Basketball

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

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Donald Sterling

I would rather talk about something pertaining to sports and the action happening on the court, ice or field of play. I can’t do that yet as there is another story that is dominating the sports world. Before I proceed with my opinion of Donald Sterling I want to state that this is of Mr. Sterling’s own doing and he will have to live with it and has probably been living with it for a long time. It can best be summed up with a quote from Forrest Gump, “stupid is as stupid does.” Continue reading →

2014 NBA Playoffs Preview

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dc9e0-nba_feature-playoffs

Eastern Conference

1. Indiana Pacers vs. 8. Atlanta Hawks

Players to Watch: F Paul George Pacers and F Paul Millsap Hawks

Who Wins: Pacers in 5 games

2. Miami Heat vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats

Players to Watch: F LeBron James Heat and C Al Jefferson Bobcats

Who Wins: Heat in 5 games

3. Toronto Raptors vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets

Players to Watch: G Kyle Lowry Raptors and G Joe Johnson Nets

Who Wins: Nets in 7 games

4. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Washington Wizards

Players to Watch: C Joakim Noah Bulls and G John Wall Wizards

Who Wins: Bulls in 6 games

Western Conference

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Dallas Mavericks

Players to Watch: F Kawhi Leonard Spurs and G Monta Ellis Mavericks

Who Wins: Spurs in 5 games

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 7. Memphis Grizzlies

Players to Watch: G Russell Westbrook Thunder and F Zach Randolph Grizzlies

Who Wins: Thunder in 6 games

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 6. Golden State Warriors

Players to Watch: F Blake Griffin Clippers and G Stephen Curry Warriors

Who Wins: Clippers in 7 games

4. Houston Rockets vs. 5. Portland Trail Blazers

Players to Watch: G James Harden Rockets and G Damian Lillard Trail Blazers

Who Wins: Rockets in 6 games

NBA Finals and Awards Projections

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* – indicates playoffs
(R) – indicates rookie
# – indicates new to team
MVP – LeBron James – Heat
Rookie – Victor Oladipo – Magic
Coach – Doc Rivers – LA Clippers
Defensive Player – Marc Gasol – Grizzlies
Most Improved – John Wall – Wizards
Sixth Man – Jason Terry – Nets
Executive – Gary Sacks – LA Clippers
Playoffs
Eastern Conference Finals
Miami vs. Indiana
Heat in 6
Western Conference Finals
LA Clippers vs. Memphis
Clippers in 7
NBA Finals
Miami vs. LA Clippers
Heat in 6
Finals MVP: LeBron James
Eastern Conference
1. Miami Heat*
2. Indiana Pacers*
3. Brooklyn Nets*
4. Chicago Bulls*
5. New York Knicks*
6. Cleveland Cavaliers*
7. Washington Wizards*
8. Detroit Pistons*
9. Atlanta Hawks
10. Boston Celtics
11. Toronto Raptors
12. Charlotte Bobcats
13. Milwaukee Bucks
14. Orlando Magic
15. Philadelphia 76ers
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder*
2. Los Angeles Clippers*
3. San Antonio Spurs*
4. Memphis Grizzlies*
5. Golden State Warriors*
6. Minnesota Timberwolves*
7. New Orleans Pelicans*
8. Houston Rockets*
9. Utah Jazz
10. Dallas Mavericks
11. Los Angeles Lakers
12. Denver Nuggets
13. Sacramento Kings
14. Portland Trail Blazers
15. Phoenix Suns

Central Division

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1. Indiana Pacers
Added depth with a stacked starting five will strengthen them.
2. Chicago Bulls
A healthy Derrick Rose puts them back in contention.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
A familiar head coach returns along with a winning formula.
4. Detroit Pistons
One free agent splash and trade positions them to win now.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
Their rebuilding to keep players that want to stay in Milwaukee.

