Author: John Paulsen (Page 539 of 937)

      Cavs blow out C’s for 39th home win

      April 13, 2009 /

      LeBron posted 29 points (including 5 of 8 from long range — take that, Bill Simmons), seven assists and four rebounds as the Cavs rolled over the Celtics, 107-76. They’re one win away from matching the 1985-86 Celtics for the best regular season home record in league history.

      Chris Sheridan comments on the state of the Celtics…

      The defending champs will be there when it counts, once they have Kevin Garnett back at 100 percent, right?

      Problem is, Boston coach Doc Rivers is keeping No. 5 under wraps until Wednesday night, meaning he’ll have seen Garnett play about 80 minutes of total floor time over the final 26 games to get himself prepared for the postseason.

      Or: The Orlando Magic are going to be a heckuva matchup for someone, especially the Cavs, with their deadly inside-outside game anchored by Dwight Howard and all those shooters. The problem with that one (aside from Jameer Nelson’s absence) is that the school of thought that produced those kinds of pronouncements underwent a curriculum change when Hedo Turkoglu’s ankle crumpled Saturday in East Rutherford, N.J. on the same night that Brook Lopez was outplaying Howard. This came one night after David Lee of the Knicks outplayed Howard, and the Magic’s dreams of the No. 2 seed began to die a quick death.

      Anyone want to buy into the premise that the Cavs might have their hands full if they meet up with the Chicago Bulls in the first round? That’s about the only pre-weekend thought that endures even a little.

      “The teams at the bottom, that’s where you have to look who’s surging,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “Chicago is playing really well, and if that’s who you have to face, so be it.”

      As good as the Cavs have played this season, it would have been nice to see LeBron and Co. seize the bragging rights in the Eastern Conference instead of having it handed to them on a platter. Sure, they still have to go out and win games, but what was shaping up as a really interesting Eastern Conference playoffs is looking more and more like the Cavs’ tuneup for the Lakers in the Finals. Kevin Garnett’s knee is bad, Jameer Nelson is out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury and Hedo Turkoglu just sprained his ankle. Barring a semi-miraculous return for KG, I just don’t think there’s anyone in the East that can upend the Cavs right now.

      NBA, NBA Finals

      Bynum returns, Lakers beat Nuggets

      April 10, 2009 /

      Andrew Bynum returned from his knee injury Thursday night and posted 16 points (on 7 of 11 shooting) and seven rebounds in just 21 minutes, helping the Lakers defeat the Nuggets, 116-102. I watched his first few minutes of play and he looked like his old self, though his stamina still needs work.

      If Bynum comes back at or near 100%, the Lakers are clearly the team to beat in the West. In fact, they’re the team to beat without him, so the addition only pushes them further ahead of the pack. Barring a major setback (to Kobe, Pau Gasol, Bynum or Odom), it’s doubtful that the Lakers will run into any serious problems in the West. Are there teams that can win a few games and maybe push a series to a Game 6 or Game 7? Sure, but I just don’t see anyone in the West upending a healthy Laker squad.

      NBA, NBA Finals

      Five things that need to change about college basketball

      April 9, 2009 /

      Despite the rather lackluster 2009 NCAA tournament, March Madness is – historically speaking – the most exciting sporting event in the country. Still, as I watched the games this year, I noticed that a few things need changing. Here are my top five gripes about college basketball:

      1. No more one-and-dones.
      I understand why the NBA wants an age limit, but the one-year-out-of-high-school rule is hurting the college game. Amongst the major programs, there is little continuity season to season and it has thrown blue-chip recruiting on its head. Some of the best coaches in the college ranks are reluctant to recruit the top players because they know they’re just going to have a hole to fill the following summer.

      Players should be able to declare for the draft directly out of high school. But if they decide to enroll in college, they must stay a minimum of two seasons. Typically, high schoolers that are good enough to be drafted are good enough to stick in the league. If a high schooler enters the draft (but doesn’t hire an agent), he can always pull out and enroll in school if it doesn’t look like he’s going to be drafted in the first round. This is the same rule that college players have to follow. (And yes, I realize that this is the NBA’s fault, but it’s still a problem for college basketball.)

      Roy, back up three feet. Your guys will be able to hear you just fine.

      2. Get the coaches off the court.
      One thing that drives me nuts about college basketball is the leeway that the officials give head coaches. They’re allowed to stomp around the sidelines like petulant children, throwing hissy fits anytime a call doesn’t go their way. Okay, so maybe the refs are instructed to give the coaches some slack on the proverbial leash, but that doesn’t mean that head coaches should be running onto the court to shout instructions to their teams. It seems like every game there is a near-collision between an official running downcourt and a head coach that is stepping on the sideline (or is on the court all together). I’d like to see the official call an automatic technical if he sees the coach step on the sideline – that would clean this up really quickly.

      Continue reading »

      College Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft

      Early entries keep coming

      April 9, 2009 /

      Arizona junior Jordan Hill will skip his final year and enter the NBA draft. Hill averaged 18.1 points and 11 rebounds for the Wildcats and the 6’10” power forward is projected to be a top 5 pick. His teammate, Chase Budinger, already declared for the draft…Wake Forest sophomore Jeff Teague will make himself eligible for the draft but won’t hire an agent, so there’s a good chance that he’ll return for his junior season…USC junior guard Daniel Hackett will enter the draft and hire an agent, ending his career at Southern Cal.

      Mock drafts: NBADraft.net, DraftExpress

      College Basketball, March Madness, NBA, NBA Draft

      David Thorpe hands out his All-Rookie awards

      April 8, 2009 /

      Scout.com’s David Thorpe (via ESPN) lists the top NBA rookies from the 2008-09 season.

      All-Rookie First Team

      Derrick Rose, Bulls: Among rookies, he is second in scoring and minutes per game and first in assists. He was handed a ton of responsibility immediately and handled it all with grace and professionalism. And though he went No. 1 overall, he probably exceeded the expectations of most people.

      Russell Westbrook, Thunder: Only rookie to rank in the top 10 among rookies in scoring, rebounding and assists. He is also second in steals and first in free throws made and attempted. He willed his team to some terrific wins and showed incredible promise.

      O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies: First among rookies in scoring and minutes, and is already considered one of the league’s top jump-shooters. He also competes hard on defense and appears to be very professional.

      Kevin Love, Timberwolves: Already one of the league’s top rebounders, he is competing with Speights for the rookie PER crown. He is also a smart interior defender and should be a strong starter for years to come.

      Brook Lopez, Nets: He’s been nothing short of a revelation. One of the top free-throw shooting centers in basketball, he is an excellent scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker. He has been probably the most productive rookie of the class, and he can become a cornerstone center, which is one of the most valuable positions.

      It’s hard to argue with any of these choices. I was a little surprised to see that neither Rudy Fernandez or Michael Beasly made the first team, but both players made Thorpe’s second team. Thorpe also hands out awards for All-Defense and All-Offense, as well as a few other miscellaneous awards.

      NBA

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