Miller would like job with Pacers
Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller, who will live in infamy with his eight points in nine seconds playoff performance against the Knicks, is now a prominent part of the TNT broadcasting crew. However, it seems that is not Miller’s only aspiration. In an interview with the Indianapolis Star that ranged from subjects of Spike Lee to his feelings about the current Indiana Pacers, Miller says that he would love a front office position if the situation was right, and the only situation he feels is right is back home with the Pacers. Here is a blurb of the interview with Miller: Q: You have the life of luxury. You work one day a week during the regular season. But how much do you think about running a team in the front office? A: All the time. It would have to be the right situation (and), for me, the only situation I know is Indiana. Those competitive juices always flow. During the regular season, not so much because it’s only one day a week. It really picks up come the end of March and April when the playof
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Baby Birdman Would Make Chris Anderson Very Proud
The only thing that is more entertaining than Chris “Birdman” Anderson is this baby birdman. The detail in this baby’s costume is absolutely spot on, all the way down to the tattoos and hair. Brilliant. [Alexander Balaez] Article found on: Next Impulse Sports
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NBA Exec Says Andrew Wiggins Would Be Max Player in NBA Right Now
Few phrases carry the same weight as “max contract” through basketball circles, particularly under the more stringent salary-cap guidelines set forth by the most recent collective bargaining agreement.
Trust me, those two words are worth an addition to your hoops vernacular in preparation of the upcoming free-agent frenzy.
Even after a tumultuous debut season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard seems guaranteed for a massive payday this summer. But will those same astronomical contract figures be granted to either John Wall or Josh Smith? Is there still a team willing to take a max-deal gamble on the hobbled Andrew Bynum?
These are all questions that will be addressed in the upcoming months.
But in the case of one potential superstar, a player who’s yet to log even a single minute of college basketball, it’s only a matter of when, not if, that massive contract offer sheet slides across the negotiating table (via Zach Lowe of Grantland.com):
Granted, this is completely stricken to the hypothetical realm at this point.
Andrew Wiggins, the top-ranked player of the 2012-13 high school class, isn’t actually eligible for any NBA contract for another year. The league’s age-limit rule prevents the young phenom from making a preps-to-pros leap, thus the reason for his recent announcement that he’ll be attending the University of Kansas this fall (via Jim Halley of USA Today).
A 6’7″, do-it-all small forward, Wiggins is a dynamic athlete making incredible strides in all facets of his game. Eric Bossi of Rivals.com hails him as “perhaps the top defender in high school basketball,” while his future coach Bill Self labeled him as “an assassin, an alpha dog” (via Nicole Auerbach of USA Today).
Genetics surely benefited his athletic side.
His father, Mitchell, was the 23rd pick of the 1983 NBA draft and scored nearly 4,000 points in his six-year career. His mother, Marita Payne-Wiggins, was a Canadian Olympic sprinter and silver medalist (via John Raby of The Associated Press).
But athletic ability only accounted for so much of the 23.4 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists he averaged during his senior season at Huntington (W Va.) Prep. Multiple comparisons to reigning MVP LeBron James best hint at the versatile skill set of this explosive finisher (via ESPN’s Numbers Never Lie):
He can shoot from all angles of the court, has improved his ball-handling skills tremendously and understands how to maximize his athletic gifts on both ends of the floor.
But it’s his humble approach—he didn’t want to make his commitment a national spectacle, which of course only added to the intrigue—that suggests he’s willing to put in the work to maximize his oozing hoops potential.
The question is, just where does this 18-year-old’s ceiling rest?
If executives are already lining up to roll out the max-contract red carpet, he could be a once-in-a-generation type of talent.
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How Andrew Wiggins Would Impact Each Potential College Choice
Andrew Wiggins has the college basketball world abuzz with his decision as to where he’ll be playing next year, which is likely to made at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford.
Wiggins—widely considered the best high school player since this guy called LeBron James—has a mountain of hype surrounding him—making the decision as to where he’s playing basketball next year a big one. It’s the type of decision that could completely change the college basketball landscape, with the team that lands his services potentially becoming title favorites in 2013.
That might seem like an overreaction, but it’s not. The kid is that good.
So where’s Wiggins going to be playing next year?
