Nightmare in Oklahoma

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'It can't be possible.' 'Are you serious?' 'No way!' That was every persons reaction in Thunder nation last night. I am not even a Thunder fan and it was a sad sight to see, but low and behold Russell Westbrook left the game in the second quarter with a broken right hand. The season is slowly looking worst and worst for the Thunder.
The only positive to make of Westbrook's injury is that the upcoming schedule for the Thunder is relatively easy. This means the team might be able to stay a float if they can string a few wins together and stay above the .500 mark until Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant come back. That also means bench players and some younger guys will get more minutes and be able to develop.
The goal for this Thunder team this year will no longer be achieving the top seed in the east. Instead they could be fighting for a playoff berth when March roles around. I say this because I don't know if the team will be able to win games with out Westbrook and even when he comes back they will still be missing last years MVP Kevin Durant.
Everyone thought trading Harden was a mistake a couple of years ago was a mistake, but right now it sure would have helped to have him on the roster. No one can go back in time and change that. For Scott Brooks he knows the challenges this team faces ahead and hopefully he can find a rotation that works and a unit that produces while on the floor together.
Injuries have been a big part of this season so far and we are only 3 days into the season. It is something that no NBA fan likes to see. All I want to see is a season where every major player is healthy because that will be some of the best basketball to watch. I'm going to wish all the injured guys a speedy and successful recovery.

Bold Prediction Time

As we all know the Western conference is much better than the Eastern Conference. Every year it seems as if the last team out of the playoffs deserves an honorable mention. Last year it was the Phoenix Suns. The year before that it was the Utah Jazz. (Wow look at what happen to them!). And even in the lockout shortened season the Houston Rockets missed the playoffs by two games. All these teams had winning records and, aside from the lockout season, the 9th seed in the west would have made the playoffs had they been in the Eastern Conference. With all that said there will be another team that misses the cut again this year that would have been deserving of a playoff spot.

Now let me state that this prediction is made solely by what I see on paper. My prediction is that the Rockets will not make the playoffs this year and here's two reasons why.
Number One: There Division

Anyone who follows basketball knows the toughest division in the NBA is the southwest division. The teams in the division consists of the Spurs, the Mavericks, the Grizzlies, the Pelicans, and of course the Rockets. Now the Rockets have to play 4 games against each of these teams during the season. And every team in the division has gotten better, whether its players returning from injury or the addition of some new players. I like the Spurs because they brought back the same team as last year and that team crushed everyone, but the Mavericks, on there way to the Championship. Speaking of the Mavericks, they have added some more talent to the roster that already had a lot of depth. They stole Chandler Parsons away from the Houston Rockets. They got back Devin Harris healthy. They acquired Jameer Nelson through free agency. They also added Raymond Felton to the roster for even more depth at the guard position. They also brought in veterans Rashard Lewis, Richard Jefferson, and Charlie Villanueva. And they still have Monta Ellis who can still produce on offense. Also in the Rockets division are the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies still have the core of Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley. They also added Vince Carter to the team to stretch the floor and provide a scoring punch. They also have defensive specialists in Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince. They also have stretch shooters in Quincy Pondexter and Courtney Lee. And the Pelicans are an up and coming young team that will be about .500 or above, but won't make the playoffs. With all that said the Rockets don't have a great roster. They have severely downgraded since last season.
Number 2: The Suns

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The Phoenix Suns should be really excited about this season. I have them being the 8th seed in this years Western Conference and here's why. The Suns have a much easier division than the Rockets. The Suns will finish in third place in the division behind the Clippers and Warriors. The other teams they will have to compete against is Kings and Lakers. I am not high on the Kings this year as I feel they are still in rebuild mode and the Lakers, whether Kobe likes it or not, are in rebuilding mode. Now is the time for the Suns to some noise and if they could trade for one more solid veteran player it would be hard to not put them in the playoffs. I've already talked about they Suns in a previous article and I still think they improved on what they did last year.
It's hard to move any of last years playoff teams out of the top 8, but if one really stood out to me it would be the Houston Rockets. The Rockets can prove me wrong though. I have them missing the playoffs by one game. Now if they made a roster that fits around Dwight Howard very well they could be a contender. Just look at the 09 Magic. I honestly have no idea how that team made it to finals with the talent on the roster, but it worked because they surrounded Howard with the right pieces. Simply put shooters around Howard and they become a contender which seems to be what the Rockets are doing. The question is will this roster be more successful than last year. It's hard to say it will with the departure of Lin and Parsons. Another reason they can prove me wrong is because who would bet against Howard and Harden combo.
This is a bold prediction and I will probably be proved wrong. It's all the matter of opinion. For anyone who watched Grantland's count down last season they had the Suns ranked 30th. The suns almost made the playoffs. Anything is possible in the NBA and injuries and trades change the landscape all the time. 

