// You received a sampling of my NBA picks yesterday in this video I produced for the CineSport network, and today the U.S.-based columnists from SheridanHoops.com are adding their voices. So without further ado, here are our guys’ picks for Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Coach of the Year, Eastern Conference championb, Western Conference champion and NBA champion: JAN HUBBARD MVP: Chris Paul Rookie of the Year: Kemba Walker Most Improved: DeAndre Jordan Coach of the Year: Gregg Popovich East champs: Miami
Gibson Column: Krstic, Weems among Euroleague’s best
BARCELONA — After nine weeks and 108 games, the final session of the Euroleague’s regular season tipped off with four Top 16 slots still empty, and eight teams vying to fill them. Fenerbahce Ulker bested Cantu 83-76 and Bilbao took care of Caja Laboral 77-72, leaving the Basque powers out in the cold after seven straight trips to the quarterfinals. In Group B, Zalgiris tucked Ty Lawson and their organizational turmoil under the rug long enough to end Zagreb’s season with an 87-76 victory, while
Hamilton column: D’Antoni on hot seat
NEW YORK — The city that never sleeps is also the cauldron that never cools. At least, that’s the case when Knicks fans don’t have your back. Welcome to the world of Mike D’Antoni. After three full seasons as the coach of the New York Knicks, D’Antoni is 103-143, has one playoff berth, zero playoff wins, and the hottest coaching seat in the NBA. Maybe even in all of professional sports. From day one, Knicks fans have never fully embraced D’Antoni or his
Kobe Bryant expects to play Sunday
As you can see from that video, it was a quiet night in the NBA as the final two exhibition games were played, Denver defeating Phoenix by 25 points despite playing without Nene, Ty Lawson, Al Harrington and Rudy Fernandez, and Atlanta defeating Charlotte by 17 despite a combined 0-for-7 performance off the bench by Tracy McGrady (0-for-4) and Jerry Stackhouse (0-for-3). So, ready or not, the 66-game NBA season is about to begin. And when then quintupleheader happens Sunday, Kobe Bryant
Predictions: Bulls will win title; Kemba Walker will be ROY
I am on the Bulls bandwagon, I think they’ll play (and defeat) the Thunder or the Grizzlies in the NBA finals, I think the MVP debate is shaping up this preseason as a three-way race between Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Derrick Rose, and I’ve got Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats as my Rookie of the Year. The rest of the columnists at SheridanHoops.com will weigh in with their predictions tomorrow. Here is more on my 2011-12 season predictions: //
Nets acquire Okur from Utah after learning Lopez is out
Gotta hand it to Billy King. He moved fast on what had been a day of devastating news. The general manager of the New Jersey Nets reacted swiftly and may have gotten an unbelievable bargain by acquiring center Mehmet Okur from the Utah Jazz for the paltry price of a second-round draft pick. This came just a couple hours after the Nets announced that center Brook Lopez had suffered a stress fracture of the fifth metacarpal in his right foot that will
Bernucca column: “Derrick Rose Rule” lets fans hold the purse strings
Unlike Allan Houston and the “Allan Houston Rule,” it was fitting that Derrick Rose was the first player to benefit from the “Derrick Rose Rule,” a provision in the new collective bargaining agreement that makes a player completing his rookie deal eligible for 30 percent of the salary cap as a max salary if he meets certain criteria. Beginning with the 2012-13 season, Rose will receive nearly $95 million over the next five years. That’s about $11 million more than he
The Bernucca List – Edition IV
We may have to start making these a bit tougher. Three readers nailed the right answer to last week’s edition of The Bernucca List, which was Team USA’s 2002 World Championships roster, a squad that finished a resounding sixth despite owning home-court advantage. Reader Little Al gets extra credit for adding Nick Collison as an alternate. Edition IV is below. Know the answer? Tweet it to me or post a comment. The Bernucca List Earl Barron Derrick Brown Jonathan Bender Joe Crawford J.R. Giddens Eddie House Larry Hughes Marcus Landry Tracy McGrady Darko