Best Potential Candidates to Replace Mike Dunlap as Charlotte Bobcats Coach
Well, that didn’t last long.
According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, the Charlotte Bobcats have elected to part ways with head coach Mike Dunlap after he spent just one season at the helm. The Charlotte organization also confirmed the news with a statement released on NBA.com.
Mike Dunlap has been fired as Bobcats coach.
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) April 23, 2013
Blaming yet another atrocious Bobcats finish solely on Dunlap isn’t possible. He inherited a mess and left it arguably better off than how he found it (though that’s not saying much).
After beginning the season 7-5, Dunlap finished the year with a 21-61, winning three times as many games as the Bobcats did during the lockout-truncated campaign. The team also closed out the year on a three-game win streak.
With Dunlap gone, Charlotte is now the latest team to have a coaching vacancy; an opening that will be extremely difficult to fill.
For a bottom-feeder like the Bobcats, marquee names like Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan and Stan Van Gundy are pipe dreams. Even premiere assistants like Mike Budenholzer would seem out of reach.
Who among the available candidates could prove attainable, and which of them are the best fits?
There is a long list of sideline-meandering talent on the open market, but Michael Jordan will be limited to a select few.
*All stats for this article were compiled from Basketball-Reference unless otherwise noted.
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3 Potential Draft-Day Trades for the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are coming off one of the worst seasons in team history and have only the June 27 draft to look forward to this offseason.
Phoenix will have three picks in the 2013 NBA Draft, including two first-round selections.
Having those three picks gives the team some freedom to negotiate trades in order to either move around in the draft or acquire young players.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying the Suns should make any trades at all during the draft. But I would be remiss to ignore the fact that trades could happen, especially in a rebuilding team like Phoenix.
Trade Scenario No. 1
Phoenix trades Michael Beasley for $3 million cash and a 2013 second-round pick (from Denver). Portland trades their own 2013 second-round pick.
From a pure basketball standpoint, this is not a scenario that improves Phoenix. However, they rid themselves of the enigma that is Michael Beasley.
For Portland, they get a potential double-digit scorer, at a discounted price, for the worst-scoring bench in the NBA.
Trade Scenario No. 2
Phoenix trades Shannon Brown and a 2013 first-round pick (from Miami). Brooklyn Trades MarShon Brooks.
Phoenix gets younger at shooting guard and receives a player under club control until the 2015 offseason.
Brooklyn gets a comparable player in Brown and an extra first-round pick to draft a young player or move around in the draft.
Trade Scenario No. 3
Phoenix trades Marcin Gortat, and Dallas trades their 2013 first-round pick.
Phoenix trades Gortat, who is not in the long-term plans of the franchise, and gets a lottery pick to help rebuild.
Dallas gets a proven center, who can consistently get 15 points and 10 rebounds per game, and finally pairs Dirk Nowitzki with the center he’s desperately needed.
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NBA Playoffs 2013: Most Difficult Potential Matchup for Top-Seeded Teams
The final day of NBA regular-season action will be a fitting prelude to the drama of postseason play. With several playoff pairings yet to be determined, Wednesday’s contests could ultimately decide the fate of nearly every team in search of an NBA title.
In the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks are each 21 games back from first place, with one game to play. The Hawks had a chance to pull away Tuesday night, but a loss to the Toronto Raptors kept Chicago very much in the hunt for the fifth seed in the East.
The Western Conference features a couple of equally tight races, including the battle between the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies for the fourth seed. The Clippers lead by just half a game with each team scheduled to finish its season Wednesday night.
In addition, the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are slated for a 10:30 p.m. EDT contest Wednesday that boasts massive playoff implications. With a Lakers win, Houston falls to the eighth seed in the West. A Los Angeles loss (with a Utah win) would result in the Lakers missing the playoff altogether.
Each of those position battles could have a big impact on the top seeds in each conference, despite already having their playoff spot locked up. Matchups are a huge part of postseason play, and they will ultimately determine which team is crowned NBA champions at the end of the season.
Let’s take a look at the top seeds from each conference and break down the matchup (or matchups) that presents the most difficult challenge should the teams square off in the playoffs. The following teams should hope for a first-round outcome that keeps their toughest opponents out of the equation.
Miami Heat
Biggest Challenges: New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers
Miami has been a wrecking ball throughout the regular season, and it doesn’t take an expert to predict another championship appearance in the Heat’s future. But as we have seen so many times before, nothing is guaranteed in the NBA playoffs.
