For one night, at least, NBA basketball in New York experienced a revival. The Knicks went into San Antonio and upset the Spurs, while the Nets did the same to the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Of course, it wasn’t supposed to be such a stretch for either team to pull off such victories, but in a Murphy’s Law sort of season for both Big Apple franchises, Thursday evening provided a rare taste of success. Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- The success that Brad Stevens is having with the Celtics this year is helping change the perception that college coaches are a poor fit in the NBA, while making it harder for veteran NBA coaches to find work in the league, notes Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
- It may seem like an ideal situation for an owner to hire an experienced GM and then step out of the way, but Mikhail Prokhorov’s absence this season has added to a sense of disorganization for the Nets, opines Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Rajon Rondo told reporters yesterday, including Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, that he continues to get closer to returning to the court, and that he’s very open to the idea of a stint with the D-League’s Maine Red Claws. “I think that’s what it’s for,” Rondo said. “I’d probably be the first guy to do that, but it doesn’t make a difference. I want to make sure I’m healthy and handle it the right way. I haven’t had a preseason. I haven’t had a training camp. Right now, this is pretty much my training camp.”
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com examines the Sixers‘ accelerated rebuilding process, which could see the team make the playoffs as soon as next season.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.