Bleacher Report - NBA

Dwight Howard Proves Again That It's All About Dwight Howard

Martin Telleria — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:28:18 -0400

Very rarely do I find myself siding with Mike D’Antoni.

His core principles as a coach go against everything I believe is essential in winning a championship.

His disregard for defense and propensity for relying on the three-point shot have ensured defeat endless times throughout his career.

Yet still I find myself siding with him. It’s a strange feeling. One that only a player as entitled and selfish as Dwight Howard could push me to.

What on earth happened? In less than a year, Howard has destroyed his reputation, possibly beyond repair.

We saw signs of this type of behavior during his time in Orlando. The endless waffling of whether he’d stay or go. The silly squabbles he had with Stan Van Gundy. His propensity to throw teammates under the bus. It was never Howard’s doing in defeat yet the praise was always there in victory.

We thought a change of scenery was all he needed. That a move to a storied franchise like the Los Angeles Lakers would push along his maturation. We were wrong.

The waffling has returned, this time with his statement that he is intrigued by the prospect of starting over (again) with the Houston Rockets, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. The squabbles have remained, D’Antoni replacing Van Gundy in the coach's role. The excuses remain, this time with his declaration that he was used improperly.

The Rockets better think twice before dishing out a big contract to Howard. The Magic and Lakers should serve as cautionary tales about the perils of employing this one-time superstar.

When the going gets tough, Dwight Howard checks out.

For a man who is only a few years removed from garnering praise as the perhaps No. 2 player in the league, it’s been a long fall from grace.

The smiling superstar with the bubbly personality still remains. Yet the smiles are now through clenched teeth, the bubbly personality only surfacing when he is the focal point.

Dwight Howard has proven one thing throughout his career: If it’s not all about Howard, then you won’t get all of him on the court.

It’s not as if the skills that made him renowned throughout the league have left him. Even through injury, we saw glimpses of his brilliance.

It’s the baggage that he puts upon himself and those around him that have made him poisonous to a winning culture.

It really is sad. Howard has turned himself into the NBA’s version of Alex Rodriguez. Two supremely talented athletes who have destroyed their relationships with the fans and their teammates by putting themselves above all else.

We all know what Howard is: the most destructive defensive weapon the NBA has to offer (when motivated). We also know of his limitations on the offensive side of the ball.

Unfortunately for Howard, he craves the glory that offense brings and in the process diminishes what he does best.

It’s not Van Gundy’s or D’Antoni’s fault that they understood exactly what they had in Howard. They saw a player that could lead a team to a championship by being the anchor of the defense. They also saw a player who could make an offense better by staying within himself.

Howard, however, overestimates his offensive abilities. He sees his coaches’ acknowledgments of both his strengths and limitations as slights to him as a player. To quote the great Jack Nicholson, he can’t handle the truth.

The draw to Howard is obvious. He is an absolute force of nature. That is why someone, maybe the Lakers, maybe the Rockets, will throw him a max contract in the hopes that he realizes his potential.

For those that miss out on the Howard sweepstakes, they will eventually consider it a victory in defeat. For the team that does secure his abilities, well, the warning signs were there.

Unless Dwight Howard matures overnight, failure is inevitable. Fortunately for that team, he’ll probably ask for a trade after a year or two.

Whether or not there will be any takers at that point remains unknown.

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NBA Rumors: Analyzing the Latest Buzz from Around the League

Maxwell Ogden — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400

With the 2013 NBA playoffs raging on and the draft just over one month away, the rumors are swirling in a furious manner. From teams considering trading down to free agents looking to sign elsewhere, there are countless reports as to what may be.

So what's the latest buzz from around the league?

Certain stories pertain to the NBA draft, as teams are targeting players and looking to adjust their position. Other players are simply hoping to find their way into a more beneficial season via free agency.

One way or another, the NBA is about to change in a major way.

NBA Draft: Teams Looking to Trade Down

According to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, the Charlotte Bobcats are interested in trading down if they are unable to win the draft lottery. As it presently stands, they're in position to earn the No. 5 overall selection.

Per Bonnell, they're not the only team interested in moving down.

This might be just zealous due diligence. General manager Rich Cho is meticulous to a fault, so chatting up too many draft prospects could be in his wheelhouse. But there was something that raised my radar about how curious the Bobcats seem to be about players who could be drafted 10th through 20th.

So I asked several writers covering teams with similarly high picks if they thought their general managers were receptive to trading down. “Absolutely,” I kept hearing.

This isn't something you see very often at the NBA draft, but this is one of the weakest classes in recent memory.

The talent disparity in this year's draft is rather thin once you get past the stars of the class. Perhaps most concerning of all, none of those stars appear to be the type of players that you can build your franchise around.

For that reason, trade speculation will likely be present until the draft actually transpires—and Charlotte won't be alone in that process.

J.J. Redick to Sign Elsewhere?

According to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard J.J. Redick is expected to sign elsewhere this offseason. Redick is an unrestricted free agent, and thus holds no obligation to the franchise.

To put it simply, this should not come as a surprise.

Redick was in the midst of a career year prior to being traded, averaging 15.1 points and 4.4 assists with the Orlando Magic. Upon joining the Bucks, however, Redick's numbers dropped to 12.3 points and 2.7 assists.

More surprisingly, he shot 39.0 percent from beyond the arc with Orlando and 31.8 percent with Milwaukee.

You can fault Redick for that inconsistency, but there's a lot to say for a player's morale when their statistics decline. Not only is Redick one of the league's elite three-point shooters, but there is no reason to believe he'd shoot 31.8 percent from beyond the arc in the right situation.

Redick had shot worse than 39.0 percent in just two of his first six seasons—he posted marks of 38.8 percent and 37.4 percent in those seasons. The proof is in the numbers.

Redick has every reason to depart.

D-12 to Houston?

For more than two calendar years, the NBA community has counted down the days until Dwight Howard would make a decision about his future. This summer, that day will finally come, as Howard becomes an unrestricted free agent.

The question on everyone's mind is simple—will he re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers or end up elsewhere?

According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, Howard is intrigued by the prospect of playing for the Houston Rockets. This should come as no surprise, as Houston possesses the cap space and personnel necessary to pique D-12's interest.

The question is, how much more intriguing can their offer be than the Lakers'?

Houston has multiple factors working in their favor, as James Harden has emerged as a legitimate franchise player and Chandler Parsons is a postseason-caliber supporter. With Omer Asik crashing the boards and Jeremy Lin running the pick-and-roll, the personnel is in place.

Perhaps most intriguing of all is the fact that Texas has no income tax—D-12 could be headed to Houston.

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Kevin Garnett's Boston Celtics Future Hinges on Paul Pierce's Fate

Michael Pina — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400

Six years ago, and a few weeks after their prayers in the Greg Oden/Kevin Durant sweepstakes went unanswered, the Boston Celtics weren't an attractive place for any marquee player to call home.

Paul Pierce was there, sure, but the rest of the roster was infected with inexperience and far from realized potential.

It was a coddled collection of assets on cheap contracts, led by a much unhappier version of Pierce than the one we've grown accustomed to watching over the past half-decade.

At the same time, Kevin Garnett was being shopped by the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they tried to get as much for their own franchise player as possible. The Celtics weren't in play until they made a draft-day trade with the Seattle Supersonics to acquire Ray Allen, the right piece to convince Garnett that signing an extension with the Celtics was a good idea.

As his career winds down, Garnett's future may once again be tied to another player. This time, it's Pierce, and the questions loom large over what Celtics general manager Danny Ainge will do with the future of one of Boston's all-time greats.

If nothing happens, Pierce will make $15 million next season, ut he isn't guaranteed that money until a June 30 deadline passes. Before that, Ainge has the option of waiving or buying out Pierce for the $5 million he is guaranteed in 2013-14 to amnesty him, therefore wiping his salary and luxury tax totals off the Boston books.

The third option, of course, is a trade. As we all witnessed in Boston's first-round playoff loss to the New York Knicks, Pierce is far from a No. 1 option on a championship caliber team. He struggles to get his own shot and was utterly demoralized by the likes of Iman Shumpert, Pablo Prigioni and Ray Felton.

He'll be 36 years old next season and shot 36.8 percent in the playoffs with the third-lowest PER of his career in the regular season. Miraculously, he's still one of the most competent defensive players at his position and a feared scorer who'd be able to complement any team in the league.

If Pierce is traded, amnestied or bought out of his contract, the Celtics will finally head into their franchise's next era, and it most likely won't be one that sees consistently deep playoff runs and championship contention.

It's a situation that Garnett understandably would want no part of, but the probability of him retiring, or threatening retirement, is probably less than you think. He could fill yachts with the money he's made since entering the league nearly two decades ago, but walking away from the game of basketball at this stage would also mean walking away from a cool $12 million.

That doesn't mean the Celtics can afford to call his bluff if they want to remain competitive without one of the NBA's 20 best players ever returning to their team. He's still playing at a high level, albeit while averaging his fewest minutes per game since he was 19 years old, and was voted an All-Star in February.

Garnett's per-36-minute numbers this season were about on par with his career average, if only one or two digits lower in a major category like points. He also grabbed 82 rebounds in six playoff games while knocking in exactly half his shots from the field.

What makes this situation even more interesting is the possibility of Boston choosing to part ways with Pierce in a trade, then convincing Garnett to waive his no-trade clause for an opportunity to ride out the final year or two of his career with Pierce wearing a different colored jersey.

The two packaged as part of a blockbuster trade could help a frustrated team over a playoff hurdle while facilitating a quick Celtics' rebuilding phase. The Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder or even Los Angeles Lakers might all be interested in temporarily pushing all their chips to the middle.

If Pierce goes, and that's entirely possible, Garnett most likely will head out as well either by retirement or trade. Similar things have happened over the past few years with one or two big chips needing to fall in order for the team to finally embark on rebuilding.

This year, it's all predicated on how Ainge deals with Pierce. Once that happens, how Garnett reacts will set the rest of Boston's offseason in motion.

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NBA Lottery 2013: Teams That Desperately Need to Win Lottery

John Rozum — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400

The 2013 NBA lottery is set for Tuesday, May 21 and an abundance of teams are hoping to get lucky.

There are, however, a few that need it more than the rest of the pool.

For one, the NBA draft features some impressive prospects in Indiana's Victor Oladipo, Georgetown's Otto Porter and Michigan's Trey Burke. Clearly landing one of these talents, among others, will propel the bottom-feeders forward and potentially into the 2014 postseason picture.

So, with the lottery on the horizon, let's see who needs to win it the most.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Although Cleveland has great young talent in Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson, the Cavaliers play in a deep division.

The Central Division sent three teams to the postseason, not to mention the Chicago Bulls did it without Derrick Rose. The Indiana Pacers have reached the Eastern Conference finals, and the Milwaukee Bucks were better than their record indicated.

Therefore, having the opportunity to land a guy like Porter or Oladipo will significantly boost Cleveland ahead. It's a physically tough and defensive division, but the Cavs can gain a competitive edge with an upgraded offense.

Not getting this luxury, however, will make contending for the 2014 playoffs increasingly difficult.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns finished last in the Pacific Division that sent three teams to the postseason.

That said, even though the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers bowed out in Round 1, Phoenix remains a solid distance from challenging for the postseason. Lacking at each end of the floor in 2013-14, the Suns tied for the worst road (8-33) and second-worst divisional (5-11) record in the West Conference this season.

With good fortunate in the lottery, though, they can make up solid ground in the next campaign.

Oladipo will obviously help the versatility at each end, whereas Cody Zeller or Anthony Bennett would suffice in the frontcourt. Nerlens Noel is the ideal fit, but Phoenix's only real odds for him are by receiving the top pick.

New Orleans Pelicans

Another team in a tough division are the New Orleans Pelicans.

The San Antonio Spurs remain elite, and the Memphis Grizzlies are on the rise. Plus, these two are squaring off in this year's Western Conference finals.

In addition, New Orleans sported the second-worst conference record (15-37) in the West this season. Factor in the situation with Eric Gordon and the offseason may only get worse. According to Bradley Handwerger of WWLTV-CBS 4 on April 22, general manager Dell Demps is looking at all options:

“To say if I anticipate him [Gordon] being back – I don’t know if that’s something I can answer right now, or him not to be back. We’re going to sit down and evaluate every situation and opportunity,” Demps said.

No matter what transpires, getting a top pick from the lotto will definitely address a key need. Whether it's Burke, Zeller or Alex Len, the Pelicans have to spruce up their offense or depth in the paint.

