Stealing Two Awards? Why LeBron James Is the NBA’s Defensive POTY
March 12th, 2010 by Eric Felkey No comments »
First off, let me just say that it's nearly impossible for me to write a solely objective article about LeBron James.
I've watched him play 82 games for nearly seven seasons, plus playoff games for the last four years. I've seen him make some of the most jaw-dropping plays I've ever witnessed (get it??).
In short, his development as a basketball player has coincided with my development as a fan and hoops junkie.
But over the last two years, it's been his growth and maturity on the defensive side of the ball that's led to him becoming the best player in the NBA. And this year, it's time the NBA writers and scribes give him his due and name him Defensive Player of the Year.
This has virtually nothing to do with the highlight plays that he makes on defense, whether it's his innate ability to jump passing lanes, leading to thunderous breakaway dunks, ...
Rockets Stuck in Mediocrity: What’s in Store for the Offseason
March 11th, 2010 by Vikram Dimba No comments »
The clouds are beginning to clear, and the sun is beginning to shine. It symbolizes the passing of winter, and the coming of spring. In other words, it represents the final stretch of a grueling 82 game NBA season with teams jockeying for the ever so important playoff positioning.
In a time where losses are more closely examined, the Rockets have chosen a wrong time to start losing. Having only won five of their last 14 games, playoff hopes have slowly slipped away. Four games out of the eighth seed, and teams like the Grizzlies ahead in the standings, and Chris Paul set to return for the Hornets, the Rockets chance to make the postseason are slim to none.
From a fan perspective, the Rockets won't have the luxury of receiving a high lottery pick, nor the thrill of participating in the NBA playoffs. It bodes the question: What ...
Bulls Dealt A Double Blow In Orlando: The Pain Gets Worse
March 11th, 2010 by Mike Woods No comments »
Five straight Losses, make It Six.
If you thought It was over before, the latest Bulls loss courtesy of the Orlando Magic probably did nothing to sway your thinking. With Noah, Deng and now Derrick Rose going down with an Injury in the Bulls matchup with the Magic, The Bulls have now lost three of there five starting players.
The Injury to Derrick, which happened with 55 seconds to go in the First quarter, looked eerily similar to the Injury he suffered from Dwight in the bulls first meeting, with the result being a sore hip.
In typical Derrick fashion, he drove hard to the hoop weaving in and out of traffic, challenging the 6' 11", 265 pound Howard. Howard exceeded the challenge, and this time Derricks back didn't break the fall, his wrist did.
Now things look even bleaker for the Bulls as they try to salvage what Is left ...
Stat Trick: St. Louis Blues 2, New York Islanders 1
March 11th, 2010 by Eric Hornick No comments »
TJ Oshie and Brad Boyes scored in the shootout as the Blues defeated the Islanders 2-1 at the Coliseum on Thursday night. It was the first shootout ever between the teams. On to the trick:
1. Each team scored just once in regulation play. Matt Moulson had the Islander goal with just ten seconds remaining in the first period. It was the 24th goal of the season for Moulson, the most by any Islander since four players scored 25 or more in the 2006-07 season. Moulson's goal came on the first of five Islander power plays in a game that matched the league's next-to-last home power play against the league's best road penalty kill.
2. Patrik Berglund, who had the winning goal when the teams met in November, knotted the score 6:24 into the middle session, also on a power play.The goal extended his point streak to a career-high six games. It was the first ...
Oilers-Canadiens: Kostitsyns Lead Habs to Shootout Win
March 11th, 2010 by Rocket All Habs No comments »
This was supposed to be easy. 1:20 into the game it looked like it was going to be very easy. Thomas Plekanec scored his 20th goal of the season on a breakaway after two perfect passes from Andrei Kostitsyn and Andrei Markov. With the 30th place team in the league visiting, this was the type of game that Bell Centre fans expected. Cue the rout! But wait a minute. 1:02 (to be precise) after the Canadiens goal, Robert Nilsson scored for Edmonton with Glen Metropolit failing to backcheck. The shot seemed to surprise Jaroslav Halak. It was a soft goal to be sure, and not the last one of the night. Just over a minute later, on the power-play, Sam Gagner popped another one in over Halak's shoulder, and the Oilers led 2-to-1. The game was not even ...
