Tag Archives: nba
It was not calculated. It was intentional. It was excessive. And man, was it brutal.
In the second quarter of the Thunder’s game against Oklahoma City, Ron Artest/Metta World Peace drove for a dunk and slammed it home. He began to celebrate by pounding his head. James Harden wound up behind him. And then…
Good God.
So that’s going to be the end of the regular season for Ron Artest/Metta World Peace. The question now turns to two questions.
1. What is Harden’s condition? ESPN reported during its telecast that Harden passed all concussion tests and would play, but when he went to the floor, developed a headache and returned to the locker room. He will not return. If further tests reveal a concussion, that could impact Harden’s season significantly. Concussions are an injury we still are struggling to understand and the timing of symptoms is still nebulous.
2. How many games will Artest/MWP get for this? This opens up a Pandora’s Box of issues with regards to the play, Artest’s intent, and his past history. People will want to say that Artest’s history should not render as a factor here. That’s a nice thought, and impossible. It presents a disturbing event in a long history of events, regardless of his positive changes over the past four years. The suspension will almost certainly impact playoff games, it just depends on how many.
The league is likely to render a decision in the next 24 hours.
That’s a play that simply cannot be allowed. “The Punch” on Rudy Tomjanovich by Kermit Washington was an intentional punch but the devastating effects were the result of a bad combination of physics and circumstance. That’s why the league has to protect its players the way it does. And that’s why you’ll see the league respond as it will. This isn’t about the spirit of the game. This is about real-life injuries that can potentially impact lives. Thankfully Harden doesn’t seem to have suffered any long-term, permanent damage.
But this has just become the biggest story in the NBA for all the worst reasons.
(HT: EOB)
It was not calculated. It was intentional. It was excessive. And man, was it brutal.
In the second quarter of the Thunder’s game against Oklahoma City, Ron Artest/Metta World Peace drove for a dunk and slammed it home. He began to celebrate by pounding his head. James Harden wound up behind him. And then…
Good God.
So that’s going to be the end of the regular season for Ron Artest/Metta World Peace. The question now turns to two questions.
1. What is Harden’s condition? ESPN reported during its telecast that Harden passed all concussion tests and would play, but when he went to the floor, developed a headache and returned to the locker room. He will not return. If further tests reveal a concussion, that could impact Harden’s season significantly. Concussions are an injury we still are struggling to understand and the timing of symptoms is still nebulous.
2. How many games will Artest/MWP get for this? This opens up a Pandora’s Box of issues with regards to the play, Artest’s intent, and his past history. People will want to say that Artest’s history should not render as a factor here. That’s a nice thought, and impossible. It presents a disturbing event in a long history of events, regardless of his positive changes over the past four years. The suspension will almost certainly impact playoff games, it just depends on how many.
The league is likely to render a decision in the next 24 hours.
That’s a play that simply cannot be allowed. “The Punch” on Rudy Tomjanovich by Kermit Washington was an intentional punch but the devastating effects were the result of a bad combination of physics and circumstance. That’s why the league has to protect its players the way it does. And that’s why you’ll see the league respond as it will. This isn’t about the spirit of the game. This is about real-life injuries that can potentially impact lives. Thankfully Harden doesn’t seem to have suffered any long-term, permanent damage.
But this has just become the biggest story in the NBA for all the worst reasons.
(HT: EOB)
Reuters
Derrick Rose’s injury sucks. He is out for the playoffs with a torn ACL and there is no other word but sucks to do it justice. (Well, other words I can run here, anyway.)
It also changes the playoff picture in the East completely.
First and foremost, this just sucks for fans of basketball who now will be deprived of seeing one of the game’s most exciting players on its biggest stage. It also means we will be deprived of seeing Rose in the 2012 London Olympics — it’s unlikely he is healthy enough and doubly unlikely he’d take the risk of rushing back for the games. But when one door closes a window opens — this almost guarantees Russell Westbrook will get a roster spot. In London.
Next, this is a punch to the gut of Chicago — Bulls fans suddenly become Cubs fans talking about “next year” much earlier than they should.