What Kevin Durant's injury mean for the Thunder

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Kevin Durant going down with an injury means it is time to see what Russell Westbrook is made of. Has always been Kevin Durant's co-star. Durant has always been the number one option and has carried the team multiple times when Westbrook went down with an injury. It is now time to see if Robin can become Batman. Westbrook will be the go to go in the Thunder offense through the first month or so while Durant is side lined. I think this is a great opportunity for Westbrook to silence his critics and show just how great of a player he is.

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Westbrook has always taken a backseat whenever the game was winding down or when ever Durant needed more touches because he was hot or needed to get going. Westbrook has been highly criticized when he looks for his own shots instead of filling to facilitator role. Now is the time for Westbrook to demand the ball and put up as many points as he can. He will no longer be bashed for having 30 or 40 point game.
I am also curious as to what will happen to his assist numbers. Will they drop, increase or stay the same? It is hard to predict because if Westbrook is drawing all the double teams he may be the guy looking for the open man, rather than being the open man. I think this is a huge opportunity for Westbrook to showcase his talents and prove he can lead a team.
It will be hard to watch the Thunder play without their reining MVP. I for one was really looking forward to how Durant was going to play this season after taking the summer off to rest. His team also got better adding some more bench depth and hoping for Reggie Jackson and Steven Adams to improve once again.

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With that said it is also time for Reggie Jackson to show how much his game improved. There will be times when Westbrook will hit the bench and Reggie Jackson will be given the keys to the car. I think this is a great opportunity for Reggie Jackson to show the NBA what he can do.
I think the Thunder have a tough schedule for the first week and a half and then it lightens up for about a week. I think the Thunder will be at or above .500 when Durant returns to the court. Lets hope he is back in time for the Thunders first match up with the new look Cavaliers on December 11. Durant vs. LeBron, Westbrook vs. Irving, Ibaka vs. Love. That should be a great match up.

NBA preseason kicks off with Cavs win over Maccabi

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The NBA preseason is officially underway and fans everywhere are excited. This is the time where people can see what there favorite team might look like in the regular season and also see what bench players will play a huge role.
The Cavaliers played at home against Maccabi Tel-Aviv. This was the first game of the 2014-15 preseason. Fans everywhere were excited to see the new look Cavs. It looked like there might have been more fans at this preseason game then Cavs regular season games last year. LeBron played well scoring 12 point in 20 minutes to go with 4 assists and 4 rebounds. Kevin Love scored 8 points and tallied 11 boards. Kyrie had 16 points, 2 steals and 5 assists. Dion Waiters added 15 points and Tristan Thompson added 14 points and 13 rebounds.
My X factor for the Cavs would be those last two guys I mentioned. Dion Waiters played well yesterday proving he can contribute to the team. I think he will start, but most likely will play more with the second group. This will provide a scoring punch when LeBron, Irving and Love are on the bench. Tristan Thompson could be a big part of the team as he provides great reboinding. He can also score around the basket. It's hard not call the Cavs the favorite after yesterday, then again it was only one game.
I know fans can't wait for the season to tip off October 28th an neither can I. It's going to be an awesome NBA season.

Is this the Greatest Dunk of All Time?

Well since it's Thursday I'm going to do a throw back Thursday piece on, without a doubt, the greatest dunk of all time.
In the 2000 Olympics the Americans were playing the French. On this particular play one of the French players throws a terrible down court pass that gets stolen by Vince Carter. (Who keep in mind is 6'6" and an athletic freak at this time.) Carter takes two dribbles at the French center, Frederick Weis who is 7'2", and takes off. Carter went right up and over Weis for a vicious slam. It was so unreal that it can't even be replicated in video games. The man literally jumped over a 7'2" giant mid game for a dunk. Carter is a human highlight reel and has had so many amazing dunks throughout his career, but this one takes the cake.
As stated in the short documentary Carter had no intention of jumping over or even in Weis. He acknowledged that he was there, but his focus was getting to the rim. Also Weis was drafted by the Knicks, but never saw a game in the NBA. It could possibly have to do with this dunk, but one thing is for sure; Weis will always be remembered for this dunk and for all the wrong reasons. We all thank you Weis for not moving out of the way.