Ritter’s Rant: Candid Shots at the NHL and Head Shots
March 11th, 2010 by Mark Ritter No comments »
In light of the tough hits against Florida Panthers forward David Booth and Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard this season, the NHL’s adaptation of tougher rules against blindside hits is yet another example of the NHL’s refusal to deal with obvious safety issues until it’s too late.Blindside hits have been an issue for eons; the fact that the NHL is only now dealing with them in an intelligent manner is a slap in the face to those players that had to pay the price by being victimized by long-term injuries or ending their careers early as a result of said hits.The NHL was in existence for 70 years before they decided it would be a good idea to grandfather in the use of helmets in 1979—that's right kids, SEVENTY YEARS!!! Today, there are several other pieces of equipment that should be mandated by the NHL immediately, including the use of ...
Chicago Bulls Might As Well Mail in Rest Of 2009-10 Season
March 11th, 2010 by Josh Herman No comments »
The 2009-10 Chicago Bulls have had so many loops in their roller-coaster season that they're beginning to look like a Persian king. Too bad their play as of late has been rather pedestrian.
After dropping five straight—four of which were at home—the Bulls traveled to Orlando for a game on Thursday night and were ran out of Amway Arena 111-82 by a Magic team that is something that Chicago strives to be: a contender.
Chicago's most recent skid has shown that this young and semi-talented is built for 2010-11. And with just six roster players set to return next season and nearly $20 million in salary cap space, why shouldn't the team be looking towards the future?
The Bulls unloaded Tyrus Thomas and John Salmons at the trade deadline in exchange for expiring contracts in an effort to bolster their chances at adding a max contract free agent. And while a new attitude, a new look, ...
Philadelphia 76ers: With Playoffs Out of Reach, Time to “Go Young”
March 11th, 2010 by Bryan Toporek No comments »
We now interrupt this 24/7 coverage of Allen Iverson's personal troubles to give you actual news related to the Philadelphia 76ers...After a 15-point blowout at the hands of the Charlotte Bobcats last night, the Philadelphia 76ers stand at 23-41 as of today, with 18 games left to play in the regular season.
To put that in perspective, the next closest team in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls, have a 31-32 record. The Bulls are currently the East's ninth seed (the Raptors hold the eighth seed currently, at 32-30).
That puts the Sixers 7.5 games out of the ninth seed with 18 games to play...and the ninth seed doesn't even qualify for the playoffs.
Mathematically, they're all but done.
That's why they need to "go young," and they need to go young as hard as they can. Yes, this could be considered a politically correct way to say they should tank the season...because it is.
Despite ...
Never Say Die: Boston Bruins Search For Inspiration
March 11th, 2010 by Wayne Whittaker No comments »
Despite all the prognostications of doom, the Boston Bruins still find themselves very much in the thick of a playoff race. Sitting ever uncomfortably in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins no longer have any room for error.
Boston does not appear to be getting any help from lady luck however, as NESN reports that the Bruins will be forced to go on without their star centerman, Marc Savard, who will likely miss the remainder of the 2009-2010 season after finding himself on the receiving end of a devastating (legal) cheap shot from Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke.
If it wasn’t apparent through the first three quarters of the season, it’s become quite clear that this will not likely be the year the B’s snap their Stanley Cup drought.
Frustration probably doesn’t begin to describe what Boston fans have felt all year long. But as this disappointing season continues to wind down, there ...
Ground Zero For The Los Angeles Clippers’ Failure: Awful Drafting
March 11th, 2010 by Blake Wettengel No comments »
Among the many reasons why the Clippers have largely failed as a competitive basketball organization over their existence in LA is poor drafting. Looking back over the past ten years, the Clippers have drafted the following players in the first round (overall pick in parentheses):
2000 – Darius Miles (3)
2001 – Tyson Chandler (2)
2002 – Chris Wilcox (8), Melvin Ely (12)
2003 – Chris Kaman (6)
2004 – Shaun Livingston (4)
2005 – Yaroslav Korolev (12)
2006 – 1st Round Pick traded 2007 – Al Thornton (14)
2008 – Eric Gordon (7; probably their best pick of the decade)
2009 – Blake Griffin (1)
For those of you playing at home, this means the Clippers' average position in the first round over the last decade has been about sixth.
SIXTH!
They have had, on average, a chance at one of the six best players coming out of the draft—every year. That should amount, assuming a competently run basketball franchise, to ...