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NBA Playoffs 2013: X-Factors That Will Determine Conference Finals

Rob Goldberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400

While the NBA playoffs usually showcase the league's biggest stars, there are a number of unheralded players who are just as important to a team's success.

As much as fans would like to believe that LeBron James is his whole team and the San Antonio Spurs could not possibly win without Tony Parker, this is simply not true. Sometimes, it is the lesser-known guys who make the biggest difference.

These players will not get a lot of publicity during the conference finals, but their efforts will play a huge role in deciding who advances to the next round.

Miami Heat: Chris Andersen

Although Chris Andersen did not contribute much on offense against the Chicago Bulls, he did more than enough on the defensive end to help his team immensely.

The Birdman had at least two blocks in each of the first three games and played solid defense on Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. If the Heat are going to beat the Pacers, he will once again need to come through on that side of the court.

Indiana has one of the best frontcourts in the league between Roy Hibbert and David West. The two of them can cause fits for the undersized Heat if given the chance.

Andersen needs to make sure he takes advantage of his time on the court by bringing his usual high-energy play. If he can continue to play strong defense, Miami will be just fine in this series.

Indiana Pacers: Lance Stephenson

Paul George turned heads this season as he led the team in scoring en route to winning the league's Most Improved Player award. His efforts, along with Roy Hibbert and David West inside, have the team competing in the Eastern Conference finals.

However, it was Lance Stephenson that helped the team advance past the New York Knicks with a fantastic performance in Game 6.

The guard scored 25 points with 10 rebounds in the win after averaging only 8.8 points during the regular season. While it's unlikely he is able to consistently produce these types of numbers, his contributions throughout the postseason have been vital.

Stephenson is a very good defender who is also averaging 8.1 rebounds per game in the postseason. This will be necessary to try to slow down Dwyane Wade, who contributes a lot as a scorer while also being one of the best rebounding guards in the league.

If the young player can continue to play at this level, it will give Indiana a chance to pull off the upset in the series.

San Antonio Spurs: Matt Bonner

Matt Bonner did not have much of a role in the last series against the Golden State Warriors as coach Gregg Popovich elected to use a smaller lineup. However, that will not be the case against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Against a bigger and slower defense, Bonner becomes an offensive mismatch as a 6'10" player who can score from the outside. In Game 1, he scored 12 points on four made threes after totaling only 12 points during the entire previous round.

While the Spurs have a few players who can make three-point shots like Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, Bonner has been the team's most consistent threat when he is on the floor and led the team with a 44.2 percent mark from behind the arc.

During the postseason, he has made 12 of his 20 attempts from deep.

Memphis has a very tough defense to beat, but Bonner can become an equalizer for San Antonio if he continues to make his shots.

Memphis Grizzlies: Tony Allen

Everyone knows about Tony Allen's skills as a defensive player. For the second year in a row, the guard was selected All-Defensive first team as one of the best on-ball defenders in the entire league.

He will likely rotate duties throughout the series between Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and others, and he needs to make sure he shuts down whoever he matches up against.

The problem is that this will not be enough in this series. San Antonio showed in Game 1 that it is willing to leave Allen open while doubling-up on Zach Randolph down low. As a result, the big man was held to two points on 1-of-8 shooting.

Allen did make all three of his shots in the first game, but that is not enough. He needs to make the Spurs pay for leaving him open by being more aggressive with and without the ball.

Memphis is only 1-3 in the postseason in games where Allen fails to reach double-digit points. He needs to make sure he brings the same type of effort on the offensive end as he does on defense if the Grizzlies are to advance.

Follow @TheRobGoldberg

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NBA Draft Lottery 2013 Live Stream: Online Viewing Info and More

Alex Kay — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400

The 2013 NBA Draft Lottery may not be the monumental day during the offseason that forever changes the fortunes of a downtrodden organization, but it's still an important event for fans of all teams involved.

While there is hardly a consensus No. 1 pick—with perhaps the exception of Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel—and zero young stars jumping out as potential franchise saviors, there’s still some buzz surrounding the upcoming lottery draw.

It’s still a significant occasion that will change the landscape of the Association forever. This draft has a decent amount of depth at the top, which is why it’s important to at least land in the upper half of the top-14 after the ping-pong balls are pulled.

As much as some fans and analysts want to trash this class, there are prospects available that will be instrumental in improving the fortunes of the club that selects them. There are even some that will end up guiding teams on playoff runs and others that could become major contributors for a Finals-winning squad.

Let’s take a look at where you can watch this thrilling lottery drawing, including a link for live streaming. Then check out the complete list of participants, possible trades and each team’s chance to land the No. 1 selection.

Finally, we have highlighted some notable selections that could come off the board in the lottery and included a potential mock draft for how the first 14 picks could shake out.

2013 NBA Draft Lottery Info

When: Tuesday, May 21 at 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: Disney/ABC’s Times Square Studios, New York, N.Y.

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN3 (Blacked out in several states, please check coverage map here)

2013 NBA Draft Lottery Participants and Chance to Land No. 1 Selection

Team	2012-13 Record	Chance of No. 1 pick
Orlando Magic	20-62	25 percent
Charlotte Bobcats	21-61	19.9 percent
Cleveland Cavaliers	24-58	15.6 percent
Phoenix Suns	25-57	11.9 percent
New Orleans Pelicans	27-55	8.8 percent
Sacramento Kings	28-54	6.3 percent
Detroit Pistons	29-53	4.3 percent
Washington Wizards	29-53	2.8 percent
Minnesota Timberwolves	31-51	1.7 percent
Portland Trail Blazers*	33-49	1.1 percent
Philadelphia 76ers	34-48	0.8 percent
Toronto Raptors**	34-48	0.7 percent
Dallas Mavericks	41-41	0.6 percent
Utah Jazz	43-39	0.5 percent

*If Portland's pick falls outside of the top 12, it will be sent to Charlotte.

**If Toronto's pick falls outside of the top three, it will be sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder via the Houston Rockets.

***Odds and trade notes courtesy of USA Today.

2013 NBA Draft Lottery Notables

Nerlens Noel, PF/C, Kentucky

While Noel isn’t going to make the same impact that former UK star Anthony Davis did on the Hornets, he’s still projected to be a starting-caliber big man in the NBA.

Because of his elite length, incredible shot-blocking, upside as a defender and rim protector as well as a plus non-stop motor, it would be a wise decision for a majority of teams to select Noel No. 1 overall.

While the bouncy star is still recovering from an ACL injury suffered in February, he’s apparently ahead of schedule and expects to be back around Christmas time.

It’s certainly not the ideal situation for the club that lands the top pick, but there isn’t a better big to be found in this class.

Injury risks and all, Noel should be the No. 1 overall selection in the 2013 draft.

Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas

Earlier in the 2012-13 college campaign, there was some significant buzz concerning McLemore becoming the first off-guard to be selected No. 1 overall since David Thompson accomplished the feat back in 1975.

Unfortunately, with his late-season struggles and disappearing act during a significant stretch of the NCAA tournament, McLemore has fallen down a rung on the big board.

While he’s still a consensus top-five pick and most exciting, high ceiling perimeter player in this class, he shouldn’t have much a chance to overtake Noel for the No. 1 spot.

Expect this KU product to make a quick splash in the Association however, as he has elite three-point shooting skills and the propensity to light up the scoreboard when he’s feeling it.

Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown

Porter may not be an elite scorer or eye-popping athlete, but he does a bit of everything and can do it all well.

He displayed flashes of an ability to carry the scoring load late in his sophomore season with the Hoyas, but was not able to sustain that sort of production.

Fortunately, most of his suitors in the lottery won’t be expecting much in terms of point production from this swingman.

As long as he’s able to defend multiple positions, clean the glass on both ends of the court, hustle hard on every possession and do all the little things that winning organizations require from their SF, Porter is going to be a home-run selection.

Complete 2013 NBA Lottery Mock Draft

1. Orlando Magic: Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky

2. Charlotte Bobcats: Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas

3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown

4. Phoenix Suns: Cody Zeller, C, Indiana

5. New Orleans Pelicans: Trey Burke, PG, Michigan

6. Sacramento Kings: Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana

7. Detroit Pistons: Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA

8. Washington Wizards: Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV

9. Minnesota Timberwolves: C.J. McCollum, SG, Lehigh

10. Portland Trail Blazers: Alex Len, C, Maryland

11. Philadelphia 76ers: Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Toronto): Rudy Gobert, C, France

13. Dallas Mavericks: Dario Saric, SF, Croatia

14. Utah Jazz: Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse

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2013 NBA Draft Prospects: Best Players Sitting on Lottery Bubble

Alex Kay — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400

With the 2013 NBA draft lottery draw occurring shortly, there’s no better time to examine some of the prospects hoping to make it into the top 14 this June.

You’ve probably heard enough about the big names in this year’s class, including Nerlens Noel—the closest thing to a consensus top pick—Ben Mclemore, Otto Porter and Trey Burke. The chances of them slipping outside the lottery are borderline zero.

However, there are some under-the-radar players that have been hoping to make a good impression at the recent combine, during upcoming workouts and throughout the pre-draft interview process.

If they are successful, there’s a solid shot these on-the-bubble prospects make a full-fledged dive into the lottery waters. If not, there’s always the chance they catch on with another team later on in the first round.

Let’s take a look at a handful of these young, upcoming stars.

Glen Rice Jr., SF, D-League

After Rice was dismissed from Georgia Tech last year, the promising young swingman didn’t give up on his dream to play professional basketball.

It was clear he had character issues to iron out and a sense of maturity to find, so he continued his career by catching on with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League.

He absolutely exploded upon landing there, especially in the postseason. The 22-year-old caught fire down the stretch and helped guide his squad to the championship, averaging 25 points per game during the playoffs.

The 6’5” stud has a great stroke from anywhere on the court, a willingness to bang for boards and decent court vision for his position. He excels at the 3, but is also able to back up the 2 and could be used there in certain situations.

While he may not be a future star and has a lower ceiling due to his age, there is the chance that Rice Jr. gets selected early and immediately makes an impact for whichever team takes a chance on him.

Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse

Carter-Williams is one of the more intriguing prospects on the big board, as he’s a 6’6” point guard with arguably the best passing skills in the class.

However, he’s also a PG that cannot shoot the ball or handle it well, which is why he’s in danger of slipping outside the lottery.

MCW did lead the Orange to a Final Four appearance and proved his worth as a lengthy, agile defender on top of Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone, which should help his stock come draft day.

Like Rice Jr., he’s a bit on the older side at 21, but this Syracuse stud should find a way to make a difference in the NBA. There are plenty of teams that need a facilitator to set up the stars on offense and a lockdown defender on the other end.

Don’t be surprised if Carter-Williams vaults into the lottery after proving himself in workouts and tantalizing scouts and GMs with his measurements.

Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville

Dieng is an ideal pick for a club that immediately needs to add a big man into the rotation.

At 6’11, 235 pounds, the Louisville star has the proper size to make the leap to the Association and contribute defensively on a nightly basis. He’s going to be able to protect the rim, leap to block shots and absorb a few fouls in 15 to 20 minutes of play per contest.

Unless he starts to show some more promise with his raw offensive game, that just may be this prospect’s ceiling, which isn’t awful.

However, Dieng certainly displayed a variety of skills in the National Championship Game against Michigan, finishing with eight points, eight boards, six assists, three blocks and a steal in 37 minutes.

If he can keep that level of low-post passing and somewhat reliable scoring up, there’s a shot Dieng someday becomes a starter in this league.

Due to the weakness of this class and the lack of quality defensive-minded bigs in the league, there’s no reason to believe this national title-winner should slide much further than the lottery.

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

7 NBA Teams Primed to Land a Star in 2013 NBA Offseason

Bryan Toporek — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:30:00 -0400

Come July 1, 2013, at least two franchise-changing NBA players will hit the market as unrestricted free agents.

Chris Paul and Dwight Howard may end up re-signing with their respective Los Angeles franchises, but nearly one-third of the league's teams are positioned to woo them away.

For the teams that miss out on Dwight and CP3 in free agency, Josh Smith, Andre Iguodala, Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, David West and Brandon Jennings remain as potential impact additions, among other big names.

Some teams will assuredly preserve their cap space with an eye toward the summer of 2014, where LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant could all reach free agency. That may turn the free-agent class of 2013 into the calm before the storm, contractually speaking.

But some teams, with nearly $30 million in potential cap space available this summer, won't have a choice other than to spend some of that money on free agents.

