Top 5 New Additions For Playoff Contenders
Many of the teams currently in the playoffs made key offseason or trade deadline acquisitions with hopes of enjoying postseason success well into June. Some have fared well while others have flopped. Here are the top five playoff contributors who have filed for a change of address in the past year.
- Bulls: With an increased workload in the playoffs, Richard Hamilton has been effective for the Bulls over the first three games against the Sixers. The former Pistons shooting guard has averaged 30.3 minutes per game which has brought an increased offensive output along the lines of 15.3 PPG and 5.3 APG. The Bulls will continue to look to rely on Hamilton's hot hand with Derrick Rose sidelined for the rest of the season and Joakim Noah out for Sunday's game with an injured ankle.
- Heat: Former Duke star Shane Battier has been a defensive stalwart in the playoffs for Miami especially in Game 3 where he shut down Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. While the former Rockets small forward failed to score any points of his own, he kept Anthony to 22 points, which the former Syracuse star had to work for as he shot 7-23. Battier contributed offensively in the first two games of the series where he averaged 9.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG.
- Pacers: The Pacers have gotten vintage play out of David West in three of their first four games against the Magic. West, who signed with the Pacers in the offseason, has averaged 16.8 PPG and 10.0 RPG during the playoffs this season. Indiana will look to close out the series with a win against the Magic at home on Tuesday.
- Lakers: Looking to upgrade the team's aging backcourt, the Lakers acquired Ramon Sessions from the Cavs at the trade deadline. Sessions has proven his mettle thus far in the playoffs with strong play at the point guard position. The former Nevada star is currently averaging 14.3 PPG and 5.0 APG through three games against the Nuggets.
- Clippers: After willing his team to a stunning comeback victory over the Grizzlies in Game 1, Chris Paul has led the Clippers to a 2-1 lead in the series heading into Monday night's game in Los Angeles. Acquired in the offseason by the Clippers, Paul put up MVP-like numbers during the regular season and has continued to elevate his level of play during the playoffs. The former Wake Forest star is averaging 22.3 PPG and 9.3 APG through three games.
Bulls Links: Noah, Offense, Watson
It's difficult to think of another team this year that has faced much more misfortune at such an inopportune time than the Bulls. After losing Derrick Rose in Game One to an injury that will sideline him beyond the start of next season, the team now lists Joakim Noah as doubtful for Game Four after badly spraining his ankle during Game Three. Here are a few more links out of Chicago:
- Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago examines Chicago's failure to find offensive rhythm without Rose in the lineup.
- The Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson writes that guard C.J. Watson is experiencing some pain in his elbow and ankle, but coach Thibodeau is confident that he'll be able to come through and play well tomorrow.
- Johnson wonders if the decision to let Noah continue playing after spraining his ankle caused the injury to become worse.
Odds & Ends: Kirilenko, Calipari, Bulls, Mavs
Ryan Anderson was a deserving recipient of the 2012 NBA Most Improved Player award, but some of the players further down in the voting results were head-scratchers. Andrew Bogut, who played in just 12 games this season, received a first-place vote from one of the 121 writers tasked with determining the award. Whether that voter mistook Bogut for Andrew Bynum or actually felt that Bogut somehow deserved the award, it's hard to imagine we'll see a worse choice during NBA award season.
Here are a few more Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the league:
- Andrei Kirilenko reiterated to media in Russia that reports of him having agreed to a deal or negotiating with the Nets are inaccurate. NetsDaily.com has the details.
- A return to the NBA for John Calipari is looking increasingly unlikely, for now at least — Kentucky announced today that Calipari and his staff have signed multiyear contract extensions to stay with the Wildcats, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com fields questions from readers in a mailbag, with a focus on Derrick Rose's uncertain recovery timeline and the Bulls' roster next season.
- With the Mavericks on the verge of elimination, Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says Mark Cuban's bad gambles were too much for the team to overcome.
- Dirk Nowitzki agrees that the Mavericks took a step back this season, rather than a step forward, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
Odds & Ends: Odom, Novak, Lottery, Sessions
Bob Young from AZCentral.com thinks the Suns should take a long, hard look at signing Lamar Odom this offseason. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has a ton to prove coming off a terrible experiment with the Mavericks.
