBA career up until that point. In certain situations point-guard's benefit from watching the game from the sideline. Seeing the game from a different perspective can aid in a players maturity.
This series is identical to the last time these two teams met in the Western Conference Finals through four games. OKC took control of the series with a win in game five. To date that was the biggest win in the Thunder's short history. The drama switches back to Texas for game five.
The Miami Heat are now 2 wins away from becoming the first team to advance to the NBA Finals in four consecutive seasons since the Boston Celtics in the mid 1980's. The organization is in pursuit of its fourth world championship since entering the league in 1988. Not bad for only 26 years of existence.
The Indiana Pacers were moments away from taking a commanding 2-0 series lead over the defending champions. After letting game two slip away Indiana needed to try and steal back home-court advantage in game three. Seeing as how that proposition has failed, Indiana is now in danger of letting the series slip away. Miami's goal entering the playoffs was to get through the Eastern Conference Playoffs as quickly as possible. If the Pacers don't show up to play 48 minutes of clean, turnover free, playoff basketball they can kiss this series goodbye.
Ray Allen burned the Pacers for 16 points, included a perfect 4-4 from three point range. Ray was acquired to put his staple on a playoff series of this manner. Jesus Shuttlesworth is still getting it done on the verge of 40.
Prior to game three these two teams alternated wins and losses for 13 games this season. Miami wants to give the perception they've figured the Pacers out. This is still a winnable series for the Pacers. Frank Vogel has to reach into his bag of tricks and figure out how to get the most out of his team. At this point last year the Pacers were coming into their own. No matter the outcome of this series, it would be refreshing to see Indiana maintain some consistency. The Pacers are a mentally weak basketball team. However, Indiana possesses the tools to win it all.
Indiana was rolling in game three when David West, Luis Scola and Roy Hibbert were punishing Miami's front-court. Size has been Miami's kryptonite since the big three took their talents to South Beach. Vogel needs to come up with a way to exploit their size advantage more.
Mark Cuban is one of the most outspoken owners in American sports. It seems as if the former internet tycoon is always in the middle of some sort of controversy. When he's not busy getting fined for criticizing NBA officials, he usually finds some way to ruffle feathers. Cuban is in the media more than George Steinbrenner was during his run as owner of the evil empire.
" If I see a black kid in a hoodie, and its late at night I'm walking to the other side of the street" said Cuban. " and if on that side of the street there's a guy that has tattoos all over his face, white guy, bald head, tattoos everywhere I'm walking back to the other side of the street."
I presume this was an attempt by Cuban to not be hypocritical!
WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOUVE SEEN A BRASH OF VOILENCE TOWARDS CAUCASIONS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT IN AMERICA?
This is an obvious attempt to ease the pressure coming down on Donald Sterling. Cuban is probably fearful of himself being recorded by one of his closest confidants, which could pit him in the same situation Sterling is currently facing. I doubt Cuban is a racist, but I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear how he truly feels about black people.
Cuban chose the wrong platform to get his point across. The senseless murder of Trayvon Martin and the wrongful acquittal of George Zimmerman are still simmering in people across America. What it comes down to is blacks should know better than to wear a hoodie after hours in the wrong neighborhood. However, someone is Cuban's position should know better than to equate the Sterling saga to the ongoing issue of racial profiling in America.
Kevin Ollie has signed a five-year extension to remain as head coach of the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team. Since capturing the NCAA Championship in
April, Ollie's name has been associated with every NBA head coaching vacancy.
The Los Angeles Lakers were reportedly interested in Ollie's services. Ollie entered the league a year after Kobe Bryant. He played for 11 teams during his journeyman career. If the Lakers are sputtering by all-star break their next hire as head coach will be on the way out the door. Kobe is short on time and wants to win now.
UConn took a chance on Ollie after Jim Calhoun's abrupt retirement in 2012. Just four years ago he was still playing in the NBA. After a lengthy NBA career Ollie should be financially stable. He gave Connecticut a hometown discount by agreeing to an annual salary of $2.8 million dollars. After this springs impressive run, the second-year coach could have demanded top dollar pay.
Ollie was looking at the bigger picture. UConn is arguably the best NCAA Basketball program in America.
"I'm not chasing championships, I want championships to chase me" Ollie said.