Well, for that, you’ll have to tune in to his announcement around lunch time on Tuesday, but there’s four key programs thought to be in the mix for the star
Read on to see who they are, and how Wiggins’ arrival could impact them in 2013.
Florida State University Seminoles
Wiggins is going to be a star wherever he ends up next season, but at Florida State, he would be the undisputed go-to option from the opening tip.
FSU has the allure of having good friends in the program, and for the Seminoles, it would be the biggest commit in a long time. After all, they are the only program out of the four mentioned that haven’t won a National Championship, and it would definitely get them back in the media spotlight.
Statistically, Florida State ranked outside the top 100 in terms of offensively efficiency in 2012—something that having Wiggins would definitely change.
Be that in terms of scoring or in terms of rebounding, Wiggins would be able to transform the Seminoles from being another middle-of-the-road team in 2012 to a team with some serious underdog status. What’s more, they would be more than capable knocking off the top programs around the country with his arrival, and could well make a surprise run once they get going later in the year.
Kansas Jayhawks
Having lost star Ben McLemore to the NBA draft this year, signing Wiggins would be a huge recruit for Kansas, and one that could allow them to continue to compete at the highest level in 2013.
Allen Fieldhouse would be buzzing again, for the Jayhawks would be national title contenders again—despite losing several of their starters. And with their sound defense and good recruiting so far, Wiggins’ offensive skills would definitely be welcomed.
Eric Bossi of Rivals.com writes (via USA Today):
Kansas, maybe even more than Florida State, is a place he could make an immediate impact. They don’t really have that true high flyer. He could also, theoretically, play power forward for them because he’s so quick and athletic.
Kansas would again be competitive for a Big 12 title and, depending on the cohesion it develops early on, could well enter March Madness as a No. 1 seed.
The presence of Wiggins would rejuvenate this young team into an explosive offense powerhouse that is more than capable of getting the job done.
North Carolina Tar Heels
With James Michael McAdoo opting to stay on for another year, North Carolina finds itself in a particularly strong position if they can secure Wiggins.
Not only would have they have an explosive frontcourt in Roy Williams’ push-the-pace offense, they’d have arguably the most explosive offensive player in the league—capable of dominating inside and in transition, as well as racking up plenty of boards at either end of the court.
Marcus Paige is a pass-first guy in the backcourt who could establish a great connection with Wiggins—turning the Tar Heels into the team to beat next season. Moreover, it would give UNC a huge advantage over their rivals Duke, who have picked up top prospect Jabari Parker for the year ahead, and could establish a thrilling rivalry between Wiggins and Parker at an individual level also.
It’s perhaps a stretch to say that they’re title contenders, but they’re definitely capable of making a strong run in the NCAA Tournament, given the experience that many of their players will have and the fact they’ve got a guy like Wiggins on their roster.
Kentucky Wildcats
However, the strongest impact that Wiggins could have next year would be at Kentucky—and it’s not even close. In the eyes of many, the Wildcats are already the team to beat for the National Championship thanks to their strong recruiting class. Adding in Wiggins would simply confirm that fact even more, and create one of the most most star-studded lineups seen since the Fab Five.
Yes, the Wildcats would be that good next season.
John Calipari‘s team would have at least six first-round draft prospects on hand, and that could only mean big things for the Huntington Prep star.
For at Kentucky, opposing teams can’t afford to double-team him every time he gets the ball in good positions—like they could do if he was at FSU, for example.
Wiggins would thrive in a dribble-drive offense like Kentucky’s, and most likely playing at small-forward, could have an impact both as a scorer and a creator.
He’s unlikely to do that anywhere else, for they would likely need his scoring skills more than anything; yet at Kentucky, they’ve already got plenty of go-to options.
If he wants to win a title, Kentucky is the place to go, for with Wiggins in their roster, the Wildcats would be tremendously difficult to shut down in 2013.
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Andrew Wiggins at Florida State Would Be Good for College Basketball
If you don’t have any horses in this race, you should undoubtedly be rooting for superstar Andrew Wiggins to attend Florida State.
As you’ve likely heard ad nauseam over the past several months, the best high school baller on the planet has narrowed his decision down to four schools: Florida State, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina.
