Tag: sonics

Categories
Miami Heat

Around the Rim: South Beach Bums


1. Heat hate
If Pat Riley was considering suiting up for the Heat after they were trounced by the Cats then he’s probably considering pulling Magic, Kareem and Worthy out of retirement following Miami’s loss to the Sonics on Wednesday. Seattle came into the game with a 0-8 record, before leaving South Beach with a 9-point victory, 104-95. What makes things even worse for the 1-7 former champs is that Dwyane Wade was finally back in their lineup and it didn’t really help. It’s obvious that Riley is getting absolutely sick of all the losing and we’re figuring that if this goes on too much longer he’ll probably bail on his boys, again. He’s tried everything he can think of, including attacking their manhood. Last night, he went after their pride.

If you don’t feel like the Heat mean something to you … you have to have a real meeting with yourself about what you care about. I don’t see a team that really feels like they have anything at stake here. They come in, they play, they get beat, they go home, they go out into the night.

Guess Antoine Walker wasn’t your biggest problem after all.

2. Miami isn’t alone

The Golden State Warriors are scratching their heads following their 0-6 start. Don Nelson guided his team to the biggest upset in NBA postseason history last year, but the Warriors can’t even get a W in the win column this year. On Wednesday, GS blew a 22-point lead to the Pistons and lost by seven, 111-104, on their home court. There is no excuse for blowing a huge advantage like they did, but it’s the Pistons we’re talking about, so we’ll cut them a little slack there. Not much, but a little. In all reality, the Warriors have endured a really tough schedule so far: Utah (twice), the Clippers, Cleveland, Dallas and Detroit. Don’t look for things to get any easier though, they’ve got a five-game, east-coast road trip looming. We’re praying Jessica Alba isn’t being subjected to this torture, we just couldn’t stand that.

3. See, Minnesota can win without K.G. Just not very often
The Sonics weren’t the only squad to snap their winless streaks. Minnesota finally emerged from the depths to capture their first victory of the post-Kevin Garnett era with a 108-103 squeaker against Sacramento. Rashad McCants led the way with a game-high 33 points while Al Jefferson chipped in 23. Even the overweight Antoine Walker managed to hoist himself off the bench for 19. It’s a good win for the team, but, c’mon, it was against the Kings. Even with Ron Artest back in the lineup for Sac Town, the team is still a joke. They haven’t won on the road in five tries and both of their victories came against winless teams at the time (Seattle and Minnesota). Mike Bibby is out of the picture and they’ve been outscored by 69 points in eight games. Other than that, the T-Wolves should be thrilled about the outcome.

Wednesday’s Player of the Day: LeBron James vs. Orlando 47 min, 39 pts (FG: 15-27, 3FG: 2-4, FT: 7-9), 13 reb, 14 ast, 2 blk

Thursday’s Game to Watch: San Antonio (7-1) @ Dallas (5-2)
Outside of the Celtics, there’s no team in the NBA that is hotter than the Spurs. They’ve won five consecutive games and they look like they’re already in Finals form. Tony Parker is leading the way, averaging 20 points and six assists while Manu Ginobili is coming off the bench and getting 19.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Manu could probably break both of his legs right now and still win the Sixth Man of the Year award. Oh, and some guy named Tim Duncan, maybe you’ve heard of him, is patrolling the paint. But the Mavs are no slouches, they’ve got their own MVP in the starting five and we all saw last season how easy it is for these guys to click and rip off a 15-game win streak. With a win tonight on their home floor, the Mavs can move within ½ game of the Spurs for the Southwest Division lead.

Buzzer Beater: Phil Jackson probably shouldn’t quit his day job anytime soon. Well, actually with all the headaches from Kobe and just plain sucking, he might want to consider it. But that’s not the point, the point is the Zen Master should leave the jokes to Frank Caliendo. Jackson got fined by the NBA after saying this following his team’s loss to San Antonio on Tuesday.

