The fan base of the Chicago Bulls made a huge deal about their "Bench Mob" last year like it was the best bench in the league. It wasn't. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best, either. This year, it still probably won't be the best, but it's a lot better than last year.
They got Kirk Hinrich back. I thought it was dumb when they traded him away before, especially since they used the cap space it freed up to get Carlos Boozer. Maybe their plan all along was to get Hinrich back for a lot cheaper, but Boozer is going to have to do a lot better to make his contract worth it. Hinrich is stuck with the task of filling in for Derrick Rose until his return, hopefully he'll do a decent job keeping them afloat until then. In my opinion, after that he should start in place of Rip Hamilton but probably won't, unless Hamilton's old bones crumble or he gets injured in another way. It may be best to bring him off the bench, though, for chemistry purposes and it puts some more talent into the second unit.
Bulls fans went crazy about John Lucas III last year. He was a great spark plug off the bench, but was inexperienced and had plenty of weaknesses, like allowing Lebron to jump over him.
He's out of Chicago, now, but he's been replaced with another short dude. This time it's one who's a little stronger and more experienced, though. Nate Robinson is a fun dude to watch play the game. He's a former Slam Dunk Champion and he's got a ring from his stint with the Celtics to replace Scalabrine's in the Bulls locker room.
Their post players coming off the bench should show to be an improvement, as well. No matter how great anyone thought Omer Asik was, they shouldn't be saddened over Chicago letting him walk. He's not worth what Houston gave him. Nazr Mohammed should be better, at worst he will be on the same level that Asik was at, but with different strengths and weaknesses. They also still have Taj Gibson coming off the bench, who is still improving. I'm curious to see if they try to make some moves to keep him around or let him leave when his contract is up.
They also lost Kyle Korver in the off season. I like Korver, but all he can do is shoot. And they got Marco Belinelli to take his place, and Belinelli can score in more ways than a set three pointer, and should show to be quite an upgrade.
Bulls fans, this year you can really embrace your Bench Mob. Even though Scalabrine is gone, these guys should give you plenty of reason to cheer.
A blog dedicated to the NBA and the great game of basketball.
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
dirkSITTINGoutFOURgames
Alright, So Dirk Nowitzki needs 8 days of uninterrupted working out and nursing his knee so he can get in game shape. Maybe that should have been done over the extended lockout?
I respect Dirk for finally learning to play a little bit of defense and winning a title, but the greats also work in the off season. I understand that the prolonged lockout and not playing NBA games probably takes you out of the mindset a little and you just won a title so you think you want some time off, but you've got to improve. Now people are going to play you like the Championship team and not be writing you off. You've got to train and try to get better. If you aren't improving you're taking a step back.
Winning a title was supposed to help Dirk get onto the list of all-time NBA greats, this may do the opposite. I see it being spun as Cuban blowing up the team, but with this happening, I'll be putting at least some of the blame on the star player the team is built around.
Here's a quote from When The Game Was Ours by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson with Jackie MacMullan about Larry Legend after winning the 1984 championship.
I respect Dirk for finally learning to play a little bit of defense and winning a title, but the greats also work in the off season. I understand that the prolonged lockout and not playing NBA games probably takes you out of the mindset a little and you just won a title so you think you want some time off, but you've got to improve. Now people are going to play you like the Championship team and not be writing you off. You've got to train and try to get better. If you aren't improving you're taking a step back.
Winning a title was supposed to help Dirk get onto the list of all-time NBA greats, this may do the opposite. I see it being spun as Cuban blowing up the team, but with this happening, I'll be putting at least some of the blame on the star player the team is built around.
Here's a quote from When The Game Was Ours by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson with Jackie MacMullan about Larry Legend after winning the 1984 championship.
The morning after Boston's celebration, Bird finally went home for a little shuteye.
Around midafternoon, Buckner, who was experiencing his first NBA title, drove to
Bird's Brookline home with the hope of celebrating all over again. Dinah (Bird's wife)
informed Buckner that Larry wasn't there.
"He was out running," Buckner said. "When he got back, I said to him, 'Man, what
are you doing?'" Bird looked at him quizzically before he answered. "I'm getting
ready for next year," he said.
