Poll: Will The Lakers Beat The Thunder?
Fresh off their victory over the Nuggets on Saturday evening, the Lakers will head to Oklahoma City on Monday for Game 1 of the second round of the playoffs to take on the Thunder. A re-energized Pau Gasol has the Lakers looking dangerous even against a heavily-favored Thunder squad.
The return of Metta World Peace in the final game of the series proved to be critical to the Lakers' success against the Nuggets and could potentially be a difference maker against the Thunder. The Lakers will also need improved play from Ramon Sessions or he could continue to lose minutes to Steve Blake, who put together an outstanding performance Saturday night at the Staples Center. Andrew Bynum showed flashes of brilliance at times against Denver but still needs to prove that he can play at a high level for an entire series, not just a few games.
What do you think? Will Kobe's supporting cast be able to come through against the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden as they did against the Nuggets in Game 7?
Odds & Ends: Rose, Bulls, Knicks, Terry
- The Knicks will be looking for another point guard to partner with Jeremy Lin, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Among Berman's list of targets are Kirk Hinrich, Gary Neal, Derek Fisher, A.J. Price, Jannero Pargo, and Jonny Flynn. He also mentions Ramon Sessions, Raymond Felton, Goran Dragic, Andre Miller, Jameer Nelson, and Steve Nash, but I think that the names on this latter list would only be sought after if contract talks with Lin were to somehow fall apart.
- After recently having his interim tag removed, Knicks GM Glen Grunwald has a lot of work cut out for him in the upcoming months, says Al Iannazzone of Newsday. He also adds that with the mid-level likely committed to Lin and no first-round pick, Grunwald will have to be creative with trades and free agency in order to address their back court needs. In another article, Iannazzone goes over the five biggest questions facing the team moving forward.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News speculates that Jason Terry could be on his way out if Deron Williams lands with the Mavericks (subscribers only).
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld engaged in his weekly NBA chat with fans. Here are some of his notable thoughts: the Magic may try to package their #19 pick along with Jason Richardson or Chris Duhon to create cap relief, Austin Rivers' game is comparable to Jason Terry and Jamal Crawford, and predicts that Dwight Howard will wind up signing with the Nets eventually.
- Bob Young of the Arizona Republic offers his input on the chances of reportedly interested teams in their pursuit of Steve Nash. Phoenix, Toronto, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, and Portland are given consideration.
- John Rohde of NewsOK explores how the support of his Thunder teammates has played a pivotal role in Eric Maynor's road to recovery from a torn ACL.
Coaching Rumors: Brown, Woodson, Jackson
- Warren LeGarie, the agent for Lakers coach Mike Brown, feels confident his client will return to the bench next season after LeGarie spoke with GM Mitch Kupchak about comments former minority owner Magic Johnson made suggesting Brown would be fired if the team didn't win tonight, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Spears also tweets that the Lakers are expected to release a statement in support of Brown, and pointed out that Brown has two more guaranteed seasons left on his four-year, $20MM deal.
- Dave McMenamin of ESPN LA tweets that Brown's job is not dependent on the result of Game 7 tonight, according to a source with knowledge of the Lakers' thinking.
- Brown said earlier today he was unfazed by what Johnson said, and had no indication there was any truth to it, tweeted NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper.
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News scolds Knicks coach Mike Woodson for giving into owner James Dolan's wishes regarding his choice of agents.
- With Phil Jackson feeling better, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld speculates about where he might coach next if he returns to the bench, mentioning the Knicks, Thunder, Bulls, Mavs, Magic and Lakers.
- Rachel Shuster of USA Today wonders if the Bobcats might also be a landing spot for the Zen Master, since the owner is Michael Jordan, Jackson's first star pupil.
Northwest Links: Harden, Ibaka, Howard, Tinsley
We'll find out tonight if the Thunder and Nuggets will have a rematch of their first-round playoff series from last season. While Kevin Durant waits to see who his second-round opponent will be, he responded to the news that he finished second to LeBron James in the MVP voting. "I've been second since high school, man. I was drafted second. I was the second best player in high school. And second in MVP voting twice," Durant said to reporters, including Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (Twitter links). "So I'm over that being second stuff." Here's the rest of what's going on with Northwest Division teams:
- Justin Kubatko of The New York Times argues that James Harden and Serge Ibaka, both of whom are eligible for extensions to their rookie contracts this summer, hold the keys to the title for the Thunder.
- The Jazz gambled and won with this year's signings of Josh Howard and Jamaal Tinsley, a pair of players who have been the subject of controversy in years past, writes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Utah, 27th in three-point percentage during the regular season, could use some outside shooting, and Brad Rock of the Deseret News advises the Jazz to go after Clippers sixth man Mo Williams, who has an $8.5MM player option for next year. One player Rock says the team should not pursue is former BYU star Jimmer Fredette.
Odds & Ends: Williams, Lorbek, Thunder
With the Grizzlies looking to stay alive in Los Angeles against the Clippers tonight, it sounds like Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will play. Here are some links from around the league as we wait for that contest to get underway:
- While we don't yet know who will be the Trail Blazers' new general manager or head coach, we do know who will not be their assistant coach. Chris Haynes from CSNNW.com reports that the team will not renew Buck Williams' deal, as they will let the new head coach choose his own staff.