- Earlier tonight, the Heat defeated the Knicks—who were without starting power forward Amare Stoudemire—87-70. In Stoudemire's place, New York head coach Mike Woodson chose to start Steve Novak. The results were disastrous, writes Newsday's Roderick Boone.
- After the obvious tanking strategy we saw employed by teams like the Warriors and Hornets, the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen calls for the weighted lottery to become a true lottery, giving every team that doesn't make the playoffs an equal chance at the number one overall pick.
- FoxSportsOhio.com's Sam Amico writes that Ramon Sessions ability to fit in with the Lakers has once again made them a championship contender.
- Every team faces tough decisions in the offseason, but this summer the Suns will have an incredibly difficult decision staring them down, as they figure out whether they should continue the Steve Nash era, or finally move on. Hoopsworld.com's Jason Fleming dissects the team's dire situation.
- Melissa Isaacson from ESPNChicago.com writes that a first round loss to the Sixers could have a long-term negative impact on the Bulls.
- After initially believing he might be able to return for Game 4 of his series against the Heat, Jeremy Lin has all but ruled himself out for the early return, according to ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley.
- ESPNChicago.com's Donald Hunt talks about Jrue Holiday's need to keep up his stellar play if the Sixers want to pull off an upset.
- While Shawn Marion is keeping Kevin Durant in check through the first two games of their series, Russell Westbrook has had a field day, and it'll be interesting to see whether the Mavericks choose to change their match-ups as the series moves forward, writes the Dallas Morning News' Brad Townsend.
- Hoopsworld.com's Eric Pincus talks about how the Lakers should look to bring back Jordan Hill, who's a free agent this offseason.
Odds & Ends: Raptors, Bulls, Magic, Frye
Here are this evening's miscellaneous stories:
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld had his weekly chat with fans tonight. Among the more significant things he talked about were the chances that Tyreke Evans gets shopped this summer, the Nets pursuing Kevin Garnett if Deron Williams leaves, the Hornets matching any offer for Eric Gordon, and Portland being the realistic destination for Goran Dragic.
- With $12MM in cap space before the draft, Bryan Colangelo talked about the Raptors' approach going into the offseason: "If there was going to be a year to make a bigger splash, whether in free agency or utilizing the space to acquire players by trade, I felt that would be better served in a subsequent season and that’s probably this summer" (Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld reports). Colangelo also told Brotherston that he and Ed Stefanski will be very active in terms of placing and entertaining calls with other GMs in the upcoming weeks and months.
- Scoop Jackson, Melissa Isaacson, and Jon Greenberg of ESPN cover a few topics on the Bulls, including how Derrick Rose's injury will affect Chicago's title hopes over the next two years, whether Luol Deng should immediately get surgery and skip the Olympics, and Carlos Boozer's reliability in the playoffs.
- Magic GM Otis Smith traveled to Los Angeles to check on Dwight Howard as he recuperates from surgery, according to Illiana Limón and Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. While there had been speculation that Howard is estranged from the franchise, Smith and Magic CEO Alex Martins say that he hasn't asked for a trade.
- Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times provides a "to-do list" for the Nuggets if they are to have any chance at beating the Lakers.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas wonders if the Mavericks should make strategic defensive adjustments on Russell Westbrook or just hope that he starts missing mid-range jumpshots.
- An article posted on Suns.com reports that Channing Frye underwent successful surgery on his right shoulder today.
Odds & Ends: Magic, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers
With Sunday afternoon's playoff action already underway, let's catch up on the latest news and headlines from around the league.
- FoxSportsOhio.com's Sam Amico writes why he believes the Cavaliers are headed in the right direction.
- Mike Tokito from The Oregonian gives a by the numbers rundown of the Trail Blazers and what they'll have to work with this offseason.
- The Magic's upset victory over the Pacers wasn't fueled by the team's desire to prove to Dwight Howard that they could win without him, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel. Instead, the team is focusing on what they can control and attempting to eliminate any outside distractions that may keep them from achieving their goal of winning playoff basketball games. "We're not here to prove anything about Dwight," Hedo Turkoglu said. "He's our best player and we wish he were here. But we can't think about that. We have to accept who we are right now, move on and play our best."
