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When New Year's Eve arrives and Goran Dragic is pondering his resolutions, the Phoenix Suns guard will be hoping for one thing: more of the same.
"2013 is my year," the 27-year-old Slovenian told USA TODAY Sports by phone. "First of all, I get married, then I get a son one month ago. Everything is just falling in the right place. I don't have any worries."
Certainly not on the basketball court.
With about a third of the NBA season behind us, Dragic and his 16-10 Suns team that was supposed to spend this season in the tank are one of the few pleasant surprises in what has been an otherwise-torturous campaign. Forget for a minute about Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and how he's gone again (a left knee fracture will sideline him at least six weeks) or that Brook Lopez's broken right foot is expected to keep him out for the season likely means these Brooklyn Nets will go down as the most expensive failed experiment in league history. The list of fallen stars and broken blueprints continues to grow, but that doesn't mean the Suns' silver-lining story isn't worth paying attention to.
When Dragic first heard that the Suns had traded for another point guard in early July, he wasn't about to give up his job without a fight. Phoenix, which hired new general manager Ryan McDonough and rookie coach Jeff Hornacek to clean up last season's mess (25-57 record, worst in the West), brought former Los Angeles Clippers' speedster Eric Bledsoe to town as part of a three-team deal. And Dragic's role, at first glance anyways, appeared to be at risk.
"When I was back in Europe and as soon as I found out, I said, 'OK, I've got competition,'" he said. "In the end, I talked with Jeff, and he told me that probably we were going to play most of the minutes together." They've done more than play together. They've played exceedingly well together.
With Hornacek employing a two point-guard system that is similar to the one he thrived in with Kevin Johnson during their Suns playing days in the late 1980s, Dragic and Bledsoe are having career years and the Suns — who have won seven of their past eight games — have gone from pathetic to playoff-worthy. Dragic, who entered the season with momentum after starring for Slovenia in the Eurobasket tournament during the summer, is averaging a career-high 18.7 points (career-high 48.1% shooting) and 5.9 assists a game. Bledsoe, who will be a restricted free agent next summer, is starting regularly for the first time and has more than doubled his career-high averages in points (19.1) and rebounds (6.3).
"When Ryan asked me about (the trade), I said, 'Hey, Eric looks like Kevin Johnson when he was here playing in Phoenix, and Goran is kind of like I was,' " Hornacek told USA TODAY Sports. "We turned a team that was winning 28 games (in 1987-88) to winning 55 (in 1988-89).
"I don't think either one of us ever thought when we traded for Eric that, 'Well now, we've got to figure out where we're going to trade Goran.' It was right off the bat, saying 'We're going to play these guys together and have that tempo change.'"
The unique system has made the Suns one of the more entertaining teams around, as they began the week with the league's sixth-ranked offense (106.1 points per 100 possessions). There are other factors coming into play – among them the revival of guard Gerald Green's game, the contributions of big man twins, Marcus and Markieff Morris, and the triumphant return of Channing Frye after he missed of last season with a heart problem. But the potent pairing of Dragic and Bledsoe, above all else, has led to this surprising Suns season.
"I think we saw glimpses of (Dragic's) talent, particularly in the playoffs back in 2010 (when Phoenix fell in the Western Conference Finals to the Lakers)," said the recently-retired Grant Hill, who played with Dragic in Phoenix and Bledsoe with the Clippers. "I think when (Dragic) went to Houston in the trade, and there were some injuries and he started (in 2011-12), I thought you saw a good second half of the season that year during the lockout season.
"But now there's sort of a new energy it seems in Phoenix. And you pair him with Bledsoe…and the two of those guys, it's working. They're both playmakers. They're both very athletic. They complement each other."
How Phoenix Suns became NBA's biggest surprise
"2013 is my year," the 27-year-old Slovenian told USA TODAY Sports by phone. "First of all, I get married, then I get a son one month ago. Everything is just falling in the right place. I don't have any worries."
Certainly not on the basketball court.
With about a third of the NBA season behind us, Dragic and his 16-10 Suns team that was supposed to spend this season in the tank are one of the few pleasant surprises in what has been an otherwise-torturous campaign. Forget for a minute about Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and how he's gone again (a left knee fracture will sideline him at least six weeks) or that Brook Lopez's broken right foot is expected to keep him out for the season likely means these Brooklyn Nets will go down as the most expensive failed experiment in league history. The list of fallen stars and broken blueprints continues to grow, but that doesn't mean the Suns' silver-lining story isn't worth paying attention to.
When Dragic first heard that the Suns had traded for another point guard in early July, he wasn't about to give up his job without a fight. Phoenix, which hired new general manager Ryan McDonough and rookie coach Jeff Hornacek to clean up last season's mess (25-57 record, worst in the West), brought former Los Angeles Clippers' speedster Eric Bledsoe to town as part of a three-team deal. And Dragic's role, at first glance anyways, appeared to be at risk.
"When I was back in Europe and as soon as I found out, I said, 'OK, I've got competition,'" he said. "In the end, I talked with Jeff, and he told me that probably we were going to play most of the minutes together." They've done more than play together. They've played exceedingly well together.
With Hornacek employing a two point-guard system that is similar to the one he thrived in with Kevin Johnson during their Suns playing days in the late 1980s, Dragic and Bledsoe are having career years and the Suns — who have won seven of their past eight games — have gone from pathetic to playoff-worthy. Dragic, who entered the season with momentum after starring for Slovenia in the Eurobasket tournament during the summer, is averaging a career-high 18.7 points (career-high 48.1% shooting) and 5.9 assists a game. Bledsoe, who will be a restricted free agent next summer, is starting regularly for the first time and has more than doubled his career-high averages in points (19.1) and rebounds (6.3).
"When Ryan asked me about (the trade), I said, 'Hey, Eric looks like Kevin Johnson when he was here playing in Phoenix, and Goran is kind of like I was,' " Hornacek told USA TODAY Sports. "We turned a team that was winning 28 games (in 1987-88) to winning 55 (in 1988-89).
"I don't think either one of us ever thought when we traded for Eric that, 'Well now, we've got to figure out where we're going to trade Goran.' It was right off the bat, saying 'We're going to play these guys together and have that tempo change.'"
The unique system has made the Suns one of the more entertaining teams around, as they began the week with the league's sixth-ranked offense (106.1 points per 100 possessions). There are other factors coming into play – among them the revival of guard Gerald Green's game, the contributions of big man twins, Marcus and Markieff Morris, and the triumphant return of Channing Frye after he missed of last season with a heart problem. But the potent pairing of Dragic and Bledsoe, above all else, has led to this surprising Suns season.
"I think we saw glimpses of (Dragic's) talent, particularly in the playoffs back in 2010 (when Phoenix fell in the Western Conference Finals to the Lakers)," said the recently-retired Grant Hill, who played with Dragic in Phoenix and Bledsoe with the Clippers. "I think when (Dragic) went to Houston in the trade, and there were some injuries and he started (in 2011-12), I thought you saw a good second half of the season that year during the lockout season.
"But now there's sort of a new energy it seems in Phoenix. And you pair him with Bledsoe…and the two of those guys, it's working. They're both playmakers. They're both very athletic. They complement each other."
How Phoenix Suns became NBA's biggest surprise
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The NBA has fined Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes for failing to leave the court in a timely manner after he was ejected in the third quarter of Sunday's game against Minnesota.
The league announced the $25,000 penalty on Monday.
Barnes was thrown out with 56.8 seconds left in the period after he was whistled for a flagrant 2 foul against Kevin Love on a drive to the basket. The Clippers went on to a 120-116 overtime victory.
Late Monday night, Barnes reacted with dismay on Twitter to the league fine.
"I appreciate the @NBA reviewing that call & downgrading the flagrant 2 to a flagrant 1," he tweeted. "Clearly I shouldn't have been thrown out of the game last night, BUT since I WAS thrown out, I ask for an explanation on the call & I get fined 25k😟"
Barnes' foul was downgraded to a flagrant 1 after it was reviewed by the league.
Los Angeles Clippers' Matt Barnes fined $25,000 by NBA - ESPN Los Angeles
The league announced the $25,000 penalty on Monday.
Barnes was thrown out with 56.8 seconds left in the period after he was whistled for a flagrant 2 foul against Kevin Love on a drive to the basket. The Clippers went on to a 120-116 overtime victory.
Late Monday night, Barnes reacted with dismay on Twitter to the league fine.
"I appreciate the @NBA reviewing that call & downgrading the flagrant 2 to a flagrant 1," he tweeted. "Clearly I shouldn't have been thrown out of the game last night, BUT since I WAS thrown out, I ask for an explanation on the call & I get fined 25k😟"
Barnes' foul was downgraded to a flagrant 1 after it was reviewed by the league.
Los Angeles Clippers' Matt Barnes fined $25,000 by NBA - ESPN Los Angeles
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A former National Basketball Association player wants to build a $1.3 billion arena and hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
Jackie Robinson, a former UNLV player-turned Las Vegas businessman, said this week he expects to begin construction in the spring on the privately funded project near the renovated SLS Las Vegas hotel-casino and the idle Fontainebleau tower. It would open at the end of 2016.
The 22,000-seat stadium would be the second new arena on the tourist corridor. MGM Resorts International is building a similarly-sized project on the opposite side of the Strip, in partnership with sports and entertainment promoter AEG.
But Las Vegas is a town that revels in not knowing when to stop. The city is already set to get two new urban zip lines, as well as two oversized Ferris-style observation wheels.
“I think it’s the only place that’s going to have the Chicago Bears at one end and Beyonce at the other end, and an arena in both places. It’s a unique place_it’s not like Kansas City. It can support more than one event,” Robinson said.
Developers say the 863,000 square-foot arena will feature four levels, a retractable roof, and a nightclub, and will host basketball, hockey, boxing, rodeo events and concerts. Plans also call for 75 luxury boxes with a separate VIP entrance.
Robinson said an outdoor promenade with shops and restaurants will lead to a luxury hotel with 500 rooms and a wedding chapel.
“When you leave an arena, you go back to an empty parking lot and sit in traffic for two hours. I think it would be nice if you could go out from an arena and go directly from a nightclub or to a restaurant or do some shopping,” he said.
The arena is expected to cost $690 million, and the promenade and hotel are expected to cost $650 million. The Minneapolis-based firm Cunningham Group Architecture, Inc., is designing the project.
Robinson said the project will draw more locals than the MGM arena, and will be able to keep them on the property with dining and shopping options. He also said the arena will be able to attract conventions and large corporate meetings.
The $350 million MGM arena is expected to open in spring of 2016 between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo hotel-casinos.
Robinson played basketball at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and coach Jerry Tarkanian from 1973 to 1978. He played in the NBA from 1978 to 1982, with the Seattle SuperSonics, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
He later worked as a general contractor, hotel manager and airport concession owner. Robinson said the project will be financed with loans. He started working on the idea five years ago, but had to wait until the economy improved.
“We put everything on mothballs until things turned around,” he said. “I’ve played in several arenas — I’ve been around and I understand that it has to be an experience, not just an event.”
Former NBA Player Proposes New Vegas Strip Arena « CBS Detroit
Jackie Robinson, a former UNLV player-turned Las Vegas businessman, said this week he expects to begin construction in the spring on the privately funded project near the renovated SLS Las Vegas hotel-casino and the idle Fontainebleau tower. It would open at the end of 2016.
The 22,000-seat stadium would be the second new arena on the tourist corridor. MGM Resorts International is building a similarly-sized project on the opposite side of the Strip, in partnership with sports and entertainment promoter AEG.
But Las Vegas is a town that revels in not knowing when to stop. The city is already set to get two new urban zip lines, as well as two oversized Ferris-style observation wheels.
“I think it’s the only place that’s going to have the Chicago Bears at one end and Beyonce at the other end, and an arena in both places. It’s a unique place_it’s not like Kansas City. It can support more than one event,” Robinson said.
Developers say the 863,000 square-foot arena will feature four levels, a retractable roof, and a nightclub, and will host basketball, hockey, boxing, rodeo events and concerts. Plans also call for 75 luxury boxes with a separate VIP entrance.
Robinson said an outdoor promenade with shops and restaurants will lead to a luxury hotel with 500 rooms and a wedding chapel.
“When you leave an arena, you go back to an empty parking lot and sit in traffic for two hours. I think it would be nice if you could go out from an arena and go directly from a nightclub or to a restaurant or do some shopping,” he said.
The arena is expected to cost $690 million, and the promenade and hotel are expected to cost $650 million. The Minneapolis-based firm Cunningham Group Architecture, Inc., is designing the project.
Robinson said the project will draw more locals than the MGM arena, and will be able to keep them on the property with dining and shopping options. He also said the arena will be able to attract conventions and large corporate meetings.
The $350 million MGM arena is expected to open in spring of 2016 between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo hotel-casinos.