The Bulls are a good team without Rose but they are not a title contender. Everyone knows it, which is why this is such a blow. This morning Chicago fans woke up thinking they had a real shot at a ring this season, then for the first 46 minutes of Game 1 against the 76ers felt better about that as they had the old Derrick Rose back — Taj Gibson said that to Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com.
“He looked like he was having fun. He was back to the old Derrick.”
When Rose went to the ground late in the game it was like the breath was sucked out of the United Center. It still feels that way in Chicago.
Tom Thibodeau, who has played his starters heavy minutes this year, will hear a lot of flack over this — why was Rose in the game with the Bulls up 12 and just over a minute left? Why, because it’s the playoffs and you don’t take anything for granted. This is not the Timberwolves in February, this is a playoff game. The injury was a fluke, it could have happened any time, and it’s not on Thibodeau.
The Bulls will fight valiantly, they are used to playing without Rose and held on to the top spot in the East without him. But the playoffs are different, defense and execution are not enough, you need the talent to go with them. Chicago’s door will close because they lost their best talent on a fluke injury.
Finally, for other teams in the East, the door just swung open.
It’s not fair, but the reality of the playoffs. There is no asterisk next to the Magic reaching the NBA finals in 2009 because Kevin Garnett was hurt, just like there is no asterisk next to the Lakers 2010 title because Kendrick Perkins got hurt for Game 7. Injuries to key players are part of the playoffs and you can do it with any season if you want.
For the Miami Heat, their toughest obstacle to a finals return has been dealt a serious blow. They just became prohibitive favorites in the East (and it didn’t hurt that LeBron James looked dominant against the Knicks).
For the Boston Celtics — and maybe the Atlanta Hawks — they can now see a clear path to the NBA finals. The winner of the Boston/Atlanta series will get the depleted Bulls (or victorious Sixers, although I still don’t expect that). Boston — with it’s good defense and now superior point guard play and overall talent level — would be the favorites against the Bulls.
Celtics fans can dream — beat Atlanta, get by the Bulls now and suddenly you are in the Eastern Conference Finals against a very good but flawed Heat team. Banner 18 is still a long shot, but it seems more possible than it did 24 hours ago.
Derrick Rose’s tragic knee injury has changed the playoffs in the East. Miami and Boston (and maybe Atlanta) are the biggest beneficiaries.
Bulls fans, they just feel sick.
AP
SEASON RECORDS
Hawks: 40-26 (No. 4 seed)
Celtics: 39-27 (No. 5 seed)
SEASON SERIES
Boston won the first two games of a three-game regular season series by a total of five points. The Hawks’ victory came when the most was on the line, however, as Atlanta upended a short-handed Celtics team last Friday to give themselves a lead for the East’s No. 4 seed that they’d never relinquish.
KEY INJURIES
Hawks: Al Horford played just 11 games for Atlanta this season since suffering a torn pectoral muscle in early January. There was some speculation that he might be able to play against the Celtics, but the latest reports say that he’s definitely going to miss the first round … Fellow big man Zaza Pachulia is day-to-day with a sprained left foot, but he’ll likely be available to start the series against the Celtics.
Celtics: The Celtics took the last few games of the regular season to heal up, costing themselves homecourt advantage while trying to ensure they’d be healthy against Atlanta. It worked for the most part, too, considering Ray Allen is the only player expected to be listed on the injury report when the season starts Sunday, and even then he’ll be listed as “probable” due to a right ankle injury.
OFFENSE/DEFENSE RANKING (points per 100 possession)
Hawks: Off. 104.8 (16th in NBA); Def. 101.3 (6th in NBA)
Celtics: Off. 101.2 (25th in NBA); Def. 98.6 (2nd in NBA)
THREE KEY HAWKS:
Joe Johnson: It’s incredibly difficult to believe that Johnson won’t be a huge part of this series considering he’ll likely be counted on to shoulder the majority of the scoring load for Atlanta throughout the playoffs. The swingman went through a bit of a slump through the first few weeks of April, but ended the season on a high note — and, for the history buffs among us, Johnson began his NBA career as a member of the Celtics in 2001 before being traded midseason for Tony Delk and Rodney Rogers (whoops!).
