Bleacher Report - Articles by Sean Stancill

Rocket Power: Aaron Brooks Helping Lift Houston Early On

Sean Stancill — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:54:51 -0500

Ironically, the smallest man of on the court played the biggest part in his team's victory. Aaron Brooks scored a game-high 22 points including three 3-pointers in the Rockets' 102-85 road victory over the Clippers.

He also added 4 assists which is significant considering the Rockets are 10-1 in his three years when Brooks scores at least 22 points along with 4 assists. He stabilized Houston early on—who were playing the second of back-to-back on the road—accounting for 15 of the game's first 33 points through a variety of ways including two 3-pointers, two lay-ups, and two assists among others.

He went on to convert his first eight field goal attempts en route to his fifth game of 20 points or more on the season (the highest of any guard in the Southwest Division not named Chris Paul).

However his contributions didn't end from there as they also spilled over to the defensive side of the ball as well.

Brooks also did a solid job of defending the much bigger Rasual Butler in the post in the 3rd on a series of sequences, yielding only two points while forcing Butler to take three highly contested jumpers. By contrast, Brooks who stands at 6-0 and and was out-weighed by the 6-7 Butler by 45 pounds.

On one possession, he calmly allowed Butler to back him down and as Butler began to execute a turnaround jumper, Brooks alertly slapped away the ball. On another, he forced Butler back towards the middle of the floor where his help was located, forcing Butler to pass the ball.

In his first full season as a starter, the third-year guard out of the University of Oregon is continuing to usher the gritty Rockets to wins while still maturing as a starting point guard in the league. This marked their second win in as many games and their fifth win this year over team with a losing record.

Although the latter may not seem like a worthy accomplishment, give Houston credit for feasting on downtrodden teams as they were originally pegged to be downtrodden themselves entering the season without Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and Ron Artest. Its entirely up to the other team to capitalize.

Furthermore many fail to realize the Rockets are roughly around the same win trajectory as a season ago when they boasted the Big Three. A year ago it took the Ming-McGrady-Artest chimera to achieve the 10-win mark in 15 games. This season, Houston has reached 10 wins in 17 games despite having nearly 40 million worth of talent loitering on the injury list.

Brooks is averaging 16.6 points per game, which ranks among the fifth-highest scoring average among point guards in the Western Conference and along with his points scored, field goal percentage, three-point shooting, and steals rank the highest among any third-year starting point guard in the Western Conference.

Perhaps the least-heralded guard in the Western Conference, Brooks is proving his worth and has surely become a key catalyst in Houston's success this season. Whether or not Houston can continue to stay afloat in the unforgiving Western Conference rides on the legs of their 6-0 speedster.

Collison and Thornton Earning Their Stingers With Jeff Bower as Coach

Sean Stancill — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:56:02 -0500

Jeff Bower drafted rookies Darren Collison (21st) and Marcus Thornton (43rd) to make marginal contributions over the season. For Thornton, provide desperately needed scoring from the wings and as for Collison spell some minutes from Chris Paul.

It's safe to say, Bower probably didn't think he would be getting a return on his investments this early.

Marcus Thornton scored 19 points and fellow rookie Darren Collison chipped in 15 points as the pair of rookies proved their worth in the Hornets' 110-103 win over the Suns. On a quieter note, their combined output of 34 points is the highest of any rookie point guard-shooting guard tandem thus far in the NBA this season.

A 3-year starter out of UCLA, Collison has dispensed 17 assists to only seven turnovers since Chris Paul went down, so excuse his 5-for-15 night from the floor because he made plays when it mattered. He accounted for nine of their final 14 points and secured the game by intercepting Amar'e Stoudemire's pass with :35 seconds remaining.

Collison initiated a persistent tempo led by penetrations of the Suns defense. He routinely used his quick first step and crafty dribbles to bypass Steve Nash on the way to the basket and though this won't show up in the box score, four of his misses led to a series of easy put-backs and four rebounds for Emeka Okafor.

A balanced night included 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists and a win over the Western Conference's best team in what will prove to be a game that salts away and stocks confidence in Jeff Bower to look towards Darren Collison when Chris Paul does return from his ankle injury.

As for his counterpart, Marcus Thornton was equally efficient and integral to the Hornets' surprising win over the Phoenix Suns.

Thornton scored 19 points in 20 minutes on only seven shots converted and also chipped in two three-pointers. As an undersized two, he must work harder and play smarter for him to make an impact.

Part of that being is shot selection which was within the realm of acceptable Thursday night against the Hornets. He did a good job of making the game easier by flashing from the baseline to the rim for easy lay-ups. Five of his seven field goals came off of lay-ups and he attempted another which was blocked by Grant Hill on an eclipse-like occasion.

It's an encouraging sign for both Thornton and newly minted GM-Head Coach Jeff Bower who acquired the hometown hero on a draft-night trade with the Miami Heat. Since Bower obtained a seat on the floor, Thorton has obtained minutes on the court. He's eclipsed the 20-minute mark three times in the last four games and has rewarded Bower by averaging 17 points in those contests.

If the duo of Thornton and Collison can keep this up, it will certainly ease the loss of CP3 and keep the Hornets structured and hopefully afloat until Chris Paul returns.

Joakim Noah Bulling His Way into a Promising Future

Sean Stancill — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:28:03 -0500

With his confidence brimming from a productive seven-game series against the Boston Celtics, Joakim Noah carried that over to the offseason by adding about 15 pounds of muscle.

This helped him rewrite his image from one of the softer players coming out of college into one of the league's more rugged, scrappier players.

The offseason work has paid off with Noah anchoring the Bulls' interior defense, helping Chicago rank second in opponent free-throws made and field-goal percentage, third in the Eastern Conference in blocked shots, and ninth in points allowed.

Noah's also seventh in rebounding and in blocks (second among Eastern Conference Centers) but more importantly he's been able to stay on the floor and become a quintessential asset to his team.

Noah's only committed 13 fouls in six games, the lowest among all players in the top 15 in shot-blocking and the lowest among all players with three years of NBA service or less.

As for individual stats, Noah is averaging 11.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per contest in only 30 minutes per game, giving him a PER of 23, ranking above the likes of Steve Nash, Paul Pierce, and Tony Parker among others.

Noah grabbed 21 rebounds in the Bulls' 90-89 loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday night including what should have been the game-winning rebound considering he grabbed Chauncey Billups' intentional miss and alertly called time-out with 0.3 seconds left.

Brad Miller drained a off balance jump-shot which was later overturned. He collected 16 boards the night before along with 4 blocks and is averaging 12.3 RPG along with 2.7 BPG in wins.

For a player billed as a voltage prospect, he's played to his strengths and has salivated each opportunity at home by feeding off the home crowd.

He enjoys patrolling the paint and erasing his teammates' mistakes; putting 3.6 blocked shots into the stands every game at the United Center.

Dating back to last season with Noah playing ten minutes or more, the Bulls are 7-0 when they hold their opponents within the realm of 80-89 points and 15-1 since Noah was drafted out of Florida in 2007.

He has 60 rebounds in his last four games and could wind up as a dark-horse candidate to earn a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team behind behemoth certainties Dwight Howard and Shaquille O'Neal.

The difference between this year and last is obviously the weight, but certain players have a hard time adjusting to their new bodies.

Paul Pierce decided to shed 10 pounds in lieu of the Celtics' title defense and he struggled mightily, shooting 40 of 106 (37 percent) with more turnovers (17) than three-pointers made (10).

Noah however has done a good job adapting to the extra pounds and still shows the lively foot speed and nose for the ball that made him the ninth pick in 2007.

He's been able to move his hips effectively allowing him to show just enough on screens to irk the opposition but retreat back to his position and help towards the basket.

His intensity is never a question, and coaches crave players like that. Noah is also establishing himself as an option on offense and does a stellar job of flanking to the rim off pick-and-rolls from Chicago guards for easy baskets.

His shooting mechanics are extremely questionable but that seems to be the only blatant hindrance to his game.

If Noah can continue to maintain stride, he has a chance to build the foundation of a memorable career in Chicago.

At this rate, Noah would become the first Chicago Bulls player to average 11 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game in franchise history since the late great Artis Gilmore more than 30 years ago in 1976-77.

Should Noah accomplish the feat, he would distance himself from Bulls' greats like Dennis Rodman and Horace Grant in that particular category.

As I also mentioned earlier, if Noah makes the All-Star team he would become the first Chicago big man named to the All-Star team since Horace Grant 15 years ago.

Carmelo Anthony Off to a Scintillating Start for the Denver Nuggets

Sean Stancill — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:39:16 -0400

Coming off an emotion-charged opening night win and a sleepless night, the Nuggets were perhaps due for a letdown.

It certainly seemed that way as they trudged into the Rose Garden Thursday night against yet another division rival in the challenging Northwest Division.

Trailing by as many as seven points in the fourth quarter and by five with less than six minutes remaining, Carmelo Anthony yet again willed the Nuggets to victory and put them on his back.

Anthony poured in 41 points (19 in the fourth quarter) in 41 minutes while attempting 19 free-throws; eight of which came in the proverbial fourth quarter for the Nuggets. He also added six boards in response to a dormant third quarter and accounted for 21 of Denver's final 25 points.

A night earlier, Carmelo dropped 30 points and grabbed eight boards in their win over Utah.

But for now, let's take an advanced look at what exactly made Thursday's performance so special:

Anthony continued to operate from the post, serving as his vantage point, and sliver his way into the paint for contested buckets. His desire to fight for the ball has improved and so has his footwork when establishing presence in the low post.

He was only whistled for one foul when fighting for position, however, his defender also dispensed a fair share of contact, as well.

By constantly switching position on the low block, Anthony's defender must adjust to his movement or else Anthony will take advantage by either executing a spin move and exploding to the rim or turning around and burying the jumper over the lagging defender.

Because of this, opponents must follow his every move, thus allowing Melo to precisely control where he receives the ball and how he will react; similar to how a driver behind the wheel of the car can dictate the exact speed, direction, and destination of where the vehicle will go. Insert Carmelo as the driver and the defender as the car, and your equation is complete.

