The Chicago Bulls introduced their two new big men Friday. [AP Photo/M. Spencer Green]It’s official. The Chicago Bulls are now, barring Kevin Love being traded from Minnesota to Cleveland, the top threat to win the Eastern Conference in 2014-15. For a team that was highly competitive and amongst the best defensive squads in the league without star point guard Derrick Rose, they have gotten deeper and better. Beyond the added scoring that they’ll get from incoming rookie Doug
Yes, there are still free agents out there and teams still have slots to fill. But most of the big names are gone, and most of the contenders are done reloading, retooling or rebuilding for the 2014-15 season. With that in mind, here is another edition of the Three-Man Weave, looking specifically at the balance of power in the Eastern Conference and how it has shifted. 1. Which team is the favorite in the Eastern Conference? [Read more…]
Paul George has a concussion and cannot play again until cleared by the NBA’s protocol. Indiana’s best all-around player, George took a knee to the head from Miami’s Dwyane Wade in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s Game 2 loss. According to the Pacers, he showed no signs of a concussion when he was examined by the team’s medical staff immediately after the play. George was aware of his surroundings and told the staff he felt no dizziness, nausea or vision issues. However,
Mike Brown is out after just one year as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The only question is, who fired him? Brown’s firing was announced in a joint news release that also announced that David Griffin – who replaced fired GM Chris Grant in midseason – would have the interim tag removed from his title and become the general manager. But when it came to Brown’s ouster, the first quote was attributed to owner Dan Gilbert, who is learning that life after
The NBA Playoffs have started. The first game of the day on Saturday saw the Toronto Raptors give the Brooklyn Nets a 1-0 lead in the series between the 3- and 6- seeds in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors committed 17 turnovers in a seven-point 94-87 loss. It was a physical contest, marred by 42 total fouls. However, if you thought the officials let loose with the whistles in the first game, you may have missed the second game. Game 2 of the
Believe it or not, there’s someone out there who doesn’t think the Indiana Pacers are coming apart at the seams. “Everybody goes through this,” Spurs guard Tony Parker said last week after San Antonio manhandled Indiana, 103-77, on the Pacers’ home court. “I’m not worried about them. They’ll still make it to the Eastern Conference finals and they’ll still play Miami.” Parker is somewhat right. From time to time, every championship contender has a stretch during a season where they look ordinary.
Everything is bigger in Texas. Including losing streaks. And the Philadelphia 76ers are on the verge of the biggest losing streak in NBA history. After a couple of relatively narrow losses in which they were more competitive and provided a smidgen of hope for their suffering fans, the Sixers are back to normal and getting clobbered again. Philadelphia is up to 25 straight losses as it prepares for Thursday’s game at Houston. Another loss will tie the 76ers with the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers for the
I don’t like the NCAA Tournament. I don’t like that college basketball’s regular season provides little postseason incentive. I don’t like that the coach is a bigger personality than the players. I don’t like that the games are played on neutral courts. I don’t like that one bad game or bad call or bad break can end a team’s season. I don’t like that “close” becomes a synonym for “well-played.” And I don’t like that poor play determines the outcome much