NBA News 2011: San Antonio Spurs Against Lakers

Image by Evan Wohrman via Flickr
Record against Lakers: 2-0

Games left: 2

This is no doubt the matchup everyone is curious about.

The Lakers are heading into the playoffs as two time defending champs and are by all accounts the team to beat.

If it comes down to this matchup I believe that the Spurs have a very clear and dominating advantage.

Like I said earlier, the playoffs are very different from the regular season, and thus we will not take into account the fact that Kobe has shot below 30 percent against the Spurs this year.

In the playoffs, Kobe knows how to play and if he begins shooting poorly look for him to devote his energy to some other facet of the game.

The starting five are also very well balanced and the Duncan - Gasol matchup could be the big factor in this series.

I would love to see this match up and the winner of this could very well end up winning it all.

However, my prediction is that if this happens, the Spurs will win in a relatively easy fashion when considering the magnitude of this clash.

The Chance of Beating the Lakers: Moderate to High

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/626096-san-antonio-spurs-breaking-down-chances-against-mavericks-lakers-thunder/page/4

NBA News 2011: San Antonio Spurs Against Thunder

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Record against Thunder: 3-0

Games left: 0


While there hasn't been too much talk of the Thunder this year as far as championships go, but ever since they acquired Kendrick Perkins they have become major contenders.

I do have to admit that the Thunder have a very nice team and a very dangerous team, I just can't see how they could defeat the Spurs.

Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook are two of the best young players in the world and Perkins just happens to be one of the best defensive centers in the game.

They also have a relatively nice cast around those players and a cast that can be lightning fast running down the court. This could actually swing either way and will depend on how Westbrook and Durant play.

The Chance of Beating the Thunder: Moderate to High

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/626096-san-antonio-spurs-breaking-down-chances-against-mavericks-lakers-thunder/page/2

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NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Marshon Brooks

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Marshon Brooks, 6-5, Senior, Shooting Guard, Providence
23.8 points, 8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 3.4 turnovers, 1.8 steals, 1.3 blocks, 50% FG, 80% FT, 36%3P

Marshon Brooks is a name that pops up in nearly every conversation when discussing the most improved players in the country this season. The Providence senior has put together an extremely productive first half of the season, proving to be one of the best scorers in the Big East.

Standing at 6'5” with a wiry frame, Brooks has a smooth, attacking game on the offensive end with the ability to score points in bunches. And while he often finds himself playing different positions for an undersized Providence team, his body and skill set suggest that he's best suited as shooting guard prospect for the NBA.

Brooks's overall improvement and efficiency can be seen in virtually all areas of his game, as evidenced by his excellent 31.2 PER, which currently ranks him among the top 20 players in the country. His biggest strength though, is his ability to create his own shot and score, as he's averaging 23.8 points per game so far this season, which puts in him in the top five in the nation.

On the defensive end, Providence plays quite a bit of zone in the halfcourt and likes to get out in pressure in the fullcourt as well, so Brooks will have a big adjustment when he's faced with playing almost solely man-to-man defense. He does appear to have adequate length and lateral quickness to defend shooting guards though, and his activity level is generally pretty good too. His 8 rebounds per game for a player his size is an encouraging sign, as are his block and steal numbers (1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game). Giving maximum effort on every possession and becoming an asset on the defensive end will be a key for him down the road.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-1142011--3613/

NBA News 2010: Lakers Rely on Gasol Even More This Year

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A season ago, it wasn't even close: (Pau) Gasol saw the ball a lot less, and the shot-attempt gap was much, much wider in Bryant's favor.

Gasol averaged just 13 shots a game to Bryant's 21.5, and totaled 725 fewer field goal attempts than Bryant on the season. Granted, that was with Andrew Bynum in the lineup getting up 10 shots per game of his own. But with the versatility that Gasol brings to the table -- he's not only a terrific scorer, but he's also truly evolved into a tremendous passer -- it would be foolish not to continue this early-season trend, and find ways to get the ball into Gasol's hands for as many possessions as possible.

