Hoops Links: Hornets, Howard, Wizards, Nash
On this day in 2001, the Rockets defeated the Hawks 110-97 to become the first NBA team in 18 years to sweep an entire division. The Rockets won all 16 games against Central Division opponents, becoming the first team to sweep a division since the 1982/83 Lakers swept all 12 intra-divisional games. Unfortunately for Houston, they couldn't play all 82 games against the Central as they finished two games behind the T'Wolves for the eighth playoff seed.
If you have a great basketball blog piece that you think we should feature in our weekly installment of Hoops Links, send me an email at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the basketball blogosphere..
- At The Hive looks at the Hornets' history with lottery picks.
- MagicBasketball.net played a round of Fact Or Fiction with a healthy dose of D12.
- Bullets Forever catalogs the evolution of the Wizards.
- Bright Side Of The Sun thinks Steve Nash can still play at a high level after the big 4-0.
- The Basketball Post celebrates the validation of Kentucky coach John Calipari.
- Truth About It wonders if the Wizards are in better position going forward than the Nets.
- Blog A Bull knows that C.J. Watson needs a rest, but the Bulls need him more.
- Euro-Step looks at the rise of the Germans.
- Straight Outta Vancouver comes to the defense of Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph.
- Sactown Royalty isn't sure of what the Maloofs are trying to prove.
- Hoop Speak tips their e-cap to Lakers coach Mike Brown.
- Pounding The Rock checks out the new-look Spurs.
- Detroit Bad Boys asks if the NBA is ready for advertising on jerseys.
- SB Nation breaks down our long national Dwightmare.
- Mavs Moneyball salutes Delonte West.
- Clips Nation looks at Chris Paul & Co. down the stretch.
- NBA Playbook looks at Miami's failed experiment.
- The Dream Shake tries to figure out Patrick Patterson.
- Silver Screen And Roll breaks down The Sessions Effect.
- Liberty Ballers peaks inside the mind of Doug Collins.
- Cowbell Kingdom wonders about Keith Smart's rotation.
- Hoop Idea looks at Bill Simmons' thoughts on tanking over the years.
- Ballin Europe gave their take on the Euroleague Women Final Eight.
- RealGM peers into the crystal ball for a look at the future of the Thunder.
- The Classical isn't quite sure what Dwight Howard is going for.
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Poll: Will The Knicks Re-Sign Jeremy Lin?
Talk is heating up in recent days about the future of Jeremy Lin. The second-year guard, who became a global sensation as he emerged as a leader for the Knicks, is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. Do you think New York will retain the rising star?
Will The Knicks Re-Sign Jeremy Lin?
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Yes 75% (548)
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No 25% (183)
Total votes: 732
Nets Shut Down Brook Lopez For Season
The Associated Press reports (link via The New York Post) that the New Jersey Nets have shut down center Brook Lopez for the remainder of the 2011/12 season.
Lopez, 24, is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and figures to be one of the most attractive free-agent big men on the market. Because of this, general manager Billy King has decided it is not worth the risk to play the injury-plagued Lopez in the final 10 games of the season.
Lopez missed the majority of the season with a broken foot and only appeared in five games before spraining his right ankle. He was averaging 19.2 PPG and 3.6 RPG.
HoopsWorld On Howard, Smith, Gasol
HoopsWorld's Derek Page has compiled a column about the futures of several prominent NBA players featuring input from other writers:
- Alex Kennedy thinks the Magic will once again attempt to acquire a player via trade or free agency to appease Dwight Howard, although the possibility is still open for him to be dealt.
- Lang Greene says the Hawks should give serious consideration to moving Josh Smith this summer, as his trade value will be high and he is unhappy in Atlanta.
- Eric Pincus finds it unlikely that Pau Gasol has a long-term future with the Lakers, due to the luxury-tax implications of keeping him.
- Bill Ingram thinks the emergence of Courtney Lee will make it easier for the Rockets to move Kevin Martin for the right price.
- Page believes Shawn Marion's contract makes him relatively easy for the Mavericks to trade, but with Howard off the market, it's not as necessary for the purpose of clearing cap space.
Stein On Jeremy Lin’s Future
ESPN.com's Marc Stein posted a column reflecting on Knicks guard Jeremy Lin's unlikely breakout season. Stein, citing sources around the league and within the Knicks organization, discusses the future of Lin, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Stein's sources around the league are convinced that the Knicks will retain Lin, due to both his enormous on-court potential and to the lucrative endorsement opportunities he promises as an icon in the Asian-American community. Stein also hears that a Knicks run at Steve Nash is a long shot, because they will not have the money to sign both Nash and Lin.