We call this a ‘Brokeback Mountain’ game, because there’s so much penetration and kickouts,” Jackson said.

Actually, that was pretty funny. It was just dumb to say considering whom you are and the position you hold. But he made a sincere, heart-felt apology to anyone he’d offended, so all is forgiven.

If I’ve offended any horses, Texans, cowboys or gays, I apologize,” Jackson said.

Categories
Houston Rockets

Around the Rim: Wow-wee, Yao, Yi!



Yup, it’s that big.

1. Big players, big audience
The most anticipated game in the world will go down tonight as two of the league’s giants match-up. To Americans it’s the Rockets and the Bucks, but to the Chinese it’s Yao Ming vs. Yi Jianlian. The two sensations from China go head-to-head for the first time tonight and the game is expected to be seen by more than 200 million people in China. Over there it will be early Saturday morning and instead of cartoons, 19 different TV stations will broadcast the game, including the country’s government-run station, and it will be offered on the web. People can even watch the game on their cell phones. Of course, here in the States, ESPN is showing Denver and Washington. Nice call guys.

2. Mavs beat Warriors a few months too late

Sure, it doesn’t matter, but the Mavericks finally got a small measure of revenge against the Warriors. It was another nail-biting, down-to-the-wire contest between the clubs with Jerry Stackhouse hitting a dagger shot in the final minute that led to Dallas’ 120-115 victory. Barron Davis did everything he could to try and carry his team, including a sweet reverse slam off the backboard, but his 37 points just weren’t enough and Golden States slips to 0-5. Davis had a shot late to tie the game up, but it didn’t fall. Stephen Jackson missed the game due to a suspension and it’s arguable that , had he played, the Warriors might not be winless. Of course that’s making the huge assumption that he could actually stay on the court for an entire game and not get slapped with a pair of techs.

3. Seattle’s permanent road trip
There’s been much speculation around the future of the Seattle SuperSonics and their possible relocation to become the Oklahoma SuperSonics. David Stern weighed in on the situation Thursday and he pretty much told the Seattle faithful that they are screwed should the team bolt. “I’d love to find a way to keep the team there,” Stern said, “because if the team moves, there’s not going to be another team there, not in any conceivable future plan that I could envision, and that would be too bad.” Those are pretty harsh words, but it shouldn’t be that difficult of an adjustment for the fans. After all, Seattle hasn’t really had a team since Gary Payton was lobbing alley-oops to Shawn Kemp in the 90s.

Thursday’s Player of the Day: Baron Davis vs. Dallas 48 min, 37 pts (FG: 14-26, 3FG: 3-6, FT: 6-9), 5 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl

Friday’s Game to Watch: San Antonio (4-1) @ New Orleans (4-1)
We know that all of China will be watching Milwaukee @ Houston, but we’re telling you that SA/NO is where the action will be. We know exactly what to expect on one side of the ball; the Spurs are still the Spurs and they are still playing Spurs ball with the same Spurs cast. It’s the Hornets who are turning heads early in the year. Chris Paul is playing lights-out, averaging 18.6 points and 12.4 assists to go along with the team’s emerging duo of Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic who serve as the inside/outside threats. New Orleans should give the Spurs a run for their money in this game and possibly the entire season as they both race toward the Southwest Division championship.

Buzzer Beater: Going into last night’s game, the Bulls were winless and their rivals, the Pistons, were lossless. So, of course, both streaks would be snapped by the end of the night as Chicago beat Detroit 97-93. Nobody actually thought that the Bulls were a 0-4 caliber team after starting the season slowly and they proved everyone right as they rallied around a huge night from Tyrus Thomas (19 pts, 14 reb). Luol Deng chipped in 17 points, Ben Gordon had 16 and Kirk Hinrich dished out 14 assists. Joakim Noah even shut his trap long enough to score the third and fourth points of his career. The Pistons aren’t washed up by any stretch of the imagination, but this could be the beginning of a big year for the Bulls as they look to shed the final pounds from their Baby Bulls image.