New York and Indiana have given the Heat as much as they can handle this season, combining for a 5-2 record against LeBron James and his championship squad. The two teams have done it in very different ways, but each will be a difficult challenge should Miami have to face them in later rounds.
The Knicks have found a new gear in the final stretch of the season, ripping off 15 wins in their last 17 games. Despite a bevy of injuries to some of New York’s key contributors, Carmelo Anthony has found a new level down the stretch. He hasn’t scored less than 21 points a game since March 20.
Indiana doesn’t have New York’s offensive prowess, but it does boast one of the best defensive squads in the entire NBA. Ranked second in points allowed (90.5 per game) and first in rebounds per game (45.9), the Pacers play a style of basketball perfect for shutting down Miami’s explosive scorers—as evident by their 2-1 record against the Heat this season.
Miami won’t face a potential matchup with either team until the conference finals, but it should hope neither makes it that far. The Heat may be able to win a seven-game series against Indiana and New York, but those drawn-out series tend to take a lot out of a team in the hunt for a NBA championship.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Biggest Challenge: Denver Nuggets
Denver seems to be a nightmare matchup for nearly any team in the Western Conference. With a 3-1 record against the Thunder this season, the Nuggets have an excellent chance of besting Oklahoma City in a playoff series.
Denver is banged up at the moment, but it boasts one of the deepest rosters in the entire league. Oklahoma City’s depth has come into question at times this year, and that disparity often makes a big difference in a seven-game set.
For the Thunder to face Denver in the playoffs, the Nuggets will first have to get past Golden State and either the Spurs, Lakers, Rockets or Jazz. Of those squads, only San Antonio seems like a likely candidate to derail Denver’s championship aspirations.
Still, a lot has to go right for Denver and Oklahoma City to face off in the Western Conference finals. Kevin Durant and his team should hope a team in the bottom half of the bracket can knock off the Nuggets before it gets to that point.
San Antonio Spurs
Biggest Challenges: Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets
San Antonio’s greatest asset is also its biggest problem. The Spurs have a ton of experience, but that experience comes with the perils of age—something that has worn down the Spurs late in the season.
Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker are all questionable for the team’s final regular-season contest (per CBSSports.com). Additionally, Boris Diaw is likely out for the season and Manu Ginobili is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.
Some of those injury issues will clear up, but they all highlight the biggest challenge San Antonio will face over the course of the postseason.
And then there’s the matter of regular-season performance.
The Spurs didn’t have great success against any playoff team in the Western Conference this year. Houston is the only team they defeated more than twice in the regular season, and the Clippers, Lakers, Thunder and Nuggets combined for a 7-8 record against the West’s No. 2 seed. That kind of mediocrity suggest a challenging first-round matchup that could result in either an early exit or a lack of momentum heading into the second round.
With the youth and explosive scoring ability of Oklahoma City and Denver, San Antonio should hope to avoid its top-seeded counterparts in the playoffs this year, especially if early-round series end up going six or seven games.
New York Knicks
Biggest Challenge: Chicago Bulls
The Knicks enjoyed a lot of regular-season success against Eastern Conference playoff teams this year (including a 3-1 mark against Miami), but they didn’t fare so well against the Bulls.
The Derrick Rose-less Bulls were 4-0 against New York on the year, including a win on April 11 that snapped the Knicks’ 13-game winning streak. Chicago may be without its superstar point guard, but it isn’t going to exit the playoffs without a fight.
To make matters worse, a loss to Washington Wednesday night would have the potential to relegate Chicago to the No. 6 seed, creating the potential for New York to face the Bulls in the second round of the playoffs.
The Knicks have to hope for a Chicago win on Wednesday to keep the two squads from facing off until the conference finals. Chicago is a strong team, but there’s a good chance it doesn’t make it through two playoff series to face New York in the Eastern Conference finals.
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NBA Playoffs Schedule 2013: Breaking Down Potential First Round Upsets
As the 2012-13 NBA regular season comes to a close, the postseason matchups are falling into place. From 2012 rematches to clashes between division foes, we’re preparing to see heated clashes between the league’s elite.
The question is, who could be on upset alert?
In a perfect world, the seeds would all advance in the manner in which their hype suggests they should. As we’ve come to learn, however, seeding is only as valuable as a team’s ability to execute when the game is on the line.
In a postseason series, close outings are common—in those instances, the term “better” is not always applicable.
In 2013, there is the potential for upsets to transpire during the first round of the playoffs. Not only could current favorites stumble, but they could fall before their postseason run even begins.
So who is on upset alert? Let’s find out.