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Knicks will be better than last year

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So it's pretty straight forward that the Knicks will be better than last year. I'm not going to feed around the Bush, the Knicks were a huge disappointment last year. They were expected to be a top three seed last year at the start of the season and they didn't come close. The Knicks failed to make the playoffs even with a superstar like Carmelo Anthony having the best statistical season of his pro career.

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With all that said the Knicks have retooled there roster and there organization. It all last Season when Phil Jackson came in and became president of basketball operations. Phil Jackson then went on a hunt for a new head coach. It was obvious he wanted a former player of his to be on the sideline. He wanted a coach that was already familiar with his triangle offense and could easily teach the players how to run the offense. Jackson first went after Steve Kerr, but Kerr signed with the Warriors. So Jackson decided to go with another former point guard of his, Derrick Fisher. Fisher had just retired as a player, but jumped right into coaching, much like Jason Kidd did last year.
After these moves the Knicks had to focus on retaining small forward Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks offered Anthony a 5 year $124 million dollar contract. That is hard for a player to turn down, especially from the Knicks. Anthony stated he had "unfinished business".
Jackson then made another move trading Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to Dallas for Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert. Personally I like the move the Knicks because Calderon would be a better fit for the Knicks on offense. Dalembert can also still be a productive player if he's healthy. Also Dalembert has an expiring contract, so he is only on the books for one season with the Knicks and then they will have a huge salary cap relief.

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Phil Jackson is planning for the future. After this season Iman Shumpert becomes a restricted free agent. The Knicks will evaluate Shumpert's performance this season and then decide whether or not to make him a contract offer. This is so the Knicks avoid giving him a contract extension and he doesn't produce. Even more importantly is the contracts of Amar'e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani expire after this season. That's $34 million dollars that is committed to those two players. Plus the $4 million invested in Samuel Dalembert will come off the cap along with another $3 million for Travis Outlaw. When you add it all up that's $43 million if you count Shumpert' s contract. The Knicks will most likely look to add another star to the team next year or even try to go after Kevin Durant in 2016.
The Knicks will be a playoff team this year, but not a contender by any means. Unfortunately, unless Jackson pulls off a blockbuster trade, the Knicks will have to wait one year to make even more roster improvements.

A Little Over Two Decades Later

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are no longer the laughing stock of the MLB. For the first time in 22 years the Pirates managed to clinch back to back playoff berths. The turn around of the team is mostly thanks to NL MVP Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen. McCutchen had and obp of .410 and a slg of .542. The question is can the Pirates carry there play into the postseason? 
They will play in the NL Wild Card game versus the San Francisco Giants. The game will be played at PNC Park where the Pirates have played well at the end of the season. Also the fans are going to be excited with there team being in the playoffs for the second straight year. Madison Bumgarner will be the starting pitcher for the Giants. Bumgarner has an ERA of 2.98 and a record of 18-10 for this season. On the mound for the Pirates will be Edinson Volquez. Volquez has an ERA of 3.04 and a record of 13-7 this season. McCutchen has struggled against Bumgarner this season, but his teammates have fared well against him. There will be an update after the game tomorrow night which can be seen on ESPN at 8 o'clock p.m. 

Nets window is open for one more year

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So if by now you couldn't tell, I am a Nets fan. Life isn't easy as a Nets fan. First of all the franchise has never really been a threat in all the years they have been in New Jersey, aside from the Jason Kidd era. I thought that last year was the last chance the Nets had a possibly winning a championship. They had a second round exit against the heat where they played pretty well aside from Williams collapse and the inability to close games. I can't stress how many times the Nets entered the final 5-2 minutes of a game with a comfortable lead and blew. The truth is that if Williams could have scored at least 10 point  per game in the Miami series and they could seal the deal in fourth they could have been up 3-2. That's enough about last season. Let's focus on this upcoming season.

