NBA Playoffs 2013: Projecting Most Exciting Semifinal Matchups
Some series in the NBA playoffs have already wrapped up, so it’s not too early to begin looking ahead to the most exciting potential conference semifinal matchups.
On Sunday, the Miami Heat completed the first sweep in the era of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh by dispatching the Milwaukee Bucks. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs advanced in the same fashion against the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers.
Both of those that appear to be rolling through the postseason, though, have some of the most intriguing prospective showdowns on tap in the next round.
The Western Conference’s top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder are on the brink of winning in four games themselves, but are without superstar PG Russell Westbrook for the remainder of the way due to a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Below is a breakdown of the clashes that would make for some highly captivating postseason drama.
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies
A fateful, routine play changed the Thunder’s entire postseason dynamic. OKC should handle the Houston Rockets just fine and advance in short order, but the Grizzlies are a different matter.
It’s no lock that Memphis will get by the Los Angeles Clippers, but Lionel Hollins‘ gritty squad has dominated the past two contests by double digits to knot the series at two apiece.
Should the Grizzlies advance, they are the top defensive team in the league, anchored by Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol.
Another advantage they have is a dynamic point guard in Mike Conley Jr. who would be able to get into the lane with relative ease against Thunder backups Reggie Jackson and Derek Fisher. Conley is averaging 9.3 assists to just 1.8 turnovers in the Clippers series, matched up against Chris Paul.
Memphis’ front court of Gasol and crafty post dynamo Zach Randolph would also match up favorably with Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka on both ends of the floor.
Thus, it would fall on Kevin Durant to create his own offense—and shots for others—against the Grizzlies’ stymieing, physical bunch.
Memphis emerged with a 90-89 overtime victory in the FedEx Forum in the two teams’ only meeting this season, which shows that the Grizzlies can control the pace. That should be even easier with the Thunder missing Westbrook.
(1) Miami Heat vs. (5) Chicago Bulls
The defending NBA champions look pretty much unbeatable. Then again, the Bulls were supposed to be too shorthanded to do anything in the playoffs without their best player, PG Derrick Rose.
As it turns out, Chicago is playing incredible defense on the Brooklyn Nets in the opening round and has a chance to close out their superior seeded foes on Monday.
Plus, there’s still the possibility that Rose could return. How epic would that be? Rose takes the hardwood in a game once again to face the reigning Larry O’Brien Trophy holders—sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie script.
Though the Bulls may not ultimately have the offensive firepower to hang with Miami sans Rose, it would be an interesting series nevertheless.
Tom Thibodeau has his bunch playing complete, team basketball, and the spark Nate Robinson has provided off the bench was never more evident than his 34-point eruption in Chicago’s Game 4 triple-overtime win over Brooklyn in the United Center.
Heat SG Dwyane Wade has also battled through knee issues, and didn’t even play in the team’s closeout game in Milwaukee, per ESPN’s Michael Wallace.
It’s hard to fathom anyone beating Miami four times in seven games, but the Bulls could make things very difficult for the Heat to reach the conference finals.
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Golden State Warriors
The sweep for the Spurs is absolutely critical, with star players Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili still nursing their ways back to health.
Speaking of injuries, the Warriors looked to be down and out when All-Star PF David Lee tore his hip flexor. Instead, everyone is stepping up, and Stephen Curry is playing like a man possessed to will his team forward against a deep, talented Denver Nuggets bunch.
Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com captured the unique essence that the Warriors have brought to the playoffs in recent years, which makes a matchup with San Antonio all the more enticing:
Golden State can play defense, especially now that Andrew Bogut is playing at a high level. It forced 13 turnovers in the first half of Sunday evening’s victory.
However, Mark Jackson’s team runs with the best of them, and it will be interesting to see how the Spurs handle that tempo.
The head coaching matchup between Jackson and the legendary Gregg Popovich will be extremely fun to watch, as Popovich is one of the best ever at neutralizing opponents’ strengths with methodical, fundamentally sound basketball.
Curry and the Warriors play a flashy, aggressive brand of basketball, and between him and Klay Thompson, they can almost always afford to live by the three-point shot. And with how well Jarrett Jack has played since entering the starting lineup, this Golden State team is deeper than perceived.
Though Curry is battling through an ailing ankle of his own, after only three first-half field-goal attempts in Game 4, though, he whipped out the whole arsenal, as documented by CBS’ Ken Berger:
Jackson went as far to call Curry and Thompson the best shooting backcourt in the history of the league. The duo did set a regular-season record for most combined threes by teammates, but that will be put to test against San Antonio—should this matchup happen.