2013 NBA Playoffs Schedule
Per NBA.com, here are the dates to know for the 2012-13 NBA Playoffs.
April 17: Regular season ends
April 20: 2013 NBA Playoffs begin
May 7: Conference Semifinals begin (possible move-up to May 6)
May 22: Conference Finals begin (possible move-up to May 21)
June 6: The Finals begin (possible move-up to June 4)
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers
Before we get into the blind hatred of the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s important that we remember who we’re talking about. Even without Kobe Bryant, the Lakers are an elite team that thrive in the areas the Oklahoma City Thunder have trouble.
For what it’s worth, I’m pretty sure a core of Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash is elite for any other franchise.
Assuming Howard and Gasol work it inside, they can slow it down and create easy baskets for their shooters. With Steve Blake catching fire, Nash one of the all-time great shooters and Jodie Meeks finding his stroke, L.A. could keep the pace.
Don’t put your money on it, but this is possible.
Howard led the Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals with a significantly weaker supporting cast than he currently possesses. As long as Nash is able to get healthy, there’s no reason he can’t do the same in 2013.
Kobe will be missed, but this is not an impossibility—no matter how badly we want to tell ourselves it is.
No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Boston Celtics
For those who believe that the New York Knicks are illegitimate NBA championship contenders, stop yourself short. The Knicks are an elite three-point shooting team that has rediscovered their elite defense since the signing of Kenyon Martin.
With that being said, the Knicks drew the worst first-round draw possible when they landed a seven-game series against the Boston Celtics.
The Knicks and Celtics are longtime rivals who always seem to bring the best out of one another. While New York won three of four during the regular season, the postseason is an entirely different animal.
For what it’s worth, the Celtics reached the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals while the Knicks haven’t made it out of the first round since 2000.
The Celtics may be without Rajon Rondo, but they are still led by former NBA champions Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry. With Jeff Green’s rise to stardom and the pairing of Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee playing elite defense, the Celtics have the depth and star power to pull off the upset.
Even if the Knicks are rationally favored, don’t sleep on Boston.
No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Golden State Warriors
Most teams are fortunate enough to get healthy at the perfect time of the season. In the case of the Denver Nuggets, they’ve seen Danilo Gallinari go down with a torn ACL and Kenneth Faried suffer a sprained ankle during the final month of the season.
That’s bad news considering the Nuggets are in line to play another elite offensive team in the Golden State Warriors.
Gallinari‘s ability to shoot the three-ball will be missed, although it shouldn’t be too devastating for the Nuggets. They can compensate for his absence by plugging in spot shooters who are capable in spot-up situations.
Against a Warriors team that’s eighth in three-point field goals and first in three-point field goal percentage, however, that may not be enough.
The true absence to be missed, however, is Faried‘s. Not only is Faried an elite rebounder, but he’s preparing to go up against David Lee in this series.
For those unfamiliar, Lee is fourth in rebounding and leads the league with 55 double-doubles.
If Faried is not at 100 percent, Lee will exploit that advantage on both ends of the floor. This will enable the Warriors to create second-chance scoring opportunities and capitalize with the three-ball.
That’s more than enough for the Warriors to take down a defensively-inept Nuggets team in four out of seven games.
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Syracuse Basketball: Breaking Down Michael Carter-Williams’ NBA Potential
Syracuse sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams announced on April 10 that he will enter the 2013 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining two years of eligibility.
Carter-Williams enjoyed a very good sophomore campaign and likely played himself onto the radars of many of the general managers in the NBA with his stellar performance in the NCAA tournament.
This year’s draft has no shortage of guards, but point guards are another story.
Especially elite point guards.
The question that must be asked is whether or not Carter-Williams is an elite point guard. Some of his contemporaries entering the draft are Big 12 Player of the Year Marcus Smart and Naismith Award winner Trey Burke, but the quality of point guard takes a big drop after those three.
Consequently, unless there are plans to convert Kansas’ Ben McLemore or Indiana’s Victor Oladipo into point guards, Carter-Williams should be one of the first three point guards taken in the draft. What remains to be seen is which teams will need point guard help and which position those teams will draft from.
How Carter-Williams performs in the pre-draft camp could place him somewhere outside of the top five or six picks if he does well or knock him down to the mid-teens if he fails to impress.
The lottery for the NBA draft will take place on May 21, with the actual draft commencing on June 27 in Madison Square Garden.
The only certainty is that he will be drafted in the first round.
How well he will mesh into the NBA, however, is anybody’s guess.
