NBA Rumors

Which NBA Team Will Win The Western Conference

admin — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The race for the conference championship in the National Basketball League’s Western Conference is turning out to be a two horse race between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. Both teams are head and shoulders above the other teams in the Western Conference and the competition for the title should be a compelling story line for the remainder of the season.

If the Spurs are to win the Western Conference title, they are going to need to get continued production out of their aging stars. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have carried the Spurs to multiple titles and they are competing at a remarkably high level, given their age. The Spurs also have many role players that fill a niche and have taken some heat off of their big three.

As good as the Spurs have been, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the inside track on the Western Conference crown due to the amazing play of Kevin Durrant and Russell Westbrook. These two young studs are among the most exciting players in the NBA and they are nightmares for an opposing coach. The Thunder should challenge for the NBA Championship behind this exciting young duo.

How Is The Newest NBA Teams Doing

admin — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The newest team in the NBA is the Oklahoma City Thunder, better known as OKC. This team was founded as a replacement for the Seattle Sounders who were disbanded a few years ago. There will issues with building new facilities in Seattle, which the government there was unwilling to contribute towards. As a result OKC was formed and they are actually doing quite well in the NBA.

This season the Thunder have managed to get all the way to the Conference Finals where they are currently playing the San Antonio Spurs.Check out this link here. They are tied at 2-2 in the Western Finals and have a good chance of getting all the way to the NBA Finals to meet either the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat.

The OKC have recruited some very good players in their short history, with the NBA’s highest points scorer of the past couple of seasons plying his trade there (Kevin Durant). Kevin Durant has played a major role in OKC’s great season and he has been assisted by point guard Russell Westbrooke. Together the two of them have scored an enormous number of points and they were crucial in defeating the L.A. Lakers in the Western semi finals.

The Lakers Losing Record With The Bobcats

admin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Lakers have a difficult time beating the Charlotte Bobcats. For years, the Lakers have tried to solve this riddle as a multiple time championship team seems to have difficulties against the Bobcats.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol seem to have trouble scoring on a very athletic Bobcats team. The Bobcats with Kwame Brown and Boris Diaw make life very difficult on the Lakers. Diaw is a mult-dimensional big man who can make teams pay that don’t understand how to guard him. He can make the extra pass when needed and also post up from time to time. For a big man, he has a good shot which can confuse opposing teams.

Kwame Brown does a good job against the Lakers on the inside. He clogs the paint when necessary and can get big rebounds when necessary. His interior defense has made life difficult on Kobe Bryant and Derek Fischer when they try to get to the rim. His shot blocking ability has turned the Lakers into a jump shooting team.

Because of match-up difficulties, the Bobcats have had the Lakers number for the past few years. This interesting match-up is certainly one to watch in upcoming years as the Lakers try to change the momentum.

Will the LA Lakers Win Another Championship

admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

After a disappointing second round lost to the eventual NBA champion, Dallas Mavericks, many questions surround the Los Angeles Lakers for next season:
Can they win a championship without Phil Jackson at the helm?
Will new head coach Mike Brown’s scheme take full advantage of the current Laker roster?
The Masters of Prognostication (the Las Vegas oddmakers) will have the Lakers near the top when they’re projecting the odds for the 2012 NBA title contenders. They will need a smooth transition from the Jackson era to the Brown regime or you have the feeling they will try to make a big trade to improve their chances of winning a championship.
Laker management fully understands that they have limit time remaining with Kobe Bryant as their main star. Yes, he still capable of averaging over 20 points-per-game, and on certain nights, Bryant is the best player in the NBA. But, he is slowing down at 32-years old, and his defense noticeably slipped last season. It would be wise for Brown to lessen Kobe’s minutes for the coming year.
Nobody is sure of the guard rotation for next season, as the Lakers need to improve the point guard position. They also need less sulking and more consistent minutes from F Pau Gasol on a nightly basis. It might be wise for Brown to get F Ron Artest more offensive touches, as he seemed frustrated and unhappy in his role under Jackson.

Rule Changes And How They Affect NBA Play

mrice — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The rule changes that the NBA have implemented will indeed affect how the game is played in the NBA. The NBA has said that it wanted to eliminate players confronting referees about calls on the court. They have given the referees more power to give players technical fouls. This leads to the opposing team getting a free throw at the other end of the court.

