Dirk Nowitzki Reportedly Will Take Huge Pay Cut to Help Mavericks in Offseason
Dirk Nowitzki is ready to do anything necessary to help his team win, including reducing his salary in the offseason.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the power forward is willing to take a “significant pay cut” in the summer. Nowitzki recently told the media:
At this point of my career, it’s all about competing and winning. It’s not about money. Obviously, Cuban took care of me for a long, long time. I always tried to pay him back by hard playing and being here for this franchise, so I don’t think we’re going to fight over money. I want to compete over these last couple of years. That’s going to be the goal.
The intention is for the team to sign a high-priced free agent along the lines of Dwight Howard or Chris Paul, although it remains to be seen whether there is mutual interest from the superstars.
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Video:Dwyane Wade stomps back with a huge slam
The Miami Heat sank the Chicago Bulls and are headed to the Eastern Conference finals.
In true Heat fashion,it was a cast of characters that helped the Big 3 send the Bulls home.
Shane Battier ignited a fourth-quarter comeback Wednesday to seal the 94-91 victory.
The Bulls owned a 10-point lead during the closing portions of the third period and were in front by eight heading into the final quarter.
Battier then scored eight points during the first 3:30 of the fourth, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and connecting on 2-of-3 free throws.
The understaffed Bulls gave the Heat fits before coming up short.
They missed two chances at overtime when both Nate Robinson and Jimmy Butler failed on 3-point attempts in the closing 15 seconds.
Miami is now waiting for either Indiana or New York in the conference finals.
Indiana owns a 3-1 lead against the Knicks and will try put down New York on Thursday.
James scored 23 points and Dwyane Wade, who roared back from a knee injury, added 18.
Video: Dwyane Wade stom
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Chicago Bulls Rotation Players Who Have Come Up Huge During NBA Playoffs
The Chicago Bulls have had a remarkable postseason, slipping past the Brooklyn Nets in the first round and later stealing Game 1 against the Miami Heat.
A few players have come up big for the Bulls, playing a major role in the team’s success.
It’s crazy to think the Bulls could have won any games during the playoffs with so many key players having missed time. Derrick Rose hasn’t played in over a year, while starters Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich have both missed at least five postseason games.
Here’s a trio of rotation guys who’ve played brilliantly for the Bulls thus far. We’re talking about rotation players, so that eliminates the likes of Malcolm Thomas, Richard Hamilton and Vladimir Radmanovic.
Sorry Vlad Rad fans.
Nate Robinson
Back in December, there was talk about the Bulls waiving Nate Robinson. It’s a good thing that transaction never took place, though, as he serves as the team’s most dangerous scoring threat.
The 5’9” guard is leading Chicago in scoring this postseason with 17.4 points per game.
Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, Robinson has been absolutely unstoppable at times. He dropped 20 in Game 5 of the Brooklyn series, 18 the following contest and 27 during the opening game versus Miami.
His most memorable performance, of course, came in Game 4 against the Nets, as Chicago picked up a crazy triple-overtime victory after trailing by 14 points late in the game. Robinson scored 34 points, including 23 in the fourth quarter, one shy of Michael Jordan’s franchise postseason record for most points in a quarter.
Following the game, little Nate made it clear he was on fire (via ESPN Chicago).
I always think I’m on fire, kind of like the old school game NBA Jam. You make a couple in a row, the rim’s on fire. You shoot the ball, the ball’s on fire. I feel like that at times—all the time. Whenever I’m in the game, I just play with a lot of confidence. You kind of have to lie to yourself and feel like you can’t miss.
Robinson is currently playing for the veteran’s minimum. However, it’s a guarantee that he’ll receive a much more expensive contract this summer.
Joakim Noah
Joakim Noah guaranteed the Bulls would Game 7 against the Nets (via ESPN New York).
I’m proud of this team, and we’re going to go into a hostile environment in Brooklyn and we’re going.