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So the off-season started horribly. Williams had surgery on both ankles, Jason Kidd left for Milwaukee, Shaun Livingston signed with Golden state, and Pierce went to Washington. The loss of Kidd turned out to be a good thing since Lionel Hollins is a much better coach and could probably utilize the roster he has better than Kidd. Then things started to go up hill. Rookies Markel Brown and Cory Jefferson played well in summer league. The Nets finally signed draft pick Bojan Bojdanovic, who is a great three point shooter. Mason Plumlee showed significant improvements in his game in the summer league. Plumlee also got invited to play on the 2014 USA FIBA basketball team, and won a gold medal. Lopez had finally been cleared to resume all basketball activities, and is feeling great. Deron Williams said that this is the best his ankles have felt since he played in Utah. And Garnett is looking to improve from last season.

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With all that said I believe that is now or never for this Nets team and here's why. Cleveland will be good next year, but it is there first year together and the team chemistry isn't there yet. It will most likely develop, but it is uncertain how long it will take. This is a learning season for the Cavs. There's a bunch of new players and a rookie coach. It's not that I don't believe in what Cleveland is trying to do, but as LeBron said "it's a process".
Well many may say if it's not the Cavs this year then it will be the Bulls. I do believe the Bulls are a good team with a great coach. But it all comes down to two things Derrick Rose's health and how quickly Pau Gasol meshes with the starting lineup. I don't think Gasol will be a problem at all, because he will play power forward and last year Carlos Boozer played power forward. Last time I checked Gasol can do virtually everything better than Boozer. So will Rose return to MVP form or will he play like he did with team USA?
As everyone knows by now, the Pacers lost Paul George to a horrific leg injury. The Pacers also lost Lance Stephenson in free agency to the Bobcats. Ultimately the Pacers are a no threat this upcoming season. They might make the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed, but not any higher.

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With all that said I think this could be the Nets window of opportunity. Can the Cavs come together in one year? Can Derrick Rose find his footing after missing basically two seasons of basketball and having two knee surgeries? If you ask me the Window is open for any Eastern Conference team right now. The Nets have to recognize this and make sure they utilize Brook Lopez's post game to there advantage. They also need to make sure they have him and Garnett taking care of the boards because in order to compete with the Bulls and the Cavs they will need to try to contain Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, and Kevin Love. Also with Hollins moving Joe Johnson to small forward, he could start Alan Anderson for defensive purposes or Bogdanovic for offensive purposes. And if the played the Cavs Johnson could slide back to shooting guard and allow Kirilenko start at small forward to cover LeBron. Hollins wants Johnson to start at small forward to spread the floor with 3 point shooting. Anderson and Bogdanovic can both shoot the three well. If Kirilenko started he would severely handicap the Nets on the offensive end.

Can Tony Stewart recover from his accident?

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On August 9, a tradegy occurred in the NASCAR world. On that night at Canandaigua Motorsports Park a fatal accident unraveled during a caution. The caution was caused when Tony Stewart's car slid up the track into Kevin Ward Jr.'s racing machine. This sent Ward up into the barrier wall. As the caution flew Ward got out of his car and ran down into the track waiting for Stewart's car to come back around. As Stewart's car approached Ward, Ward made a move to get closer to Stewart's car. At that moment Ward was struck by Stewart's racing machine. Unfortunately Ward was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital. 
Everyone would like to know who is at fault for this incident and the truth is no one will ever know what was going through either drivers head when accident occurred. I could speculate all day, but if there's one thing that obviously could have helped avoid the whole situation is if Kevin Ward would have never exited his vehicle. The second he got out of his car he immediately put himself in danger. The only time a driver should get out there car is when it is on fire. Other than that every driver should wait until the paramedics arrive at the car and every driver is aware of the situation. Ward further endangered himself by walking down the track while cars were still going around the track. I mean seriously? I have always been told to stay away from a busy road and in the case Ward ran right into traffic. In the video Ward is lucky he wasn't struck by the driver in front of Stewart. 
Stewart was not charged of the death to Kevin Ward Jr., but the Ward family is looking for a civil suit. It will be hard for the Ward family to win any case because an autopsy revealed that Ward had marijuana in his system at the time of death so his judgment may have been impaired when the accident happened. 

It's about damn time

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Eric Bledsoe is officially on an NBA roster for next season. After a long, long wait and holding Bledsoe finally received an offer he liked. The suprising part of all this news is he will once again wear a Suns uniform. Phoenix offered Bledsoe a five year extension worth $70 million.
I'm not sure if this was smart for Phoenix, but it was great for Bledsoe. Bledsoe now has long term security. For the Suns I like that they were able to put the core players back together that made a run at the playoffs last season. Phoenix was a surprise last year. Many forget that almost every analysis had Phoenix finishing dead last in NBA standings. Also many doubted that a two guard lineup could work. Well the Suns proved everyone wrong and still ended up with a good draft spot in this year's deep draft class. The Suns also went out and signed Isaiah Thomas. I liked this signing because they can always have a two guard lineup on the floor. When Bledsoe or Dragic needs a break Thomas will come in and the offense won't miss a beat. Thomas  has already committed to playing any role needed of him to win games.