He’s extremely close to finally ending the speculation (via ESPN’s Paul Biancardi and Huntington Prep head coach Rob Fulford):
Now, if you’re a diehard Kentucky, Kansas or North Carolina fan, no one is going to blame you for vehemently buying up every turkey in town just so you can use all the wishbones on wishes for a Wiggins commitment.
But if you want the 2013-14 college basketball season to be as well-balanced and exciting as possible, you’re going to want Wiggins to don a Seminole jersey next season.
Put simply, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina are already good enough.
In addition to bringing back Kyle Wiltjer, Alex Poythress and Willie Cauley-Stein, the Wildcats are adding quite possibly the best recruiting class in history—with or without Wiggins.
Julius Randle, Andrew and Aaron Harrison, Dakari Johnson, James Young and Marcus Lee give them an elite player at every position and a staggering six McDonald’s All Americans. Adding Wiggins to that group would be like giving $1,000 to a multi-millionaire.
Kentucky, even without the country’s top recruit, is already the (very) early favorite to cut the nets down at Cowboys Stadium.
North Carolina will return the majority of an extremely young team along with three incoming freshmen—two McDonald’s All Americans—capable of contributing right away.
Kansas is a little bit of a lesser-known entity than the first two. The Jayhawks are losing Ben McLemore, Jeff Withey, Elijah Johnson, Travis Releford and Kevin Young, and while they are bringing in four talented recruits, the outlook for next season is slightly up in the air.
Still, with Bill Self at the helm, we’ve learned that KU is always a legitimate threat to win the Big 12.
Then you have Florida State. The Seminoles are losing Michael Snaer and Terrance Shannon from a team that stumbled to the NIT last year, and as it stands, Xavier Rathan-Mayes is one of two players coming in to help.
Should Wiggins head south to Tallahassee, it would immediately help even out the balance of power in college basketball. It would provide the stage for some truly memorable, scintillating individual performances.
It would give us an opportunity to see one of the most talented young players in the world attempt to carry a team, a la Kevin Durant sans Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City.
It would give us a recruiting upset.
It would remind us what is great about amateur athletics—a young, highly sought-out player spurning the national powerhouses for the school that his mom and dad went to, choosing family over fame.
Best of all, Wiggins to Florida State would make next year’s college basketball campaign a whole lot less predictable, and as we found out this year, unpredictability makes for a thrilling season.
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Stoudemire’s limit would be 10-15 minutes (Yahoo! Sports)
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Amare Stoudemire will likely be limited to about 10 to 15 minutes per game if he is able to return during New York’s playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.
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Former Knicks star Larry Johnson: ‘Gay men in locker room would make me uncomfortable’
NBA veteran Jason Collins made history this week by publicly announcing he was gay. Reactions have been mixed since news of his decision broke. Some people are on board with it, while others are certainly not.Count former NBA All-Star Larry Johnson as one who is not okay with it. The 44-year-old native of Texas made his feelings known via Twitter after Collins came out.I don’t Jason Collins personally but he seems like a great guy. Me personally gay men in the locked room would make me uncomfortable .— Larry Johnson (@TheRealLJ2) April 29, 2013One of his followers quickly tweeted in response: “RESPECT LJ! There’s no place in the NBA for gay players.”Johnson responded by saying, “I agree.”Naturally, Johnson’s tweet incited a storm of response from other users as well. Some offered words of support for his position and others offered plenty of resistance.You can view the debate in its entirety via his profile page.Ppl ! this is nothing against Jason or …
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Phil Jackson’s Presence Would Instantly Make Raptors Credible
Tim Leiweke, the president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment wants Phil Jackson to be team president of the Toronto Raptors, per Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
The former Los Angeles-based sports mogul is apparently aggressively pursuing Jackson for the post.
Why wouldn’t he? Beyond the L.A. connection, Jackson’s reputation as a winner and leader is legendary.
Wherever the Zen Master goes, respect follows him. If Jackson is named team president, it will change the way the franchise is viewed in the NBA.
With 13 championship rings (11 as a coach and two as a player) Jackson is one of the most successful human beings in the history of team sports.
With that track record, players, coaches and fans pay more attention to anything he is involved with.
The organization has struggled to lure and retain top-notch free agents. They watched Vince Carter leave via trade after becoming unhappy with the team while Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh left via free agency.
Having a famous and respected figurehead would help improve the image of the team.
