Looking at Shaq's injury in the Long Run

Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers stormed through the regular season. The efforts of LeBron James earned him his first MVP award. Not only was he the MVP, but his team posted the NBA's best record. When the playoffs began, the Cavs swept through the first two rounds before experiencing some trouble with the Orlando Magic. This trouble would prove to be too much for James and the Cavaliers. As a result, the Magic would go on to beat the Cavaliers.

While the Cavaliers were exposed on many levels by the Magic, the one thing that stuck out the most was their lack of a true center to defend Dwight Howard. In the 2009 playoffs, it was Howard, alone, that dominated the Cavs' front court. In the final game of the series, Howard posted 40 points and 14 rebounds. During the offseason, the Cavaliers were determined to find a center to hold Dwight Howard.

After an unsuccessful experiment with Shaquille O'Neal, the Phoenix Suns were willing to deal. In the end, they traded Shaq for a bunch of spare parts from the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Shaq in the mix, Cleveland has had little problems when it comes to beating Orlando, or the Los Angeles Lakers for that matter. Things with Shaq have been going great, but recently he went down with a thumb injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. Experts say that O'Neal may not return to action until sometime in the second round of the playoffs. Worst case scenario, the Cavaliers lose their grip on the first seed in the Eastern Conference.

If that is the case, Orlando will probably end up posting the top record in the East. With an injured and already old Shaquille O'Neal, Dwight Howard will run all over him. Just O'Neal's defense on Howard has held him down during the season series. But, Dwight Howard will be turned up to another level come playoff time and with his thumb injured, Shaq will not be forcing too much on Howard. That will give him the chance to dominate O'Neal just as if he was Anderson Varejao. Even if Cleveland does hold on to the first seed, they will most likely face Boston or Orlando. With Shaq partially injured, their big men are going to run all over the Cavs.

This late-season injury to Shaquille O'Neal may cost LeBron James the 2010 NBA Championship.

Read more...

Amare Stoudemire ready to Focus on Phoenix Suns

Last month, Amare Stoudemire received more press that he had received in a very long time. Sadly, it had nothing to do with his game play. Instead, it was about Stoudemire being traded to another team. He has played with the Phoenix Suns for the past eight years, his entire career. In those eight years, the closest that the team came to an NBA title was when they lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Spurs in 2005. For the most part, he has not delivered what they want.

Add to the Phoenix Suns' disappointments the Miami Heat's interest. They have lacked a big man ever since they traded Shaquille O'Neal to the very same Phoenix Suns. The Heat seemed locked to make a suitable deal for Stoudemire. He is good friends with the Heat's star guard, Dwyane Wade and he is from Florida. Just as the Heat talks became deep, talks began of Stoudemire heading to the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.

The trade deadline came and went without Amare Stoudemire being traded. He had very well expected to be in a new uniform by now, but he has remained in a Suns uniform. After the recent attempts by the Phoenix Suns to shop him around, it is unlikely that Stoudemire will re-sign with them following this season. Currently, the Suns are in the playoff race and they seem to be a lock in the playoffs. That, not his next team, is what Amare Stoudemire will focus on from now until June. No matter what his decison is about next season, right now, he is a member of the Phoenix Suns.

Read more...

Tyrus Thomas and Gerald Henderson are the Future of the Bobcats

As good as the Charlotte Bobcats have been for the past two seasons, they have proved the age-old fact that a team can only go so far without star players. In the past, they have tried to hand the reigns over to such players as Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin, but they have faltered for one reason or another. The Bobcats do intend on finding a player, or players to build around.

Coming into the 2009 NBA Draft, the Bobcats wanted to draft a future star. Their preference was the 6'6 guard Terrence Williams. He was exactly what they needed, plus he had striking similarities to the team's current owner, Michael Jordan. While Williams was their favorite, Gerald Henderson was their backup. Before they settled on Williams, the Bobcats had interest in Henderson, as he had led Duke throughout the 2008-2009 season. He made himself into a college star and many predicted that he could become a consistent scorer for the Bobcats in the following season.

After the New Jersey Nets drafted Terrence Williams, it became clear that the Bobcats were going to draft the Duke guard, Gerald Henderson with their pick. Henderson would end up being the pick and the Bobcats began marketing him as a star. But, when the regular season began, Henderson did not receive much playing time. It would not be until their record victory over the Toronto Raptors that Henderson showed the team what he could be if he were given more playing time. Larry Brown, the head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats, said that Gerald Henderson would slowly become a bigger part of the offense until he becomes the focal point of the offense.

