James Dolan is thinking about Phil Jackson’s Future with the Knicks
James Dolan is considering Phil Jackson’s future as the president of the New York Knicks. Dolan had the capacity to eschew the contract at the end of the 2016/2017 season, since both sides were able to exercise a mutual option. The New York Knicks hired Phil Jackson on a 5-year, US$60 million contract back in 2014, amidst harsh criticism from Knicks fans that supported Dolan.
Jackson has been looking to trade Carmelo Anthony recently, but the comments that he’s been making publicly have seen Anthony turned instead into a sympathetic figure in the eyes of most fans and almost all of the media.
The manner in which Jackson treated Anthony was also part of the reason that Kristaps Porzingis missed his exit interview with the Knicks when the season came to an end. Subsequently, Jackson has spoken in public about the Knicks’ options being explored as far as the trade market for Porzingis was concerned.
Rockets are a Serious Threat Regarding Signing Chris Paul
The Houston Rockets have come into view as a more and more serious threat to sign Chris Paul away from the Los Angeles Clippers. Paul met with the latter on Tuesday, and is set to do so again soon.
James Harden is one of the individuals advocating for the Rockets to sign Paul, and has conveyed this message directly to the player, and betting sites worldwide are eagerly awaiting the outcome of these talks.
Celtics Hope to Get Paul George
The Boston Celtics need a commitment from Gordon Hayward before a trade can be finalized for Paul George. The Pacers are perhaps unwilling to wait until the free agency begins in order to agree on a trade, however, and may well start looking elsewhere with their trade talks regarding George.
The Celtics need to maneuver their roster and start unloading salaries, but they do have a contingency plan in place. If Boston is unable to secure the deal with Hayward, it’s possible that they will sign Blake Griffin instead, and then make a trade for Paul George.
Rockets Focus on Trading Anderson if They Need Cap Space
The Houston Rockets have put all of their attention on attempting to find a team with cap space that would allow for the absorption of Ryan Anderson’s contract in order to chase maximum free agency space. Anderson is still owed US$19.6 million and US$61 million in total over the next 3 seasons. The Sacramento Kings are a possibility, since they require a stretch-4 and Anderson is native to that area.
Anderson enjoyed an outstanding 1st season with the Rockets after he was signed from the New Orleans Pelicans. Houston is also chasing Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in free agency.
Everybody Wants Andre Iguodala
The San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz are some of the teams that are set to go in for Andre Iguodala in free agency.
The Golden State Warriors are still hopeful about re-signing Iguodala, and it has not been confirmed whether the player will be meeting with anyone else. Iguodala’s contracted with the Warriors on a 4-year, US$48 million deal back in 2013.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Warriors vs. Cavaliers: 3 Things You Might Have Missed
There are 3 things that may have slipped past unnoticed during the Golden State Warriors’ Game 5 NBA Finals eradication of the Cleveland Cavaliers:
1. Irving Really Played Defense
Kyrie Irving really did play defense; it was just to no avail. The Cavaliers required that Irving outplay Stephen Curry if they were going to take Game 5, and it must be acknowledged that the point guard came very close. He was avidly hunting for steals and generally getting in the face of the 2-time Most Valuable Player winner as much as he could, and Curry almost did himself in by dribbling the ball into traps set by the Cavs more than once, but Irving’s A-game was just not good enough this time around.
2. The Appalling Officiating Went Two Ways
The dreadful officiating extended both ways, and although many felt that it may have favored the Golden State Warriors, it ultimately did not. Throughout the first quarter of the game it seemed almost like the game was fixed, especially if you were following social media reports.
Fans all over the world thought that the Cleveland Cavaliers were seeing too many benefits from the whistle because the NBA wanted Game 6 to go ahead, as the referee seemed to be ignoring the fact that they were drawing fouls thanks to the fact that the Warriors seemed to be consistently put out of position. The calls did eventually even out though, and although this game was not a well-officiated one, it was an equally badly-officiated one, and this factor did not play a part in the eventual triumph of the Warriors, as punters making use of NZ betting sites to bet on the game may have feared it would.
3. The Cavaliers and Warriors Busted Out Medium Ball
Everyone knows about the much vaunted small-ball belonging to the Golden State Warriors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are able to use it as well. Everyone is also well aware of the Cavaliers’ ability to stay big versus the Warriors, thanks to their conventional starting line-up. During Monday night’s game, however, something in the middle of these 2 examples was discovered…
Early on in the game’s 2nd quarter, Draymond Green was the shortest player on the baseball court, with Kevin Durant and Tristan Thompson being the only tall players for both the Warriors and the Cavaliers. Furthermore, neither of the 2 teams had a true point guard player until Curry managed to check in after a few possessions, ruining the startling fun of such an unconventional stretch. Positions had become worthless, and there were suddenly just 10 top athletes on the court playing the game as well as they could.