His length is a blatant asset with his back to the basket and makes the jobs of Chauncey Billups and Ty Lawson easier when delivering him the ball. It allows for a bigger window to dump the ball into and less of risk for a steal or a deflection by the defense.

He was assaulted at various points in the game and a slight portion of that contact was self-induced. Unlike most scorers in the league, with contact in sight, Anthony opens up his stance in order to receive more contact and better his chances of getting to the free-throw line.

This was most evident with Denver trailing 91-90 with 2:24 remaining in the final period. Anthony slipped past Martell Webster and thrust his shoulder into LaMarcus Aldridge's outstretched arms. Aldridge clearly defended the play the right way, but Carmelo being the crafty veteran that he is assessed the situation perfectly and did what any elite scorer does: When there is no contact, create it.

On the defensive side of the ball, Anthony was assigned the task of defending Brandon Roy after Anthony Carter and Arron Afflalo displayed insufficient services early in the fourth.

After rotating with Carter and allowing a few points by Roy, Melo clamped down on the two-time All-Star, confusing him with his foot-speed and pestering him with his length. Roy's only points in the quarter came on three free-throws, as he preceded to go 0-3.

More importantly, all of Roy's shots were jumpers from 21 feet and out.

Carmelo Anthony has roared out of the tunnel focused; for all his doubters and subtractors, that will prove to be a bad thing, yet his biggest motivation.

He's scored 71 points in his first two games of the season and both his field-goal percentage and three-point percentage are at 50 percent or better. Anthony's been amazing in the first two contests of the season, and though it may be premature to begin the talk, Anthony could become a strong candidate for MVP if he continues to best or come anywhere near the performances he has put out thus far.

On a related note, Melo's 41 were the most points by a visiting player in Portland since February 1988, when Karl Malone set the mark. One more point than both Michael Jordan and Larry Bird totaled against Portland in their playing careers.

More importantly, Denver now has two wins over Northwest division rivals salted away, and with good measure, considering the fact that they have three remaining games against Portland and two versus Utah.

Nuggets' Offseason: Flip Murray Being Targeted By Denver

Sean Stancill — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:56:24 -0400

Reports around the NBA Community, are that the Nuggets are interested in signing veteran swingman Flip Murray.

Murray averaged 12.2 points last season in 80 games with the Atlanta Hawks and proved to be an intriguing option down the stretch throughout the playoffs. While acting as the unofficial "Sixth Man", Murray scored 20 or more points 10 times and averaged 11.8 points during Atlanta's postseason run.

Including the playoffs, the Hawks went 9-3 when Murray drained three three-pointers or more with wins over the Hornets, Heat, and the Denver Nuggets.

Should Flip sign with the Nuggets it is believed he will compete with radioactive fifth-year player J.R. Smith for a spot in the starting rotation.

Over the offseason, Denver has been scrambling to find bench players to cog into their rotation. The Nuggets traded for Arron Afflalo after Dahntay Jones signed with the Indiana Pacers on a four-year deal and then shipped Malik Allen for salary cap purposes.

After Linas Kleiza left for the lure of overseas' life, Denver has been linked to marksmen such as Murray, Wally Sczerbiack formerly of the Cavaliers, and Keith Bogans as well.

Gold Rush: Are The San Francisco 49ers For Real?

Sean Stancill — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:33:14 -0400

After two straight wins against division foes, the 49ers are alone atop the NFC West with a sterling record of 2-0. They dispatched the reigning NFC Champions in Week 1 in the desert and then the only other undefeated team in the Division, the Seattle Seahawks.

Without a doubt, this season shows promise but then again so did 2007; which was the last time the 49ers entered Week 3 with a record of 2-0, and preceded to lose a horrific eight consecutive contests and eight of their last 11 games to finish 5-11. San Francisco registered 10 points or fewer four times and were outscored 190-76 during that span.

While their next eight opponents have combined to go a paltry 8-7 in the first two weeks of the season, allow me to spell out just who those opponents are.

Next week San Francisco plays the best back in football and the NFL's Leading Rusher in each of the past two seasons in Adrian Peterson not to mention the wildcard that is Brett Favre. In Week 5, they play arguably the scariest offense in football as they host the Atlanta Falcons led by second year star Matt Ryan and his arsenal containing the likes of Tony Gonzalez, Michael Turner, and Roddy White to name a few.

And in Weeks 6-8, they play the cream of the crop in the AFC South including the Colts, Titans, and Texans.

The 49ers tasks appears to be extremely daunting but this will show what they're truly worth and that's what some fans are actually afraid of. Good luck.

Vernon Davis had another solid outing on Sunday

On the Niners' opening drive, Davis hauled in his only catches of the game (two receptions for 32 yards) but their significance is not overlooked.

At 2nd and 9 from their own 27, Shaun Hill found Davis on a streak route for 17 yards, putting the 49ers in a more manageable position. When you take into account the next snap resulted in a defensive encroachment penalty, SF found themselves on the cusp of Seattle territory.

Five plays later on 3rd and 8 from Seattle's 40, Davis caught yet another pass, this time for 15 more yards and ensured that his team would have favorable field goal position. The Niners drive later stalled at the Seahawks 19, but Joe Nedney belted in a effortless 37-yard field goal and the home team got on the board for the first time again for the second straight week.

Without Vernon's contributions on the drive more importantly his last on 3rd down, the difference between kicking from the 19 and punting from the 40 speaks volumes for itself.

Setting the tone by scoring is immensely invaluable and any Head Coach in the league can tell you that, especially when you can leech off the crowd's energy at home. By the way, the Red and Gold are 6-0 dating back to last season when they get on the board first.

Shaun Hill attempted five passes to Vernon Davis which shows they're establishing a rapport and should be expected considering he's the most athletic tight end in the division.

Los Angeles Lakers Beat Houston Rockets in Game 7

Sean Stancill — Sun, 17 May 2009 18:16:45 -0400

The last time the Rockets played in L.A. they were drubbed by 40.

In Game 7 they were pummeled and finally sent home after a much-prolonged series.

Kobe Bryant scored only 14, but that proved more than enough thanks to Pau Gasol's 18 rebounds, which kept the smaller Rockets' off the glass and cut down on second-chance points.

Aaron Brooks had 13 for the Rockets. Ron Artest contributed a measly eight on 3-of-10 shooting.

The Lakers advance to the Western Conference Finals to meet the streaking Denver Nuggets.

1st Quarter

Los Angeles started the game on an 8-0 spree and was never challenged after that.

Kobe brought a more aggressive attitude and drove the ball to the basket twice in L.A's opening possessions. He created opportunities for himself and his teammates throughout the game.

Artest started off with two air balls.

The Rockets finally got on the board with 6:53 remaining thanks to a pair of free throws by Brooks. Houston began the game 0-for-12 from the field and didn't get its first field goal until 7:15 had elapsed.

The Rockets' offense was stagnant with none of the low-post presence they had before, first with Yao and then with Luis Scola in Game Six.

At one point Scola drifted out to the perimeter and had his shot rejected by Gasol, which ignited a fast-break. Without a post presence, Houston became a jump-shooting team, which it isn't.

Later in the period Houston fed its bigs on three straight trips, and Carl Landry and Scola capitalized. The tandem went 2-for-3 and opened up options on the wings.

On defense, Houston needed to send more help toward the three-point line and chase L.A.'s shooters. The Rockets should have applied this strategy to Trevor Ariza in particular. He knocked down two threes, which pushed the lead from eight to 11.

Los Angeles led 22-12 after one.

2nd Quarter

The Rockets started by pounding the ball inside to Scola vs. Gasol, which caused Luke Walton to come over to help. The result: a defensive three-second call on Los Angeles and a free-throw for the Rockets.

If nothing else, Houston should have understood at that point that throwing the ball into the post initiated its offense and allowed it to scope the defense and figure out the right play.

The Rockets also were unable to find the touch from long range. They were still without a made three-point basket by the closing minutes of the second. They started 0-for-7 from downtown before an Artest triple with less than a minute to go.

For the Lakers, Jordan Farmar did a nice job of penetrating and scored on a three-point play for Los Angeles. He got an assist after dishing to Gasol under the basket after attracting several Rockets' defenders.

The Lakers began to punish the Rockets' smaller front line by dumping the ball down low to Andre Bynum. He had eight points, five rebounds, and two blocked shots. Gasol also picked up the memo and dominated the glass tallying 11 points and 12 rebounds before intermission.

Los Angeles led 51-31 at half.

3rd Quarter

Rockets coach Rick Adelman said his team needed to change before the game grew out of reach. But Houston waltzed out from the intermission as stale as in the first half.

Bryant cemented the game for L.A by scoring six in the the opening minutes. He also drew Shane Battier's fourth foul and found open looks on consecutive possessions for both Derek Fisher and Gasol.

On a positive note for Houston, Aaron Brooks awakened and drained back-to-back threes to reduce the Lakers' lead to below 20. He was first Rocket to reach double-figures.

However, as the period progressed Brooks began to display his inexperience. He was called for traveling in transition as he left his feet and came down with the ball still in his hands. He could have rifled the ball to a streaking Scola to his left instead.

Moments later on a fast break, Brooks blew past Farmar but was stripped by Ariza. Brooks is right-handed, but instead of going to his right he should have gone left. It would have created a near-impossible angle for Ariza to mug him and would have resulted in a layup.

You can't expect the world from a still-developing second-year player just thrust into a mentally grinding Game Seven atmosphere. These are a few areas in which he will improve in the next few years.

The Lakers led 69-50 going into the final quarter.

4th Quarter

Los Angeles kept its foot on the gas.

Gasol continued to dominate Scola and the Rockets' front line as he posted a Superman-like 19 points, 18 rebounds, and three blocks.

The crowd serenaded the Rockets with appropriate goodbye chants.

Los Angeles now moves on to the Western Conference Finals, where the Lakers will meet the Denver Nuggets.

Small-Ball: The Top Small Forwards of the NBA Playoffs

Sean Stancill — Sat, 16 May 2009 18:05:26 -0400

Only six teams are left in the NBA's annual rendition know as the Playoffs and as two Game Sevens conclude only four will remain after Sunday. The postseason is littered with talent on every team at every position.

