Odds & Ends: Oden, Magic, Jones, Bucks, Bosh
Links from around the league..
- Earlier today we learned that Greg Oden will be undergoing a radical knee procedure to revive his career, but Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge (via Twitter) points out that the Trail Blazers were considering the operation way back in February.
- Some out of the box thinking from Alex Kennedy of Hoops World (via Twitter) as he suggests that the Magic look into trading for Dwyane Wade or LeBron James this summer. However, Kennedy doesn't envision the Heat being forced to blow everything up.
- Kentucky's Terrence Jones would give the Bucks some badly needed toughness, writes David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required).
- Chris Bosh may have seemed like a third wheel to some, but the Heat are really missing the forward now, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Odds & Ends: Mayo, Joe Johnson, Hawks
Here are some of tonight's miscellaneous links:
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld had his weekly chat with fans tonight. Among the significant things I took from his exchange: O.J. Mayo will most likely leave Memphis since the Grizzlies do not want to exceed the luxury tax and that Joe Johnson won't likely be dealt anytime soon.
- Greene also took a look at what to expect from the Hawks this offseason. Aside from being committed to $61 MM in salaries with six roster spots to fill, the team could have some decisions to face with management and coaching as well. We reported earlier this week that current general manager Rick Sund has drawn interest from the Trail Blazers, and Greene thinks that his departure could also mean an end to Larry Drew's tenure with the team.
- Kevin Sherrington of SportsDay DFW answered some questions from fans today, including an explanation of why he'd choose Rick Carlisle over Phil Jackson.
- This Reuters article (via Simon Evans) examines Miami's struggles as a result of Chris Bosh's absence. The Heat players outside of Lebron and Wade were a combined 9-for-34, and Mario Chalmers was limited to 22 minutes because of foul trouble. Even with that in mind, the Heat don't appear to be fazed going into a road game against a confident Pacers team.
Greg Oden Interested In Joining Heat
After recently undergoing microfracture surgery, Greg Oden had originally planned to sit out next season in order to rehab and return for 2013-14. His agent, Mike Conley Sr., indicated that Oden could actually be ready to play as far as "being effective and in shape" by this upcoming December or January and will explore his options this summer.
According to a report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Oden has entertained the idea of joining the Miami Heat next season. Conley Sr. had this to say:
"The Heat hasn't called but Greg has talked about Miami. He has interest. He's not retiring.”
Ben Golliver of CBS Sports also cited Jackson's article and further examined the possibility, saying that the move would be low-risk and wouldn't cost the Heat more than the veteran's minimum to take their chances on the oft-injured center. If Miami was willing to take on Eddy Curry as a reclamation project, writes Golliver, then it isn't out of the question for them to do the same with Oden.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Van Gundy, Smith, Wizards
In losing Game Two of their series against the Pacers last night, the Heat mustered just 75 points on their home court, and will head to Indiana with the series tied at one. With Chris Bosh out, Miami looks vulnerable — currently, over 58% of respondents to our Heat/Pacers poll believe Indiana will win the series. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel addressed concerns about the team's offense in a mailbag, calling Tuesday's game a "wake-up call." While we wait to see how the Heat respond on Thursday, here are a few more updates out of the Southeast Division:
- Magic CEO Alex Martins tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that the team has yet to make decisions on the futures of coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith. According to David Pingalore of WKMG Orlando, Smith will meet with ownership today.
- John Wall would like the Wizards to bring in a veteran point guard capable of mentoring both him and backup Shelvin Mack, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. "It was tough," Wall said of the past season. "Because basically, I’m the veteran guy to try to help Shelvin, and it would be better if we had a guy helping both of us out."
- Kyrie Irving had high praise for Bobcats coaching candidate, and current Cavs assistant, Nate Tibbetts, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer notes.
- Earlier today, a report from Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune suggested that coach Larry Drew may not have his option for 2012/13 picked up by the Hawks.
Poll: Will The Heat Beat The Pacers Without Bosh?
The Heat fell to the Pacers at home Tuesday evening by the score of 78-75 with Chris Bosh sidelined due to an abdominal muscle strain. The series, now even at one game a piece, heads to Indianapolis where the Pacers went 23-10 during the regular season and are currently 2-1 during the playoffs. Bosh, 28, had been especially strong for the Heat during the first round of the playoffs where he averaged 14.7 PPG and 6.8 RPG in just over 30 minutes per contest.
Game 2 of the series between the Heat and the Pacers saw Miami's two superstars live up to their billing with a combined 52 points and 15 rebounds in the losing effort. The Heat bench failed to shoulder any of the load as five players, including Mike Miller and Shane Battier, gave the team a total of 15 points. Ronny Turiaf, inserted into the starting lineup in the wake of Bosh's injury, struggled to provide quality minutes during his brief time on the court in which he committed more fouls (four) than points scored (three).
