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Adrian in Germany: Would like to know if there is some information about the Spurs and the possibility to make some trades... Thanks
Yannis Koutroupis: They're in the market for a 1st round pick in the 22-30 range and have well documented interest in Rasheed Wallace. Other than that it's all quiet on the Spurs front, which is how it usually is.
Amare: I'm 'No Doubt' Better Than Bosh
Despite being limited to 53 games last season because of a detached retina that required surgery, Amar'e Stoudemire is not lacking confidence nor is he limiting his future to Phoenix. The Suns' big man was on ESPN 1050 in New York on Friday and said emphatically that he is a better player than Toronto's Chris Bosh, probably the player he is compared with the most. "Are you kidding me? Ask Chris Bosh that question," Stoudemire told ESPN 1050's Brandon Tierney. "No doubt about it."
Stoudemire, who is averaging 21.1 points and 8.9 rebounds over his six-plus year career (he missed all but three games of the 2005-06 season after knee surgery), can get out of his contract following the 2010 season. Stoudemire could join perhaps the greatest free-agent class in league history if LeBron James, Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Redd opt out of their contracts and are on the market. Stoudemire made it clear he is unhappy with the lack of improvement in Phoenix and would consider the New York Knicks in 2010. The Knicks, as if you didn't know, are led by Stoudemire's former coach, Mike D'Antoni. "I definitely want to move toward a championship," he said. "The most important thing in my eyes is to win a title. I'm not seeing the improvement but hopefully we can get back in the right track in Phoenix and make it happen."
When asked if he thinks about New York as a possible free-agent destination, he said. "Well I think coach D'Antoni is doing a phenomenal job with the Knicks right now and New York is a great city, so I watch them closely." Tierney then asked Stoudemire if he would seriously consider the Knicks. "I would be totally serious about that," the four-time All-Star said. "First of all, I spend a lot of my childhood years living in (upstate) New York so I have a connection with the state. And also coach D'Antoni, I love the coaching staff with coach D'Antoni. I have a great friendship and relationship with them. And also the city itself, New York the city is so cold (nice) you got to name it twice."
Lakers Return to NBA Finals
All year long, the Lakers had a singular, simple goal: to return to the NBA Finals, and avenge last year's loss in the championship round. They achieved the first part of that goal on Friday by closing out the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, 119-92. In a series where the referees were the topic of discussion over the past two games, the Lakers made sure that this one wouldn't be close enough for the officials -- or the Nuggets -- to have any say at all regarding the outcome of this game. The beginning of Game 6 started off with an effort that was very measured by both teams. Each walked the ball up the floor, and carefully ran their sets, in an extended feeling-out period that lasted almost the entire first quarter.
The Lakers led by five after one, but the Nuggets responded to take the lead on a three-pointer from J.R. Smith, which capped a 7-0 Denver run and infused some energy into a building that had remained a little too quiet through the game's opening minutes. L.A. regained the lead on the next possession, and never relinquished it, finishing the half on a 23-9 run that was finished off by a three-pointer from Kobe Bryant which gave the Lakers a 13-point halftime lead. Denver went with its strategy from Game 5, where it double-teamed Bryant whenever he touched the ball. Just like the plan failed to work in Los Angeles, it failed to work in Game 6 -- Bryant repeatedly passed out to find the open man, which, in the first half, happened to be Trevor Ariza. Ariza was wide open on several early possessions, and finished with 13 first-half points.
The Nuggets went away from that in the second half, but by then it was too late -- the Lakers' role players had found their rhythm, and once Bryant started to score, the lead ballooned to 20 in the third quarter, and L.A. found that killer instinct that they had been searching for all postseason long. Kobe finished with 35 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, and was an efficient 12-of-20 from the field with his shooting. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom finished with 20 points apiece, and Ariza finished with 17. The Nuggets' stars -- Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups -- disappeared when their team needed them the most. Anthony had a solid but not dominant line of 25 points on 6-of-17 shooting, while Billups managed just 10 points, nine assists, and five turnovers, in 39 minutes, on 2-of-7 shooting. In the end, the Nuggets were never able to play with the reckless abandon or the confidence that got them to 2-2 in this series, or that got them the big home win in Game 4. The Lakers got contributions from multiple players as they had for most of the regular season, and will finally get a chance at redemption with a return to the NBA Finals.
Sixers Make Eddie Jordan Head Coach
When Eddie Jordan got canned from the Wizards, primarily because he mishandled his roster after his starting All-Star point guard missed two years due to injury followed by his starting center going down before the start of this season, most people said the same thing. "That guy's not going to be unemployed long.'
Today the Philadelphia 76ers made sure that prediction came true, and hired Jordan as their new head coach. So was it the right move? Well, the short answer is yeah, good move. Right on, Sixers. It's five o'clock somewhere, go enjoy it.Jordan has a wealthy of experience, and has been a winner both as an assistant coach with the Nets and as head coach of the Wizards. He's got playoff experience, which the Sixers believe they need. He's friendly with the players, has helped develop young talent. There's a certain level of respect he commands, but he's not an obsessive disciplinarian or codger like some.
Of course, there are some downsides. Jordan hasn't held the reins for a team that's made any significant progress in the playoffs, and while he did manage to pull a rabbit out of a hat in 07-08, the rabbit turned around, bit him, and gave him an infection in 08-09. And, after the Sixers had Elton Brand suffer yet another season limiting injury, do you really want to hire a head coach that's primarily known for having horrible injury luck? I mean, I can understand not buying into the who do voodoo, but I'm pretty sure the Sixers shouldn't be tempting fate, here. Still, Jordan was one of the best available coaches on the market, and should be able to take an already loaded team with solid pieces back to the playoffs. Where he goes from there will be what everyone's watching.
Nene Broke His Arm in Game 6
The cynical would joke that a Denver Nuggets season wouldn't be complete without a catastrophic injury to Nene, the Brazilian big man who this year -- a superb campaign, really -- played in at least 65 games for the first time since 2004. But there you go: in the Nuggets' final game of the 2008-09 season, Nene suffered a fractured arm in the fourth quarter, according to the Denver Post. He left the gym wearing a cast.
There's no word on how long rehab will take. One would assume the injury may affect Nene's reported plans to play for Brazil in this summer's Copa America. Brazil needs to finish top five in the Copa (assuming already World-qualified Team USA also finished top five) to automatically qualify for the 2010 World Championships in Istanbul. Brazil's coach said Anderson Varejao has tentatively committed, but the Cavalier will likely enter free agency in July. Missing its two top big men could be trouble for the Brazilians.
Clip in the link above^.What if Rip didn’t have Boost Mobile?
Oldie but a goodie. This is definitely one of my all-time favorite Piston commercials.