However, the numbers pinpoint that Small Forward is clearly one of the most important out there on the floor and without a solid 3 your team won't get as far.

The examples are everywhere and in this piece I will highlight few and there contributions to their respective teams.

Here are the Top Three Small Forwards of the NBA Playoffs:

LeBron James

James was deemed the league's Most Valuable Player after leading the Cavs' to a franchise best 66-win season and the Top overall seed in the Eastern Conference. He finished second in Defensive Player of The Year voting behind Dwight Howard and earned a spot on the NBA's All-Defensive First Team.

In addition, James was a unanimous pick on the NBA's All-First Team and so far has gotten the Cleveland Cavaliers' off to a 8-0 start (the only two sweeps in the playoffs belong to LeBron and Co.) in the postseason sans Allen Iverson and a banged up Atlanta Hawks squad.

He's averaging 32.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2 steals per game in Cleveland's eight postseason meetings and looks to be in prime position to make his 2nd Finals' appearance in his first 6 seasons.

His next opponent will be determined on Sunday as the Celtics and the Magic will battle for a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals at the Garden.

Carmelo Anthony

Melo has averaged over 20 points per game in each of his first six seasons as a pro and the best dual threat in the Western Conference north of Kobe Bryant.

In addition, Melo is beginning to learn to play defense thanks to the teachings of Team USA, and is developing into the superstar that everyone envisioned of him when he was selected third overall out of Syracuse after leading them to a National Championship as a freshman.

He averaged 30 points in their five-game demolition of the Dallas Mavericks and sank the game-winning three from the right elbow in Game Three that spelled the end for Dallas and the beginning of advancement for the Nuggets.

Carmelo is also becoming more committed on the defensive end, a trend we haven't seen prior to this season.

An even scarier thought: What if Anthony realizes his potential and actually becomes a true two-way player in the future?

But back to his endless offensive abilities Anthony likes to operate preferably from the elbows or from the the top of the key which gives him the advantage when taking his man off the dribble and creates the right angle when getting to the basket.

If that is negated by weak-side help, Anthony executes a few dribbles, takes a sweet pull-up jumper to soften up the defense which opens up the rest of his game.

He will be awaiting the winner of the Lakers-Rockets series and looks poised to make a run towards his first NBA Finals' appearance with the Denver Nuggets.

Paul Pierce

Pierce has to shoulder the load since Kevin Garnett went down with an untimely knee injury first suffered against the Utah Jazz back in the regular season, and has answered the call like the eight-time All Star and reigning Finals' MVP that he is.

Since February 19 (day of Garnett's injury) Pierce has scored in double-figures in all but four games and has recorded 24 games with 20+ points in the Big Tickets' absence.

With the Celtics' facing an all-important Game Seven against the Orlando Magic, Pierce must continue to handle the ball well in iso-set situations and use the added attention he accumulates from the defense to distribute the ball to his open mates.

In his last two games, Pierce has 13 assists to three turnovers and continues to help Boston's efforts with 18 rebounds in that same span.

In the Celtics' five Game Sevens in the past two years, he's scored 112 points including last year's memorable 41-point outburst that sent LeBron and the Cavs' on Summer Vacation.

Honorable mention goes to Shane Battier, Hedo Turkoglu, and Ron Artest as well.

Spurs' Offseason: How Long Does Tim Duncan Have Left?

Sean Stancill — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:24:41 -0400

Dominance can't last forever and everyone knows it. David Robinson was sure of the fact, and so hung up his sneaks after securing his NBA Finals ring. Pretty soon, Tim Duncan will do the same. Duncan has had a super career, one of the best ever, but how long will it be before he retires and leaves the San Antonio Spurs in disarray? Who will fill the shoes of one of the all-time greats?

No one for now, it seems. The Spurs currently have five players 6’10” or taller: Robert Horry, Fabricio Oberto, Matt Bonner, Tim Duncan, Kurt Thomas, and Ian Mahinmi.

Thomas, Duncan, and Oberto (who has fell out of coach Greg Popovich's rotation as of late) are all are 32 or older and each has at least five year's experience.

The lone exceptions to the 30 year or older club is Ian Mahinmi, a extremely raw prospect from France who didn't log a single minute in the 2008-09 season. The other being Matt Bonner who will turn 30 in April, signaling yet another barometer of just how old the Spurs really are.

But none of the players mentioned above have anywhere near the skill level capable of compensating for the loss of Duncan once he leaves.

They can part ways with the other members of the Big Three (Parker and Ginobili) to snatch a big man and if they decide to take these actions my bet is that Manu Ginobili goes first. There are currently several options at both power forward and the center position that are out on the market including the likes of Samuel Dalembert, Brendan Haywood, Amare' Stoudemire, and Andrew Bogut.

Another area they can improve in would be through the NBA Draft, which occurs annually in June, but there seems to be one major complication in this logic.

A team with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili will never be bad enough to complete a season as a lottery team, and the same can be said about a Greg Popovich-coached team. Even if you were to discount Duncan as if he retired or if any of the Big Three missed significant time due to injuries, as they did this season.

The trio combined to miss 56 games this season and still finished third in the Western Conference in a statistical dead heap with the Denver Nuggets in terms of winning percentage. With a healthy Ginobili, the Spurs have a chance of competing for the Top overall seed in the West further clouding any chances of landing a high pick.

We know that their talented, aged, and experienced however there is one thing we are unaware of.

How far San Antonio is willing to commit to getting younger? A feat that all dynasties must come to terms with, like the Celtics, Lakers, and Rockets of the 80's and the 90's had to.

The Rockets' in particular had a trio similar to that of the Spurs. At one point they had an equation of Steve Francis, Scottie Pippen, and Hakeem Olajuawon (don't forget a still competent Charles Barkley) in the 90's and the members eventually wasted away before Houston was awarded with the No. 1 pick who they used on Yao Ming.

What will happen with the Spurs? We will soon find out.

Phoenix Suns' Draft: Rondo, Jackson, and Deng, One Time Suns, Now Gone

Sean Stancill — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:37:39 -0400

Now that the Suns' are officially going into the fourth week of their offseason, they have time to reflect on the past. Not just this season but from years back as well.

With the draft fast approaching, I believe its time to remind Phoenix Suns' fans and followers just who they missed out on thanks to Suns' management.

By the way, reports are that owner Robert Sarver may actually sell the pick to any team in the league in hopes to avoid slipping further in the luxury tax.

Here are three missed opportunities by the Suns' in the last 8 years:

Rajon Rondo

Selected by the Suns with the 26th overall pick in 2006, Rondo has proved he has all the intangibles to be one of the top Point Guards in the league for years to come.

He's posted three triple-doubles so far in the postseason and has the championship experience and integrity of a full-fledged veteran.

Playing alongside future Hall of Famers in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett certainly has accelerated his development, but most of his production is a result from his own sole eggression.

The next step for Rondo will be to work on his mechanics when it comes to outside shooting and at the free-throw line but the sky is the limit for a player with the potential of Rondo.

Rondo averaged 27.5 points, 8.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game against the Suns' in the regular season and dissected the Suns' mediocre defensive zones to get his teammates involved.

If only Phoenix would have hung on to Rondo. Think: the Suns' would have the next heir to Steve Nash's throne and the fact that he's the best defender at his position in the league certainly has to sting a bit.

Stephen Jackson

Selected by the Suns in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft, Jackson has bounced around the league with the Nets, Spurs, Hawks, and Pacers, before emerging as the leader of the Golden State Warriors, thanks to his passionate attitude and his leadership on the floor.

Stephen Jax was also a prominent figure in the Warriors' memorable postseason run a few years ago in which they upset the then-No. 1 seeded Dallas Mavericks before losing to the Utah Jazz in five games in the next round.

At 6-foot-8 with immaculate ball-handling a soft touch from the outside to match, Jackson plays both guard positions for the Warriors' along with his normal position at the three.

If nothing else, from Jackson, you're going to get emotion every night and consistent play on both ends of the floor.

Against the Suns this season, Jackson averaged 21.3 points, 8.3 assists, 6 rebounds including his first career triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Luol Deng

Selected seventh overall by the Suns in the 2004 NBA Draft, Deng helped the Bulls' upset the Wade-O'Neal led Miami Heat in 2007 the following year after the Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

The series proved to be his coming-out party as Deng posted 26 points, 9 boards, and 1.8 steals in the four game mopping of the defending champs and scored in double-figures in all six games of their next series against the Detroit Pistons.

He's evolved as one of the game's young rising stars when healthy and is an exceptional rebounder and defender for a player of his girth.

With long arms and the physicality of an ox, he utilizes those tools on offense as well, digging into the people and creating space for a steadily improving mid-range jumper.

This season he averaged 15 points and 5.5 rebounds against the Suns' with a 17 point-10 rebound effort to highlight the Bulls' season sweep over Phoenix.

Nuggets Vs Lakers: An NBA Western Conference Finals Preview

Sean Stancill — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:29:52 -0400

The Nuggets' streaked by the Hornets' and the Mavericks in only 10 games and are awaiting their opponent in the Western Conference Finals.

Los Angeles on the other hand have been battle-tested going against the physical likes of Utah and Houston so far in the first two rounds and have gone to sleep in several of their games.

Should the Lakers' advance here are the matchups for a possible Nuggets'-Lakers' series:

Chauncey Billups vs Derek Fisher

Two of the game's smarter point-guards will clash in this series with veteran leadership being the focal point of their respective operations.

Billups' has been a significant reason why the Nuggets' have gotten this far in the postseason and they will need another push from Mr. Big Shot to get to the Finals.

In the Western Conference Semis, Billups reverted more to his face-up game than his usual post when being guarded by a guard of his body type (Jason Kidd) and consistently was able to slash to the basket.

Against L.A., Billups will be greeted by the tandem of Gasol and Bynum in the paint, making his lay-ups and inside shots much tougher than they were against the likes of Dampier and Dirk last round.

When being guarded by Fisher, Chauncey will look to orchestrate the offense through his post-up game and if he elects to pass it will be through a double-team and to an open man. If he elects to attempt the jump-shot it will be with ease, he can shoot over the smaller Fisher and see over the defense with his height advantage as well.

