There hasn't been a whole lot of drama so far in the 2013 NBA playoffs, as most series favorites have taken care of business on their home courts. Two games into the postseason, only a pair of series are tied at one game apiece, with the Warriors and Bulls picking up road wins in Denver and Brooklyn, respectively.
Still, as we saw a year ago in the Western Conference Finals when the Thunder reeled off four straight wins against the Spurs after falling into a 2-0 hole, a two-game lead certainly doesn't ensure a series victory. A couple of this year's first round series may end quickly, but I expect at least one or two of these seemingly lopsided matchups to turn into a lengthy series.
What do you think? Which team down 2-0 has the best chance to turn its series around and advance to the second round?
Starting today, 16 teams will begin their quest to win 16 games and capture the 2013 NBA Championship. Not among those 16 clubs are the Cavs, who canned coach Byron Scottafter he led the club to just 64 wins across three seasons at the helm. Who do they turn to to help turn their fortunes around? We already heard one prominent name in Stan Van Gundy say that he’s not interested in the job and it may prove difficult for the Cavs to bring in a high-profile name.
That doesn’t mean they won’t try, however, and they’re going to make a serious run after the biggest name of them all – Phil Jackson. Earlier today, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio spoke with a source close to the legendary coach who said that he would “absolutely” listen if the Cavs come calling. The news that the Cavs would make a run at the Zen Master wasn’t a surprise, but the notion that the interest could be reciprocated is. After all, Jackson has had the pleasure of coaching in two of the league’s biggest markets and taking the reins of teams that already were stockpiled with talent. The source close to Jackson downplayed the notion that he would want to go to a big market team that’s close to winning a title, but it’s fair to be skeptical of that notion. After all, as one of the greatest coaches of all-time, Jackson can have the pick of his litter and wait for the perfect opportunity to arise.
On the other hand, the Cavs aren’t a talent-starved bunch in the mold of, say, the Bobcats, and a core of Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, and Dion Waiters could go a long way with a quality big man alongside them. The odds are obviously against the Cavs actually landing Jackson as their next coach, so the question isn’t whether he’ll come to Cleveland. We want to know if the eleven-time championship winning coach will give serious thought to taking the job.
With the NBA's 2012/13 regular season in the books, all eight first-round playoff series have been set. The Western Conference matchups feature some great storylines, including James Harden playing his old Oklahoma City team, the Clippers and Grizzlies meeting in the first round for the second straight year, and the Spurs and Lakers, who have combined to win nine of the last 14 titles, squaring off again.
The Eastern Conference may not have quite the same amount of drama, but it's hard to argue against a matchup like Knicks vs. Celtics, which figures to set an unbreakable record for the most Honey Nut Cheerios mentions in a single playoff series.
So today's poll question is fairly straightforward: With the postseason set to get underway this weekend, which series are you looking forward to most?
The NBA's Board of Governors is meeting this week to debate the future of the Kings, and though no decision is expected until next month, there's a lot riding on the next couple of days, as the league's owners will debate competing bids from Seattle and Sacramento. It doesn't appear that Sacramento's offer is quite as high as Seattle's, after Chris Hansen and company upped the ante by $25MM last week, though that may not be nearly as important as the speed with which each city can construct a new arena.
Hansen's investment group reached an agreement to buy the controlling share of the Kings from the Maloof family in January, so they can argue they were on the sale first. Sacramento can point to the fact that the team's been there since the 1985/86 season, as well as the city's repeated efforts to strike a deal with the Maloofs in the past.
Pundits on both sides of the issue have had their say over the past several months. Now, it's your turn. If you, instead of the NBA's finance and relocation committees, were making a recommendation to the Board of Governors, what would you tell them? Let us know by voting, and feel free to elaborate on your take in the comments.
In light of Marcus Smart's decision to return to Oklahoma State for his sophomore season, the debate over whether he made the right decision is already underway. Smart was all but a lock to be drafted top five come June with an outside chance at going No. 1 overall (per ESPN's Chad Ford on Twitter). This year's NBA Draft is considered weak, especially at the top, and the prevailing thought on next year's draft, albeit 14 months away, is that it will be considerably stronger. The downside of Smart's decision is clear; he could be costing himself millions of dollars. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, who broke the Smart news, adds via Twitter that the overwhelming response of NBA executives on Smart's decision thus far is "shock."