Gasol is developing into one of the top big men in the game -- that is, if he isn't already there. While still humble when questions about his status as one of the league's elite are raised, Gasol did admit that being considered the best in the game is something that he's motivated by on a daily basis.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.asp?lc=NBA&c=1&TEAM_ID=&PLAYER_ID=&hd=20101031#STORY_29051

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NBA News 2010: Arron Afflalo: "I'm ready."

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The Nuggets acquired him in July of 2009 and in his first year with the team, Afflalo averaged 8.8 points a game on 46.5% shooting including 43.4% behind the arc.

Although preseason stats can be somewhat misleading, through three exhibition games, Arron has averaged 21.7 points a game while shooting 54.8% from the field and 52.9% from the arc.

Coach George Karl had nothing but praise for Afflalo after his 27-point night against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday in a 100-95 Denver victory.

"I joked with him all summer, 'You better ready man because I'm going to have to play you.'  He's worked as hard as anybody I've ever coached in the summertime, working on his game and on his shot," said Karl.  "I don't think people in the league think he's a top three-point shooter but we think he is.  We think he's going to shoot over 40% the rest of his career."

At 6'5", 215 pounds, Arron was originally drafted out of UCLA by the Detroit Pistons.  His reputation was that of a top-notch perimeter defender but the Pistons dealt him to the Nuggets in a cap space move.

Afflalo talked about his efforts over the summer.

"Over the offseason, I tried to work hard and get better," said Arron.  "I've always done that.  It just took some years for my maturity, my confidence and everything.  The more comfortable I feel on the court, the more confident I am.  I really took a huge leap this summer.  I've always worked on my game."

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=17626

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NBA News 2010: A slow start for Andrew Bynum is no problem for the Lakers

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This week Plaschke jumped all over Andrew Bynum.

He's been down on the 22-year-old kid since Bynum was a teenager. He was also a Frank McCourt supporter, but I digress.

He thinks the Lakers should trade Bynum. Any chance he gets to drive that point home, he does.

"Different season, same story, the Lakers big man comes up small," wrote Plaschke.

That's one thing I will never understand. I have no idea why sports columnists have to be so negative.

I believe the Lakers are lucky to have Bynum. I hear Phil Jackson talk about the value of a big body all the time. I'd like to think on occasion he's talking about a sportswriter 40 pounds too heavy, but I know better.

As for the slow start Bynum is going to have this season, isn't the kid following the lead of his elders? The regular season has never meant much to Jackson or the players.

You think the Lakers have any intent of hanging with the Heat to secure the home-court advantage throughout the playoffs?

Let me help you: No.

Every year the Lakers have the talent to win almost every game and yet every year they pace themselves. And that's with Jackson's approval.

He talks about it all the time. When the Bulls won 72 games, it was the players who went after it — almost defying Jackson's wishes.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/25/sports/la-sp-simers-20100926

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NBA News 2010: Portland Trail Blazers 2010-2011 Preview

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Top Offensive Player: Brandon Roy

Top Defensive Player: Marcus Camby

Top Playmaker: Brandon Roy

Top Clutch Player: Brandon Roy

The Unheralded Player: Andre Miller

Best New Addition: Wesley Matthews

Strengths

Last season Portland, on average, outscored, outrebounded, and out-everythinged their opponents. They are a team that knows what it is they want to accomplish and usually everyone knows their role and is effective in their assignments. The bench is capable and showed last season they can weather a few injuries. The roster may have changed a bit over the offseason, but the message delivered by the coaching staff – completely new under McMillan – is not going to change. This is a team who knows how to win games and feels they have made the necessary tweaks to carry that over into the playoffs.

Weaknesses

The biggest issue with the Blazers is their offense is methodical and predictable. Defenses know everything runs through Roy. This is effective despite that knowledge in the regular season because teams simply don't have the time to dedicate game planning of a single team in the days between games like they do in the playoffs – hence Portland's first-round exits the last two seasons when they seemed to be taken out of their game. The Blazers need to introduce more dynamicism into the playcalling to keep teams off balance. Part of that is finding another clutch player, part of that is staying healthy – something else that could be called a Portland weakness.