Noah’s prediction would come to fruition, as he put up a historic stat line—24 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks while shooting 70 percent from the field. Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is the only other player in NBA history to reach those stats in a playoff game.
Noah is the first player to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a Game 7 win since Kevin Garnett back in 2004. Elvin Hayes, Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo are the only other players to get that many blocked-shots in a Game 7 since blocks became an official statistic in 1973-74.
That’s pretty good company.
And it’s unbelievable that Noah accomplished such a feat, given that he’s playing with very painful plantar fasciitis.
Noah is averaging 12 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. His contributions on both ends of the floor as well as his emotional leadership are major reasons the Bulls are still in the playoffs.
Jimmy Butler
You can’t have a Bulls “Come up Huge” article without the name Jimmy Butler. It just wouldn’t be right.
After rarely getting on the court last season as a rookie, Butler has blossomed into a major contributor this season, especially during the playoffs.
The Marquette product played lockdown defense in Game 7 against the Nets backcourt duo of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. Williams went 4-of-11 from the field while Johnson missed all five of his attempts, when matched up against Butler.
Butler was one of the main reasons for the Bulls’ stunning Game 1 win at Miami. He scored 21 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out three assists as he played all 48 minutes.
Butler didn’t exactly shut down LeBron James, who scored 24 points for the Heat. However, he made the four-time MVP work for every bucket.
Butler is averaging 12.9 points and 5.2 rebounds in the playoffs thus far.
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Miami Heat Rotation Players Who Have Come Up Huge During NBA Playoffs
The Miami Heat may have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but without its cast of role players, the Heat surely wouldn’t stand as the overwhelming favorites to repeat as champions in roughly a month.
The “other guys” on Miami’s roster have come up big for the Heat all season.
And with the stakes at their highest point, there have been several rotation players who have risen up above the rest for the Heat throughout this year’s playoff action.
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New York Knicks’ Iman Shumpert Making Huge Strides in 2013 NBA Playoffs
After a slow start following his return from injury, Iman Shumpert has made significant improvements for the New York Knicks over the course of the season, and is bringing his best now that he’s made it to the playoffs.
Shump had a fantastic rookie season—especially considering the expectations going in—but it was cut short early in the first round when he blew out his ACL. A year later, the guard is making up for the time he missed in his playoff debut.
Through the first eight games of the postseason, Shumpert is averaging 10 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals, all of which are up on his regular-season numbers. On top of that, he’s shooting an efficient 47 percent from the field, up from 40 percent.
One of the most impressive things about Shumpert is the way he’s shooting from downtown. He worked on his shooting motion a lot while he was out, and is now shooting 46 percent from behind the arc. And it’s not just a fluke either, as he even shot 40 percent in the regular season.
With Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith struggling at times, Shumpert was one of the keys in getting past the Boston Celtics in the first round.
His biggest moment in the series came in Game 6, where he scored 17 points, while also playing his typical elite defense. The Celtics threatened to come back with a 20-0 run in the fourth quarter, but Shumpert put a stop to that with a timely steal and fast-break finish.
That wasn’t the only timely play Shumpert has made in the postseason. He’s made a couple of game-changing put-back dunks, and his defense is always up to scratch when it matters most.
Shumpert was already considered a huge part of the Knicks’ future, and he’s showing us once again just how much potential he has.
A few weeks after his return, there were rumors that New York considered swapping Shumpert for Jared Dudley of the Phoenix Suns, but his play thus far has done enough to ensure the rumors won’t resurface in the summer.
Shumpert simply has too much talent and youth to be given away without receiving another elite prospect in return.
That doesn’t even take into account how important Shumpert is to team chemistry. He leads the pre-game huddle, is one of the most active cheerleaders on the bench, and helps ball movement as a former point guard playing at small forward.
Much has been made of the Knicks’ old age this season, but having Shumpert gives them some much-needed energy, and a chance to improve from within with limited resources to add players in free agency.