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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Early Look at Most Exciting Players in 2014 Class
Chances are if and when you made your college decision, you didn’t do so with the hopes and wishes of thousands of overly zealous college basketball fans hanging in the balance.
But that is the nature of the beast in today’s recruiting-crazed world of big-time intercollegiate athletics. Every year brings NBA departures, transfers and graduations, so the next natural place for supporters to direct their devotion is the whims of their program’s next teenage superstar.
There are still decisions to be made regarding the class of 2013 (Andrew Wiggins anyone?), but the next crop of signing day heroes are already making noise. With that in mind, read on to get an early look at the most exciting players of the 2014 class.
*Schools of interest and measurables courtesy of rivals.yahoo.com or ESPN’s recruiting database.
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Sweet 16 2013: Highlighting Most Exciting Matchups for NCAA Tournament
Whether it’s the in-state showdown between Florida Gulf Coast and Florida or the powerhouse matchup of Duke and Michigan State, the potential Sweet 16 matchups hold plenty of excitement as the round of 32 continues Sunday.
Florida Gulf Coast has thrust itself into the national spotlight after a riveting upset of Georgetown in the first round. The Eagles, led by second-year head coach Andy Enfield, are just one win away from a berth to the Sweet 16. Talk about a bracket buster.
With so many quality teams vying for those coveted 16 spots, let’s take a look at the most exciting potential matchups in the NCAA tournament.
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Michigan
Michigan has coasted through the first two rounds of the tournament, making mince meat of South Dakota State and VCU. The Wolverines have shot the lights out of the gym, topping 50 percent in each of their first two victories.
Led by Glenn Robinson III and Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan’s offense is among the best in the nation. It’s no coincidence that both players are the sons of former NBA stars, as Hardaway is one of the nation’s craftiest playmakers, and Robinson is a natural finisher.
Combined with all-around stud Trey Burke, the Wolverines boast arguably the top trio of any team in the tournament.
Although Kansas might have something to say about that. Anchored by freshman sensation Ben McLemore, the Jayhawks are incredibly efficient on offense and have a premier shot blocker in Jeff Withey. Watching McLemore, a likely 2013 lottery pick, go up against the likes of Robinson and Hardaway would be a sight to see in the Sweet 16.
No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Duke
Talk about two powerhouses.
Duke’s accomplishments could take up an entire page in itself, but the Blue Devils aren’t resting on their laurels. This year’s squad is bolstered by a terrific senior trio that’s been through the rigors of March Madness before.
Seth Curry is the conductor of one of the country’s most potent offenses. A deadly three-point shooter and even craftier finisher at the rim, the younger brother of NBA star Stephen Curry has the rare ability to dominate a game one-on-one.
Curry isn’t alone, however, as big men Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly are versatile scoring threats who aren’t afraid to do the little things to win.
Unlike Duke, Michigan State doesn’t rely on experience. In fact, the Spartans’ only major senior contributor is Derrick Nix. The Spartans don’t have the firepower of the Blue Devils, but it’d be intriguing to see how coaching legend Tom Izzo would game plan for another legend in Mike Krzyzewski.
No. 3 Florida vs. No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast
The Gators are no stranger to the Sweet 16. However, a matchup against Florida Gulf Coast would be an exciting sight for the Sunshine State.
UF has always been the top dog in the state, but could you imagine the outcry if FGCU was able to upset the mighty Gators?
Florida is one of the most talented and deep teams in the country, but they often struggle with consistency. Patric Young is a dynamic talent, yet the big man doesn’t bring it night in and night out. Kenny Boynton can score the basketball, yet he shoots under 40 percent from the field and attempts over six three-pointers a game.
Can Florida string it together for one last magical run? Or will the Eagles—who’ve already taken down a No. 2 seed—play spoiler again? Both teams will have to take care of business on Sunday, but a Sweet 16 showdown could ignite new interest in college basketball in the state of Florida.
Stay on top of your game with the latest live tournament bracket, or print out a PDF bracket if you’re old school.
Make sure to follow all the exciting NCAA tournament action with March Madness Live.
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Meet One of the NBA’s Most Exciting People You’ve Probably Never Heard of
Rob Hennigan has become one of most exciting people in the NBA.
In a world where too often the decision-makers are afraid to make actual decisions, preferring to stand pat for fear of people second-guessing them, Hennigan is being bold and aggressive in Orlando.