Categories
Phoenix Suns

Around the Rim: Seattle lets the Suns shine in their town


1. Sonics boom
The Suns and Sonics put on a heck of a game through three quarters. Unfortunately for Seattle, games last 48 minutes, not 36. Kevin Durant did what he could (27 points, five rebounds) and he got plenty of help from his friends as Chris Wilcox went off for 23 points, 11 rebounds and three steals. But the inexperienced group of diaper dandies just didn’t have the gas or level of execution to close the deal in the fourth and lost 106-99. The fire power of the Suns remains unmatched. Three players finished with double-doubles (Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash) and Grant Hill debuted with an all-around solid performance of 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. We all know that the Suns can and will win games during the regular season, but it’s their inability to win in the postseason that has become their trademark. We’ll have to wait until June to see if this team can break free of the chains that bind them, but in the mean time, just pop open a brew and enjoy the most entertaining brand of ball in the league.

2. No Bull!?!?

The other day, Mark Cuban broke thousands of Mavericks fan’s hearts when he said that there was no way Kobe Bryant would end up in Dallas. Well, Chicago fans, it’s time to break out the tissues because GM John Paxson shot down any hopes of No. 24 becoming the next No. 23 in The Windy City. “There’s not a deal done,” he said Thursday. “There’s not going to be a deal done.” The rumors were that Luol Deng was the one piece that didn’t fit in the trade scenarios: the Bulls were going to have to deal Deng to get Kobe, but Kobe said he didn’t want to go if Deng wouldn’t be on the team. There were even rumors going around that would have landed Kobe in Chi-Town while putting Ben Wallace and Ron Artest in Los Angeles. Bryant for Wallace and Artest??? The Lakers should be ashamed of their front office for even allowing such a rumor to surface. Why not just trade Kobe for Yi Jianlian and a bag of magic beans?

3. Miami Beat

The Miami Heat looked like a team that was missing their leader when they took on the Pistons. Actually, they were missing their leader because Dwyane Wade is still recovering from summer surgeries and he was sitting on the bench in a snappy suit. But, in reality, they were missing both of their leaders because as Wade sat and watched, Shaquille O’Neal was shut down by Detroit double teams. The big fella only had nine points and six shots in the game, none of which came in the first half. Throw in some career-highs from Tayshaun Prince (34 points, 12 rebounds) and you’ve got yourself an easy 91-80 Bad Boy celebration. The one good thing about the game for Miami was that Ricky Davis was solid with 23 points, but we are talking about Ricky Davis. You know, the guy who intentionally missed a shot on his own team’s basket in an attempt to get a triple-double. We know he’s got skills, but that is the last guy in the world you want to have to hitch your trailer up to.

Thursday’s Player of the Day: Tracy McGrady @ Utah 40 min,47 pts (FG:17-27, 3FG: 2-5, FT: 11-14), 4 reb, 4 ast

Friday’s Game to Watch: Washington (0-1) @ Boston (0-0)
The Big Ticket and his new buddies make their long awaited debut tonight. For Kevin Garnett, he’s been waiting for this moment his whole life, even if he doesn’t know it or won’t admit it. He finally has the cast around him to make serious noise in the playoffs and there are far fewer giants lurking in the conference to give him hell on defense. But we don’t want to forget about the other loveable losers in this game. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce can finally relax a bit with some help around them and let their natural skills shine though. This team isn’t overly deep, but, then again, they don’t have to be; at least not yet. It should be interesting to see how these guys share the ball, but considering how hungry they all are to establish some postseason presence in Boston, we don’t foresee a problem. Oh, and the Wizards will be there too.

Buzzer Beater: We love Thursday nights because we love Inside the NBA. It’s one of the highlights to our otherwise drab week. And last night just happened to be a great evening of early season basketball. There were the Suns vs. Kevin Durant, the Pistons and the Heat, McGrady’s explosion against the Jazz. So, how the heck did this guy steal the show?