For Fisher, he can't be content with just settling for the three-ball and must take the ball to the basket as out of his element as he sounds. It bails out his defenders and gives them time to rest and doesn't get any of his teammates involved unlike when a drive occurs and the chance for a dish when the defense collapses towards him does.

Dahntay Jones vs Kobe Bryant

Now that the Lakers have Trevor Ariza back and at full strength, Bryant won't have to expend as much energy guarding Anthony during crucial stages of the game.

However, this also is true for the Nuggets' where Kenyon Martin was assigned to guard Bryant late in the fourth quarter during their first-round series last year.

Bryant does it all in the sense that he is the perfect game manager, pushes the tempo when needed and can get to the basket and create contact when his team needs points.

Jones won't be able to single-handedly stop Bryant but if he wants to help his team he must play exceptional defense and continue that when the help arrives. If you can force the ball out of Bryant's hand the Lakers' are a less effective team.

The Nuggets' applied this very logic in the first round against the Hornets' and forced Chris Paul into 24 turnovers and Dirk Nowitzki into 15 more.

If Denver can frustrate Kobe, Los Angeles' offense will become stagnant and the result could be catastrophic given the Nuggets' prowess on their end of the floor.

Though with that being said, Bryant is extremely crafty and will find ways around the Nuggs' litany of defenders.

I give this edge to Kobe Bryant due to his abundance of wisdom and knowledge of the unflappable triangle offense.

Carmelo Anthony vs Trevor Ariza

Anthony was a non-factor in the meetings during the regular season and averaged less than 15 points per game in their four meetings against Los Angeles but he's recently picked up his play and is starting to resemble all the qualities of a superstar.

Melo is also becoming more committed on the defensive end, a trend we haven't seen prior to this season. With the even scarier thought of Anthony becoming a true two-way player in the future, the Lakers' have much to contest with.

Defensive ace Trevor Ariza will be assigned to guard Carmelo should the Lakers advance past the Rockets in the Western Conference Semifinals. Ariza is long and is a good perimeter defender.

He has quick feet and his athleticism really helps him on both ends of the floor. On defense it allows him to maneuver around opposing screens and spring into the air to contest shots and on offense he converts on drives and more often alley-oops.

This will be Ariza's toughest assignment of his young career and it will be a tall order. Anthony likes to operate preferably from the elbows or from the the top of the key which gives him the advantage when taking his man off the dribble and creates the right angle when getting to the basket.

If that is negated by weakside help, Anthony executes a few dribbles and takes a sweet pull-up jumper to soften up the defense.

Because of his new-found motivation, I give the edge to Melo in this matchup.

Lamar Odom vs Kenyon Martin

This appears to be the most interesting match-up of the starting lineup when comparing the two teams.

Despite Odom's bad back, it's unlikely Phil Jackson will continue to insert Andrew Bynum in the starting lineup when the reward is greater for the Lakers' should Bynum come off the bench.

Take into account that the Lakers' can close out the Rockets' with Odom in street clothes and there's a high chance Odom will be in the starting lineup pitting him against Denver Nuggets' F Kenyon Martin.

This will be the first time Lamar will be guarded by the opposing team's best one-on-one defender and it will be key to see how he handles the situation.

He can react by being flustered with Martin's abrasive tactics and turn the ball over or by calmly mulling over his options, taking a few between the legs dribbles and figuring out the best interest for his team.

Odom will be L.A.'s X-factor and if he's bottled up by Martin the Lakers' will lose a big dimension of their offense and their team as well.

Martin's activeness around the basket will cause problems for the thinner Odom whose game flourishes out on the perimeter and gradually develops down near the post.

Both of their games heavily rely on finesse, so it will be interesting matchup.

Pau Gasol vs Nene'

Gasol is longer, more skilled, and is a monster on the offensive glass. He had 18 offensive rebounds in three games against Denver this season and totaled 45 boards in those meetings.

If the Nuggets' want a shot they must do their work early and begin to box out the Spaniard as soon as the shot is being hoisted, Second-chance points prove to be real killers and against a team like the Lakers', Denver can't afford not rebounding the ball.

As for Nene' his task is simple: get into the body of Gasol and score points. The Lakers' struggle with Gasol in foul trouble and his slimmer body will be a disadvantage when guarding Nene'.

The Brazilian must use his mass and barrel into Pau instead of using his finesse moves which he was forced to do against the slower centers he faced in the first two rounds.

The Nuggets have outscored their opponents by an average margin of 15 points in the Playoffs when Nene' scores in double-figures and boast a sparkling record of 6-0.

I'm going for the underdog and giving the edge to Nene'.

Will Kobe Bryant Retire At the End Of the Season?

Sean Stancill — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:27:30 -0400

Will Kobe Bryant retire at the end of the season? As puzzling as it sounds, it could become a sad reality for the game of basketball to cope with. He has accomplished a multitude of achievements; three rings, MVP, and worldwide adulation being among the most notable.

Compound that with the fact Bryant has a clause in his contract which allows him to opt out this season and sign with another team, and KB24 has plenty of options.

Should the Los Angeles Lakers win the championship this year, Bryant may feel that he has accomplished all that he could. In that scenario, he would have taken the Lakers to two straight NBA Finals appearances with out O'Neal and presumably defeated the best phenom since Michael Jordan in LeBron James.

He averaged 26.8 points, five assists, and five rebounds per game for the ninth straight season, dating all the way back to the '99-'00 season and led the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record and the top overall seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season.

Bryant could go out a winner, something he has been almost his entire career, and if he elects to do so, I would not be surprised. I would be disappointed, along with millions of fans worldwide, but not surprised.

Bryant's played 13 seasons (all with the Lakers) and has three championship rings as a part of the legendary three-peat along with Shaquille O'Neal and head coach Phil Jackson. He has an upcoming documentary coming that will be shown Saturday on ESPN about his journey as a basketball player, directed by acclaimed director Spike Lee I might add.

If this is the end, I will give my salute now. Farewell, Kobe you have been great!

Golden State Warriors' Draft: The Search for a True Point Guard

Sean Stancill — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:50:30 -0400

With combo guards like Monta Ellis, Marco Bel, Anthony Morrow, and Kelenna Azubuike on their roster, the Warriors' are in need of a true point guard to funnel the ball to all of those scorers.

Jason Kidd may be an option, but it's clear he's on the downside of his career. This is why Golden State will look towards the draft.

Here are three prospects that should be on the Warriors' radar.

Ricky Rubio

The Warriors' crave a true point guard—and Spanish sensation Rick Rubio is the closest thing to it in this year's draft class. Some scouts have gone as far as to deem him the "Spanish Pete Maravich"—and with the way he can accurately deliver the ball during crucial interludes of play, I agree.

At 6'4", he's taller than your typical point guard, which is another plus. The fact that he's more elongated then most at his position will allow him to see over the defenses and find the open man—similar to what NFL Quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady do.

He's also a lefty, which can cause havoc on defense, because nine times out of 10 they're playing and defending against someone who thrives on their opposite hand.

Overall, Rubio looks as if he has the complete skill set of a true distributor, one that could work wonders with the Warriors' However, the only way Golden State will have a chance of selecting him is by garnering the No 2 overall pick or higher. Currently, the Warriors' are stationed at No. 7 and have a 4.3 percent chance of winning the lottery.

Jonny Flynn

Standing only 6'0", Flynn uses his stout frame to elude backcourt traps and knife through defenders, causing havoc on the defense and leading to him find the open man. He's a great assist man, is active in the passing lanes, and his leadership is outstanding for a guard of his age.

In terms of NBA, his stature is his greatest weakness. But we're starting to see a trend develop in diminutive point guards playing above their heights and becoming valuable to their team at the next level—see Aaron Brooks, D.J. Augustin, and Nate Robinson, among others.

Flynn had a historic Big East Tournament and proved to be one of the best game managers in college basketball the past season. He played courageously against Oklahoma, and expects to perform well in the upcoming draft workouts.

Golden State can use a guy like Flynn—a playmaker with a tough attitude and can really ignite the fastbreak. Pair him with Monta Ellis in the backcourt, and the Warriors' now have one of the most aggressive, athletic, and finesse-minded tandems in the NBA—perhaps even the best under 20 years old.

Picking Jonny Flynn at No. 7 looks like a mistake, but given the Warriors' need for an unselfish playmaker, they may have to make the sacrifice in this year's draft.

Ty Lawson

Lawson is the most unselfish candidate of the three, and is also the fastest player in the draft from one end of the basketball court to another. He's currently riding a hot streak that was further inflamed by the Tar Heels victory in the NCAA Championship.

Lawson was undisputedly the most-important player of the NCAA Tournament. His performances during UNC's run—21 second-half points against LSU on a bad ankle, a near triple-double in the Final Four—and his five-to-one turnover ratio in the Big Dance were miraculous.

The Thunder are in dire need of a distributor, as they finished second to last in their division in assists and almost dealt their best passer (Earl Watson) at the trade deadline.

With scorers like Monta Ellis, Anthony Randolph, and Brandan Wright all still developing as scorers, a crafty player with amazing speed and who actually prefers to dish the ball maybe the right prescription for the Warriors.

Though the seventh-overall pick seems like a tad high, Lawson could vindicate the Warriors' decision by having a good series of workouts—similar to what Thunder G Russell Westbrook did in last year's draft.

Or if he has a bad series of workouts with NBA teams has he did last offseason, Golden State can easily trade down and acquire more pieces toward their future and still nab Lawson.

What if the Nuggets Traded Away Carmelo Anthony Last Summer?

Sean Stancill — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:10:33 -0400

As I wrote a year ago, what if the Denver Nuggets traded Carmelo Anthony? That type of question can't be answered within one statement but volumes. For one, you must take into account the players returning in the deal, the players going out and the salary cap bonuses or restrictions.

Here was my outlined deal:

Its also likely, the Nuggets wouldn't have been able to afford contracts to key pieces like J.R. Smith and Chris "Birdman" Andersen down the road and without them the current Nuggets are no where near the same team. With Birdman missing, Denver faltered in the 4th Quarter and the Mavericks took Game 4 of their series.