Based on projected cap space available, seven teams stand out as the major non-Los Angeles threats to land a star 2013 free agent.

Note: All player and team salary information comes from either Basketball-Reference or HoopsHype, unless noted otherwise. All projected cap space calculations are my own and assume a $60 million salary cap for the 2013-14 season.

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Comparing Mock Drafts for Houston Rockets from Around the Web

Eric Edelman — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:23:49 -0400

With the NBA Draft Combine in the rear-view mirror, keyboard general managers are beginning to clash over who should or shouldn't be drafted in this year's upcoming selection show.

While many of the league's bottom feeders have their sights set on prospects with bigger names, fringe contenders like the Houston Rockets will be looking to bolster their roster for depth. The Rockets won't be drafting any game-changers, but it doesn't hurt to compare and analyze what several mock drafts are predicting as far as their selections this go-around.

Because all of Houston's acquired-via-trade picks are (unfortunately for their sake) protected as of this year, the original holders of the respective picks will hang on to their original slots, assuming the Toronto pick meets the specific criteria following the lottery. Houston will however hang on to one pick, and said pick will be available in the second round.

NBADraft.net

A solid source of pre-draft information, NBADraft.net does a great job of illustrating some miscellaneous information while providing an organized and comprehensive breakdown of both rounds of the draft. Clicking on the respective prospects will also take viewers directly to an individualized scouting report.

They have the Rockets going for Allen Crabbe, the sharpshooter out of Cal. Crabbe isn't going to wow you with his moves off the dribble, Crabbe is not by any means an explosive athlete, but this man can flatout shoot the ball. NBADraft.net likely sees Houston sticking to their rationale of spreading the floor, getting lengthy defenders and basically adding a player who won't do anything but contribute. Crabbe isn't a black hole so to speak for a prospective offense; he is simply a catch-and-shoot type of guy who won't hog or dominate a possession.

Definitely a conservative option for this pick, but NBADraft.net has the right idea as far as adding a guy who will serve as a complement rather than expecting some game-changing acquisition

Hoopsworld.com

Hoopsworld is a little less on the nitty-gritty, but they are far more focused on delivering an easy to read, in-your-face type of display as compared to NBADraft.net's standardized layout. They also provide some nifty clickable links directly to each prospect's profile on DraftExpress.com.

Rather than Crabbe, Hoopsworld predicts the Rockets will opt for Giannis Adetokunbo, a very, very raw prospect from Greece. The Nigerian-born Adetokunbo is going to differ in many ways from Crabbe. He is a foreign player who will have to familiarize himself with the NBA lifestyle, and rather than a college kid who has been groomed since his AAU days, he will be a little out of the loop due to some culture barriers.

Other than the extraneous factors, Adetokunbo also has a few basketball limitations as well. Physically, he is extremely gifted—big 6'9" frame, huge hands, incredible athletic potential—but fundamentally he isn't the soundest of players. He has a lot to work on as far as shooting the basketball ball consistently goes, as well as the cerebral aspects of the game. But the boy (he's not even 19 yet) could be a solid multi-position defender thanks to his frame.

DraftExpress.com

Differing a bit from the other two sources, DraftExpress thinks the Rockets will go point rather than spot-up wing or defending wing. Similar to the two previous options, Lorenzo Brown isn't going to move mountains for Houston; he's going to be a utility player with a defined role. Brown is big for a guard—the 6'5" product out of NC State will have a height advantage against most points—but offensively he's still a bit rough around the edges.

Brown needs to improve his dexterity. He's not a great shooter by any means from the perimeter and he's by no means a supreme athlete. He's an incredibly crafty player with the ball in his hands, but he he needs to hit the weight room and at some point he needs to define his role at the next level.

Being a tweener guard in the NBA is great if you have an elite skill set, but for a guy like Brown, someone who is a tweener due to not really excelling at one or the other needs to carve out a niche so he can fit somewhere in an NBA lineup.

Adding another guard to Houston's backcourt wouldn't hurt, and DraftExpress definitely sees Houston going for yet another conservative acquisition at this stage in the selection process.

Ultimately, whoever gets selected to play for Houston this season will most likely be raw and underdeveloped, very fitting for a team that itself still has lot of growing up to do. Houston's tremendous trio of James Harden, Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons are all still in the early stages of truly defining who they are as players, and just like their eventual rookie newcomer, this season is yet another opportunity to discover what they're truly capable of in this league.

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Figuring out What Went Wrong in Golden State Warriors Second Round Loss

Simon Cherin-Gordon — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:05:03 -0400

Two games into Round 2, it seemed as though the Golden State Warriors had suddenly become NBA title contenders.

They had stolen home-court advantage away from the San Antonio Spurs, and one last-second defensive breakdown in Game 1 is all that separated Golden State from a commanding 2-0 lead.

Stephen Curry was playing at an All-NBA level. Klay Thompson, Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes were clicking. The Spurs, who most people thought were the best team remaining in Western Conference, seemed to have no answer.

From that point forward, however, San Antonio grabbed control of the series and didn't once relinquish it.

They won Game 3 in Oakland, reclaiming home-court advantage. The Warriors won Game 4 in overtime, but the Spurs didn't panic and crushed the Warriors in Game 5.

Game 6 figured to be Golden State's to lose, as its season was on the line and they were playing in front of the NBA's best home crowd. But the Spurs came out with a gutsy performance and closed out the series.

While the loss was certainly a disappointment—the Warriors went from becoming the scariest team not called the Miami Heat in the NBA playoffs to being eliminated in a matter of one week—the defeat was not gut-wrenching.

Part of this is due to the fact that the Warriors went further than anyone anticipated this season, but Golden State's end was also made relatively painless due to its swift, swinging of their sharp executioner's sword.

The Warriors thrive on perimeter shooting. That isn't to say they are a "jumpshooting team" in the diminutive sense. The Warriors can win games with defense, rebounding, points in the paint, transition buckets and crisp half-court offense. But the team's biggest strength is the shooting ability of its starting backcourt.

Stephen Curry set an NBA record with 272 three-pointers this season, and if you watch NBA playoff basketball, you've certainly witnessed the numerous coronations of him as the best shooter in the world.

What most people do not know is that the 211 triples drained by Klay Thompson this season is the 22nd-highest total in NBA history.

Curry and Thompson combined to hit 5.9 threes per game this season at 43 percent efficiency. That's 18 points a night on 13.7 shots.

So what did San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich do after Curry and Thompson hit them with 16 triples in the first two games? His team held the duo to 16 threes over the next four games, cutting their production in half.

The San Antonio defense usually rotates frequently, closing out on shooters, blocking shots from the weak side and rebounding as a team. Popovich decided to move away from this strategy in this series, keeping his best perimeter defenders—Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard—glued to Curry and Thompson at all times.

He also opted to run an offense that focused heavily on tiring Curry and Thompson out. Both Tony Parker (Thompson's man) and Green (guarded by Curry) took more shots in the series than they normally do.

As the Spurs' strategy of neutralizing Curry and Thompson proved to be working, Warriors coach Mark Jackson opted to run his offense through Jarrett Jack and Harrison Barnes.

Both players did everything they could to exploit their matchups. Jack averaged 17.5 points over the final four games, while the placement of Leonard and Green on Curry and Thompson allowed Barnes to consistently go up against a smaller man. He averaged 18 points over those four games.

But Jack is too turnover prone and too limited as a passer to beat San Antonio as the primary playmaker, while Barnes' inability to draw fouls or find open men when the defense collapses on him made his scoring something the Spurs could live with.

On the other end, San Antonio simply showed more experience than Golden State.

Tony Parker shot only 43 percent over the final four games, but he got to the free-throw line over seven times per game. Golden State's guarding of Parker with Thompson left Kawhi Leonard frequently mismatched against weaker perimeter defenders, and he shot an incredible 56.4 percent over those four games.

While Golden State's sixth man, Jack, failed to initiate the offense, San Antonio's sixth man, Manu Ginobili, thrived. His shot was off all series, but he made plays for others, crashed the boards, came up with steals and limited his turnovers.

Danny Green, while not the outside shooter that Curry and Thompson are, hurt Golden State by consistently getting open looks due to the defense collapsing when San Antonio worked the ball inside. He and Ginobili each hit eight triples over the final four games, matching the total from Curry and Thompson.

The Warriors could not beat the Spurs when San Antonio was matching them from deep because Popovich's club is simply too strong on the inside for Golden State to match them there too.

Warriors center Andrew Bogut played as good a defensive series as one can against the Spurs. He averaged 11.5 rebounds and held Tim Duncan to 42.3 percent shooting.

Still, Duncan got to the line 5.7 times a game and averaged 19.5 points. Bogut scored only 37 points in the entire series and was taken off the floor whenever Golden State was in the bonus due to his terrible free-throw shooting (7-for-18 in the series).

The Warriors were thoroughly beaten by the Spurs. San Antonio took away their opponents' strengths on offense and exploited their weaknesses on defense. They proved to have more versatile personnel at the top and a greater quantity of players who could pitch in than Golden State had.

Nothing really went wrong for the Warriors in this series. They could have been a little hotter from the field and should have gotten slightly better treatment from the officials, but ultimately were outplayed by a team that's been built up over a far longer period of time and outcoached by a man that's won four championships and 29 playoff series over 16 seasons.

Golden State must do everything it can to learn and improve from this defeat, but tip of the hat is also in order.

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Eastern Conference Finals 2013: How Indiana Pacers Can Shock Miami

Ben Phillis — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:37:40 -0400

The Miami Heat are the obvious favorites to advance to the NBA Finals out of the Eastern Conference, but don’t be surprised if the Indiana Pacers send the Heat packing.

After Pacers head coach Frank Vogel’s comments were misquoted and jumped on by superstar LeBron James (via ESPN), Vogel came back to the media and clarified that he has “great respect for LBJ and the champs.”

Don’t misinterpret Vogel’s second round of comments. Neither he nor his players are intimidated by the Heat. If it hadn’t caused such a stir, the third-year coach surely would have stuck with his original quote: that Miami is the “next team in our way.”

The Pacers are determined and believe they can win. They want revenge after being ousted by Miami in 2012. Here are the ways Indiana can pull off a shocking upset of the NBA’s top squad.

Interior Defense

The Pacers were able to defeat the New York Knicks by simply owning them inside. Roy Hibbert demolished Tyson Chandler.

The Bulls gave the Heat trouble by “uglying up” games against them. Chicago didn’t have enough depth in the long run to defeat LeBron and company, but they definitely rattled the Heat and exposed a weakness.

Indiana is great on defense and extremely big. They were second in the regular season in points allowed per game and first in rebounds per game.

If the third seed out of the East can continue to play tough defense inside, the Heat will struggle in the series. Miami was 1-2 against Indiana in the regular season. In those two losses, they were limited to 61 field-goal makes on 138 attempts (44.2 percent).

That’s not exactly stifling, but it’s pretty good against the league’s most efficient team (49.6 percent in the regular season). In Miami’s lone victory against Indiana, they shot 55.9 percent from the field.

The number of points scored by the Heat was another key variable between these teams. This trend dates back to the 2012 playoffs. In the most recent regular season and last year’s postseason, the Pacers went 4-1 when the Heat didn’t break 100 points, but were 0-4 when Miami passed the century mark.

Setting the vibe with quality, physical defense is of the utmost importance against the defending champs. Indiana has the ability to win the battle in the paint, which will put them in position to compete in every game.

Halftime Adjustments

Erik Spoelstra received positive accolades for his coaching decision to give Miami’s players more freedom and go position-less. Spoelstra finished second in Coach of the Year voting, while Vogel finished a distant fifth.

However, Vogel has coached just as well as Spoelstra head-to-head.

Both coaches made fantastic halftime adjustments during the regular season. In the third quarter, the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers were second and third (respectively) in point differential, via NBA.com.

Not surprisingly, many of the games between these two teams were decided in that quarter. Here are the points scored by each team in the third, along with the eventual victor:

2012 Playoffs

Game 1: MIA 28, IND 22; Miami
Game 2: MIA 14, IND 28; Indiana
Game 3: MIA 12, IND 26; Indiana
Game 4: MIA 30, IND 16; Miami
Game 5: MIA 27, IND 17; Miami
Game 6: MIA 28, IND 16; Miami

2013 Regular Season

Game 1: MIA 15, IND 25; Indiana
Game 2: MIA 20, IND 27; Indiana
Game 3: MIA 23, IND 19; Miami

The average difference in third quarter scoring in those games is about 10.1 points. Whichever team won the third quarter won the game.

