Category: NBA Finals (Page 31 of 58)

      Jameer Nelson to miss remainder of season?

      February 3, 2009 /

      Boy, this is a blow to Orlando’s title hopes. There’s a chance that All-Star guard Jameer Nelson could miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum.

      Nelson will decide over the next week whether he will have surgery or attempt rehabilitation. If surgery is the option, his season is likely over. If he passes on the surgery, he’ll likely miss several weeks.

      “At some point in time, he’s going to have to have surgery. That’s a given. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it,” Magic general manager Otis Smith said Tuesday.

      The best-case scenario for the Magic is that Nelson could return in a matter of weeks without needing surgery, then proceed with an operation in the summer if necessary. The risk with this type of injury, however, is that repeated dislocations can result without surgery to stabilize the shoulder.

      Wow, this is the second major injury to a key player of a legitimate title contender in the last week. While the injuries to Nelson and Bynum are very bad news for the Magic and Lakers, respectively, you have to like where the Celtics, Cavs and Spurs are sitting right now.

      It’s a tough break for Nelson, who was in the midst of a breakout season. Hopefully, he can rehab and make it back for the playoffs, but only time will tell.

      NBA, NBA Finals, Rumors & Gossip

      Bynum to miss six 8-12 weeks with torn MCL

      February 2, 2009 /

      Andrew Bynum is hurt again. On Saturday against the Grizzlies, Kobe Bryant landed on the big man’s knee, knocking him out for at least a few weeks. Reports are sketchy, but the Daily News is reporting that he’ll be out six weeks.

      The preliminary diagnosis is that Bynum suffered a sprained right knee against Memphis Saturday and will miss the next six weeks. But it could be longer, and the damage could be more serious, pending results of an MRI taken yesterday in Manhattan.

      So six weeks would mean that Bynum would potentially be back in mid-March, giving him about a month to get in shape for the Lakers’ playoff run. Does any of this seem familiar? Bynum was supposed to be back for last year’s playoffs but it never happened.

      And this is probably a best case scenario. If the MRI reveals more damage to the knee, it’s entirely possible that Bynum will miss the playoffs yet again.

      Expect Pau Gasol to move over to play center full time with Lamar Odom getting most of the minutes at power foward. I wouldn’t expect Odom to be traded before the deadline with Bynum’s status up in the air. This is exactly why the Lakers chose to hold onto him despite several trade offers — he’s great insurance if Bynum or Gasol were to go down.

      Afternoon Update: The OC Register is reporting that Bynum has a MCL tear and is expected to miss 8-12 weeks. Twelve weeks would put Bynum’s return a week or two into the playoffs.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals, Rumors & Gossip

      Did rust contribute to the Magic’s poor play?

      January 23, 2009 /

      The Magic lost last night, 90-80, at home to the Celtics, who were in the second night of a back-to-back. Doug Collins mentioned that the Magic may have been “rusty” because their last game was on Saturday.

      Far be it for me to disagree with Doug Collins, but I’m going to disagree with Doug Collins. While the Magic may have been out of the normal rhythm of the NBA season, they did get four days of rest and recovery, which is never a bad thing. The Celtics had played the night before, and historically speaking, that’s more difficult to do than play after a long break. (At least Vegas thinks so.)

      The Magic lost last night because the Celtics are just a better defensive team right now. They made things difficult on Orlando’s three-point shooters (32%) and held the Magic to 38% from the field on the night. For the most part, they were successful in keeping Dwight Howard off the block when he caught the ball, which allowed Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis to play him one-on-one instead of forcing the Celtics to double-team. Howard was limited to 11 points, and since there were few double-teams, the Magic were forced to take a number of contested three-pointers, resulting in the lower accuracy from behind the arc. Orlando was also incapable of finishing at the rim much of the night, which only compounded the problem.

      In the fourth quarter, Jameer Nelson got hot and Orlando tried to make a run, but Davis and Kevin Garnett hit jumper after jumper to keep the Magic at bay. The Celtics look like they’re rolling again, but I wouldn’t say that the Magic are out of their league. This was just one game.

      NBA, NBA Finals

      Pay attention! Celtics/Magic tonight on TNT

      January 22, 2009 /

      Two of the four best teams in the league square off tonight in Orlando. The Celtics come to town riding a six-game winning streak (which followed a four-game losing streak), while the Magic have won seven straight, and 16 of their last 18, which included wins over the Lakers (x 2), the Spurs (x 2) and the Hornets.

      Much has been written about the Celtics, so let’s focus on the Magic. Orlando might be playing the best ball of anyone right now, and they’re really starting to remind me of the 1995 Houston Rockets squad that swept Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway and the rest of the Magic in the Finals to win their second straight title. They have a true center that commands a double-team (Hakeem Olajuwon = Dwight Howard), a slasher on the wing that can also shoot the ball (Clyde Drexler = Hedo Turkoglu), a sharpshooting power forward (Robert Horry = Rashard Lewis), an assassin of a point guard (Kenny Smith = Jameer Nelson) and his young protege (Sam Cassell = Courtney Lee). The Magic aren’t as deep as those Rockets were — remember Otis Thorpe, Vernon Maxwell and Mario Elie? — and while that may be their undoing come playoff time, it’s hard to imagine Boston or Cleveland’s bench dominating anyone.

      The Magic are 5th in the league in offensive efficiency and 3rd in defensive efficiency, which is directly related to their ability to hold the opposition to 42.6% from the field. Stan Van Gundy has done a terrific job teaching the core — Howard, Nelson, Turkoglu and Lewis — how to play defense and there isn’t a coach in the league that is doing more with less, at least at the elite-team level. At this point, he’s my choice for Coach of the Year.

      Tonight’s game will be a nice test for the young Magic, and their crowd. With the defending champs coming to town, there should be a playoff atmosphere at Amway Arena, with the fans rising to their feet early and often. If the crowd sits on its hands for much of the first half, the team might be in trouble come playoff time. A real home court advantage is crucial to winning in the playoffs — just ask the Celtics.

      The game is scheduled for 8 PM ET on TNT.

      NBA, NBA Finals, Television

      Yao says that things are fine with McGrady

      January 16, 2009 /

      Yesterday, we posted a rumor (from “a source close to the situation”) that Yao Ming was tired of Tracy McGrady’s injury issues.

      Yao said, however, that a report of locker-room discord to the point that he and Tracy McGrady do not speak and that he wants McGrady off the team are not true.

      Responding to an NBA.com story that he and McGrady are not on speaking terms and that he wants McGrady out, Yao said the report is not accurate.

      “I’m upset,” he said, “(that) this news is fake.”

      That McGrady and Yao still talk, even beyond the conversations necessary as teammates, is not news. They can often be seen conversing on the practice court, in the locker room and on the road.

      Well, I’m glad that’s settled.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals, Rumors & Gossip

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