Smith is their best scoring reserve and certainly their most athletic. Without him, points simply aren't being scored off that Denver bench.

Now for the biggest part of the equation: trading Carmelo Anthony.

If the Mark Warkentien pulled the trigger, he would've lost the face of the franchise and questions arise whether Chauncey Billups would've been acquired.

Denver would be without their most consistent scorer; Melo has averaged over 20 points per game in each of his first six seasons as a pro and the best dual threat in the Western Conference north of Kobe Bryant. In addition, Melo is beginning to learn to play defense thanks to the teachings of Team USA, and is developing into the superstar that everyone envisioned of him when he was selected third overall out of Syracuse after leading them to a National Championship as a freshman.

Even with the talent they would have received and lets say the Nuggets tremendously overachieved, there's no way they would finish second in the Western Conference and only a few nights away from advancing to the Conference Finals.

In return though, the Nuggets would have gotten Devin Harris, Anthony Randolph, and Richard Jefferson.

By the way that isn't too bad either.

New Jersey Nets send
Marcus Williams/Devin Harris
Richard Jefferson
10th overall pick
for
Denver Nuggets send
Carmelo Anthony
Marcus Camby

The Nuggets sent away Marcus Camby later in the summer to the Los Angeles Clippers anyway, but if he would've been traded to the Nets', the ramifications would've been huge.
For starters, Denver wouldn't have flushed away $10 million the way they did by sending him out West for a second round pick. The New Jersey deal would have required Denver to take back over $15 million in salary and in return the Nuggets would have been over the salary cap and in the luxury tax.

How the Atlanta Hawks' Franchise Would've Changed if They Drafted Chris Paul

Sean Stancill — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:21:09 -0400

It's been three years since the 2005 NBA Draft, the day when all 30 franchises were changed forever—some for the better: New Orleans, Utah, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Hawks' fans may have grown numb, so picking at the scab certainly doesn't help.

With the second overall pick, the Atlanta Hawks selected Marvin Williams and bypassed the likes of Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Andre Bynum, Danny Granger, and Monta Ellis.

They selected a forward even though they already had Josh Smith, Al Harrington, and Antoine Walker on their roster, instead of drafting a point guard.

So, for another painful moment, let's think "What if?" one more time. What if the Atlanta Hawks had taken Chris Paul instead of Marvin Williams?

For starters, the Hawks would have a nucleus of Paul, Johnson, Smith, and Horford and would be in position to either draft a small forward or go after one through free agency. Ron Artest, anyone?

Or the Hawks could used their versatility and properly plug-in Josh Smith at his right position at the three and signed a power forward in the offseason.

If Atlanta would've had Chris Paul, it's a high-tide bet that they would have defeated the Boston Celtics last season instead of going down in gut-wrenching fashion in Game Seven. Though it's more likely they would have never been the eighth seed with the offensive prowess of Johnson and Paul, along with the defensive abilities of Horford and Smith.

By adding Paul to the mix, Smith's development on offense would be further along; the same can be said for Al Horford—he would be a double-double machine. Paul's current center, Tyson Chandler, had 38 double-doubles last season, despite being extremely limited on the offensive end. The majority of his baskets came from put-backs, tip-ins and alley-oops from Paul. Al Horford had 20 double-doubles this season and is resourceful down low on the blocks.

You can imagine for yourself how many double-doubles Horford would have notched with CP3 as a teammate. The same goes for Josh Smith, who also had 20 double-doubles and is one of the best talents in the league at his position.

As Atlanta finished fourth in the Eastern Conference this season, their post-season matchups have been simply asinine. They played, arguably, the greatest collection of NBA Stars in the Boston Celtics last season before being sent home for the summer in seven games. This year, they narrowly escaped a war with one of the best players in the league (Dwyane Wade) and now they're playing the newly crowned MVP, LeBron James.

All of this strain could have been avoided if they simply would have taken Paul. It's fair to say that the Hawks would have been able to challenge Orlando for third in the East and would've been playing a passion-filled Celtics' team, undermanned or not.

Plainly, Paul has the ability to make those around him better, which is what the Hawks need. Too often that task falls into the hands of Joe Johnson, which takes away from his duties as being their main-scoring threat.

Not to mention the obvious fact that Paul would have become the face of the franchise. Positions one, two, three, four, and five would've been capable of making an All-Star team. You've seen the wonders he worked with David West, Chandler, and even James Posey.

That could have been yours, Atlanta.

Atlanta Hawks: How Flip Murray Has Replaced Josh Childress

Sean Stancill — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:51:25 -0400

As Josh Childress departed for Greece in the summer out went their best bench player, their one true offensive threat that could carry them while their mains were vacated on the bench.

To purify the wound they signed Maurice Evans and Flip Murray. Murray has been the more productive of the two during the regular season and the bonus land known squarely as the NBA Play-offs and has developed into one of their best options not only coming off the bench but during crunch time.

Murray averaged 12.2 points during the regular season scoring 20 or more points ten times and has averaged over double-figures during the Hawks' postseason run. Including the postseason, the Hawks are 9-3 when Murray makes three three-point field goals with wins over the Nuggets, Hornets, and the Heat.

He's scored 15, 11, 23, 13, 15, and 17 points collectively for Atlanta from Round One to Round Two and is a big reason why the Hawks' have been so competitive in the postseason.

Josh Childress on the other hand only averaged 7.1 points per game and missed both his attempts from long-range in the Hawks' series against the Boston Celtics.

During the Miami series, if you take away his scoring contributions from Games Four, Five, and Seven, the Hawks' would've lost those games and wouldn't have advanced to the second round for the first time in over 10 years.

He also eats up minutes for Atlanta without picking up foul trouble (he's yet to pick up more than three fouls the entire postseason) and can guard any team's opposing point guard because of his size and solid foot-speed.

In the Atlanta-Cleveland series, Flip scored seven points down the stretch in Game Three as Atlanta at the time was battling with Cleveland for the lead. Though the Hawks weren't able to take control of the game and hold on to the lead it gave them valuable experience and the confidence that even though their playing against arguably the hottest team in the league, that they still have a shot to be their lone exception.

Prior to this, Atlanta never had a lead after the first quarter during the entire series. Its clear that the Hawks are making strides and they can thank Flip Murray for the help.

GSW Offseason: Will The Warriors Sign Jason Kidd?

Sean Stancill — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:45:36 -0400

After the Mavericks pulled off the trade that sent Devin Harris away and brought back Jason Kidd, they were pegged to be contenders.

That assumption has proved to be wrong, with the Mavs' garnering two playoff berths. Still, both were seven and lower and the Mavericks just squeaked by the Phoenix Suns as the season came to a close.

Kidd is a free agent after this summer and will have the right to sign with any team.

Dallas will be looking to make changes this offseason and so will the Golden State Warriors. The Mavs' need to inject youth at point guard and will most likely take one through the draft, electing not to re-sign Jason.

Meanwhile, the Warriors covet a true point guard, which is why they should sign Jason Kidd.

Kidd would give Golden State the true point guard that they've been looking since before Baron Davis, since the Run T-M-C era at a reduced price.

In effect, it would allow Monta Ellis, in his first full season coming back healthy, to be inserted at shooting guard (his natural position) where he thrived alongside Baron Davis.

Kidd also doesn't demand touches in terms of scoring, but only to integrate his teammates into the offense. This means more scoring opportunities for Stephen Jackson, Ellis, Maggette, Randolph, and Biedrins, and permits J-Kidd to rifle passes to their legion of scorers.

Jason also has improved his three-point shooting and shot over 40 percent this season for the first time since 96-97. He continued his ways of wizardry, compiling 19 double-doubles and three triple-doubles.

Throw in his exceptional three-point shooting and Golden State has almost solved the problems at the floor general position. He's unselfish, has been accustomed to pushing the basketball his whole career (which plays into the hand of Don Nelson), and can knock down the open three when needed.

The Warriors had two players going 1-2 for the top three-point shooters in the NBA, with Morrow leading the way at 46.7 percent and Kelenna Azubuike at 44.8 percent.

With Kidd in the lineup, Golden State can keep Kidd at point guard, allow Morrow to remain at shooting guard, and push Azubuike to the three because of his strength.

Throw in Corey Maggette at the four, and Golden State is just about deadly from position's one through four.

Of course, these lineups can be mixed around. For example, they could add Stephen Jackson to the mix.

Compound that with his active hands in the passing lanes (he averaged two steals this season third in NBA), his leadership, and the fact the he's one of the best rebounding guards of all time, and he could really be an asset to the Golden State Warriors.

Furthermore, the Warriors wouldn't have to spend their potential top-10 lottery pick on a point guard in June, and would be able to either draft in an area of need (such as power forward or center) or possibly package that deal to acquire either a veteran presence or a superstar, i.e. Amare Stoudemire or Chris Bosh.

I believe the Warriors should sign Jason Kidd. Kidd grew up in the Bay Area and was often found battling on the playgrounds of Oakland against future hall-of-famer Gary Payton.

He then went to UC Berkeley and from there he began his journey into the league. He's vented his desire to return to the Bay Area and has yet to rule out a return to his home state of California.

What a fitting end it would be for Kidd to retire in the same range where he spent the majority of his childhood? A great one, for a great player.

Did The Refs' Cost The Dallas Mavericks Game 3?

Sean Stancill — Sat, 09 May 2009 22:54:28 -0400

With the Mavericks up 105-103 and trailing 2-0 in their series against the Dallas Mavericks, shooting guard Antoine Wright was ordered to foul Carmelo Anthony before he could attempt a shot in an effort to preserve their lead and win the game.

As the ball was being inbounded. Wright carried out those attentions and bumped into Carmelo Anthony hard enough to cause Anthony to loose his grasp on the ball and come close to turning the ball over and thus handing Game Three to the Mavs'.

However, Carmelo regained his dribble and preceded to get off a shot attempt. Wright again collided with Melo and forced him closer to the sideline.

Expecting a foul to be called, Wright backed off Carmelo and Anthony knocked down the uncontested bomb, winning the game for the Nuggets' and dealing Dallas into an insurmountable 3-0 deficit.