The entire coaching staff at UConn were former players under Jim Calhoun including Ollie. Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Kemba Walker and Ben Gordon were all in Texas during Final Four weekend to support their alma mater. The support from the university, community and former players is evident.
Ollie's goal is to continue the successful run they began at the school in the early 90's. Programs such as UCLA or Kansas have been relevant for generations. Today UConn is on the same pedestal as these historic institutions.
Replacing a legend is no easy task in sports. UConn has found a diamond in the rough in Kevin Ollie.
This year marks only the third time the Los Angeles Lakers were involved in the NBA draft lottery in franchise history. The Lakers will make the seventh selection in this years draft. Mitch Kupchak has his work cut out. Whoever they select will be expected to contribute immediately. Kobe Bryant is expected to retire following the 2015-16 NBA season. Kobe isn't interested in grooming an unpolished product. Kobe is looking to catch Michael Jordan and if possible surpass his six rings. The Lakers are looking to win now.
This season multiple teams tanked down the stretch. The Philadelphia 76ers were the main culprits this year. Philly almost set an NBA record for consecutive losses. The franchise has not seen futility of this magnitude since selecting Allen Iverson in the 1996 NBA Draft. Michael Carter Williams has superstar potential. His length should cause problems for guards around the league for years to come. Nerleans Noel is healthy after missing the entire season with a torn ACL. With two selections in the top ten, the Sixers have an opportunity to build a nucleus for the future.
The Boston Celtics will make the sixth overall selection. Although Boston won a championship in 2008, the franchise has often been in the lottery since the Larry Bird dynasty came to an end in 1992. Danny Ainge is arguably the best GM in the NBA. He hates losing with a passion. The Celtics are still in rebuild mode. However, Ainge will expect improvement from last years 25-57 finish.
If the Cleveland Cavaliers are not a relevant NBA franchise in a few years they will have squandered a golden opportunity to build a championship level team from the ground up. Four years ago Cleveland was as grim an NBA city as you can find. The Cavaliers will make the first overall selection for the third time in the last four years. Kyrie Irving is a legitimate NBA player. He is one of the best players in the NBA under 25 years of age. Anthony Bennett didn't play much during his rookie campaign. This is a huge opportunity for Cleveland. The city has not seen a professional championship since 1964. Dan Snyder and company better not squander this opportunity.
The NFL's owners have once again indirectly expressed their prepotency to undermine the best interest of their players.
One of the issues discussed by NFL owners at their latest meeting was the idea of adding two additional playoff teams. The proposal was postponed due to an influx of Thursday night games. The league was afraid of saturating the television market at such a fast pace.
This is the same league that withheld information about the danger of concussions for years. Last year the NFL agreed to a ground breaking settlement that would compensate dozens of former players suffering from health issues directly stemming from their playing days. The league only agreed to such terms if they were allowed to disclose exactly what they knew about player safety in previous decades.
Sorry MLB fans, but the NFL is America's pastime. Right now the NFL has the best product amongst America's four major pro sports leagues. The NFL lockout two years ago was mainly over a $9 Billion dollar pot. I understand the concept of improving the league over time, but at what cost. How many Junior Seau's are going to have to commit suicide for league officials and greedy owners to understand what's really going on.
Football is a beautiful sport. It teaches value, hard work, morals and any other word you can use to describe this great game. On the other hand it is a violent, risky sport that can shorten your lifespan drastically. Just ask Mike Webster's family. The former all-pro Pittsburgh Steeler was known for his toughness as a member of the Steel Curtain. By age 50, Webster was living out the back of his SUV, while surviving off of a candy filled diet. He eventually committed suicide. His brain was found to have the same symptoms of a 90 year old person suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Anyone that thinks the NFL is correct by discussing additional playoff teams is sadly mistaken. This also goes for extending the regular season to 18 games. Roger Goodell cut it out!
The San Antonio Spurs still are not convinced that Serge Ibaka is out for the remainder of the NBA Playoffs. Prior to game one of the Western Conference Finals Ibaka missed only three games in his career. Scott Brooks is adamant that his 24 year old power-forward will not be returning this postseason.
Ibaka's presence was definitely missed in game one. San Antonio outscored OKC 66-32 in the paint. Ibaka not playing affects the Thunder on both sides of the ball. In recent years he has developed into one of the most efficient players around the basket in the NBA.