What do you think? Can LeBron James and Dwyane Wade elevate their level of play and get increased production from the bench to overcome the absence of Bosh to beat the Pacers?
Will The Heat Beat The Pacers Without Bosh?
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No, Pacers In 6 Games 35% (195)
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Yes, Heat In 6 Games 25% (141)
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No, Pacers In 7 Games 20% (110)
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Yes, Heat In 7 Games 11% (63)
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Yes, Heat In 5 Games 6% (31)
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No, Pacers In 5 Games 3% (14)
Total votes: 554
Odds & Ends: Olympics, Butler, Bosh, Chandler
Let's check out some odds and ends from around the Association as we prepare for a pair of second-round playoff games in Boston and Oklahoma City….
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com reports that the following players have been named to the U.S. select team, which will scrimmage against the Olympic roster this July: Klay Thompson, Jeremy Lin, Paul George, Gordon Hayward, Kawhi Leonard, DeJuan Blair, Ryan Anderson, Taj Gibson and Derrick Favors. We'd previously heard that Kyrie Irving, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and DeMar DeRozan would be part of the squad.
- With the Clippers and Spurs preparing to face off in round two, Caron Butler tells reporters, including Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, that he very nearly signed with the Spurs in December (Twitter link).
- The Heat announced today that Chris Bosh has a strained abdominal muscle and will be out indefinitely (Twitter link). Bosh's comments to the media today indicated that he's not expecting to return during the Pacers series (Twitter link).
- Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler would like to become a bigger offensive threat for the Knicks next season, as Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
Poll: Where Will Steve Nash End Up?
One of the most high-profile players to hit free agency this summer will be Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash. The 38-year-old continues to express interest in returning to the Suns, although there is heavy speculation that he will instead sign with a contender such as the Heat. He’s also been linked to the Blazers, Knicks, and Raptors in various scenarios. Where do you think Nash will play in 2012/13?
Where Will Steve Nash Play In 2012/13?
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Miami 25% (304)
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New York 23% (276)
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Toronto 18% (219)
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Phoenix 16% (188)
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Other 14% (167)
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Portland 4% (53)
Total votes: 1,207
LeBron James Wins Most Valuable Player
It's official. The Heat held a press conference this afternoon in Miami to present LeBron James with his third career MVP trophy. The 27-year-old averaged 27.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 6.2 APG with 53% shooting from the field in yet another brilliant campaign.
James was in a two-horse race for the award with Kevin Durant for the bulk of the season but pulled away as the year wore on. James had 85 first-place votes while Durant was the runner-up with 24 first-place votes. After that, Chris Paul finished in third place, Kobe Bryant in fourth, and Tony Parker in fifth.
Only seven other players in the history of the game have won MVP honors at least three times: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Moses Malone. Abdul-Jabbar won the trophy six times, Jordan and Russell five times each, and Chamberlain four times.
Southeast Notes: Redick, Magic, Hawks, Bobcats
Let's round up a few Friday afternoon odds and ends out of the Southeast Division….
- J.J. Redick has one non-guaranteed year remaining on his contract and the Magic haven't indicated whether he'll be brought back, as he tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: "I think I'm down the totem pole. Obviously, the Magic have a decision to make about my contract. It's pretty much out of my hands. I think I've done everything I can do at this point."
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel is "hearing whispers" that Mike D'Antoni would be interested in coaching the Magic if the job opened up (Twitter link). Of course, even if that were true and the team fires Stan Van Gundy, there's no guarantee the interest would be mutual.
- An NBA.com column examines the decisions the Hawks will have to make on their front office and roster this offseason.
- Heat players and coaches aren't bothered by comments made by Pacers coach Frank Vogel about the team's propensity for "flopping," writes Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
- The Bobcats likely won't hire a coach this month, according to Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer, who implores the team to take its team and make sure they find the right candidate for the job.
Odds & Ends: Woodson, Van Gundy, Jazz, Perkins
With an exciting night of NBA playoff madness still underway, we take a break from the action to catch up on the latest news and happenings from around the league.
- Mike Woodson has done more than enough to get a shot at coaching the Knicks for an entire season, writes Neil Best of Newsday (subscribers only).
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today says Stan Van Gundy would like to return to the Magic next season but realizes that decision is not entirely up to him.
- The Jazz could have a busy offseason ahead of them as they look to add depth at the point guard and power forward positions, reports HoopsWorld's Derek Page.
- The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry thinks Kendrick Perkins' health is a big question mark as the Thunder look ahead to the second round of the playoffs.
- The Plain Dealer's Mike Pettica has the latest updates on the Cavs' plans for the upcoming NBA draft.
- Mavs center Brendan Haywood discusses in a radio interview why adding Deron Williams to the roster would pay huge dividends for the team in the immediate future.
- The signing of Shane Battier has proven to be fruitful for the Heat especially considering the defense he has been playing against Carmelo Anthony, writes Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News.