San Antonio still team to beat in Southwest

The Southwest Division is one of the tougher divisions in the NBA and it is still led by the San Antonio Spurs, who may be getting older, but that is just a different word for experienced. 1-SAN ANTONIO SPURS — They didn’t go out and sign any flashy free agents, but that isn’t the Spurs … [Read more…]

Kings will likely endure another bad season

The Sacramento Kings have turned into the new Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. They have endured six straight losing seasons and the Maloof brothers seem content in counting their money and not really doing much to field a competitive team. Life in Sacramento revolves around watching grass grow, paint dry and deciding what to … [Read more…]

Rose injury alters entire Central outlook

There is a good chance that Derrick Rose may not be ready to play until after the All-Star break, and this means the Central Division is up for grabs. The Indiana Pacers — led by a young nucleus and a no-nonsense head coach — have the best shot at dethroning the Bulls as the kingpins … [Read more…]

Commissioner Stern to step down in 2014

NBA Commissioner David Stern will retire on Feb. 1, 2014, 30 years after he took charge of the league. He will be replaced by Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver. The announcement came at an NBA Board of Governors meeting Thursday. Stern told owners during their two days of meetings of his plans, and the board unanimously … [Read more…]

Can anyone challenge Miami in Southeast?

The road to the 2013 NBA Finals got a little easier for defending champion Miami. Dwight Howard left Orlando and headed for Hollywood and Joe Johnson left Atlanta for Brooklyn. The defections gutted the Southeast Division, leaving the Heat without a legitimate sparring partner in the division. Unless Josh Smith turns into Dominique Wilkins overnight … [Read more…]

ATLANTIC POWER: Boston, Philly, New York stir 1980s echoes

I love the ’80s! It was a decade that introduced us to cable TV, Don Johnson’s white-pants-with-no-socks look, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” jackets, and Madonna’s “Like a virgin” anthem. It was also a time when the Atlantic Division was the gold standard of the NBA. The Atlantic featured Hall-of-Famers such as Larry Bird (Boston Celtics), Kevin … [Read more…]

Dragic, Scola lead post-Nash era in Phoenix

The Phoenix Suns traded Steve Nash to the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason. It was a stunning move since the Lakers are a huge Pacific Division rival, but it was also a necessary move. The Suns are focused on rebuilding so they settled for a couple low-level first-round picks in 2013 and 2015 and … [Read more…]

Celtics acquire veteran guard Barbosa

The Boston Celtics had the Miami Heat on the ropes last postseason when they nearly pulled off the upset. The Celtics held a 3-2 series edge, but lost the final two games and the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals. The loss to Miami forced Boston to make some changes in the offseason, cutting ties … [Read more…]

Warriors hope for injury-free, healthy season

Bringing in Jerry West as an adviser, as well as minority owner, to the Golden State Warriors was a very smart decision. The legendary executive has helped remake the team in a short amount of time. Golden State started the purge last year when they traded volume scorer Monta Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks in … [Read more…]