If Vogel consistently creates a good game plan at halftime, the Pacers can and will defeat the Heat.

Make LeBron Uncomfortable

This one goes hand-in-hand with the interior defense. If Roy Hibbert can shut down Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade is still somewhat hobbled, LeBron has to take over.

Obviously LeBron is capable of taking over games. But putting him out of his comfort zone could make a difference.

Late in Game 1 against the Bulls, the Heat looked shocked, disorganized and lackadaisical. Crunch time was reminiscent of their NBA Finals against the Mavericks.

Chicago hit them with their best, most physical shot, and it kind of rattled the Heat.

Now imagine a much deeper Pacers team doing that.

Indiana has to play tough, hard defense both on the inside and against LeBron. If they succeed, they can slow down the four-time MVP.

Dime magazine pointed out that Paul George, an All-Defensive Second Team selection, could give the Pacers a huge boost by taking LeBron out of his comfort zone. Jimmy Butler was able to do it in stretches, so why not George?

George already did an amazing job in the first regular-season victory against the league’s best player: he had 29 points to James’ 22. After the game he said (via ESPN): “I definitely wanted to battle him.”

The young forward relishes the opportunity, and George’s defense could be the X-factor. Over the same nine games referenced earlier against the Pacers, King James had 7.2 assists per game in wins and 3.75 assists per game in losses.

That huge discrepancy is the result of LeBron feeling a little uncomfortable. When James is playing naturally, those extra passes come easily.

The importance of those assists can’t be understated. For example, in the regular-season win over Indiana during the streak, James was the fourth-leading scorer (only 13 points) but led the team with seven assists. Even if LeBron isn’t scoring, he’s creating offense for his teammates.

It may not be a popular pick, but the Indiana Pacers are definitely capable of knocking off the Miami Heat. Physical, tenacious defense from the Pacers (especially Hibbert and George) combined with great coaching by Vogel will send this underdog to the NBA Finals.

*All unattributed statistics courtesy of ESPN.com.

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Comparing Mock Drafts for LA Lakers from Around the Web

Richard Le — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:00:47 -0400

After charging their way into the playoffs at the very end of the season, the Lakers can only expect to utilize their No. 48 pick and the Memphis Grizzlies' No. 60 pick (due to the fact that the Lakers' rights to one of the Grizzlies' picks are protected through the first 55) to rebuild their roster.

Starting with NBA Draft's mock, it appears as if the best prospect the Lakers can hope to get from their draft position is Mouhammadou Jaiteh.

As scouted by Duane Causwell, Jaiteh is a large and imposing big man with broad shoulders and the ability to utilize his body to be a force in the paint. His ability to box out and his soft touch around the rim are definitely advantages that the Lakers need to shore up a front line that may or may not retain Dwight Howard's services.

However, Jaiteh is not the greatest athlete. He doesn't have the fastest lateral quickness and isn't a great leaper. He is also very raw in terms of post moves and can't stretch the defense due to having poor shooting mechanics.

While Jaiteh could potentially become a big body in the paint for the Lakers to utilize against the other physical big men in the league, Jordan Hill already fills this role and is a much better athlete. However, with the 48th pick, Jaiteh may be the best big man available.

Draft Express has the Lakers selecting Alex Abrines, an international shooting guard out of Spain.

Abrines is a 6'6" shooting guard who weighs in at only 190 pounds. Playing only limited minutes during his tenure with FC Barcelona and being quite small for his height, he won't be much of a help shoring up one of the Lakers' biggest weaknesses (their perimeter defense).

Walter Football's mock draft has the Lakers taking Will Clyburn, a purported jack-of-all-trades who can score and hit the glass. His weaknesses revolve around a tendency to turn the ball over unnecessarily, and his ball handling needs some work.

It is clear that the Lakers' most prominent problems cannot be solved through the draft, especially since they no longer have the rights to the 19th pick.

Perhaps Will Clyburn would be a better option than Jaiteh. He gives them a prospect at the wing position that could potentially mitigate the gaping hole that is their perimeter defense.

Outside of a DeJuan Blair-like surprise in the second round, there are very few big men this late in the draft that can yield a really productive player. Jaiteh is too big of a risk and an international guard such as Abrines is too unproven and small.

Drafting an athletic wing player or guard like Clyburn to supplement any moves the Lakers will make heading into next season would be he best course of action.

Before It's News projects the 48th pick to be Erick Green, whose selection is intended to fill in the perimeter gap left by Kobe Bryant and his injury.

While his projected draft value is a little high according to NBA Draft and Draft Express, there is no doubt that the Lakers could use the scoring punch from the guard positions.

Leading the nation in scoring during his college career, the knock on Green's explosive scoring and one-on-one abilities is the fact that his slight build and lean frame make him too small to be a 2-guard in the NBA. However, he isn't a proven facilitator and has never had to respond to not being the primary option on offense.

However, it is clear that if Green is still on the board by the 48th pick, he would be a steal for the Lakers, who are in desperate need of some real talent at the point guard position.

Despite his upside, Green's slight build will make him a defensive liability, which means the Lakers' shoddy perimeter defense won't see a significant upgrade with him on the floor.

While this may be an issue if the Lakers had a higher pick, drafting 48th means the Lakers must take the most talented player left on the board, regardless of position. If Green is still available, there are few players in the second round with his kind of scoring prowess and upside.

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Why Hero Ball Doesn't Cut It in NBA Playoffs

Adam Fromal — Tue, 21 May 2013 02:54:29 -0400

In the NBA playoffs, winning is the only thing that matters, which makes the prominence of Hero Ball a head-scratching reality. Just because a mentality is firmly entrenched in our collective consciousness doesn't mean that it's the proper method of approaching a situation.

During the regular season, this strategy can occasionally work. But during the postseason, when defenses are ramped up more than a few notches and everything slows down, Hero Ball is a terrific recipe for an early exit.

So far, the extracurricular affairs of the 2013 season have seen Mark Jackson call on Jarrett Jack to run isolation plays for the Golden State Warriors. Kevin Durant took over down the stretch for the Oklahoma City Thunder—and during the rest of the game, for that matter—once Russell Westbrook was hurt. Carmelo Anthony seemed to do nothing but play Hero Ball.

What do all three of those players have in common?

They're all sitting at home and watching the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs continue to duke it out for a shot at holding up the coveted Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Coincidence? I think not.

The very notion of playing Hero Ball is one that's rooted in failure. You might think of the concept as giving the best player on the team a shot to win. The ball is in his hands, after all.

However, think about the opportunity cost of the play. By committing to one player, and only one player, the team is forgoing any semblance of team play. It's essentially admitting that it has no confidence in its ability to generate a quality look by running a set, instead settling for what's likely to be an extremely difficult shot.

ESPN's Henry Abbott has a brilliant idea:

Abbott's argument is simple, but it's rather profound. Sometimes the best ideas are the one's rooted in simplicity. Occam wouldn't have been able to shave if that weren't true.

Teams need to stop insisting that difficult shots by the best players are the route du jour and instead focus on getting the easiest look. That's the principle that the San Antonio Spurs have built their offense around for years.

Using backdoor cuts, tons of ball movement and plenty of unselfishness, Gregg Popovich has installed a system that ensures a team passes up a good look for a great one.

Why isn't that the case in crunch time for all teams? Why can't they pass up a bad look for a better one?

And make no mistake about it, a difficult shot taken by a terrific scorer can still be a bad look. Even Durant, 'Melo and Stephen Curry can hoist up unfavorable attempts in late-game situations.

Instead, teams should be attacking the rim and devising plays that free up open looks, not heavily contested one-on-four situations for their best players to navigate. According to Shane Battier, defenses are actually softer during these crucial situations, possibly because the thought of fouling makes them nauseous.

Are they soft against one player trying to take on an entire team by himself? Not so much.

You can see Battier's full thoughts on Hero Ball in the embedded video.

During that same video, ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz brings up the interesting point that coaches might be conditioned to give the ball to the superstars in late-game situations because they're loss averse. No one can blame them if their superstar fails, but a blown play at the end could look quite bad in the headlines the next day.

Loss aversion is everywhere in sports. It's why football teams don't go for it more on fourth downs, even though it's mathematically beneficial to do so. It's why baseball teams with new managers are more likely to get rid of incumbent players who are slumping. They can't afford to wait it out and hope for a return to prominence.

And yes, it's part of the reason that Hero Ball has become so omnipresent in the 2013 playoff landscape.

But trust me, you don't want to get me started on loss aversion in sports or else you'll be reading a 50,000-word tome. So let's move on.

If you're looking for evidence that Hero Ball isn't working during the postseason, you're in luck, because there's plenty out there.

Let's roll back the clocks and look at the New York Knicks' overtime loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the first-round series. The game is tied at 84 with the clock ticking down in the final quarter, and Anthony has just clanged a three-point attempt off the back of the iron. Tyson Chandler tips the ball out and the play resets.

Above you can see 'Melo establishing position on the elbow with 15 seconds left on the shot clock.

Take a good look at where Jason Kidd, Iman Shumpert and Chandler are positioned.

The ball is thrown in to Anthony with nine seconds left on the shot clock and 29 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Again, look at Kidd, Shumpert and Chandler.

See any differences yet?

Mike Woodson is making absolutely no effort to run any sort of play, instead resigning himself to the fact that Anthony needs to create his own shot when the defense on him is at its tightest.

Jeff Green bats the ball away from 'Melo, which puts him in an even worse position. Now instead of having an established spot on the elbow, he's well behind the three-point arc with only six seconds to get off a shot.

Meanwhile, Raymond Felton backs off, and here's the crucial part: Jason Terry is well aware of what's going to happen. You can see him motioning to Avery Bradley that he should be ready to pick up Felton if necessary.

Terry is now prepared to give Green a little bit of help in ensuring that the team in green doesn't lose on this shot.

Boom. Terry makes his move and doubles Anthony.

You know, because the situation wasn't tough enough for the league's leading scorer already.

Notice anything else? Not a single teammate has moved. Even as the situation spirals downward, there's no attempt to abandon Hero Ball.

Anthony pulls up, and the ensuing jumper ricochets off the back of the iron. Just like his last attempt did.

Surely this wasn't the best look that the Knicks could find. There had to be better options than 'Melo jacking up a deep two-pointer as he faded away and drifted to the side in an attempt to avoid the double-team.

But...Hero Ball!

Let's not just pick on Anthony and the Knicks, though.

If you go back and watch any of the Thunder losses to the Grizzlies, you'll see Durant trying to take over too much in late-game situations. It seemed like he took every single shot down the stretch until a game was out of hand.

During the 2012 playoffs, Abbott—yep, him again—conducted an interesting study on Hero Ball. He looked at 15 star players (Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Manu Ginobili, Danny Granger, LeBron James, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook) and compared their performances during the last five minutes of games in which the teams were separated by less than five points to the shooting of the non-stars.

The stars shot 71.8 percent from the field and 25.6 percent when they were behind the arc. Meanwhile, the non-stars posted respective percentages of 54.2 and 36.

You tell me which you'd rather have.

Although I don't have numbers for this postseason readily available, your eyes should be telling you that a similar story is unfolding.

This isn't a new problem. It's one that's been around for quite some time, meaning that even the legendary Phil Jackson ran into trouble with Hero Ball when he and assistant coach Doug Collins had Michael Jordan under their metaphorical wings. The following is a passage from Sacred Hoops, Jackson's book that should be considered a must-read for any hardcore basketball fan:

The problem was that Jordan's teammates were often just as enchanted as the fans. Collins devised dozens of plays to get the rest of the team involved in the action; in fact he had so many he was given the name Play-a-Day Collins. That helped, but when push came to shove, the other players usually faded into the background and waited for Michael to perform another miracle. Unfortunately, this mode of attack, which assistant coach Johnny Back dubbed "the archangel offense" was so one-dimensional the better defensive teams had little difficultly shutting it down.

"The archangel offense" is quite similar to Hero Ball, even if it didn't necessarily take place late in the game. And if Michael Jordan couldn't get it to work, who exactly can?

There are plenty of reasons for a coach to just hand the ball to his superstar in a crucial situation and hope for the best as the other players get out of the way. The problem is, there are more reasons for him to do anything else.

Winning is one of those reasons that falls into the latter camp. In the playoffs, that should be enough to sway even the coaches most hell-bent on going to war with Hero Ball as the only weapon in their arsenal.