- SI.com's Sam Amick says USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo is reconsidering adding players to the roster of Olympic team finalists after Derrick Rose tore his ACL on Saturday against the Sixers. While the loss of Rose weakens the point guard position, Colangelo is confident that the team has a deep enough backcourt to overcome his absence. Amick points to DeMarcus Cousins as a potential addition to the list of finalists after enjoying a season in which he averaged 18.1 PPG and 11.0 RPG for the Kings.
- The Grizzlies have put together a dangerous playoff team using a combination of discarded parts, role players and overachievers, contends Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. From Marc Gasol, acquired in a salary dump for his brother, to Tony Allen, not considered a highly-attractive free agent due to a perceived limited skill-set, the Grizzlies have seemingly come out of nowhere to take the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. "They played to their strengths," Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins said. "It's usually the best team that wins. Good basketball teams are good whether they have people noted as stars or not.
- Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld wonders if the Bulls can still contend in the Eastern Conference playoffs after losing their star point guard for the remainder of the season. As the team managed an 18-9 record without Rose during the regular season, Brigham says the Bulls still may advance beyond the second round in what would be a matchup against either the Celtics or the Hawks. The journey would end, however, in the Eastern Conference Finals if the Bulls have to face the Heat.
Injuries Take A Starring Role In 2012 Playoffs
With horrific injuries spelling an early end to the season for Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert, let's take a look at the other 14 playoff teams to see how a missing player may mean the difference between a Finals appearance and a first-round exit.
- Heat: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade enter the playoffs healthier than usual thanks to some much needed rest during the final week of the regular season. The Heat stand to benefit the most from Shumpert and Rose's injuries as a sweep against the Knicks means less of a challenge for Wade on the offensive end and an easier path to winning a title. Look for the Heat to advance to at least the Finals if they can duplicate the success they enjoyed during the first half of the season.
- Pacers: The Pacers are injury-free heading into Game 2 against the Magic, who pulled off the upset Saturday evening in Indiana. Utilizing seven-foot-two center Roy Hibbert's size to their fullest advantage will be key for the Pacers as their big man only managed to score eight points but blocked nine shots as he dominated the paint defensively. With Dwight Howard on the shelf for the entirety of the playoffs, the Magic are severely undersized with six-foot-nine Glen Davis taking over at center for Superman.
- Celtics: Ray Allen is expected to miss Game 1 in Atlanta against the Hawks as he battles bone spurs in his right ankle. If the Celtics had missed the playoffs, Allen would have undergone surgery immediately to help alleviate the pain. The Celtics will turn to Avery Bradley and his burgeoning reputation as a solid three-point shooter for the majority of the series as Allen's status remains unknown.
- Hawks: The center position has been an area of concern for the Hawks with Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia currently sidelined with injuries. Horford, who has been out since January 11 with a torn left pectoral muscle, will miss the entire first round of the playoffs but may be able to return if the team advances. A foot injury to Pachulia that caused him to miss the team's last seven games will force the Hawks to rely on Jason Collins in order to solidify their frontcourt.
- Magic: The Magic's chances of making a run in the playoffs took a huge hit when Howard called it a season in mid-April as he elected to undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back. Without Howard, the Magic will feature an undersized frontcourt against a much larger Pacers squad. Much uncertainty surrounds the future of the franchise given Howard's impending free agency in 2013 and his desire to replace head coach Stan Van Gundy.
- Sixers: Aside from rookie center Lavoy Allen spraining his thumb in Game 1, the Sixers feature a healthy roster as they return to action Tuesday night against the Bulls. With Rose out for the remainder of the series, the Sixers will look to capitalize on the perimeter as Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner should benefit from having to guard John Lucas III rather than the league's reigning MVP.
- Spurs: After a series of injuries cost Manu Ginobili nearly half the season, the Spurs enter the playoffs with a fresh roster looking to make a title run. Future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, 36, played a career-low 28.2 MPG this season but is still performing at a high level. The addition of Stephen Jackson at the trade deadline along with the subtraction of Richard Jefferson may be enough to lead the Spurs to their fifth title under Gregg Popovich.
- Thunder: James Harden returned to action on Saturday night against the Mavs after missing his last two games with a concussion suffered against the Lakers last Sunday. He appeared to be completely recovered as he scored an efficient 19 points in 35 minutes of the bench. Beyond Harden, the Thunder lost backup point guard Eric Maynor for the season due to a torn ACL in January, but remedied the situation by signing veteran Derek Fisher to a contract in March.