Robinson played basketball at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and coach Jerry Tarkanian from 1973 to 1978. He played in the NBA from 1978 to 1982, with the Seattle SuperSonics, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
He later worked as a general contractor, hotel manager and airport concession owner. Robinson said the project will be financed with loans. He started working on the idea five years ago, but had to wait until the economy improved.
“We put everything on mothballs until things turned around,” he said. “I’ve played in several arenas — I’ve been around and I understand that it has to be an experience, not just an event.”
Former NBA Player Proposes New Vegas Strip Arena « CBS Detroit
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NBA scouts, general managers, coaches, and even players are keeping a keen eye on Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke, realizing that four players from those teams could affect the futures of the low-feeding franchises that will pluck them in the June draft.
It’s pretty much accepted that Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Jabari Parker, and Joel Embiid will thrive at the NBA level when they decide to declare for the draft, which will most likely be after this, their freshman seasons. But what about those other first-year players with delusions of grandeur who decide to make the leap?
The NBA’s one-and-done rule, instituted before the 2006 draft, has worked out miserably except in the cases of a handful of gifted players. While some 19-year-olds are truly ready to enter the league — not only on a talent basis but maturity-wise — most are not, and those one-and-dones are riding benches and bouncing around a league that no longer has the patience for player development.
While the one-and-done rule could work wonderfully for those teams that nab the aforementioned four players, the NBA should work with the NCAA to change the rule to a mandatory two seasons in college.
While there are exceptions — Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis — there also are players such as Tyrus Thomas, Donte Greene, Anthony Randolph, Bill Walker (a former Celtic), Tiny Gallon, Tommy Mason-Griffin, Hassan Whiteside, Jereme Richmond, and Grant Jerrett.
It’s not that college freshmen don’t deserve to make a living, but the question is whether one year of college actually helps prospects with the long-term goal of staying in the NBA for a prolonged period.
There was a time when the longer you remained in college, the more you were scrutinized, but in today’s NBA, general managers have much less patience with younger players who may take years to develop.
The Lakers added several castoffs this season with the express purpose of saving salary cap space for next summer.
Two of those players are Shawne Williams, the first player taken under the one-and-done rule in 2006, and Xavier Henry, who was a first-round pick of the Grizzlies in 2010. While both are contributing, it has taken a lot of time for them — especially Williams — to get comfortable in the NBA.
Williams, however, said he doesn’t regret his decision to come out.
“It was an adrenaline rush for sure, but I feel like it was a good experience,” said Williams, who was drafted 17th overall by Indiana GM Larry Bird. “I probably wasn’t ready to come out at that time, but they don’t draft on who’s ready or not, they draft on potential.
“But I went to a great situation and had some great coaches, went with Larry Bird. It was unfortunate that I couldn’t get all my wrinkles ironed out. But I feel like it was a great experience. Whoever can come out after one year, they need to do it, because there’s no use to stay in college for your game to diminish.”
Williams acknowledged that there can be an urgency by freshmen to join the NBA to avoid the heavy scrutiny that has been applied to players such as the Celtics’ Jared Sullinger, who passed on entering the draft following his freshman season. But the point of entering the draft should be to maximize the length and quality of your NBA career.
Just getting into the league is a young man’s goal, but there should be more guidance for those considering the decision. Remaining in school for a minimum of two years is beneficial for both the NCAA and NBA. There will be a higher quality of product in college basketball, and more qualified, mature, and prepared players entering the NBA.
While we may have to wait an additional year for the Parkers, Randles, Embiids, and Wigginses of the future, the overall product will be improved and the draft busts reduced.
Before now, when it seems every college player who averages more than 10 points a game leaves for the draft, players were allowed to develop their own identity and personality. There was a sense that fans would be able to watch their favorite players develop before entering the next level. Jumping to the NBA in the infancy of that process doesn’t foster future success, only unpredictability.
So while we follow the NCAA season, let’s not think about the Big Four who seem destined for success. Let’s think of all those other freshmen considering the jump who are as qualified for the next level as a valet driver is for the Indianapolis 500.
NBA and NCAA should rethink one-and-done eligibility rule - Sports - The Boston Globe
It’s pretty much accepted that Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Jabari Parker, and Joel Embiid will thrive at the NBA level when they decide to declare for the draft, which will most likely be after this, their freshman seasons. But what about those other first-year players with delusions of grandeur who decide to make the leap?
The NBA’s one-and-done rule, instituted before the 2006 draft, has worked out miserably except in the cases of a handful of gifted players. While some 19-year-olds are truly ready to enter the league — not only on a talent basis but maturity-wise — most are not, and those one-and-dones are riding benches and bouncing around a league that no longer has the patience for player development.
While the one-and-done rule could work wonderfully for those teams that nab the aforementioned four players, the NBA should work with the NCAA to change the rule to a mandatory two seasons in college.
While there are exceptions — Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis — there also are players such as Tyrus Thomas, Donte Greene, Anthony Randolph, Bill Walker (a former Celtic), Tiny Gallon, Tommy Mason-Griffin, Hassan Whiteside, Jereme Richmond, and Grant Jerrett.
It’s not that college freshmen don’t deserve to make a living, but the question is whether one year of college actually helps prospects with the long-term goal of staying in the NBA for a prolonged period.
There was a time when the longer you remained in college, the more you were scrutinized, but in today’s NBA, general managers have much less patience with younger players who may take years to develop.
The Lakers added several castoffs this season with the express purpose of saving salary cap space for next summer.
Two of those players are Shawne Williams, the first player taken under the one-and-done rule in 2006, and Xavier Henry, who was a first-round pick of the Grizzlies in 2010. While both are contributing, it has taken a lot of time for them — especially Williams — to get comfortable in the NBA.
Williams, however, said he doesn’t regret his decision to come out.
“It was an adrenaline rush for sure, but I feel like it was a good experience,” said Williams, who was drafted 17th overall by Indiana GM Larry Bird. “I probably wasn’t ready to come out at that time, but they don’t draft on who’s ready or not, they draft on potential.
“But I went to a great situation and had some great coaches, went with Larry Bird. It was unfortunate that I couldn’t get all my wrinkles ironed out. But I feel like it was a great experience. Whoever can come out after one year, they need to do it, because there’s no use to stay in college for your game to diminish.”
Williams acknowledged that there can be an urgency by freshmen to join the NBA to avoid the heavy scrutiny that has been applied to players such as the Celtics’ Jared Sullinger, who passed on entering the draft following his freshman season. But the point of entering the draft should be to maximize the length and quality of your NBA career.
Just getting into the league is a young man’s goal, but there should be more guidance for those considering the decision. Remaining in school for a minimum of two years is beneficial for both the NCAA and NBA. There will be a higher quality of product in college basketball, and more qualified, mature, and prepared players entering the NBA.
While we may have to wait an additional year for the Parkers, Randles, Embiids, and Wigginses of the future, the overall product will be improved and the draft busts reduced.
Before now, when it seems every college player who averages more than 10 points a game leaves for the draft, players were allowed to develop their own identity and personality. There was a sense that fans would be able to watch their favorite players develop before entering the next level. Jumping to the NBA in the infancy of that process doesn’t foster future success, only unpredictability.
So while we follow the NCAA season, let’s not think about the Big Four who seem destined for success. Let’s think of all those other freshmen considering the jump who are as qualified for the next level as a valet driver is for the Indianapolis 500.
NBA and NCAA should rethink one-and-done eligibility rule - Sports - The Boston Globe
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The 2014 NBA draft is being hyped mostly for its incredible top, with six or seven players vying to be the No. 1 pick. But it extends deeper than that, and strong players should be available throughout the first round and into the second. That means every game is key for draft prospects, but some matchups are more important than others.
Here are four players with a lot to prove this week:
Kentucky freshman Andrew Harrison
Schedule: Saturday vs. Louisville, 4 p.m. ET, CBS.
Statistics: 10.6 points and 3.5 assists a game.
When Harrison and twin brother Aaron Harrison joined No. 18 Kentucky's already-loaded recruiting class, the formerly weak starting guard positions were locked up. But the execution of that stability has not been as smooth. Aaron Harrison adjusted to his role at shooting guard after a few weeks and has become one of the more stable players on the team. But Andrew Harrison was the higher-rated prospect because he was the 6-6 point guard, the natural playmaker who would guide Kentucky's balanced roster. Instead, he has been outplayed by opposing point guards in each of the Wildcats' three losses. No. 4 Louisville has one of the best in the country in Russ Smith, but at 6-0 and not known for defensive prowess, he could be exploited by Harrison. Here's a chance for Harrison to prove he can rise to the occasion in the biggest game of the regular season for Kentucky.
Louisville sophomore Montrezl Harrell
Schedule: Saturday at Kentucky, 4 p.m. ET, CBS; Tuesday at Central Florida, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2.
Statistics: 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds a game and 63.9% shooting from the field.
Freshman phenom Julius Randle has been a handful for all of Kentucky's opponents this season, but he may meet his match in Harrell. Stuck behind Gorgui Dieng for last season's championship run, Harrell is one of the most athletic big men in the NCAA and has a wingspan built for controling the paint. Strength is an issue for Harrell, though, and he got into foul trouble against Louisville's only other top-flight opponent, North Carolina. He'll need to stay in and stay aggressive against Randle, whose dominance this season has been undercut by turnover problems.
Villanova junior JayVaughn Pinkston
Schedule: Saturday at Syracuse, 2 p.m. ET, CBS; Tuesday at Butler, 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1.
Statistics: 16.5 points and 5.3 rebounds a game and 51.9% shooting from the field.
As a 22-year-old undersized power forward, Pinkston did not enter the year with much draft hype. But production is tough to deny, especially when it comes with victories. Pinkston has made major strides this season for the No. 11 Wildcats, particularly in increasing his shooting percentage and cutting down on turnovers. But questions will linger unless he can show what he can do against elite opponents, as he was not a particularly big factor in Villanova's signature win against Kansas. No. 2 Syracuse's C.J. Fair and Jerami Grant and Butler's Khyle Marshall should provide those challenges and opportunities for Villanova and its former McDonald's All-American.
Michigan junior Jon Horford
Schedule: Saturday vs. Holy Cross, 6:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network; Thursday at Minnesota, 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.
Statistics: 3.6 points and 4.6 rebounds a game.
Horford isn't going to follow in brother Al's footsteps as a top-three draft pick. But Mitch McGary's back injury does give him a chance to make waves and perhaps sneak into the second round. Horford hasn't done much in his four seasons (one as a redshirt) at Michigan, but he's never been given a starting opportunity. He fouled out in six minutes against Stanford with McGary sitting, a bad start to a new beginning. But Horford can redeem himself quickly.Holy Cross' lack of size will allow Michigan to play small, but Minnesota's Maurice Walker and Elliott Eliason form a stout big man duo that can't be ignored. It's a long shot to say Horford could be drafted, but NBA bloodlines go a long way, and Tito Horford's son could get a crack as an undrafted free agent or late second-rounder if he can contribute to helping Michigan turn around a disappointing start.
NBA draft stock watch: Can Andrew Harrison handle Russ Smith?
Here are four players with a lot to prove this week:
Kentucky freshman Andrew Harrison
Schedule: Saturday vs. Louisville, 4 p.m. ET, CBS.
Statistics: 10.6 points and 3.5 assists a game.
When Harrison and twin brother Aaron Harrison joined No. 18 Kentucky's already-loaded recruiting class, the formerly weak starting guard positions were locked up. But the execution of that stability has not been as smooth. Aaron Harrison adjusted to his role at shooting guard after a few weeks and has become one of the more stable players on the team. But Andrew Harrison was the higher-rated prospect because he was the 6-6 point guard, the natural playmaker who would guide Kentucky's balanced roster. Instead, he has been outplayed by opposing point guards in each of the Wildcats' three losses. No. 4 Louisville has one of the best in the country in Russ Smith, but at 6-0 and not known for defensive prowess, he could be exploited by Harrison. Here's a chance for Harrison to prove he can rise to the occasion in the biggest game of the regular season for Kentucky.
Louisville sophomore Montrezl Harrell
Schedule: Saturday at Kentucky, 4 p.m. ET, CBS; Tuesday at Central Florida, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2.
Statistics: 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds a game and 63.9% shooting from the field.
Freshman phenom Julius Randle has been a handful for all of Kentucky's opponents this season, but he may meet his match in Harrell. Stuck behind Gorgui Dieng for last season's championship run, Harrell is one of the most athletic big men in the NCAA and has a wingspan built for controling the paint. Strength is an issue for Harrell, though, and he got into foul trouble against Louisville's only other top-flight opponent, North Carolina. He'll need to stay in and stay aggressive against Randle, whose dominance this season has been undercut by turnover problems.
Villanova junior JayVaughn Pinkston
Schedule: Saturday at Syracuse, 2 p.m. ET, CBS; Tuesday at Butler, 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1.
Statistics: 16.5 points and 5.3 rebounds a game and 51.9% shooting from the field.