That's what the greats do after winning a championship, they start preparation for the next season. Nowitzki could have used the extended lockout to work on his game, and maybe he did....but needing to take time (and games) off to "get in game shape" doesn't make it sound like he was.
Stay fresh and keep calm,
KK
Sunday, January 15, 2012
THEmightyHAVEfallen
The Defending Champion Dallas Mavericks started the season horribly and are starting to find their stride, or what's left of it after letting Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea leave the Lone Star State. After winning their last 5 they're sitting in the 7th spot in the West.
The Boston Celtics decided to give it one more shot, even though the analysts said they were too old. So far, it looks like the analysts were right. The C's are currently not in playoff contention, though it is still very early and they could make a fight for the 8, possibly the 7, but I don't see them going any higher than that.
The Miami Heat, hailed as the best team in the league and expected to win the Championship this year, just finished a road trip to the Western Conference where they lost 3 in a row to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers on back to back nights, then to the Denver Nuggets rested. With these losses they have dropped to 6th in the Eastern Conference Standings.
The Los Angeles Lakers, the most loved and hated team in the league, currently reside in the 5 spot in the West after losing to the team across the hall, the Clippers. No one thinks they're the championship team anymore, but Kobe will continue to do as much as he can to get them as far as they can, even if it may hurt the team more than help at times.
With the greats falling spaces are opening up for other teams to make some noise and maybe get a little media coverage. The Sixers and Pacers have moved to the #2 and #3 spots in the East, which is a pretty big step forward for lower playoff teams last year, as the East was basically Chicago, Miami, Boston, Orlando and then a few levels down sat the rest of the East.
In the West some familiar teams are in the top spots, with the Thunder and Spurs sitting at the top, though no one planned for the Spurs to be that high before the season. The Nuggets currently sit at #4 since they lost a head-to-head matchup with the Spurs. The #3 spot is held by the Clippers currently, as their winning percentage is tied with the Spurs and Nuggets, though they haven't yet played as many games as them.
Stay fresh and keep calm,
KK
The Boston Celtics decided to give it one more shot, even though the analysts said they were too old. So far, it looks like the analysts were right. The C's are currently not in playoff contention, though it is still very early and they could make a fight for the 8, possibly the 7, but I don't see them going any higher than that.
The Miami Heat, hailed as the best team in the league and expected to win the Championship this year, just finished a road trip to the Western Conference where they lost 3 in a row to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers on back to back nights, then to the Denver Nuggets rested. With these losses they have dropped to 6th in the Eastern Conference Standings.
The Los Angeles Lakers, the most loved and hated team in the league, currently reside in the 5 spot in the West after losing to the team across the hall, the Clippers. No one thinks they're the championship team anymore, but Kobe will continue to do as much as he can to get them as far as they can, even if it may hurt the team more than help at times.
With the greats falling spaces are opening up for other teams to make some noise and maybe get a little media coverage. The Sixers and Pacers have moved to the #2 and #3 spots in the East, which is a pretty big step forward for lower playoff teams last year, as the East was basically Chicago, Miami, Boston, Orlando and then a few levels down sat the rest of the East.
In the West some familiar teams are in the top spots, with the Thunder and Spurs sitting at the top, though no one planned for the Spurs to be that high before the season. The Nuggets currently sit at #4 since they lost a head-to-head matchup with the Spurs. The #3 spot is held by the Clippers currently, as their winning percentage is tied with the Spurs and Nuggets, though they haven't yet played as many games as them.
Stay fresh and keep calm,
KK
Friday, January 13, 2012
NBAupdate
The NBA has been running on full blast since the compacted 66-game season started Christmas Day. I haven't been keeping up with this blog as well as I'd hoped; I'll try to improve on that folks.
Currently, the Chicago Bulls top the Eastern Conference, followed by Miami Heat and Orlando Magic. Orlando hasn't looked as like a top level team all that often this season, though, and trade rumors continue to swirl around Dwight Howard. Last night, D12 shot more free throws in a game than any player ever shooting 39 free throws. The Bulls and Heat have both dealt with injuries already, as Derrick Rose, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade have all missed games due to injury. The Bulls and Heat are both on ESPN tonight. The Bulls are in Boston tonight (live on ESPN) to take on the aging Celtics who haven't been able to do much this year, and the Heat are in Denver coming off of 2 losses in a row to take on my Nuggets.
