A better basketball site.
For intelligent readers, from veteran writers.
Keep scrolling down. Good stuff here.
Mark Jackson is the coach of the Golden State Warriors. If you ask him, though, he will probably tell you that he is, first and foremost, a pastor.
Generally speaking, Jackson is a good man. He respects all of his players and treats them as equals. He would never speak ill towards any of them and never utters a curse word – not easy to do when you’re involved with the game of basketball.
Here’s the bottom line on Carmelo Anthony’s recent play. Using the measuring stick of points per shot, it is his worst four-game stretch of the postseason since the first four playoff games of his career.
Furthermore, when compared alongside other worst four-game stretches of contemporary solo superstars, it is near the bottom.
Following Sunday’s loss to Indiana in the Eastern Conference semifinals opener, the Knicks are 1-3 in their last four games, including 0-2 at home. Their only win saw them nearly squander a 26-point lead in a matter of minutes as they repeatedly force-fed Anthony (and, to be fair, J.R. Smith) in isolation situations.
Suddenly, everything is a whole lot clearer. Four teams were eliminated last night, and we’ve got just one more game in the first round of the playoffs. It’s tonight, between the Bulls and Nets, and the winner gets to face the Heat. So maybe not the best reward, but every team in the East knows they’ll have to go through the Heat if they want to reach the Finals.
The rest of the second round is set, and we’ve got previews all ready for you. First we’ve got the Grizzlies and the Thunder out west, and in the east we’ve got the Pacers and the Knicks.
Now here’s all the latest news from around the NBA:
Vinny Del Negro will be coaching his final game with the Los Angeles Clippers tonight when they lose Game 6 to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Wait a minute, is that fair to say? And is that fair to surmise?
No, and maybe.
This much we know: The Clippers have lost three in a row, Blake Griffin is iffy with a sprained ankle, the Clippers are getting virtually nothing from anyone not named Chris Paul or Jamal Crawford, and the time to take desperate measures has arrived — especially for a coach in the final year of his contract.
What might those desperate measures be?
How about starting Crawford over Chauncey Billups? Or maybe starting Eric Bledsoe. Or maybe Matt Barnes over Caron Butler.
Or maybe nothing?
We shall see tonight, as I discussed with Travis Rodgers of KLAA-ESPN Radio in Los Angeles this morning:
With the NBA playoffs in full force, there isn’t a dull moment around the league. And just because you’re not still playing doesn’t mean you can’t get in on the action.
Whether it’s cruising into the second round, battling to stay alive or gearing up for an offseason overhaul, everyone’s making headlines right now.