After the play, Wright mouthed "I fouled him" repeatedly to the refs as the air was let out of American Airlines Arena.

You can make a debate for either side that Wright cost the Mavericks the game or the referees did.

When the Nuggets' gained possession of the ball off of Dirk Nowtizki's missed fade-away, they called time-out with 6.5 seconds remaining.

If Antoine Wright knew he would be assigned to defend and intentionally foul Melo', he should have softened up the officials' by letting them know I'm going to foul Carmelo before he can get up an attempt.

By doing this the refs' understand their game-plan, and would be able to anticipate Wright's actions towards Anthony.

Instead the result was a clean look and dirty words spewing out the mouth of Mavericks F Josh Howard and Maverick owner Mark Cuban after the game.

As for the guys with the whistles, you would assume that they would be aware of Dallas' predicament and their late-game situations.

However if you've learned one thing its you can't assume you must know (for obvious reasons) and obviously the officials didn't know that.

It wasn't just Melo's jumper that doomed the Mavs', it was Wright's failure to communicate with the referees and the referees failure to make the blatant call.

The Vice President of Officiating released a saying statement admitting that they missed the fact that is was an intentional foul and they apologized for that.

Either way, the Mavericks are down 3-0 and can look forward to yet another downtrodden off-season.

Breaking News: Yao Out for the Remainder of the Playoffs!

Sean Stancill — Sat, 09 May 2009 21:41:05 -0400

Reports have recently surfaced that Houston Rockets' Center Yao Ming will miss the rest of the playoffs with a small hairline fracture on his injured foot. Yao was injured in the third quarter in Game Three of the Lakers-Rockets series, but played for the remainder of the game.

Others sources have indicated a broken left foot as the culprit.

Recently praised for his toughness after shaking off another lower body injury in Game One and helping the Rockets' upset L.A., Yao scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Lakers win over Houston in Game Three.

At 7-6, Yao has had a chronicled past with lower body injuries as he missed the playoffs last season with a stress fracture in his foot and has missed a total of 93 games in his seven-year career.

Houston is already sans their leading scorer as Tracy McGrady has been out since before the trade deadline with a knee injury that required surgery.

Without Yao, the Lakers will be able to pound the smaller Rockets' squad with the trio of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom. In addition more weight now goes on the shoulders of Ron Artest who must now score at a higher level as well as help defend the game's best player and last year's MVP in Kobe Bryant.

This a devastating blow for the Houston Rockets.

Get better Yao, your team needs you.

Carmelo Anthony — Where Amazing Happened

Sean Stancill — Sat, 09 May 2009 20:57:21 -0400

As Jason Terry swished a late-game three from the right corner, the score ballooned from 102-101 to a two-possession lead in a matter of seconds with only 31 ticks to go.

Terry then began emphatic celebrations and yelled out "Let's Go" hyping himself and the sellout crowd of 20,620 as Dallas cemented the game.

Presumably I might add before one of the game's greatest players simply took over.

First, Anthony aggressively drove to the basket and closed the gap to only two (105-103). Denver played sound defense and got a stop. With 6.5 remaining the ball was inbounded to Melo.

From there the unexpected as well as the expected happened. The Mavs' had a foul to give and Antoine Wright was ordered to execute that strategy. Wright did make contact with the former Collegiate Champion causing him to fumble the ball near the out of bounds line.

But then he recovered rose up and Carmelo calmly drained the game-winning 3 with one second left and catapulted the Denver Nuggets' to a 3-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semis'.

Nevermind the fact he seemingly may have re-injured his elbow during a scruffle in the 3rd Quarter or the fact he was playing with 5 fouls since early in the 4th. All those factors went out the window as Melo elevated and released. He went up with hope, passion, and belief and landed as a winner, littered with support and adulation from his teammates.

Sure Chauncey Billups' had the better second half (statistically) but it was Anthony's 18 points in the first-half which gave Denver a three-point lead at half-time, that provided the Mountain Men with any shot at a win.

What else did he do? He accounted for 7 of Denver's final 9 points either by assisting or scoring and held Josh Howard without a field goal the last 4:35. Anthony also contributed to the Nuggets' win without even knowing it.

Anthony fouled Howard with 1:28 left with the score at 101-99 Dallas. Howard in turn only made 1-of-2 and left a window for the Nuggets' which Carmelo later opened.

Carmelo finished with 31 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and got to the free-throw line making 11 of 14 shots. The Nuggets' were 18-3 on the year when he attempts 9 free throws more with three wins over the Mavericks, including Game 2 and now Game Three.

Perhaps this is just what you expect from a player selected No. 3 overall in 2003. I'd say your right and the Nuggets' are getting their money's worth.

Nuggets vs Cavaliers: A Potential NBA Finals Preview

Sean Stancill — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:11:31 -0400

The Nuggets and Cavaliers are the hottest teams in the NBA Playoffs, a combined 12-1 in the first two rounds. Both are in favorable positions to advance to the conference finals. Should the teams meet, here is a preview of the starting match-ups.

Chauncey Billups vs. Mo Williams

Williams seemed to struggle in Round One against a bigger, stronger guard, Detroit's Rodney Stuckey. His averages were down for field goals (44 percent vs. 46 percent in the regular season), three-pointers (32 percent vs. 43 percent), and free-throws (56 vs. 91).

Stuckey repeatedly used his body and plowed into Williams on offense. Even when Mo had Stuckey off balance and was able to draw contact, Mo suffered the lion's share of the blow.

Billups is similar to Stuckey in that he's a bigger guard, but their games are different. Billups will look to post up more and generate more open looks for his teammates. Stuckey was far more aggressive, which allowed Mo to anticipate his movements and draw offensive fouls.

Billups is also a far superior shooter, which will demand Mo to play tight defense. Against Stuckey, Williams was able to cheat and maneuver the Piston toward another teammate and concede the jump shot.

Mo will not be able to do this on Chauncey because Williams will be playing up on Mr. Big Shot. This will give the hometown hero the advantage in driving past him and to the rim, possibly causing contact.

Combine that with the fact that Billups has has played in 10 NBA Finals games and was named 2003-04 Finals' MVP, and the edge goes to the veteran.

Dahntay Jones vs. Delonte West

Jones was signed last summer to be the Nuggs' defensive stopper out on the perimeter. So far it's been a success. However, he will be tested against the offensive prowess of Delonte West.

Jones has learned how to defend just about every type of scorer: slashers, marksmen, combinations. But this time he will be pitted against a different kind of player, a player who elects to get his team involved first but is capable of changing gears with a single dribble and getting himself going.

West is Cleveland's most important player aside from LeBron James, and when he gets into a groove, either assisting or shooting, the Cavs are fluid and nearly unstoppable.

Jones has the size, strength, and form to negate West. The question is, will he be able to hang with West around all those screens set by Big Z and Varejao?

I'm giving the advantage to West because of his savvy ball handling and improv when offensive schemes break down.

Carmelo Anthony vs. Anderson Varejao

I decided to transpose the match-ups between small forwards and power forwards because it's virtually impossible that Coach Karl and Coach Brown will allow their superstars and main scoring threats to go head to head. The potential for foul trouble would be too great.

I assigned power forwards to them because the power forwards are longer and bigger, which should negate big parts of each player's game.

Anthony has a history of lighting up the Cavs. Melo averaged 24.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the Nuggets' two victories over Cleveland last year and 27 the year before.

The Cavs must throw the pesky Varejao at Anthony to combat Melo's aggressiveness. The fact that Varejao is an excellent flopper helps Cleveland.

You can also expect Delonte West to get time against Melo as West has defended the 6'8" Joe Johnson in the Eastern Conference Semis. However, Melo' is much more aggressive and creative than Johnson, which will cause foul trouble for the Cavs.

On a side note, Carmelo Anthony is 9-4 lifetime against LeBron, but who's counting?

I give the edge wholeheartedly to Carmelo Anthony.

Kenyon Martin vs LeBron James

Last postseason George Karl had Martin defend Kobe Bryant one on one. The move produced mixed results.

If the Nuggets meet the Cavs, Martin will once again be called on to defend the MVP of the regular season.

James' strength causes problems for everybody, but if Martin can at least stay in front if James and get a hand in LeBron's line of sight, perhaps it will cause a little confusion and James will misfire on shots.Not to mention that if he does this with a certain "Bird" circling the paint, the shot may get sent back and fall into the hands of a Nuggets' player.

The likelihood of this happening every time LeBron attacks the rim is completely far-fetched, but it may occur more often than you would expect. Of course, LeBron, being the kind of player he is, would adapt and find a new way to score.

The Nuggets will be okay with LeBron scoring, but they know they will be in for it if 'Bron begins to dish. In Game One of the Eastern Conference Semis James had 22 points at halftime in an inspired effort, but the offense seemed stagnant. His teammates were statues.

Against a smarter team like Denver, the Nuggets will be able to trap James, force the ball out of his hands and into the hands of his uninvolved teammates.

The Nuggets forced LeBron into 11 turnovers in two games. He got to the line only 12 times, well below his average of nine per game.

In order to foil this strategy, James will have to dish early and often.

As for Martin, he must use his length and strength to beat LeBron on offense. He may have to adjust to playing with his back to the basket. K-Mart's go-to move—a crossover to his left en route to a sweeping floater—has become far too predictable. If Dirk were a better defender he would be taking them back.

Against LeBron that may very well happen, so Kenyon must be resourceful with his movements.

This match-up goes to LeBron.

Nene vs. Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Nene has the mobility, agility, and athleticism to completely dominate Ilgauskas as he has against the stronger Erick Dampier in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Nene has scored 24 and 25 in the semis, and if he keeps setting new postseason career highs the Cavs' can expect a real battle.

Ilgauskas, much slower, can be lethal from mid-range. But Z has seemingly lost the touch in the playoffs. He went two-of-nine against Atlanta in Game One and three-of-six in the next game. For the postseason, Ilgauskas is shooting only 41.6 percent, 25-of-60, down six percentage points from his regular-season average of 47.2.

Where Z can really help Cleveland is on the boards and by not allowing the quicker Nene to get the first step off the dribble or get favorable position.

However, I still give the advantage to Nene.