The 4th and 5th teams in the East have both had the best starts to a season than they've had in years. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers have both been making progress to be better teams. They each made some noise in the playoffs last year as harder outs than expected in the first round. We'll see what they're really made of as teams start preparing for them more and more. The Pacers are in Toronto tonight and the Sixers are at home against the Wizards.
Rounding out the top 8 in the East are Atlanta, New York and Cleveland. Atlanta just can't seem to get over the hump to becoming a top team. New York was expected to be one of the top teams this year after adding Tyson Chandler and his ring to the front line with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, they haven't lived up to the hype though and are barely over .500.
Sitting atop the West are the Oklahoma City Thunder, as expected. Kevin Durant is leading his team and he looks hungry. Everyone seems to have something to say about Russell Westbrook, and I honestly think the Thunder could benefit by trading him, but we'll see what happens there. The Thunder also have their backup point guard Eric Maynor out for the season with a torn ACL. They look to be holding up okay, but we'll see what time does without his presence off the bench. OKC hosts the Knicks tomorrow night.
The Portland Trailblazers have surprised a lot of people this year and are currently in the 2 spot in the West. They've beaten some good teams, and I am still a little confused as to how they lost to the Phoenix Suns who haven't looked all that great this year. The Trailblazers are in San Antonio tonight for what should be a tight game.
The 3, 4, and 5 spots are tight between the 8-4 Lakers and the Spurs and Nuggets who are both sitting at 7-4. Kobe has been being Kobe and keeping the Lakers alive. If it weren't for he and Andrew Bynum who has been tearing it up since returning from his suspension at the beginning of the season, the Lakers would be terrible. They host the Cavs tonight.
The Nuggets have blown teams out and lost some close games they should have won. They're seeing some injuries, Nene is dealing with a bruised heal, Ty Lawson missed the last game with a sprained foot, Danilo Gallinari sprained his ankle in the last game and Rudy Fernandez is dealing with a strained Achilles tendon. They are all probable for tonight's game against the Heat except Lawson, who is a game time decision. Hopefully they can pull it together for a game that's sure to be fast paced with two teams who like to run. GO NUGGETS!
The Spurs are the Spurs and are going to be a good team no matter what you expect from them. Even with Manu Ginobli out they've been good. They get the "too old" comments, like the Celtics, but they have good young talent surrounding their old guys with players like Gary Neal and Dejuan Blair. As I mentioned earlier, they host the Trailblazers tonight.
Next up, in the 6 slot in the West lies the Clippers. After getting Chris Paul after the canceled Lakers trade, expectations jumped, they still aren't very deep, and they were set to be a better team this year even before acquiring CP3, they're a good team, just not a championship contender yet.
Rounding out the West's top 8 are Utah and Dallas. I honestly haven't watched or heard much about Utah this year, and I'm fine with that. The Mavericks, on the other hand, were expected to be better after their championship season last year. I told my friends they weren't going to be that team anymore, though. That's what happens when you let your heart and strength walk, even if you pick up Lamar Odom. Look for them to make moves to try to improve the team, though. And look for them to be players in free agency this summer.
That was a little long, but I haven't written for awhile. I hope it wasn't unbearable. I'll try to write more often, I swear.
Stay Fresh and Keep Calm,
KK
Currently, the Chicago Bulls top the Eastern Conference, followed by Miami Heat and Orlando Magic. Orlando hasn't looked as like a top level team all that often this season, though, and trade rumors continue to swirl around Dwight Howard. Last night, D12 shot more free throws in a game than any player ever shooting 39 free throws. The Bulls and Heat have both dealt with injuries already, as Derrick Rose, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade have all missed games due to injury. The Bulls and Heat are both on ESPN tonight. The Bulls are in Boston tonight (live on ESPN) to take on the aging Celtics who haven't been able to do much this year, and the Heat are in Denver coming off of 2 losses in a row to take on my Nuggets.
The 4th and 5th teams in the East have both had the best starts to a season than they've had in years. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers have both been making progress to be better teams. They each made some noise in the playoffs last year as harder outs than expected in the first round. We'll see what they're really made of as teams start preparing for them more and more. The Pacers are in Toronto tonight and the Sixers are at home against the Wizards.