With Smith likely hitting the open market in the summer, there’s a chance he could be lured out of New York with a big contract. If that happens, Shumpert is going to be even more important, and tasked with replacing the huge scoring load Smith will leave behind.
Either way, this is a player with a bright future, and with Mike Woodson and Jason Kidd behind him, he has unlimited potential.
Shumpert has the athleticism, talent, drive and understanding of the game to make a name for himself in the NBA, and we’re starting to see it come together in these playoffs.
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Knicks use huge run to even series with Pacers (Yahoo! Sports)
NEW YORK (AP) — Carmelo Anthony hung from the rim, the helpless defender who tried to stop his dunk lying on the court below after falling down.
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Joakim Noah has huge game, does secret handshake with sister
Joakim Noah said on Thursday that the Chicago Bulls would beat the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7 of their playoff series, and he delivered.
Noah went off for 24 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots in Chicago’s 99-93 road win. Even more impressive was that seven of his rebounds were offensive.
Noah’s performance was special for a number of reasons. He has been bothered by his plantar fasciitis and is playing through the foot injury. He also stepped up and led his team to victory when they were missing Luol Deng and obviously Derrick Rose.
After the game, Noah went to the stands to celebrate. He met his sister, Yelena, and the two shared an awesome handshake (GIF via @CJZero):
Joakim Noah’s sister Yelena is actually a model. Their father is former tennis player Yannick Noah, and their mother is a former Miss Sweden.
Now the Bulls move on to face the Miami Heat. You may recall that Noah said the Heat were “Hollywood as hell” after losing to them in the Eastern Conference finals two y…
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Derrick Rose Wouldn’t Match Huge Expectations in Potential Playoff Return
If Derrick Rose were to announce his intention to return for Game 6 of the Chicago Bulls‘ series with the Brooklyn Nets or for the start of a possible second-round encounter with the Miami Heat, expectations for both himself and the team would go through the roof.
It would be impracticable for a returning Rose to reach those sky-high expectations. He’s missed an entire year of play and would be thrown into the playoff fire, which is completely different than it would have been if he returned during the regular season.
As it stands now, his ability to return remains in limbo. The latest comments came from the superstar point guard’s brother, Reggie Rose, who told Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune that the younger Rose was at around 90 percent and didn’t rule out a playoff return.
When asked if it needs to be 100 percent to return, Rose replied: “His 100 percent might not be your 100 percent. It’s hard. But the Bulls organization has basically told him: We support you. When you are ready, we will welcome you with open arms.”
Like coach Tom Thibodeau, Rose has not ruled out his brother returning for a potential series with the Heat.
“I think anything is possible,” he said.
Anything might be possible, but a rusty Rose finding a way to excel against a ferocious Heat defense in a playoff series would be incredibly difficult. There’s simply no way to completely simulate what he would face on the practice court.
Rose is one of the most explosive players in the league when healthy, there’s no doubt about that. But even if he feels 100 perfect health wise, by no means does that mean he would be in perfect game shape. Again, those are two different things.
At the same time, fans would be expecting him to produce like the Most Valuable Player version of himself to help the Bulls finish off the Nets or upset the Heat. It’s inevitable, and just another reason he shouldn’t risk further injury this season.
The other Bulls deserve a lot of credit. They are one win away from reaching the second round despite having to endure endless chatter about whether or not Rose will be joining them on their title quest. It’s the type of distraction that could easily derail a team.
It also shows Chicago has put a formidable group together around Rose. One good enough to secure the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and, with one more win, a spot in the second round of the postseason. All without a single minute from their star teammate.
The progress that’s been made throughout the season paints a favorable picture for the future. When you combine that with the fact the Bulls would be major underdogs against the Heat should they advance, the risk of Rose suffering a setback isn’t worth the likely limited reward.
He must be worked back in slowly and the playoffs certainly aren’t the place to do that.
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NBA Playoffs 2013: Unheralded Players Making a Huge Impact in Postseason
As the first round of the NBA playoffs starts wrapping up, it is time to give credit to some lesser-known players.