As a 22-year-old undersized power forward, Pinkston did not enter the year with much draft hype. But production is tough to deny, especially when it comes with victories. Pinkston has made major strides this season for the No. 11 Wildcats, particularly in increasing his shooting percentage and cutting down on turnovers. But questions will linger unless he can show what he can do against elite opponents, as he was not a particularly big factor in Villanova's signature win against Kansas. No. 2 Syracuse's C.J. Fair and Jerami Grant and Butler's Khyle Marshall should provide those challenges and opportunities for Villanova and its former McDonald's All-American.
Michigan junior Jon Horford
Schedule: Saturday vs. Holy Cross, 6:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network; Thursday at Minnesota, 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.
Statistics: 3.6 points and 4.6 rebounds a game.
Horford isn't going to follow in brother Al's footsteps as a top-three draft pick. But Mitch McGary's back injury does give him a chance to make waves and perhaps sneak into the second round. Horford hasn't done much in his four seasons (one as a redshirt) at Michigan, but he's never been given a starting opportunity. He fouled out in six minutes against Stanford with McGary sitting, a bad start to a new beginning. But Horford can redeem himself quickly.Holy Cross' lack of size will allow Michigan to play small, but Minnesota's Maurice Walker and Elliott Eliason form a stout big man duo that can't be ignored. It's a long shot to say Horford could be drafted, but NBA bloodlines go a long way, and Tito Horford's son could get a crack as an undrafted free agent or late second-rounder if he can contribute to helping Michigan turn around a disappointing start.
NBA draft stock watch: Can Andrew Harrison handle Russ Smith?
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With Christmas Day games behind us (and, thankfully, the Christmas Day jerseys), enough of the 2013-14 season has come to pass that we can legitimately start drawing conclusions about the identities of the 30 teams making up the NBA.
We can start pinpointing the contenders and the pretenders, even with a number of teams dealing with injuries to prominent players. But before doing any of that, we have to look back first.
How have the teams fared thus far? Have they met, exceeded or failed to live up to the expectations that accompanied them heading into the latest campaign?
It's always important to remember that expectations matter when playing teacher and handing out some grades. Not all records are created equal, as a .500 mark looks far different from a surprisingly good team than it does from a team struggling to put all the talented pieces together.
Now, let's get out those red pens.
Grading Every NBA Team Through First 2 Months of the Season | Bleacher Report
We can start pinpointing the contenders and the pretenders, even with a number of teams dealing with injuries to prominent players. But before doing any of that, we have to look back first.
How have the teams fared thus far? Have they met, exceeded or failed to live up to the expectations that accompanied them heading into the latest campaign?
It's always important to remember that expectations matter when playing teacher and handing out some grades. Not all records are created equal, as a .500 mark looks far different from a surprisingly good team than it does from a team struggling to put all the talented pieces together.
Now, let's get out those red pens.
Grading Every NBA Team Through First 2 Months of the Season | Bleacher Report
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When Chris Bosh vetoed his coach Saturday night, there was no time to pull out the Christmas gift Erik Spoelstra had given his Miami Heat players and explain why this revised plan fit perfectly with their new protocol.
Spoelstra plays the part of team librarian this time of year, picking an inspirational book to hand out that he sees fit for each specific season. This year's selection was Fred Hassan's Reinvent: A Leader's Playbook For Serial Success. In this game that was their 351st (including preseason and playoff games) together since the start of this super team in 2010, the final seconds of their latest win couldn't have been more apropos.
Bosh took the lead this time, convincing Spoelstra to change his playbook in the final seconds against the Portland Trail Blazers. They went for the three-pointer that won it rather than the post play that had been on the original script — an adjustment Spoelstra admits he would have been too stubborn to allow back when this band first got together — and this Heat team that has been reinventing itself for so long now had done it yet again.
"The first year we failed (in similar situations) every time," Spoelstra told USA TODAY Sports. "We all understood that we were going to come up short, and somehow we all weren't on the same page. So we've been through the battles."
This is how the Heat are fighting off nearly four years of fatigue, the collective toll of three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and — as history tells us — eventually hits the proverbial wall. They've been hearing about the slice of history that's working against them all season long, how the Boston Celtics of the mid-1980s were the last team to reach the Finals four consecutive times. The logic, then, is Miami — which has tied for a franchise-best start at 23-7 thus far — ultimately will fall victim to the same fate.
TNT analyst Steve Kerr has experience in this department, as he went through the experience of trying to reach a fourth consecutive Finals with the 1993-94 Chicago Bulls, whom he joined after their run of three titles. As Kerr said at the start of the season, this is a very real hurdle that he didn't think Miami would be able to clear.
But there are two enormous distinctions between the 1990s Bulls' dual three-championship runs and these Heat: Michael Jordan retired after the third title both times, and these two-time defending champion Heat claim they're still as hungry as ever, in part because of the one that got away in their first season together.
Spoelstra called this line of thinking "rhetoric," but his actions have said far more about his view in this department than his words. He has managed shooting guard Dwyane Wade's health more than ever, resting his always-ailing knees by sitting him out of eight games. He has cut MVP forward LeBron James' minutes down to a career-low 36.0 a game. In the tone he set following the latest trip to the Finals, Spoelstra has gone to great lengths to reinvent this Heat wheel so the good times can keep rolling.
"You have to reinvent yourself; if you're the kind of person who wanted to stick with beepers, then you'd be lost," Wade told USA TODAY Sports with a laugh. "You've got to reinvent. You've got to move on. It's the same thing in sports. If we all had guys who were stubborn to say 'I'm this and I'm that,' then we wouldn't be sitting here going for a third championship in four years.
"I don't buy into (Kerr's theory), but I believe that when he made that comment I understood what he was saying, because it's going to be as much of a mental year for us as it was physical."
As Spoelstra noted, the Heat's ability to upgrade the operation every offseason rather than merely rely on their three stars has helped keep things fresh. Rolling the ball out and assuming James, Wade and Bosh could get it done was never an option for President Pat Riley and the Heat. This wasn't change solely for the sake of change, but the desire to avoid a stale experience did play a part in the team's strategy.
"We wanted to be not only better but slightly different because everything changes," Spoelstra said. "The competition changes, the league changes, your team changes just from the sheer nature of guys getting older and being through the same experience over and over.
"So the first year (after) we went to the Finals, we added Shane (Battier) and thought Shane and Norris (Cole, who they acquired via trade on draft night in 2011) would be critical components, which they were. Shane gave us that versatility, Norris gave us that youth and speed that we didn't have."
The following summer, they did it again.
"The next year we wanted to go after Ray (Allen) and Rashard (Lewis)," Spoelstra said. "Ray because he'd killed us so many times during the playoffs (while with the Boston Celtics) and we knew that in the biggest moments he was going to show up the brightest, and Rashard gave us the game that we like.
"This year we wanted to add some youth. So when Mike (Beasley) became available, we didn't anticipate that and everybody was all in (with the idea)."
The talk about reinvention being their latest remedy started with Spoelstra in the summer, but it was Allen who led this charge among the players. Even after 17 seasons, after his championship with the Celtics in 2008 and the second title that he helped win with his miraculous shot in Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs, the 38-year-old made the decision to tweak his personal program.
Allen went to the popular Paleo diet to reshape his body, shedding pounds as a way to regain some of the athleticism he'd lost over the years. With talented teams such as the Indiana Pacers making changes of their own in their impassioned attempt to unseat the champs, the Heat hope that all these small moves pay off big-time when it's time to defend the crown again. But the continuation of their reign, quite clearly, will depend on the reinvention.
"That's what we talke
Spoelstra plays the part of team librarian this time of year, picking an inspirational book to hand out that he sees fit for each specific season. This year's selection was Fred Hassan's Reinvent: A Leader's Playbook For Serial Success. In this game that was their 351st (including preseason and playoff games) together since the start of this super team in 2010, the final seconds of their latest win couldn't have been more apropos.
Bosh took the lead this time, convincing Spoelstra to change his playbook in the final seconds against the Portland Trail Blazers. They went for the three-pointer that won it rather than the post play that had been on the original script — an adjustment Spoelstra admits he would have been too stubborn to allow back when this band first got together — and this Heat team that has been reinventing itself for so long now had done it yet again.
"The first year we failed (in similar situations) every time," Spoelstra told USA TODAY Sports. "We all understood that we were going to come up short, and somehow we all weren't on the same page. So we've been through the battles."
This is how the Heat are fighting off nearly four years of fatigue, the collective toll of three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and — as history tells us — eventually hits the proverbial wall. They've been hearing about the slice of history that's working against them all season long, how the Boston Celtics of the mid-1980s were the last team to reach the Finals four consecutive times. The logic, then, is Miami — which has tied for a franchise-best start at 23-7 thus far — ultimately will fall victim to the same fate.
TNT analyst Steve Kerr has experience in this department, as he went through the experience of trying to reach a fourth consecutive Finals with the 1993-94 Chicago Bulls, whom he joined after their run of three titles. As Kerr said at the start of the season, this is a very real hurdle that he didn't think Miami would be able to clear.
But there are two enormous distinctions between the 1990s Bulls' dual three-championship runs and these Heat: Michael Jordan retired after the third title both times, and these two-time defending champion Heat claim they're still as hungry as ever, in part because of the one that got away in their first season together.
Spoelstra called this line of thinking "rhetoric," but his actions have said far more about his view in this department than his words. He has managed shooting guard Dwyane Wade's health more than ever, resting his always-ailing knees by sitting him out of eight games. He has cut MVP forward LeBron James' minutes down to a career-low 36.0 a game. In the tone he set following the latest trip to the Finals, Spoelstra has gone to great lengths to reinvent this Heat wheel so the good times can keep rolling.
"You have to reinvent yourself; if you're the kind of person who wanted to stick with beepers, then you'd be lost," Wade told USA TODAY Sports with a laugh. "You've got to reinvent. You've got to move on. It's the same thing in sports. If we all had guys who were stubborn to say 'I'm this and I'm that,' then we wouldn't be sitting here going for a third championship in four years.
"I don't buy into (Kerr's theory), but I believe that when he made that comment I understood what he was saying, because it's going to be as much of a mental year for us as it was physical."
As Spoelstra noted, the Heat's ability to upgrade the operation every offseason rather than merely rely on their three stars has helped keep things fresh. Rolling the ball out and assuming James, Wade and Bosh could get it done was never an option for President Pat Riley and the Heat. This wasn't change solely for the sake of change, but the desire to avoid a stale experience did play a part in the team's strategy.
"We wanted to be not only better but slightly different because everything changes," Spoelstra said. "The competition changes, the league changes, your team changes just from the sheer nature of guys getting older and being through the same experience over and over.
"So the first year (after) we went to the Finals, we added Shane (Battier) and thought Shane and Norris (Cole, who they acquired via trade on draft night in 2011) would be critical components, which they were. Shane gave us that versatility, Norris gave us that youth and speed that we didn't have."
The following summer, they did it again.
"The next year we wanted to go after Ray (Allen) and Rashard (Lewis)," Spoelstra said. "Ray because he'd killed us so many times during the playoffs (while with the Boston Celtics) and we knew that in the biggest moments he was going to show up the brightest, and Rashard gave us the game that we like.
"This year we wanted to add some youth. So when Mike (Beasley) became available, we didn't anticipate that and everybody was all in (with the idea)."
The talk about reinvention being their latest remedy started with Spoelstra in the summer, but it was Allen who led this charge among the players. Even after 17 seasons, after his championship with the Celtics in 2008 and the second title that he helped win with his miraculous shot in Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs, the 38-year-old made the decision to tweak his personal program.
Allen went to the popular Paleo diet to reshape his body, shedding pounds as a way to regain some of the athleticism he'd lost over the years. With talented teams such as the Indiana Pacers making changes of their own in their impassioned attempt to unseat the champs, the Heat hope that all these small moves pay off big-time when it's time to defend the crown again. But the continuation of their reign, quite clearly, will depend on the reinvention.
"That's what we talke
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Rod Thorn, NBA President of Basketball Operations, issued a statement Tuesday saying that Love should have gotten the call, which could have changed things in the Mavericks' 100-98 win at the Target Center.
"Through postgame video review, we have determined that Minnesota's Kevin Love was fouled on the right arm by Dallas' Shawn Marion while attempting a two-point field goal," Thorn's statement read. "Love should have been awarded two free throws with one second left on the clock."
Following the game, Love let it be known he should've been shooting those foul shots.
"I thought it was pretty obvious, just look at the replay," Love told reporters. "If you look at the replay it was obvious that he got arm. I didn't know how to react. I couldn't yell at him (referee). That wasn't going to do anything, I just walked off the court with my head up."
Ed Malloy was the official who watched the play and didn't make a call as Marion hit Love's arm and caused the ball to sail out of bounds.