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Comparing Mock Drafts for Chicago Bulls from Around the Web

Ernest Shepard — Tue, 21 May 2013 02:31:30 -0400

It is time to take a look into the future of the Chicago Bulls after their second-round playoff loss to the Miami Heat. The Bulls have avoided the NBA draft lottery for five consecutive seasons.

The last time they were part of the lottery was 2008; they landed the No. 1 pick in the draft. With that pick, the Bulls chose former Simeon High School and Memphis star Derrick Rose.

Selecting Rose was not a slam dunk. Can’t-miss prospect Michael Beasley from Kansas State impressed the scouts with the ability to score from inside and the perimeter.

In 2008, the choice for the Bulls was easy. They only had to decide between two players.

As the Rose vs. Beasley debate raged on, fans in Chicago clamored for the hometown prospect. At times, someone outside of Chicago held different sentiments.

Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com wrote an article about why he would have chosen Beasley over Rose at that time.

In the end, the Bulls made the right pick by getting Rose, while Beasley has yet to find a team where he can be a long-term fixture.

Where do the Bulls stand in 2013?

The NBA draft combine came and went with a few players improving their draft stocks. The Bulls will be looking for a player whom they hope can crack the rotation next season with the No. 20 pick.

What Are the Bulls’ Needs?

If you ask Bulls fans, they will quickly tell you that they need for Derrick Rose to come back healthy. His return to the team would arguably be the biggest addition that any NBA team will have during the offseason. As great as Rose can be, he cannot fill all of the Bulls’ needs.

The Bulls were undermanned against the Heat during the best-of-seven series. There was an apparent lack of frontcourt depth. As a result, center Joakim Noah averaged 38.4 minutes versus the Heat.

Losing Omer Asik to the Houston Rockets left the Bulls with a hole in the center position. It is a hole that must be filled.

Scoring is another need for the Bulls. If the Bulls can find a center or a power forward who can score while coming off the bench, it will solve two problems at once. If such a frontcourt player is unavailable in the draft, then the team has to consider the best scorer who is on the draft board.

Who Are the Websites Suggesting the Bulls Draft?

Looking at five mock drafts, each observer has the Bulls selecting a different player.

Here is who they choose:

ESPN Chad Ford’s Mock Draft 2.0: Mason Plumlee, Power Forward, Duke
NBADraft.net: Giannis Adetokunbo, Small Forward/Power Forward, Greece
DraftExpress.com: Tony Mitchell, Power Forward, North Texas
Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld.com: Jeff Withey, Center, Kansas
CBSSports.com: Allen Crabbe, Shooting Guard, California

Each player brings a different skill set to a team that can use plenty of help. Plumlee is an athletic forward who can run the floor and finish strong in the painted area. Adetokunbo is a good scorer, and so is Crabbe. Mitchell and Withey are rugged post defenders who can play either at power forward or center for the Bulls.

Do Any of Them Fit What the Bulls Need?

Yes!

Each player would fill a need. The Bulls have to become more athletic in the frontcourt.

Drafting Plumlee would allow the Bulls to have a solid player who can run the floor and finish in the post. If there is a knock on Plumlee, it is the fact that he is not known as a scorer. He comes from a great basketball program in Duke, and by entering the draft as a senior, he is a seasoned college player.

Jeff Withey is also a senior and comes with a strong pedigree as a contributor to the Kansas basketball program for four seasons. He is a strong defender in the post who could bring the missing piece of toughness to the Bulls.

Mitchell is an excellent shot-blocker. The Bulls could use some help in this area. The Heat were able to attack the paint anytime they wanted to. Having Mitchell in the paint could change that.

Crabbe is a versatile scorer who has incredible range and is a great rebounder at his position. Drafting him would be a good insurance plan if the Bulls lose Marco Belinelli and/or Nate Robinson to free agency. But can he defend well enough to fit into Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau’s system?

The wild card is Adetokunbo.

He can score, but what else can he do?

The Nigerian has intriguing size (he is listed at 6’9”) and athleticism. His ball-handling and ability to finish at the rim are something that the Bulls do not have on their current roster aside from Rose. The final question is, can he adapt to playing against NBA competition?

Given the strengths of each player, if I had a say, the mystery behind Adetokunbo is worthy of the No. 20 pick of the upcoming draft.

While the Bulls need backups at the center and shooting guard position, the need for a player with a huge upside helps them in the interim as well as in the future.

Drafting Adetokunbo would be a move with the future in mind.

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Analyzing the Chicago Bulls' 2013 NBA Draft Needs

Zach Buckley — Tue, 21 May 2013 02:05:25 -0400

The Chicago Bulls are either an ideal landing spot for 2013 NBA draft prospects or a nightmarish destination to begin one's pro career.

On the one hand, joining Chicago means becoming a part of one of the league's most proud franchises and a club that's still just scratching the surface of its potential. The Bulls just won 45 regular-season games without Derrick Rose and should be clawing their way back to the league's elite ranks.

On the other hand, a playoff-proven rotation isn't always the easiest to crack for a rookie. And Tom Thibodeau's rotation runs thinner than most, as Chicago reserves logged the third-fewest minutes in the league this season (14.4 via HoopsStats.com).

System and opportunity are two of the most oft-cited factors in determining a rookie's effective transition to the realm of the professional sports world. So before any potential pick can take an optimistic or pessimistic view of Chicago as a future surrounding, the onus is on the Bulls' brass to identify draft targets who fit Thibodeau's system and will have the opportunity to maximize their potential.

But before even identifying any potential draft targets, the Bulls must first target areas of need on their current roster.

Chicago is clearly lacking in two areas as currently constructed: low-post scoring and perimeter shooting.

The Bulls averaged 36.7 points in the paint this season (19th in the league) and converted just 46.8 percent of their chances there (24th, via HoopsStats.com).

The return of slasher extraordinaire Rose would figure to bolster these numbers, but perhaps not as much as one would think.

Nate Robinson, who saw the lion's share of Rose's minutes this season but could become a free-agent casualty this summer, had more than one-third of his made field goals coming from within the paint. Backcourt mate Jimmy Butler found more than 60 percent of his field goals there (via NBA.com/stats).

Chicago's lack of interior scoring is the root of this problem.

Veteran Carlos Boozer prefers to do most of his damage from midrange; more than half of his field-goal attempts came at least eight feet from the basket. Joakim Noah does more of his damage near the basket, but his scoring (11.9 points per game) often takes a backseat to his defense (11.1 boards, 2.1 blocks) and shot creation (4.0 assists).

On the perimeter, the Bulls were more selective in their chances, and for good reason.

At 35.3 percent, Chicago tied the Portland Trail Blazers for the 20th-best three-point success rate in the league (via ESPN.com). Never a team to defeat itself, the Bulls attempted the second-fewest long-range shots in the NBA, 15.4 per game.

Whatever sharpshooting threat the Bulls enjoyed this season, it could be growing even less intimidating in 2013-14. Of the six Chicago marksmen to shoot above 30 percent from deep this year, half are now free agents (Robinson, Marco Belinelli and Richard Hamilton, via HoopsWorld.com).

Hamilton's departure has seemed a formality since the veteran had all but disappeared from Thibodeau's rotation. Comcast SportsNet's Aggrey Sam says it's unlikely that Robinson will return to a crowded Chicago backcourt.

Of course, that's the easy part of the tasks that lie ahead for GM Gar Forman. Now it's his job to find players meeting the athletic profile to fill one of those needs.

It won't be easy. Forman's draft arsenal runs two picks deep, the 20th pick of the first round and the 19th selection of the second (49th overall). And multiple analysts rate this draft class as being historically weak.

But that isn't to say that Forman is completely without options.

Using DraftExpress.com's mock draft board to whittle down the field takes potential interior additions Steven Adams (Pittsburgh) and Gorgui Dieng out of the running.

If Forman's willing to wait for his return (as he was when he traded up to land stretch forward Nikola Mirotic in 2011), he may be tempted to grab Brazilian big man Lucas Nogueira, a raw 20-year-old prospect packed with potential for the right, patient franchise. Mouhammadou Jaiteh, a 6'11" 18-year-old, offers similar promise but is likely a few more years away from contributing.

For a more instant return, Forman might consider Kansas center Jeff Withey or Bucknell's big man Mike Muscala. Withey fits the defensive profile to see the floor under Thibodeau (3.9 blocks per game as a senior, via StatSheet.com), but often finds his offense either off timely feeds or cleaning the glass. Muscala has both solid footwork and a soft shooting touch in his offensive arsenal, but could stand to add bulk to his 6'11", 230-pound frame.

If Forman's not convinced the low-post prospects are worth the investment, he has a few perimeter targets to mull over.

San Diego State's Jamaal Franklin may be Thibodeau's pick, thanks to his versatile skill set and nonstop motor. But just a 27.2 percent three-point shooter as a junior, he doesn't project to strengthen Chicago's perimeter attack. Michigan's Tim Hardaway, Jr. could be their three-point threat (34.2 percent for his Wolverines' career), but appeared to give inconsistent efforts defensively.

Allen Crabbe of California is another strong shooter, but needs work in developing his handles and could stand to add strength. South Dakota State's Nate Wolters is a prolific scorer (22.6 points per game) and shooter (38.0 three-point percentage, via DraftExpress.com), but scouts have serious concern with his level of competition and athleticism.

Providence freshman Ricky Ledo is an intriguing talent, but a prototypical boom-or-bust candidate. A top-20 recruit, academic issues kept Ledo from ever suiting up for the Friars, and scouts have reportedly questioned his ability to be a good teammate (via Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com).

Weak drafts, not surprisingly, typically fall short in the stardom department but sometimes bode well for teams operating out of later draft slots.

The Bulls aren't in need of a superstar to push them over the top, but do need to find something of value with that first-round selection.

Forman has some options, but he'll need to do his homework to identify talent among a crop of players rife with potential and question marks.

Follow @Hoops_Guru

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NBA Stars Offer Condolences to Oklahoma City Tornado Victims on Twitter

Jesse Dorsey — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:55:54 -0400

A tornado that ripped through Oklahoma City Monday afternoon has the sports world—and the NBA especially—offering condolences and soliciting help in any way possible.

At least 51 people, including seven children at an elementary school, were killed in the tornado, while countless others were injured, houses were destroyed and thousands are without power as the cleanup efforts begin.

The National Weather Service warned that the tornado was so large that there was a possibility that it couldn't even be classified as a twister.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the only professional sport in the city, but athletes everywhere, along with countless NBA players, showed support for the people in Oklahoma City.

An official release from the NBA was posted earlier today, offering condolences and asking people to help support the areas impacted:

The NBA Family's thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families following the massive destruction of the tornadoes that swept through the Midwest.
Please join us in support of the American Red Cross to help provide much needed aid and supplies to areas hardest hit.

Donations can be made at www.redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999.

Kevin Durant tweeted for the first time since the beginning of the month in order to send a message to the people in Oklahoma City.

Praying for the victims of the Tornadoes in OKC these last few days..Everybody stay safe!
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 20, 2013

And like countless others, he tweeted out the information that really matters; how you can donate money.

Text “REDCROSS” to 90999 for $10 donation to help tornado victims in #OKC #okwx

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 21, 2013

A ton of the other Thunder players sent out similar messages as well.

🙏 Thoughts and Prayers to all affected by the tornado today.
— Thabo Sefolosha (@ThaboSefolosha) May 20, 2013

Again, pray for OKC... Everybody stay safe!
— Serge Ibaka (@sergeibaka9) May 20, 2013

THANKS FOR CHECKIN ON ME ERRBODY.. I/THE FAM SAFE FROM THE SEVERE WEATHER & TORNADOES THAT STRUCK OKC.. PRAYERS FOR THOSE WHO ARE AFFECTED.
— Hasheem Thabeet (@HasheemTheDream) May 21, 2013

Please pray for the people in OKC. A lot of families lives changed from the tornados aftermath. 🙏☝
— Ronnie Brewer (@RonnieBrewerJr) May 20, 2013

Perhaps coolest of all, Kendrick Perkins announced that he and his wife would be delivering supplies and taking donations all day Tuesday.

@kendrickperkins Team Perkins will be there with a truck load of supplies! So thankful to have you & @vanityhearts5 here in OK!!

— Ms. Wellington OKC (@MsWellingtonOKC) May 21, 2013

Players all over the league echoed the sentiment that rang through the ranks of the Oklahoma City squad.