Categories
San Antonio Spurs

Around the Rim: The boys (and babes) are back in town!


1. Life is good in San Antonio
Sure, the Spurs got a new banner for the AT&T Center and, yes, they received some shiny new rings from the commish, but those weren’t even close to being the highlight of San Antonio’s day. That’s because Tim Duncan agreed in principle to sign the dotted line of a two-year, $40 million contract extension that will keep him sporting silver and black through the 2011-12 season. The Big Fundamental immediately paid dividends with team-highs in points (24) and rebounds (13) as San Antonio defeated Portland 106-97. All in all, that’s a pretty big day for the best power forward on the face of the planet, and his team.

2. You sure you want to get rid of this guy?

Remember all that talk about how Kobe Bryant just isn’t trying hard enough for the team? Well, you can nix that idea after one game because in the Lakers’ season opener, Bryant went off for 45 points against the Rockets in a 95-93 defeat. In fact, the Lakers could have possibly won the game if it hadn’t been for Shane Battier’s 3-pointer with under three seconds remaining. We know that the tension is reaching new heights between Kobe and Phil Jackson and between Kobe and the Lakers, but Los Angeles should probably do everything they can to keep their superstar at this point. First off, there is no way they can ever get equal value for someone that talented and secondly, he led the Lakers in every major statistical category last night. If this is how Kobe plays when he’s pouting, just wait until he has something to smile about…if he has something to smile about.

3. The Warriors pick up right where they left off
The Warriors are probably pretty sick of seeing the Utah Jazz at this point. After putting an end to Golden State’s playoff party last year, the Jazz opened this season with a 117-96 win over Don Nelson’s club. The dynamic duo of Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams paid off again for the Jazz as they combined 56 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists. Heck, even the disgruntled Andrei Kirilenko produced for the club as he just missed out on a triple-double with nine points, nine rebounds and eight assists. The Warriors made it interesting in the final quarter, but without Stephen Jackson in the lineup (suspended, of course), Golden State just didn’t have enough firepower to hang.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Kobe Bryant vs. Houston 43 min, 45 pts (FG: 13-32, 3FG: 1-3, FT: 18-27), 8 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Dallas (0-0) @ Cleveland (0-0)

It would be awfully tough to find any teams with worse tastes in their mouths than either the Mavericks or the Cavaliers. Both teams had great regular seasons last year and then both of them got absolutely humiliated in the postseason. In case you’ve already forgotten, the Cavs managed to win the East but went cold against San Antonio in the Finals. On the other side of the map, Dallas virtually coasted to 67 wins before having their hopes smashed by Don Nelson’s small ball. Now, we can’t predict what’s going to happen after the regular season concludes, but we can pretty much guarantee these two are going to be major players in their conferences. Both teams will probably be a little rusty to start the year, but LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki on the same court are must watch television any day of the year.

Buzzer Beater: The dream of dueling rookies was cut short after Greg Oden needed microfracture surgery before the season, but when the rookies are this good then having just one really isn’t all that bad. Kevin Durant sprained his left knee and his status for the season opener was up in the air until he had a good practice on Monday. Now it’s starting to look like the Nuggets should be more concerned about Durant’s health than the Sonics. Seattle coach P.J. Carlesimo basically said it’s the kid’s call; if he feels good, he’ll be starting the game. And should that happen, all the other rooks out there can basically kiss that ROY trophy goodbye.

Categories
Seattle Supersonics

Kevin Durant might not stay in Washington for long


For all you northwestern NBA geeks out there who are thrilled over the prospects of a life-long rivalry between Portland’s Greg Oden and Seattle’s Kevin Durant, you had better enjoy these match-ups while you can (the first being on Christmas day) because if things don’t change you’ll start hearing about Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant.