Rounding out the top 8 in the East are Atlanta, New York and Cleveland. Atlanta just can't seem to get over the hump to becoming a top team. New York was expected to be one of the top teams this year after adding Tyson Chandler and his ring to the front line with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, they haven't lived up to the hype though and are barely over .500.
Sitting atop the West are the Oklahoma City Thunder, as expected. Kevin Durant is leading his team and he looks hungry. Everyone seems to have something to say about Russell Westbrook, and I honestly think the Thunder could benefit by trading him, but we'll see what happens there. The Thunder also have their backup point guard Eric Maynor out for the season with a torn ACL. They look to be holding up okay, but we'll see what time does without his presence off the bench. OKC hosts the Knicks tomorrow night.
The Portland Trailblazers have surprised a lot of people this year and are currently in the 2 spot in the West. They've beaten some good teams, and I am still a little confused as to how they lost to the Phoenix Suns who haven't looked all that great this year. The Trailblazers are in San Antonio tonight for what should be a tight game.
The 3, 4, and 5 spots are tight between the 8-4 Lakers and the Spurs and Nuggets who are both sitting at 7-4. Kobe has been being Kobe and keeping the Lakers alive. If it weren't for he and Andrew Bynum who has been tearing it up since returning from his suspension at the beginning of the season, the Lakers would be terrible. They host the Cavs tonight.
The Nuggets have blown teams out and lost some close games they should have won. They're seeing some injuries, Nene is dealing with a bruised heal, Ty Lawson missed the last game with a sprained foot, Danilo Gallinari sprained his ankle in the last game and Rudy Fernandez is dealing with a strained Achilles tendon. They are all probable for tonight's game against the Heat except Lawson, who is a game time decision. Hopefully they can pull it together for a game that's sure to be fast paced with two teams who like to run. GO NUGGETS!
The Spurs are the Spurs and are going to be a good team no matter what you expect from them. Even with Manu Ginobli out they've been good. They get the "too old" comments, like the Celtics, but they have good young talent surrounding their old guys with players like Gary Neal and Dejuan Blair. As I mentioned earlier, they host the Trailblazers tonight.
Next up, in the 6 slot in the West lies the Clippers. After getting Chris Paul after the canceled Lakers trade, expectations jumped, they still aren't very deep, and they were set to be a better team this year even before acquiring CP3, they're a good team, just not a championship contender yet.
Rounding out the West's top 8 are Utah and Dallas. I honestly haven't watched or heard much about Utah this year, and I'm fine with that. The Mavericks, on the other hand, were expected to be better after their championship season last year. I told my friends they weren't going to be that team anymore, though. That's what happens when you let your heart and strength walk, even if you pick up Lamar Odom. Look for them to make moves to try to improve the team, though. And look for them to be players in free agency this summer.
That was a little long, but I haven't written for awhile. I hope it wasn't unbearable. I'll try to write more often, I swear.
Stay Fresh and Keep Calm,
KK
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
charlesBARKLEYwasMYroleMODEL
Growing up, I was always a big NBA basketball fan. While my brother was a huge Michael Jordan fan (like everyone else in the world), I was idolizing Charles Barkley. Chuck didn't want to be a role model and he made sure everyone knew that, but to me, he was.
Barkley had no championships, he also did not have the roster and coaches around him that Michael Jordan did. He was an undersized post player who made an impact on the game bigger than most with hard work, honesty and passion.
Sir Charles began his career on a championship team. He was not a leader but learned from some greats who's names will always be mentioned when the game of basketball comes up. While playing with Dr. J surely benefited him, he obviously took the most from Moses Malone. Malone was a post player who, like Charles, prided himself on rebounding. He was a great mentor for "The Round Mound of Rebound" to learn from. Malone taught Barkley to work hard and how to prepare for games, seasons and the life of a professional athlete.
A few years after being in the league, Erving and Malone were gone (trade and retirement) from the team, and it was time for Charles to become the leader. He did what he could, but the 76ers management did not put anything that great around him, so he eventually relocated to Phoenix via trade. When you try and try and things aren't working, change something. This obviously helped, as he was the league MVP this year and led the Suns to the NBA Finals where they eventually lost to the Bulls in 6 games.