NBA says Shawn Marion fouled Kevin Love
"Through postgame video review, we have determined that Minnesota's Kevin Love was fouled on the right arm by Dallas' Shawn Marion while attempting a two-point field goal," Thorn's statement read. "Love should have been awarded two free throws with one second left on the clock."
Following the game, Love let it be known he should've been shooting those foul shots.
"I thought it was pretty obvious, just look at the replay," Love told reporters. "If you look at the replay it was obvious that he got arm. I didn't know how to react. I couldn't yell at him (referee). That wasn't going to do anything, I just walked off the court with my head up."
Ed Malloy was the official who watched the play and didn't make a call as Marion hit Love's arm and caused the ball to sail out of bounds.
NBA says Shawn Marion fouled Kevin Love
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Now that the calendar has turned, here’s a look at how the nine former UA standouts representing Arizona in the NBA are faring through games of Jan. 1.
Andre Iguodala has started 21 games for the Golden State Warriors, averaging 10.7 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. Golden State is 20-13 on the year and 1.5 games back in the Pacific Division after having won their last six contests. The Warriors are currently the No. 7 seed in the race for the Western Conference playoffs.
Back on the court after a heart condition forced him away from the game last season, Channing Frye has started all 30 games for the Phoenix Suns. He is averaging 11.0 points and 5.4 boards for a Suns team that is 19-11 and holds the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference.
Derrick Williams has played in 28 games total this season, and started seven for the Kings since being traded from Minnesota to Sacramento in November. He has averaged 8.9 points and 3.8 rebounds for the Kings, shooting 46.9 percent from the floor.
A key piece for the Jazz since coming over in a sign-and-trade involving Iguodala this summer, Richard Jefferson has started all 34 games for Utah this year. He owns averages of 10.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game for the Jazz.
Jordan Hill has been a part-time starter and full-time contributor for the Lakers thus far, as Los Angeles is fighting to get back in the playoff hunt. Hill is averaging 9.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest, the latter good enough to rank second on the team. He is shooting 57.0 percent from the field.
Solomon Hill has seen time off the bench in 16 games for the Indiana Pacers, averaging 1.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per outing. Indiana’s 25-6 record is tied for the best in the NBA and the Pacers lead the Central Division by 12 games and the Eastern Conference by one game.
Jason Terry is averaging 5.3 points per game off the bench for the struggling Brooklyn Nets, who host the crosstown rival Knicks on Thursday at 5 p.m. MST. The game can be seen on TNT. Jerryd Bayless is averaging 8.0 points and 2.0 assists for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Chase Budinger has yet to play for Minnesota this season as he recovers from knee surgery.
Over the summer, ESPN ranked Arizona sixth among all college programs in terms of producing top NBA talent over the last two-plus decades.
UA players have been far from content by just hearing their names called on draft night, however. As has been reported by various media outlets, the fraternity of Arizona’s NBA players is nearing the collective $1 billion mark in career earnings, with the total haul set to exceed $960 million this season.
Collectively, the Wildcats who have been drafted since 1988 are an accomplished group, having won 13 NBA championships and made six All-Star appearances. The group also boasts an NBA Rookie of the Year (current UA assistant coach Damon Stoudamire), a Sixth Man of the Year (Terry) and a Most Improved Player (Gilbert Arenas).
For the latest updates on Arizona men’s basketball and an inside look at the program, follow @APlayersProgram on Twitter.
Wildcats in the NBA Update - The University of Arizona Official Athletic Site
Andre Iguodala has started 21 games for the Golden State Warriors, averaging 10.7 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. Golden State is 20-13 on the year and 1.5 games back in the Pacific Division after having won their last six contests. The Warriors are currently the No. 7 seed in the race for the Western Conference playoffs.
Back on the court after a heart condition forced him away from the game last season, Channing Frye has started all 30 games for the Phoenix Suns. He is averaging 11.0 points and 5.4 boards for a Suns team that is 19-11 and holds the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference.
Derrick Williams has played in 28 games total this season, and started seven for the Kings since being traded from Minnesota to Sacramento in November. He has averaged 8.9 points and 3.8 rebounds for the Kings, shooting 46.9 percent from the floor.
A key piece for the Jazz since coming over in a sign-and-trade involving Iguodala this summer, Richard Jefferson has started all 34 games for Utah this year. He owns averages of 10.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game for the Jazz.
Jordan Hill has been a part-time starter and full-time contributor for the Lakers thus far, as Los Angeles is fighting to get back in the playoff hunt. Hill is averaging 9.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest, the latter good enough to rank second on the team. He is shooting 57.0 percent from the field.
Solomon Hill has seen time off the bench in 16 games for the Indiana Pacers, averaging 1.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per outing. Indiana’s 25-6 record is tied for the best in the NBA and the Pacers lead the Central Division by 12 games and the Eastern Conference by one game.
Jason Terry is averaging 5.3 points per game off the bench for the struggling Brooklyn Nets, who host the crosstown rival Knicks on Thursday at 5 p.m. MST. The game can be seen on TNT. Jerryd Bayless is averaging 8.0 points and 2.0 assists for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Chase Budinger has yet to play for Minnesota this season as he recovers from knee surgery.
Over the summer, ESPN ranked Arizona sixth among all college programs in terms of producing top NBA talent over the last two-plus decades.
UA players have been far from content by just hearing their names called on draft night, however. As has been reported by various media outlets, the fraternity of Arizona’s NBA players is nearing the collective $1 billion mark in career earnings, with the total haul set to exceed $960 million this season.
Collectively, the Wildcats who have been drafted since 1988 are an accomplished group, having won 13 NBA championships and made six All-Star appearances. The group also boasts an NBA Rookie of the Year (current UA assistant coach Damon Stoudamire), a Sixth Man of the Year (Terry) and a Most Improved Player (Gilbert Arenas).
For the latest updates on Arizona men’s basketball and an inside look at the program, follow @APlayersProgram on Twitter.
Wildcats in the NBA Update - The University of Arizona Official Athletic Site
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The next showdown between the East's top two teams, the Heat and the Pacers, won't happen until March 26, which is to say that the interim 12 weeks of Eastern Conference basketball will be barren of significant competition. There will be games. Some of them even good. But what will they mean?
Unless disaster befalls the defending champs or their challengers that took them to a Game 7 in the conference finals last season, we know that the East will ultimately be decided by another meeting of Miami and Indiana. What we cannot say, incredibly, is that anyone else has established itself as the next-best team in this woebegone conference.
Which team deserves to be No. 3 in the East?
The 18-14 Hawks stand as the third-best at the moment, but the conference's epidemic of misfortune struck them recently when All-Star center Al Horford underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn chest muscle. The Hawks have since earned a couple of tight wins thanks to 33 points (against Charlotte) and 34 (at Boston) from Paul Millsap, who is currently averaging a career-best 17.9 in his first year with Atlanta. Can Millsap, Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver and Lou Williams (coming off ACL surgery) lead Atlanta to a winning record over the next three-plus months?
Possibly. What we have here is a question of philosophy -- how many teams want to be No. 3 at this particular time in this top-heavy conference?
The Raptors currently sit first in the pathetic Atlantic at 15-15. Is it their goal to be No. 3 in spite of a mediocre record? They've already unloaded Andrea Bargnani and Rudy Gay, and Kyle Lowry is known to be available, too. New GM Masai Ujiri did not come to Toronto to celebrate a .500 season. If the Raptors are able to increase the value of their players in order to improve their roster on the open market, then there will be no fretting over the divisional title they might have been able to steal this year.
GIVE AND GO: Examining five contenders for potential flaws
This is a conference that is, with a few exceptions, under various stages of reconstruction. The Heat and Pacers have their plans and are sticking to them with confidence; everyone else is trying to make sense of the unexpected, whether it's the injuries that have set back the Bulls (Derrick Rose), Hawks and other playoff contenders, or the new collective bargaining agreement that has helped convince deep-pocketed franchises like the Celtics, 76ers and Raptors to cut back financially in order to rebuild for the long term, when their thick wads of cash can be spent more wisely, in pursuit of the championship goal that ultimately drives them.
And so the conference standings make little to no sense. Three of its four most expensive payrolls -- the Nets, Knicks and Bulls -- find themselves immersed in the lottery at the moment. The Bulls are trying to figure out what to do with free agent Luol Deng, the Knicks fear the departure of Carmelo Anthony, and the Nets are surprising accomplishes in their own victimization. Brook Lopez is out for the season with another fracture to his foot, Deron Williams is perpetually injured or struggling, no one else is performing well or seems to be taking responsibility, and all of it comes as a huge surprise.
Before the season a league GM told me that he was picking the Nets to reach the NBA Finals and possibly win the championship. My own opinion was that they would crumble physically, but not until the playoffs; I had no idea it would happen just after media day. It was easy to envision an instant rivalry developing between the Nets and the Heat, but when those teams meet next week in Brooklyn the game will be incidental. The Nets are going to be wearing gimmicky nickname jerseys that night and - fortunately for them - the nicknames will be flattering, as opposed to the nicknames fans would give to players of a broken-down roster that costs $189 million yet plays without structure, discipline or pride.
GOLLIVER: All-Recalibration Team: Five who could raise profile in 2014
The Nets have done a huge service to the rest of the league. They've shown that coaching really does matter -- that execution doesn't happen automatically, and that gritty behind-the-scenes work is indispensable. They've also made it clear that every team should be more cautious than ever before surrendering first-round picks in exchange for the kind of elderly, tax-heavy talent that has left the Nets with no hope for a quick turnaround. In 2015-16 the contracts of Lopez, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams alone will leave the Nets without cap space. This figures to be the first of many long winters in Brooklyn.
The reason the East -- apart from Indiana and Miami - looks like the second division of a European soccer league right now is because the bottom has fallen out for the teams that should be peaking. Several teams have aimed for the jackpot -- and have failed magnificently.
The disappointing Cavaliers tried to rebuild by following the example of Oklahoma City, which used the Nos. 2, 4 and 3 picks in successive drafts to land Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Cleveland used a quartet of similar picks in the last three drafts to end up with Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters and Anthony Bennett. Irving is the only All-Star among them; they might have done better with the other picks (by choosing Damian Lillard or Andre Drummond instead of Waiters in 2012, for example), but the truth is that there were no alternatives available to them in those drafts who have turned out to be as talented as Durant, Westbrook or Harden.
Give credit to Oklahoma City for making the perfect pick in each of those three years. But also be understanding to the Cavaliers that there was no trio of future Olympians to be found in the years that Cleveland was drafting.
MAHONEY: New Year's resolutions for every team in the East
For many teams in the East, the No. 3 seed is an award not worth winning. What
Unless disaster befalls the defending champs or their challengers that took them to a Game 7 in the conference finals last season, we know that the East will ultimately be decided by another meeting of Miami and Indiana. What we cannot say, incredibly, is that anyone else has established itself as the next-best team in this woebegone conference.
Which team deserves to be No. 3 in the East?
The 18-14 Hawks stand as the third-best at the moment, but the conference's epidemic of misfortune struck them recently when All-Star center Al Horford underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn chest muscle. The Hawks have since earned a couple of tight wins thanks to 33 points (against Charlotte) and 34 (at Boston) from Paul Millsap, who is currently averaging a career-best 17.9 in his first year with Atlanta. Can Millsap, Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver and Lou Williams (coming off ACL surgery) lead Atlanta to a winning record over the next three-plus months?
Possibly. What we have here is a question of philosophy -- how many teams want to be No. 3 at this particular time in this top-heavy conference?
The Raptors currently sit first in the pathetic Atlantic at 15-15. Is it their goal to be No. 3 in spite of a mediocre record? They've already unloaded Andrea Bargnani and Rudy Gay, and Kyle Lowry is known to be available, too. New GM Masai Ujiri did not come to Toronto to celebrate a .500 season. If the Raptors are able to increase the value of their players in order to improve their roster on the open market, then there will be no fretting over the divisional title they might have been able to steal this year.
GIVE AND GO: Examining five contenders for potential flaws
This is a conference that is, with a few exceptions, under various stages of reconstruction. The Heat and Pacers have their plans and are sticking to them with confidence; everyone else is trying to make sense of the unexpected, whether it's the injuries that have set back the Bulls (Derrick Rose), Hawks and other playoff contenders, or the new collective bargaining agreement that has helped convince deep-pocketed franchises like the Celtics, 76ers and Raptors to cut back financially in order to rebuild for the long term, when their thick wads of cash can be spent more wisely, in pursuit of the championship goal that ultimately drives them.
And so the conference standings make little to no sense. Three of its four most expensive payrolls -- the Nets, Knicks and Bulls -- find themselves immersed in the lottery at the moment. The Bulls are trying to figure out what to do with free agent Luol Deng, the Knicks fear the departure of Carmelo Anthony, and the Nets are surprising accomplishes in their own victimization. Brook Lopez is out for the season with another fracture to his foot, Deron Williams is perpetually injured or struggling, no one else is performing well or seems to be taking responsibility, and all of it comes as a huge surprise.
