NY Daily News – keeping things classy
When you think of New York Newspapers, the NYDN is likely not the first or even second paper on your list. The Times and the Post have fought for that top spot for an awful long time now, so maybe it’s not surprising that sometimes the NYDN feels the need to push the envelope, generate a little controversy, and get some eyeballs to their pages. How else, then, do you explain this particular caption under the photo of New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony being serenaded off the court in the morning online edition of the Daily News, after the team’s season-ending loss to the Pacers in Game Six of the second round of the playoffs last night? (And don’t be surprised if by the time you click that link, the caption is gone.) Now, I don’t exactly have any love lost for either of the fanbases included in this series. The Boston/NY city rivalry is well documented, and any team that eliminates a NY team from playoff contention is fine by me. And even if the caption is pretty much writing …
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Lakers News: LA Must Hope Pau Gasol Returns to Top Form After Knee Procedure
The Los Angeles Lakers dealt with numerous issues during what quickly became a season of disappointment after sky-high preseason expectations. One of the biggest problems was a lack of production from All-Star forward Pau Gasol.
He averaged just 14 points and nine rebounds while shooting 47 percent from the field. It amounted to the worst statistical season of his career. He also played in just 49 games due to various injuries, including lingering knee issues.
Gasol hopes the injury concerns will become a thing of the past after undergoing a procedure to address tendonosis in both knees, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. He reports the FAST treatment is used to eliminate scar tissue.
It’s an important step for Gasol. His future with the Lakers remains up in the air heading into a contract year in which he’s due over $19 million. He mentions in the report that it’s no guarantee he’ll be back with the team following the offseason.
“The future is uncertain,” Gasol said. “There’s no doubt about it. It’s a possibility that I could be gone, and there’s a possibility that I could stay. I don’t know the exact percentages of it. But I’m prepared for either way.”
The massive contract paired with decreased production will force the Lakers to make a tough decision. If they believe the procedure is going to help him return to top form, the talented power forward would be worth the sizable investment for another season.
That’s why Gasol made the right decision to undergo the treatment right away. He needs to make as much progress as possible before Los Angeles’ front office is forced to make a final call.
When healthy, the 33-year-old two-time NBA champion is still one of the most complete forwards in the game. He can score in the paint or with his mid-range game, rebounds effectively and has terrific court vision that makes him a very good post distributor.
He actually sums up the Lakers as a whole pretty well. The talent is undoubtedly there, things just didn’t go according to plan this season.
Gasol posted a picture of himself on Twitter after finishing the procedure and was seemingly in good spirits. The hard work is just getting underway with rehab on the horizon, though.
While the Lakers mull their options, Gasol must keep working toward 100 percent. If he stays and does get back to full strength, he should once again be the double-double machine that made him such a valuable asset during every other season with the team.
If they decide to move him, he would be ready to make that type of impact elsewhere. But if the Lakers think he can get back to that level, they should keep him.
All told, it’s too soon to give up on Gasol, especially if his knees aren’t a major issue.
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Luol Deng Injury Update: How Latest News Impacts Bulls’ Chances vs. Heat
It seems like the Chicago Bulls cannot catch a break. Injuries have been a huge problem all year, and Luol Deng is the latest person suffering.
While the small forward has not been officially ruled out of future games, it seems unlikely that he will suit up anytime soon. According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Deng has been “battling an illness and complications from a spinal tap to test for viral meningitis. The test was negative, but Deng has been in and out of the hospital since May 1.”
Of course, that is only the beginning of his problems. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune goes into more details of Deng’s health problems:
Johnson goes into a little too much detail here, as this is where it starts to get a bit too graphic.
While it is nice that he is fighting hard to find his way back to the court, the chances of playing for the remainder of the series against the Miami Heat are not good.
Deng remains with Kirk Hinrich and Derrick Rose among players too injured to play in this entertaining series, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN.
This should dramatically affect the Bulls’ ability to win games, especially against the best team in the NBA. However, the squad continues to fight hard as new players take advantage of their opportunities.
In Game 1, Nate Robinson came through with 27 points, plus Jimmy Butler added 21 points and 14 rebounds while playing all 48 minutes. These contributions, combined with the continuous hustle of Joakim Noah, helped Chicago win 93-86.
Although the team fell apart in Game 2, returning home with the series split puts them in great position to pull off the upset.