Head Coach: Frank Vogel
Key Position: Small Forward – Paul George is clearly the best player on the team and a solid second is their center Roy Hibbert. However, Danny Granger was once the best player and he is still around albeit a bit banged up.  It will be interesting how the Pacers dole out the minutes with a healthy Granger available.
Key Acquisitions: F Luis Scola, G C.J. Watson
Key to Win the Finals: Defense wins championships.
Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau
Key Position: Point Guard – This is still the same team that fought and clawed their way through a season in which there were so many questions about when Derrick Rose would return.  He is back and fully recovered from a knee injury.  How far the Bulls go towards contending for a title rests on their talented point guard.
Key Acquisitions: G Mike Dunleavy
Key to Win the Finals: A fully healthy Derrick Rose.
Head Coach: Mike Brown
Key Position: Center – There is no doubt who is the face of this franchise, but if Andrew Bynum returns anywhere near his stats from 2011-12 then the Cavaliers will have gotten a steal in free agency giving him a 2-year incentive laden deal.  Time will tell if he’s motivated with a familiar head coach from that season.
Key Acquisitions: C Andrew Bynum, G Jarrett Jack
Key to Win the Finals: Establish an identity with Kyrie Irving as the face of the franchise.
Head Coach: Maurice Cheeks
Key Position: Small Forward – They made a splash by being the team to sign Josh Smith right from the beginning with hardly any competition.  Now that he’s on board it will be interesting to see how the rotation works with Kyle Singler and Jonas Jerebko seeing significant minutes last year.
Key Acquisitions: G Chauncey Billups, G Brandon Jennings, F Josh Smith
Key to Win the Finals: Follow the model of the Indiana Pacers.
Head Coach: Larry Drew
Key Position: Shooting Guard – Both Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings did not want to stay long term unless they were paid top dollar.  Milwaukee let Ellis go and traded away Jennings.  Signing O.J. Mayo is a bit of a reach, but for the Bucks it makes sense. They hope he and Brandon Knight can replace what Ellis and Jennings brought to the Bucks.
Key Acquisitions: F Caron Butler, G Brandon Knight, G O.J. Mayo, C Zaza Pachulia
Key to Win the Finals: Build a winner for many years.

Atlantic Division

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1. Brooklyn Nets

An influx of new faces means a ‘must win’ season is ahead.
2. New York Knicks
Carmelo’s impending free agency aside, the Knicks are contenders.
3. Boston Celtics
With the old guard gone it’s time to build a new legacy.
4. Toronto Raptors
They have some nice pieces to build upon in a stacked division.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
They have clearly established a rebuilding model for the next 2 seasons.
Head Coach: Jason Kidd
Key Position: Point Guard – He wasn’t playing at his usual level and if the Nets are going to contend for a title this year they will need the elite Deron Williams to return.  Brining in Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will help a lot, but this team is built around their point guard and he must play at a high level.
Key Acquisitions: F Kevin Garnett, F Andrei Kirilenko, F Paul Pierce, G Jason Terry
Key to Win the Finals: Wake point guard Deron Williams up.
Head Coach: Mike Woodson
Key Position: Shooting Guard – How much do the New York Knicks trust J.R. Smith?  We’ll find out this season as he was given an extension, but not one that he was looking for.  He is still on a relatively short leash, but the Knicks know that they will need his help to contend in a hotly contested Eastern Conference.
Key Acquisitions: F Andrea Bargnani, G Beno Udrih, F Metta World Peace
Key to Win the Finals: Help Carmelo Anthony.
Head Coach: Brad Stevens
Key Position: All – They’ll be looking to build through the draft in the next two years and with the recovery to Rajon Rondo’s knee going at a cautious pace the Celtics will be having a tryout stage this season.  New coach Brad Stevens can relate to this roster, but he will need the star in Rondo get on board as well.
Key Acquisitions: G MarShon Brooks, F Gerald Wallace
Key to Win the Finals: Have a healthy Rajon Rondo.
Head Coach: Dwane Casey
Key Position: Small Forward – It was a puzzling trade last season with Memphis to get Rudy Gay, but it makes sense now with the departure of Andrea Bargnani.  He was never going to live up to his billing as the number one overall pick and Gay is seen as a top tier forward who can excel as the ‘man’ so to speak for a franchise.
Key Acquisitions: G D.J. Augustin, F Tyler Hansbrough, F Steve Novak
Key to Win the Finals: Stay healthy.
Head Coach: Brett Brown
Key Position: Point Guard – All eyes would be on Nerlens Noel had the Sixers not announce that they would be keeping him out of this upcoming season while recovering from his knee surgery.  Now the focus turns to Michael Carter-Williams who is replacing a talented point guard in Jrue Holiday who was traded away for Noel on draft day.  How Carter-Williams adjusts to the NBA will be interesting to watch.
Key Acquisitions: C Nerlens Noel (Rookie), G Michael Carter-Williams (Rookie)
Key to Win the Finals: Not happening this year.