TheBasketballJunkie.com

A little R&R does in the Lakers in game 2

2010-06-07T03:20:21Z

For the first time this post-season, the Los Angeles Lakers lost at home due to stellar performances from the Celtics starting backcourt of Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen.

Tonight Allen made a total of eight three-pointers, which is now an NBA Finals record. He made his first seven three-point attempts and scored 27 (of his 32) points in the first half.

The previous record of seven was a three-way tie behind Allen, who made seven against the Lakers in game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals, Kenny Smith and Scottie Pippen.

And Rondo finished the game with a triple-double (19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists).

"An entire team effort," Rondo said, per the Associated Press. "Ray carried us through the first half. Second half, we got in a little slump but we stuck with it, stayed together and got a victory."

Game 3 is Tuesday night in Boston.

Tyreke Evans clocked at 130 mph

2010-06-01T23:13:00Z

This Memorial Day will be memorable for Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans.

Per Melody Gutierrez of the Sacramento Bee, Evans was pulled over and charged with reckless driving after being clocked at "more than 100 mph" on the highway (I-80). And since Evans' windows were tinted, police drew their guns before Evans and his friend got out of his Mercedes.

But, exactly how fast over 100 mph was Evans driving?

Apparently, as fast as 130 mph, per the Sacramento Bee.

Through his Twitter account, Evans apologized and says that he's learned his lesson.

"Apologies to fans, the Kings and my fam for bad decision making. Driving is a privilege & speeding was a mistake. I've def learned my lesson."

Evans, who won the rookie of the year award, became the fourth NBA player to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game as a rookie. The other three: Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and LeBron James.

2010 NBA Mock Draft 1.0

2010-05-24T02:55:44Z

With the NBA lottery occurring this past week, we thought now would be a good time for Mock Draft 1.0. Here is our quick-hit mock draft, with a more extensive mock draft coming during the NBA Finals.

1. Washington - John Wall, PG, Kentucky
The next step for Washington is to figure out how to get rid of Arenas. They need to keep him away from Wall.

2. Philadelphia - Evan Turner, SG/SF, Ohio State
Expect to hear alot of Iguodala trade chatter up until the draft.

3. New Jersey - Derrick Favors, PF/C, Georgia Tech
Will slide in next to Lopez just fine. Another piece to the puzzle.

4. Minnesota - Wesley Johnson, SF/PF, Syracuse
The Corey Brewer era is over in Minnesota. Or did it ever really start?

5. Sacramento - Al-Farouq Aminu, SF/PF, Wake Forest
Cousins could be the choice, but there are already enough big men in Sacramento. Big men who don't whine.

6. Golden State - DeMarcus Cousins, C, Kentucky
On talent alone, he shouldn't slide this far. But Cousins is the toughest to project in the draft. He and Randolph can go by the nickname "The Motor Pool", since theirs always seems to be on empty.

7. Detroit - Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas
More help for a front court that will take any help they can get.

8. Los Angeles Clippers - Ed Davis, PF, North Carolina
With Camby gone, the Clippers need a shot blocking, rebounding big man. Davis has good upside.

9. Utah - Greg Monroe, PF/C, Georgetown
With Boozer likely bolting and Okur injured, it makes sense to grab a big man. Could have been Udoh but Monroe should be able to help more right away.

10. Indiana - Patrick Patterson, PF, Kentucky
The Pacers need all the help they can get. Patterson should fit in quickly.

11. New Orleans - Ekpe Udoh, PF/C, Baylor
His skill set doesn't necessarily fit in with a Chris Paul-run team. He would need to stay close to the basket more. But he shouldn't slide any further.

12. Memphis - Luke Babbit, SF, Nevada
Rumors are already circulating that he's the guy Memphis wants. Would certainly fit better than most of the players left on the board.

13. Toronto - Gordon Hayward, SF/PF, Butler
Tough pick to project. Would Toronto be better off picking someone with the potential to be a lock down defender?

14. Houston - Daniel Orton, C, Kentucky
I'm hesitant to make this pick. This is purely potential over actual results. Doesn't sound like a Houston thing to do, but at this point in the draft, why not take a chance?

15. Milwaukee - Avery Bradley, SG, Texas
The team could bring Bradley off the bench as a big time defensive presence.

16, Minnesota - James Anderson, SG/SF, Oklahoma State
It's really a crapshoot with this team. After picking two point guards in a row last year, just about anything can happen.