OKC's need for a true third scorer is apparent with Ibaka out of the line-up. Since James Harden's departure the team has failed to make up his production. Now that Ibaka is out their lack of another offensive threat rises to the surface.
With their game one victory the Spurs Hall Of Fame trio tied Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most playoff wins together. The Spurs are in the midst of a historic run that began in 1999. The only other team in NBA history that has been good for this long a time period are the great Boston Celtics of the late 50's an 60's.
Tony Parker didn't look as if his injured hamstring bothered him much. The former finals MVP scored 14 points and dished out 12 assist in 36 minutes. The Thunder must keep Tony out of the lane if they hope to move on to the NBA Finals. He has been a fixture around the basket for years. At only 6'1, he has led the NBA in points in the paint on multiple occasions.
The last time these two teams met in the playoffs Kawhi Leonard was a relatively unknown rookie. Kevin Durant had his way with Leonard the entire series. Two years later he has developed into one of the Spurs best players. Scott Brooks must come up with a way to keep
Leonard under wraps. OKC already has their hands full with the likes of Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
OKC is at their best backed into a corner. I expect the young gunners from the Midwest to respond with an emotional performance in game two. Kevin does not want to see his magical MVP season go up in flames.
It took the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder seven games to advance past their first-round opponents. At one point it seemed as if both teams were on the brink of elimination in a year in which the eight seeded Dallas Mavericks won 49 games.
San Antonio is hungry to get back to the finals. Greg Popovich admits to still having nightmares about the 2013 NBA Finals. For the first time in his tenure as coach of the Spurs Popovich walked away from the final round as runner-up.
Tony Parker left game five of the Spurs second-round series with an injured hamstring. Tony won finals MVP the last time San Antonio captured the NBA championship in 2007. The Spurs are going to need him at full strength to beat OKC and move on to the NBA Finals.
OKC has had San Antonio's number of late. The Thunder swept the defending Western Conference Champions 4-0 during the regular season.
The last time these two teams met in the conference finals the Spurs jumped out to a 2-0 series lead. The Thunder answered with four consecutive wins to take the series. Serge Ibaka was the difference maker in the series. His perfect 11-11 performance in game four set the tone for OKC's big men. When OKC's front-court is playing well the team is extremely difficult to contain. If Ibaka is indeed out for the remainder of the postseason Scott Brooks must find a way to make up his production. His presence will be missed on the defensive side of the ball.
The Thunder are looking to start a dynasty. Kevin Durant is not that skinny kid fresh out of Texas anymore. He is the reigning NBA MVP, looking to supplant his name as the best basketball player on the planet. Even Russell Westbrook appears to have matured a tad bit. His shot selection has improved this postseason.
San Antonio is looking to get back to the big dance once again. This group of rugged veterans was supposed to be finished four years ago. All good things must come to an end. In the Spurs case, it doesn't seem like that will be happening anytime soon. Every time you make the mistake of counting them out they come up with a 60 win season.
This series is the result of one of the most competitive Western Conference Playoff's since the league expanded to 16 playoff teams. Whoever wins this series will be heavy favorites in the NBA Finals.
Coming into this season the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers were expected to face off in the Eastern Conference Finals. For much of the season these two teams appeared to be on a collision course to determine who would represent the east in the NBA Finals. This year marks the first time two teams have played for the right to represent the east in the NBA finals in back to back years since the 2005-06 season.
Miami has gotten back to this point relatively unchallenged. The Heat have posted an 8-1 record in the first two rounds. This is a great sign for Miami considering the fact that they are attempting to advance to the finals for the fourth consecutive season. Throw in LeBron James 2012 summer Olympics and you have the most worked team in the league. This is the price of being good.
Indiana's route to this point has been shaky. After beginning the season 15-2, the Pacers looked like the team to beat in the east. Today that hot start seems like ages ago. The Pacers were pushed to the brink of elimination by the 38-44 Atlanta Hawks. Although they took care of the Washington Wizards in six games, the series could have easily went the other way. It took the Pacers 13 games to get through the first two rounds. Despite their struggles down the stretch, Indiana still managed to capture the number one seed. Multiple Pacers have been quoted saying the number one seed was the key to eliminating Miami. The Pacers are exactly where they hoped they would be coming into the season. Now all that's left to do is finish the deal and slay the mighty Miami Heat.
