Category: Fantasy Basketball (Page 123 of 274)

Celtics drill Cavs in Game 5

May 11, 2010 / John Paulsen

It’s not quite over yet, but the C’s are leading by 27 points with 3:01 to play, so I’m going to go ahead and call Game 5 as a Boston win.

What a performance by the Celtics! Ray Allen hit 6-of-9 three pointers (25 points), Kevin Garnett (18 points) abused Antawn Jamison on the block, Paul Pierce (21-11-7) had his best game of the series and Glen Davis added a crucial 15 points off the bench.

If the Celtics manage to close out the series in Boston, this may very well be LeBron James’ last game as a Cav, and if it is, it might be the worst of his career. He went 3-of-14 from the field, settling for jumper after jumper and didn’t start attacking the rim until the fourth quarter. Once again, his lack of a post up game (or unwillingness to play on the block) limited his options in a game where his shot was not falling.

The Cavs have their backs against the wall now. They’ve proven they can play well in Boston and they’re going to need a great performance in Game 6 to stay in this series.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

2010 NBA Playoffs Boston Celtics Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James

Where do the Jazz go from here?

May 11, 2010 / John Paulsen

First of all, after watching the first few episodes of “Treme,” I find it even more ridiculous that the Utah Jazz took the “Jazz” nickname with them to Salt Lake City. The franchise should apologize to the city of New Orleans and give the name back to the Hornets, who took their name from Charlotte, whose team is now named “Bobcats” after the franchise’s former owner, Bob Johnson.

Sigh.

But back to the Jazz. They were swept out of the playoffs last night by the Lakers, which marks the third straight year that L.A. has eliminated Utah in the playoffs. Over the past three decades, the team has been the model of consistency, with just one losing season in the last 27 years. That has a lot to do with the guy at the top, Jerry Sloan, who has coached the Jazz for 21 straight seasons. One of the biggest travesties in the history of the league is that he’s never won the Coach of the Year award.

Looking ahead to this summer, one big name free agent comes to mind — Carlos Boozer. The 28-year-old forward averaged 20-11-3 this season and shot 56% from the field. Of course the Jazz want him back, right? Not so fast. This was one of Boozer’s “healthy” years. He appeared in 78 games, which marks just the fifth time in eight years that Boozer has played in 52-plus games. In short, he’s an injury risk, but when he’s healthy, he’s an All-Star. Throw in the fact that he’s getting older and it’s obvious why the Jazz are a little leery about handing him a big contract.

External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

2010 NBA free agency 2010 NBA free agents Carlos Boozer Deron Williams Kyle Korver Summer of 2010 Utah Jazz

Brandon Jennings sounds like he might stay put

May 11, 2010 / John Paulsen

Jennings appeared on “Rome Is Burning” and said the following about Scott Skiles and the city of Milwaukee.

“I can’t complain where I am now, with a great coach,” Jennings said when Jim Rome asked how he felt about being selected a bit lower in the draft than he expected. “He’s been teaching me a lot this year and he’s the reason why I’ve had a successful season.”
Jennings was asked about Skiles’ approach.
“He’s real tough,” Jennings said. “But he’s a great teacher. He’s the guy that, hopefully, he’ll be my coach for the rest of my career. I feel that my game can elevate with having him on the sideline.”
Rome asked Jennings if he can see himself remaining in Milwaukee long term.
“I can,” Jennings said. “I like it. It reminds me of Italy. . . . (a) laid back town, small little market and they’re real big on sports.”

This should quell any feelings of dread surrounding Jennings’ free agency. I realize that it’s five seasons a way, but we long-suffering Bucks fans are worry warts. Now that we’ve had a taste of (albeit mild) success, we want to build on it, not lose our star point guard to the Mavs in four years.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

2009-10 NBA season 2010 NBA Playoffs Brandon Jennings Milwaukee Bucks Rome Is Burning

Watch Goran Dragic go nuts against the Spurs [video]

May 10, 2010 / John Paulsen

Goran Dragic had 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting in the final 14 minutes of Game 3. He was the difference for the Suns. Check out this mash-up of all (or at least most) of his buckets.