17. Chicago - Xavier Henry, SG, Kansas
Could be a good back court running mate with Rose.

18. Miami Heat - Quincy Pondexter, SF/PF, Washington
Not alot of negative things to say about him. He will bring a maturity that the Heats lack in some of their young guys.

19. Boston - Paul George, SF/PF, Fresno State
The Celtics could bring George along slowly and by his second or third year can make a big difference for this team. Great upside.

20. San Antonio - Hassan Whiteside, PF/C, Marshall
I doubt he will drop this far, butif he does, the Spurs could snatch him up. Duncan and Popovich will teach him how to be a professional basketball player.

21. Oklahoma City - Damion James, SF/PF, Texas
Another piece to fit in on the bench. What the Thunder does in Free Agency will decide how much James will actually play, though.

22. Portland - Donatas Motiejunas, PF/C, International
Portland has a pretty solid team right now, so stashing this kid in Europe would probably make the most sense. He'll get more playing time there.

23. Minnesota - Kevin Seraphin, C, International
Makes the most sense, as they probably won't want to bring in three rookies out of the draft right away. Keep him in Europe for a bit.

24. Atlanta - Willie Warren, SG, Oklahoma
With Joe Johnson potentially gone, the Hawks will need a scorer.

25. Memphis - Eric Bledsoe, PG/SG, Kentucky
High upside pick. I don't entirely expect Bledsoe to be around at this point, but if he is, he's the pick.

26. Oklahoma City - Craig Brackins, PF, Iowa State
Same situation as Damion James above. Free Agency will determine how much he contributes right away. But he could be a great pick up for the Thunder.

27. New Jersey - Elliot Willams, SG, Memphis
Can create his own shots and is considered a "high-character" guy. Not bad for number 27.

28. Memphis - Larry Sanders, PF/C, Virginia Commonwealth
They can afford to bring him along slowly. They should send him to the NBDL and let him play more minutes and get bigger, better and stronger.

29. Orlando Magic - Dominique Jones, SG, South Florida
If he avoids Vince Carter, he could turn into a decent player. And he could potentially replace VC down the road.

30. Washington - Keith Gallon, C, Oklahoma
High-upside guy who needs to work hard. Could fit well on this young team.

KG suspended for Game 2

2010-04-19T02:37:11Z

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett has been suspended for Tuesday's Game 2 of the playoff series against the Heat for the elbow he threw at Quentin Richardson in Game 1.

Yet KG has no regrets about what he did.

"Not at all," Garnett said, per the Associated Press. "I would hope if I was hurt or if I was down in that position someone would at least give me some space to sort of recover or to gather myself. That's the only thing I was asking for."

Neither does Richardson, who called Pierce and Garnett "two actresses."

Richardson went on to say of KG and Pierce, "I don't like them, and they know it.''

Meanwhile, Bulls forward-center Joakim Noah called Garnett "a dirty player" and he hopes "they put Magloire in" to play the enforcer role.

The Celtics have a 1-0 lead in the series, however, a loss Tuesday would essentially give the Heat home-court advantage (in the final five games of the series).

2010 NBA Playoffs: Ranking the Possibility of Upsets in Round 1

2010-04-16T11:10:05Z

With the 2010 NBA Playoffs set to start on Saturday, I've ranked all eight lower seeds in all playoff matchups in their likelihood to pull off a first-round upset. Without further adue, here's the list:

1. Miami Heat

There is one more nail left for the coffin, and Dwayne Wade is about to hammer it in. The Celtics are in some serious trouble. The eternal optimist might say that Boston has been simply waiting for the playoffs and will "flip the switch" when the games start to matter more. I myself said that at one time. But this team just isn't good enough anymore. Too old, bad chemistry, Rasheed Wallace. All good reasons to expect an early demise. Probably the biggest reason, though, is still the fact that Dwayne Wade is one of the three or four best basketball players in the universe.