The postseason is a time where superstars shine their brightest. So far in the postseason, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and even Stephen Curry have lived up to or exceeded expectations. Even guys like Nate Robinson have received plenty of buzz for big performances.
However, the teams that are succeeding are not doing it because of only one person. These players have also been fantastic in the opening round and are a big reason their teams have either already won or in good position to advance.
Jarrett Jack, PG, Golden State Warriors
While Stephen Curry continues to show why he is one of the most exciting players to watch in basketball, it is important to note what Jarrett Jack has done in this series against the Denver Nuggets.
After starting only four games during the regular season, he got increased minutes in Game 1 and almost totaled a triple double with 10 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Amazingly, this was his worst game of the series.
In the last three wins, Jack has averaged 23.3 points and 7.7 assists per game to help the Warriors take control of the series. He has also made an incredible 73.7 percent of his shots from the floor in this stretch.
The point guard had a solid regular season, finishing fourth on the team with 12.9 points per game. However, Golden State needed someone to step up when David Lee went down, and Jack has done that in a big way.
Kenyon Martin, PF, New York Knicks
Carmelo Anthony has continued his hot streak from the end of the regular season, and J.R. Smith is a great secondary scorer when he is in the lineup. However, Kenyon Martin has been a big help in dominating the Boston Celtics so far in the series.
The veteran played significant minutes in the early few games with Amar’e Stoudemire out and Tyson Chandler limited. In Games 1 and 2 combined, Martin totaled an impressive 20 rebounds and six blocks.
As a result, Boston was held to less than 80 points in each game. The same thing happened in the third game as Martin was once again solid inside.
Defense is the reason that the Knicks are up 3-1 on their rivals, and the power forward has been a huge part of the success.
Mike Conley Jr., PG, Memphis Grizzlies
Few players have improved their production from the regular season to the playoffs as much as Mike Conley Jr. The point guard had been solid all year, but the squad struggled to score points on a consistent basis.
In the playoffs, however, Conley has made sure that his team gets on the board by distributing the ball better than he has all year.
After averaging 6.1 assists per game during the season, the young player has 23 combined in the last two games. This has helped the Grizzlies tie up the series after falling behind 2-0 to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Memphis now has to keep that momentum heading back onto the road, although Conley totaled 28 points and nine assists in the Game 2 loss. If he can produce anywhere near these numbers in Game 5, his squad will have the upper hand in the series and should be able to advance to the second round.
Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs
Being underrated has been something Kawhi Leonard has had to deal with throughout his career with the Spurs. However, he is just as important to the team’s success as the “Big Three” of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
The wing is incredibly efficient on both ends of the court and was able to fill up the box score in multiple categories as a scorer, rebounder and defender.
At 21 years old, he is also able to stay on the court and led the team in minutes for the series. This allows the aging roster to get more rest while Leonard continues to play at a high level.
After sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio will get plenty of time to get ready for the second-round series against either the Denver Nuggets or Golden State Warriors. Regardless of opponent, it is clear that Leonard will be huge part of his team’s success.
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Smith’s huge game helps Hawks pull even with Pacers
ATLANTA — The enigma that is Josh Smith could have been playing his final game at Philips Arena as a member of the Atlanta Hawks in Game 4 of this first-round playoff series.
A pending unrestricted free agent a few months from now, Smith played in a way that ensured that he would suit up for at least one more game in the city in which he is a native and where he has played all of his professional basketball for the home team.The nine-year veteran scored a playoff career-high 29 points to go with 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a blocked shot, as the Hawks beat the Pacers 102-91 to even this series at two games apiece.Each team has held serve at home and Indiana did it in large part on the back of Paul George, who scored 23 and 27 points, respectively, in the first two games. However, once the series shifted to Atlanta, Hawks coach Larry Drew decided to defend George with Smith, who finished as runner-up for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2009-10.Going into the fourth quarter on Mon
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