The pictures says it all. That is exactly how Nate McMillian should feel. Confused.
I don’t want to take anything away from Scott Skiles, who did a wonderful job with the Bucks this year. Jerry Sloan, who has never won the award. Also, let’s not forget Larry Brown, who worked his magic with the Bobcats this year (only to look into leaving the team during the most important part of the season — typical LB). Hell, Alvin Gentry also deserved a big time look at this award. The field was deep.
Of course there is Scott Brooks, he won the award and his team won 50 games, shocking the league with an insane turnaround. They are even tied 2-2 with the World Champion Lakers in their first-round series. Granted Brooks deserves credit, I think most of that lies within Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Not all, not by any means, but a good portion of it. Let’s not discredit what Brooks has done with the Thunder at all, but it doesn’t compare to McMillan’s impact in Portland.
By now you hopefully have read my analysis of what I think will come of the first-round in the Eastern Conference, which seems like it will be some pretty dull and lackluster matchups. I don’t see any series really going to the limit or even making us question the higher seed. as we did last year with the amazing Chicago-Boston series. In the West however, excitement looms.
The West typically over the last few years has always given us a better first round, just because the middle of the bunch, hell even the top portion, are incredibly close. Just looking at the standings you’ll see that only seven games separates the No. 1 seed Lakers from their No. 8 seed opponent Oklahoma City. The first round out West has the potential to be great, so here’s a look at the matchups.
We all know that the 2010 NBA Slam Dunk contest was terrible. It was bad enough that this dunk that Andre Miller pulled off Sunday night would have won the competition. That’s no knock on Miller, it’s just shocking that Miller can dunk at all, let alone throw it down the way he did.
Miller is about to turn 34 years old in a few days and I’ve never seen him dunk like that in a game, let alone remember him dunking in the last decade.
Not to mention, Miller dropped a career-high 52 points on Dallas earlier this year. All of this from a guy that wasn’t starting in favor of Steve Blake a few months back.
Over the years, changes in technology have really changed the landscape of the NBA. From getting a box score and up to the minute news, moving all the way forward to the Twitter era — where so many of the league’s players give peaks into their everyday normal lives, along with communicating with fans and giving away tickets.
Granted the camera phone has been around for about seven years now, it’s really had quite the impact on the league this season.
Just a few weeks ago, news broke that nude photos of Blazers’ center Greg Oden were making their way around the net. It was awkward news, and it was apparent that Oden was pretty embarrassed by the whole situation.
In a statement issued by the team Tuesday, Hill said: “A year ago I made a mistake and take full responsibility for my actions. I have matured and learned from this episode.”
These two young players, obviously have some learning to do. If you want a girl to send you nude pics, and you’re in the NBA, you’re probably not going to have to return the favor via MMS. If a regular guy can get away with it, an NBA player should have no problem with this.
Luckily, a veteran like Juwan Howard is smart enough to know he shouldn’t be pulling a Vanessa Hudgens — at least I hope so.
If you want to see the pics, Google them, cause you won’t find them here. Sorry ladies.
On this site, I’m all about the 80′s and 90′s, especially that early-mid 90′s game — when I grew up watching guys like Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Shaquille O’Neal, Dennis Scott, David Robinson and Juwan Howard. We all know that O’Neal is still around, but I bet a lot of people didn’t realize that Howard is as well.
Howard, on the verge of 37 years young has become the starting center for the Portland Trail Blazers, after injuries to Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. Last night, Howard officially turned back the clock on this amazing slam in the face of the 27 year-old Chris Kaman.
Just to reiterate, Howard was drafted in 1994. In 1994, Kaman was in the seventh grade.
You didn’t want to say you knew it would happen, but it did.
Greg Oden is hurt again, another season ending injury for young seven-footer.
It’s a shame for not only Oden and the Blazers, but Portland and the NBA in general. He’s a good kid, he has personality and he can be marketable. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to stay on the court.
Drafted first overall in 2007, Oden missed the entire 2007-08 season after a microfracture surgery to repair a bad knee. Last season Oden made his NBA debut and played in 61 games for the Blazers, playing a limited 21 minutes per night and giving the players around eight points, seven rebounds and a block per game.
This year, Oden showed signs of improvement. He was averaging 11.1 points,8.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per night. He was starting to come along more and more each game, but now the process is halted — again.
As Oden went up to challenge an Aaron Brooks layup in Saturday night’s game against the Houston Rockets, he came down and instantly hit the ground. The 21 year-old big man rolled on the hardwood, wincing in pain. It was difficult to watch, knowing Oden’s young and pain-filled history. As he laid on the ground, it was almost certain in everyone’s eyes that they knew Oden’s season was done. The crowd was silent looking on in shock, worry and grief. Head coach Nate McMillan did the same and teammates gathered around the big fella as he laid on the ground.
As Oden was carried off the court on a stretcher, the fans and players from both teams gave him a standing ovation.
Not the standing ovation that Oden would like, nor the Blazers, but a sign of respect and hope for the player that this team helps can put them over the hump one day.
Hang in the big guy, you’re only 21 – look at Andrew Bynum for example. Keep the hope Portland.
Rudy Gay is one of the best slam dunk artists in the entire league, but he played the victim on Tuesday night. Travis Outlaw gets the offensive rebound, and catches Gay sleeping as he throws this one down for a dunk heard ’round the world. Outlaw’s mother was in the building to see her son quiet the crowd in Memphis last night, so I’ll assume that one was for her.
Unfortunately for Gay, he still has a migraine this morning. That migraine probably doesn’t feel as bad as Hasheem Thabeet’s jaw, which was broken last night by his own teammate, Zach Randolph.
Yesterday I went over the much-improved Eastern Conference, and today I’m going to hit you all with my Western Conference preview.
Ron Artest is in Hollywood, San Antonio is healthy and has added a bunch of new talent and Allen Iverson has agreed to come off the bench for the Memphis Grizzlies. The plot thickens out West, but one thing remains, Kobe Bryant is the league’s best player and is chasing after his fifth championship ring.
How will the West play out? I know the answers to all of this, so read the review already.
Media day in the NBA is kind of like the first day or school. Maybe it’s more like the schools open house event that happens about a week before school starts.
Think about it, all the players are back and seeing some of their “friends” for maybe the first time since before summer, there are new faces and everyone is getting their picture taken. More importantly, just like in school, rumors are spreading. Thanks to the students, I mean players like Stephen Jackson, he puts the rumors to the light and makes them more than rumors.
Media day began yesterday for many of the league’s teams and it continues today. Here are some highlights from yesterday.
Change your NBA franchise? Recent NCAA POY. A.Davis,Jimmer,E.Turner,Blake,Tyler H,KD,Redick,Bogut,Jameer,TJ Ford,JWill,Shane,KMart,Brand.(via Twitter)5 hours ago
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