I think the Suns are in good shape for the upcoming season and I think this team has a bright future ahead.

What is happening in the NFL?

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Now that the media storm surrounding the NFL has died down I can talk logically about what happened. Well as everyone knows by now the Ray Rice video was released of him beating his wife inside the elevator (Caution: Video is graphic). That stirred up controversy right away and many people wanted him out of the NFL. Since then Rice has been suspended by the league indefinitely. The big question that people across the country keep asking is did the NFL already see this video? And if they didn't why did it take so long for them to see it? 

I find it hard to believe that the NFL never saw the footage that was released by TMZ. NFL is a multi-billion dollar corporation and should have had some way to get there hands on that tape. Also the police were involved in the investigation so between the NFL and the police department someone must have had seen this video. Now with that said many believe at first that Ray Rice's punishment wasn't enough for what he did in the first place. Remember the public only saw what happened outside the elevator and many felt based on the footage alone he should have been suspended about half of the season. Well the NFL took to lightly to the situation only giving Rice a two game suspension. That has come back to bite the NFL in the you know what.

So not long after this Rice video is shown publicly, Adrian Peterson starts popping up all over the news for child abuse. There have been reports of child abuse in the past from Peterson, but all have been brushed away. This time Peterson is caught in the middle of the media fire that Rice started up. There is also picture proof of what Peterson did to his kid and it is by no means okay. Keep in mind his child is only 4 years of age. According to many reports Peterson punishing his kid the way he did comes from a difference in background. What Peterson failed to understand is that he lives in a different generation. Physical punishments are unacceptable by the public which is why this put a bad image on the NFL. 

Domestic violence issues started occurring everywhere as soon as this happened. Greg Hardy has been put on the NFL exempt list until his legal issues are resolved. Ray McDonald, defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers was also brought up on domestic violence charges about a month ago and has not been punished in any way. McDonald has been in the 49ers lineup since the season began. 

Roger Goodell has addressed the media and the fans about the issue. Goodell apologized to the public for the issues surrounding the NFL and he was also sorry for how he handled the Ray Rice case. I'm not sure how many people bought the apology, but I know that one more slip up could cost the NFL big time. 

As of late the NFL has been fairly quiet on the issues that are going on off the field which is good. 

Where will Eric Bledsoe play next season?

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Bledsoe has gone silent this off-season and everyone wants to know where he will play next season. It seems like he may end up agreeing to a one year deal with Phoenix allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent next off-season. So unless the right trade comes along he will wear Suns uniform this season. Let's speculate on where Bledsoe could land next season.

The Phoenix Suns are the most likely landing spot for this athletic freak. He played well for the Suns last year and has a lot of potential to grow in a young star in the NBA. The only thing that is keeping from getting the max contract that he wants is his durability. Bledsoe played 43 games out of the 82 game season last year. Many are questioning if his knees can hold up after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus last year. He is very explosive player and relies on his athleticism. With his style of play it is very much possible that could sustain another injury to his knee which is why Phoenix isn't willing to give him a max contract because he could become a liability. Phoenix also already has a up and coming point guard Gorgan Dragic, who statistically had a better season then Bledsoe. So why is Bledsoe most likely going to end up in Phoenix, well it's simple the team's with the cap space to give him the max see the same risks. Also Phoenix could match any offer sheet he signs. Right now the only option Bledsoe has is to sign a one year deal that would extend his current contract and then he will become a free agent next year. This mean if Bledsoe performs well next season he could get the pay day he was looking for from any team. So Phoenix runs a greater risk of losing Bledsoe if signs his one year exception. 