Everybody scouts and drafts and does requisite deals with free agents. Not everybody trades—and almost no one trades with the sort of directedness that Hennigan has in his first year on the job.
Hired as the NBA’s youngest general manager at 30, Hennigan has been dominating the widely underutilized roster-adjusting pipeline of trading—which also happens to be one of the most exciting and fun parts of the sports world. And it’s already apparent that he’s not just getting guys back in these deals, he’s getting guys he really wants back in these deals.
Pretty much everyone has come around on the widely panned Dwight Howard trade given all that Nikola Vucevic has shown as flat-out one of the best centers in the NBA already at age 22. It’s more undeniable than ever the wisdom that Hennigan showed in not taking the easy way out and accepting Andrew Bynum in that deal.
Getting back a younger All-Star to replace the outgoing All-Star was the obvious, safe option. Hennigan dared to be different after considering all the red flags sprouting from Bynum’s knees, and it turns out that he knew what kind of dice he was rolling.
Bynum’s self-centered approach wasn’t a good fit for the Magic as they try to rebuild with the sort of motivated, team-spirited attitudes to clean out the residual mold in the house from the “Dwightmare.” But it’s the injury angle—one that the 76ers chose to ignore out of sheer optimism—that is a rare example of when you can declare a trade great without waiting to see everything play out down the road.
Orlando’s sense of Bynum’s risks exceeded that of even the Lakers, who also come out of this looking like they shed Bynum at just the right time. The reality is that if Hennigan wasn’t willing to send Howard to Los Angeles, then the Lakers’ plan was indeed to sign Bynum for the long term to anchor the franchise.
After everyone assumed Hennigan didn’t get enough back for Howard, Orlando’s latest trade to maximize the last chance to get something for free-agent-to-be J.J. Redick has proved pretty immediately profitable.
Tobias Harris first had the guts to ask for Howard’s old No. 12 with the Magic – and now given playing time, he is showing the talent to back up his confidence. In Howard’s homecoming game in Orlando on Tuesday night, Harris went for 17 points and 15 rebounds, blocking three shots and hitting three 3-pointers. He didn’t fit as a small forward in Milwaukee, limited as a perimeter defender, but he’s very well suited as a stretch four—playing power forward with fellow youngster Maurice Harkless a potential perimeter-defense maven at small forward.
Sure, Redick makes sense for Milwaukee, which is trying to make a playoff breakthrough now and also gets the chance to show him something that will get him to re-sign at season’s end. But it would’ve been foolish for the Magic to risk losing Redick for nothing.
Hennigan didn’t just get Harris. He also got another prospect in guard Doron Lamb by doing the same thing that he did when he missed out on Harkless in the draft: going out and trading for the kid instead of being resigned to missing out.
One reason the Howard trade didn’t happen sooner was that Hennigan was waiting for Harkless to become trade-eligible after the draft. While the Lakers were sitting around wondering why the Magic seemed to be wasting time and not actively trying to trade anymore, Hennigan had a distinct plan and timetable.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said the mega-transaction was all orchestrated by Hennigan—with the other parties working as he dictated. Harkless, only 19, has epic upside—and he’s already a defensive weapon that Orlando dared to use to guard Lakers point guard Steve Nash on Tuesday night.
Hennigan also managed to include Denver in the deal after the basics seemed established – and therefore got gritty shooting guard Arron Afflalo from the Nuggets. Having Afflalo set Orlando up to be able to move Redick with no qualms. That’s how general managers are supposed conduct business, with a plan and the daring to execute it one step at a time.
Look at the most uninspired move from Hennigan so far: his sign-and-trade of Ryan Anderson to New Orleans for Gustavo Ayon. Well, Ayon didn’t look that great for the Magic, but then Hennigan turned Ayon into part of the deal to get Harris and Lamb.
Oh, and Hennigan has three extra first-round picks as a result of his deals, too.
No, this isn’t to the truly exciting part of being able to add a superstar to the mix—as might well happen with salary cap room in 2014 for Orlando—but what has happened has been exciting in its own small way.
The era of Dwight and his infamous indecision about staying or going is over.
It’s interesting that the Magic now have in Hennigan someone who can clearly make decisions—and isn’t afraid he’s making mistakes.
Kevin Ding has been a sportswriter covering the NBA and Los Angeles Lakers for OCRegister.com since 1999. His column on Kobe Bryant and LeBron James was judged the No. 1 column of 2011 by the Pro Basketball Writers Association; his column on Jeremy Lin won second place in 2012. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.