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The Steve Kerr saga is finally over. The first time head coach has agreed to a five-year, $25million dollar deal to become the next head coach of the Golden State Warriors. Kerr was number one on the Warriors list of potential candidates. The team went above and beyond to get their man. Three years ago Golden State signed mark Jackson to a four-year, $8million dollar contract. The Bay Area team outbid at least three other franchises to ink Kerr's services.
Kerr is no stranger to winning. That could be one of the reasons why teams have been salivating over him. He won five NBA Championships as a player. He is known as one of the elite sharpshooters of his era. Kerr's series-clinching shot in game six of the 1997 NBA Finals is the highlight of a career signified by clutch baskets.
The decision to sign with the Warriors was not easy for Kerr. Signing with the Knicks would have reunited him with Phil Jackson. A chance to work for a former mentor is a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, Kerr chose to go with the safer bet. The Warriors future shines bright. The roster is made up of young, talented, high character basketball players. New York's future is currently in limbo. Kerr's offseason home is in San Diego. Being close to family played an intricate role in his decision to stay on the west coast.
Kerr's basketball journey has been improbable. He wasn't expected to play much when he signed on to play for Lute Olson at Arizona. He ended up leading the Wildcats to the 1988 NCAA Final Four.
Kerr brings toughness to the Warriors coaching staff. As a player he was known for never backing down despite his slender frame. Phil Jackson would assign Kerr to guard Michael Jordan during practice as a member of the Bulls. He is obviously no physical match for Michael. Phil appreciated Kerr's aggressive nature. On one occasion things boiled over. Kerr pestered Michael for the duration of practice. The Bulls alpha male got so frustrated by Kerr's harassment he socked him right above the left eye. Michael was thrown out of practice. Not only did Kerr frustrate Michael to the point of embarrassment, but he gained the respect of the best player in the league in the process.
Kerr has teaching in his blood. His father taught at UCLA for over 20 years. He played for Lenny Wilkens, Greg Popovich, Phil Jackson and Lute Olson. He has had the opportunity to learn from the best.
Mark Jackson made his mark as the Warriors head coach. The team is coming off it's first 50 win season in 22 years. Jackson was let go for reasons that were not related to the performance of his team. If nothing else Jackson produced results. Steve Kerr has his work cut out as the next head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
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20 years have passed since the New York Rangers last claimed Lord Stanley's cup.
A week ago the Rangers chances of advancing past the Pittsburgh Penguins seemed bleak. New York managed to score only two goals over the span of three games, including back to back shut-outs in games two and three.
The Rangers finally tickled the twine in game five, scoring five goals in a surprising victory after falling behind in the series 3-1. Henrik Lundquist walked into Consol Energy Center boasting a 4-0 career record in deciding games including a game seven victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Thus far this postseason the Rangers have been at their best on the brink of elimination. That's probably not the best way to advance, but New York has answered the bell when needed. Henrik was brilliant in game seven, stopping 36 shots on goal against a talented Pittsburgh team.
Brad Richards scored what would be the deciding Power Play goal with 7:56 remaining in the second period. New York clamped down in the third period to hold on to a slight 2-1 advantage. With the win Richards improves to 7-0 lifetime in deciding playoff games.
Martin St. Louis lost his mother last week to a heart attack at the age of 63. St. Louis helped force game seven by scoring a goal Sunday afternoon in his mothers honor.
New York kept Sidney Crosby in check the entire series. Arguably the best player in the NHL was held to only one shot on goal in game seven. The Rangers success in defending Sid the Kid may have been the difference maker in the series.
The 1994 Rangers won two game seven's in route to their first Stanley Cup Trophy in 54 years. This current Rangers squad needs to avoid playing in another game seven. This is a tired team moving forward. A miracle may be brewing on Broadway. Thank you New York Rangers for representing Madison Square Garden this year. #Go Rangers
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The Indiana Pacers are the most unpredictable team in sports right now. Just when you begin to jump back on the Pacers band wagon, they put on a disappointing home loss that makes you question what did you ever see in this bunch.
The Pacers squandered a major opportunity to close out the Washington Wizards at home in game five. Indiana could have been sitting pretty at home, watching the Miami Heat attempt to close out the Brooklyn Nets. Instead the Pacers head to the nations capital to play a young team dripping with confidence.