There are still tax issues that will impede the Raptors, though. Per the Canada Revenue Agency, employees who make more than $135,054 per year will pay 29 percent of their income to the Canadian government.
That pretty much affects every NBA player.
It will take a grand salesman to overcome that financial factor. However, no salesman is more effective than one who comes through the door with credibility. No one represents success in the NBA like Jackson.
If players and coaches are interested in winning, Jackson will be speaking their language. If he were to accept the Raptors’ overtures, the first step would be finding a coach.
Jackson has tremendous respect amongst the head coaching fraternity. Most coaches would likely be thrilled to work for him. Former assistants such as Brian Shaw could possibly get their first opportunity north of the border if Jackson was in charge.
Shaw is drawing interest from the Philadelphia 76ers, but it stands to reason he would at least listen if Jackson called him about the head coaching job in Toronto.
In a sense, that is the bottom line here. When Jackson speaks, most people in the game will be willing to listen.
That’s likely more influence than any other front office or coach has had with organization since its inception in 1995.
The Raptors need to establish a winning culture. In any organization, that has to start at the top. Jackson would be the perfect man to usher in a winning attitude.
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New York Knicks: Why the Knicks Would Rather Face the Hawks Than the Pacers
The New York Knicks are trying to do something this season that they haven’t done in 13 years: win a playoff series.
New York is up 3-1 against the Boston Celtics, and with J.R. Smith (who sat out Game 4 with a suspension) returning to the lineup for Game 5, the team looks to be in a good position to move on.
But the Knicks want to do more than win just one series.
This season has been championship-or-bust from the start of training camp, and that mindset has been instilled in the team by its superstar, and the NBA scoring champion, Carmelo Anthony.
If the Knicks get past Boston, which they have put themselves in a position to do, they will take on either the Indiana Pacers or the Atlanta Hawks. The outcome of that series between the third- and sixth-seeded teams could determine whether the Knicks will be able to make a run at the Eastern Conference Finals, or if they will be sent home disappointed like seemingly every other year in the past decade.
The Knicks want to play Atlanta. There are absolutely no doubts about that. Why wouldn’t they? The Knicks are a perfect 3-0 against the Hawks this season, with Anthony putting up 41.0 points per game against Mike Woodson’s former team (Anthony played in two of the three games).
Woodson’s current team has defeated the Hawks in a 106-104 thriller, a 95-82 drubbing and a 98-92 victory in the last game of the season with every key player resting back in New York.
The Pacers are a much tougher matchup for the Knicks.
These two Eastern Conference foes, who battled for the No. 2 seed all season long, split their season series 2-2, but the Pacers (the eventual No. 3 seed) proved that they are more than a capable opponent. Anthony averaged 22.0 points per game against the Pacers in three games this season, but he did so on 37.9 percent shooting.
The NBA’s scoring champion struggled offensively mainly due to the smothering defense of Paul George, who was voted the Most Improved Player of the 2012-13 season.
Frank Vogel’s defensive-minded squad destroyed a struggling Knicks team back in February in a 125-91 beating, but then New York came back and handed the Pacers a 10-point loss on April 14th in a game that was a part of the Knicks’ 16-2 streak that closed the season.
Regardless of who it is that they play, the Knicks have their eyes set on a showdown with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. To get there, though, they will need to go through the Hawks or the Pacers and, for their sake, let’s hope it’s Atlanta.
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Dwight Howard’s Image Would Be Forver Tarnished If He Left LA Lakers
Dwight Howard‘s image has been on life support since he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, and if he spurns them this summer, it would be tarnished beyond repair.
There isn’t an illustrious history that exists between Howard and the Lakers organization. He was traded to them less than a year ago. Leaving Tinseltown wouldn’t be like him deserting the Orlando Magic.
It would be worse.
Los Angeles isn’t more entitled to Howard than Orlando was. The Lakers haven’t invested more in him than the Magic did. Not even close. But they’re prepared to. And they have the means to. Because they’re the Lakers.
Howard wanted to play in a bigger market, and Los Angeles is one of the biggest there is. He wanted to play for a team that would contend for a championship, and given who the Lakers are and the financial flexibility they have moving forward, they’re going to do just that.
