31. Charlotte Bobcats – John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt Jenkins is one of the top shooters in the draft and the Bobcats sorely lack talent. If Jenkins falls to the second round, he is a steal. 32. Washington Wizards – Will Barton, SG, Memphis Barton can give the Wizards the spacing they need to allow John Wall to slash. Another wing that could easily go in the 20’s. 33. Cleveland Cavaliers – Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt Cleveland has no true center on their roster, and Ezeli
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Miami Heat’s lead was down to 4, the shot clock was at 5 and Shane Battier was about to set a screen for Dwyane Wade at the top of the key. But he slip-screened, backed up, got his hands ready, set his feet and let the ball fly. “I was just trying to get it on the rim, to be honest with you,” explained the do-it-all forward. “The shot clock was low, (Kevin) Durant was in my
If there is one thing we have learned over the past couple of years about Jim Buss, the son of owner Jerry Buss, is that since taking greater control of the team’s personnel moves, he is loyal to the guys he has brought into the Lakers organization. The old-timers in the organization? A bunch of them have been let go in the past two years. Even before that, when the Lakers had a chance to trade Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd
Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden ran away with the Sixth Man Award, receiving all but four of the 119 first-place votes. In voting released Thursday by the NBA, Harden received 584 of a possible 595 points. He received 115 first-place votes, three second-place votes and inexplicably was left off one ballot. Points were on a 5-3-1 basis and sportswriters and broadcasters in the United States and Canada had ballots. Harden played 62 games and came off the bench in
KNICKS/HEAT There will be no more professional basketball in New York City, at least until next season as the Knicks fall to the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first round series on Wednesday night in Miami, 106-94. LeBr0n James had 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade both scored 19 points. Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points for the Knicks. Anthony has played 54 postseason games, being part of wins only 17 times. Amare Stoudemire scored 14 points, Landry Fields and J.R. Smith both added 12,Mike
NEWS Chicago, Miami and Oklahoma City will open the NBA playoffs Saturday, though their opponents are still to be determined. Thunder guard James Harden has been cleared to play after recovering from the concussion he suffered when the Los Angeles Lakers’ Metta World Peace elbowed him in the back of the head. NOTES The NBA on Thursday announced that Rose’s jersey is the most popular, based on sales at the temporary NBA Store on Fifth Avenue and on NBAStore.com from April 2011 to present. Chicago