Will Rick Pitino Coach The Sacramento Kings?

Sean Stancill — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:42:47 -0400

Reports have recently indicated that Louisville Cardinals' Head Coach Rick Pitino is a candidate for the Sacramento Kings' head coaching job, a position that is currently valid after Sacramento fired interim coach Kenny Natt.

Sources say that Pitino out of sheer interest took the aggressive route and contacted Sacramento about the possibility.

Pitino coached the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics from during separate spans of his coaching career and had a career record of 192-220 in the NBA.

He joined the Louisville Cardinals in 2001-02 and has led them to 6 NCAA Tournaments, two Elite Eight Appearances and one Final Four Appearance in 04-05.

If Rick Pitino is actually mulling over the decision, I can understand why; with his talent at UL taking a major hit.

His two best players (Terrence Williams and Earl Clark), have both declared for the NBA Draft and won't return to the Big East next season, and signed recruit Jeremy Tyler declared that he will play professional ball in Europe and forego his last year in High School.

Pitino has McDonald's All-American guard Peyton Siva out of Washington, coming in the Fall to presumably shore up the Cardinals' back-court.

However if Rick Pitino does decide to leave Louisville for the Kings' he will have several pieces and high profile talent to work with.

He also coached Kings' guard and three-pointing shooting specialist Francisco Garcia with their most notable run coming in 2005 when they were both apart of UL's run to Final Four.

Pitino will also have one of the best shooting guards in the game in Kevin Martin, an emerging big in Jason Thompson, and presumably the top pick in June's draft which in a sure-fire suggestion will go towards drafting Oklahoma Sooners F Blake Griffin.

The decision is now up to Pitino.

Speaking as a resident of the Bay Area, the Sacramento Kings desperately could use this type of boost.

ATL Hawks: Joe Johnson May Miss Game 3

Sean Stancill — Thu, 07 May 2009 23:19:44 -0400

Things quickly went from bad to worse for the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday. It's not just the fact they were blown out again by the Cavaliers, trailing by 30 after three quarters, but also that their leading scorer Joe Johnson suffered a severe right ankle sprain and is doubtful for Saturday's Game 4.

The play occurred in the third quarter when Johnson attempted to clean up a missed lay-up and was being guarded by Lebron James. There was contact from James and the contact caused Johnson to land awkwardly on his right ankle as it twisted on his descent back to the floor.

The Hawks were already without starting small forward Marvin Williams and starting center Al Horford in Game 3. The effect was evident as Atlanta was out-rebounded 43-34 and their starters were out-scored 74-52.

Johnson has been averaging over 20 points per game for the last four seasons, since he was traded to the Hawks after playing for Boston and Phoenix his first five seasons in the NBA. Johnson has been averaging 17.1 points in the playoffs and averaged 21.4 during the regular season.

Without Johnson, Atlanta loses their best player, best offensive threat, and go-to-scorer down the stretch as well as their best on-ball defender.

This is a tremendous blow for the Hawks' and their chances of advancing to the next round (not that they had any in the first place). There is also a chance that Al Horford and Marvin Williams will be again ruled out as well.

The trio combined to account for 46.4 points and 20 rebounds during the regular season and their contributions will be sorely missed. It will be interesting to see the tactics that Atlanta head coach Mike Woodson employs to get more offense out of his starting line-up and his team

The Top Five Centers of the NBA Playoffs

Sean Stancill — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:49:59 -0400

With the First Round of the NBA Playoffs behind us, its time to distribute a fair amount of recognition to players who have performed above expectations for their respective squads. In this case, I'm showing love to the big guys, centers to be exact, or the anchors of every team's defense. So without further delay, here are my Top 5 Center of the NBA Playoffs:

Begin Slideshow

How Chris "Birdman" Andersen Became The Dirk-Stopper

Sean Stancill — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:35:29 -0400

Many (including me) believed Chris "Birdman" Andersen wouldn't be the right defender to guard Dirk in the Western Conference Semifinals between the Nuggets and the Mavericks.

But with two games already completed and a pair of blowout wins for the Nuggets, many (including me once again) are revisiting our initial thoughts.

When being guarded by Andersen in Game One, Nowitzki went 0-4 and helped the Nuggets' limit Dirk to only two fourth-quarter points.

In Game Two, though he had no blocked shots, Andersen collected nine rebounds, scored eight points and continued to play stifling defense on Dirk Nowitzki. Once again proved to be a pest against Dirk and the Nuggs' limited him to five points on a miserable 1-of-3 shooting.

In their individual match up, Andersen bottled up Nowitzki, stealing the ball away from him on the post for Dirk's third turnover of the game and really harassing him throughout the game.

He also coaxed Dirk into another personal foul and was the subject of Dirk's post game comments for yet the second straight game in a row.

Here is a shot chart of Dirk's performance when Andersen was on the floor:

In the first Quarter, Dirk scored eight points on 1-of-4 shooting
In the second Quarter, Dirk scored two points on 1-of-1 shooting
In the third Quarter, Dirk scored five points on 2-of-4 shooting
In the fourth Quarter, Dirk scored five points on 1-of-3 shooting

Combined, that brings a total of 20 points with a pedestrian mark of 5-for-12 from the field.

Andersen's most effective asset is that he's rangy, which allows him to give ground to Dirk and entice him into his shooting mechanics and then perfectly anticipate the situation before sending away the shot as the outcome.

Though Nowitzki scored the majority of his points with Birdman on the floor (20/35), he had to work for every basket he got and missed seven of his twelve shots, which just what the Denver Nuggets had hoped for.

With sound defense like that, I can understand why this bird is flying high.

Courtney Lee vs. Eddie House: The Most Intriguing Second-Round Matchup

Sean Stancill — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:01:35 -0400

Early in the year, Courtney Lee was able to earn minutes in the Orlando Magic's rotation thanks to his unselfishness and his willingness to compete on the defensive end of the floor.

He was chosen 22nd overall out of Western Kentucky and he averaged eight points, a steal, and shot over 40 percent from long-range in his first full season.

In his first four postseason games, he had outputs of 24, 18, and 15 to go along with eight steals and tight defense on his counterparts.

The Celtics have a variety of weapons that proved to be trouble for the Magic in Game Three, but none bigger than three-point specialist Eddie House.

House splurged for 31 points and made four treys en route to the C's blow-out win over Orlando.

The 6'0" assassin was being guarded by Mickael Pietrus for most of the evening, whom he torched thanks to his fast movements around screens.

Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy will be looking to assign a new defender to House in an attempt to bottle him up, and the perfect man for the job is Courtney Lee.

Though Lee has missed the Magic's last four postseason games thanks to a fractured sinus he suffered from Dwight Howard's elbow in Game Five of their first-round series vs. Philadelphia, Lee has resumed basketball activities and had an outside shot of playing in Game Two against the Celtics.

Reports indicate he will play in Game Three and his fast hands and even quicker reactions will be utilized.

Lee is widely regarded as Orlando's best perimeter defender and he has the physical attributes working in his favor (as did Mickael Pietrus, but we know how that turned out) so what's the difference between the two?

Lee is quick and slides feet in coordination with the dribbles of the offensive player. In House's case, Lee will need to rely on his good Basketball I.Q., sense of his help around him, and on studying hours of game footage of just what makes House so deadly.

Dating back to his days in Golden State, Pietrus' is more of a great help defender and a shot-blocker at the guard position, whereas Lee will let the game develop, allow the opposing player to execute his moves, and then either poke the ball out at the right moment or soundly contest the shot.

In addition, some of Mickael's bulk actually may have hurt him. Eddie House lives or dies by the three and also applies the same theory to the screens which free him up.

It's simple: If the pick isn't good and the defender is able to slide through or evade the screen, House's shot in turn will suffer. If House's defender gets planted by the screen then House receives a quality look where he's automatic (44 percent in the regular season and 50 percent in the playoffs).

Lee is 15 pounds lighter than Pietrus, and though this may be hard to believe, it may actually be of some help to him.

When Pietrus began guarding him in Game Two, Eddie House was able to curl around screens thanks to a combination of perfect timing from the Celtics' bigs when setting the screen and Mickael's stout body.

The fact that the rookie is smaller and hasn't developed a typical NBA-body yet is an asset that will help him shed screens geared to set up House and hang with the six-foot sharpshooter.

Lee will be itching to return to the court and with the home-court crowd behind him he will be presented with the task of defending the Celtics' most flammable player.

Good luck, Courtney Lee. The outcome of your one matchup could very well decide the rest of the series.

Will Paul Millsap Join Spurs?

Sean Stancill — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:48:26 -0400

With San Antonio being knocked out of the first-round earlier than usual, head coach Greg Popovich will undoubtedly be looking to upgrade their team.

However, the Spurs do not posses any first-round picks and the upcoming draft class is loaded with point guards and small on size. The Spurs already have their backcourt secured in Tony Parker and last year's first-round draftee George Hill. This rules in the possibility of rebuilding their starting line.

So in other words, another way San Antonio will be able to repair the battered front-line is through free agency.

Three of the four active frontcourt players on San Antonio's roster that are currently under contract past next season are over the age of 33, with the only exception being Matt Bonner, who will be turning 30 over the summer.

Here are the remaining ages of their others: Duncan 33, Thomas 36, and Oberto 34.

Another way to improve their team is through free agency, where there are a few pieces who could help their team.

I believe their main offseason target should be Jazz forward Paul Millsap.

He stabilized Utah's front-line, kept Deron Williams assist numbers afloat, and has continued to enforce the Jazz's representation of one of the most physical teams in the league with his stalwart-toned stature low in the post.

He averaged 15 points, nine rebounds, and a blocked shot, while shooting over 55 percent from the field in his first stint as a starter for Jerry Sloan.

He has quickly emerged as Utah's best post presence offensively and defensively. His strong hands and wide frame make him a monster on the boards. With consistent strong play, the Jazz may be able to let Carlos Boozer inhabit free agency this offseason—and reports have it that Boozer is fond of Miami.

Millsap's string of 19 consecutive double-doubles was the highest the Utah Jazz have witnessed since the likes of Karl Malone who racked at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in 44 straight games during the '90s. He racked up 24 of them on the year and will continue to notch feats as long as he stays patient and understands his role on the team.