- Lakers: A healthy Andrew Bynum and a rested Kobe Bryant may allow for the under-the-radar Lakers to make a run in the wide-open Western Conference playoffs. While not an injury, Los Angeles will be without Metta World Peace for the first six games of the playoffs due to suspension.
- Grizzlies: Memphis lost Darrell Arthur for the season after the power forward suffered a torn Achilles tendon in practice back in December. A healthy Zach Randolph has played himself back into shape after missing time earlier this season due to a knee injury.
- Clippers: Many critics expected the Clippers to implode after Chauncey Billups went down on February 6 with a torn Achilles tendon. While the Clippers slipped to the fifth seed, they reinvented the image of the franchise and gained respect from around the league thanks to MVP-like play from Chris Paul.
- Nuggets: After spending the majority of the season abroad in China, Wilson Chandler returned to Denver for a brief stint before suffering a season-ending injury to his hip in mid-April. The Nuggets will open against the Lakers without Rudy Fernandez, who had surgery on his lower back in March to end his season.
- Mavericks: A healthy Mavs squad will face a difficult journey in defending their title as they open the playoffs against the Thunder. Saturday night saw a missed opportunity by Dallas to steal Game 1 on the road as they lost in Oklahoma City by the score of 99-98. Any chance of exploiting Harden's concussion was nullified with a strong performance by the Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
- Jazz: Small forward C.J. Miles may miss the start of the playoffs against the Spurs with a strained calf. The team will look for strong production out of star Al Jefferson, who had the opportunity to rest late last week as the center only played limited minutes in the team's regular season finale.
Derrick Rose Out For Remainder Of Playoffs
The Bulls have announced that Derrick Rose will be out for the remainder of the season with a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament in his left knee. The star guard suffered the injury with just over a minute to go in the Bulls' 103-91 victory over the 76ers.
The reigning MVP missed a great deal of time this season and was sidelined for 26 games with a total of five injuries. Rose showed some signs of rust early as he shot 1-for-7 from the floor but rebounded from that point forward and nailed 8-of-16 shots. Rose's near triple-double (23 points, nine rebounds, nine assists) looked to be the start of another promising postseason for the 23-year-old, but the guard will now have to watch from the end of the bench.
Atlantic Rumors: Injuries, Celtics, Raptors, Nash
While the Sixers lost the first playoff game of the season this afternoon, their chances against the Bulls may have just gotten a boost after yet another injury to Derrick Rose, who'll have an MRI on his left knee after limping off in the final minutes this afternoon. That's not the only injury impacting an Atlantic Division team, as Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports Ray Allen is doubtful for the Celtics tomorrow in Game 1 versus the Hawks. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets that Allen will have surgery to remove bone spurs in his right ankle after the season, and that could impact his free agent stock this summer. Plus, Knicks guard Iman Shumpert was helped off the floor after suffering an injury against the Heat. Here's the rest of the day's news from the Atlantic:
- A. Sherrod Blakely examines the unlikely contributions of Avery Bradley and Greg Stiemsma, two under-the-radar pickups by Celtics GM Danny Ainge.
- Earlier today we passed along some Raptors rumors courtesy of the Toronto Sun, and Eric Koreen of the National Post adds to that with comments from coach Dwane Casey, who wants to see the team add shooting, and GM Bryan Colangelo.
- In spite of the presence Jeremy Lin, who is progressing well enough in rehab to perhaps make it back in time to play in the first round, as Howard Beck of The New York Times writes, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes the Knicks should make it a priority to sign Steve Nash in the offseason (Twitter link).
Odds & Ends: Asik, Team USA, Pistons
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Thursday night:
- The Akron Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd expects (link via Twitter) the Cavaliers to have interest in Bulls center Omer Asik this summer. Asik will be a restricted free agent.
- USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told Marc Stein of ESPN.com that no new players will be added to the London Olympics team roster to replace injured players such as Dwight Howard and LaMarcus Aldridge.
- David Mayo of MLive.com has quotes from Pistons owner Tom Gores, who says more moves are necessary to bring Detroit back to respectability.