Before the season a league GM told me that he was picking the Nets to reach the NBA Finals and possibly win the championship. My own opinion was that they would crumble physically, but not until the playoffs; I had no idea it would happen just after media day. It was easy to envision an instant rivalry developing between the Nets and the Heat, but when those teams meet next week in Brooklyn the game will be incidental. The Nets are going to be wearing gimmicky nickname jerseys that night and - fortunately for them - the nicknames will be flattering, as opposed to the nicknames fans would give to players of a broken-down roster that costs $189 million yet plays without structure, discipline or pride.
GOLLIVER: All-Recalibration Team: Five who could raise profile in 2014
The Nets have done a huge service to the rest of the league. They've shown that coaching really does matter -- that execution doesn't happen automatically, and that gritty behind-the-scenes work is indispensable. They've also made it clear that every team should be more cautious than ever before surrendering first-round picks in exchange for the kind of elderly, tax-heavy talent that has left the Nets with no hope for a quick turnaround. In 2015-16 the contracts of Lopez, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams alone will leave the Nets without cap space. This figures to be the first of many long winters in Brooklyn.
The reason the East -- apart from Indiana and Miami - looks like the second division of a European soccer league right now is because the bottom has fallen out for the teams that should be peaking. Several teams have aimed for the jackpot -- and have failed magnificently.
The disappointing Cavaliers tried to rebuild by following the example of Oklahoma City, which used the Nos. 2, 4 and 3 picks in successive drafts to land Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Cleveland used a quartet of similar picks in the last three drafts to end up with Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters and Anthony Bennett. Irving is the only All-Star among them; they might have done better with the other picks (by choosing Damian Lillard or Andre Drummond instead of Waiters in 2012, for example), but the truth is that there were no alternatives available to them in those drafts who have turned out to be as talented as Durant, Westbrook or Harden.
Give credit to Oklahoma City for making the perfect pick in each of those three years. But also be understanding to the Cavaliers that there was no trio of future Olympians to be found in the years that Cleveland was drafting.
MAHONEY: New Year's resolutions for every team in the East
For many teams in the East, the No. 3 seed is an award not worth winning. What
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In December of 2009 in a corner of the visitor's locker room at the Toyota Center in Houston, Zydrunas Ilgauskas stood with Yao Ming, put a supportive arm on Yao's shoulder and the two giant men shared a frank conversation.
The Chinese and Lithuanian centers conversed in English, going over the details of a complex foot surgery experience that they now shared. Yao was wearing a protective boot on his left foot and leaning on crutches. Ilgauskas' feet were bare and bright red after getting out of a postgame ice bath routine that had become a central part of his life.
That night, Yao told Ilgauskas, who was in his final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, that this surgery was it, his last chance. After a series of operations on his feet and ankles, Yao was going to try one more procedure to see if a bone grafting and restructuring of his foot could save his career.
Ilgauskas commiserated and offered support. He'd had a similar procedure in 2001 when he took his last chance when doctors rebuilt his left foot after a series of breaks and failed operations. Ilgauskas, who grew to hate talking about his foot issues, told Yao to keep fighting and keep believing.
It did not work for Yao. He returned for the 2010-11 season, rebroke the foot and soon retired. Ilguaskas played for 10 years after his surgery, made two All-Star teams, played in two Finals and earned more than $130 million.
On Saturday, Brooklyn Nets All-Star center Brook Lopez had a third surgery on his right foot at Duke Medical Center in North Carolina. He broke it for the second time on Dec. 20. In addition to fixing the break, part of the procedure was what is known as a first metatarsal osteotomy.
Essentially, doctors moved bones around in Lopez's foot to better bear the weight. It's taking a human appendage that was not truly meant to carry a 7-foot body that runs miles every day and redesigning it.
The surgeries that Yao, Ilgauskas and Lopez have all had were slightly different. A specialist could probably explain in great detail the facets of the procedures and differences in the bones and the alignment of the heel and ankle, etc. But they also were all the same; three big men whose feet couldn't support their profession having their bones moved around to give them a chance. In Ilgauskas and Yao's case, it was a last chance.
The Nets, who have $60 million invested in Lopez, are not saying that. They are defensive and cautious, and they should be.
"He had surgery. It was successful. And then he'll recover and be back playing," Nets general manager Billy King said. "We can sit here and say, 'last-ditch effort' or whatever, he had surgery. They said it's gonna be a successful recovery, so I mean, we can't sit here today on Jan. 4 and say what's gonna happen when he starts playing again. We can't speculate on that, and I'm not gonna do that."
The Nets believe Lopez will make a full recovery and he'll be back working out in the summer and on the court next fall.
But the reality is that this might be it for Lopez, his last chance on that right foot. If this procedure doesn't work, his career is probably in jeopardy. You don't have this type of surgery unless it is a last resort, as it was for Ilgauskas and Yao.
Ilgauskas was 25 when he had the radical procedure. Yao was 28. Lopez will turn 26 on April 1. He's still a young player and he still could have a very long career, as Ilgauskas did. Before he had the major surgery, he no doubt sought opinions and options from some of the top foot surgeons in the world.
The Nets, who have their future tied up in Lopez and Deron Williams, were likely very deliberate and detailed when deciding on this path. Dr. James Nunley, who did Lopez's surgery, has operated on Grant Hill and, more recently, Lakers forward Ryan Kelly. He's a top man in his field.
It can seem cruel because Lopez was so healthy for so long. He didn't miss a game in his first three seasons. In Yao's first three seasons, the Rockets' centerpiece missed just two games. After dealing with surgery, Yao came back and played 77 games in a season before having more problems. Lopez played 74 games last season after coming back from a broken foot the year before. That's the way these things seem to go.
Lopez was really coming into his own since his last broken foot two years ago. He'd really become a force offensively. Even as the Nets added offensive threats, he continued to be their most reliable option. He was averaging a career-high 20.7 points on a career-best 56 percent shooting in the first 17 games before he fractured the foot again during a game in Philadelphia three weeks ago.
Will he get back to that and be able to maintain it? The answer, even from the best doctors, unfortunately is uncertain.
"It's a break. Talk to me in October, or this summer when he's working out, and that's all we can do," King said. "We can't sit here and make up answers."
NBA: Future uncertain for Brook Lopez - ESPN
The Chinese and Lithuanian centers conversed in English, going over the details of a complex foot surgery experience that they now shared. Yao was wearing a protective boot on his left foot and leaning on crutches. Ilgauskas' feet were bare and bright red after getting out of a postgame ice bath routine that had become a central part of his life.
That night, Yao told Ilgauskas, who was in his final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, that this surgery was it, his last chance. After a series of operations on his feet and ankles, Yao was going to try one more procedure to see if a bone grafting and restructuring of his foot could save his career.
Ilgauskas commiserated and offered support. He'd had a similar procedure in 2001 when he took his last chance when doctors rebuilt his left foot after a series of breaks and failed operations. Ilgauskas, who grew to hate talking about his foot issues, told Yao to keep fighting and keep believing.
It did not work for Yao. He returned for the 2010-11 season, rebroke the foot and soon retired. Ilguaskas played for 10 years after his surgery, made two All-Star teams, played in two Finals and earned more than $130 million.
On Saturday, Brooklyn Nets All-Star center Brook Lopez had a third surgery on his right foot at Duke Medical Center in North Carolina. He broke it for the second time on Dec. 20. In addition to fixing the break, part of the procedure was what is known as a first metatarsal osteotomy.
Essentially, doctors moved bones around in Lopez's foot to better bear the weight. It's taking a human appendage that was not truly meant to carry a 7-foot body that runs miles every day and redesigning it.
The surgeries that Yao, Ilgauskas and Lopez have all had were slightly different. A specialist could probably explain in great detail the facets of the procedures and differences in the bones and the alignment of the heel and ankle, etc. But they also were all the same; three big men whose feet couldn't support their profession having their bones moved around to give them a chance. In Ilgauskas and Yao's case, it was a last chance.
The Nets, who have $60 million invested in Lopez, are not saying that. They are defensive and cautious, and they should be.
"He had surgery. It was successful. And then he'll recover and be back playing," Nets general manager Billy King said. "We can sit here and say, 'last-ditch effort' or whatever, he had surgery. They said it's gonna be a successful recovery, so I mean, we can't sit here today on Jan. 4 and say what's gonna happen when he starts playing again. We can't speculate on that, and I'm not gonna do that."
The Nets believe Lopez will make a full recovery and he'll be back working out in the summer and on the court next fall.
But the reality is that this might be it for Lopez, his last chance on that right foot. If this procedure doesn't work, his career is probably in jeopardy. You don't have this type of surgery unless it is a last resort, as it was for Ilgauskas and Yao.
Ilgauskas was 25 when he had the radical procedure. Yao was 28. Lopez will turn 26 on April 1. He's still a young player and he still could have a very long career, as Ilgauskas did. Before he had the major surgery, he no doubt sought opinions and options from some of the top foot surgeons in the world.
The Nets, who have their future tied up in Lopez and Deron Williams, were likely very deliberate and detailed when deciding on this path. Dr. James Nunley, who did Lopez's surgery, has operated on Grant Hill and, more recently, Lakers forward Ryan Kelly. He's a top man in his field.
It can seem cruel because Lopez was so healthy for so long. He didn't miss a game in his first three seasons. In Yao's first three seasons, the Rockets' centerpiece missed just two games. After dealing with surgery, Yao came back and played 77 games in a season before having more problems. Lopez played 74 games last season after coming back from a broken foot the year before. That's the way these things seem to go.
Lopez was really coming into his own since his last broken foot two years ago. He'd really become a force offensively. Even as the Nets added offensive threats, he continued to be their most reliable option. He was averaging a career-high 20.7 points on a career-best 56 percent shooting in the first 17 games before he fractured the foot again during a game in Philadelphia three weeks ago.
Will he get back to that and be able to maintain it? The answer, even from the best doctors, unfortunately is uncertain.
"It's a break. Talk to me in October, or this summer when he's working out, and that's all we can do," King said. "We can't sit here and make up answers."
NBA: Future uncertain for Brook Lopez - ESPN
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The Cavaliers see a Richard Jefferson for Andrew Bynum swap as their backup option if a Pau Gasol trade with the Lakers goes belly up.
While the Cavaliers continue to negotiate with the Lakers regarding a Pau Gasol for Andrew Bynum swap, they believe they do have a back-up option on the table if they need to abandon those talks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Cleveland has talked to the Utah Jazz on trading Bynum for forward Richard Jefferson, but has yet to re-engage on those talks over the weekend, league sources told Yahoo Sports. The Cavaliers are willing to part with a second-round pick in a Bynum-for-Jefferson deal, which Cleveland officials believe is likely enough return to make the transaction worth the Jazz's trouble.
Utah will lose Jefferson without compensation to free agency at season's end, and a pick gives them some value for a player they acquired in a Golden State Warriors salary dump last February.
So the deal would likely be Bynum and a 2nd round pick for Jefferson. That's not a disaster. Jefferson is a shell of what he was back in his Nets days, but he's still shooting 42% from three and brings the vaunted "veteran leadership" to a team that desperately needs it. He is also a small forward, which is an excellent positional and schematic fit for a team that really doesn't have one.
As far as answering the question, "Why Richard Jefferson?" whenever ninety percent of you probably thought he was out of the NBA, keep in mind that two coaches on the coaching staff have experience with him in the past. Jim Boylan was an assistant coach in Milwaukee while Jefferson spent a season there and Bret Brielmaier was a player development assistant as well as a video coordinator during Jefferson's time in San Antonio. This helps to make a bit more sense of the situation.
We should find out soon what the plan is for Bynum's contract.
NBA Trade Rumors: Cavaliers could trade Andrew Bynum for Richard Jefferson if Pau Gasol talks stall - Fear The Sword
While the Cavaliers continue to negotiate with the Lakers regarding a Pau Gasol for Andrew Bynum swap, they believe they do have a back-up option on the table if they need to abandon those talks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Cleveland has talked to the Utah Jazz on trading Bynum for forward Richard Jefferson, but has yet to re-engage on those talks over the weekend, league sources told Yahoo Sports. The Cavaliers are willing to part with a second-round pick in a Bynum-for-Jefferson deal, which Cleveland officials believe is likely enough return to make the transaction worth the Jazz's trouble.
Utah will lose Jefferson without compensation to free agency at season's end, and a pick gives them some value for a player they acquired in a Golden State Warriors salary dump last February.
So the deal would likely be Bynum and a 2nd round pick for Jefferson. That's not a disaster. Jefferson is a shell of what he was back in his Nets days, but he's still shooting 42% from three and brings the vaunted "veteran leadership" to a team that desperately needs it. He is also a small forward, which is an excellent positional and schematic fit for a team that really doesn't have one.