Despite promises of Gerald Henderson being the future of the Charlotte Bobcats, he was on the trading block right before the trade deadline. He was not traded, but there were rumors that he may be traded during the offseason. But, the idea of him being dealt does not mean that he will surely be dealt. It was a strong possibility that he would be an Indiana Pacer by now and he is not. The trade deadline did not see Henderson leave the Bobcats, but it saw them give a chance to troubled Chicago Bulls forward, Tyrus Thomas. He has shown a little of what he could be, too. While the Bobcats enjoy the strong play of Stephen Jackson, he is not the type of player that a franchise can be built around.

But, they could possibly have a strong inside-out duo with Gerald Henderson and Tyrus Thomas if they are given a chance. It is looking like the Bobcats will make the playoffs this season, so they will have a chance to gel together. If things go according and the Bobcats have to call on these two players, they are likely to build around them for future seasons. Some people have predicted that Henderson will end up being a very solid player, along the lines of Vince Carter. If that is indeed the case, the Bobcats will need to hold on to him and Thomas had big expectations when he first arrived in the league. But, all of the negative press ruined him in Chicago. Now, with a new team and possible chemistry with Gerald Henderson, he could go on to be one half of a powerful duo in Charlotte.

Read more...

NBA Scores for March 2, 2010

The scores for last night's NBA games.

Celtics 105
Pistons  100 

Warriors 106
Heat      110

Kings 107
Thunder 113

Pacers    99
Lakers 122

Read more...

Allen Iverson is done for the Season

The oddest season in Allen Iverson's career has come to a premature end. Yesterday, Iverson announced that he would leave the season early. He is the point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he is no longer the focal point of the team. Even if he was, they are not in playoff contention, so he would not be missing out on much. Because his young daughter is suffering from an illness, Iverson has decided to sit out.

Allen Iverson has not played in a game since February 20, but there was a chance that he would return. Had his daughter's health began to improve, Iverson would have resumed playing. However, things have not worked out that way and his four-year-old daughter has gotten worse. Her medical status has led to Iverson taking an indefinite leave of absense, but with no signs of improvement, Iverson will have to miss the season.

As previously stated, the Sixers are too far out of the playoff race to be a serious threat, anyway, so it really does not matter if Allen Iverson sits for the remainder of the season. After all, there is only one month left before the season is over and Iverson is only a role player for a team now built around Andre Iguodala.

Read more...

LeBron James gives up on Number 23

There has been talk about the jersey number, 23, ever since Michael Jordan retired for a second time in 1998. When he left the game, a lot of new players came in wearing the same number. Among those players was LeBron James. However, unlike the rest of those players, James was expected to live up to that number. While James has been great and his team has had great runs, he just could not live up to the last notable person to wear this number in 23.

LeBron James was not feeling the pressure about the jersey number situation until after the 2007 NBA Finals. The fact that his team could not score a victory, let alone a championship ended any chance of his legacy even touching that of Michael Jordan's. Ever since that time, many critics, mainly Skip Bayless, have let LeBron James have it. He has said numerous times on the ESPN program, "ESPN First Take," that James should change his jersey number.

It was not until after the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals that LeBron James actually began considering the idea of changing his jersey number. He is now in his seventh season in the NBA and he has yet to deliver a championship to the city of Cleveland. Some people feel that this is their year, but James is afraid of a repeat of last season. All of the talk of LeBron James giving up his jersey number is no longer talk. He has filed the proper papers to have his jersey number changed from 23 to 6 for the upcoming 2010-2011 season. Some people see a hidden message in his jersey number change.

There has been quite a bit of talk about LeBron James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the spotlight that is the City of New York or down to South Beach with his buddy, Dwyane Wade. If that were indeed the case, when he signed with a new team, he could simply pick a new jersey number. But, the fact that he chose to file paperwork to receive a new number could provide symbolism that he may be staying in Cleveland for a few more seasons.

Read more...

Do the Boston Celtics still have a Chance?

Two years ago, the Boston Celtics brought in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to assist a frustrated Paul Pierce. Immediately, the team dropped its losing ways and paced the league with an outstanding 66-16 record. Along the way, they developed a rivalry with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the playoffs, they were surprised by the Atlanta Hawks, but they overcame and they did what they had to do to win the NBA championship.

Last season, the Celtics were expected to contend again, the window for a second title was wide. That was right up until the team lost Kevin Garnett. When he went down with injury, the Celtics went from being the team to beat to just another good team. At one point, they were on pace to win 70 games, but they ended up winning 62. Still, that was good enough for the second seed in the East. But, the team was exposed on national television by Derrick Rose and they have yet to regroup.

