Hoops Rumors Polls News & Rumors

Eight coaches who’ve guided teams to the NBA Finals within the past 15 years have been linked to open jobs within the past month. One, Mike Brown, was re-hired by the Cavaliers, the team he took to the Finals in 2007. Another is Phil Jackson, who doesn’t appear to be interested in coaching again. His 11 championships would make him the obvious top choice for many, but even without him, there’s an impressive collection of veteran coaches on the market.

There are also plenty of worthy up-and-comers in the mix for coaching jobs. Still, even for those who follow the likes of Kelvin Sampson, Brian Shaw and Michael Malone on a nightly basis, there’s no telling exactly how it will go once a career assistant has an NBA team of his own. Sampson has a little more oomph to his resume, since he took over the Rockets for a while during Kevin McHale‘s absence this season, but even that experience pales in comparison to the lengthy track records of some of the coaches looking for work. Teams with their eyes set on a splashy hire, like the Nets, appear destined to go with someone their fans have seen on the sidelines before. 

Assuming the Zen Master is unavailable, if you were running an NBA front office and had decided to hire a veteran coach, which one would you pick? I’ve listed the six guys, aside from Brown and Jackson, who’ve been to the Finals, but feel free to name another candidate in the comments.

Nuggets head coach George Karl was named the NBA's Coach of the Year today, but the announcement was met with a bit of controversy. Did Karl deserve it, or did another deserving candidate? 

All but two of the NBA's eight first round series lasted at least six games, but those two ended in a hurry. The Heat dispatched the Bucks in what felt like three games, while the Spurs had a sweep over their own over the Lakers. We're still in the early stages of the Conference Semifinals, but it already seems clear there won't be a series in this round that's as one-sided as those Heat and Spurs sweeps in round one.

The Grizzlies and Pacers each managed a split in Oklahoma City and New York, respectively, putting the pressure on the favored Thunder and Knicks. The Warriors were on the verge of picking up a victory of their own in San Antonio before blowing a 16-point fourth quarter lead, but they still displayed the ability to hang with the Spurs. Meanwhile, the team that everyone had already penciled in for the Finals trails its series 1-0, after the Bulls upset the Heat in the first game of that series.

Based on what we've seen so far, it seems reasonable to think at least one lower seed will pull off an upset and advance to the Conference Finals. Which team do you think it'll be? Feel free to choose more than one option in the poll below, if you think multiple underdogs will make it through the second round.

There hasn't been a whole lot of drama so far in the 2013 NBA playoffs, as most series favorites have taken care of business on their home courts. Two games into the postseason, only a pair of series are tied at one game apiece, with the Warriors and Bulls picking up road wins in Denver and Brooklyn, respectively.

Still, as we saw a year ago in the Western Conference Finals when the Thunder reeled off four straight wins against the Spurs after falling into a 2-0 hole, a two-game lead certainly doesn't ensure a series victory. A couple of this year's first round series may end quickly, but I expect at least one or two of these seemingly lopsided matchups to turn into a lengthy series.

What do you think? Which team down 2-0 has the best chance to turn its series around and advance to the second round?

With the NBA's 2012/13 regular season in the books, all eight first-round playoff series have been set. The Western Conference matchups feature some great storylines, including James Harden playing his old Oklahoma City team, the Clippers and Grizzlies meeting in the first round for the second straight year, and the Spurs and Lakers, who have combined to win nine of the last 14 titles, squaring off again.

The Eastern Conference may not have quite the same amount of drama, but it's hard to argue against a matchup like Knicks vs. Celtics, which figures to set an unbreakable record for the most Honey Nut Cheerios mentions in a single playoff series.

So today's poll question is fairly straightforward: With the postseason set to get underway this weekend, which series are you looking forward to most?