A successful NBA point guard must be an excellent ball-handler, have great court vision, be an able defender and, most importantly, be a great passer.
Other qualities, such as the ability to create a shot, to draw defenders and get teammates open, shooting proficiency and quickness, are also integral pieces of a guard’s success.
Let’s take a look at the game of Michael Carter-Williams, the positive and negative aspects of his play and his prospects for a successful NBA career.
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Duke Basketball: Breaking Down Mason Plumlee’s NBA Potential
Now that Mason Plumlee’s college career is over, Duke fans will wish him well as he heads on to the NBA. But what sort of NBA player does Mason Plumlee project to be?
At 6’11” and 240 lbs, Plumlee certain has something that’s highly valued in the pros. A worst-case scenario for him is that he’s valued as a serviceable post player in a league that constantly recycles big bodies to fill the lane. So, no matter what, he’ll be in demand.
Obviously, both Plumlee and Duke fans would like to see him become more than just a tall jersey filler. Based on his skill set, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Plumlee proved to be an adept shot-blocker. His size and strength should be enough to allow him to compete in the paint with most NBA post players. He is also a good defensive rebounder. As a senior, he averaged 10 rebounds per game, and throughout his time at Duke, he consistently did a good job on the defensive glass.
Offensively, Plumlee is a capable scorer around the basket. He averaged 11.1 points as a junior and 17.1 as a senior. There’s no arguing that he can put up points from inside (via ESPN).
The concern, however, is that Plumlee’s post moves aren’t the greatest, and he never developed an outside shot.
Frequently, it was frustrating to see Plumlee fail to use a simple drop-step effectively. More often than not, he preferred to face up his post defender in order to use his quickness. While attempting to play to one’s strength illustrates a good basketball IQ, it also highlights a particular shortcoming in Plumlee’s game.
He did add a running jump hook to his forte, but that shot didn’t go down with a huge amount of consistency and it requires a great deal of space in the paint to pull it off.
The lack of a jump shot also gives NBA evaluators pause. The NBA is in love with offenses that run high screens over and over again. Because Plumlee hasn’t proven an ability to make a medium-range shot from the elbow, his effectiveness at setting screens on the perimeter is put into question.
Plumlee also didn’t defend particularly well on the perimeter. Often, on screen and rolls, he would hedge out too far and a quicker guard would jet past him. Again, the high ball screen is a staple in the NBA, and Plumlee’s weakness in that area on both defense and offense hurts his NBA upside.
All that being said, Plumlee is a good athlete, and on the right team, he could be a highly valuable asset. His ability to run the court and score in transition should ensure that he has something to offer the right type of team. In a good situation, Plumlee could be a reliable rotation player. His size, defense and inside scoring should translate into solid production even at the NBA level.
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Pros and Cons of Eddie Jordan’s Potential Move to Rutgers
Eddie Jordan has been named as someone who could become the next head basketball coach at Rutgers, but the question remains whether or not this is a smart decision for the program.
The position became available after former coach Mike Rice was fired due to various mental and physical abuse against his players that was caught on videotape. Sources say that Jordan could be named the next coach as soon as Monday (via ESPN).
Jordan is currently working as an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers after three different stints as a head coach in the NBA. He has many appealing characteristics on paper, but here is an examination on what he could do for the program.
Cons
No College Experience
Jordan played for Rutgers from 1973-77, but since then has almost exclusively been involved in the NBA either as a player or a coach.
While there is nothing wrong with being around players at the highest level, college basketball is nothing like the professional league. There are different rules, different strategies and even different problems that you deal with on a regular basis.
The coach will have to be more of a teacher to the young players than he has ever been, as many will likely come onto the team very raw as far as ability goes.
Additionally, it is unknown how much success he will have in the recruiting game with no experience. With few ties to programs in the area, it will be a challenge to get top players in his first few years.
These problems could lead to poor results out of the gate.
Lack of Success as Head Coach
While the 58-year-old former player has been around the NBA for a while, he has not been able to stick with one team for an extended period. This is mainly due to his 257-343 overall record as a head coach between stops with the Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.
He coached for parts of nine seasons, making the playoffs four times and winning a postseason series only once.
Throughout his career, teams generally underachieved compared to the talent on the roster. This inability to get the most of his players could remain a problem at Rutgers.
Pros
Opposite Personality of Mike Rice
After the Mike Rice fiasco, the school will be under a microscope, as the NCAA will make sure something like this never happens again. There is no better way to avoid this problem than to hire a coach with very few similarities to the one who left.