John Wall went off for a playoff career high 27 points. The all-star point-guard scored 17 points in the third quarter to help put the Pacers away. Marcin Gortat played out of his mind tonight. He scored 31 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and added two assist in 36 minutes. Gortat is one of the most underrated big men in the NBA.
Stan Van Gundy is set to become the next head coach of the Detroit Pistons. The younger of the Van Gundy brothers boasts a 579-371 record as a head coach in the NBA. In eight years Van Gundy has recorded five 50 win seasons. He led the Orlando Magic to their second NBA Finals appearance in franchise history in 2009. Van Gundy has gotten the short end of the stick on multiple occasions during his coaching career. He deserves a job just as much as anyone out there. He has won games at a high volume at every stop in his career.
Game five between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder was one of the worst officiated playoff games that I have ever seen. The officials missed the foul Matt Barnes committed on Reggie Jackson with 15 seconds remaining. Chris Paul was also fouled on the last play of the game which was missed. Apparently the officials put away the whistles in the fourth quarter.
OKC managed to get the victory despite Kevin Durant shooting only 6-22 from the field for 27 points. Kevin got the majority of his points tonight from the free throw line. Russell Westbrook burdened the load tonight with 38 points, five rebounds and six assist. Sooner or later people are going to have to stop questioning whether or not OKC should get rid of Russell.
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Tim Duncan passed Karl Malone to move into fifth on the NBA's playoff scoring list in the San Antonio Spurs game three win over the Portland Trail Blazers. It is only fitting that Tim passed a guy who played the same position but failed to capture a championship.
Tim has aged as gracefully as any star in the history of this great league. At 37 years of age, he remains one of the elite big men in the game. Father time is having a hard time slowing Tim down.
A playoff series isn't over until you lose a home game. The Brooklyn Nets still have life after defending home court against the Miami Heat in game three of their second-round series at Barclays. The last thing LeBron James and the Heat want to do is give the Nets life. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce still wear green under those Brooklyn uniforms. If Brooklyn can even the series up in game four a seven game series may be inevitable.
Happy Mothers day to all the beautiful hardworking mothers out there.
David West had a baffled look on his face when asked about Roy Hibbert's struggles following the Indiana Pacers game one loss to the Washington Wizards. The big man out of Georgetown scored zero points and more importantly failed to grab one rebound in the series opener.
Hibbert was the best player on the court in game two. He scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 33 minutes. Indiana squeaked by Washington with an 86-82 victory.
In game three Hibbert looked like the player he has been since entering the NBA. He posted a stat line of 14 points, five rebounds and three blocks in 29 minutes of action. The Pacers stifled the Wizards in the second half, holding them to only 30 points.
Last season Hibbert anchored the Pacers defense within one win of the NBA Finals. He needs to find a way to channel that Roy Hibbert that plugged up the lane against three teams last postseason. Hibbert could be the deciding factor on whether or not the Pacers can get back to playing elite basketball.
For the time being the Pacers need to keep quiet and focus on the task at hand.
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Kevin Durant showed exactly why he is the reigning league MVP in game three of the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunders second-round playoff series. He scored 36 points on 14-24 shooting from the field, while logging an amazing 46 minutes.
Something special could be brewing in OKC. The Thunder were on the verge of elimination after losing game five at home in their opening round series against the Grizzlies. Kevin responded in game six with an MVP performance. A few days later he received the MVP trophy he was six votes shy of unanimously winning. Now it seems as if the weight of the world has been lifted off of Kevin's shoulders. This series is not over yet, but if OKC manages to steal another road victory in game four the Clippers can kiss this season goodbye.
Russell Westbrook is arguably the most controversial player in the NBA. His heart, passion and desire to win are always on full display. The idea that Russell is bad for Kevin is common around the league. If OKC wins the NBA Championship those thoughts will be put to rest momentarily. If the Thunder fail to win their first ring the notion that Russell is getting in Kevin's way will linger into next season.
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Judging by the eye test, the Miami Heat look prime to be on their way to another NBA Finals appearance. The Heat are still undefeated thus far this postseason. Their goal is to get rid of teams in the least amount of games possible. Brooklyn's best shot at winning this series would be by stealing one of the first two on the road. Seeing as how that plan has failed, the Nets may be going fishing sooner than expected.