"Just because I can dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids." - Charles Barkley
I AM NOT A ROLE MODEL. This was a popular Nike ad campaign designed around Chuck in the 90s. He didn't want to be one, but he was. And I think he was a pretty good one. I'm sure there were other kids around the country looking up to him besides me (even if it didn't feel like it in my small midwestern hometown), I mean he was one of the most popular players in the league and had a polarizing personality. He was honest about his thoughts and feelings and didn't sugarcoat anything for the public. He owned up to things he did, and did not make excuses for his mistakes. He took credit for his faults, as well as his achievements. Barkley was passionate and competitive and often had skirmishes with other players during games. Afterwards, he was not afraid to say what he thought about it. Rather than playing to the media like most did, he was honest, but he always left the grudges on the court.
He learned from his mistakes. Once, during a close game in 1991, Charles became agitated by a heckling fan
and turned to spit on him; the spit ended up hitting a little girl. He apologized to the girl and became friends with her family and provided them tickets to games. He also served a suspension and paid a fine for the incident. He learned from this, here's a quote from around the time of his retirement.
"I was fairly controversial, I guess, but I regret only one thing - the spitting incident. But you know what? It taught me a valuable lesson. It taught me that I was getting way too intense during the game. It let me know I wanted to win way too bad. I had to calm down. I wanted to win at all costs. Instead of playing the game the right way and respecting the game, I only thought about winning."
Chuck got in many fights throughout his career. He threw a guy through a window, he jawed refs, he played rough and even took some cheap shots, but he was always standing up for what he believed. He stood by his opinions and fought for them.
He never got a ring, but he did chase the dream in the latter years of his career when he went to the Houston Rockets to play with Hakeem Olajuwan and Clyde Drexler. You should always try for what you want, don't leave yourself wondering what if. Though he did not succeed, he tried.
For the best years and majority of his career, he was competing with Michael Jordan. The two are widely know as being good friends. They had a healthy competition between them, which is important. Competing with your friends and peers is always important. It does sometimes get out of hand. We've all had times when a pickup game at the park, a board game or even a game of Halo got out of hand and we lost our tempers. Competition brings out our adrenaline and testosterone and things get heated. This is why we should surround ourselves with good people. Our friends understand and don't hold these things against us.
I could go on, but I feel this is enough for now. Charles Barkley taught me a lot about life through his achievements and downfalls. He was a league MVP, an 11-time all star, an All Star Game MVP, SEC Player of the Year and named one of the 50 Greatest Players Ever in the NBA. He taught me roads to take, and roads to avoid. He taught me to be passionate about what I do, to voice my opinions, to work hard and to stand up for what I believe. I am glad I went through life looking up to him.
I am a better man for having Charles Barkley as a role model.......because he could dunk a basketball.
^Start that one at 1:44
Barkley had no championships, he also did not have the roster and coaches around him that Michael Jordan did. He was an undersized post player who made an impact on the game bigger than most with hard work, honesty and passion.
Sir Charles began his career on a championship team. He was not a leader but learned from some greats who's names will always be mentioned when the game of basketball comes up. While playing with Dr. J surely benefited him, he obviously took the most from Moses Malone. Malone was a post player who, like Charles, prided himself on rebounding. He was a great mentor for "The Round Mound of Rebound" to learn from. Malone taught Barkley to work hard and how to prepare for games, seasons and the life of a professional athlete.
A few years after being in the league, Erving and Malone were gone (trade and retirement) from the team, and it was time for Charles to become the leader. He did what he could, but the 76ers management did not put anything that great around him, so he eventually relocated to Phoenix via trade. When you try and try and things aren't working, change something. This obviously helped, as he was the league MVP this year and led the Suns to the NBA Finals where they eventually lost to the Bulls in 6 games.
"Just because I can dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids." - Charles Barkley
I AM NOT A ROLE MODEL. This was a popular Nike ad campaign designed around Chuck in the 90s. He didn't want to be one, but he was. And I think he was a pretty good one. I'm sure there were other kids around the country looking up to him besides me (even if it didn't feel like it in my small midwestern hometown), I mean he was one of the most popular players in the league and had a polarizing personality. He was honest about his thoughts and feelings and didn't sugarcoat anything for the public. He owned up to things he did, and did not make excuses for his mistakes. He took credit for his faults, as well as his achievements. Barkley was passionate and competitive and often had skirmishes with other players during games. Afterwards, he was not afraid to say what he thought about it. Rather than playing to the media like most did, he was honest, but he always left the grudges on the court.
