Golden State VS Cleveland Is Inevitable. Who You Got?!?

Since my beloved Washington Wizards were unceremoniously dumped from the NBA playoffs last week, I haven't watched a minute of basketball. The wounds are still too fresh, the pain is still there. To come thisclose to the opportunity to get disemboweled by the Cavaliers in 4-5 games and lose because some Canadian guy with short arms and a man-bun had his best game since middle school is just too hard to accept.

The Cavs looked like an unstoppable force until the other night when Lebron James inconveniently decided to have the worst game of his life. Nobody's calling Lebron a choker like they did John Wall and James Harden when both failed to show up in elimination games. And that makes sense. The Cavs simply lost a Game 3 on a miracle shot at the end of regulation. I don't see any way that series goes past 5, and I honestly am hoping the Cavs stomp a mudhole in the Celtics as a manner of by-proxy getback. Because I dislike Cleveland, but I really, really, really hate Boston. The city and the team.

Either way, regardless of what's happening in the Conference Finals, the NBA Finals are slated to begin on Thursday, June 1st. Smart money has the Cavs facing off again versus the Warriors in what might actually be an interesting series, something this year's playoffs have seriously lacked (BOS/WAS notwithstanding).

I'm not a betting man, but William Hill offers the best NBA betting opportunities, and if I were to put money on a team, I'd roll with the Warriors. They wouldn't have blown last year's 3-1 lead had center Andrew Bogut not gotten injured, and this team's squad has added Kevin Durant, plus has homecourt advantage, which is no small thing in the NBA. Some could argue that the Cavs coulda won the championship the prior season had they been fully healthy, which does make sense in a way.

Still, I say Warriors in 6 (hopefully) entertaining games. What say ye'.

Question: Who will win this year's NBA Championship?!?

The Lowdown On The Latest NBA News

It seems that the last week was a busy one for the NBA, both on and off the court.

Jeff Weltman has decided to become president for the Orlando Magic Basketball Operations, and will do so under the terms of a contract extending for 5 years. This appointment has him replacing Rob Hennigan, who was fired at the off-season’s start, and Weltman will be asked to select a General Manager to serve below him. Weltman has been a part of the Toronto Raptors team since 2013.

Durant Stands by His Decision to Sign with Warriors

Kevin Durant has said that his decision to sign with the Warriors was 100% correct. He is 1 win away from reaching the Finals, for the 2nd time in his career, and the 1st time since 2012.

Durant’s decision to sign up with the Golden State Warriors last summer was a controversial one, but he has stated that he has no regrets about his move, and that whether or not they win the Finals will not affect the way he feels. He has stated that he is where he needs to be, and, although he appreciates everything that had gone before, he feels he is at a point in his life where he needs to be.

Durant will once again become a free agent this offseason, and, when asked if he would consider re-signing with the Warriors, he said yes. He spoke of loving his teammates, being fond of Oakland, and being devoted to the organisation, and said he had no plans on moving.

This news will delight punters who make use of Australian betting apps, since this player is a very popular member of the Warriors, and has helped many bettors see some considerable returns.

When asked about the best thing about playing for the Golden State Warriors, Durant spoke of how important just being in the game was, and that fun was a priority. Passion and dedication was everyone’s vision, according to Durant, but it was not a deadly serious operation. Fun was certainly a main concern.

Millsap Has Opted Out of Hawks Contract

As expected, Paul Millsap has opted out of this Atlanta Hawks contract, valued at US$21.4 million, for the 2017 – 2018 season.
Millsap, a free agent in 2015, structured a 3-year, US$60.2 million deal with a 3rd year player option along with his agent, DeAngelo Simmons. He joined the Hawks in 2013, coming from Utah Jazz, and is expected to command a max, or near-max, contract.

Magic will Keep Lloyd in Front Office

Matt Lloyd is set to remain with Orlando Magic, although the role he will play is still to be determined. He has been serving as General Manager for the interim, after Rob Hennigan’s dismissal and seems happy to continue working with the team.

Kawhi Leonard Has Been Ruled Out for Game 4

Kawhi Leonard has been out of play since Game 1’s second half, thanks to an injury he sustained to his ankle, and has recently been ruled out for Game 4 as well. His recovery seems to be taking longer than expected and he has said he is hoping to get back on the court soon.

Knicks Will Not Renew Longstaff Contract

The Knicks have decided against renewing assistant coach Josh Longstaff’s contract. Longstaff first joined the team alongside Derek Fisher, and was one of the last holdovers remaining. Longstaff has been named as 1 of the hardest working members of the staff, and was a coach in charge of player development with Oklahoma City Thunder.

What’s Happening in the NBA?

Wes Wilcox and the Atlanta Hawks have parted ways. The general manager for the team, Wilcox had been working very closely with Mike Budenholzer, after joining the Atlanta team in 2012. Previously involved with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Wilcox attained the status of GM 3 years later, in 2012. Wilcox was disciplined by the Atlanta Hawks after he was overheard making a racist remark in January at an event for individuals holding season tickets.

The Hawks are now facing another vital offseason, in which their franchise’s direction will largely be under the determination of Paul Millsap, a free agent.

The Hawks are refuting the report, however, and released a statement to Chris Vivlamore that stated that there were no changes to account for currently, and that any rumours stating otherwise were not accurate. The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that decisions about Wilcox’s future are still under review, and that Budenholzer could well be dropping his duties as president whilst staying on as Head Coach.

All the Action on the Court

The old cliché holds that adjustments are required during the NBA playoffs, and this is not without reason. Even Gregg Popovich has accepted the fact that Swapping David Lee out for Pau Gasol midway through the Spurs’ starting line-up was not going to make a massive amount of difference.

But, in the wake of a turnaround of 121 – 96 that has evened this series with the Houston Rockets at a game each, Popovich is now having to deal with the kind of massive adjustments that come when a huge earthquake has brought buildings down and opened up cavernous holes in the city’s streets. Those who enjoy sports betting in NZ and the rest of the world have sat up taken notice as too, as any changes in line-ups can mean a readjustment of who gets backed.

Tony Parker, point guard, was lifted up off of the floor for an 8 foot runner in the lane early on in the 4th quarter, and, by the time he whacked the ground again, the challenge the Spurs are facing for the remainder of the series, and potentially even beyond, had become a lot bigger.

Upcoming NBA Games

The Boston Celtics take on the Washington Wizards on the 5th of May, as well as Utah Jazz facing up to the Golden State Warriors on the 6th and both games promise to deliver some nail biting action. 

Current News

The Golden State Warriors managed to shoot 54.5%, and committed 4 turnovers against excellent defence during the initial 24 minutes of playoff basketball in 8 days.
The Warriors, after they were able to average 87.3 shots in the opening rounds of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers, and 87.1 in the regular season, worked their way up to 82 on Tuesday nights, ostensibly whilst still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.

Golden State has gone from finishing the 4-game sweep of the Trail Blazers on the 24th of April to an abnormally extended layoff, to starting the new series, against opponents who are operating from within the momentum of 3 wins out of the last 4. Yet the Warriors did not show that any of the uncommon circumstances surrounding them mattered in the slightest: they were slick and well-organised, in-sync and in control, as if they were coming off a usual rest.