Can Deron Williams-Joe Johnson Backcourt Ever Reach Elite Status as Expected?
May 21st, 2013 by Andrew Kipp No comments »
The Deron Williams-Joe Johnson backcourt failed to live up to expectations in 2012-13, but there’s reason to believe it can reach elite status next season.It probably wasn’t fair to assume Williams and Johnson would form an elite backcourt in just their first season together. There is, after all, something to be said for NBA players taking the time to develop chemistry and continuity with each other.Now that Williams and Johnson have had a full season together, there is reason to believe the Brooklyn Nets’ starting backcourt will have more success next season.Unfortunate injuries to both players also contributed to their uncharacteristically poor performances.Johnson was hobbled by plantar fasciitis in his left foot, while Williams was plagued by ankle and wrist injuries throughout the first half of the season. Johnson wasn’t willing to use the injury as an excuse, but it’s hard to imagine a healthy Big Shot Joe shooting 2-for-14 ...
NBA Draft Prospects Guaranteed to Interest the LA Clippers
May 21st, 2013 by Oren Friedman No comments »
With the 25th pick in the NBA draft, the Los Angeles Clippers should be interested in selecting either a defensive-minded big man or an elite and athletic wing. Although most high-profile rookies are lottery picks, there are plenty of solid players that have been taken at No. 25. Nicolas Batum was taken No. 25 in the 2008 draft while Tony Wroten was grabbed in 2012. The Clippers would sorely benefit from a late steal that could become a serviceable rotation player. Someone like a wing along the lines of Chandler Parsons, the No. 38 pick in the 2011 draft, would be ideal. The Clips have had a tremendous amount of success in the draft in recent years. Whether it was Eric Gordon with the No. 7 pick in 2008, or the draft-day trade that netted No. 18 pick Eric Bledsoe in 2010, the front office has made some savvy picks. Throw ...
Ranking the 5 Greatest Centers in Philadelphia Flyers History
May 21st, 2013 by Michael Pizzutillo No comments »
The Philadelphia Flyers had some highly-talented centers on its roster throughout the team's history. Currently, the team's captain and center, Claude Giroux, is on pace to be an all-time Flyers great, but has much to prove in order to be in the company of his fellow alumni. These players possessed offensive, defensive, special teams and leadership abilities, while helping the Flyers succeed over the years. Here are the five greatest centers in Philadelphia Flyers history.Begin Slideshow
2013 NBA Draft Lottery Winners and Losers
May 21st, 2013 by Zach Buckley No comments »
There comes a point during the season that 14 NBA teams turn their attention away from the wins-and-losses column and start planning for their future.It's a liquid date, as some clubs fail to perform to expectations while others shatter their preseason projections. But it's an inevitability for nearly half of the teams in this league, the first true step toward reversing one's fate for the coming year.The difficulty of that reclamation project just became a bit clearer with Tuesday night's 2013 NBA draft lottery painting a complete picture of the order for the upcoming draft (June 27).The Orlando Magic, Charlotte Bobcats and Cleveland Cavaliers entered the night with the best chance to land the top selection from the 2013-14 rookie class. Although no consensus has been formulated regarding which player from that class has separated himself from his peers, a majority favorite has emerged.But even that player knows not to ...
Playing Fact or Fiction with the Biggest Rumors, Speculation Around the NHL
May 21st, 2013 by Al Daniel No comments »
Almost exactly a full decade after he announced his retirement from playing, Patrick Roy is popping up in multiple contexts and multiple NHL cities. The franchises in both of those cities are subject to hot-button buzz with regards to their coaches and crease custodians. As of Wednesday evening, nothing was certain either way and, theoretically, a credible case can be made in predicting the fruition of forecasted events or lack thereof. There are three other storylines of note that revolve around players possibly donning new attire next season or when their current contracts are up. They, too, can be interpreted from virtually any angle at the moment, but with varying degrees of confidence.The items in this slideshow were chosen based on merit for multiple arguments. Therefore, the likes of the Vancouver Canucks post-mortem is absent as there is very little reasonable cause to believe there will not be any major ...
