After spending last year in Spain, Lucas Nogueira is preparing for his first NBA season. Lucas Nogueira, the Brazilian center that the undersized Atlanta Hawks shipped to the Toronto Raptors with Lou Williams for John Salmons and a second-round draft pick, is training with Hall of Fame center and two-time NBA Champion Hakeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon, otherwise known as “Hakeem the Dream” — widely known for his indefensible “Dream Shake” in the low post, has helped many NBA athletes
Some prominent NBA athletes are still recuperating from injuries, taking necessary time off to recover, heal and rest from weariness and prolonged seasons that may have gone deep in the playoffs. Some, like Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, among others, are in Brazil enjoying the 2014 FIFA World Cup. There are plenty, like LeBron James, who are on vacation, spending time with their families. Still, there are those who are already hard at work, trying to improve for the 2014-15 NBA season.
There have been plenty of speculation on whether the “Big Three” in Miami will remain intact beyond this season. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all have the ability to exercise an early termination option for next season to become unrestricted free agents. What they decide may depend largely on what happens in the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, but there is another plan possibly in play. Make it the “Big Four” by bringing in Carmelo Anthony. It almost sounds crazy,
With only one game left to go on the season, the Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 130-120 on Monday to win 50 games for the first time since the 1993-94 season, when they finished with a 50-32 record. With the victory, the Warriors assured themselves of a first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. It’s an amazing accomplishment for a franchise that has struggled for so long, and it shows a clear sign
“Nobody was expecting this,” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said of his team missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010. “At the beginning of the season, nobody ever thought we’d be in this situation, in this position that we’re in right now,” said star forward Carmelo Anthony, who will not play in the postseason for the first time in his 11 year career. After coming into last year’s postseason as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, the New
With one week left in the NBA regular season, the pressure is on for two Eastern Conference teams and four Western Conference teams fighting for the final playoff spots. Millions will intently watch what transpires over the next seven days as teams face must-win games, and the effort and intensity pick up. Each of these half-dozen teams have a player who will greatly impact the fate of their clubs the rest of the way. [Read more…]
NEW YORK — For Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony, making the playoffs is all that matters. The same can be said for coach Mike Woodson. However, after a heartbreaking one-point loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday night, the Knicks find themselves one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final playoff spot — and two games behind in the loss column — with only five remaining games. Anthony’s desire to reach the postseason is understandable. Since entering the NBA as part of the
When the Houston Rockets have their full starting lineup intact, they are capable of being one of the best teams in the league. Since late January, they have won 19 of the last 24 games and have established an identity as a team to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, their hopes of being a powerhouse in the West in the playoffs took a major hit on Friday with the news that point guard Patrick Beverley could miss the remainder of the season