In a teleconference last week, we asked NBA analysts Chris Webber and Greg Anthony to pick a Western Conference team which missed the playoffs last season but will make the playoffs this season. “Dallas, mainly because of Dirk Nowitzki,” Webber said. “He’ll be back healthy. What he does, with spacing, getting guys involved … We take his game for granted.” “I would go with the Pelicans,” Anthony said. “I think that’s a team that could make sizeable leaps and surprise a lot
With NBA training camps now open, every team will be using October to try to answer questions about their rosters. But for teams with injured stars, the questions have greater significance. Like, how long can the Lakers stay afloat without Kobe Bryant? Is Danny Granger going to come off the bench for the Pacers? Are the Warriors really a better team without David Lee? No less than nine current or former All-Stars will start the 2013-14 season with doubt swirling around them because they
In today’s NBA news, Kings center DeMarcus Cousins gets a big contract extension, and we still have no timetable on when Danilo Gallinari will return from his knee injury. [Read more…]
After a seemingly endless dead period of NBA news, the 2013-’14 season is lurking right around the corner. Training camp is in sight, and players are starting to reappear back on the map. And with that, let’s get right to it. Here’s today’s latest from around the NBA. We’ll start in New York, which will be home to this seasons hottest rivalry: Knicks vs. Nets. [Read more…]
The San Antonio Spurs might be in trouble. On the surface, things appear to be OK. The Spurs have executed their defensive game plan, which is to turn LeBron James into a passer. They have prevented the Miami Heat from turning either game into an extended relay race. And most important, they secured a split of the first two games as the road team, which is practically mandatory in the 2-3-2 format of the NBA Finals. Beneath the surface, however, the Spurs
The Golden State Warriors are one of the surprise playoffs teams out of the Western Conference this season. Expected in the preseason to make noise if – and only if – Andrew Bogut stayed healthy, the team appeared destined for a rough start when it was reported that Bogut could miss a big chunk of the season – and he did – due to an unstable ankle that needed more time to heal than expected. Despite his absence, however, the Warriors found
Monday night was all about the National Championship game between Louisville and Michigan, and rightfully so. This was one game no basketball fan should have missed. Check out the details of the amazing game, along with players’ reactions here. Back to the NBA: with the season winding down, there are plenty of questions to wonder about. Will the Los Angeles Lakers make the playoffs this season? Who will be the Coach of the Year? Can Carmelo Anthony hold off Kevin Durant
Danilo Gallinari’s season-ending injury this week put the Denver Nuggets in a club whose membership seems to get larger every day. Playoff teams missing key players. There are very few teams who will be at full strength when the playoffs start two weekends from now. But two of those teams are last year’s NBA Finals combatants, which could make for a relatively mundane postseason. [Read more…]