Josh Smith: The enigmatic forward hasn’t made a lot of fans over his career due to a lot of people focusing on what he doesn’t do well on the basketball court. When one pays attention to what Smith does do well, however, they see that he’s a solid defender, a good rebounder (when he concentrates on that part of the game, of course) and is actually passing the ball better than every other big when looking at his 20.6 percent assist rate.
Jeff Teague: The quick-footed point guard broke out around this time last year when he was inserted into the starting lineup against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls during the second round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Teague will need to step his game up in the postseason again this year, too, as his matchup against Rajon Rondo could easily be the deciding factor if he’s unable to step up in the playoffs once again.
THREE KEY CELTICS
Rajon Rondo: It was almost a given this season that when the Celtics were on national television, their point guard was going to have a magnificent game. The Celtics-Hawks series will be nationally broadcast in its entirety, however, meaning Rondo will be counted on to carry quite a bit of the load — if not scoring, certainly distributing — while trying to move his team to the second round as injury-free as possible.
Kevin Garnett: The Celtics struggled early this season, but things seemed to undergo a huge change when head coach Doc Rivers decided to move Garnett to the center position. He might not be as good as he once was, but considering the Hawks have had dealt with massive center issues, he should have at least one more series in which he’s able to showcase his game-changing talent.
Paul Pierce: Way to go out on a limb and pick the three healthy Celtics starters as the three Boston players key to the first round, our lovely readers are probably saying upon seeing Pierce’s name in this slot. The longtime Celtic will certainly be important for Boston’s chances in the first round, however, as the Celtics could use some scoring until Ray Allen returns to full health.
OUTLOOK
This series probably isn’t the sexiest of the eight matchups in the first round of the postseason, but it should be one of the best. The veteran-laden Celtics are likely making one of their last runs in the postseason and, fortunately for them, they got better as the season rolled on. The Hawks are trying to get a monkey off of their back this year, too, considering they enter the playoffs with the memory of losing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals the last three years. With both teams likely playing with a sense of urgency, it’ll be interesting to watch whether the Celtics are able to excel after starting the series on the road.
PREDICTION
These games could easily be very boring considering two of their three meetings during the regular season resulted in the winner scoring less than 90 points. Low-scoring basketball could also mean playoff-physical basketball, though, and both teams have two former D-League call-ups capable of delivering in those types of circumstances (say hello, Ivan Johnson and Greg Stiemsma). Hopefully it isn’t ugly basketball filled with missed perimeter jumpers, but it wouldn’t be so bad to see a sort of throwback game when the series starts on Sunday night.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, the veteran savvy of the Celtics should prove to be key.
Celtics in 6.
Getty Images
It’s time.
The NBA Playoffs begin Saturday as 16 teams begin their challenge for a championship. OK, only about seven of them think they actually have a chance. But still. Here’s what’s on tap today.
1 p.m. EST: Philadelphia 76ers at Chicago Bulls. The Sixers actually do really match up better with Chicago than Miami, all the numbers indicate so, but Evan Turner openly saying the Sixers were trying to face Chicago was up there with was that time I told that girl in 8th grade the reason I wanted to go out with her was because everyone said she was easy. There is no situation in which that is the right decision. And the Sixers will likely pay for it the same way, only instead of getting kicked in the crotch, the Bulls will just run up the score on them. Over/Under on minutes for Derrick Rose when the team is up by 15+ in the fourth is 8.5.
3:30 p.m. EST: New York Knicks at Miami Heat. The big one for today, as the most hyped team in the land takes on the most hyped city in the land. The Knicks are facing the Heat with what feels like their 18th different incarnation. They’ve faced them without Melo, without Stoudemire, without Jeremy Lin. Now they’ll be facing them possibly without Tyson Chandler, who has the flu. Good times! Anyway, a lot of people are doing that “I’m not saying Miami’s going to lose, but…” thing with this series which is code for “I think they’ll lose but I don’t want to look horrendously stupid if they don’t.” The Heat in all likelihood won’t lose, but NY can steal a game and set the tone today. Over/Under on Melo Isolation shots when Steve Novak is wide open in the corner, waving flaming maracas while Mariachi music plays to try and get Melo’s attention: 10.5.
