It may be hard to believe given all of the hype surrounding LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, and Amare Stoudemire, but there are actually more than just five free agents in the NBA this year. In fact, this is quite probably the best free agent class ever, and it would even be a pretty good class if those five were sticking with their teams. Beyond those names that are hogging all of the headlines and the attention, here’s a look at 10 very good players who will likely be looking for a new home this summer:
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The NBA Draft is just around the corner. The draft is an absolute crapshoot, but there a re a couple of things we know for sure – some guys are going to be much better than expected, and some are going to be absolute busts. Identifying the guys that will fall into either group is an inexact science, but we can certainly speculate. Here’s a look at six guys who have serious bust potential:
A lot of players chosen in the NBA Draft each year aren’t expected to hit the ground running. Teams that pick them know that it will take a year or two for them to grow up physically, learn the pro game, and adjust to the mental and physical demands of the new league. Each year, though, there are guys that are valuable contributing players to their teams pretty much right out of the gate. Stephen Curry fits that bill from last year, and Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans really did – they were arguably the best players on their teams. Here’s a look at six guys who could be useful for their new teams right from the start:
Continue reading “2010 NBA Draft – Players With Biggest Impacts”
Ladies and Gentleman, we have a Game 7. And here is the kicker: this will be the first for Phil Jackson to coach a Game 7 in an NBA Finals series. That’s right. The guy, who has won 10 NBA titles as a coach, never had to go to a Game 7 to win the Championship. In fact, he has never been part of a Finals Game 7 in his coaching or playing career.
Kevin Garnett had a vintage “KG” game, but the rest of the Celtics let him down and didn’t give him the victory. Derek Fisher had a vintage “Money” game, and it was enough to beat Boston.
On a night of hard-fought yet sloppy basketball, the Lakers went up 2-1 in the finals and gained back home-court advantage.
This is why I hate the 2-3-2 format. I’m neither a Celtics nor a Lakers fan, but I don’t like that the team with home-court advantage in the NBA Finals gets put in this situation. The Lakers lost Game 2 Sunday and now have to steal one in Boston in one of the next three games.
Lakers Vs Celtics Game 2 Preview
The Celtics need to pick it up if they don’t want to fly back to Boston down 2-0. They didn’t show enough hustle in Thursday’s game and were outmatched by a more physical Lakers team. Kobe Bryant drove to the basket all night and the Celtics weren’t able to stop him. He ended up with 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
One thing we know for sure is that the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to have a new coach. Mike Brown was the NBA Coach of the Year in 2009, but his failure to beat the Celtics in the playoffs this year when his team was expected to win it all was the final straw. The Cavs are obviously a desperate franchise. With the uncertainty around where LeBron James is going to play next year the team can’t afford to look like it isn’t taking steps to improve, and Brown just wasn’t getting it done when it matters. There are several NBA teams looking for coaches right now, and at least one more that still could be in the coming weeks. What makes Cleveland’s job so intriguing, though, is what the team could look like next year. If James re-signs then the new coach would be taking over one of the two best players in the NBA, and would have a realistic look at multiple titles. If James leaves, though, then Cleveland is just another job in a smaller market. The job is either the best there is or it’s nothing – there is no middle ground.
The Orlando Magic are trying to take a step toward making NBA history Wednesday night. They are trying to become the first team to come back from a 3-0 series deficit.
The Magic beat the Celtics 96-92 in overtime Monday to stay alive in the series. They are trying to repeat the feat that the Philadelphia Flyers pulled off in their Conference Semifinal series against another team from Boston – the Bruins.
The Celtics continued their winning streak by beating the Magic 94-71 in Game Three last Saturday. Boston has now won six games in a row and is up 3-0 on the Magic. Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off Monday at 8:30 ET at the Boston Garden.
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