This is a rule that can change the pace of the game and also places too much control of the game into the hands of the referees.Confused? Here is a little help . The NBA is a players league. The fans come out to see the players play the game. Fans don’t want the referee dictating the outcomes of games or giving a technical foul to a player simply because he shrugs his shoulders after a bad call.

The new NBA technical rule will take some of the emotion out of the game. There are some people that seem to want emotion out of the game. But in reality, players walking on eggshells will not make the game better. The game will be slowed down by the referee blowing whistles for silly technical fouls that really don’t need to be called in the first place.

Likely Free Agents of Summer 2011

mrice — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

You’re sitting around watching game after game on your Direct TV satellite but all you really want to know is who’s going to go free agent when summer hits? The ball’s already rolling on some of these players but we’ve got the scoop on who’s most likely to go rogue this summer in the NBA.
The Cavs have Anthony Parker who is, as of now, totally unrestricted. After the Lebron fiasco, though, no player is likely to leave the Cavaliers in the lurch.
Tim Duncan is one of the most talked about players in the game and is slated to go free at the end of July. Where he goes nobody knows but you can bet it won’t be Miami.
Yao Ming is totally unrestricted and Houston can’t afford to – oh wait, just kidding. He retired last week.
Brandan Wright is one of the 6 Nets players that are considered unrestricted who have a good chance of getting on the move this year.
With so many players slated to float in the summer, 2012 has even more on the docket, so look out.

Wiggling his way back to the top?

www.nbarumors.info — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Antoine Walker was a fine player in his day. Many fans around the league, however, believe that day has passed. Walker himself, however, is not one of those critics. Now playing with the Idaho Stampede of the National Basketball Developmental League (sweet, sweet irony for a 34 year old former all-star to be playing in a “developmental” league), Walker is attempting a comeback to the NBA stage, several years after his peak performance days have passed. Though Walker has put up lofty point totals over a handful on NBA seasons, even a 20 PPG average in Atlanta after his most productive stint in Boston, Walker is a relic of a bygone era in NBA basketball, and not a good one according to most analysts. The Iverson Era, as it could be best summarized, saw the NBA culture lift up chuckers, players who hoisted endless shots of questionable selection, surrounded by role players less demanding of the basketball. When professional players are shooting 30 times a game, after all, it should be relatively easy to fill up the scoring column of the stat sheet. Antoine Walker was among the league leaders year in and year out in three point shots attempted. One would have to scroll a little further down to find his name in three point shots made, just a 32.5 career three point shooter. Not to say Walker didn’t contribute in other areas. During his earlier days, the Big Wiggle was a fine rebounder, regularly averaging 8 a game, even breaking the 10 rebound barrier in his second NBA season. As his body wore down and minutes dwindled over the course of his final three seasons, however, those numbers dropped from 8.3 to 5.1 to 4.4 to 3.7, alongside a similar decline in scoring average. What can Walker bring to the table at this advanced age? Realistically, not much. In short, his best days are behind him, with many of those numbers even supported by his supporting cast. Can he put up gaudy numbers on the Idaho Stampede? Expect him to. With a roster that looks similar to the ’04-’05 Hawks in terms of talent (not good), the shots will be there, and don’t expect discretion when Walker turns to face the basket. Still, this isn’t the mark of a veteran ready to contribute, rather an remnant of a thankfully forgotten time in the NBA.

Top Remaining Free Agents

www.nbarumors.info — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:36:14 +0000

Josh Howard, Washington (interested: Bulls, Celtics, Wizards) Had he entered free agency last summer as opposed to this summer, Howard would have been in the discussion for one of the lucrative contracts in the off-season. As it stands Howard is coming off a knee injury with lingering questions about his health and attitude. Now 30 as of April, Howard’s days of using his athleticism to get to the basket may now be in jeopardy, which will have teams looking to low-ball him with offers. Despite the concerns, Howard could be one of the bargains of the off-season, as he has more upside than any other remaining player in this free agent class. If he can make a full recovery and get his head screwed on straight, Howard could be a steal for lucky team needing a swingman.
Shaquille O’Neal, Cleveland (interested: Spurs, Hawks, Mavs) There’s almost as good a chance LeBron will be named Northeast Ohio Man of the Year as there is Shaq will be wearing maroon and gold in October. Expect his massive frame to be draped in other colors, as an aging center simply has no place in what’s sure to be a rebuilding process. Shaq still has value to an NBA squad, providing size, interior defending and even some scoring in limited minutes off the bench, but the big fellow is likely to cost at least a team’s full mid-level exception. Still, for the right team at the right price, the Big Aristotle could be a huge free agency haul.
Richard Jefferson, San Antonio (interested: Spurs, Knicks, Nets) It’s not every day an aging swingman coming off his worst season as a pro leaves 16 million on the table to become an unrestricted free agent. Thoughts at the time assumed he would merely rework his contract with San Antonio and a deal may have even already been in place. But here we are, in late July, and Jefferson is still on the market. Like Howard, if this was a year ago, Jefferson would command a higher salary, but now having hit the 30 mark and with a 12.3 PPG season most recently under his belt, the suitors are surely offering less than he’d hoped. Jefferson doesn’t even have the injury crutch to fall back on as an excuse.