2. San Antonio Spurs

It may seem hypocritical to accuse the Celtics of being too old and of dogging it until the playoffs, only to rank San Antonio high on this list. It's understandable. But the difference is that San Antonio has won four titles with Tim Duncan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, as the centerpiece and Gregg Popovich as their coach, and the team has learned how to maintain in the regular season and turn it on for the playoffs. Just look at what San Antonio has done in the last month, ripping through playoff contenders left and right. They're primed up and ready to go. To Dallas' credit, the Mavs have been tremendous this year, especially since the Butler and Haywood trades. They have a lot of firepower, but the Spurs are tougher and smarter.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

Some might say this is too high of a ranking, but OKC is as hot as it gets, Kevin Durant is beginning to realize his powers, and Kobe and the Lakers aren't playing as well as the were at the beginning of the year. This does have all the makings of a classic "up-and-comers" versus "experienced veterans" matchup, and more often than not, the veterans wind up on top. But Kevin Durant is a special player, and he has some great sidekicks in Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green. Don't sleep on the Thunder, especially if Westbrook can pick his game up a notch from where it has been lately and dominate the horrific Farmar/Fisher combo.

4. Utah Jazz

Utah has some injury concerns with AK47 and Boozer. But it sounds like at least Boozer, and likely both, will be back for the start of this series. That will be big, as the Jazz are much better than their record indicates. The injuries did it to them. Denver, meanwhile, hasn't done much of late to inspire confidence. Kenyon Martin had been out for an incredibly long stretch before coming back three games ago and his knee still isn't the same. Carmelo will need to have a very big series to hold off the Jazz.

5. Charlotte Bobcats

It's starting to get tough to come up with reasons that any of the following teams can win. Charlotte is a fun team, and they have definitely overachieved this year. But they won't be able to stop the Magic. They've been phenomenal since the All-Star break and they can hurt you in every aspect of the game. I expect them to prove that last year's trip to the conference finals wasn't a fluke. However, Charlotte won't just lay down. They should have some fight in them and it wouldn't be a complete surprise if they took this series to game six.

6. Portland Trail Blazers

I would have had Portland much higher, but when Brandon Roy went down he took the Blazer's chances with him. Phoenix has been hot lately, and their loss to a Roy-less Portland squad was an abberation. Steve Nash knows his window is closing and he'll have the eye of the tiger in this series. It's too bad, because this could have been a much more interesting series if everyone were healthy. Portland does deserve kudos for getting as far as they have this year, but their time is up.

7. Milwaukee Bucks

Another situation where losing an important player to injury effectively kills the team's chances of advancing. The Bucks could have slowed down the pace against Atlanta and tried to win some lower scoring games if they still had Bogut in the middle. But without him, the team will need to rely on Salmons and Jennings too much. Atlanta is going to be a tough out this year in the playoffs, and they could really build some momentum for the second round if they run Milwaukee out of the building like I expect.

8. Chicago Bulls

Hey Rose, Noah, and the rest of you. Look over at the other team's bench. See that guy? His name is LeBron James. He thinks it's cute that you guys think you can beat him. Look Chicago, sometimes you're the dog and sometimes you're the hydrant. See you next year.

The Monday Fix

2010-04-13T03:52:08Z

The Phoenix Suns, who are currently shooting 41.1 percent from behind the arc, look poised to break the franchise record (39.9 percent) for three-point percentage.

The Detroit Pistons will lower next year's season tickets by between 10-50%, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Meanwhile, the Pistons have hired Citigroup to assess the franchise's value as owner Karen Davidson considers selling the franchise.

Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva guaranteed a victory against the Raptors tonight.

Suns center Robin Lopez will miss at least another week, per the Associated Press.

The Kings have picked up option (on the 2011-12 season) for coach Paul Westphal, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

Nene plans to play for Brazil in the FIBA World Championship in Turkey this summer.

Bobcats coach Larry Brown tells Pistons coach John Kuester "...to believe in your values and get them to play the right way like we were taught" (referring to UNC's Dean Smith).

Shameless plug(s) of the day: The Blue Jays have placed Aaron Hill on the 15-day disabled list.

Curry or Evans for Rookie of the Year?

2010-04-12T11:10:58Z

With a record of 25-55, the Warriors aren't playing for much (except for maybe better odds in the 2010 NBA Draft Lottery).

That said, one player -- rookie guard Stephen Curry -- has two more games to help his cause in the race for the NBA Rookie of the Year award that should come down to Kings rookie Tyreke Evans and Curry.

"He's my Rookie of the Year over anybody," [Warriors coach Don] Nelson said, per Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. "I didn't say he was better. I didn't say he deserved it. I didn't say he was going to win. I said: 'He's my Rookie of the Year.' "

Evans was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month twice (November and December) as was Curry (January and March).

On the season, Curry is averaging 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game while Evans is averaging 20.2, 5.3, 5.8 and 1.5, respectively.