He learned from his mistakes. Once, during a close game in 1991, Charles became agitated by a heckling fan
and turned to spit on him; the spit ended up hitting a little girl. He apologized to the girl and became friends with her family and provided them tickets to games. He also served a suspension and paid a fine for the incident. He learned from this, here's a quote from around the time of his retirement.
"I was fairly controversial, I guess, but I regret only one thing - the spitting incident. But you know what? It taught me a valuable lesson. It taught me that I was getting way too intense during the game. It let me know I wanted to win way too bad. I had to calm down. I wanted to win at all costs. Instead of playing the game the right way and respecting the game, I only thought about winning."
Chuck got in many fights throughout his career. He threw a guy through a window, he jawed refs, he played rough and even took some cheap shots, but he was always standing up for what he believed. He stood by his opinions and fought for them.
He never got a ring, but he did chase the dream in the latter years of his career when he went to the Houston Rockets to play with Hakeem Olajuwan and Clyde Drexler. You should always try for what you want, don't leave yourself wondering what if. Though he did not succeed, he tried.
For the best years and majority of his career, he was competing with Michael Jordan. The two are widely know as being good friends. They had a healthy competition between them, which is important. Competing with your friends and peers is always important. It does sometimes get out of hand. We've all had times when a pickup game at the park, a board game or even a game of Halo got out of hand and we lost our tempers. Competition brings out our adrenaline and testosterone and things get heated. This is why we should surround ourselves with good people. Our friends understand and don't hold these things against us.
I could go on, but I feel this is enough for now. Charles Barkley taught me a lot about life through his achievements and downfalls. He was a league MVP, an 11-time all star, an All Star Game MVP, SEC Player of the Year and named one of the 50 Greatest Players Ever in the NBA. He taught me roads to take, and roads to avoid. He taught me to be passionate about what I do, to voice my opinions, to work hard and to stand up for what I believe. I am glad I went through life looking up to him.
I am a better man for having Charles Barkley as a role model.......because he could dunk a basketball.
^Start that one at 1:44
Saturday, December 17, 2011
PULLINGforJEFFgreen
Jeff Green is out for the season. His recently signed 1-year contract with the Celtics was voided because he didn't pass his physical. The reasoning was hush until today. He has a heart problem, which will require surgery scheduled for Monday.
All of the coverage of this story described it as a "mystery illness" and said they didn't know what was wrong with him. The "mystery illness" has now been described as an aortic aneurysm, as reported by Yahoo! Sports.
The Celtics have dealt with things like this in the past, except they caught it this time. In 1993, Reggie Lewis died on a practice court from a heart condition. The Celtics also lost a draftee in 1986, when Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose while celebrating being drafted two days later.
Jeff Green was viewed as a solid player when he was in Oklahoma City, then was traded to the Celtics and has been seen as not so good. I still think he's a good player with good upside. He'll be missing this season, but I hope he returns to the NBA and makes some noise.
Stay fresh and keep calm,
KK
All of the coverage of this story described it as a "mystery illness" and said they didn't know what was wrong with him. The "mystery illness" has now been described as an aortic aneurysm, as reported by Yahoo! Sports.
The Celtics have dealt with things like this in the past, except they caught it this time. In 1993, Reggie Lewis died on a practice court from a heart condition. The Celtics also lost a draftee in 1986, when Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose while celebrating being drafted two days later.
Jeff Green was viewed as a solid player when he was in Oklahoma City, then was traded to the Celtics and has been seen as not so good. I still think he's a good player with good upside. He'll be missing this season, but I hope he returns to the NBA and makes some noise.
Stay fresh and keep calm,
KK
NBAisBACK
The NBA is back after the lockout, the season starts in 8 days, and I personally cannot wait. Christmas Day is usually one of the biggest days on the NBA calendar, and this year it's even bigger. Christmas Day is also acting as opening day and featuring 10 of the top teams competing on live television in 5 great match-ups.
Celtics vs. Knicks @ Noon ET on TNT
Heat vs. Mavericks @ 2:30p on ABC
Bulls vs. Lakers @ 5p on ABC
Magic vs. Thunder @ 8p on ESPN
Clippers vs. Warriors @ 10:30p on ESPN
Though my Denver Nuggets didn't make the cut for Christmas Day this year, I am salivating for some NBA basketball.