Looking Ahead to the Lockout

www.nbarumors.info — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:34:54 +0000

If the past 2 weeks of conversation out in Vegas are to leave any indication of the NBA’s future, professional basketball fans across the country should have their seat belts fastened, table trays put away and seats returned to the upright and locked position. Negotiations as the new Collective Bargaining Agreement approaches are sure to be turbulent with major delays (in actually regular season playing time no less) seemingly inevitable at this point. Early figures released by commissioner David Stern‘s office report that the league lost an estimated 370 million over the course of last season. The players union disputes this figure, claiming the league’s figures could be off by as much as get this 370 million. For those keeping track at home, that’s exactly 100 of the approximated total, meaning all negotiations will be more or less starting from scratch. Though the NHL, MLB, NFL and NBA have experienced stoppages of play at the hands of financial disputes before, the disparities between contentions of the players and owners may have never been so bleak.David Stern, who has served as the league’s commissioner since 1984, has been through this before. The NBA’s most recent shortened season was the result of the 1998-1999 NBA Lockout, centered around salary cap and maximum contract disputes with regards to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Months of heated debate and compromise finally resulted in a deal, but not before a large chunk of the season had been lost. Had disputes lingered one day longer, it would have met the deadline for the cancellation of the entire 98-99 season. The threat of full-on cancellation played a major role in bringing both sides to agreement as the league’s highest paid players suffered the most to lose with less means of recouping the cash. As it stood, a 50 game season began in February, in which the Spurs went on to defeat the Knicks in the NBA Finals. Fans did not immediately take to the league’s resolution with forgiving embraces. TV Ratings and ticket sales declined nationwide. With sides currently so far apart as preliminary negotiations continue in this go-round of collective bargaining, the prevailing question appears to be, “how will this stoppage of play compare to the severity of the 98-99 lockout?” as opposed to, “how can we come to terms and avoid cancelling games entirely?”

Agent Zero on the Move?

www.nbarumors.info — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:34:02 +0000

With John Wall entering the Capital City as arguably the most well known new resident not elected by the general populace, the Wizards one-time most celebrated player may soon be on his way out. In order for Washington to ship out Gilbert Arenas, they’d have to find a suitor both willing to deal with his questionable decision making, high priced contract and recent injury history. In other words, options are limited, but if Wizards’ brass believes there’s not enough space in their backcourt for a power struggle, or are worried about Agent Zero’s influence on the prized rookie, look for Arenas to be suiting up elsewhere or sitting at home come October. Looking around the league, two teams seem desperate enough to take a chance on the troubled superstar.

The New York Knicks have been building towards this summer for years now, mortgaging the past 3 seasons for a chance to sign one of the big name free agents scheduled to hit the market. And what did they walk away with? Amare Stoudamire. The Knicks are posturing as if it’s a big time upgrade, but it’s not like the Suns were legitimate title contenders last year, and they even had Nash to pair with Stoudamire. Factor in the loss of David Lee, a 20/10 guy, and you could say the Knicks actually took a step backwards. After all, Amare has never grabbed 10 boards per game, is an injury risk and borders on a defensive liability. The good news is the Knicks still have money, and if early indications say Carmelo won’t be available, Gilbert would at least provide entertainment for the loyal MSG crowd.Looking to avoid an immediate return to the cellar, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in dire straits following their betrayal by the “Chosen One.” With Dan Gilbert making no secret about his desire to show up the exiled King and keep the Cavs competitive, he could reach into his deep pockets to pay for instant offense in the form of 0. Looking at Cleveland’s roster, there are very few players with the potential to take over a game like Arenas can when healthy. At the very least, Arenas provides a big name and something to rally around, helping to prolong, if not evade, the franchise’s seemingly inevitable decline.