7 p.m. EST Orlando Magic at Indiana Pacerzzzz No one cares about this matchup, and the Pacers will win easily. You can just cut and paste that sentence for the other three games in this series. (The Magic will now proceed to win by five in thrilling fashion. Hate you, hubris.) If you’re going to make a drinking game out of one of today’s games, this is the one. Over/Under on tequila shots you’ll need for every time Glen Davis does something which causes someone on the Magic bench to shake their head: 5.
9:30 pm. EST: Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder. The reigning champs start on the road versus the team they beat last year. That’s awkward. This isn’t the same Mavericks team, but they’re still dangerous. Specifically, Delonte West is back in a starting role in the playoffs, so that could be fun. Delonte West + Russell Westbrook = must-watch television. Oh, and that Durant fella and the big German guy, too. Also, Kendrick Perkins faces Brendan Haywood in a battle of one player facing an earlier/later version of himself. It’s like “Back to the Future, Part III” only with more glaring. Over/Under on Ibaka Goaltends is 2.5.
AP
As of Tuesday afternoon, it looks like the concussion suffered at the elbow of Metta World Peace will keep James Harden out Tuesday night.
He sat out Tuesday’s shootaround and continued to undergo the battery of tests needed to get cleared after suffering a concussion under the new league policy, according to NBA.com.
Coach Scott Brooks said he would not make a call on Harden’s status for Tuesday night’s game against the Kings until closer to game time.
“He’s just going through the process, the league-mandated process. We’ll know more later on,” Brooks said.
Harden has not spoken to the media but tweeted: “”Im solid. Feeling good. Appreciate y’all for checking on me!!”
Brooks also said that while the Thunder are locked in at the two seed in the West for the playoffs he planned to play his regular rotations, although key players could see reduced minutes.
Meanwhile, World Peace and the Lakers continue to wait for word from the league on what the suspension for World Peace will be. The league is not under pressure to make a decision as the Lakers do not play again until Thursday.
Reactions around the league have been all over the place. There are some calling for World Peace to be out through the playoffs. The consensus seems to be at least five games maybe up to 10, impacting the Lakers in the playoffs.
Mark Jackson, current Warriors coach and former NBA player, told CSNBayArea.com he lands on the lenient side.
“I don’t think you can say that it was intentional. You can guess that it was intentional — the footage shows that it was somewhat intentional,” Jackson said. “But at the same time, I think that he is the same way that we treated him as Ron Artest in the past, and said what his body of work said. We also have to treat him as Metta World Peace.
“He’s done a very good job of putting his life back together and being sane on the basketball court and not having any issues. That being said, a punishment has to go forth. I’m not one of those guys that say ‘the rest of the way’ and ‘no playoffs’ and all that. I think that’s drastic. You punish him a couple of games and you move forward.”
“Somewhat intentional?” Next time I do something stupid, I’m going with that. I’ll let you know how it works.
Reuters
It’s end of season award time and… well, I don’t have an official ballot. But not being official never stopped me before.
So here would be my votes for the winners, plus some people I also would have put on the list.
Note that the one exception is the Most Improved Player category, an award that I despise. Usually it goes to a good player who just gets more minutes and keeps performing at the same level, but aside that I think the entire concept of the award is questionable. So I’m not touching it. But I’ll play along with everything else.
Most Valuable Player:
LeBron James. He has simply had the best statistical year, improving and taking a larger role in the Heat’s offense while also being a key part of their defensive strategy. He’s shooting 53.1 percent, he has a league best PER of 30.7, he’s getting to the line and dishing assists — he has been the best player in the league this season by a long shot. If you want to say, “that doesn’t matter until he wins a ring” go right ahead, he’d agree with you. But the fact is this is a regular season award and he has been the best player in the regular season going away.
2. Kevin Durant; 3. Tony Parker; 4. Chris Paul; 5. Kevin Love.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Tyson Chandler. I’ll admit up front this is a bit of a lifetime achievement award — he has been fantastic for years, was key to Dallas winning a ring last season and now has been at the heart of a turnaround in the Knicks defense. He is the Knicks MVP this season.