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This doesn't mean all hope is lost because one team in the news a lot lately is willing to give him the max. That team is the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves have said they would offer Bledsoe a max contract if they had the cap space. This mean Minnesota has to clear cap room by trading players or they will need to do a sign and trade would be more likely to happen. I think that if the Timberwolves are able to attain Bledsoe they might just be able to make a playoff push. The great part for Minnesota is that Bledsoe is another young guy with high potential that can go along with Wiggins and LaVine who also have a lot o  potential. This could very well be the most athletic starting lineup in the league with Bledsoe in the mix. And if the Timberwolves have another bad season they can end up in the lottery an add another young piece to the puzzle. I would really like to see the Timberwolves make this happen. The person the Wolves would part with would most likely be Ricky Rubio, who has really had an up and down career thus far. Rubio horrible by any mean, but he hasn't lived up to the hype that surrounded him when he got drafted. I feel Bledsoe would be an upgrade from Rubio based on talent. The real question is would he fit in with the Timberwolves lineup? I'm not sure about this one because Rubio is a better Distributor then Bledsoe. That being said Bledsoe could possibly become a better passer if he is running the point instead of sharing it. He averaged 5.5 assists playing next to Dragic last year. Bledsoe is hands down a better scorer than Rubio almost doubling Rubio' s points per game.

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I have some other crazy scenarios that could happen, but most likely will not. 76ers give Bledsoe a contract offer. This won't happen because Micheal Carter-Williams is there future point guard. Also Philadelphia doesn't want any long term max contracts on there roster right now. Philadelphia is looking to tank again this season and end up right back in the lottery. That being said Philadelphia would help any team with sign in trades by taking back an expiring contract with a draft pick.
Another dream scenario. Rondo for Bledsoe in a sign in trade. I don't think Boston wants anything to do with Rondo and Phoenix probably don't want Rondo for one season.
I'm a big Nets fan of course I'm going to suggest the Nets do a sign a trade for Bledsoe. I don't think the Suns want Williams terrible contract if they aren't willing to give Bledsoe the max deal.

It's official Kevin Love is now a Cavalier

Saturday August 23rd Kevin Love officially became a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was probably the worst kept secret since LeBron James joined the Cleveland Cavilers, but now it is officially done and people can make much clearer predictions. Previously I felt that the Cavs could easily take second place in the East, but now with main components of the Cavaliers roster in place I would easily put them as the favorite to win the East. Also this greatly improves their chances of winning the NBA Finals. When Love joined the team they went from being a project that could take a couple years to a team that is ready to contend. 

Not only did adding Love increase the Cavaliers chances, but also the additions of Mike Miller, James Jones, and Shaun Marion helped. This adds some veteran talents to the roster which consisted of some younger guys. This team has a great mixture of vets, young guys, and all stars to make up a championship squad, but the question is how will they mesh on the court. Team chemistry will play a huge part in this upcoming season for the Cavaliers. Many questions will be answered like can Kyrie Irving play along side LeBron James and Kevin Love without crippling his own offensive game? Will the lack of deffensive ability from Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving allow other teams to score at will? Will Kyrie and Love take the some of the load off of Lebron's shoulders?

Teams like the Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, Bulls can all still be a threat to Cleveland, but it is hard to not call Cleveland the favorite. 

Cleveland will definitely be the team to watch this season. And it would be nice to see LeBron go up against Duncan in the finals with a new and improved Cavaliers team.

NBA off-season part 4

Cater hits game winning three in playoffs.

Shifting the attention over to the Western conference there as drastic of a difference as there is from last year. San Antonio has identically the same roster. The Clippers gained Spencer Hawes, but lost Darren Collison. The Thunder lost Thabo Sefolosha and Caron Butler. The Rockets lost Chandler Parsons, but added Trevor Ariza. Portland Added Chris Kaman. Golden State Added Shaun Livingston. Mostly minor transactions were made by the top six teams from last year. It is still hard to say where what team will end, but looking at these moves San Antonio is the clear favorite to win the West again.
Further down teams like Dallas and Memphis improved their rosters. Memphis added Vince Carter to provide a scoring punch off the bench. Dallas had great pick up in Chandler Parsons. They also added Jameer Nelson to deep point guard position. Also with the trade with New York they attained Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton. Felton hasn't amounted to much since his playing with the Bobcats and Chandler didn't have a good season last year, but maybe being back in Dallas will improve his mindset.
The Phoenix Suns are an interesting team to talk about. They are young and just barely missed the playoffs last season. They signed Isiah Thomas this summer and created a three guard rotation. They successfully ran a dual point guard line up last year and now with three point guards capable of starting they will always have the dual guard line up on the floor. Thomas has already committed to coming off the bench even though he believes he can start in the league. Phoenix adding another point guard is risky, but could pay off being able to always have two point guards on the floor while one takes a rest.