To no ones surprise, the San Antonio Spurs have looked impressive against the Portland Trailblazers. The Spurs defeated the Blazers during their first championship run in 1999. This may be Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan's last hoorah together. It's ironic that these teams would meet again in this situation 15 years later with Duncan on his way out. The Blazers are the future of the NBA. However, 0-2 may be too big of a hole to dig themselves out of against a veteran team such as San Antonio.
Six weeks ago no one in their right mind would of predicted the Washington Wizards and the Indiana Pacers would be facing off in the second-round. The Wizards imposed their will on a depleted Bulls team in the first-round. You can see their confidence growing with every victory. John Wall has become a leader and Bradley Beal has established himself as one of the elite shooters in the game. Make no mistake, the Pacers have more talent than the Wizards top to bottom. However, Indiana still has not put together a complete ballgame this postseason. If Indiana isn't careful Washington may end this series in six games at home.
The Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder series is the stuff champions are made of. No one should be surprised this series is headed to Los Angeles tied 1-1. Don't be in shock if this series is tied 2-2 going back to OKC. This has seven games written all over it. Chris Paul
and Russell Westbrook's dynamic match-up at point-guard may very well determine this series. Both of these teams have added incentive since the postseason began. Kevin Durant received his first league MVP trophy prior to game two tipping off. The Clippers are attempting to weather the storm and navigate themselves to their first ever NBA Finals appearance amidst the Donald Sterling saga.
The remainder of the second-round should be entertaining.
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Mark Jackson has been fired after three years as head coach of the Golden State Warriors. Jackson had a 121-109 record in his first head coaching position in the NBA. The rumors that Jackson would be released have been swirling around the Warriors organization since the waning weeks of the regular season.
The Warriors 51 regular season wins are the most the organization has seen in 22 years. Last year Jackson guided Golden State to the teams first playoff series victory since the 2006-07 season. The decision to release Jackson was not basketball related. Jackson was let go due to differences with the front office. The divorce is truly a shame, Jackson has helped cultivate the careers of numerous players on the Warriors roster. He is a players coach that is not afraid to go to war for his team.
Stephen Curry has developed into one of the best point-guard's in the NBA under the tutelage of Jackson. Curry plays with the same cockiness his coach embodied during his 17 year playing career. He also played an intricate roll in the development of Draymond Green and Clay Thompson.
Jackson played for Rick Pitino, Larry Brown, Larry Bird, Jeff Van Gundy and Jerry Sloan during his days as a floor general. To question his knowledge of the game would be foolish.
He has had his share of run-ins as a coach. He reassigned assistant coach Brian Scalabrine to the Developmental League last season due to irreconcilable differences. There was also an issue with Jackson traveling back and forth to his church. Jackson may have brought some of his troubles upon himself. Whatever the case may be, he certainly didn't deserve the boot after producing winning results far from what the organization is accustomed to.
Jackson has ties to the New York area. He starred at Bishop Loughlin High School, attended St. Johns University and was selected with the 18th pick of the 1987 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. He was a leading candidate to get the Knicks job when Donnie Walsh was still calling the shots. Phil Jackson will likely pass on Jackson. Phil is looking for someone who is an extension of himself from the front office.
Knick fans may scowl at this this, but Jackson may be the perfect fit in Indiana if Frank Vogel is let go. The Pacers are young, talented and immature. Jackson has the type of personality as a coach that would challenge the Pacers. He has ties to the front office in Indiana. He led the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance in 2000.
Mark Jackson has proven he deserves a head coaching job in the NBA.
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The best part of Kevin Durant winning his first regular season MVP award was his acceptance speech. Kevin had a tough time getting through his speech without getting choked up. He doesn't broadcast it much, but Kevin had a tough upbringing in a single parent household. The tears were flowing as he thanked his beloved mother for the job she did raising he and his brother. Kevin's speech was so emotional his teammates began to shed tears as he praised them for their contributions.
Russell Westbrook was in and out of OKC's lineup the entire season. Kevin was forced to burden the load for much of the season. This resulted in him having his best season as a Professional. He averaged 32 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assist per contest. He is the first scoring champion to win the MVP award since Allen Iverson in 2000-01.
"He's been the most consistent guy all season long," said Westbrook. "He's done a great job of leading us to where we are now. He's basically put himself in front of everybody else in the league and shown that he's the best player in the world."
