Basketball is back. It may not be the usual games we’ve been accustomed to, but it’ll have to do. The NBA and its partners have created a unique bubble plan, setting up shop at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.,where 22 teams will be participating in an AAU-type environment. The bubble plan has daily COVID-19 … [Read more…]
Moments after his Golden State Warriors ripped the Pepsi Center nets for 14 3-point shots and 131 points to stun the Denver Nuggets by a whopping 14 points Tuesday night, Mark Jackson boasted that his team may have the best shooting backcourt in NBA history. ”We are a very good shooting basketball team,” the Warriors … [Read more…]
The Western Conference is like an episode of “The Avengers.” It was action packed all season, and you had to be there at the end to get the full story. Oklahoma City and San Antonio are the top two seeds, but both enter the playoffs with some question marks. The Spurs hobble into the postseason … [Read more…]
Last June the Oklahoma City Thunder watched the Miami Heat celebrate an NBA championship. Six months later, the Thunder met the Heat again. The marquee matchup between LeBron James and Kevin Durant lived up to the hype. James, the reigning regular season and Finals MVP, nearly had a triple-double as he finished with 29 points, … [Read more…]
Since the L.A. Lakers acquired – or stole, depending on how you interpret the historic heist – Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008, the Lakers have been to the NBA Finals three consecutive years. They lost to the Celtics in 2008, defeated the Magic in 2009 and outlasted the Celtics in seven brutal … [Read more…]
Despite all the hoopla in South Beach, the road to the NBA championship still runs through the Los Angeles Lakers. Size still matters and, last time I checked, the two-time defending champions still boasts the best frontline in basketball. As good as Kobe Bryant is – and he’s in the Michael Jordan conversation should he … [Read more…]
It may not be a sexy offseason transaction that made you look, but acquiring Arron Afflalo is a tremendous upgrade for the Denver Nuggets. Last season, the Nuggets used Dahntay Jones at the 2-guard and even though he did a “decent” job, Jones was very limited offensively and he’s not a shut-down, one-on-one defender who … [Read more…]
We all know perennial NBA powers Lakers, Celtics, Cavaliers and Spurs will be playing deep into May, and even maybe through June. Each team has been there before and it would take a major injury to derail their title chances (see Manu Ginobili and Spurs). But what about those teams that enjoyed playoff success last … [Read more…]
After sleep-walking through the first two rounds of the playoffs and the first four games of the Western Conference finals, the Lakers are now fully caffeinated and wide awake. Pau Gasol is fully stretched, Lamar Odom is back to form and Kobe Bryant looks unstoppable. To borrow a line from the popular Nike Most Valuable … [Read more…]
The inconsistent officiating in the NBA playoffs is becoming predictable. In Game 3, the Los Angeles Lakers were awarded 45 free throws and won 103-97. In Game 4, the Denver Nuggets were awarded 49 free throws and won 120-101. It is coincidence? Neither coach doesn’t believe it is. Nuggets Coach George Karl reasoned his players … [Read more…]