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress tweets that the Spurs signing 6-foot-10 center Erazem Lorbek is "very close to being a done deal." The Spurs acquired the rights to Lorbek via a 2011 draft day trade with the Pacers for George Hill. The Spurs figure to be desperate for size this summer, and bringing Lorbek over from the Spanish League could prove pivotal.
- HOOPSWORLD's Tommy Beer gives his take on a question we posed several weeks ago: Long term, should the Thunder pair Serge Ibaka or James Harden with their already-dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook? Ideally Oklahoma City would like to keep both promising youngsters, but given their emergence as impact players that doesn't seem likely.
James Harden Wins Sixth Man Of The Year
3:21pm: Harden has officially received the award at a Oklahoma City press conference. He received 115 of 119 possible first-place votes, with Williams receiving the other four. Williams was the runner-up, with Terry, Al Harrington, and Manu Ginobili rounding out the top five.
10:23am: The Thunder will hold a news conference this afternoon where the team is expected to officially announce that James Harden has won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, according to Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman. The news conference is scheduled for 3:00pm local time, Mayberry tweets.
Harden came off the bench in 60 of his 62 games for Oklahoma City this season, taking a giant step forward in his third season in the league. The 22-year-old averaged 16.8 PPG on .491/.390/846 shooting, and earned an invite to Team USA’s preliminary Olympic roster. In addition to winning the Sixth Man of the Year award, Harden also received a few votes for the league’s Most Improved Player award, finishing 18th.
Lou Williams of the Sixers, Jason Terry of the Mavericks, and Taj Gibson of the Bulls were among the other players expected to be considered for Sixth Man of the Year.
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.
Odds & Ends: Trail Blazers, Nets, Carter, Brooks
In a radio interview earlier today, Trail Blazers acting GM Chad Buchanan says his team has a "financial ceiling" in mind for restricted free agent Nicolas Batum, according to BlazersEdge.com's Ben Golliver. Portland will also be targeting "mid-tier" free agent big men this offseason.
- In a tweet, the Daily News' Stefan Bondy says Nets GM Billy King announced that Adam Morrison and Al Thornton will be working out at a free agent camp at the team's facility this month.
- The Toronto Sun's Frank Zicarelli believes it's unlikely the Mavericks will exercise the $3.1MM team option on Vince Carter's contract next season, making the guard a free agent.
- Michigan State senior forward Draymond Green says he's been told he'll be selected in the first round of this year's draft, according to Larry Lage from the Associated Press. Green has a workout scheduled with the Celtics
- With James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook all invited to participate in Team USA's training camp this July, The Oklahoman's John Rohde suggests the team take on Thunder head coach Scott Brooks as either a member of the coaching staff or a helpful observer. With three of his players all expected to compete for spots this year and in 2016, it makes sense to have Brooks on board.
- Tommy Dee from Sheridan Hoops gives us five underclassmen who've officially entered the NBA draft that could surprise some people as early as next season if they're selected late.
- In a story from today's Sacramento Bee by Tony Bizjak, it was revealed that the city of Sacramento spent $680K since September in its failed effort to build a downtown sports and entertainment arena.
- On OregonLive.com, several Trail Blazer scribes weigh in on what the team should do with J.J. Hickson.
- In an attempt to alleviate some pain caused by the patellar tendinitis he suffered through all of last season, Bucks forward Luc Mbah a Moute underwent knee surgery on Friday, according to JSOnline.com's Charles F. Gardner. He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for training camp in October.
Pacific Notes: Lee, Fields, Odom, Kobe, Fisher
Tonight, the Lakers look to take a commanding 3-0 lead on the Nuggets, while the Clippers await the first home playoff game of the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin era tomorrow. Here's what's happening off the court in the Pacific:
- Warriors big man David Lee might have been selected as a finalist for the U.S. Olympic team had it not been for his recent surgery to repair an abdominal muscle, Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida notes.
- Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group believes restricted free agent Landry Fields could be a fit for the Warriors if they don't bring back Brandon Rush or Dorell Wright.
- The Suns should pursue Lamar Odom despite the risks, argues Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Odom thrived under Suns coach Alvin Gentry when both were with the Clippers, and last season's Sixth Man of the Year should be available for a reasonable price, Coro contends.
- Kobe Bryant, one of the league's fiercest competitors, might have to work harder to shield his softer side in the next round of the playoffs if the Lakers match up with former teammate Derek Fisher and the Thunder, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com observes. “I’d be a little torn,” Bryant said.“I’ve always wanted to see him do well, I’m always pulling for him and so forth. But at the same time, being great friends, somebody has to win and I’d rather it be me.”
Rohde On Perkins, Fisher, Brooks
The series between the Thunder and Mavericks has arguably been the most competitive playoff matchup in the first round, with both games coming down to the final possession. Game 3 is tomorrow night in Dallas, where the Mavericks enter with a 23-10 home record. The Thunder come in having won 21 games on the road this season, which is recognized as the third-best in the league. John Rohde of NewsOK tackled a few miscellaneous topics about an Oklahoma City team that appears primed to make another deep playoff run:
- The arrival of Kendrick Perkins in addition to the development and maturity of the team's younger players has solidified the Thunder's repuation as a tougher team.
- Derek Fisher spoke about the key to winning on the road and the team's mental toughness in a brief Q&A with Rohde.
- Head coach Scott Brooks touched on a variety of topics, including how much his team studied last year's conference finals matchup with Dallas in preparation of this series, the Thunder's success on the road, and the need for improvement in spacing the floor.