The Toronto Raptors and NBA released the 2016 All-Star Game logos yesterday. It features Toronto's CN Tower and the Raptors' black and red colors. Next year's game will be the first ever all star game outside of the United States. Hype is already building for next year's game and instead of running through the 6, NBA players will be flying and dunking through the 6 next February.
Below is the Atlanta Hawks thank you letter to their fans. Last night their season was ended in depressing fashion, losing to Cleveland in a four game sweep. Although they fell short of the NBA Finals, the Hawks still had a great season and are one of the most promising teams in the league. Just how great are they, read to find out:
True to Atlanta.
When the season started this was our advertising tag line.
While the season unfolded it defined who we became.
Both on and off the court, this was an unprecedented year for our organization. Our vision from the start was to make our city proud and to prove the Hawks were worth Atlantans’ support. We committed to showing you not only that we love this city, but that we would play hard for it. You made your presence known both at home and away -- all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. While we fell just short of an NBA championship this year, together we achieved a historic season that we want to celebrate with you -- the fans.
We had the largest increase in attendance in the NBA and sold out Philips Arena 32 of the last 35 games.
We won a franchise-best 60 games, captured the Division Championship for the first time in 21 years and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in Atlanta history.
We had four players named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team - the most ever in club history.
We witnessed Mike Budenholzer named NBA Coach of the Year in just his second season at the helm.
We finished the month of January with a perfect 17-0 record, the most wins in an undefeated month in NBA history, earning our entire starting five the Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors.
We achieved record broadcast ratings on both television and radio, including the top 5 most-watched Hawks basketball games in club history.
We created an awe-inspiring and imposing home court environment, with an Eastern Conference-best 35-6 record at home.
We honored our greatest legacy, Dominique Wilkins, and erected a permanent statue to greet fans and players each time they enter the arena to celebrate his many accomplishments and contributions to our franchise.
This year was the foundation. Next month, our new ownership will be introduced, adding their vision and commitment to our city, our organization and our team provides us great opportunity to continue to build and grow. We will unveil a dynamic, new franchise brand to mark the beginning of the next chapter in our proud history. We will enter the draft and free agency looking to build on our team’s already successful foundation and basketball culture. We will continue to build bridges through basketball, whether by constructing and refurbishing courts in Atlanta neighborhoods, providing scholarships to our basketball camps, or surprising and delighting our fans with unique Atlanta Hawks experiences.
Thank you for being true to the Hawks this season and we look forward to continuing to be True to Atlanta,
LeBron James is heading back to the NBA Finals for the 5th year in a row. Last night he and the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a sweep of the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals. They ended the night with a substantial blowout 118-88 victory.
James finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists last night. Once again he lead the way for the undermanned Cavs. Although his stats tell us he had a good game, they don't tell us about his full impact.
Since the Cavaliers shifted around the players on their roster at the trade deadline, LeBron has taken charge and made everyone around him better. Reports even indicated that he was calling the plays for his team instead of David Blatt. In addition, the team has been able to mesh perfectly and make the most out of every player. Who would have predicted Matthew Dellavedova would be a podium player in the playoffs? Much of Cleveland's unexpected successful players has to be attributed to LeBron.
After suffering with injury through the beginning of the series, Kyrie Irving played a good game last night. He finished with 16 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Although it was not even close to the best he can play, it was great news for the Cavs. He now has until June 4th to prepare his body for the Finals. At that point, Irving will be able to ignore any pain and will be able to play great not just good, but great.
Another crucial piece for Cleveland in their playoff run has been Tristan Thompson. Last night he dropped 16 points and 11 rebounds, 5 of which were offensive. Against the Celtics in the first round, Thompson was a main reason that the Cavs were so successful on the offensive end. He consistently grabbed offensive boards and kept plays alive for them. Then, against the Bulls he was solid in the paint against Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol without the help of Kevin Love. Now, against the Hawks he not only carried his load by grabbing rebounds, he also helped out by scoring the ball. Against the Warriors in the Finals, he will have to be able to bring the best of both worlds in order for the Cavs to succeed.
Tonight, the Warriors play Houston in game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. With a win, they will clinch their spot to fight Cleveland in the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers will surely be watching the game, and studying the Warriors' highly efficient offense. In the Finals, it will become interesting to see if LeBron can lift his teammates up to the level of the mighty Warriors.
