I was on SN590 The Fan in Toronto with Tim Micallef and Sid Seixeiro on Monday afternoon. The topics centered around the NBA in Florida, where kids play baseball year-round and football players grow on trees. I told Tim and Sid that I think Dwight Howard and the Magic can push the Heat to seven games in a playoff series. I also said that while Derek Fisher wants to play for the Heat, they may be better served by a big man. We
When he met reporters before Sunday night’s game, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was asked if the Orlando Magic are a title contender. “Absolutely,” the coach replied. “There is no doubt about it. Anytime you have an MVP candidate like (Dwight Howard) and then personnel that fits, you’re a contender.” Writers covering both teams took that quote and ran with it, but not in the way you might expect. In Orlando, Spoelstra was taken with a grain of salt. From Josh Robbins of the
The Denver Nuggets on Sunday waived center Ronny Turiaf, who should attract some interest from playoff contenders. Turiaf began the season with the New York Knicks, who dealt him to the Washington Wizards as part of the Tyson Chandler deal. He played just four games before breaking his hand and was included in Thursday’s three-team deal that landed Nene in Washington. The 6-10 Turiaf has played backup center minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State, New York and Washington in a
In-state rivals clash Sunday when the Orlando Magic take their big one to Miami to play the Heat’s big three. Miami has been a monster at home, going 18-2 and winning its last 12 at American Airlines Arena, allowing just 89.3 points during the streak. The Magic are 13-9 on the road and have won four of their last five behind a hot-shooting Jameer Nelson (27-of-44 from the floor in his last four games). Dwight Howard, the NBA’s leading rebounder (15.0), has tortured
For so many years, Monta Ellis had been the subject of trade rumors. Although he was always in discussions, the team could never find the guts to trade the face of its franchise. Until this season. Under the new leadership of owner Joe Lacob, changes were finally made when the Warriors broke up the small back court of Stephen Curry and Ellis. One of the final pieces of the Cohen era, Ellis was traded along with Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown to the
CHICAGO — It’s impossible to watch a Bulls-Heat game without daydreaming about an Eastern Conference Finals rematch. Ever since the two teams played that five-game series a year ago, it has to be the first thought that comes to mind whenever they’re on the same court. The media treats it that way, the United Center on Wednesday night had a postseason buzz, and if you were to give a dose of truth serum to players from both teams, you’d surely get
If recent history is of any indication, tonight’s matchup between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference promises to be a close contest filled with intensity and playoff atmosphere. The two rivals meet in another rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals as the two-time MVP LeBron James and the Miami Heat visit the reigning MVP, Derrick Rose, and the Chicago Bulls in tonight’s best game. Last season, Chicago took all three meetings between the teams in the regular season
Orlando Magic Chief Executive Officer Alex Martins indicated Sunday that the team has not decided whether it will trade Dwight Howard before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday afternoon.The Magic face one of the most momentous personnel decisions in franchise history: Do they trade the best center in the sport before the deadline to ensure they receive assets in return or do they hold onto Howard and accept the risk that he could sign a free-agent contract with another team