Follow Kevin on Twitter @KevinDing.
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NBA Celebrity All Star Game 2013 Rosters: Bold Predictions for Exciting Contest
The NBA Celebrity All-Star Game isn’t going to display elite basketball, but it will be entertaining all the same.
There is your first prediction. Although, I’m pretty sure that doesn’t qualify as bold. We’ll get into those after you check out the roster.
Celebrity Game Lineup (via NBA.com)
Kevin Hart (“Real Husbands of Hollywood”)
Ne-Yo (R&B/pop singer)
Nick Cannon (“Real Husbands of Hollywood”)
Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games)
Trey Songz (R&B Singer/Actor)
Usain Bolt (Olympic gold-medal sprinter)
Arne Duncan (Secretary of Education)
Terrence Jenkins (“E! News,” Anchor)
Common (Rapper/Actor)
John Schriffen (ABC News Correspondent)
Ryen Russillo (ESPN Host)
Dikembe Mutombo (eight-time NBA All-Star)
Clyde Drexler (10-time NBA All-Star)
Sean Elliott (two-time NBA All-Star)
Bruce Bowen (NBA legend)
Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever)
Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx)
Bold Predictions
Dikembe Mutombo Will Do the Finger Wag
I don’t know about you, but the current GEICO ad series cracks me up. Dikembe‘s spot is no different. I mean, it is no Eddie Money, but it is close.
Besides delivering a chuckle, the other thing this does is bring back to relevancy the finger wag that Mutumbo once readily flashed after depositing a would-be shot attempt into the stands.
This shot-blocking great will undoubtedly be up to his old tricks, and I don’t expect him to let his GEICO fans down.
Usain Bolt Will Bring the House Down with a Dunk
Any discussion of the greatest athlete on the planet has to include Usain Bolt.
The living legend is 6’5”, 210 pounds and he runs well for his size…or any other size. Shoot, this guy runs decent for a cheetah.
Apparently, he isn’t bad at soccer, and as you can see in the video, he has decent hops. He is a freak of nature.
Now, I don’t know if he can shoot or dribble, but he isn’t going to have to worry about that on a fast break.
There is no way Bolt won’t break free on at least one fast break, and the natural showman is going to whip out his best dunks when he does.
Kevin Hart Will Keep His Clothes on
This shouldn’t be a bold prediction, but after Kevin Hart’s stripping tantrum last year, it is.
This is just an outsider’s opinion, but I am going to say that tantrum was a bit of acting by the comedian.
I have no doubt that Hart is going to do something zany, but I have no idea what that will be. Well, other than the fact I don’t expect him to repeat himself.
And at some moment during the festivities, he’ll get the mike.
At that point, all bets are off.
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Kentucky Basketball: Ranking the Wildcats’ Most Exciting Players
When describing the 2012-13 season for the Kentucky Wildcats, exciting may not be the word that comes to mind. Enraging, confusing or disappointing might be more descriptive.
But John Calipari‘s squad has been exciting. The No. 1 recruiting class (according to Rivals) hasn’t quite lived up to their potential, but the potential is there.
And they have shown it. Exciting blocks and dunks are frequent for the hyper-athletic Wildcats, even if the team experiences mental lapses from time to time.
Here are my rankings for the most exciting Wildcats this season.
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UCLA Basketball: Ranking the Bruins’ Most Exciting Players
This UCLA basketball team has yet to live up to the high expectations that were set for it in the preseason, but it has nevertheless provided some thrilling moments to watch throughout the 2012-13 season.
Unlike last season, the Bruins are a much more exciting team to watch, with players like Shabazz Muhammad and high-flying dunker Norman Powell riling fans up each game.
With the second half of the Pac-12 season set to commence on Thursday as the Bruins take on Washington at Pauley Pavilion, let’s take a look at UCLA’s most exciting players to watch this season.
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UCLA Basketball: Ranking the Bruins’ Most Exciting Players
This UCLA basketball team has yet to live up to the high expectations that were set for it in the preseason, but it has nevertheless provided some thrilling moments to watch throughout the 2012-13 season.
Unlike last season, the Bruins are a much more exciting team to watch, with players like Shabazz Muhammad and high-flying dunker Norman Powell riling fans up each game.
With the second half of the Pac-12 season set to commence on Thursday as the Bruins take on Washington at Pauley Pavilion, let’s take a look at UCLA’s most exciting players to watch this season.