As a restricted free agent with less than three years of service time, Lin is subject to the Gilbert Arenas rule, meaning teams wishing to sign him to an offer sheet are not allowed to go above the mid-level exception.
Odds & Ends: Van Gundy, Jazz, Suns, Bradley
Judging from the NBA's past, head coaches rarely win out when they battle superstar players. Going from this, it's assumed that Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy will not be working in Orlando next season. ESPN.com's John Hollinger takes a look at a few possible destinations for Van Gundy should he soon leave his current position (Insider piece). Ira Winderman from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says the chance of Van Gundy making a return to Miami are next to nothing.
- HoopsWorld.com's Derek Page assumes this summer's trade market could be full of high impact players like Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, Shawn Marion, Pau Gasol, and Kevin Martin.
- The Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson recently tweeted a statement from Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor saying that his team absolutely would not tank games in order to keep the Warriors draft pick, which is top 7 protected.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic with a nice piece about Sebastian Telfair, Michael Redd, and the unlikely success that the Suns are having with everyone in their backcourt not named Steve Nash.
- Steve Marsh wrote an enthralling piece on Grantland about Ricky Rubio, and how the Timberwolves are dealing with his season ending knee injury.
- Celtics guard Avery Bradley has been a defensive force lately, and teams are starting to game plan against him, writes CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely.
Donnie Walsh To Explore General Manager Options
Longtime general manager Donnie Walsh is interested in re-entering the profession on a full-time basis, according to CBSSports.com's Ken Berger. Walsh is still under contract with the Knicks, but has been granted permission by the organization to explore other opportunities with other organizations.
Walsh's current contract as a consultant with New York will expire on June 30. According to Berger, the 71-year-old executive will first look at the Trail Blazers, as they are soon believed to be conducting a search for a long-term general manager. But should something open up in Indiana, where rumors have recently been swirling of Larry Bird possibly stepping down from his general manger position, Walsh would strongly consider returning to the team he used to run.
Walsh will not speak with any teams until their general manager position is officially open, but some other options might be with the Wizards and Magic. Also, according to Berger, it's just a coincidence that the Knicks gave Walsh permission to seek work elsewhere on the same day that his predecessor as Knicks president, Isiah Thomas, was fired as coach of Florida International University.
Draft Update: Moultrie
According to a tweet from Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com, Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie has officially declared for the NBA draft. The 6'11" junior has been projected for selection from mid-lottery to late first round.
Moultrie first made his intentions to declare public last week, but there was some talk of him entering a graduate program elsewhere and applying for a waiver to play one more year of college basketball.
Last season he averaged 16.4 PPG and 10.5 RPG on 54.9% shooting from the floor.
Atlantic Notes: Farmar, Green, Allen, Chandler
We could be in for quite a finish in the Atlantic Division, as the Sixers trail the first-place Celtics by a game while the Knicks are two and a half games back. The Celtics are just four games ahead of the Bucks for the final playoff spot, so it's conceivable that any of the Atlantic contenders could miss the playoffs. Here's the buzz from around the division:
- Nets guard Jordan Farmar was thought to be done for the season with a groin injury, but Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record tweets that he may be back sooner than that. Farmar has a $4.25MM player option for next season, and if he can prove he's healthy and maintain his career-high 10.4 PPG scoring average in a few more outings this year, he may be inclined to turn down the option and test free agency.
- Chris Mannix of SI.com chronicles the long road back to the NBA for Gerald Green, who's made solid contributions for the Nets and is drawing interest from the Lakers as this summer's free agency looms.
- Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald looks at the Celtics' decision to bring shooting guard Ray Allen, a free agent this summer, off the bench for just the fifth time in his career last night against the Bulls.
- Keith Schlosser praises the impact that free-agent signee Tyson Chandler has had on defense for the Knicks, while Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com makes the case that Chandler should win the Defensive Player of the Year award. You can give your thoughts on the award in this Hoops Rumors poll.
Poll: Who Will Win Defensive Player Of The Year?
With the public's general opinion on Dwight Howard taking a turn for the worst in light of yesterday's comments by his head coach, Stan Van Gundy, are Howard's chances of winning a fourth straight Defensive Player of the Year award suffering? Or is it still his award to lose?
Who Will Win Defensive Player Of The Year?
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Serge Ibaka 38% (216)
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Other 18% (103)
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Dwight Howard 17% (98)
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LeBron James 15% (88)
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Andre Iguodala 12% (70)
Total votes: 575