2. LeBron James; 3. Kevin Garnett.
Rookie of the Year:
Kyrie Irving. This really isn’t close. Coming out of college (where we didn’t get to see a lot of him) I thought he would be good but at the core of a rebuilding process. He proved me and a lot of people wrong. He averaged 18.5 points and 5.5 assists a game. Cleveland has something there.
2. Ricky Rubio; 3. Kenneth Faried.
Sixth Man of the Year.
James Harden. Easiest choice on the board. Harden not only scores 16.8 points her game he is the best playmaker on the team — Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant can get theirs, but when Harden is running the offense everybody gets a piece. He is the guy they trust to make the right decision at the end of the game. Plus, best beard in the league.
2. Lou Williams; 3. Jason Terry.
Coach of the Year.
Frank Vogel (Indiana). There are some veteran coaches who did fantastic jobs this season, no doubt, but nobody got as much out of the talent he was given and helped a team grown and evolve like Vogel. He has his team playing smart, balanced, team ball at both ends of the floor. He’s made the smart move all year, riding the hot hand and trying different lineups to see what works in what situation. He won’t win it, but he deserves it.
2. Gregg Popovich; 3. Tom Thibodeau.
Getty Images
The NBA players union just went from the frying pan — a call by president Derek Fisher for a review of all business practices that was rejected by the executive committee — to the fire.
The United States Attorney’s Office in Manhattan has opened an investigation of the union, reports Bloomberg.
Union Executive Director Billy Hunter was notified of the investigation by subpoena for documents on April 25, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation. The people were granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the investigation.
“The NBPA will cooperate fully with the government’s investigation,” the union statement said.
The union has appointed a six-member special committee that consists of players’ representatives and executive committee members to oversee an internal inquiry that will include a financial audit.
Previous reports had shown a lot of family connections from Hunter to the union — family members working for the union, financial and law firms with Hunter family members getting union business, all to the tune of $4.5 million in the last decade. There is a spider web of connections from the union and relatives of Hunters.
That in and of itself is not illegal — Hunter said his relatives were qualified and said the union’s executive committee was well aware of the connections — but it raises a lot of ethical red flags.
Flags that apparently caught the eye of the United States Attorney’s office. This is spiraling downhill fast.
Yesterday I talked Celtics and Hawks with Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com, today Tiffany and I look around at the rest of the league as we head into the first round of the playoffs,
I think the best first-round matchup is the Clippers vs. Grizzles, but there are going to be some other fun series. Also, I think everybody is sleeping on the Pacers, and they will continue to as they slide past the undermanned Magic. But when they start pushing the Heat in the second round people will notice.
It was not calculated. It was intentional. It was excessive. And man, was it brutal.
In the second quarter of the Thunder’s game against Oklahoma City, Ron Artest/Metta World Peace drove for a dunk and slammed it home. He began to celebrate by pounding his head. James Harden wound up behind him. And then…
Good God.
So that’s going to be the end of the regular season for Ron Artest/Metta World Peace. The question now turns to two questions.
1. What is Harden’s condition? ESPN reported during its telecast that Harden passed all concussion tests and would play, but when he went to the floor, developed a headache and returned to the locker room. He will not return. If further tests reveal a concussion, that could impact Harden’s season significantly. Concussions are an injury we still are struggling to understand and the timing of symptoms is still nebulous.
2. How many games will Artest/MWP get for this? This opens up a Pandora’s Box of issues with regards to the play, Artest’s intent, and his past history. People will want to say that Artest’s history should not render as a factor here. That’s a nice thought, and impossible. It presents a disturbing event in a long history of events, regardless of his positive changes over the past four years. The suspension will almost certainly impact playoff games, it just depends on how many.
The league is likely to render a decision in the next 24 hours.
That’s a play that simply cannot be allowed. “The Punch” on Rudy Tomjanovich by Kermit Washington was an intentional punch but the devastating effects were the result of a bad combination of physics and circumstance. That’s why the league has to protect its players the way it does. And that’s why you’ll see the league respond as it will. This isn’t about the spirit of the game. This is about real-life injuries that can potentially impact lives. Thankfully Harden doesn’t seem to have suffered any long-term, permanent damage.
But this has just become the biggest story in the NBA for all the worst reasons.
(HT: EOB)