For the month of April (six games), Curry has stepped up his game even more with an average of 25.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game.

After knocking down three three-pointers last night, Curry set the NBA record for most three-pointers made (162) by a rookie.

Meanwhile, Evans could become only the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists on the season. Hall-of-Famers Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as well as future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James are the other three.

If you had a vote, who's your Rookie of the Year?

The Sunday Fix

2010-04-12T03:28:05Z

"He is the greatest innovator in the history of the game," Miami Heat President Pat Riley said of Warriors coach Don Nelson, per Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.

"We know there's a fastball coming, and we want to take a swing at it," Mike D'Antoni said of the Knicks' free-agent plans, per the NY Daily News. "It might be a changeup. Then we're screwed."

Heat guard Dwayne Wade scored 32 points against the Knicks today as the Heat moved into a tie with the Bucks for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

The Denver Nuggets have signed Coby Karl, who is the son of coach George Karl.

Both Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko were both back at practice for the Utah Jazz on Sunday, per Jody Genessy of Deseret News.

Blazers guard Brandon Roy didn't play in the second half against the Lakers today due to a sore right knee.

The Blazers beat the Lakers by three points as they moved into a tie with the Spurs for the 7th seed in the Western Conference playoff standings.

Meanwhile, Lakers forward Ron Artest sat out the final two minutes as coach Phil Jackson said Artest "had a tough night."

Soon-to-be-fired Sixers coach Eddie Jordan says he hasn't "talked to anybody about the Rutgers job."

Bob Young of the Arizona Republic says the Suns should show Amar'e Stoudemire the money.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said of the Cavaliers, "They're a totally different team. They have changed for the better. They are much better than they were a year ago."

Bob Cousy said of Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, “I’ve been saying since probably the first year that it seems to me he touches all the bases for a point guard.”

"My brother's like, 'Yo, don't shoot any more. We need that record,' " said Jazz guard Kyle Korver of his opportunity to break Steve Kerr's three-point percentage season record. "And I'm like, 'I don't want the record like that.' That's not how you really get it."

Will Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks win the NBA Coach of the Year award?

Pistons guard Ben Gordon's numbers are much better when he and Richard Hamilton were not in the lineup together.

Shameless plug(s) of the day: Check out my latest post at The Daily Blitz and my latest post at FootBaltimore.com.

Evan Turner is going pro

2010-04-08T03:22:36Z

As expected, Ohio State guard Evan Turner has declared himself eligible for the 2010 NBA Draft.

Turner, who won the Naismith Player of the Year award, is projected by most to be the second overall pick in the draft behind Kentucky freshman John Wall.

"This is the toughest thing I had to do," Turner said, per The Cleveland Leader. "But I was blessed with this decision and I have a great opportunity. I'm going to turn a leaf over and go on to the next stage of my life."

As a junior, Turner averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game while shooting nearly 52 percent from the field.

Don Nelson gets record-setting victory

2010-04-08T03:10:42Z

With tonight's victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson has become the NBA's all-time winningest coach as he passed Lenny Wilkins.

Nelson now has 1,333 wins.

“The success he’s had, the longevity he’s had, it’s tough to be a coach in this league and to stick around as long as he has,” Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis said before the game, per the Associated Press. “To have the success that he’s had, the numerous situations he’s been in. He’s done a great job.”

The Warriors' 24-54 record this season is tied with the Sacramento Kings for the second-worst record in the Western Conference.

Bosh breaks face, return uncertain

2010-04-07T03:45:12Z

The Toronto Raptors currently hold the eighth-seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race by one-half game over the Chicago Bulls.

But their ability to hold on to the last playoff spot became a little tougher tonight as power forward Chris Bosh suffered a fractured face in tonight's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bosh, who will become a free agent this summer, is averaging 24.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game this season.

It's uncertain when Bosh will return to the lineup, but the Raptors next three games are against the Celtics (April 7th), Hawks (April 9th) and Bulls (April 11th) -- two playoff teams and one playoff hopeful. Then they close out against two lottery teams -- the Pistons and the Knicks.

(Shameless plug of the day: Check out the latest post at our football blog about another guy that had a bad day.)

Prediction: Duke-Butler NCAA Championship Game

2010-04-04T23:45:38Z

Most will bill it (incorrectly, mind you) as David versus Goliath.