Just as importantly, the loss of Deng will not hurt this team too much in the upcoming games. Butler has started in his place at the wing and his defense has been nothing short of amazing. His size and strength make him the best option against LeBron James in this series.
Also, Robinson has increased his scoring from 13.1 points per game in the regular season to 17.4 in the postseason. He has taken over the role as the team’s go-to scorer, and his ability to make clutch shots has helped this club stay alive in the playoffs.
Obviously, Deng is a great player who is coming off one of the best years of his career; however, Chicago has the mental toughness to remain in contention in this brutal series.
If the Bulls can remain strong at home like they have all season, they have what it takes to shock the world and beat the defending champs.
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For Hawks’ Drew, longer wait could bring better news
Monday passed without any news on the fate of Hawks coach Larry Drew.
As general manager Danny Ferry promised in a press conference on Saturday, he would take some time to decide the fate of the coach whose contract is set to expire in the coming days.
For his part, Drew did not seem optimistic on Friday after the Hawks were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs in six games by the Indiana Pacers, saying, This will probably be the last time this group, including myself, this is the last time well probably be together.
Still, one has to think that the longer that Ferry goes without making his decision, the better chance Drew has of receiving a new contract from the organization. As in any situation in which a general manager is looking for a new coach, the best approach is to make a decision right away.
That gives the organization a head start on others who might be looking to make a similar move and it has the added benefit of serving to advertise the position. Potential candidates tend to be
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Lakers News: Buzz Around Los Angeles’ Plans for the Offseason
The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2012-13 campaign with a new center in Dwight Howard and title aspirations.
But fresh off a first-round sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs (which included Howard getting ejected in the final game), there are plenty of questions surrounding the Lakers now.
The hottest item of debate, of course, is whether Howard will be back with the team next season. The soon-to-be free agent will surely have a lot of suitors in the offseason coming off a campaign in which he averaged 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 58 percent from the floor.
Howard has said his decision is based on the “right to be happy,” via Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (whatever that means).
He also said of playing in L.A., via the Los Angeles Times report:
Some days it’s good, when I have a good game. Some days it’s not so good. It’s the best place to be when you win. When you’re losing it’s not so good. L.A. loves their Lakers.
Some of that you can’t really understand until you experience it.
General manager Mitch Kupchak has said he’s “optimistic” Howard will return to the team, but he also said it was important for Howard to make up his mind as soon as possible so the Lakers can get about business in the offseason, via the Los Angeles Times.
Kupchak also said in the report that everybody is in play to potentially be moved, including Pau Gasol. The Lakers have the choice to waive Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace and Steve Blake in July. If they did that, they would still have to pay their salaries for the upcoming season, but they wouldn’t have to pay their respective luxury taxes. That’s important, given the Lakers won’t have much money to work with in the offseason, especially if they re-sign Howard.
Obviously, Bryant isn’t going anywhere. I would also expect Gasol to stay given Bryant’s desire for him to remain with the team, via ESPNLA 710 Radio. That leaves Metta World Pace and Blake, who you would have to think are in danger of being waived given the Lakers’ desire to get younger.
Kupchak said that he doesn’t expect to be able to sign any high-profile free agents during the offseason given the team’s salary cap situation, but signing someone for the veteran’s minimum is certainly an option.
He added, “You’re probably going to end up looking at a veteran player who’s older and maybe has a high level of skill and a higher level of basketball IQ but he may not be as athletic as he once was.”
Don’t expect Steve Nash to go anywhere. The veteran point guard, who battled a fractured leg and hip and hamstring soreness during the season, “will almost surely return” to the club, per Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
Small forward Earl Clark, who is a free agent in July, said he wants to remain with the team (per Bresnahan), but that’s likely going to depend on how much money he wants and how much the Lakers can give him. He played well in January and February this season (drawing praise from Bryant), but his playing time and level of play generally dropped when Gasol came back from injury in March.
According to Pincus, Antawn Jamison and Devin Ebanks won’t likely remain with the Lakers.
But watch for second-year guard Andrew Goudelock next season, who averaged 17.1 points on 44 percent shooting in two starts against the Spurs in the playoffs after being named the NBA D-League MVP.
One thing’s for sure: There’s a lot of work to do in La La Land this offseason. Also, don’t count them out as title contenders next season. More time to develop chemistry and some added pieces may just do the trick.
