Archives for September 2013

Tweet of the Day: Magic Johnson Supportive of Shaq Joining Kings

September 24, 2013 by Michael Brumagin

News broke Monday that Shaquille O’Neal had bought a minority stake in the Sacramento Kings. While some may question the move, considering Shaq’s past battles with the Kings in the early 2000s, Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson is onboard. Congrats to former Laker and 4x NBA Champion @SHAQ on becoming a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings! — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) September 24, 2013 Owner Vivek Ranadive , you brought in a great champion, leader and somebody who can bring the community

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Evening News: Kidd expects Johnson – not Pierce – to be Nets’ go-to scorer; 2016 All-Star Game to Toronto

September 24, 2013 by Jacob Eisenberg

In today’s news, Jason Kidd opened up a about his offensive strategy at the end of close games. Also, the NBA is nearing an decision that will take the 2016 All-Star Game north of the border. Kidd expects Nets to use Johnson as closer Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports Nets coach Jason Kidd expects to call plays for Joe Johnson at the end of close games in the upcoming season. Despite the Nets’ acquisition of Paul Pierce — a

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Pacific Division 2013-14 Team-by-Team Season Previews

September 24, 2013 by Chris Sheridan

Attention Lakers fans: Andrew Wiggins’ first game for Kansas is Oct. 29 against Pittsburg State. A couple weeks later, he goes up against Mike Krzyzewski and Duke at the Champions Classic in Chicago. He could be all yours, Lakers Nation, if the ping-pong balls drop correctly. And pick your own theory about which superstar free agent is going to come running to play alongside him and Kobe Bryant. We have heard all the speculation – everyone from LeBron James (ain’t happening)

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Southwest Division 2013-14 Team-By-Team Season Previews

September 24, 2013 by Chris Sheridan

This is the home of the defending NBA champions. No, Gregg Popovich, we haven’t forgiven you for blowing Game 6. This podcast, one of the better anti-Popovich rants you’ll hear, might only be topped by this Popovich bashfest. Ah, we sure were spunky back in late June. Well, the only key guy missing from last season’s Spurs (aside from Pop’s two top assistants, who moved on to bigger and better things) is Gary Neal, who has been replaced by Marco Belinelli, which

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Northwest Division 2013-14 Team-by-Team Season Previews

September 24, 2013 by Chris Sheridan

When are folks going to stop picking on Oklahoma City’s Sam Presti and Clay Bennett for trading James Harden? Not any time soon around here. Exhibit A is this outstanding column by Chris Bernucca, and Exhibit B will be seen nearly every week in my Power Rankings. Perhaps sometime in the next 5-10 years, we’ll let it go. But to break up a championship-caliber team and end up with nothing but Jeremy Lamb in return is borderline nauseating. Let’s face it: If

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Southeast Division 2013-14 Team-by-Team Previews

September 24, 2013 by Chris Sheridan

Nothing matters in this division, or in the entire NBA for that matter, until June. That’s when we’ll have our answer: Were the Miami Heat good enough to three-peat? That is the first question on people’s minds as we head into the upcoming season, and it brings to mind the following question: If the Heat don’t three-peat, will the Big Three go their separate ways? LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all have opt-outs in their contracts, and all are a

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Central Division 2013-14 Team-by-Team Previews

September 24, 2013 by Chris Sheridan

This could be the league’s toughest division from a 1-2 standpoint, as outlined in our August Power Rankings. Adding Luis Scola, not to mention Chris Copeland, for the price of next to nothing amounted to balance-tipping moves by Indiana Pacers executives Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird. Remember, these guys took the Miami Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals – and they did it with Tyler Hansbrough and Gerald Green as two primary options off the bench. Throw that

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Atlantic Division 2013-14 Team-by-Team Previews

September 24, 2013 by Chris Sheridan

This summer included a war of words between the Knicks’ hot-shooting, weed-smoking(?) Sixth Man of the Year, J.R. Smith, and a new rival from across the river, Paul Pierce, who will be wearing a color other than green for the first time in his career. Can’t wait until Kevin Garnett and Metta World Peace get in on the trash talk, because both are better spoken than their aforementioned counterparts. The signing of a Russian (Andrei Kirilenko) by a Russian (Mikhail Prokhorov)

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