The absence of Kevin Garnett was obvious when the Celtics were beaten by the Orlando Magic in the second round. Coming into this season, the Boston Celtics were expected to contend again, but that is looking unlikely. At 36-21, they are still a tough team, but they are losing steps. Because of their age, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen simply cannot compete with such guys as LeBron James and Derrick Rose. Now that the once-reliable Kevin Garnett is injury prone, it is a strong possibility that he will be abused by Dwight Howard if they have to play the Magic in the playoffs. Aside from opening night, the Celtics do not stand a chance against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Because of the fact that they are often injured and aging, the Boston Celtics are no longer a part of that big three in the Eastern Conference. They now find themselves in a dog fight with the Atlanta Hawks. This is a fight that they lost 0-4. If they were to face the Hawks in the playoffs, they would likely lose to them. While the Celtics should be able to dominate a team like Miami or Charlotte, they would be in trouble because they would have to face either Cleveland, Orlando, or Atlanta. As great as they once were, the Boston Celtics are no longer the class of the Eastern Conference. There have been miracles before, like the 2006 Miami Heat, but it is unlikely that the Boston Celtics, with their record overall and against other contenders, that they can even break past the second round.

Danny Aingle, the Boston Celtics general manager, said that the team would be looking to rebuild itself during the offseason.

Read more...

Greg Oden has let Portland down

By 2007, the Portland Trailblazers had settled into the bottom of the Western Conference standings. That summer marked the fourth consecutive season where they had failed to make the playoffs. But, the team was showing promise behind their Rookie of the Year guard, Brandon Roy. The plan was to create an inside-out duo that would consist of Roy and the upcoming rookie, Greg Oden. After playing only one year of college basketball, he had established himself as a force.

Because of his immense talent, teams were lining up to get a piece of Greg Oden. Even before he played in the NBA, Oden was receiving comparisons to other legendary centers. While a lot of teams, mainly the Boston Celtics, wanted Oden, it would end up being the Portland Trailblazers that landed the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. The team was expecting a big season with their new dynamic duo, but Greg Oden was injured during the summer leage, so he sat out his rookie season.

Greg Oden was classified as a rookie for the 2008-2009 season and the Blazers had built without him, now there was the hassle of adding him to the mix. His rookie season was limited, due to injuries, but the Blazers still had a great season behind the heroics of Brandon Roy. But, because Oden was limited with injuries, the team fell in the playoffs to the Houston Rockets. Greg Oden was simply unable to contend against the Rockets' own 7 footer, Yao Ming.

The Portland Trailblazers were expecting something major with Greg Oden, but all that they have received is an injury-prone center. There is still a chance that Oden could be great, but that would not happen in Portland. The Blazers were tired of waiting, so they built their team around LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy. It may not be exactly what they wanted, but they do make a strong one-two punch. During the offseason, it should come as no surprise if Oden is used a trade bait. If he were moved out of Portland and to another team, he could prove his critics wrong and end up being a legend, regardless.

Read more...

Michael Beasley promises to Improve

This season, the Miami Heat are playing right at expectations, but they are still disappointing. While the sports media predicted a season like this, the team plays well, at times, then horrible during others. A lot of this up and down play is because of Michael Beasley. Despite the predictions, Beasley promised that he would be a much better player than he was during his rookie season. At this pivotal point in his career, Dwyane Wade needs a sidekick.

Early in the season, Dwyane Wade had two sidekicks with both Beasley and Jermaine O'Neal. Many critics expected O'Neal to fizzle out because of his age. But, on the other hand, Michael Beasley is only 20 years old. There is no real excuse for his lackluster play. One thing has been confirmed about this Miami Heat team and that is when Michael Beasley plays well, the Heat usually win. This is the type of consistency that Dwyane Wade needs.

Now, with the regular season winding down, the Heat lost at home to a horrible Minnesota Timberwolves team and got blown out by the Orlando Magic. When the pressure is on, Michael Beasley has disappeared, more than once. There will be times when Dwyane Wade will be out, like he was last week. With pressure from the Heat front office, teammates, and the head coach, Michael Beasley has made the promise to improve and make sure that the Heat dominate for the next 22 games. While he does hope to improve, Beasley is confident that his team will make the playoffs. Still, he realizes that his captain wants to do more than make the playoffs.

Read more...

NBA Scores for March 1, 2010

Scores from last night's NBA action.

Mavericks 89
Bobcats    84

Knicks      93
Cavaliers 124

Magic 126
76ers  105

Hawks 119
Bulls      92

Trailblazers 103
Grizzlies        93

Spurs   106
Hornets 92

Raptors   92
Rockets 116

Nuggets 85
Suns     101


Jazz        104
Clippers 108

Read more...