As far as answering the question, "Why Richard Jefferson?" whenever ninety percent of you probably thought he was out of the NBA, keep in mind that two coaches on the coaching staff have experience with him in the past. Jim Boylan was an assistant coach in Milwaukee while Jefferson spent a season there and Bret Brielmaier was a player development assistant as well as a video coordinator during Jefferson's time in San Antonio. This helps to make a bit more sense of the situation.
We should find out soon what the plan is for Bynum's contract.
NBA Trade Rumors: Cavaliers could trade Andrew Bynum for Richard Jefferson if Pau Gasol talks stall - Fear The Sword
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Dennis Rodman said on Monday that a game he and other former NBA players are planning in North Korea will be a 'birthday present' for one of their most unlikely fans: leader Kim Jong Un.
Rodman's squad - featuring ex-All Stars Kenny Anderson, Cliff Robinson and Vin Baker - will play against a team of North Koreans on Wednesday, which is believed to be Kim's birthday.
The former NBA players, who arrived in Pyongyang on Monday, also include Eric 'Sleepy' Floyd, guard Doug Christie and Charles D. Smith, who played for the New York Knicks.
Four streetball players are also in the squad.
Rodman told The Associated Press he was glad to be in North Korea for the game, though he said he has gotten death threats for his repeated visits.
He said proceeds from the game would go to a charity for the deaf in North Korea.
'The marshal is actually trying to change this country in a great way,' Rodman said of Kim, using the leader's official title.
'I think that people thought that this was a joke, and Dennis Rodman is just doing this because fame and fortune.'
Instead, he said, he sees the game as a 'birthday present' for Kim and his country.
'Just to even have us here, it's an awesome feeling. I want these guys here to show the world, and speak about North Korea in a great light,' he said.
'I hope people will have a different view about North Korea.'
NBA Commissioner David Stern issued a statement on Monday night.
'The NBA is not involved with Mr. Rodman's North Korea trip and would not participate or support such a venture without the approval of the US State Department,' Stern said.
'Although sports in many instances can be helpful in bridging cultural divides, this is not one of them.'
The game will be another milestone in Rodman's surprising relationship with Kim, who rarely meets with foreigners and about whom very little is known outside of North Korea.
Rodman is the highest-profile American to meet Kim since the leader inherited power after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in late 2011.
Rodman travelled to North Korea for the first time last February with the Harlem Globetrotters for an HBO series.
After spending time together, Rodman called Kim a 'friend for life' and came back just before Christmas to hold tryouts for the North Korean basketball team, though he did not meet with Kim then.
Rodman has been given the red-carpet treatment on each of his trips, but visiting North Korea for any high-profile American is a political minefield.
To keep the game itself friendly, the two sides will only play against each other in the first half, and then mix together in the second.
Americans are regarded as enemies in North Korea since the two countries never signed a peace treaty to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War.
Thousands of US troops are still based in South Korea, and the Demilitarised Zone between the North and South is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world.
Relations are also tense because of the North's development of nuclear weapons and its threats to use them if a conflict breaks out with Washington or Seoul.
Rodman, ex-NBA stars arrive in Nth Korea | Sky News Australia
Rodman's squad - featuring ex-All Stars Kenny Anderson, Cliff Robinson and Vin Baker - will play against a team of North Koreans on Wednesday, which is believed to be Kim's birthday.
The former NBA players, who arrived in Pyongyang on Monday, also include Eric 'Sleepy' Floyd, guard Doug Christie and Charles D. Smith, who played for the New York Knicks.
Four streetball players are also in the squad.
Rodman told The Associated Press he was glad to be in North Korea for the game, though he said he has gotten death threats for his repeated visits.
He said proceeds from the game would go to a charity for the deaf in North Korea.
'The marshal is actually trying to change this country in a great way,' Rodman said of Kim, using the leader's official title.
'I think that people thought that this was a joke, and Dennis Rodman is just doing this because fame and fortune.'
Instead, he said, he sees the game as a 'birthday present' for Kim and his country.
'Just to even have us here, it's an awesome feeling. I want these guys here to show the world, and speak about North Korea in a great light,' he said.
'I hope people will have a different view about North Korea.'
NBA Commissioner David Stern issued a statement on Monday night.
'The NBA is not involved with Mr. Rodman's North Korea trip and would not participate or support such a venture without the approval of the US State Department,' Stern said.
'Although sports in many instances can be helpful in bridging cultural divides, this is not one of them.'
The game will be another milestone in Rodman's surprising relationship with Kim, who rarely meets with foreigners and about whom very little is known outside of North Korea.
Rodman is the highest-profile American to meet Kim since the leader inherited power after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in late 2011.
Rodman travelled to North Korea for the first time last February with the Harlem Globetrotters for an HBO series.
After spending time together, Rodman called Kim a 'friend for life' and came back just before Christmas to hold tryouts for the North Korean basketball team, though he did not meet with Kim then.
Rodman has been given the red-carpet treatment on each of his trips, but visiting North Korea for any high-profile American is a political minefield.
To keep the game itself friendly, the two sides will only play against each other in the first half, and then mix together in the second.
Americans are regarded as enemies in North Korea since the two countries never signed a peace treaty to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War.
Thousands of US troops are still based in South Korea, and the Demilitarised Zone between the North and South is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world.
Relations are also tense because of the North's development of nuclear weapons and its threats to use them if a conflict breaks out with Washington or Seoul.
Rodman, ex-NBA stars arrive in Nth Korea | Sky News Australia
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Ozzie and Daniel Silna owned the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis, but when the NBA merged with the ABA in 1976, the Spirits were one of two teams the owners didn't want to join. The owner of the other team, the Kentucky Colonels, took a $3 million payment. But the Silnas negotiated something a little different. They took just $2.2 million, plus one-seventh of all future TV revenue for the four ABA teams joining the NBA. Basketball blew up not long after, and that small fraction of TV royalties has netted the Silnas $300 million so far, with payments set to continue on forever.
The NBA has long tried to get out of the infamous arrangement, which paid out a reported $19 million last season alone. In recent years, it has threatened to become even more onerous—the Silnas filed suit for a share of revenue streams that didn't exist in 1976, like international TV deals and online streaming. Now, says the New York Times, they're close to a buyout.
It's not cheap. The NBA will give the Silnas a reported $500 million dollars up front to drop their lawsuit. The Silnas will retain an unknown but smaller share of TV revenues, but the NBA will have a future option to buy them out.
When it's all said and done, shortsightedness will cost the NBA near a billion dollars. But consider it a hedge. The alternate reality, where the payouts to the Silnas remained small, was a world in which the NBA didn't become big enough to sign $7.4 billion TV contracts.
NBA To Pay $500 Million To Get Out Of The Worst Deal Ever Signed
The NBA has long tried to get out of the infamous arrangement, which paid out a reported $19 million last season alone. In recent years, it has threatened to become even more onerous—the Silnas filed suit for a share of revenue streams that didn't exist in 1976, like international TV deals and online streaming. Now, says the New York Times, they're close to a buyout.
It's not cheap. The NBA will give the Silnas a reported $500 million dollars up front to drop their lawsuit. The Silnas will retain an unknown but smaller share of TV revenues, but the NBA will have a future option to buy them out.
When it's all said and done, shortsightedness will cost the NBA near a billion dollars. But consider it a hedge. The alternate reality, where the payouts to the Silnas remained small, was a world in which the NBA didn't become big enough to sign $7.4 billion TV contracts.
NBA To Pay $500 Million To Get Out Of The Worst Deal Ever Signed
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CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo grilled Dennis Rodman on Tuesday about imprisoned American Kenneth Bae, and the former NBA star lost it.
Watch the video below. Rodman and a team of ex-NBA players were interviewed from Pyongyang, where they are scheduled to participate in an exhibition game Wednesday with North Korean players.
Rodman’s incoherent answers are a poor attempt to deflect attention from North Korea’s recent human rights abuses. Aside from the recent execution of leader Kim Jong Un’s once-powerful uncle, the regime has held former Washington resident and tour operator Kenneth Bae for more than one year.
Here is The Seattle Times’ most recent editorial calling for Bae’s release. Last May, Rodman took to Twitter to ask for Bae’s release. He has since changed his tune — and then some.
During the Cuomo interview, Rodman reiterated his “love” for Kim and suggested Bae had done something wrong. He didn’t — or could not — go into detail. It was a strange and combative interview, but a necessary wake-up call to all of the American players. Their trip is billed as a “cultural exchange,” but they must remember a fellow American is trapped in the same repressive country that is treating them like honored guests.
If Rodman won’t come to his senses, the other ex-NBA players in Pyongyang right now must step in and speak up, including former Seattle Supersonic Vin Baker and Rainier Beach High School alum Doug Christie. They should check out this Dec. 20 Opinion NW blog post featuring CNN’s previous interview with Bae’s sister, Terri Chung. Also, here’s an op-ed published in The Seattle Times and written by his mother, Myunghee Bae.
For the sake of Kenneth Bae’s family, based here in Washington state, these players should ask the regime about Bae’s condition. Try to bring him home. North Korean officials allowed this group into the country because they recognized their good intentions. There’s no harm in asking about him.
Go ahead and play some basketball, but don’t forget about Kenneth Bae.
Update 2:45 p.m. U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., sent an email to the press on Tuesday condemning Rodman’s statements as “insensitive and counterproductive.” Agreed. Here’s his full statement:
“Dennis Rodman should stick to basketball and not cast aspersions on a fellow American who is being held by a foreign nation,” Larsen said.
“Kenneth Bae and his family have gone through more than enough without having to listen to these hurtful statements from somebody who clearly does not know what he is talking about.
“I join the White House in renewing our call for North Korea to grant a pardon and special amnesty for Kenneth and to immediately release him so he can come home to his family. I pledge my continuing support to Kenneth’s family and will continue working with them and the State Department to ensure his safe return home.”
Dennis Rodman, ex-NBA players cannot dodge Kenneth Bae questions | Opinion Northwest | Seattle Times
Watch the video below. Rodman and a team of ex-NBA players were interviewed from Pyongyang, where they are scheduled to participate in an exhibition game Wednesday with North Korean players.
Rodman’s incoherent answers are a poor attempt to deflect attention from North Korea’s recent human rights abuses. Aside from the recent execution of leader Kim Jong Un’s once-powerful uncle, the regime has held former Washington resident and tour operator Kenneth Bae for more than one year.
Here is The Seattle Times’ most recent editorial calling for Bae’s release. Last May, Rodman took to Twitter to ask for Bae’s release. He has since changed his tune — and then some.
During the Cuomo interview, Rodman reiterated his “love” for Kim and suggested Bae had done something wrong. He didn’t — or could not — go into detail. It was a strange and combative interview, but a necessary wake-up call to all of the American players. Their trip is billed as a “cultural exchange,” but they must remember a fellow American is trapped in the same repressive country that is treating them like honored guests.
If Rodman won’t come to his senses, the other ex-NBA players in Pyongyang right now must step in and speak up, including former Seattle Supersonic Vin Baker and Rainier Beach High School alum Doug Christie. They should check out this Dec. 20 Opinion NW blog post featuring CNN’s previous interview with Bae’s sister, Terri Chung. Also, here’s an op-ed published in The Seattle Times and written by his mother, Myunghee Bae.
For the sake of Kenneth Bae’s family, based here in Washington state, these players should ask the regime about Bae’s condition. Try to bring him home. North Korean officials allowed this group into the country because they recognized their good intentions. There’s no harm in asking about him.
Go ahead and play some basketball, but don’t forget about Kenneth Bae.
Update 2:45 p.m. U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., sent an email to the press on Tuesday condemning Rodman’s statements as “insensitive and counterproductive.” Agreed. Here’s his full statement:
“Dennis Rodman should stick to basketball and not cast aspersions on a fellow American who is being held by a foreign nation,” Larsen said.
“Kenneth Bae and his family have gone through more than enough without having to listen to these hurtful statements from somebody who clearly does not know what he is talking about.
“I join the White House in renewing our call for North Korea to grant a pardon and special amnesty for Kenneth and to immediately release him so he can come home to his family. I pledge my continuing support to Kenneth’s family and will continue working with them and the State Department to ensure his safe return home.”
Dennis Rodman, ex-NBA players cannot dodge Kenneth Bae questions | Opinion Northwest | Seattle Times
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When you've won back-to-back championships and look to be the favorites in your quest for a third straight title, you don't really need to add much to your résumé. Your accomplishments have already separated you from most teams in NBA history and finding new ways to impress your observers could be challenging. A new way impress the basketball viewer is to become the best shooting team in NBA history.
Last season, the Miami Heat made 49.6 percent of their shots with an effective field goal percentage (accounting for the extra point on a 3-point shot) of 55.2 percent. That effective field goal percentage was the highest of all time, topping the 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers that put up a 55.1 effective field goal percentage. During that season, the Lakers had the highest field goal percentage by a team in NBA history with 54.5 percent.