Kevin has come a long way since his rookie season. The franchise was in the process of leaving Seattle. He shot a putrid 28% from three point range. That first year Kevin played the shooting-guard position for much of the season. Although he scored 20.3ppg, he never truly seemed comfortable his first year in the NBA.
Kevin's second NBA season would prove to be different. He increased his three point shooting to 42% while scoring 25.3ppg. His numbers increased in virtually every statistic across the board. Seven years into his career, he still has not stopped improving his game. He is a gym rat during the summer. Kevin's goal is to add something new to his arsenal every year. This way he always stays ahead of the game.
"I've always been a player that was excited for my teammates' success," Durant said. "Not just mine, but my teammates' as well. Wanting to see them do well translates to my game, which is wanting to pass the ball and seeing my teammates reap the benefits."
Prior to this season you could make the argument LeBron James could be named MVP on a yearly basis. This year Kevin earned 119 out of a possible 125 votes. This likely wont be KD's last MVP award.
Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan are the only players in league history to capture the scoring title, league MVP and an NBA Championship in the same season. Michael accomplished the feat four times. If Kevin can get OKC to the finish line, his season will be viewed as one of the most impressive in NBA history.
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Kevin Durant has been the best player in the NBA this season. In all likelihood Durant will receive his first regular season MVP award in the next few days. However, Chris Paul stole the show in game one of the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunders second-round showdown.
Chris was up and down during the Clippers first-round series against the Golden State Warriors. Perhaps Donald Sterling's brash of racist comments was too much for the all-star point-guard to overcome. Chris is a high ranking member of the NBA Players Association as well as a member of the team Sterling owns. Not only has he been forced to deal with the backlash the incident has caused, but Chris is also expected to be a leader at this time.
Chris jumped all over the Thunder in the first quarter. He scored 17 points including 5-5 from three point range. After one period the Clippers held a 39-25 lead. Tonight Chris showed why he is considered by many to be the best point-guard in the NBA. He finished with 32 points, 10 assist and only two turnovers. The Clippers biggest question coming into the series was how is a hobbled Chris Paul going to contain Russell Westbrook? Tonight Westbrook was the one frustrated and confused for much of the evening.
The Clippers offense was unstoppable for most of the game. Los Angeles scored 104 points through three quarters. The 122-105 final score is not indicative of how dominant the Clippers were in game one.
Oklahoma City has shown a great deal of resiliency over the past two postseasons. Durant and Westbrook are at their best backed against a wall. The young guns from the Midwest will come out firing in game two. The Thunder must keep Paul under wraps to have any shot at winning this series.
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Mikhail Prokhorov now has his first playoff series victory as an NBA owner. Prokhorov didn't move the Nets across the Hudson River to play second fiddle to the New York Knicks. The Knicks were arguably the most disappointing team in the NBA this year. Until further notice the Nets have bragging rights in the Big Apple.
With Sundays dramatic 104-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors, Jason Kidd became the first rookie head coach to win a game seven on the road in NBA history. First year coaches are usually abysmal in deciding games. Kidd is the 19th coach in league history to be in this position and the first to accomplish the milestone.
Paul Pierce was unusually quiet for a game of this magnitude. He finished with only 10 points shooting 4-10 from the field. Pierce chose not to force the action down the stretch, opting to defer to his teammates which proved to be a wise decision. The Nets management acquired Pierce in the offseason to be a closer. His block at the end of regulation is the biggest play of the Nets season thus far.
Joe Johnson led the Nets with 26 points going 11-25 from the field. Johnson may be the x factor for Brooklyn going forward. When Joe cool is playing well the Nets are an extremely dangerous ballclub.
Marcus Thornton was a pleasant surprise for Brooklyn in game seven. Thornton chipped in 17 crucial points in 20 minutes of action off the bench. Brooklyn's bench outscored the Raptors 38-23. A sweet victory was moments away from turning into a disastrous loss. The Nets lead by 12 in the fourth quarter before allowing the Raptors to cut the lead to one.
Brooklyn swept the season series with the Miami Heat 4-0 this year. History is on the Nets side entering this series. On two occurrences in NBA history a defending champion faced a team in the postseason that swept them during the regular season. In both cases the defending champions failed to win that series. The Nets are attempting to become the third team to accomplish the feat.