In fact, Butler -- not Duke -- has the NCAA's longest winning streak (25 games). And as pointed out by ESPN.com's Eamonn Brennan, Butler became the first team since the 1985 Villanova Wildcats to hold five consecutive tournament opponents to 60 points or less.

That said, Duke opened as a 6.5-point favorite over Butler, the team that plays its home games at the same gym that was used to shoot the movie "Hoosiers," in Monday night's NCAA Championship game in Indianapolis.

As CNBC's Darren Rovell tweeted (via NBC Sports' Mike Miller) regarding player expenses, Duke spent more per player than Butler spent as a team. And in the everyone-roots-for-the-underdog manner, ESPN's Pat Forde wrote (of Duke basketball fans), "If you thought people were predisposed to root against your team before now, the dislike just went off the charts."

With a victory over Duke, Butler coach Brad Stevens, who is 33 years old, would become the second-youngest to ever win a national championship. The youngest was Indiana's Branch McCracken, who was 31 in 1940.

Monday night's game could come down to Duke's ability to limit Gordon Hayward, who is often compared to Duke's Kyle Singler, versus Butler's ability to contain Duke's trio of Singler, John Scheyer and Nolan Smith.

“I don’t know if it’s me matching up versus him; I think it’s our team matches up versus them,” Hayward said [of Singler].

Hayward, who DraftExpress.com projects as the 21st pick in their 2010 NBA Mock Draft, credits teammates by saying "...they sure do make me look good."

Another key will be the health of Butler PG Shelvin Mack (dehydration) and F/C Matt Howard (concussion) as they try to keep Duke from winning its fourth title under Coach K. Howard will be a game-time decision.

My brackets, which featured a Kansas-over-Kentucky final and no resemblance to this Final Four whatsoever, makes my updated prediction for the championship completely irrelevant. (But, then again, when has that ever stopped me?)

So here goes: Butler 68, Duke 65

Here are some other predictions:
- MidwestSportsFans.com: Butler 65, Duke 62
- BlueGrassPreps.com: Butler 61, Duke 59
- CollegeHoops.net: Duke win by more than 7
- LayupDrill.com: Duke 68, Butler 59

Will Camby be a Knick next season?

2010-04-02T17:52:37Z

When the off-season begins, the Knicks are expected to make their move to bring back center Marcus Camby, who was a Knick from 1998 to 2002, according to Frank Isola of the NY Daily News.

Camby, who was traded from the Clippers on February 17th to Portland, has helped the Blazers clinch a playoff berth.

That said, the interest the Knicks will have in Camby is mutual.

"... It's appealing going back home and going back to a city where I had a lot of great memories and a lot of great friends. Come July 1, I'll definitely give New York a look if they're interested. But I'm really happy about being here in Portland. We're in the playoffs. We have a great young team."

On the season, Camby is averaging 7.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and two blocks per game.

Nowitzki gets second career triple-double in win

2010-03-30T11:16:29Z

The Dallas Mavericks are in a battle with the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets for the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

With last night's 16-point victory over the Nuggets, the Mavs won the season series (2-1), which would decide a tie-breaker, if necessary. The Jazz, who currently lead the Nuggets by one game, trail the Mavs by half a game in the standings.

In the victory, Dirk Nowitzki recorded his second career triple-double: 34 points, ten rebounds and ten assists.

"I don't know how much of a statement it made, it was just a win we needed,'' said [Mavs guard Jason] Terry, per Eddie Sefko of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Up next for Dallas are the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

Yao might (or might not) opt out of final year with Rockets

2010-03-29T13:56:15Z

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, who will miss the entire 2009-10 NBA season, says he's "not sure" whether he'll become a free agent after this season, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

Although he would earn $17.7 million with Houston next season, the current collective bargaining agreement could make it more lucrative to sign a long-term deal this off-season compared with what is expected to be in place after next season.

“I'm sure I'm not sure until after we discuss (it),” Yao said. “We have not started (to) discuss it yet, so I'm not sure, either way. I have to talk to my agent first before we start to decide where I need to go. If you ask my agent, he will say, ‘I have to ask Yao and we will start discussing it.'”

When healthy, Ming is one of the elite centers in basketball as he has averaged just under 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game over his career.

That said, the big (and obvious) concern with Yao is his health. Not only will he attempt to return from a foot surgery that sidelined him for the entire season, he has missed 25 games (or more) in four of the past five seasons. And Yao isn't expected to begin on-court workouts until July.