Just heard about news in okc, praying for the best for all those there...
— Andre Iguodala (@andre) May 21, 2013

I hate to hear what happen in OKC.... Wishing the best for you.... I'm pretty sure big homie @kdtrey5 is taking care of y'all
— Jared Sullinger (@Jared_Sully0) May 21, 2013

Praying for everyone in Oklahoma City. This is crazy!
— James Harden (@JHarden13) May 20, 2013

Pray for OKC this is a tragedy instagram.com/p/ZjDLXQojql/
— Deron Williams (@DeronWilliams) May 20, 2013

Kobe Bryant reiterated what seems most important at this point. Text the Red Cross in order to make donations to support the victims.

Thoughts and prayers Text “REDCROSS” to 90999 for $10 donation to help tornado victims in #OKC #okwx
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 21, 2013

Actions speak louder than words.

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Key Adjustments Miami Heat Must Make to Win Eastern Conference Finals

Peter Emerick — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:02:57 -0400

The Miami Heat are set to square off against the upset-minded Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, May 22, but they aren't just going to walk in and knock off the Pacers.

LeBron James and company strolled past the Milwaukee Bucks and they easily handled the Chicago Bulls, but the Pacers are a very different beast.

Not only are they the most physical defensive team the Heat have faced all postseason, they also have defensively sound depth in their frontcourt which is the Heat's Achilles' heel.

Because the Pacers can fill the paint with guys like Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough, they are able to force the Heat to beat them on the perimeter.

Without interior penetration, the NBA's second-best three-point shooting team, the Heat, won't be able to shoot at the high percentage they normally do—39.6 percent from beyond the arc on the season.

While the Bulls gave up the least points per game, the Pacers play more physical defense in terms of shooting percentage—forcing opponents to shoot just 45.3 percent from the floor during the regular season.

In addition to that defensive pressure, the Pacers were also the best rebounding team during the regular season, averaging 45.9 rebounds (12.9 offensive) per game.

When you mix their interior depth, their defensive pressure and their ability to rebound the ball, you can see how they pose a significant threat to the Heat's championship hopes.

The good news is that the Heat can counter those advantages the Pacers have with two key adjustments, starting with allowing LeBron James to control the ball at the point.

Allow LeBron James to Control the Ball at the Point

LeBron is the Heat's best point man, and it's because of his 6'8'' and 250-pound frame, mixed with his insane ability to control the ball.

When guys like Mario Chalmers and Dwyane Wade drive against the Pacers, they meet Roy Hibbert and David West's physicality. And while they are able to score at times against the Pacers' dominant duo, their lack of size gives the Pacers an advantage.

That means the Heat's best chances of collapsing the Pacers' defense lie within LeBron's ability to get into the paint.

Collapsing the defense not only opens up the Heat's perimeter offense, it also is a great way to get the Pacers' bigs in foul trouble, which is something the Heat would greatly benefit from in this series.

The Knicks got beat by the Pacers because they couldn't knock down shots from the perimeter, and that's because they had no one to collapse the Pacers' defense.

Luckily the Heat do, and his name is LeBron James. It also just makes sense for the Heat to give the ball more often than not to the best player on the court and in the entire NBA—that's just common sense, right?

The final key adjustment the Heat must make to beat the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals is to get into transition at all costs.

Focus First and Foremost on Transition Offense

There's no doubt that the Heat are the best team in the NBA at dominating games with transition offense. And that's exactly what they need to do to beat Indiana.

The Knicks and Hawks failed to get into transition, which allowed the Pacers to set up their fearsome half-court defense.

The best way to beat the best defense in the NBA is honestly to not allow it to set up, and with LeBron and Wade running in transition, that's exactly what the Heat can do.

Guys like Hibbert and West don't thrive in transition. But the Heat, with frontcourt players like Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen, absolutely do and they need to maximize that advantage.

That's certainly easier said than done, especially with the Heat's rebounding woes, but it's doable because the Heat have the athleticism it takes to control the break.

If the Heat are able to minimize the Pacers' interior defensive pressure and get into transition, they will be able to beat the Pacers in four or five games—that's how good the Heat are.

If they don't focus on those adjustments, it will be a much longer series for Miami, possibly going a full seven games.

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

The Best Player Remaining at Every Position in 2013 NBA Conference Finals

Jimmy Spencer — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:56:16 -0400

As the field of the 2013 NBA playoffs is once again cut in half, the decision to name the most elite players remaining at each position becomes more contentious.

Through two rounds of play and one month's time, the individual postseason resumes have become more telling.

Because they're still playing into the conference finals, most of these guys have contributed to their team's success—though that's not the universal case.

There's incredible talent leading each spot on the floor, as new names are pushing harder against those been-here-before veterans.

Here's your starting All-Star team from the remaining postseason teams.

Begin Slideshow

Biggest Key to Heat vs. Pacers Game 1

The One Thing — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:53:29 -0400

The One Thing is a prediction-and-preview show that will tell NBA fans what to pay attention to in every matchup in the playoffs.

The NBA's Glen "Big Baby" Davis is here to break down Game 1, and he picked the one thing that he thinks will have a huge impact on the series.

LeBron James and the Miami Heat face off against the Indiana Pacers in what should be a very physical Eastern Conference Finals.

How do these teams match up? Which players are the keys to success?

Let us know in the comments below!

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Warning Signs That You've Watched Way Too Much of the 2013 NBA Playoffs

Jesse Dorsey — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:51:06 -0400

We're a month past the start of the NBA playoffs, into the conference finals and raring up for the NBA Finals right around the corner. I think it's safe to say that a lot of us have watched way too much basketball since the playoffs started.

Save a few key days (like Monday, for example), we've had at least one meaningful basketball game every night for a month straight.

It's getting to the point where I'm almost relieved for a night off every once in a while to sit back and stare out the window for a while.

Ah, what am I saying? I could watch basketball every single day of the year and be happy about it.

However, if you're anything like me, or some of the people I've interacted with over the past month, there are some strange thoughts going through your head as of late.

There are a few tried and true signs that there's been a bit too much playoff watching going on in your household. If you're guilty of thinking or doing more than a few of the following—I don't know, go catch an afternoon baseball game or something to calm down.

You're ready to strangle Will.I.Am

ESPN, the NBA and it seems like every single commercial dealing with the playoffs are all using at least a snippet of the spot that Will.I.Am filmed with a handful of basketball players for the playoffs.

It features his song "#thatPower," which is a dumb enough song name on its own. However, once you've heard it for the 375th time, enough is enough.

I've settled on muting my television every single time this commercial pops up, but now my mute button is starting to wear down.

Instead, I just decided to pull up this GIF and watch it while the commercial plays.

You're starting to wonder what LeBron James would look like with Manu Ginobili's bald spot

It's gotten to the point where I've switched back and forth between the pictures of their heads rapidly just to see a bit of an overlap.

They are the two most prominent dudes in the NBA with a little bit of male pattern baldness going on, and sometimes my mind starts to wander late in the second quarter.

If those two end up playing against each other in the finals, then I'm going to be forced to spend a while trying to work this out via Photoshop.

Metta World Peace's Twitter account has you enthralled

Every night that features a basketball game, I've kept an eye on Metta World Peace's Twitter account.

He's taken to live blogging when he's watching the games himself, which can lead to some interesting conversations—that he seemingly has with himself.

Good game!! #tonyparkersshoes game him extra power!!!!I was suppose to get a pair but whatever. Kobe's will do! nba.com/#$/index.html
— Metta World Peace (@MettaWorldPeace) May 19, 2013

While some of his thoughts do get weird, he really is insightful at times and adds plenty of extra entertainment to games.

Stephen Curry is the best shooter ever and nobody will ever convince you otherwise

This is one of the few over-the-top notions on this list that I've yet to understand.

Curry absolutely lit teams up throughout the playoffs: He made 42 three-pointers in 12 games and nearly shot 40 percent from behind the line.

However, one amazing season and a solid playoffs doesn't suddenly make him the best shooter in the game, nor does it make him and Klay Thompson the best shooting backcourt of all time, Mark Jackson.

They're both really freaking good, but if we could pump the breaks a bit, it would be much appreciated.

You're having nightmares starring Joey Crawford

This one actually happened to me.

After weeks of seeing Joey Crawford and actively complaining about him multiple times, I had a dream with Crawford in it that freaked me out a bit.

Now, Crawford was a bit of a disfigured Freddy Kruger-type character, and he seemed to be following me around, but he never actively did anything threatening.

It was unsettling to say the least. May he never haunt your dreams as he has mine.

You've started to contemplate naming your offspring different variations of your own name

Lance Stephenson has had a pretty solid playoffs so far, including a 25-point, 10-rebound performance in the closeout game against the New York Knicks a few days back.

Watching him go off in Game 6 against the Knicks completely jarred something loose in my mind and made me remember that Lance Stephenson (who is named after his dad) actually has a younger brother who goes by the name Lantz.

It's weird, sure, but how far could this go?

He could have an uncle named Lanse, a cousin named Laynce and two more named Layntze and Laynss.

Maybe he's going to continue the tradition with his own family and have a son named Lants, who would of course have an older brother named Lanz.

You can predict Skip Bayless' inane rants before they happen

Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder were eliminated from the playoffs in five quick games by the Memphis Grizzlies, and I knew what was coming next.

The next day Skip Bayless was going to go off about how Durant flopped in the clutch and let his team down.

Move on a few days later to when the Knicks get eliminated, and he's going to go through the same dance with J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony.

You know, it can't ever simply be that the other team was better.

Anyway, it's gotten to the point where Skip is going to have to mix things up or people are going to stop watching. Why watch when you already know what's going to happen?

At least three different times you've shouted at Gregg Popovich to put in Tracy McGrady

This has been one of my favorite, yet sad subplots of the entire playoffs. The Spurs have been involved in a few blowouts thus far, which means we get to see some Tracy McGrady!

It's a bit sad to see him relegated to the role of the guy at the end of the bench who comes in to mop up and get sarcastic cheers, but he's in the Western Conference Finals with a team that has a shot at a ring, so I don't feel too bad.

Popovich never fails, though, to wait just a little bit too long to put him in. McGrady always gets in with just a handful of ticks left on the clock, meaning anything he does is purely out of desperation with the shot clock winding down.

Hopefully the Spurs continue to stick around; I'm not ready to let go of 12th-man McGrady just yet.

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Ranking the Biggest Offseason Needs for the Cleveland Cavaliers

Greg Swartz — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:44:31 -0400

The Cleveland Cavaliers are entering a crucial offseason for their rebuilding plan, one that will hopefully have them fighting for a playoff spot next spring.

Recently, teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors have risen from years of lottery picks to enjoying successful playoff runs, all thanks to outstanding offseason work.

The Cavs could easily be the next young team to follow this path, provided they fix a few glaring needs.

Expect the postseason to be a realistic option for the Cavs next season if they can take care of these four major issues this summer.

4. Veteran Presence

Developing their young talent is obviously a must for the Cavs, but it's important to mix in a few veteran pieces if they truly want to start winning.

Anderson Varejao is a nice start, but no other player on the current roster has yet to see his 30th birthday.

Re-signing point guard Shaun Livingston would be a nice start, as would adding a player like Mike Dunleavy, Nazr Mohammed or even Mo Williams.

None would single-handedly push the Cavs into the playoffs, but all would carry a wealth of knowledge and experience at a reasonable cost.

3. Acquire a Rim Protector

The Cavs were one of only three NBA teams that didn't have a single player average at least one blocked shot per game.

As a result, the defense suffered and opposing players felt like they could attack the rim whenever they wanted.

Basketball coaches at any level will tell you good defense starts from the inside out and that protecting the paint is a must.

The Cavs need that dominating force who can strike some fear into opposing guards looking to attack the basket. Someone like Nerlens Noel and his 4.4 blocked shots per game would certainly help, and there are other centers in the draft who Cleveland could take later to help shore up its inside D.

Anderson Varejao and Tyler Zeller are a fine center combination, but neither will ever be a shot-blocking threat in the NBA.

2. Find an Assistant Coach to Run the Offense

Mike Brown is a defensive mastermind who has had great success running the Cavs' D in the past.

To say that he's offensively challenged, however, would be putting it kindly.

Better known for his scowls and confused looks than his X's and O's, it's best for everyone involved if Brown leaves it to one of his assistants to run the offense.

John Kuester filled this role for the Cavs under Brown from 2007-09, and there have been rumors he could return in a similar role once again, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.

