We’re in the closing stages of the NBA season, with only a handful of playoff spots (and realistically, just one) still up for grabs. Beyond that, it’s a battle for seeding for the teams that are in the playoffs, and time to look ahead to the offseason for the rest of them. Today’s blog has a lot of stuff to do with that offseason, but of course we’ve got the playoffs to look forward to first, the most fun time of year in the NBA.
First, though, make sure you check out Moke Hamilton’s column on an upcoming battle between two of the NBA’s marquee superstars. Melo vs. Durant is one you should not miss. And in some draft news, have you heard about the 6’10 PG out of Greece who has Danny Ainge flying across the Atlantic?
Now here’s all the latest NBA news and rumors, fresh off the internet presses.
Marc Stein’s latest Weekend Dime at ESPN.com is a really good look at the NBA coaching carousel, and just how many teams could be riding it this offseason. Here’s one snippet: “If you listen to sports-talk radio in Los Angeles, chances are you see Mike D’Antoni as the Staples Center coach in the deepest trouble. Especially after all those “We want Phil” chants during Shaquille O’Neal’s jersey retirement. The reality is that it would likely take something way more drastic — Dwight Howard, for example, telling the Lakers that he won’t re-sign as a free agent if D’Antoni stays — for the Lakers to change coaches again this soon. (There are plenty of L.A. insiders, for the record, who would argue that Dwight won’t have as much say on bench matters, even as he heads to free agency on July 1, as Chris Paul across the hall.) Even missing the playoffs entirely, which remains an eventuality all too real for the Lakers, wouldn’t automatically doom D’Antoni. Not when he had to coach an old and injury-riddled team without the benefit of a training camp. And not with the Lakers widely expected to slice player payroll next season and thus are believed to have little interest in spending top dollar on yet another coach while paying D’Antoni and Mike Brown. It should be clear by now, with this bunch, that there are no guarantees. So we wouldn’t dare suggest that D’Antoni is unequivocally safe. Things could change quickly if the playoffs, assuming the Lakers get there, get ugly. There’s also no denying that speculation about Phil returning to the organization — either in a front-office role alongside Jeanie Buss, with Brian Shaw on the bench, or with Phil coaching for a brief time before handing off to Shaw — won’t go away. At this juncture, though, most signs point to D’Antoni returning next season and indeed getting that shot to not only have training camp but also a healthier roster.”
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