No other team has ever approached a field goal percentage that high. One reason they shot so high was they didn't use the 3-point line all that much. As a team, the '85 Lakers took just 295 3-pointers on the season. To put that in perspective, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, and Mario Chalmers all individually shot more than 300 3-pointers in 2012-13. Because of the 3-point shot, last year's Heat team ended up having the best shooting season in NBA history.
It's something the Heat have managed to do through the first 35 games of the season. As a team, they're shooting 51.1 percent from the field, which is historically ridiculous. There have been 17 teams in the 3-point era (since 1979) that have posted a field goal percentage of at least 51.1 percent from the field. The Heat are at the bottom of that list of 17 teams. So if they're 17th of 17 teams on this list, how can you possibly call them the best shooting team in NBA history?
The 51.1 percent from the field the Heat are shooting this season is historic on its own. But they're doing it with a volume of 3-point shooting we've never seen before. Here are the 17 teams that have shot at least 51.1 percent from the field in NBA history and their 3-point volume attached to it: The Lakers of the 1980's dominated field goal percentage but we never saw many 3-point attempts from them. That was just part of the era. While the 3-point shot was there, it wasn't very prevalent in terms of teams taking a lot of shots from downtown. It was nowhere entrenched in the game like it is today. This is part of the reason the Heat's field goal percentage is so historically impressive.
Not only is the 51.1 percent from the field incredibly rare, but they've more than double the 3-point attempts of the next most voluminous team, the 1994-95 Utah Jazz. By the way, the Jazz took over nine per game when the league moved the 3-point line in. The Heat currently have an effective field goal percentage of 56.4 percent. Guess how many teams have put up at least a 56.0 effective field goal percentage.
The only team is this current Miami Heat squad.
A big part of this historic shooting performance is LeBron James. His 58.9 percent from the field on nearly 16 shots per game doesn't even seem possible. His true shooting percentage of 66.9 percent has never been done by a player taking at least 15 shots per game. Only two other players have ever had a true shooting percentage at least 66.0 percent while shooting 15 times each night and one of them never took a 3-pointer.
But Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have been incredibly efficient as well. Wade takes 14.7 shots per game and makes 53.8 percent of them. Chris Bosh takes 11.4 attempts each night and makes 53.0 percent. The Big Three account for 49.4 percent of the Heat's total attempts while pouring in a success rate of 55.6 percent. There is only one area of the court in which they struggle and everywhere else is around league average or far above it. Percentage-wise, the Heat are the best team in the restricted area, the best in the paint on non-restricted area attempts, 11th in midrange shots, and the best corner 3-point shooting team. The only spot they struggle is on above-the-break 3-point attempts in which they're 23rd in the NBA but shoot the fifth fewest attempts per game.
The Heat excel with the players they're supposed to excel with and shoot from the spots they're supposed to shoot from. Considering their biggest roadblock in the Eastern Conference is the Indiana Pacers (the league's stingiest defense in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage allowed), being able to make shots at a historic rate seems to be pretty important.
If the Heat are able to be one of the few teams in NBA history to successfully execute a three-peat, it may just simply come down to making shots in a way we've never seen before.
Miami Heat are currently the best shooting team in NBA history - CBSSports-com
Last season, the Miami Heat made 49.6 percent of their shots with an effective field goal percentage (accounting for the extra point on a 3-point shot) of 55.2 percent. That effective field goal percentage was the highest of all time, topping the 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers that put up a 55.1 effective field goal percentage. During that season, the Lakers had the highest field goal percentage by a team in NBA history with 54.5 percent.
No other team has ever approached a field goal percentage that high. One reason they shot so high was they didn't use the 3-point line all that much. As a team, the '85 Lakers took just 295 3-pointers on the season. To put that in perspective, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, and Mario Chalmers all individually shot more than 300 3-pointers in 2012-13. Because of the 3-point shot, last year's Heat team ended up having the best shooting season in NBA history.
It's something the Heat have managed to do through the first 35 games of the season. As a team, they're shooting 51.1 percent from the field, which is historically ridiculous. There have been 17 teams in the 3-point era (since 1979) that have posted a field goal percentage of at least 51.1 percent from the field. The Heat are at the bottom of that list of 17 teams. So if they're 17th of 17 teams on this list, how can you possibly call them the best shooting team in NBA history?
The 51.1 percent from the field the Heat are shooting this season is historic on its own. But they're doing it with a volume of 3-point shooting we've never seen before. Here are the 17 teams that have shot at least 51.1 percent from the field in NBA history and their 3-point volume attached to it: The Lakers of the 1980's dominated field goal percentage but we never saw many 3-point attempts from them. That was just part of the era. While the 3-point shot was there, it wasn't very prevalent in terms of teams taking a lot of shots from downtown. It was nowhere entrenched in the game like it is today. This is part of the reason the Heat's field goal percentage is so historically impressive.
Not only is the 51.1 percent from the field incredibly rare, but they've more than double the 3-point attempts of the next most voluminous team, the 1994-95 Utah Jazz. By the way, the Jazz took over nine per game when the league moved the 3-point line in. The Heat currently have an effective field goal percentage of 56.4 percent. Guess how many teams have put up at least a 56.0 effective field goal percentage.
The only team is this current Miami Heat squad.
A big part of this historic shooting performance is LeBron James. His 58.9 percent from the field on nearly 16 shots per game doesn't even seem possible. His true shooting percentage of 66.9 percent has never been done by a player taking at least 15 shots per game. Only two other players have ever had a true shooting percentage at least 66.0 percent while shooting 15 times each night and one of them never took a 3-pointer.
But Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have been incredibly efficient as well. Wade takes 14.7 shots per game and makes 53.8 percent of them. Chris Bosh takes 11.4 attempts each night and makes 53.0 percent. The Big Three account for 49.4 percent of the Heat's total attempts while pouring in a success rate of 55.6 percent. There is only one area of the court in which they struggle and everywhere else is around league average or far above it. Percentage-wise, the Heat are the best team in the restricted area, the best in the paint on non-restricted area attempts, 11th in midrange shots, and the best corner 3-point shooting team. The only spot they struggle is on above-the-break 3-point attempts in which they're 23rd in the NBA but shoot the fifth fewest attempts per game.
The Heat excel with the players they're supposed to excel with and shoot from the spots they're supposed to shoot from. Considering their biggest roadblock in the Eastern Conference is the Indiana Pacers (the league's stingiest defense in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage allowed), being able to make shots at a historic rate seems to be pretty important.
If the Heat are able to be one of the few teams in NBA history to successfully execute a three-peat, it may just simply come down to making shots in a way we've never seen before.
Miami Heat are currently the best shooting team in NBA history - CBSSports-com
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Joe Johnson scored 32 points, Shaun Livingston helped Brooklyn dominate the second overtime after LeBron James fouled out, and the Nets beat the Miami Heat 104-95 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.
Livingston had two baskets and two blocked shots in the second OT, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists over 51 minutes in a sensational effort while starting for injured Deron Williams.
Paul Pierce scored 23 points but missed jumpers that could have won it at the end of regulation and the first overtime. Still, the Nets remained unbeaten in 2014, adding a victory over the two-time defending NBA champions to their recent wins over Oklahoma City and Golden State.
James had 36 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Heat, but fouled out on an offensive foul with 36 seconds left in the first overtime and the Heat trailing by two.
Miami pushed it to a second overtime without him, but it was all Nets from there against a Heat team that was already missing Dwyane Wade and two other starters.
HAWKS 83, ROCKETS 80
ATLANTA — Kyle Korver scored 20 points, including four free throws in the final 16 seconds, and Atlanta fought off Houston's late comeback.
Paul Millsap also had 20 points for the Hawks, who earned their second straight impressive home win following a victory over Indiana on Wednesday night.
James Harden led the Rockets with 25 points. Dwight Howard had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Houston rallied from an eight-point deficit with 11 straight points to lead 76-73 before Korver's 3-pointer tied the game. Following a basket by Harden, DeMarre Carroll's 3-pointer gave Atlanta a 79-78 lead. The Hawks didn't trail again.
PISTONS 114, 76ERS 104
PHILADELPHIA — Josh Smith had 22 points in an outstanding all-around game, Brandon Jennings made four 3-pointers in the second half and Detroit snapped a six-game losing streak with a comeback victory over Philadelphia.
Five other players scored in double figures for the Pistons, who averaged just 88.8 points during their skid. Jennings had 18 of his 19 points in the second half. Kyle Singler and Will Bynum each had 16 off the bench.
Thaddeus Young scored 22 points for the Sixers, who have lost three straight after reeling off four consecutive road wins.
Detroit outrebounded the Sixers 62-42, tying the arena record for offensive rebounds with 25.
The 76ers said Smith became the third player in NBA history with 22 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and four steals in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The other two were Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who did it twice.
TIMBERWOLVES 119, BOBCATS 92
MINNEAPOLIS — Nikola Pekovic scored 26 points in 27 minutes and Minnesota blew off some steam by beating Charlotte.
Kevin Love had 19 points and 14 rebounds, Kevin Martin added 19 points and Minnesota's bench had 20 points before Charlotte's reserves even got on the board late in the second quarter.
Anthony Tolliver scored 21 for the Bobcats, who have lost seven of eight.
The Timberwolves lost 104-103 to Phoenix on Wednesday and fell to 0-10 in games decided by four points or fewer. The tension carried into the locker room where Love, recently critical of a particularly paltry output by the reserves, ripped J.J. Barea and Dante Cunningham for their disinterested body language at the end of the bench.
MAVERICKS 107, PELICANS 90
NEW ORLEANS — Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points, Monta Ellis added 23 and Dallas sent short-handed New Orleans to its fourth straight loss.
Vince Carter added 14 points and Jae Crowder 12 for Dallas, which never trailed. The Mavericks led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter over a Pelicans squad minus starting point guard Jrue Holiday and leading scorer Ryan Anderson.
Holiday missed his first game with a stress fracture in his right shin. Anderson went down last week with a herniated disk.
Eric Gordon scored 27 points for New Orleans, while Anthony Davis added 21 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots.
PACERS 93, WIZARDS 66
INDIANAPOLIS — David West scored 20 points and C.J. Watson had 16, leading the Pacers to a win over the Wizards.
Indiana (29-7) used an 11-3 run in the third quarter to create separation from Washington. Two field goals from West capped off the swing, which put the Pacers up 56-40.
Trying for their first four-game win streak on the road since February 2008, the Wizards (16-18) stumbled at the foul line. They finished 9 of 23 on free throws, hitting just five of their first 14.
Washington lost to the Pacers for the 11th time in 12 tries and haven't won at Indiana since April 18, 2007.
Washington was led by Bradley Beal with 17 points.
GRIZZLIES 104, SUNS 99
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mike Conley matched his career high with 31 points, and the Grizzlies used a fourth-quarter burst to overtake the Suns.
Zach Randolph had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Memphis, while Ed Davis had 10 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. The Grizzlies outrebounded the Suns 53-44. Mike Miller finished with 11 points. Randolph tied his season high in assists with seven.
Goran Dragic led the Suns with 21 points and eight assists, connecting on 6 of 10 shots. Markieff Morris came off the Phoenix bench for 17 points.
BULLS 81, BUCKS 72
MILWAUKEE — Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 13 rebounds in his first game back from a right knee injury, Mike Dunleavy Jr. added 18 points and the Bulls beat the Bucks.
Taj Gibson added 12 points at the Bradley Center, where a healthy sprinkling of Bulls fans wearing red celebrated the team's fourth straight win.
They almost watched Chicago waste a 15-point lead. The Bucks opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run to get to within three. A long jumper from Ersan Ilyasova (14 points) got the Bucks to 71-70 with 5:42 left.
But the Bulls hung on, even after Boozer missed two foul shots with 3:42 left with his team up by three.
The B
Livingston had two baskets and two blocked shots in the second OT, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists over 51 minutes in a sensational effort while starting for injured Deron Williams.
Paul Pierce scored 23 points but missed jumpers that could have won it at the end of regulation and the first overtime. Still, the Nets remained unbeaten in 2014, adding a victory over the two-time defending NBA champions to their recent wins over Oklahoma City and Golden State.
James had 36 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Heat, but fouled out on an offensive foul with 36 seconds left in the first overtime and the Heat trailing by two.
Miami pushed it to a second overtime without him, but it was all Nets from there against a Heat team that was already missing Dwyane Wade and two other starters.
HAWKS 83, ROCKETS 80
ATLANTA — Kyle Korver scored 20 points, including four free throws in the final 16 seconds, and Atlanta fought off Houston's late comeback.
Paul Millsap also had 20 points for the Hawks, who earned their second straight impressive home win following a victory over Indiana on Wednesday night.
James Harden led the Rockets with 25 points. Dwight Howard had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Houston rallied from an eight-point deficit with 11 straight points to lead 76-73 before Korver's 3-pointer tied the game. Following a basket by Harden, DeMarre Carroll's 3-pointer gave Atlanta a 79-78 lead. The Hawks didn't trail again.
