With week one of the NBA season officially in the books, there is a lot to discuss. Although the season is still young — and it is important to keep that in mind when critiquing a team, player or coach — there are some truths that have been revealed. Before we get to today’s top stories, here’s a few quick hitters: [Read more…]
BROOKLYN– Brad Stevens is new to the NBA, and the Boston Celtics have had to grow familiar with his brand of coaching over the course of training camp and the preseason. With just about two weeks before the start of the season – and a new era for the franchise – the Celtics seem pleased with the progress the team is making under Stevens’ early stewardship. If general manager Danny Ainge’s plan for the franchise is for the rookie coach to grow
Who is crashing the playoff party in the East this season? Conventional wisdom says the two-time defending champion Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are head and shoulders above the rest of the Eastern Conference and – barring a disaster – will secure the top five spots. At the other end of the conference, you can probably toss out the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Bobcats and Philadelphia 76ers, who could pool their rosters to come up with
Two significant things will happen this NBA season: David Stern will step down as commissioner, probably five years too late. And for the first time in 20 years, the 76ers, Celtics and Lakers all will be out of the playoffs. We know the first to be true. The second is pure conjecture, but it’s more likely than not that three of the top NBA franchises in terms of tradition, history, titles and outsized personalities will be booking trips to ping-pong festivities
In today’s news, a Cleveland beat writer gave insight on the Cavaliers’ 2014 free agency plans, Brad Stevens revealed updates on Rajon Rondo’s recovery timetable, and the Brooklyn Nets got cleared of any wrongdoing in the Andrei Kirilenko free agent signing. Cavaliers not expecting LeBron James to return Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer reports that the Cavaliers are not anticipating a reunion with LeBron James next summer in free agency. Speculation around the league has persisted that James would consider
For the longest time, the only basketball I watched was college basketball. Growing up in Baltimore, there was no real “home” team in the NBA. The closest was the Wizards, and I could never really get behind a DC team like a Baltimore team. But the University of Maryland fit like a glove. They were good, they were fun to watch, and best of all, they were my home team. I even ended up going to the same high school
Six years ago, the Boston Celtics opened what was supposed to be a three-year championship window after the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Along with Paul Pierce, the new “Big Three” won one title and could have won two more if they had remained healthy. Like NASA getting extended use out of an aging Mars Rover, the Celtics trudged along as contenders for a few more years. The three-year window was open for a fourth year. Then a fifth.
Today’s blog, for the second day in a row, includes Raymond Felton commenting on the Nets. [Read more…]