NBA off-season part 3

Nets looking for strong season from their three stars

Charlotte Hornets return in 2014

The next tier of teams to make the playoffs would be the Hornets, Nets and Knicks. Charlotte has a promising roster moving forward and can keep building on the trio of Al Jefferson, Kemba Walker and Lance Stephenson. Don't be surprised if the Hornets finish in the top 4 in the East this year.
The Nets are a wild card. It all depends on health. If the Nets can stay healthy they might move into the middle of the pack in the East, but with all the injuries this team has it is hard to stay positive. Deron Williams hasn't been the player he was since moving to Brooklyn and has had nagging ankle injuries. Brook Lopez has not played a full season since the 2010-2011 season. Doctors say Lopez is now at 100% and can resume all basketball activities.
That's great news for the Nets because Lopez is the best offensive center in the league.
Having his scoring ability by the hoop opens up shots for other guys on the team and will take the pressure of Joe Johnson and Deron Williams. This also lets Garnett move back to his original position which is the 4. The Nets have the potential to be a threat in the East, but there age hurts them. The window might have already closed on Brooklyn when Pierce walked out the door.

Phil Jackson as new President of
Basketball of operations for the Knicks

The Knicks managed to retain Carmelo Anthony which was the primary goal for New York this off-season. The funny thing is there are a lot of payers the Knicks would like to let go of. Phil Jackson tried to trade away Amare Stoudemire's expiring contract. The Knicks by no means have a bad roster, but the same could be said for last year's team and they missed the playoffs. With Phil Jackson now running the show there is no doubt the Knicks will make the playoffs it's just the matter of how good they will be.

Ray Rice publicly apologizes to his wife

Ray Rice has been a hot topic as of late in the NFL and for the wrong reason. Ray Rice was caught on a security camera in Atlantic City back in February. What was seen on the footage was Rice dragging his wife out of an elevator. It's believed that Rice hit his wife in the elevator knocking her out.
Rice first had a press conference with his wife by his side. This press conference was very awkward considering they didn't look at each other once. They definitely didn't look like a couple. Also Ray Rice gave apologies to everyone, but his wife who was right next to him. He seemed to make it all about him and not their relationship. He also didn't say anything about what had happened. After he was done talking his wife apologized when there seemed to be no reason for her to.
Just a few days ago Ray Rice had another interview where he apologized to his wife publicly and he also used the words domestic violence. It's seemed that he was owning what he did, but the one thing that ultimately made me think he didn't fully own it was the fact he wouldn't talk about what happened in the elevator. Now that is between him and his wife, but it would be nice to know why he'd hit her so hard that she would be unconscious coming out of the elevator.
The NFL has decided to suspend Ray Rice 2 games for his actions. Roger Goodell strongly supports the decision made. Goodell stated that based on other disciplinary actions taken in the past that this action against Ray Rice is on par. The argument is that a player like Josh Gordon gets suspended for a whole season for smoking marijuana where as Rice only gets to games for beating his wife. Neither is good, but in Rice's case he goes against something that women's rights activist have been fighting for a long time now. Many people outside the NFL feel that Rice's punishment wasn't harsh enough and it seems like no one is willing to make him pay for what he did. 

Should NBA players play for team USA?

Paul George pumping up the crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Photo credit: lakersnation.com

If you haven't heard yet, Paul George suffered a very serious leg injury last night playing in a team USA scrimmage in Las Vegas. George who is an up and coming superstar in the league had a break out season last year. Through the first half of the season he was even considered to be in the running for MVP. George was also already penciled in as the starting small forward for team USA.
Last night George was chasing down James Harden who got out on a fast break after a steal by Kevin Durant. George hustled back and tried to block his shot when his leg got stuck between the floor and the basket stanchion which resulted in a open tibia-fibula fracture. His teammates looked down at him in disbelief and some couldn't stomach the scene. The word is George will most likely miss all of next season. That's disappointing to anyone who is a basketball fan.
With all that said should the NBA's elite be competing in international play during the summer? The truth is that it's up to the players. The players choose whether or not they want to play in international play and that won't change. This is what these guys do for a living, they love to play basketball. It's not just FIBA and the Olympics that these players do in the off-season. NBA players play in pro-am's, charity events, street ball events, etc. A player can get hurt doing any of these things or just a simple work out. What happened to Paul George was a freak accident, but it just so happens that it happened in a team USA jersey and it was broadcast on national television. That why this question is brought up.
Fans of specific teams like to see there guys represent the USA. I can tell you as a Nets fan I enjoyed watching Deron Williams play in the 2012 Olympics. Of course I was worried about him getting hurt, but I loved watching every moment he was on the floor. I'm sure Pacers fans were enjoying every moment George was on the floor up until his injury.