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The 25 Most Exciting Players to Watch in College Basketball
All the recent buzz about Ole Miss shooting guard Marshall Henderson got us thinking: Who are our 25 favorite players to watch in today’s college basketball?
Not the best. Not the most efficient. Not even the hardest to guard.
We’re talking pure entertainment value, whether from substance of play or vibrancy of character.
Of the roughly 3,600 players eligible for this esteemed honor, these are the 25 that grabbed our attention. Add your nominees—with courtesy, if possible—in the comments below.
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Toronto Raptors: What to Take from the Exciting Home Opener?
The Toronto Raptors played an extremely exciting home opener versus the Indiana Pacers. The game was close throughout and showed two young bright spots for both franchises. Both Jonas Valanciunas and Paul George showed flashes of great promise.
The Raptors eventually fell to the Pacers (who, this writer believes will be a top-four team in the East) in the final few seconds after a controversial out of bounds call gave the Pacers the ball with just 20-plus seconds left. Consequently, George Hill lifted Kyle Lowry’s arm and hit a running jumper to clinch the win with 2.1 seconds remaining.
So what can we take from this game? Well, let us start off with the young big man in the middle:
Jonas Valanciunas
The 20-year-old Lithuanian certainly endeared himself to fans in his NBA debut. He showed great tenacity on the glass and had a few excellent putbacks that led to many cheers from the fans. He actually got clocked in the head/neck in the late third quarter and didn’t return with as much vigour in the fourth however. That being said, 12-10 was a solid debut from JV offensively.
Defensively, however, there were certainly times where he showed how green he is, and it did not help as he went up against arguably the best center in the East in Roy Hibbert.
TSN.ca released their analysis of the game, and I definitely disagree with this assessment:
“The 20-year-old Lithuanian looked completely unfazed by the fact he was matched up against an NBA all-star in Roy Hibbert.”
I thought that Hibbert—the guy that the Raptors drafted and traded in the Jermaine O’Neal deal that I rued from Day 1—had his way with Jonas early on and continually got great deep position on the young Raptor. Hibbert had nine points and three rebounds in the opening quarter and was consistently iso-ed (isolated to exploit a one-on-one matchup) to take advantage of JV defensively. There were times when JV was called for a foul and was definitely phased by the call/outcome.
Valanciunas has far to come in regards to becoming accustomed to the higher level of play and competition in the NBA. That being said, one would be silly to expect any more from the young centre.
Kyle Lowry
As previously mentioned months ago, probably one of the smartest basketball decisions made by the Raptors in a long time. I have been a big fan of Lowry’s game, and he brings an intensity, and as Jack Armstrong stated a ‘machismo’, that has been missing on the court for the Raptors.
His tenacity on defence and aggressive style is a great asset to the team, not to mention his offensive capabilities. But to me, there isn’t much’to say about Lowry; he is as advertised. A great young point guard who can run his team and net you five steals in a game.
Jose Calderon and Kyle Lowry
In the third quarter we saw both Calderon and Lowry on the court at the same time, which I believed was a great change of pace. Having both ball-handlers (who are both capable of hitting open shots) on the court together allows Calderon to play significant minutes and brings a new element over perhaps a backcourt of Lowry and DeRozan/Ross. I do not remember the specifics, but the Raptors were definitely successful in this set and expect to see it more often than anticipated.
Still Lacking the Leader to Finish Games
As I watched the final few minutes, it was evident that the Raptors are still unsure who to turn to in the final crucial possessions. Granted, it is one game and the team is still trying to get acclimated with three new starters on the court, but it is evident that someone needs to take the reins in these situations, as the final few possessions left me screaming at the TV as they consistently took long twos.
Whether it is DeRozan, Lowry or Bargnani, there needs to be that killer-instinct mentality to finish off your opponents Mortal Kombat style.
Great Energy and Great Defence
The team played well on defence and was energetic throughout the game. Granted, it was the home opener and everyone was revved up to be playing (especially with two rookies and two significant newcomers), so that was to be expected.
I think Casey will do an excellent job this season creating a structure for his team and maintaining that hound-like attitude that starts with their point guard Lowry. If they can continue to play with this intensity and continue to evolve as an offensive unit, then we are in for an exciting season that should end up with a playoff berth.
Get at me on Twitter @the__ste (double underscore) for fantasy advice, fantasy articles, NBA coverage, news and discussion, as well as anything else I find awesome.
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