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Kevin Garnett News: Tracking Latest Whispers Surrounding Celtics Star
Kevin Garnett is about to turn 37 years old. The Boston Celtics big man certainly isn’t getting any younger.
That has sparked talk about the possibility of him retiring after the Celtics were bounced from the playoffs by the New York Knicks on Friday.
Garnett’s decision may be tied to Paul Pierce’s future with the Celtics. Pierce is owed $15.33 million next season, but only $5 million is guaranteed if the Celtics release him by June 30. They also have the option to trade the veteran.
Garnett recently said, via Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:
One of the big reasons I came here was because of Paul. I demand a lot out of myself, both physically and from a skill level. I’ll be lying if I said Paul didn’t play into that.
Wojnarowski added, “Once Pierce goes, (the Celtics) know Garnett’s decision will be easy.”
Greg Dickerson of Comcast SportsNet New England tweeted on Friday:
If this was indeed Pierce’s last season in Boston, we could be seeing the end of Garnett’s career.
Garnett holds career averages of 19.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals. The 15-time All-Star averaged 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 0.9 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 50 percent in about 30 minutes per game.
It’s not a question of whether Garnett can still compete in the NBA, obviously. He may not be the same player as he once was, but he’s still a very productive player with a knowledge of the game befitting an NBA champion.
It has more to do with if Garnett wants to go through the grind for another season. He’s already played 18 seasons in the NBA. He ranks 12th all-time in games played, and seventh in minutes played, according to Basketball-Reference.com. That tends to take a toll.
Right now, NBA fans everywhere are hoping the Celtics keep Pierce this offseason, increasing the chances of seeing Garnett play just a little longer.
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Collins’ ex-fiancee surprised by news
Carolyn Moos and Jason Collins spent seven years together — and were even engaged — but the NBA player’s former partner never once suspected he was gay. According to TMZ, Moos found out Collins was gay last week, right before he came out to the world. The two broke off their engagement in 2009, after the NBA player pulled the “plug on their wedding,” according to the report. Moos, a former WNBA player, told TMZ that he told her his homosexuality was the real reason he ended things with her. “It’s very emotional for me as a woman to have invested eight years in my dream to have a husband, soul mate, and best friend in him. So this is all hard to understand,” she said. “I care about [Jason] tremendously and only want the best for him. I want Jason to be happy for a lifetime and stay true to who he really is, inside and out.”
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Nike Honors Kobe with News Spread
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers has showed the NBA and the world in general so many things, and Nike thought it imperative that he remember that.
Nike dedicated a “spread” in Sunday’s newspaper to the Black Mamba, in what was essentially a motivational resume. Kobe was kind enough to share the ad with the rest of us on Instagram.
Listed above are 13 different displays in which Kobe has schooled us in.
My personal favorite?
“You showed us how to take an ice bath.”
Not just because it’s funny, but because it actually happened.
Nike’s black-and-white ode also pays tribute to Kobe’s 81-point game, his “Mamba face” (which we can only assume is his death stare) and his penchant for perseverance, among other things.
They did, however, forget to list “you showed us how to exile Shaquille O’Neal to South Beach,” but that’s neither here nor there.
Kobe was obviously touched by his endorser going above and beyond to fuel his comeback. They went from supplying him with a trademarked Achilles boot, to bolstering his ego during a time of need.
“Thank you @nike for this surprise spread in the paper this am. It touched me beyond words,” read the caption beneath photo.
Facing a long and arduous road back to the hardwood, Kobe needs all the motivational assistance he can get. He’s known for his endurance, but at 34, and with the remainder of his 2012-13 (and potentially beginning of his 2013-14) campaign ripped out from under him, even he could use a motivational boost.
“Now, show us again,” reads the final list of accomplishments.
Not just the ice baths. Or the championships. Or how to sport our big-boy pants. But all of it.
Nike knows you can.
And the rest of us know you will.
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Bulls without 5, though Gibson news is optimistic (Yahoo! Sports)
NEW YORK (AP) — The Chicago Bulls were without five key players Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets, though coach Tom Thibodeau provided optimistic reports on Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson.
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Fox News host defends Mike Rice, blames firing on political correctness
See how Eric Bolling defended the fired Rutgers coach.
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