While it could well be termed the medium-ball, it could also quite easily be called the future of the NBA, since this does seem to be where the Association is headed.
Players like the almost 7-foot tall point guard Giannis Antetokounmpo are taking their places alongside centres like Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Kristaps Porzingis, who are able to connect the ball to the fall, shoot 3s, and anchor the defence, to varying degrees, and it is wonderful to watch.
Question:
1. Irving Really Played Defense
Kyrie Irving really did play defense; it was just to no avail. The Cavaliers required that Irving outplay Stephen Curry if they were going to take Game 5, and it must be acknowledged that the point guard came very close. He was avidly hunting for steals and generally getting in the face of the 2-time Most Valuable Player winner as much as he could, and Curry almost did himself in by dribbling the ball into traps set by the Cavs more than once, but Irving’s A-game was just not good enough this time around.
2. The Appalling Officiating Went Two Ways
The dreadful officiating extended both ways, and although many felt that it may have favored the Golden State Warriors, it ultimately did not. Throughout the first quarter of the game it seemed almost like the game was fixed, especially if you were following social media reports.
Fans all over the world thought that the Cleveland Cavaliers were seeing too many benefits from the whistle because the NBA wanted Game 6 to go ahead, as the referee seemed to be ignoring the fact that they were drawing fouls thanks to the fact that the Warriors seemed to be consistently put out of position. The calls did eventually even out though, and although this game was not a well-officiated one, it was an equally badly-officiated one, and this factor did not play a part in the eventual triumph of the Warriors, as punters making use of NZ betting sites to bet on the game may have feared it would.
3. The Cavaliers and Warriors Busted Out Medium Ball
Everyone knows about the much vaunted small-ball belonging to the Golden State Warriors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are able to use it as well. Everyone is also well aware of the Cavaliers’ ability to stay big versus the Warriors, thanks to their conventional starting line-up. During Monday night’s game, however, something in the middle of these 2 examples was discovered…
Early on in the game’s 2nd quarter, Draymond Green was the shortest player on the baseball court, with Kevin Durant and Tristan Thompson being the only tall players for both the Warriors and the Cavaliers. Furthermore, neither of the 2 teams had a true point guard player until Curry managed to check in after a few possessions, ruining the startling fun of such an unconventional stretch. Positions had become worthless, and there were suddenly just 10 top athletes on the court playing the game as well as they could.
While it could well be termed the medium-ball, it could also quite easily be called the future of the NBA, since this does seem to be where the Association is headed.
Players like the almost 7-foot tall point guard Giannis Antetokounmpo are taking their places alongside centres like Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Kristaps Porzingis, who are able to connect the ball to the fall, shoot 3s, and anchor the defence, to varying degrees, and it is wonderful to watch.
Question:
Thursday, June 8, 2017
The Golden State Warriors Are Bad For The NBA. And Bad For Sports. And Bad For America, Basically.
Short of signing their own Kevin Durant in the offseason there's just nothing the Cavs could have done to win this series. The talent disparity is too deep. Lebron is Lebron. But Kyrie's showing himself to be nothing more than a one dimensional combo guard who finishes at an elite level but does nothing else particularly well. And Love looks like the lost 3rd wheel who can't do anything without Lebron setting him up. Then there's Thompson, whose Cinderella ride is over. He looks like the pre-Lebron TT again. Nobody else on that team is worth mentioning.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have 4 first ballot Hall of Famers. The oldest of that crew (Curry) is only 29. The others are in their late twenties. All of which means they're either in the midst of, or just entering their primes. Curry will be resigned this summer, as will KD. The other guys already have their money, which is a nice way of saying that minus some devastating injury, this unit's going to have 3-4 more solid years in which there really won't be a viable challenger. Lebron is already 32, and he's been in the league since age 18. His inevitable decline is on the horizon, and the Cavs, as currently constructed, wouldn't even scratch .500 without him.
As far as other "challengers" go, the Clippers might be broken up soon, no free agent in his right mind wants to live in OKC, the Rockets got exposed already, the Spurs are old, the Celtics have the draft picks and cap flexibility to be a contender in 2020 and my Wizards are still run by Ernie Grunfeld.
There is no competition on the horizon. None.
This isn't good for sports. No other league depends on individual stars as much as the NBA does, and a team with 4 All Stars in their primes means the championship is already predestined every year. That's not healthy for fans of other teams, or fans of sports in general. Sure, the ratings and attendance are through the roof right now, but at some point people will tire of predictable finishes. It's why Empire is one season away from cancellation and why I barely bother watching any NBA games that don't involve my beloved home team.
Anyways, enjoy the run Warriors fans.
Question: Is the Warriors' domination bad for the league?
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