We already told you who we believe will make the playoffs in the Western Conference. The picture in the Eastern Conference is a bit different. Just like the West, the East has six teams that are locks to play in May. They are the defending champion Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, who last season weren’t in (a) Brooklyn or (b) the playoffs. You can find whatever real or imagined faults you’d like with those
Basketball is an increasingly global game, and more worldwide flavor is on the way for the 2012-2013 NBA season. One or more foreigners will soon be playing at an arena near you, and these international men of mystery shall remain enigmas no longer. With a wide range of youngsters and seasoned veterans heading to the NBA for their rookie seasons, this year’s international rookie crop should provide some interesting additions to the league. They come in all sizes and shapes, some are young
I do not usually write our blog, leaving that task in the capable hands of our bloggers, Jim Park and Dan Malone. But I also do not usually watch the Olympics on TV, especially not on NBC. I haven’t been on by sofa watching the Olympics since 1992, and back then I believe my sofa might have been a futon. But here I am back in New York after ditching the idea of going to London as uncredentialed media in the
Russia’s done it with force, Spain with savvy, Team USA with unparalleled athleticism and Brazil with—well, Brazil’s undefeated, too. The South Americans barely snuck by the Aussies in the opener and withstood an indescribably impotent, four-point first quarter to keep Great Britain winless in game two. Thanks to that soft schedule and the even softer touch on Marcelinho Huertas’ floaters, Ruben Magnano’s squad are among the four teams with zeroes in the loss column. The ranks of the undefeated will shrink by
Kostas Papanikolau of Greece, the 2nd-round draft pick of the New York Knicks in 2012 Olympic basketball begins today … sort of. And all those New York Knicks fans who are wondering about their new draft pick, Kostas Papanikolau, will likely get a chance to see him later this summer against Team USA. Greece is one of the favorites in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament that begins today in Venezuela, and there are more familiar faces for NBA fans
BARCELONA — When it comes to finding NBA talent in Europe, the Eastern Conference is admittedly a step or two behind the West. General managers such as San Antonio’s R.C. Buford and Houston’s Daryl Morey have a knack for squeezing value out of overseas talent they’ve either drafted or acquired for picks and cash. Now the East is making a comeback, hitching their wagon to quality instead of quantity. So while the Spurs and Rockets’ combined 12 rights-held players are more than
While the Toronto Raptors are struggling to get through the season, their star prospect has been thriving in Lithuania. So much so, that perhaps the Raptors should consider moving Andrea Bargnani prior to the trade deadline. Jonas Valanciunas, the 6’11” center that the Raptors selected with the 5th pick in the draft last June, has been excellent this season for Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius of Lithuania this season. This past week, Valanciunas showed off his outrageous personality during the Lithuanian All-Star game, dressing
BARCELONA — In a couple of years, Augustinas Jankaitis might be a name NBA fans can get excited about. A 6’7″ forward for Lietuvos Rytas who’d rather dribble through you than around you, the Lithuanian has already garnered attention from draftniks far and wide for his versatility and toughness. Yesterday, Jankaitis led Lietuvos Rytas’ junior team to a 72-68 win over Barcelona for first place in the 2012 Ciutat de L’Hospitalet Junior Tournament. Then, he held in his hands much more tangible evidence