Brooklyn looked old at times in the first-round. Deron Williams needs to pick up the slack if the Nets are going to compete with Miami. Williams has been quiet thus far this postseason. Despite the ankle woes, he is still the Nets best player.
Brooklyn quietly wanted this series with the Heat. LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Pierce are all familiar with one another come playoff time. Allen decided to take his talents to South Beach, simultaneously becoming the enemy in Garnett's eyes.
Brooklyn has the series they wanted. Now is the time to play ball!
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Rarely does a player reach superstar status after only two years in the NBA. After last nights game winning three point basket it is safe to say that Damian Lillard is now a superstar.
The second year guard out of Weber State University was relatively unknown entering the NBA Draft. Anthony Davis was penciled in as Rookie of The Year prior to Lillard stepping on the scene. In this era there is a stigma towards players who stay in college for four years. Lillard is a throw back player in many ways. His success is a testament to working on your game for a few years, developing your body and coming in NBA ready.
In his two years in the NBA Lillard has averaged 19.9ppg, 5.8 assist and 3.5 rebounds. Keep in mind LaMarcus Aldridge is the Trailblazers primary option. In the next few years Lillard's production should be right up there with the NBA's best. Sky's the limit for this young man.
The best part about watching Lillard play is the way he carries himself. He plays with a poise far beyond his years. He knows exactly how to get his without stepping on his teammates toes. He and Aldridge are going to be a force to reckon with for years to come.
This season Paul George was expected to make that leap from good to elite. The jury has been out on George the second half of the season. Indiana has struggled mightily and George has looked nothing like a superstar. Right now their isn't a superstar within 100 miles of the Pacers locker room.
Damian Lillard is the next big name in the NBA!
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I was in opposition when former NBA Commissioner David Stern changed the first- round of the NBA Playoffs from a five game series to seven. That decision changed the mystique of what the first-round used to be all about.
The truly dominant teams such as the Chicago Bulls would use the first-round as a tune up. Get out to a quick 2-0 series lead at home and then squash the bug in a competitive, but fun game three. The intrigue in playing a five game series is the threat of an upset. A shorter series benefits the lower seed in most cases. The 1994 Seattle Supersonics were good enough to win an NBA Championship. The Denver Nuggets stole game five and won that series in one of the most infamous first- round series in NBA history. Now that the first round is a seven game series that threat of losing a home game and being in hot water is all but gone.
This year is the first time in league history three game sevens will take place on the same day. The extended series serve as an extra treat for the fans, but at what cost? At this rate teams are going to be burned out by the time the NBA Finals roll around.
The NBA season is too long to begin with. It doesn't take 82 games to figure out what teams truly deserve to compete for a title. Adam Silver made a splash with his first ground breaking decision as commissioner by banning Donald Sterling from the Los Angeles Clippers as well as the NBA for life. Commissioner Silver needs to look into going back to the traditional five game opening round. That was one of the elements that made the first-round so popular.
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Two years ago the Oklahoma City Thunder were the new kids on the block. The trio of James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant shocked the world by knocking off the San Antonio Spurs in route to the NBA Finals. The Thunder put up a valiant effort, falling to the Miami Heat in five hard fought games.
Last year the Thunder entered the season with the franchises highest expectations since moving to Oklahoma City. James Harden was dealt to the Houston Rockets in an unexpected deal prior to the start of the season. The Thunder acquired Kevin Martin to fill in the scoring void. With the emergence of Serge Ibaka as a consistent scorer, Oklahoma City moved on with the belief the team had enough to win a championship.
Russell Westbrook's torn meniscus proved to be too much for Oklahoma City to overcome. The Grizzlies overwhelmed a depleted Thunder roster in a relatively easy five game second-round series. During the offseason Durant made it known he's tired of finishing in second place.
The Thunder have been an anomaly the entire season. Sometimes they appear to be a better ballclub without Westbrook. At a certain juncture Durant and Westbrook can be the best duo in the league. Right now the team is facing elimination to a team they're supposed to be better than.
Durant is the favorite to win his first MVP award this season. Going into a hostile environment needing a win to survive calls for an MVP performance. The Oklahoman released a headline today calling Durant "Mr. Unreliable". Carmelo Anthony would be used to such an accusation playing in New York. These are unchartered waters for the 25 year old superstar. One thing that's certain is Durant needs to step up with a statement game if he is truly worthy of the NBA MVP award.