So why leave? Why exit left from one of the most prominent stages in all of sports? Why would you dissociate yourself from a franchise that exists only to win titles?
You wouldn’t. You just don’t. Especially if you’re Howard.
Superman has spent the entire 2012-13 campaign attempting to restore his once-infallible image. Leaving would undo everything he has done and push him to the point of no return.
To believe Howard would do that to himself after the Orlando debacle borders on inconceivable. There shouldn’t even be a decision for him to make. But according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, there is:
According to several sources familiar with Howard’s thinking, Howard will likely explore free agency before reaching his final decision. In today’s media landscape, that means there will be a circus in July while Howard hears pitches from the likes of the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Even if it is merely Howard doing his due diligence before making a major life decision, the frenzy it is sure to create will give Howard a taste of the backlash he could face if he ultimately decides to uproot from L.A. just one year removed from the “Dwightmare” that surrounded his exit from Orlando.
Howard doing his due diligence is hardly surprising. What would be shocking is if he opts to sign with the Dallas Mavericks or Cleveland Cavaliers, or worse, the Atlanta Hawks. It would be character-crippling as well.
Again, it’s not as if Howard is forsaking the Magic all over again. The bonds that existed between him and the city of Orlando were far more convoluted than his ties to Los Angeles (for now). That doesn’t change that Howard forced himself out of Orlando to be put in a situation like he is in now.
The big man didn’t beg and plead to be traded to Kobe Bryant‘s team. He had his sights set on the Brooklyn Nets first, then came every other big-market team, the Lakers included. And he inevitably got his wish, or some version of it.
What would it say about him if he leaves the environment he pined for? More than a year was dedicated to the Dwightmare. Once he got what he wanted—a trade to a contender—it was supposed to be over.
Should he decide to sign elsewhere this summer, those memories will be relived and his selfishness rehashed. It would be the equivalent of LeBron James requesting a trade from the Miami Heat in 2011.
Laugh if you want, but James had a difficult enough time re-establishing himself as a “good guy” even after he remained loyal to his new team. And he made it to the NBA Finals in his first season with the Heat. Defecting yet again, after just one season, further pollutes an already afflicted image.
Dwight finally has what he wants, and he can’t justify foregoing the opportunity at hand in favor of something else. Not without being portrayed as a coward and narcissist.
Los Angeles isn’t going to win a title this season, but the Lakers will have more than $30 million in cap space in 2014 even after re-signing Howard. That summer, players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, among so many others will be free agents. The Lakers will be able to make a play for anyone of the big names available, because athletes want to play for an organization dedicated to winning.
Tinseltown’s jovial big man can’t rationalize the decision to give that up. He’s not in Orlando, he’s in Los Angeles. There is (realistically) no better opportunity to win.
Howard’s supposed affinity for the Nets has become financially impossible, so there’s no other option. What is he supposed to leave the Lakers for, the ambiguity in Dallas? A diminutive market in Cleveland? A nonexistent market in Atlanta?
Let’s be real.
If Howard wants to win, there is only the Lakers now. Had he not wanted to play in the spotlight, he never should have forced a trade from Orlando. He would have been free to remove himself from the Magic this summer and play for whoever and play wherever the hell he wanted. He has no such luxury now.
After spending more than a year not-so-secretly bemoaning his future, Howard has shackled himself to his personal desires. He customized a set of parameters, a list of preferences. He didn’t leave Orlando because it wasn’t willing to pay him or try to win. He left because he wanted what he wanted—the glitz and glam that came with contending in a gargantuan-sized market.
And he got it. He’s now “The Man” in Los Angeles. Even if he has to share the reins with Kobe, he’s the future of the Lakers, the one Mitch Kupchak and the front office will do anything and everything for.
This isn’t about money. Howard would be giving up one year and approximately $31 million worth of job security if he leaves, but it’s not about that. It’s about preserving what’s left of his image and putting himself in a position to rebuild it.
Wherever Howard goes, he’ll make strides toward reconstructing the public perception that now eludes him. But it will never be the same. Not like it was in Orlando. And not like it can be in Los Angeles.
“Dwight is our future,” Kupchak had said earlier in the season (via McMenamin).
And the Lakers are his. Or rather, they should be. Otherwise he’ll cross the line of villainy he has toed since last season and never completely come back.
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