Millsap is a restricted free agent after this season, meaning that the Jazz can match any offer thrown at him this summer. This is a major advantage for any organization to have when attempting to solidify a certain position for years to come.

He shot 53 percent from the field and notched 29 double-doubles in his first year as a starter.

He averaged 11 points, eight rebounds, a steal, and a block, and made over half of his attempts from the field (25-49) in the Jazz's first-round series against the Lakers.

Millsap made only $797,581 this year, a clear steal considering how he energized the Jazz in the absence of Carlos Boozer.

Now because he is a restricted free agent, the Jazz have the right to match any offer directed towards Millsap by another team.

Reports are that Carlos Boozer wants to return to Utah, as they also have to work on new contracts for starting center Mehmet Okur and three-point specialist Kyle Korver. If Utah commits the lion's share money to those players, they may not have enough resources to keep Millsap in Utah.

The Spurs have veterans Michael Finley, Ime Udoka, Jauqe Vaughn, and Drew Gooden coming off the books, meaning San Antonio will have over $5 million in cap space in the summer plus their mid-level exception to dangle in front of any free agent.

This opens up a window for a team like the San Antonio Spurs, who desperately needs the strength, intensity, and rebounding of a player of his caliber.

He also can defend on the block and down low in the post, something that the Spurs valued with their beloved veteran Kurt Thomas. However, Thomas seemed to be noticeably a step slower this season, which is expected in a 13-year veteran.

Considering San Antonio will never be bad enough to be a lottery team under Popovich and with stars like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, this may be the only way to get a rising star without shelling out one of their core players.

San Antonio needs to get younger and this move could be the first step towards changing the dimensions as well as the element of their team.

Let's Give Ron Artest the Benefit of the Doubt

Sean Stancill — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:19:38 -0400

As the Lakers piled on points in an effort to cement their win, a inadvertent elbow was thrown by Kobe Bryant underneath the basket that connected with Ron Artest's throat.

The refs called an offensive foul and Artest's reaction was to storm towards the refs and explain his side and then charge toward Kobe and let him know what you can and can't do to an individual on the basketball court.

The refs broke up the confrontation and declared that Artest should be thrown out of the game though he threw no punches and or any elbows like Kobe's teammate Derek Fisher did on Ron's teammate Luis Scola.

Fisher's elbow drew blood on the rim of Scola's lip, Fisher was ejected and Scola calmed down within moments.

So excuse Ron Artest if he doesn't behave or carry himself as does the Argentinean did.

Artest was clearly frustrated from his team's lack of support, including Yao only contributing 12 points and Shane Battier getting annihilated by Bryant.

This is not the old Ron-Ron that we've grown strangely infatuated with. Had it been I'd be willing to bet Kobe would have been laid out on the court crumbled in a heap as chaos engulfed the Staples Center.

Give kudos the man who grew up on the tough streets of New York and who had enough restraint to withstand Kobe's illegal (legal) attack, and the beating of his teammate.

The last time Artest was asked to step in for a teammate, the Palace of Auburn Hills was turned into a free-for-all and Ron was presented with a suspension for the remainder of the year, robbing him of a fair portion of his "early years."

All Artest was trying to do was to police the game and put his foot down on the officiating when the guys with the whistles wouldn't.

Instead the refs' acted on sheer stereotype and deliberated on his past and because of Artest's history even though Ron-Ron hasn't one single on the court or off the court incident this season and garnered no suspensions.

In fact while searching through the Getty images database, I couldn't find a single photo of Ron Artest pointing a finger, screaming, or appearing as if he was ready to come to blows.

The image above came from a different website.

Maybe America needs to get used to Artest. After all this his first time being viewed on a National audience since his infamous actions in the Pacers-Pistons brawl; however America also needs to learn to give Artest credit for not reverting back to those ways.

Before his ejection he scored 26 points and single-handedly carried the Rockets on his back almost into a 2-0 lead.

Artest's actions were completely justified but yet other people compounded them with the thoughts of the past.

I give much credit to Ron Artest. Artest, you did the right thing.

Orlando-Boston: Keys for Magic Going into Game Three

Sean Stancill — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:15:52 -0400

The Orlando Magic narrowly defeated the Boston Celtics in Game One and they were hoping to escape with a 2-0 lead heading back home to Amway Arena.

However, their plans were spoiled as the Celtics thoroughly dominated just about every aspect of the game to tie the series.

The "Master of Panic" Stan Van Gundy will adapt and devise a new strategy for his team, complete with new sets, plays, and ideas with attempts to take the next two games in the series.

But they must take it one game at a time and with that being said, here are the keys for the Magic going into Game Three:

Getting the Ball to Howard and Establishing a Groove

The Magic did a poor job of getting the ball to Dwight Howard early on, and instead of attempting multitudes of jumpers Orlando should've fed the ball to Howard in the post and allowed the athletic giant to do the rest from there.

During the first timeout of the game, Hedo Turkoglu and Howard seemed to experience a grave miscommunication as Turkoglu was seen barking at Howard.

Howard also didn't get any touches in the post on the Magic's next two possessions coming out of the timeout. On their third possession, the out of rhythm center caught the ball in the post and missed a right handed hook off the front of the rim.

Howard also missed his first four attempts and finished by missing eight of his 13 shots to go along with five turnovers and zero blocks.

If Dwight can establish a rhythm on offense it will help charge him on defense and he will be able to feed off himself on both ends of the floor.

Early Production from Hedo and Rashard

Early in the second quarter, Turkoglu and Lewis combined to start a miserable one for eight, and only accumulated four points.

With Howard struggling to find consistency, the Magic cannot afford for all members of their "Big Three" to have deficiencies in any game.

The Magic were eaten alive in the first half and if they do not receive assistance from Turkoglu and Lewis then they are essentially handicapping themselves.

With a home court backing them, anticipate the duo to come out shooting back at Amway Arena.

Containing Kendrick Perkins

Perkins had 14 and five at the half and only committed one personal foul. Perk finished with 16-9 and sent away two shots.

Dwight Howard must use his size to push Perkins off the block while fronting him. Howard is tall enough and has more than enough leaping ability to knock away an entry pass to Perkins when he's in the process of fronting him.

Howard also gets help but he doesn't use it to his advantage.

Because of the inconsistency of Rondo's jump shot Alston is able to cheat and converge towards Perkins, but the Magic may not have that luxury if Rafer Alston is indeed suspended for his slap that connected with Eddie House.

Howard will eventually learn how to quiet Perkins and that may come as soon as Game Three.

Assigning a New Defender to Eddie House

Mickael Pietrus was ordered to guard Eddie House, which originally sounded like a good matchup on paper. Pietrus' length, strength, and height combined with his quick feet, and his reputation as a defensive stopper were prescribed as all the tools needed to combat the efforts of a role player of House's magnitude.

However, House's agility and lightning quick release overwhelmed Pietrus, as House erupted for 22 points in his first 18 minutes and made four out of five shots from the great beyond.

Throw in his four-point play and he had one of the great performances of any bench player in the last five years.

He finished with a game high 31 points, and the mark also set the series high between the two teams.

There's no way the Magic can win with House erupting for over 30 points, while surrendering marvelous performances from Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, and getting little contributions from arguably their most important player, Dwight Howard.

As Stan Van Gundy often does, he will analyze the situation, adapt, and assign a new defender to House. My guess is that rookie Courtney Lee will be gearing up for the daunting task in Game Three.

Boston-Orlando: Keys for the Celtics in Game Three

Sean Stancill — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:54:19 -0400

The last time the Celtics and the Magic played, the ending was bitter for the Magic as they almost faltered a 26 point lead in the last 15 minutes.

In game two, they didn't have to worry about giving away any lead; they instead were the victims of a blowout as the Celtics defeated Orlando 112-94 to knot the series at 1-1.

Though they delivered a major whopping to Orlando, the Celtics can easily improve in a number of areas in time for game three.

Here are the keys for the Celtics going into Game Three:

Maintaining The Lead

The Celtics had leads of 10-4, 12-6, 20-10, and led 26-21 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter the trend was 41-28, 45-30, and 54-37 (or 13, 15, and 17) before finally stretching their lead to as many as 19 points before intermission.

The point is, the Celtics were able to step on the throats of the Magic early on in the game before they had a chance to respond. Similar to how a boxer delivers a 1-2 punch or a flurry of uppercuts in an effort to knock out their opponent and keep him down.

A Resurgent Rondo

Rondo had eight points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds in the first half and finished with 15 points, 18 assists, and 11 rebounds. He emphatically threw down a one-handed dunk that sent the home crowd into a frenzy and secured his franchise-tying third triple-double of the postseason.

He also pitched in two steals and did a good job helping Dwight Howard low in the post.

This was a pleasant sign for Boston and there's always a chance Rondo will mimic similar numbers to these in Orlando.

A Resurgent Ray Allen

With Paul Pierce out of the game early with two fouls, the Celtics desperately needed Ray Allen to deliver in his absence. Allen took the reigns of the offense and drove the ball to the basket three times and converted on two lay-ups (one reverse) and two free-throws as a result. Allen ended up with eight first quarter points and set the tone for the remainder of the game.

Allen then opened the second quarter with a free-throw line jumper and Boston never looked back after that. He finished with 22 points on seven shots and came through for his team when they needed him.

Doing A Better Job On The Sharp Shooters

Redick scored nine of Orlando's last 11 points in the first quarter and made four three-pointers alone in the opening period.

Anthony Johnson came off the bench and knocked down his first three-pointer, which at the time cut the Magic's deficit to only four early in the second quarter.

Aside from the duo, the Celtics did a good job of disturbing everyone else's three-point shot and you can expect that trend to continue in game three.

Pierce And His Foul Trouble

Pierce has picked up three fouls in each game before halftime. He only played five minutes in the first half, and Boston can consider itself very lucky that Orlando was atrocious in the paint and that it got significant contribution from both Rondo and Allen.

With Boston needing to take the lead in this series, expect Pierce to use his head and stay on the floor much longer in their next meeting.

The series between the Magic and the Celtics will resume on Friday with the series tied at 1-all.