0 comments by Bart D on 5/17/2016
The NBA’s version of Socialism meets Luck took place again, the always entertaining-but-you-never-really-know-why Draft Lottery. The Philadelphia 76ers “won,” which, thanks to Dikembe Mutumbo, had all the drama of fence paint drying on a 90-degree day. This is a landmark date, though, on the NBA calendar. One player can shift the fortunes of a franchise […]
0 comments by Zac Voynow
With the NBA playoffs in full swing, it’s time for the teams who didn’t make it this far to turn their focus to the upcoming NBA draft. In this segment, I’ll focus on the top five picks in the 2016 NBA Draft. This isn’t an exceptionally strong draft, but there is still some serious talent […]
0 comments by Bart D
You probably could have drawn it up a little cleaner along the way, but as we drill down to four teams left in the NBA season, the ends are more likely to justify the means than they’ve ever been. The Eastern Conference Finals opens tonight in Cleveland, a tortured city only eight wins (and four […]
OAKLAND, CA – MAY 16: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during game one of the NBA Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder at ORACLE Arena on May 16, 2016 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
0 comments by John Cannon
I woke last night to the sound of thunder How far off, I sat and wondered… — Bob Seger, “Night Moves” Facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in Monday’s Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, the Golden State Warriors did the opposite of this famous song from 1976, which, ironically, is the last year they lost […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek
It will be a relevant tension point as long as basketball is played: good shot-bad shot. What’s a good look at the basket, and what’s not? The Golden State Warriors, now down 1-0 in the Western Conference Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder, know they gave away too many possessions with turnovers (some of them […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek
Steven Adams isn’t the best player on the floor in the Western Conference Finals between his Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors. He might be the most important player, however. Monday night in Game 1, Adams picked up where he left off. The work he did to change and define the West semifinals […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek
If you thought the Western Conference semifinals between the OKC Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs would not carry over to the Western Conference Finals, Game 1 on Monday night in Oakland gave you reason to reconsider your position. A sluggish first half. A pre-halftime quarter (first or second) with at least 27 points allowed. […]
0 comments by Bart D on 5/16/2016
Dropping hints of breaking news that could be done anytime, but choosing a Saturday night to do so, is the equivalent of trying to climb the tree to your bedroom window hoping your parents sleeping on the couch don’t realize you’re sneaking in at 3 a.m. when they saw you last go to bed at […]
0 comments by John Cannon
Both the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder possess the combination of great players and very good players that a team needs to win an NBA championship. The reason, in my opinion, that the Warriors have a trophy and the Thunder do not is the mental game of basketball. Unlike baseball and football, where […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek
Playing Portland — it could have been viewed as the easier path for the Golden State Warriors when the 2016 NBA Playoffs began. Yes, a date with the Trail Blazers ceased to be the easier path when Chris Paul and Blake Griffin both went down, but even then, the reigning NBA champions did not figure […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek
The Oklahoma City Thunder, should they lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, would absorb another memorable disappointment. The franchise would have to face another stinging setback, a moment reminiscent of the 2012 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. Another failure against LeBron James — after rallying to defeat the San Antonio […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek
The 10-game upset is a term which isn’t firmly embedded in your mind. This marks the perfect time to internalize the term, and to begin to absorb a specific part of NBA postseason history. The 10-game upset is something the Oklahoma City Thunder have already achieved in 2016, and will try to replicate in this upcoming […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek
The Miami Heat died honorably on Sunday in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat pushed up the hill as long as they could. Having trailed by 17 points midway through the third quarter, they sliced their deficit to six in the early stages of the fourth quarter. They were right there, somehow […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek
The Toronto Raptors spent much of the past month — much of two fortnight-long series against the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat — fumbling, bumbling and stumbling. They watched DeMar DeRozan shoot them out of games in their losses, and into more precarious positions in their wins. The erosion of DeRozan’s game, relative to the […]
0 comments by John Cannon
With some time to reflect on the Golden State Warriors’ series against the Portland Trail Blazers, one thing kept coming back to me: Man, it’s a good thing they won that Game 5! Much has been said and written about the closeness of the series and how it didn’t feel like a 4-1 series at […]