The Sonics want a new arena and the threats of relocation continue to be the franchise’s main method of possible persuasion. In fact, a minority owner told an Oklahoma City paper that when the group of businessmen from Oklahoma City bought the franchise, their intentions were to move the club.

Aubrey McClendon told the Journal Record paper in Oklahoma City he knows the NBA franchise would make more money in Seattle, but if the city doesn’t help build a new arena the team will move.

However, now that Seattle has a cornerstone for the future and a serious chance to turn things around, the fans might be a little more accommodating and open to the idea of dishing out their share of the $500 million needed to fund a new arena. But you guys better think quick because those Okies are just itchin’ to take the greatest freshman to ever lace up a pair of sneakers out into the middle of nowhere.

McClendon told the Journal Record the Seattle leadership has 60 days to make some decisions, and if they don’t meet Bennett’s requirements the Sonics may be headed for Oklahoma.

Hey, no matter what, you’ve still got Nirvana and Starbucks to call all your own.

Links:

[KOTV.com]: Sonics Minority Owner Says Team Destined For Oklahoma City

Categories
Seattle Supersonics

Kevin Durant almost made people forget Greg Oden wasn’t there


The top two picks from this year’s NBA Draft were supposed to hook up in the first of a career filled with battles on Sunday night when the Seattle Sonics played the Portland Trail Blazers in a summer league game. However, with Greg Oden out of commission thanks to the removal of his tonsils on Saturday, the stage was set for the kid who has been playing second fiddle to take center stage. And Kevin Durant didn’t disappoint in his solo performance.

Durant impressed the crowd with several monster dunks en route to putting up 28 points in the 84-78 loss that kept the Sonics winless in the summer league competition. But despite the team’s woes, Durant was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 23.7 points in his first four contests.

He’s a very special player that has a lot of skills,” Seattle summer coach Ralph Lewis. “Playing games is on the job training and he is growing as a player and we are growing as a team.

While Durant is undoubtedly the face of the franchise for the next decade, Seattle is still pretty excited about their other big catch on draft night. Jeff Green was Seattle’s high-scorer with 32 points. So, even with a 0-5 record, a 60 point outburst from the two kids expected to carry the Sonics out of the slums can brighten the outlook of any coach, GM or fan; even if it did little to impress Durant himself.

I wouldn’t say that this was my best game, but I got better,” Durant said.

Links:

[Chron.com]: Durant scores 28 against Oden-less Blazers

Categories
Seattle Supersonics

Around the Rim: The Sonics continue to evolve


1. The sun is finally shinning in Seattle

The ever changing face of Seattle just got another nip and tuck as the Sonics finally filled their vacant head coaching spot with the ultra talented, yet blackballed, P.J. Carlesimo. Fans in Seattle have got to be ecstatic with their new, overhauled roster of young talent and now they have an experienced coach who knows what it takes to win. After all, the guy has spent the last five seasons with the Spurs as an assistant to Gregg Popovich, so he has probably picked up a couple of tricks from Pop that he’d be more than willing to use against him. And poor player relationships like the one that got his throat squeezed in a “Why I oughta…” type moment straight out of an episode of The Simpsons back in Golden State shouldn’t be an issue anymore. Not only has Carlesimo had ten years to become more player friendly, but he has a young sponge in Kevin Durant who would make any coach happy to roll out of bed in the morning. Nobody has had a better off-season than Seattle and the good times should continue coming for years to come with this new, young core of talent. Enjoy Sonics fans, enjoy.

2. Kobe’s mood swings keep on coming

The Kobe coaster continues to roll up and down through the peaks and valleys of La-La Land. The latest turn has taken us dead smack into another apology and backtrack by Bryant. Weeks after the whole, “I want out of Los Angeles…I love Los Angeles” radio talk kicked off the controversy, Bryant told the media that he apologized to GM Mitch Kupchak for his infamous on-air/video blasts. He said that he was sorry and that it all just came out wrong as he was venting. He also said that he hasn’t thought about being traded in a “long, long time.” We’re not buying it though; after all, hasn’t he been watching the TV this past week? It has got to be killing Kobe that all these teams are getting new franchise building faces via the draft, free agency or trades. Meanwhile, all the worthwhile opportunities for him to move on to a winning environment are simply dwindling away.