But as Ford tweets, Smart is the type of "different" kid that values winning and college experience. Maybe Smart is returning to Stillwater because he values the development of his game over the paycheck that will come with his draft slot. Top five picks, by definition, typically go to the worst teams in the NBA. Sometimes those are not the best destinations for players who are not ready for the bright lights of the professional ranks. Who knows? Maybe Smart's decision will result in a bigger payday or more prosperous career down the road than he ever would have had stuck on a perpetual loser.
It is a subjective debate for sure… which is why it is important to ask the question. Did Marcus Smart make the right decision? Please feel free to elaborate on your answer in the comments section.
There will be little to no drama when it comes to voting for some of the NBA's award winners this season, as players like LeBron James (MVP) and Damian Lillard (Rookie of the Year) are virtual locks to collect hardware. But for many other awards, no clear frontrunner has emerged, meaning there is potential for races that include a wide range of candidates, rather than just one or two.
One such award is Defensive Player of the Year. A year ago, Tyson Chandler's influence in turning the Knicks into one of the NBA's better defensive teams led to Chandler winning the award for the first time in his career. But in 2012/13, there's no real dominant narrative.
So what do you think? Which player is the frontrunner at this point for the Defensive Player of the Year award? After making your vote, feel free to share your reasoning in the comments section.
With the NBA playoffs around the corner, which team has the potential to drastically excede their expctations with a trip to the NBA Finals? Does one even exist?
The Nuggets received some crushing news today when an MRI revealed that, as feared, Danilo Gallinari suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during last night's win against the Mavs, knocking him out for the season. The team's press release on its website doesn't indicate whether Gallinari will be ready for training camp in the fall, but the Nuggets probably aren't too concerned with next season just yet, with this year's playoffs set to start in two weeks.
Gallinari, who's on Denver's books for more than $32.5MM through 2016, is the team's second leading scorer this season, averaging 16.2 points per game, just slightly less than the 16.7 PPG Ty Lawson produces. There's no denying the 24-year-old Gallinari is a key cog for a Nuggets team currently in third place in the Western Conference. Still, there's reason to believe Denver, with all its depth, will do just fine without him.
Soon-to-be free agent Corey Brewer seems the most logical candidate to inherit Gallinari's minutes. A couple weeks ago, Nuggets coach George Karl told Sam Amick of USA Today that he wanted to give Brewer more time at the end of games, but was hesitant to do so because of the money the team owes to Gallinari and Andre Iguodala.
"I have no problem finishing any way I think I can win," Karl said. "Sometimes that ruffles the feathers a little bit of my players. But Corey Brewer is the guy who I think has played well enough to finish a lot of games. I don't do it all the time, and when I don't do it I think it's unfair to Corey, because even though Iguodala and Gallo are the high-paid dudes, sometimes Corey is the better basketball player. It's not right that we always give it to the guy who gets paid the most money. There should not be an entitlement that because you get paid the most money, that you should finish every game. But if you don't do it, then the agents are going to call and the players are going to mope and so you negotiate that. It's a compromise as a coach."
While the Heat were running off their 27-game winning streak, the Nuggets had a lengthy winning streak of their own that lasted 15 games. Gallinari played in 13 of them, but his performance was subpar. He averaged just 12.7 PPG, and his field-goal shooting (37.8%) was well below his season mark of 41.8%. Gallinari is renowned as a three-point sharpshooter, but his 37.3% accuracy from behind the arc this year is less than the 40.2% displayed by Wilson Chandler, another candidate to see increased minutes with Gallinari out.
There were questions about whether Denver's up-tempo attack would hold up in the playoffs even before the Gallinari injury, and the doubts are no less apparent today. Still, it's worth wondering if the Nuggets' chances of winning the title are really any worse off than they were yesterday. Let us know your thoughts with either a vote, a comment, or both.
With Heat guard Ray Allen telling Fox Sports Florida's Chris Tomasson that "it's a no-brainer" Erik Spoelstra should win Coach of the Year, it brings the annual award to the forefront. Much like every other major award apart from Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year is wide open this year. Who do you think deserves it most?