Most Awkward Moments of the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery
May 21st, 2013 by Jesse Dorsey No comments »
The 2013 NBA Draft Lottery was pretty much the same as all the others, only with different people celebrating...sort of. It was 30 minutes of filler, guys in suits looking like game show contestants and a never-ending supply of awkward:After the usual package to start things out explaining how the lottery selection process works, Heather Cox, the emcee for the evening, showed up and got things going.How did she start out? By explaining how the lottery selection process works for the second time, but this time with the use of a bunch of ping pong balls bouncing around as a prop.A few awkward shots of the teams' representatives sitting at their podiums as they waited for this all to be over with was then used as filler.Finally, we moved on to meeting each team's representative, which came across as another attempt to waste time by ESPN, complete with Cox unsure ...
NBA Draft Lottery Results 2013: Twitter Reaction, Recap and More
May 21st, 2013 by Tim Keeney No comments »
With no consensus top prospect in this year's NBA draft class, we still don't know for sure who will go No. 1. But after Tuesday night's lottery, we at least know who will be making the selection.The Cleveland Cavaliers, who had just the third-best chance (15.6 percent) for the top pick, proved to have the odds ever in their favor, making a little history in the process:And if they're lucky, this time around will work out a fraction as well as a certain player they drafted 10 years ago at the same spot:Their other recent top selection, Kyrie Irving, wasn't too shabby, either. Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic (25.0 percent) and Charlotte Bobcats (19.9 percent) entered the night with better probabilities, but were saddled with the No. 2 and 4 picks, respectively.On the contrary, the Washington Wizards made the biggest jump, going from a projected No. 8 to No. 3. Here's a look ...
NBA Playoffs 2013: Ranking the Most Important Players Remaining in Postseason
May 21st, 2013 by Rob Goldberg No comments »
The NBA playoffs often come down to the positive or negative contributions of a single player.While one person cannot win a championship by himself, a strong performance can put a team over the top in a number of games. Conversely, some poor plays down the stretch can derail a squad's hopes for victory.In this postseason, we have seen surprising games out of players like Lance Stephenson and Matt Bonner, but their teams do not depend on their performances on a nightly basis. A bad game does not automatically mean a loss.However, these players must do well in each game, or else their teams could end up entering the offseason earlier than expected. 10. Chris Bosh, Miami HeatThe "other" member of the Big Three has become somewhat forgotten in Miami. However, he displayed strong defense against Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer of the Chicago Bulls and his play was a big reason ...
NBA Lottery Results 2013: Full Selection Order, Analysis and More
May 21st, 2013 by Tyler Conway No comments »
When the Cleveland Cavaliers won the No. 1 overall pick before drafting Kyrie Irving in 2011, Nick Gilbert, son of owner Dan Gilbert, was on the hot seat as the lottery draw was announced.On Tuesday, the Nick Gilbert struck again. Announced in an ESPN special prior to Tuesday night's matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies, the Cavs landed their second No. 1 overall pick in three years. Cleveland came into the lottery with the third-best chance at coming away with the top pick at 15.6 percent.The Cavaliers' official Twitter feed sent out a Vine video of fans celebrating at a local bar when the pick was announced: Here is a look at how the entire lottery played out:
Selection Team
1 Cleveland Cavaliers
2 Orlando Magic
3 Washington Wizards
4 Charlotte Bobcats
5 Phoenix Suns
6 New Orleans Pelicans
7 Sacramento Kings
8 Detroit Pistons
9 Minnesota Timberwolves
10 Portland Trail Blazers
11 Philadelphia 76ers
12 Oklahoma City Thunder (via Toronto Raptors)
13 ...
2013 NBA Draft Order: Post-Lottery List with Projected Picks
May 21st, 2013 by Maxwell Ogden No comments »
The 2013 NBA draft lottery has come and passed, with the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the rights to the first overall draft choice.The Cavaliers entered the draft with 15.6 odds to win the rights to the No. 1 selection. After 13 teams found their location, however, only one number was important.No. 1.Who's ready for the NBA draft?
Pick No. Team Odds Selection
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 15.6%
Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky
2. Orlando Magic 25.0% Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas
3. Washington Wizards 2.8% Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown
4. Charlotte Bobcats 19.9% Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana
5. Phoenix Suns 11.9% Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV
6. New Orleans Pelicans 8.8% Trey Burke, PG, Michigan
7. Sacramento Kings 6.3% Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse
8. Detroit Pistons 4.3%
Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA
9. Minnesota Timberwolves 1.7% Alex Len, C, Maryland
10. Portland Trail Blazers 1.1% C.J. McCollum, G, Lehigh
11. Philadelphia 76ers 0.8%
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Georgia
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Raptors) 0.7% Cody Zeller, C, Indiana
13. Dallas ...