3. Phoenix gets even more talent
There was some talk for a while that Grant Hill could be joining the Spurs in order try and piggyback his way to the championship ring that has eluded him his entire career, but after San Antonio held onto Jacque Vaughn, Matt Bonner and Fabricio Oberto it became obvious that they weren’t going to have the funds to pay for Hill’s dream to come true. So, Hill did the next best thing: he joined the Suns roster in an attempt to become the missing piece that propels Phoenix past the Spurs in next year’s playoffs. It’s not like Mike D’Antoni really needed any more talent in the superstar diamond mine they call Phoenix, but there’s no way anyone could turn down putting Hill on their bench for a mere $2 million per season. If Hill can stay healthy and be just one-tenth of the mega talented All-Star that he was in Detroit then Phoenix could have their very own Robert Horry/Michael Finley as a nice compliment to their nucleus. Or, even better, they could get their very own Grant Hill; a potential 18ppg, 6rpg, 6apg type of guy.

Buzzer Beater: If you haven’t made your travel arrangements yet, you’re probably screwed because Tony Parker and Eva Longoria are going to be tying the knot on Saturday in France. We’re sure it will be a lovely ceremony with lots of glitz and glamour and big name celebrities. We can’t wait to hear all the great gossip about the dress and the cake and the church! Hopefully some photos will leak and we’ll get some embarrassing snap shots like the ones from A.J. Hawk’s wedding with, say, David Robinson playing the role of Brady Quinn.

Categories
Orlando Magic

The Magic land Rashard Lewis; take that Billy Donovan!


After Seattle drafted Kevin Durant and then traded for Jeff Green last Thursday evening, it became crystal clear that the Sonics were gently nudging Rashard Lewis out the free agent door. Okay, so it was more like a running shove, but Lewis looks like he might have found his way into a perfect situation because of it.

Lewis has agreed to a “maximum contract” with the Orlando Magic and will round out a trio of budding superstars with Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson. No terms of the deal can be announced until July 11, but it will either be a five-year deal as a free agent or it could become a sign-and-trade to allow for a sixth year with an expected income of $15 million per season. While the money is an incredible perk, the real signing bonus for Lewis will be the fact that his seasons will now extend well beyond the 82nd game of the year. No more struggling to stay afloat out west amongst all the elite big men that continually take Seattle’s lunch money. In the Eastern Conference, on a young team overflowing with potential, Lewis’ Magic will be consistently in the running with powerhouses like the Pistons, Bulls, Cavs and Heat.

If other superstars have any desire to compete for a championship, they’d be smart to follow Lewis’ lead and head for the land of opportunity. In the Eastern Conference, guys like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett could dominate on a yearly basis with just a little help from the front office in assembling some complimentary pieces. Out West, if you’re not playing for the Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Jazz or Rockets, you’re playing against them and the odds are you’re not getting past all of `em come playoff time. Seattle and Portland might think they have a bright future ahead of them and they do have a brighter future for sure, but they still have a long way to go before they catch any of the conference’s elite (SA, DAL, PHO). Put Greg Oden or Kevin Durant in Boston, Atlanta or Milwaukee and they could almost immediately compete for a conference crown.

Links:

[KCBD.com]: Lewis headed for Orlando
[SI.com]: Lewis agrees to maximum contract with Magic

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: It’s just a matter of time now



How did this guy not inspire
the Cavs to victory?