PISTONS 114, 76ERS 104
PHILADELPHIA — Josh Smith had 22 points in an outstanding all-around game, Brandon Jennings made four 3-pointers in the second half and Detroit snapped a six-game losing streak with a comeback victory over Philadelphia.
Five other players scored in double figures for the Pistons, who averaged just 88.8 points during their skid. Jennings had 18 of his 19 points in the second half. Kyle Singler and Will Bynum each had 16 off the bench.
Thaddeus Young scored 22 points for the Sixers, who have lost three straight after reeling off four consecutive road wins.
Detroit outrebounded the Sixers 62-42, tying the arena record for offensive rebounds with 25.
The 76ers said Smith became the third player in NBA history with 22 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and four steals in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The other two were Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who did it twice.
TIMBERWOLVES 119, BOBCATS 92
MINNEAPOLIS — Nikola Pekovic scored 26 points in 27 minutes and Minnesota blew off some steam by beating Charlotte.
Kevin Love had 19 points and 14 rebounds, Kevin Martin added 19 points and Minnesota's bench had 20 points before Charlotte's reserves even got on the board late in the second quarter.
Anthony Tolliver scored 21 for the Bobcats, who have lost seven of eight.
The Timberwolves lost 104-103 to Phoenix on Wednesday and fell to 0-10 in games decided by four points or fewer. The tension carried into the locker room where Love, recently critical of a particularly paltry output by the reserves, ripped J.J. Barea and Dante Cunningham for their disinterested body language at the end of the bench.
MAVERICKS 107, PELICANS 90
NEW ORLEANS — Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points, Monta Ellis added 23 and Dallas sent short-handed New Orleans to its fourth straight loss.
Vince Carter added 14 points and Jae Crowder 12 for Dallas, which never trailed. The Mavericks led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter over a Pelicans squad minus starting point guard Jrue Holiday and leading scorer Ryan Anderson.
Holiday missed his first game with a stress fracture in his right shin. Anderson went down last week with a herniated disk.
Eric Gordon scored 27 points for New Orleans, while Anthony Davis added 21 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots.
PACERS 93, WIZARDS 66
INDIANAPOLIS — David West scored 20 points and C.J. Watson had 16, leading the Pacers to a win over the Wizards.
Indiana (29-7) used an 11-3 run in the third quarter to create separation from Washington. Two field goals from West capped off the swing, which put the Pacers up 56-40.
Trying for their first four-game win streak on the road since February 2008, the Wizards (16-18) stumbled at the foul line. They finished 9 of 23 on free throws, hitting just five of their first 14.
Washington lost to the Pacers for the 11th time in 12 tries and haven't won at Indiana since April 18, 2007.
Washington was led by Bradley Beal with 17 points.
GRIZZLIES 104, SUNS 99
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mike Conley matched his career high with 31 points, and the Grizzlies used a fourth-quarter burst to overtake the Suns.
Zach Randolph had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Memphis, while Ed Davis had 10 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. The Grizzlies outrebounded the Suns 53-44. Mike Miller finished with 11 points. Randolph tied his season high in assists with seven.
Goran Dragic led the Suns with 21 points and eight assists, connecting on 6 of 10 shots. Markieff Morris came off the Phoenix bench for 17 points.
BULLS 81, BUCKS 72
MILWAUKEE — Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 13 rebounds in his first game back from a right knee injury, Mike Dunleavy Jr. added 18 points and the Bulls beat the Bucks.
Taj Gibson added 12 points at the Bradley Center, where a healthy sprinkling of Bulls fans wearing red celebrated the team's fourth straight win.
They almost watched Chicago waste a 15-point lead. The Bucks opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run to get to within three. A long jumper from Ersan Ilyasova (14 points) got the Bucks to 71-70 with 5:42 left.
But the Bulls hung on, even after Boozer missed two foul shots with 3:42 left with his team up by three.
The B
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The game on Saturday night between the Washington Wizards and the Houston Rockets, played in Washington’s Verizon Center, was briefly delayed by rain in the second quarter.
This is noteworthy because the Verizon Center has a roof and basketball games are not traditionally affected by the weather outside.
This is noteworthy because the Verizon Center has a roof and basketball games are not traditionally affected by the weather outside.
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
After playing five games in eight days, the Brooklyn Nets find themselves with something of a holiday. They headed to London on Sunday night to prepare to play the Atlanta Hawks at O2 Arena on Thursday night, the only game they are scheduled to play for the next eight days.
It is long way to go to play basketball, a wide diversion from the rhythm and routine of the NBA season. Among players and coaches, levels of enthusiasm about the trip seemed varied.
Coach Jason Kidd was asked Saturday in Toronto whether he was excited about the game.
"I did this trip last year," said Kidd, who played for the New York Knicks during the 2012-13 season. "So the game is scheduled in London, so we have to go over and play it."
It was an understated, logically airtight response.
Others, though, expressed a bit more enthusiasm. Mason Plumlee, the Nets' rookie center, said he was looking forward to the trip, his first visit to London. Plumlee said the players were allowed to take someone on the trip. He said he was taking his mother.
"Man, I owe her for a lot," Plumlee said. "I don't got a girlfriend, so I'll take Mom."
This will be the eighth NBA game at O2 Arena since 2007. It will be the Nets' third trip there: They played a preseason game in 2008 and two regular-season games - the league's first ones in Britain - against the Toronto Raptors in 2011.
Brett Yormark, the Nets' chief executive, said the team seeks out intercontinental trips.
"When the league discusses opportunities to play abroad or internationally, I'm typically one of the first to raise his hand to say, 'Take us wherever the NBA brand is going,"' Yormark said. "The NBA has its own internal scheduling process, but we certainly are aggressive about making sure they know that we want to participate. They also know the U.K. is an important market for us."
Yormark will participate in a sports-business round-table discussion on Wednesday alongside executives from Arsenal, an English soccer club, and the Infiniti Red Bull Racing Formula One team.
Before the Nets were bought by Mikhail D. Prokhorov, a Russian billionaire businessman and politician, they began increasing their global branding efforts when it became clear the team was moving to Brooklyn. That included giving selling rights to Barclays, the British bank, and sending the club's dance team to 10 countries in the last year.
Yormark said the team was focusing on three markets: Russia ("Obviously."), China ("Everyone needs to be in China.") and Britain (We've got three or four corporate partners there.").
"While we aspire to be global, we also act local, too," Yormark said. "A lot of teams just can't do that."
The Nets have three international players: Andrei Kirilenko (Russia), Tornike Shengelia (republic of Georgia), and Mirza Teletovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina.)
"Going to Europe, it's like going back home," said Teletovic, who expected to see some family members at the game.
From a basketball standpoint, the trip could be beneficial.
Professional athletes are creatures of routine, and a long trip to an unfamiliar locale seems to be the antithesis. But as the Nets showed during their loss Saturday to Toronto, they and their tired legs could use a break.
Before that game, the Nets had won five in a row in 2014, knocking off the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Hawks, the Golden State Warriors and, on Friday night, the Miami Heat. It was an invigorating streak that, while taking a physical toll on the players, boosted their confidence. The Nets' first game back will be on Jan. 20, when they play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
"We've always had players' individual confidence," Plumlee said Saturday, "but as a group, I think we feel like we've been in different situations - the Miami game last night, close games where we've gone behind and had to come back. I think the team is growing."
The trip to London could continue that growth. Jason Terry said the trip would give the players - many in their first season with the franchise - another experience to bring them together, like the preseason training camp trip they took to Duke in Durham, N.C.
"We're still a new team," he said. "We don't know each other as well as we could. It's another chance for us to bond, sort of like we did in preseason. It's a break, to get away, a breath of fresh air. Then we can come back ready."
Deron Williams (sprained ankle) did not travel with the Nets to London.
Read more: NBA: Brooklyn Nets bring New York swagger to London for clash with Atlanta Hawks
It is long way to go to play basketball, a wide diversion from the rhythm and routine of the NBA season. Among players and coaches, levels of enthusiasm about the trip seemed varied.
Coach Jason Kidd was asked Saturday in Toronto whether he was excited about the game.
"I did this trip last year," said Kidd, who played for the New York Knicks during the 2012-13 season. "So the game is scheduled in London, so we have to go over and play it."
It was an understated, logically airtight response.
Others, though, expressed a bit more enthusiasm. Mason Plumlee, the Nets' rookie center, said he was looking forward to the trip, his first visit to London. Plumlee said the players were allowed to take someone on the trip. He said he was taking his mother.
"Man, I owe her for a lot," Plumlee said. "I don't got a girlfriend, so I'll take Mom."
This will be the eighth NBA game at O2 Arena since 2007. It will be the Nets' third trip there: They played a preseason game in 2008 and two regular-season games - the league's first ones in Britain - against the Toronto Raptors in 2011.
Brett Yormark, the Nets' chief executive, said the team seeks out intercontinental trips.
"When the league discusses opportunities to play abroad or internationally, I'm typically one of the first to raise his hand to say, 'Take us wherever the NBA brand is going,"' Yormark said. "The NBA has its own internal scheduling process, but we certainly are aggressive about making sure they know that we want to participate. They also know the U.K. is an important market for us."
Yormark will participate in a sports-business round-table discussion on Wednesday alongside executives from Arsenal, an English soccer club, and the Infiniti Red Bull Racing Formula One team.
Before the Nets were bought by Mikhail D. Prokhorov, a Russian billionaire businessman and politician, they began increasing their global branding efforts when it became clear the team was moving to Brooklyn. That included giving selling rights to Barclays, the British bank, and sending the club's dance team to 10 countries in the last year.
Yormark said the team was focusing on three markets: Russia ("Obviously."), China ("Everyone needs to be in China.") and Britain (We've got three or four corporate partners there.").
"While we aspire to be global, we also act local, too," Yormark said. "A lot of teams just can't do that."
The Nets have three international players: Andrei Kirilenko (Russia), Tornike Shengelia (republic of Georgia), and Mirza Teletovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina.)
"Going to Europe, it's like going back home," said Teletovic, who expected to see some family members at the game.
From a basketball standpoint, the trip could be beneficial.
Professional athletes are creatures of routine, and a long trip to an unfamiliar locale seems to be the antithesis. But as the Nets showed during their loss Saturday to Toronto, they and their tired legs could use a break.
Before that game, the Nets had won five in a row in 2014, knocking off the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Hawks, the Golden State Warriors and, on Friday night, the Miami Heat. It was an invigorating streak that, while taking a physical toll on the players, boosted their confidence. The Nets' first game back will be on Jan. 20, when they play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
"We've always had players' individual confidence," Plumlee said Saturday, "but as a group, I think we feel like we've been in different situations - the Miami game last night, close games where we've gone behind and had to come back. I think the team is growing."
The trip to London could continue that growth. Jason Terry said the trip would give the players - many in their first season with the franchise - another experience to bring them together, like the preseason training camp trip they took to Duke in Durham, N.C.
"We're still a new team," he said. "We don't know each other as well as we could. It's another chance for us to bond, sort of like we did in preseason. It's a break, to get away, a breath of fresh air. Then we can come back ready."
Deron Williams (sprained ankle) did not travel with the Nets to London.
Read more: NBA: Brooklyn Nets bring New York swagger to London for clash with Atlanta Hawks
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The Miami Heat star proposed to his longtime girlfriend Saturday and the actress accepted. They announced the news through social media, around the same time as the two-time defending NBA champions were gathering for a team Christmas party.
“She said YES😡” Wade posted to his Twitter and Instagram accounts, with a photo of Union wearing a large diamond solitaire on the ring finger of her left hand.
It will be the second marriage for both Union, 41, and Wade, who turns 32 next month. No date has been announced, and the couple did not release any formal statements about the engagement Saturday night.
“A special evening,” Heat managing general partner Micky Arison wrote on Twitter.
Added Adrienne Bosh, the wife of Heat forward Chris Bosh, also on Twitter: “The @MiamiHEAT Christmas party always brings great traditions and the BEST surprises.”
Wade proposed to Union before the party. The couple have been together for several years and there were recent indications that marriage was in the plans — specifically how their Christmas cards had a return address sticker calling them the “Wade-Union Family.”
That’s also referenced in the cards, which bear the message “Happy Holidays from the Wade-Union Family.” The cards also show photos of Wade and Union together, along with photos of them with Wade’s two sons and the nephew he’s raising.
Wade was clearly in a giving mood Saturday. He presented each of his teammates from last season’s championship run with green jackets, reminiscent of what golfers get for winning the Masters.
Wade is expected to publicly discuss the engagement on Sunday.
Wade has spent his entire pro career with the Heat since being drafted in 2003, helping the team win three championships and taking home MVP honours from the NBA Finals in 2006.
Union has starred in movies such as Bring It On and Think Like A Man, along with the BET series Being Mary Jane.
NBA: Wade gets engaged to Gabrielle Union | Toronto Star