Rice was always intense on the sidelines, and that continued into practices. Conversely, Jordan’s known as “Easy Ed” and was called “the antithesis of Mike Rice” by David Lariviere of Forbes.
Rutgers showed potential last season with a 12-4 start, but the team collapsed down the stretch by losing 12 of the final 15 games. It is possible the players who did not respond to the anger of Rice will play better under the direction of Jordan.
The Scarlet Knights need a player-friendly coach to rid themselves of this problem, and Jordan is a great choice.
Reinvigorate the Program
This is a huge moment for the future of Rutgers basketball. The school will move to the Big Ten after the 2013-14 season, and with that will come increased expectations.
Of course, the latest incident gave the school national attention for all the wrong reasons. Jordan has to get the program back in the right direction.
Incidentally, he is the perfect person to do that. He is an alumnus who has loads of NBA experience that will come to a school that hasn’t had many positive events in recent history. If there is a person that can get the fans excited, this is it.
If Jordan can convince some big-time players to come to the school and have at least marginal success in his first year, it will give the school a lot of momentum as it changes conferences.
Verdict
In most of Eddie Jordan’s stops in his career, his bosses were not patient enough to wait for him to turn things around. This could be a problem at Rutgers.
Fans, as well as the athletic department, must give the coach time to get acclimated to the college game and find a way to have success at this level.
If he is given opportunity to do things his way, Jordan could be very successful with the Scarlet Knights.
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Tonight’s NBA schedule: Potential playoff matchup alert
USA TODAY Sports ranks Saturday’s four NBA games by watchability.
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How Golden State Warriors Match Up Against Every Potential Playoff Opponent
I guess you could say this is jumping the gun. I guess.
According to John Hollinger’s Playoff Odds, there’s still a 0.3 chance that the Golden State Warriors miss the playoffs.
They could have clinched against the Utah Jazz on April 7, but were thoroughly outplayed in their own building. Still, we can safely assume that the loss was just a postponement of a party that will come soon.
And a party it will be if and when the Warriors clinch. It would be just the second time in 19 years that Golden State makes the postseason, and barring a monumental collapse, the first that they will finish higher than No. 8.
However, the Warriors loss to Utah did open up one very real possibility: falling to No. 7. The Rockets trail the Warriors by one game but own both the tiebreaker and the easier closing schedule. This only creates more potential first-round matchups, as there already were several.
If the Warriors finish in sixth, they could play the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers or Memphis Grizzlies. All three are within two games of each other.
If they fall to seventh, they’ll face either Oklahoma City or San Antonio, the top two teams in the West who are separated by one game.
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Derrick Rose’s Potential Playoff Return Would Stop Questions About His Toughness
Derrick Rose has not ruled out a postseason return for the Chicago Bulls. That news, which comes from K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, has to be music to the ears of both the team and its fans.
If he does come back for the Bulls’ playoff run, he would quiet the critics that have questioned his toughness, per David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
Rose has worked to return from the torn ACL he suffered in last season’s first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The knee injury occurred on the same day New York Knicks‘ guard Iman Shumpert tore his ACL. Shumpert returned on Jan. 17, but Rose’s recovery has obviously taken much longer.
If Rose were to return during the postseason, it would appear to me that this may have been the plan all along. That would likely take some of the heat off the Bulls star.
Despite the fact that every person heals and recovers at a different pace, Rose and Shumpert are in two different situations.
While Shumpert is a promising young player, Rose is the cornerstone of the Bulls franchise. There is a difference.
The team’s handling of Rose and his own mental approach must be more calculated to preserve the commodity that is his exceptional athleticism.
Some fans may feel a bit let down that Rose hasn’t played all season—especially amidst reports that the doctors have cleared him to play—per Melissa Isaacson of ESPN.
Rose’s comments about only God knowing when he’d return could have frustrated some as well, as Peggy Kusinski and Lisa Balde of NBC Chicago reported.
But if he returns for the Bulls’ first-round series, or better yet for the last two games of the regular season, all will be forgotten.
If the Bulls maintain their spot in the Eastern Conference standings, they will likely face the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.
They handled the Nets well during the regular season. They have taken three-of-four against them without Rose, and though that means nothing in the postseason, I’d like their chances with Rose on the floor.
I think it is safe to assume the Miami Heat will blast through the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, so we could be looking at a second-round clash with LeBron and Co.
In the end, all Bulls fans care about is beating the Heat and hopefully playing in the NBA Finals. There is no doubt that having Rose on the floor in the playoffs gives them their best chance.
Follow me, because I watch more basketball than anyone should admit.
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