How soon will Oden and Przybilla make contributions?

Both centers can be dominating rebounders and defenders. Oden can be a force offensively, as he was starting to really show before the patella injury. However, the injuries will keep them out of some (Oden) or all (Przybilla) of training camp, which means when they do come back conditioning could be an issue along with getting back into the flow of the game. If both are healthy and contributing by mid-season, the second half could feature a Portland team surging towards the playoffs. If they struggle even when the pair is healthy enough to play, the Blazers could face another first-round playoff exit.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=17365

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NBA News 2010: Rockets to limit Yao Ming's bone stress

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Houston Rockets center Yao Ming will not play more than 24 minutes a game next season in an attempt to limit stress on his bones, Rockets vice president and athletic trainer Keith Jones told the Houston Chronicle.

Under the plan, Yao will be strictly limited to 24 minutes, and he will even sit during crucial final-second possessions if he has passed the mark. If Yao plays fewer than 24 minutes one night, he will not be allowed more time in a later game.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5580307

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WNBA 2010: Bird hits another game winner for Storm

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SEATTLE -- She really doesn't go back and watch them all. Continued success requires living in the present and looking to the future.

But someday, Seattle guard Sue Bird might take some time to review all the moments when she has been the difference in the clutch. And that will probably take awhile, because there are a lot of them.

Sunday in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Bird did it again. Her 18-foot jumper with 2.6 seconds left was the decisive basket for the Storm in a 79-77 victory in front of 15,084 at KeyArena.

Sue Bird had 14 points, eight assists and five rebounds -- and one game-winning shot.

"It was a very tough game, and it came down to the end," Bird said. "I don't think we played our best, but we still got the win. This is the Finals; it's never going to be easy."

But once again, it was Bird who had the last word. How many times have we said that?

As Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors put it, "If you give Sue Bird an open look with the game on the line, nine times out of 10 she's going to make it."

Indeed, Bird has become accustomed to sinking such shots and then answering the ensuing questions about why she's so good in these situations.

For Bird, she might as well be explaining why she's 5 feet, 9 inches. She's that way because … she's that way.

http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/columns/story?columnist=voepel_mechelle&id=5564790

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NBA News 2010: Can Anyone Challenge Dwight Howard for Defensive Player of the Year?

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There's no player currently in the NBA with the unique combination of physical talents and defensive abilities like Howard. As Howard once told Sports Illustrated's Chris Ballard, he doesn't just plan on blocking opposing players' shots; he often wants to swat the shots into the seventh row (although he knows he shouldn’t!).  

Since the NBA started recording blocks as a category in the 1973-74 season, no player had ever led the league in rebounds and blocks two years running…until Howard came along. If he continues that streak another year, he'll be the runaway favorite for the D-POY award for the third straight year.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/441970-nba-2010-11-the-100-biggest-questions-facing-the-nba-this-season#page/83

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NBA News 2010: Can Jermaine O'Neal Offer Anything to the Celtics Front Line?

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Jermaine O'Neal is far removed from the days where he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, earning nearly $20 million/year for his efforts. In fact, two years ago with Miami, he appeared so lifeless on the court that people actually began mistaking him for a walking corpse. 

O'Neal revived his play somewhat last year, although he immediately reverted into walking corpse mode in the playoffs (4.2 points and 5.6 rebounds/game in the Heat's five-game loss to the Celtics).

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/441970-nba-2010-11-the-100-biggest-questions-facing-the-nba-this-season#page/12

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NBA News 2010: Gilbert Arenas: Disgraced Star To Lead Washington Wizards to Playoffs?

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The 2009-10 NBA season was a nightmare for Gilbert Arenas. 

During card games played on flights during road trips, Gil and teammate Javaris Crittenton became involved in a dispute regarding a gambling debt.

So if Gil is able to return to the level at which he performed in 2006-07 (he has only played in 37 games during the past three seasons due to injuries and suspension), the coupling of him and the All-American Wall should make for a dynamic duo.

Should their young guns grow to succeed sooner, rather than later, Arenas' return to an elite level could be the final piece to the playoff puzzle.