Whether it be Kuester or someone else, Brown needs someone to run the money-making side of the ball.

1. Find a Reliable Answer at Small Forward

The 3-spot has been a problem for years now and finally needs to be taken care of.

Alonzo Gee is better coming off the bench and would be doing so for any playoff team.

The most likely scenario of filling this void would be the drafting of Otto Porter of Georgetown, which would be a solid, safe bet.

The Cavs could also get creative, though, and swing a trade for an expendable scorer like Danny Granger from the Indiana Pacers.

Free agency is also an option, as a player like Andre Iguodala and his impressive overall game would fit in well, as would his veteran leadership.

Whichever direction they decide to go, the Cavs just can't begin another season with Gee as a starter and expect to be a serious playoff squad. Cleveland needs to find a quality starting small forward this offseason to completely tie its starting unit together.

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Biggest Key to Spurs vs. Grizzlies Game 2

The One Thing — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:34:26 -0400

The One Thing is a prediction-and-preview show that will tell NBA fans what to pay attention to in every matchup in the playoffs.

The NBA's Glen "Big Baby" Davis is here to break down Game 2, and he picked the one thing that he thinks will have a huge impact on the series.

Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs look to go up 2-0 in the Western Conference finals against the resilient Memphis Grizzlies.

How do these teams match up? Which players are the keys to success?

Let us know in the comments below!

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Potential Pau Gasol Trade Scenarios to Boost LA Lakers' Depth

J.M. Poulard — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:24:27 -0400

The Los Angeles Lakers are committed to several large player salaries, which gives them very little wiggle room for upgrading their roster. The one bargaining chip they can afford to dangle around the league is Pau Gasol.

Although he spent the bulk of the 2012-13 regular season being misused in Mike D’Antoni’s system, the coaching staff eventually figured out how to properly utilize the Spaniard. Gasol rewarded D’Antoni’s adjustments by consistently flirting with triple-doubles in the final month of the campaign.

Just when his value had hit rock bottom, Gasol flashed his brilliant all-around game as a big man and turned himself into a valuable commodity.

Heading into the 2013 offseason, general manager Mitch Kupchak needs the roster upgraded, but it comes with a qualifier: The additions cannot compromise the available salary cap the Lakers project to have in the summer of 2014.

LeBron James has an early-termination clause in his contract that allows him to enter free agency at the conclusion of the 2013-14 season, and the Lakers will be suitors for his services.

It’s worth noting Dwight Howard will enter free agency once the 2013 postseason concludes. Thus, the Lakers must acquire quality talent for the sake of convincing him the Purple and Gold is serious about contending for a title immediately.

That alone might sway him into rejoining the franchise.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s have a look at what trade partners the Lakers should be entertaining discussions with concerning Gasol’s talents.

Begin Slideshow

Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs: Game 2 Preview and Predictions

Zach Buckley — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:04:48 -0400

With the Memphis Grizzlies' twin towers reduced to a one-man show, the San Antonio Spurs cruised to a 105-83 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday.

Despite an uncharacteristically quiet offensive performance from Tim Duncan (six points, 3-of-9 from the field), the Spurs set the tempo and sprinted out to a 17-point edge after the first quarter. Memphis eventually whittled that lead to as few as six points late in the third quarter, but San Antonio closed the period on an 11-2 run and never looked back.

The methodical inside-out attack of the Grizzlies could not find contributions from both sides of that equation, but the missing half was hardly the one Lionel Hollins expected to be without. Reserve wing Quincy Pondexter (17 points, 5-of-9 from three) provided the perimeter scoring, but All-Star forward Zach Randolph struggled mightily to the tune of a season-low two points (1-of-8 from the field).

San Antonio looked like the team that closed out the upstart Golden State Warriors with three double-digit wins over the last four games of its second-round series, holding decisive advantages on both ends of the floor.

Still, the significance of a single victory won't be taken out of context by either club.

San Antonio had a 2-0 lead on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 Western Conference Finals, only to watch the series waste away behind four straight OKC victories. Memphis lost Game 1 of both of its previous series (and Game 2 to the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round) before closing each matchup with four consecutive wins.

Time: Tuesday, May 21, 9 p.m. ET

Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio

Series: Spurs lead 1-0

TV: ESPN

Game 2 Key Storyline: Accountability

It's too late in the year for any dramatic adjustments to be made, and these teams wouldn't be standing today if they were needed. Coaching a seven-game series often tests each side's ability to fine-tune its game plan, relying on maximizing the effectiveness of the style that brought each club to this position.

For San Antonio, a resounding 22-point victory certainly suggests that Gregg Popovich is ahead in this coaching chess match. But he still has work to do before moving into checkmate position.

Another 14-points-on-15-field-goal-attempts game out of Duncan and Manu Ginobili combined could push the Spurs into the loss column. San Antonio general manager R.C. Buford has built a talented roster capable of withstanding these kind of nights, but clearly this is a pattern that the Spurs would like to avoid going forward.

As for Memphis, accountability means playing the exact role that the team expects from each player.

It means providing enough help to alter Parker's penetrations without exposing the Grizzlies to an open shooter on the perimeter. It means Randolph and Marc Gasol have to set the tone on the offensive interior, demanding defensive attention and still finding gaps within that coverage to create looks for themselves or for their teammates.

The Grizzlies forgot who they were on Sunday. Their stifling defense was lost amid a flurry of ball-chasing help, a far cry from the disciplined attack they used to frustrate opponents up until now.

Series Star So Far: Tony Parker

Pop's time-tested system often masks the tremendous accomplishments of individual players (perhaps another reason why this team is so often overlooked), but Parker's Game 1 effort was badly needed with his two tenured teammates hurting for offensive rhythm.

Parker's stat line was noteworthy (20 points, 9-of-14 from the field, nine assists), but it doesn't jump off the page the way he did in the eye test.

He decisively raced around screens, constantly found his way into the paint, then either finished the drive himself or found an open shooter on the perimeter.

Feels like a broken record at this point, doesn't it? But hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Coach Lionel Hollins prepared his team for San Antonio's pick-and-fill-in-the-blank (roll, pop, slip) looks, but Memphis overcommitted to deny Parker and his screener from getting open looks.

The results were late rotations, missed assignments and a dazzling aerial performance by the Spurs. San Antonio shot 14-of-29 from the outside, with Kawhi Leonard (4-of-5), Danny Green (3-of-6) and Matt Bonner (4-of-6) doing the heaviest lifting.

Projected Starting Lineups:

Memphis: Mike Conley, PG; Tony Allen, SG; Tayshaun Prince, SF; Zach Randolph, PF; Marc Gasol, C

San Antonio: Tony Parker, PG; Danny Green, SG; Kawhi Leonard, SF; Tim Duncan, PF; Tiago Splitter, C

Grizzlies Injury Report (via CBSSports.com)

None reported

Spurs Injury Report

None reported

Grizzlies Will Win If...

...They get back to playing Grizzlies basketball.

Memphis had a rare showing of hero ball creep into its offensive system on Monday, a complete reversal of the ball-movement-oriented system that capitalizes on the team's biggest strengths.

There are no prima donnas on the roster, no stat-crazed players putting individual achievements over team success. But there is plenty of star power, even if the accolades don't always match the talent level.

In other words, there's no real excuse for the ball-stopping, momentum-killing possessions that showed up in Game 1. The ball is going to find its way into the most capable hands more often than not, but setting up those chances with multiple passes will test the Spurs' defensive discipline and the legs of their shooters.

The Grizzlies have the talented individual defenders to keep help responsibilities to a minimum. Memphis needs to play the role of aggressor on San Antonio's screens, forcing Parker's reads rather than reacting to them.

Easier said then done, but remember this team has an All-Defensive first-teamer on the roster (Tony Allen) along with the Defensive Player of the Year (Gasol).

If Mike Conley can dictate the pace on both ends of the floor, this series could easily be tied when it shifts over to the Grind House.

Spurs Will Win If...

...Tony Parker continues making the right decisions with the basketball.

Whether or not he's better supported by Duncan and Ginobili in Game 2 (history suggests he should be), Parker's still the key to San Antonio holding serve on its home floor.

His matchup with Conley was widely considered to be the most important position battle in the series (and one of the most entertaining to watch), and the wide margin between the two players mirrored the enormous gap left on the scoreboard.

There have been some slight variations, but in large part the Spurs have gone as far as Parker's been able to guide them in this postseason.

Their opening-round series sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers aside, his performance has typically dictated the outcome of the game. Including Sunday's Game 1 win, he's averaged 23.6 points on 47.4 percent shooting and 8.0 assists in Spurs' victories compared to just 18.5 points on 38.2 percent shooting and 3.0 assists in their losses.

Analysts have grossly underestimated what remains in San Antonio's aging back of tricks, but Parker has left little doubt about which member of the Big Three means the most to this team.

Prediction

Hollins isn't going to let his defense lose sight of its identity again. Randolph's volume (in terms of both offensive chances and points) is sure to increase in Game 2. San Antonio won't convert nearly half of its three-point attempts again.

But the eventual outcome of Game 2 will be no different than Game 1; it should simply have a more dramatic beginning and ending.

In the battle of adjustments, Popovich has the history and experience to hold a commanding edge.

The pace may well slow down, the play may be a lot more physical. But the Spurs are built to adapt, formed to throw a variety of puzzles at their opposition on either end of the floor.

Too much Parker, more Duncan and Ginobili and another strong performance by the supporting cast will give San Antonio a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals for the second time in as many years.

Spurs 93, Grizzlies 88

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Dwight Howard Reportedly Complained About Mike D'Antoni in Exit Interview

Maxwell Ogden — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:02:51 -0400

Dwight Howard used his exit interview with general manager Mitch Kupchak to voice his frustrations with head coach Mike D'Antoni, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles.

The topic was expected to arise at some point, as D-12 experienced the worst season of his career under D'Antoni's guidance. Surprisingly, it wasn't just the on-court issues that made Howard so upset. It was all about whom the head coach opted to seek for leadership.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, part of the discussion between Howard and Kupchak centered around Howard's frustration with D'Antoni -- particularly how the center felt marginalized as the coach looked to Bryant and Steve Nash for leadership and suggestions and discounted Howard's voice.

It doesn't end there.

D'Antoni recently removed assistant coach Chuck Person from his staff, which had an adverse effect on D-12's morale. Person was viewed as a "confidant" to Howard and was one of the few things keeping his relationship with D'Antoni intact.

It certainly doesn't help that Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford, who was with D-12 in Orlando for five years and joined him in making the trip to L.A., is interviewing for head coaching gigs.

Per McMenamin, Person and Clifford were viewed as the "buffers" between Howard and D'Antoni. Without them, sources put it simply by saying it's "a bad thing."

Something you do not want to hear as the Lakers general manager—not after the experience the Orlando Magic had with D-12.

Perhaps most concerning of all is the fact that Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports that Howard is intrigued by the prospect of playing for the Houston Rockets. With Houston possessing mountains of cap space and a star of their own in James Harden, L.A. could be in a dangerous position.

It's worth noting that Texas has no income tax.

There is no guarantee that it will come down to Howard or D'Antoni, so that assumption would be premature. With that being said, the two were unable to work together in the manner expected of them during L.A.'s disastrous 2012-13 season.

All Howard can hope for is that the Lakers' front office doesn't allow pride to get in their way of making the proper decisions this summer.

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NBA Playoff Studs Finally Meeting Expectations

Ben Leibowitz — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:24:28 -0400

While just four teams remain in the 2013 NBA playoffs, breakout performances throughout the postseason have players meeting lofty expectations.

Some players are justifying contracts that were widely criticized by fans and pundits. Others are vindicating a front office’s choice to trade for them by fitting a niche. In some cases, players fall into both of those categories by defending their hefty contract and changing viewpoints regarding a “bad” trade.

Through a cloud of negativity, these NBA playoff studs finally gave their fans something to cheer about. Many of them shut up their critics in the process.

Although some of these upstart players are still fighting for a championship, I’ll also look back at the postseason as a whole.

Begin Slideshow

Help-Wanted Ad for Brooklyn Nets' Open Head Coaching Position

Andrew Kipp — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:39:39 -0400

Help Wanted!

Offered by: Brooklyn Nets

Position: Head Coach

Location: Brooklyn, NY

About our organization

The Brooklyn Nets are an NBA team based in Brooklyn, New York. The Nets, founded in 1967, are a member of the Atlantic Division. The general manager of the team is Billy King, and the owner is Mikhail Prokhorov.