Celtics/Knicks
This should be a good match-up of an upcoming team and one that this may be their last shot at another title. Tyson Chandler joined up with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire in New York thanks to the amnesty of Chauncey Billups. The Knicks hope to use their strong front line to take down the aging Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to start the season.
Heat/Mavericks
The rematch of last years Finals should be another great game. The Big Three look to build on what they did last year and have already started spouting "Title or Bust" claims for this season. The Mavericks look a little different than they did in the championship last year. Tyson Chandler is gone to New York and J.J. Barea took his talents to the Great White North. The Mavericks did pick up Lamar Odom from the Lakers, it'll be interesting to see how the team looks without Chandler and Barea giving grit and effort.
Bulls/Lakers
The Bulls had the best record in the league last year and made it to the Eastern Conference finals. They're hoping Rip Hamilton's championships experience can help. Christmas Day they take on the Los Angeles Lakers who many people are saying are on their downhill swing, and one big man less with 6th Man of the Year 2011, Lamar Odom being dealt to Dallas. Passing of the torch?
Magic/Thunder
Dwight Howard is still with the Magic, and they'll need him taking on the Durantula and the young OKC Thunder. The Thunder are looking to get to the next step, they've been improving since they left Seattle and they're hungry for rings.
Clippers/Warriors
The NBA decided to put the most anticipated last, I guess. The Clippers, featuring newly acquired Chris Paul, look to make the playoffs for the first time since '06 and start a winning tradition to take the place of the ill views everyone has had about them forever. The Warriors are looking to take a step in the right direction as well and become a playoff team, but will they be able to stop the star power of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin? (The Clippers are one of my side teams, I've followed them since Kerry Kittles went there in 2004 to end his career)
The Denver Nuggets have the holiday off, but it'll be a great gift to watch these great games. Can't wait.
Stay fresh and keep calm,
KK
Celtics vs. Knicks @ Noon ET on TNT
Heat vs. Mavericks @ 2:30p on ABC
Bulls vs. Lakers @ 5p on ABC
Magic vs. Thunder @ 8p on ESPN
Clippers vs. Warriors @ 10:30p on ESPN
Though my Denver Nuggets didn't make the cut for Christmas Day this year, I am salivating for some NBA basketball.
Celtics/Knicks
This should be a good match-up of an upcoming team and one that this may be their last shot at another title. Tyson Chandler joined up with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire in New York thanks to the amnesty of Chauncey Billups. The Knicks hope to use their strong front line to take down the aging Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to start the season.
Heat/Mavericks
The rematch of last years Finals should be another great game. The Big Three look to build on what they did last year and have already started spouting "Title or Bust" claims for this season. The Mavericks look a little different than they did in the championship last year. Tyson Chandler is gone to New York and J.J. Barea took his talents to the Great White North. The Mavericks did pick up Lamar Odom from the Lakers, it'll be interesting to see how the team looks without Chandler and Barea giving grit and effort.
Bulls/Lakers
The Bulls had the best record in the league last year and made it to the Eastern Conference finals. They're hoping Rip Hamilton's championships experience can help. Christmas Day they take on the Los Angeles Lakers who many people are saying are on their downhill swing, and one big man less with 6th Man of the Year 2011, Lamar Odom being dealt to Dallas. Passing of the torch?
Magic/Thunder
Dwight Howard is still with the Magic, and they'll need him taking on the Durantula and the young OKC Thunder. The Thunder are looking to get to the next step, they've been improving since they left Seattle and they're hungry for rings.
Clippers/Warriors
The NBA decided to put the most anticipated last, I guess. The Clippers, featuring newly acquired Chris Paul, look to make the playoffs for the first time since '06 and start a winning tradition to take the place of the ill views everyone has had about them forever. The Warriors are looking to take a step in the right direction as well and become a playoff team, but will they be able to stop the star power of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin? (The Clippers are one of my side teams, I've followed them since Kerry Kittles went there in 2004 to end his career)
The Denver Nuggets have the holiday off, but it'll be a great gift to watch these great games. Can't wait.
Stay fresh and keep calm,
KK
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