And who knows?  The Wizards could turn into this year's version of the 2009-10 Oklahoma City Thunder—a young, talented team which exceeded expectations, made the playoffs, and almost knocked off the eventual champion LA Lakers. 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/443521-gilbert-arenas-disgraced-star-to-lead-washington-wizards-to-playoffs

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NBA News 2010: Is Brandon Roy a NBA Superstar?

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After making the All-Star team the past couple of seasons, Portland's Brandon Roy has gained national recognition for his play and the regular season success of his team.  

LeBron James, for example, is clearly a great player, maybe the best in the NBA right now. He has been able to build a superstar image primarily upon his individual exploits, without having led his team to an NBA championship.  

Kobe Bryant is a player who, while less heralded coming into the league, has been able to build his own superstar legacy based more on championships than on individual success.  He could also be know as the league's current greatest player, but his image is built differently than that of James.  Each great player has his own story.

So how does Brandon Roy fit into this conversation?  Or does he even belong in the conversation at all?  To examine the issue further, we can look at his individual and team accomplishments on their own merit, and then see how they compare to the current stars of the NBA.

This coming season will be Brandon Roy's fifth in the NBA, and at age 26, he is entering what should be the prime years of his career.  But already, he has shown that he can put up excellent numbers on a good team, and make his team better.

By comparison, Roy averaged 21.5 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds last season, playing 37.2 minutes per game and appearing in 65 games.  His field goal percentage was 47.3 percent and he shot 33 percent from three point range, with two turnovers per game.

The one thing he has struggled with in his career is being injured.  Last season, it was especially problematic, as he wasn't able to do much at all to prevent his team from another first round exit.  But all players struggle with injuries and, referring to the above comparison with Bryant, both players missed a similar number of games during their first four seasons.

Brandon Roy is a superstar, any way you look at it.  He has performed at a high level the past four seasons, and should continue to do so for the next several years.  

Don't do Brandon Roy a disservice by calling him anything less than a superstar.  He deserves credit for being able to play his game at an NBA level and for being the leader of a team that, if healthy, has a legitimate chance at competing for a conference championship this year.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/441919-is-brandon-roy-a-superstar

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NBA News 2010: Best and worst power-forward signings

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2010-11 Forecast: Best power-forward signing

RANK	PLAYER		VOTES
1	Chris Bosh Miami Heat 6 years, $110 million	Last season Toronto Raptors 24 ppg; 10.8 rpg; 1 bpg	33
2	Carlos Boozer Chicago Bulls 5 years, $75 million	Last season Utah Jazz 19.5 ppg; 11.2 rpg; 3.2 apg	27
3	Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks 4 years, $80 million	Last season Dallas Mavericks 25 ppg; 7.7 rpg; 1 bpg	22
4	Amare Stoudemire New York Knicks 5 years, $100 million	Last season Phoenix Suns 23.1 ppg; 8.9 rpg; 1 bpg	8
5	David Lee Golden State Warriors 6 years, $80 million	Last season New York Knicks 20.2 ppg; 11.7 rpg; 3.6 apg	3

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=SummerForecast10-PowerForwards

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NBA News 2010: Lakers vs. Celtics, Game 2: It's All About Kobe Bryant

Image via WikipediaAs the NBA Finals series between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers is even at 1-1, there really is no inclination to hand over the championship trophy to any team at this point.
Both teams have shown signs of championship caliber play, while also faltering for stretches play. But if one player in the series has the last say on what is going to happen, that man is Kobe Bryant.
Bryant is the player everybody looks for to make a difference. You don’t achieve the moniker “greatest player alive” by standing by the wayside and letting everything come to you. This is the case with Bryant; he attacks and attacks until that final buzzer sounds and victory is clenched in his furious fists.
This wasn’t the case in Game 2. Many ill-conceived calls were made, especially on Bryant. And in the NBA, where styles of play change once foul trouble comes into play, it hampered the Lakers’ star and the rest of his team. Yes, the Lakers have many good players, but there is only one Kobe.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/402551-2010-nba-finals-its-all-about-kobe-bryant

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