Core responsibilities

The team is loaded with talented players—including Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez—who have a combined 10 All-Star Game appearances between them.

With such a talented roster at his disposal, the new head coach of the Brooklyn Nets will be responsible for maintaining a winning atmosphere, with the ultimate long-term goal of winning an NBA championship.

Last year’s starting lineup featured players with a combined 52 seasons worth of NBA experience—so the head coach must be able to earn the respect and trust of elite-level, veteran players.

The roster also features budding talents such as 24-year-old MarShon Brooks and 23-year-old Tyshawn Taylor. The new coach must be able to instill confidence in these younger, less experienced players, and develop their skills as the season progresses.

The development of Brooks and Taylor will be critical to the future success of the franchise. The head coach must work with these players individually, and make them understand that he’s invested in their improvement.

Developing the younger players will also give Williams and Johnson more time to rest. Both players played through nagging injuries last season and played too many minutes while injured.

The new coach must do a better job of managing his veteran star’s playing time throughout the season, so they don’t wear down over the course of the grueling 82-game season.

Certain players—including Johnson and Gerald Wallace—failed to live up to their big contracts last season. The new head coach will need to get the most out of every player on the roster, and make each player want to perform their very best on his behalf.

He must have a consistent approach that the players believe in, and buy into.

Prokhorov has a lot of money, but very little time to complete his five-year plan for winning an NBA Championship. The new coach must make sure he, Prokhorov and King are on the same page.

He must earn the trust and respect of the general manager and the owner. He must maintain an open dialogue with both, and share the same vision and goals for the franchise.

Above all else, the coach must instill mental and physical toughness in the team. Last season’s team was maddeningly inconsistent during the regular season and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The coach must hold players accountable for their performance and not allow them to become complacent.

He will need to manage the egos of players who know they’re going to be paid for multiple years, regardless of how they perform on the court.

Last summer, the team splurged, signing Deron Williams to a $100 million contract extension. Then took on the rest of Joe Johnson’s $89 million contract in addition to inking Gerald Wallace to a four-year, $40 million deal.

Individual achievements must take a backseat to the success of the team. The coach needs to make the players understand that their individual statistics mean nothing if the team isn’t winning.

The head coach needs to allocate responsibility to assistant coaches, and make sure his voice isn’t the only voice the players hear. He cannot be stubborn, and must show the ability to make intelligent and calculated adjustments during games and throughout the season.

The New York fans and media are unforgiving and are known for having very little patience.

The new head coach will certainly be under the microscope, so he needs to display strong leadership and character—especially in the face of adversity.

Our requirements

Must be a great motivator and communicator
Must effectively preach discipline and mental toughness to create a strong team identity
Must be a defensive-minded coach
Must have the ability to manage egos
Must have thick skin and be able to take criticism from fans and the media
Must be able to make calculated in-game adjustments
Must have the team prepared to win every night
Must develop young talent
Must intelligently manage the minutes of older players and star players
Must not be afraid to make personnel adjustments
Must effectively allocate responsibility to assistant coaches
Must preach unselfish play on offense
Must facilitate continuity between core players, bench contributors, incoming free agents and rookies
Must preach consistency

Expectations for first season

Win at least 50 regular-season games
Earn a top-three spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs
Win a first-round playoff series

Thank you for your interest in the Brooklyn Nets head coaching position.

For more Brooklyn Nets analysis, follow Andrew on Twitter:

Follow @andrew_kipp

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New York Knicks Expected to Re-Sign J.R. Smith with a 4-Year Deal

Aaron Chung — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:05:39 -0400

Despite the early exit in the second round, sixth man of the year J.R. Smith has a reason to smile today. The spark off the bench for the New York Knicks is expected to opt out of the last year in his contract in order to re-sign with the New York Knicks for a long-term contract.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, J.R. Smith is expected to re-sign with the New York Knicks on a four-year deal starting at $5 million.

Five million is far less than most sixth men of the year command. However, with the Knicks severely over the luxury cap, Smith was willing to take a major pay-cut in order to remain in his beloved city of New York.

Smith recently told the New York Daily News,

I want to retire a Knick. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I love my teammates, I love my coaches. I was standing in the locker room looking at my jersey after the game and just knowing that I don’t want to be anywhere else except in the orange and blue. We’ll see.

You can critique J.R. Smith’s game all you want, especially after his abysmal shooting performance in the second round of the playoffs, but the one thing that you cannot critique is his love for the New York Knicks.

There is no question that J.R. Smith could have commanded more money from another team, but Smith chose to restructure his contract in order to help the only team he wants to ever play for—the New York Knicks.

Perhaps some of his overpaid teammates can learn from his example if they are truly serious about winning a championship in the Big Apple.

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A Nostalgic NBA Fan's Guide to the Charlotte Hornets of Yesteryear

Jesse Dorsey — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:00:24 -0400

With the New Orleans Pelicans officially renouncing the Hornets name following the 2012-13 season, it was only a matter of time before the Charlotte Bobcats picked it up. The official announcement for Charlotte's re-acquisition of the "Hornets" nickname is expected on Tuesday, May 21, per the Charlotte Observer.

Will that mean the return of all the fun and joy that accompanied the Charlotte Hornets in their 14 years before moving to New Orleans? It's entirely possible.

After all, the Hornets represented a basketball-crazy city. They were gimmicky, never made it past the second round of the playoffs, and had a shifty owner, but they were a fun franchise.

Meanwhile, the team that continues to reside in Time Warner Cable Arena represents a hasty apology to a city that had their basketball team ripped away by a vindictive owner. The Bobcats remain a terrible, nondescript basketball team with barely a glimmer of success. Could a simple re-branding change the franchise for good?

Into the '90s

When the Hornets came to be in 1988-89, they ushered in the roaring '90s of the NBA.

They weren't able to make the playoffs until their fifth year of existence, but they, along with the Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat, were able to start the surge toward the incredibly marketable days of the '90s and beyond.

Charlotte's original uniforms were bold and flashy. Teal and pinstripes stood out in a sea of solid greens and yellows. Their merchandise became synonymous with the early '90s, and their mascot almost instantly became one of the league's most recognizable.

Hugo the Hornet

If there's one symbol that can really encapsulate the Hornets in an odd way, it's the team's mascot, Hugo the Hornet.

People, for whatever reason, loved Hugo. He always had a smile on his face, but he seemed somewhat mischievous as well. Essentially, he was the perfect mascot. There's just something about a creature being blown up and turned into a furry, dancing, dunking mascot.

He, along with the team's bold uniforms, had people gravitating toward Charlotte.

The Merch

Once the team got its footing in the league and the fanbase started to grow, their merchandise started popping up everywhere.

Everything they pumped out was so deliciously '90s. Even looking at some of the stuff the New Orleans Hornets sold in the past few years was good for an instant flashback to 1992. One of the most iconic pieces of clothing that Charlotte put out in its first decade was this two-toned starter jacket.

If you were a Hornets fan, you definitely owned this bad boy or at least some variation.

Famously Fun Faces

Charlotte's NBA tenure started out well with the 1988-89 expansion draft; the team picked up Dell Curry and Muggsy Bogues, among others.

Curry and Bogues were rare grabs, both players remaining on the team well into the '90s and making an impact all the while. Along the way, Charlotte would pick up a number of players who became fan favorites.

Larry Johnson enthralled the league with his Grandmama act, plus he was one of the players who had their talent stolen by cartoon aliens in Space Jam.

Alonzo Mourning put the team over the top after being drafted behind Shaquille O'Neal in 1992. From there, all they had to do was build. In their later days, Charlotte was taken over by Jamal Mashburn and Baron Davis as the wave of the future.

Along the way, the team was joined by a ton of recognizable players, including Rex Chapman (and his spandex poking out of the bottom of his shorts), Vlade Divac, Bobby Phills, David Wesley, Anthony Mason, Glen Rice, Kenny Anderson, Matt Geiger, Hersey Hawkins and Kurt Rambis.

Good Times

Throughout much of the '90s, the Hornets were a good team. They may never have been a legitimate title contender—they just missed the two-year window when the league was without Michael Jordan—but the decade was good to them.

From 1993 to 2002, Charlotte never fell below .500, topping out with 54 wins in 1996-97.

The Hornets truly came into their own in 1992-93, their first trip to the playoffs. 'Zo made it known in the first round, knocking off the Boston Celtics with a jumper from the top of the key in the waning seconds of Game 4.

Charlotte Turns on Shinn

So why would a city so in love with basketball fall victim to sagging attendance numbers and general apathy that can kill a franchise?

Team owner George Shinn was adamant that the Charlotte Coliseum, barely a decade old, was insufficient to house an NBA franchise. Shinn gave the city an ultimatum: Build a new arena or lose the Hornets. The city of Charlotte responded by telling the league the city would build a new arena if Shinn sold the team.

The Hornets skipped town after the 2001-02 season, moving to New Orleans. However, Charlotte was granted an expansion franchise almost immediately in 2004-05, in the form of the Bobcats.

Hopefully they can go back to being the fun, entertaining Hornets from the '90s, rather than the running joke that is the Bobcats.

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Has Phil Jackson Settled the Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan Debate?

Hadarii Jones — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:57:33 -0400

Former Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson didn't exactly come out and say that former Bulls' legend Michael Jordan is a better player than Kobe Bryant in excerpts from his book according to ESPN.com

But it's difficult to draw any other conclusion based on Jackson's pointed, and earnest words.

"One of the biggest differences between the two stars from my perspective was Michael's superior skills as a leader," Jackson writes. "Though at times he could be hard on his teammates, Michael was masterful at controlling the emotional climate of the team with the power of his presence. Kobe had a long way to go before he could make that claim. He talked a good game, but he'd yet to experience the cold truth of leadership in his bones, as Michael had in his bones."

That's not too bad considering Jackson's analysis in this instance because it describes the emotional growth and maturation of a player, which is something that is learned and often exists parallel to a player's impact on the floor.

However, Jackson goes on to explain why he does feel like Jordan is a better overall player than Bryant, and by the time he's done you get the overall impression that the competition was never even close.

"No question, Michael was a tougher, more intimidating defender," Jackson writes. "He could break through virtually any screen and shut down almost any player with his intense, laser-focused style of defense."

Jackson doesn't mince words when describing Jordan as a superior defender, and even though he issued a caveat by saying that Bryant did eventually learn some of Jordan's defensive tricks, Bryant was still the lesser player on defense.

And offense as well.

On offense, Jackson said: "Jordan was also more naturally inclined to let the game come to him and not overplay his hand, whereas Kobe tends to force the action, especially when the game isn't going his way. When his shot is off, Kobe will pound away relentlessly until his luck turns. Michael, on the other hand, would shift his attention to defense or passing or setting screens to help the team win the game."

I thought this was perhaps the sentiment that most defined the arguments of Bryant's critics, who claimed his sometimes tunnel-vision focus on scoring prevented other parts of his game from blossoming.

Jackson also delved a little deeper than the game by comparing Jordan and Bryant's personalities, but he went further to reveal an inherent bias by mentioning Bryant's sexual assault charges in 2003.

Bryant's fans will say that Jackson's words can't be trusted because of his rush to judgement against Bryant before due process, but does that take anything away from Jackson's basketball critique?

In all honesty I prefer Bryant over Jordan, but it has much more to do with the uniform he wears than comparisons on the court.

I've always felt that people never give Bryant the credit he deserves for the right to even be compared to Jordan, but saying that Bryant is better is giving too much.

Of course you can point to areas of Bryant's game such as his footwork, perimeter shooting and even skill level, and say they are comparable or maybe even better than Jordan's.

The only problem is you can look at Jordan's legacy and say he was much better, and that opinion is backed by numbers.

Statistics may not tell the whole story in most instances, but in this case the book is closed.

Jordan has bested Bryant in almost every meaningful legacy category that can be defined by numbers, and while there is a good chance that Bryant could catch Jordan on the all-time scoring list, look how long it will take him to do it.

This is no knock on Bryant because he will finish his career as a top 10 all-time player regardless of how his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon turns out.

But Bryant will never be Jordan, and that statement has nothing to do with style, personality and sneaker sales, and everything to do with on-court production.

And that opinion comes from the coach who has led each player at the pinnacle of their respective games.

Jackson won 11 NBA championships with both players, but he lost two with Kobe.

You can hate Phil Jackson for inserting his personal feelings into a basketball conversation, but you can't hate him for telling the truth.

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