1. “I was fouled!”
It’s all over folks. But we didn’t need Game 3 to tell us that. San Antonio put a hurtin’ on the LeBron James gang when the series was in Texas, so why should anything change because the finals shifted to Cleveland? The Cavaliers let a golden opportunity slip through their hands as Manu Ginobili didn’t score a point in the game until the final 11 seconds. And Tim Duncan struggled from the field to a 14 point night. But LBJ couldn’t connect on a long 3-pointer as time dwindled away and the Cavs fell down 3-0 in the series with a 75-72 loss. Of course, there’s was a little controversy surrounding Bruce Bowen‘s defense of James on the game-tying attempt and the refs blew a critical call that could have forced overtime but that’s no excuse for losing the team’s first ever home finals game. In the end, it simply came down to the fact that SA hit the big shots when they needed to and Cleveland didn’t.

As fans, we’d much rather see back and forth games that end in the 120’s, but the Spurs are a team that will beat you anyway you choose. Their versatility is unmatched as they can win an exciting, up-tempo game against the Suns or they can win a game that ties for the second lowest scoring game in the history of the finals. It’s not always pretty but you can’t fault the guys for being good; just don’t get unappealing confused with boring. The Spurs can run with the best of ’em but they will always be unappealing to the masses. Even if they hang four banners in the rafters and a sweep out the league’s golden-boy.

2. Sad, sad story

J.R. Smith was released from the hospital on Tuesday after being involved in a horrific car accident that claimed the life of his passenger and good friend Andre Bell. By all accounts, Smith drove through a stop sigh before colliding with another car and ejecting both himself and Bell. Unfortunately, this could have all been prevented if Smith had been just a little safer on the road. And what makes a sad situation even worse is that Smith had numerous traffic violations on his license that should have indicated to himself, if no one else, that he needed to become more cautious when behind the wheel. The Nugget had 27 points against his license stemming from eight violations in just seven dates, with five being for speeding. His license had also been suspended on five separate occasions in less than one year. Obviously fines and tickets just don’t affect supremely wealthy individuals the way they are intended to; it’s just a drop in the bucket to them. But hopefully this tragic accident will teach Smith a lesson that could end up saving someone else’s life in the future; perhaps even his own.

3. Is Rick Carlisle gonna get first crack at coaching Kevin Durant?
The NBA coaching carousel continues to turn and while Rick Carlisle might have been booted out of the coaching slot in Indiana for a far lesser coach in Jim O’Brien, Carlisle’s future looks like it could still be pretty darn bright. Especially if he ends up as the new head man in Seattle with the possibility of leading a Sonics squad with the untapped potential of Kevin Durant at his disposal. Despite getting fired as the head coach, Carlisle was still with the Pacers’ organization as the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. However, now Carlisle is free to go anywhere he wants since he’s completely cut ties with Indiana. And regardless of where Carlisle ends up, we’re pretty certain that he’s going to land on his feet. Of course, it would be a heck of a lot easier to hit the ground running if he ends up with the young and hungry Seattle club as opposed to a sorry Sacramento franchise that is just waiting to fall apart at the seams.

Game 3’s MVP: Tony Parker @ Cleveland 39 min, 17 pts (FG: 7-17, 3FG: 1-3, FT: 2-4), 5 reb, 3 ast

Buzzer Beater: Phil Jackson went in to the hospital the other day and had his left hip replaced just eight months after having his right hip replaced. So, needless to say, the Zen Master is no stranger to pain. In fact, he would probably rather deal with the physical pain of an operation over the mental anguish that a coach’s personal worst season can bring on. Jackson’s biggest headache this season is also his most potent pain reliever: Kobe Bryant. So, Jackson better get back into form quick because there is no telling when the next time Bryant flips or flops might be. And after he seemed to be the only guy to talk Bryant out of his “trade me” demands, Jerry Buss had better hope that the doctors don’t give Jackson any medication that causes drowsiness. Who knows, he could fall asleep for ten minutes and wake up with Bryant blasting the management on the radio again. For the Lakers’ sake, get well soon Phil.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: The finals are finally underway