Everyone is wishing Paul George a speedy recovery and we are all looking forward to him getting back on the court.

NBA off-season part 2

Wade and Bosh forming a dynamic duo going forward.

After Chicago, Cleveland, and Indiana I would say Miami and Washington are next. Just because Miami has more experienced players and won the East last year I'll give them the nudge over Washington. The story this off-season is how Miami lost King James. It makes sense because no team can recover from losing a player of LeBron's caliber. Well then a Heat fan would say Chris Bosh got way over paid. I agree, but the counter argument is that Bosh is still a productive player and can still be a number two option on a team. After all the dust settled Miami brought back Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers, Chris Anderson, and Udonis Haslem. They also added new role players in Danny Granger, Josh McRoberts, Loul Deng and Shabazz Napier. Deng didn't have his best season last year, but he can still score the ball and defend his position. Napier is a young athletic, scoring guard who has proven his worth while playing at UConn. McRoberts had one of his best seasons last year and gives Miami another stretch four.

John Wall in 2014 slam dunk contest.

The Wizards are a young athletic team that has a blossoming star in John Wall. The Wizards finished 5th in the conference last year and could potentially end up higher this year. They lost Trevor Ariza who could stretch the floor and defend his position well, but the added Paul Pierce who is a veteran that can still produce on offense and can defend when needed. The Wizards also added Kris Humphries to their bench. Humphries had a very forgetful season last year with the Celtics only 8.4 points per game (ppg) and 5.9 rebounds per game (rpg). Hopefully Humphries will be rejuvenated and average double figure points and more rebounds. The Wizards are a young team on the rise and also added many veterans to the roster. They brought back Marcin Gortat who has played well for the Wizards averaging 13.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 1.5 blocks per game. They also brought in DeJuan Blair who played for the Mavericks last season averaging 6.4 ppg and 4.7 rpg off the bench. They also brought back Drew Gooden and Added Paul Pierce for that veteran experience.

NBA off-season part 1

Derrick Rose goes dunks on Gorgan Dragic

The NBA has had another historic off-season and it will lead to a change in power in both conferences. The most notable change will come in the Eastern Conference where LeBron James has elected to reunite with the Cleveland Cavilers and form a homecoming never before seen in professional sports. James decision to head home causes a huge shake up in power in the Eastern Conference.
Suddenly the Bulls have become the favorite to win the East this year and rightfully so. The Bulls added Pau Gasol to provide offense to an offensively challenged team. Last season Gasol averaged a career high in rebounds per game and can be a great role player on the right team. The Bulls are now easily the favorite to win the Eastern Conference assuming that Derrick Rose stays healthy and returns to MVP level of play. The Bulls also added to there offense by drafting Doug McDermott and signing Nikola Mirotic. Both players can stretch the floor and added to the depth of Chicago's bench.

LeBron James decided he will revert back to number 23

Right now the second seed is wide open. I want to say the Cavaliers will finish second in the conference, but there are a few teams in the East that could finish above the Cavaliers and it wouldn't be too much of a shock. No one knows what to expect from a young squad like Cleveland. Adding LeBron James doesn't change the fact that Cleveland was 33-49 last season when they were expected to be playoff bound at the beginning of the season. The Cavaliers will make the playoffs this year, but where they end the season depends on many factors. Let's just say Cleveland would Love to be at the top of the conference.

Lance Stephson and George Hill after missed call

Indiana proved at the beginning of last they weren't messing around. Then they fell apart. Some like to blame the youth of Indiana for there collapse, but in reality they should have never had to battle for the one seed as hard as they did. Putting the regular season aside Indiana did make it to the Eastern Conference finals, but only to fall once again to the Miami Heat. It's hard to say Indiana isn't the favorite to win the East this year, but that's the truth. They lost Lance Stephenson and that alone is why they won't be the favorite. Stephenson provided the Pacers with instant offense and had one his best seasons so far as a pro. Indiana signed much needed role players in free agency, but lost a major piece to the puzzle.