1. King sized stage fright
Everyone seems to be pulling for the Cavaliers in the finals but we’re not hearing too many people bet against the Spurs in the series and in Game 1, San Antonio showed why. The Spurs cruised to an easy 85-76 victory in which the Cavs were close at times but never challenged the former champs. Of course, it’s going to be tough for Cleveland to win a game against anyone when their being led in scoring by Daniel Gibson (16 points). With all the LeBron James talk that has been shoved down our throats since Game 5 of the East Finals, the young King didn’t look anything like MJ or Magic or Bird or any other legend for that matter. LBJ finished with just 14 points on 4-of-16 shooting that included a dismal 0-for-7 first half and Bruce Bowen gets to accept a majority of the credit for that. Cleveland can not win when James plays like he did but the Cavs are really going to be up a certain, smelly creek without a paddle if Tim Duncan and Tony Parker continue getting everything they want offensively. Parker had a game-high 27 points as his interior penetration (Huh-huh; we said penetration) carved up the Cleveland defense like a Thanksgiving turkey. And Tim Duncan was, well, Tim Duncan; do we really need to say any more than that?

2. Orlando tells Donovan to go to hell

It was getting pretty sticky in Orlando after Billy Donovan did one of the fastest 180 degree turns in the history of professional sports. But the Magic are ready to forget all about ol’ what’s his name and quickly solidify their young club with a committed head coach. And even though it cost `em a second-round pick, Orlando got their man in Stan Van Gundy; hopefully SVG sticks around a little longer. Donovan might be kicking himself in a year or two when Dwight Howard develops an offensive game and begins ripping off division and, possibly, conference titles. Van Gundy has got to be pinching himself when he looks at his new roster; his boys might be young and raw but their potential is almost unlimited. And you know that those players are going to hold a grudge against Billy the Kid for this slap in the face. Opposing centers should beware if Howard starts playing with a chip on his shoulder.

3. It’s time to put the Super back in front of Sonics
Seattle finally landed a GM but he’s no grizzled veteran at the helm of an NBA ship, in fact he’s just a 30-year-old kid. Sam Presti is now the man in Seattle and he’s gonna have his hands full right off the bat considering that the Sonics are minus a head coach at the moment. In addition to that, they have the enviable task of making the second selection in the NBA Draft at the end of the month. But what has our wheels turning is that this kid might just be ballsy enough to make some noise with his current high pick. The most interesting scenario we’ve heard is Seattle trading the second pick (a.k.a. Kevin Durant) and Ray Allen to the Lakers for Mr. On Again/Off Again, Kobe Bryant. Then again, he could decide to cut ties with Rashard Lewis and bring in a complimentary player to play alongside Allen and Durant (we’re not jumping the gun are we?). Or they could always just stay pat with what they got if Lewis decides not to get swept away in the free agent waters. About the only thing we do know is that Seattle is on their way up, no matter what moves they decide to make.

Game 1’s MVP: Tim Duncan vs. Cleveland 39 min, 24 pts (FG: 10-17, FT: 4-5), 13 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 5 blk

Buzzer Beater: Listen, LeBron James is a freakin’ amazing player and he has the possibility to become on of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of sneaks, but these constant references to Michael Jordan are driving us up the wall. And finally, we repeat, finally, someone stepped up and said what everybody already knows. “I’m not going to compare him to Michael Jordan,” said Gary Payton on the Best Damn Sports Show. “There will never be a Michael Jordan in basketball again.” Hey, we like trying to compare guys from different eras as much as anyone but this whole Jordan thing has just gone overboard. And it’s not just with LBJ; Kobe Bryant gets the same stupid comparisons. Just leave it alone already and don’t try to categorize these guys anymore. Actually, if James or Bryant ever reaches the six ring plateau then we give you permission to label them lil’ Michael to your heart’s content.