Draymond Green is ready to block out the haters. He is also ready to start making some serious money. Although he was on of the NBA's most improved players this season, he has still had to deal with a lot of scrutiny from both fans and reporters. After he averaged 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in the regular season, Draymond has helped lead the Warriors to a 3-0 series lead over the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. After the Warriors storybook season comes to a close, Green will officially be a restricted free agent. He is known for saying he wants a max-contract this free agency, and the Warriors have said they will do whatever it takes to hold on to him. In addition to his upcoming contract with the Warriors, this young star is ready to make some cash off of the court too. Draymond Green's Beats by Dre commercial captures just the beginning of both his career on and off of the court.
Austin Rivers was recently spotted playing some pickup basketball with two of the nation's best high school seniors. Home Team Hoops caught the action on film and has since produced a highlight video of their game. Rivers is seen playing with Corey Sanders, the 60th ranked player in the ESPN 100, and Antonio Blakeney, the 3rd ranked shooting guard in the country.
Blakeney is heading to LSU this upcoming summer to start playing alongside the #1 player in the country, Ben Simmons. Together, they will be one of college basketball's best duos and LSU is going to be a national title contender. On the other hand, Corey Sanders is heading up north to play his college ball at Rutgers. Watch their high school mixtapes below and be on the lookout for them to be tearing up the college basketball scene next year.
Steph Curry was ready to prove why he won MVP over James Harden last night. He was also ready to give the Warriors a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals.
Although the Warriors were winning at the half, they were outplayed in the first quarter. Instead of falling apart, the Warriors kept their heads high and made their run in the second quarter. They went on a 21-4 run to close the quarter and proved they were ready to play.
During the run, Steph Curry started to heat up. But in the second half he began to cook. Finally, in the 4th quarter, Chef Curry was finished cooking and served us up with a complete meal. The main entré was a 34 point performance while shooting 6 of 11 from downtown. Towards the end of each quarter, Steph was playing at his highest level and eventually outplayed James Harden.
While Curry was good the whole game, James Harden displayed his game in the second half. He scored 21 of his 28 points in the second half and helped keep the Rockets in the game. Although he did play great, down the stretch Harden seemed to force some shots and passes which eventually cost his team. By no purpose was their loss his fault though. The bearded man also grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 9 assists. Through the Rockets' run in the playoffs so far, Harden has played unselfish and has helped lead his team this far.
Although Harden wanted to be MVP, and also wanted to win Game One, Steph Curry took both accomplishments way from him. He did such while the rest of his team did surprisingly shoot the ball at a dismal 22% from deep and Andrew Bogut went scoreless. While the Warriors will surely improve for game two, they will have to overcome Harden's hunger to finally beat Curry. As Dwight Howard summed it up, "You've got two chefs going at it, we'll see who can make the best dish." Whoever does serve up the best dish, may just lead their team to the NBA Finals. In this case, the best dish will win.
Overtime: In addition to killing it on the court, Steph Curry also had a great post game interview. Well, it was actually his daughter who killed the interview.
Last night brought emotional highs and lows. The NBA Draft Lottery is like this every year. Fans of the worst teams in the league either received something to look forward to, or they had their hearts broken.
For the first time in their history, the Minnesotta Timberwolves won the NBA Draft Lottery. They are now on the clock with the first pick of the Draft, but they have until June 25th to make their decision. While everyone debates on who they should pick, it is more than likely that they select Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky with the 1st pick.
After the Timberwolves, the rest of the Lottery will select in the following order:
2. Lakers
3. Philadelphia
4. Knicks
5. Orlando
6. Sacramento
7. Denver
8. Detroit
9. Charlotte
10. Miami
11. Indiana
12. Utah
13. Phoenix
14. Oklahoma City
After the Lakers found out they have the second pick, Kobe Bryant voiced his opinion on Twitter:
We played like crap all season so it's only right we get the #2 pick HA #lakerluck#goodday
The New York Daily News helped voice the opinion of Knicks fans across New York. Despite their "horrid" season, the Knicks only got the fourth pick in the upcoming draft. Although their fans may dissapointed, the top 6 picks in the draft all have a good chance of landing a player that will greatly help develop their teams. But then again, after suffering through a terrible season, the Knicks fans wanted the first pick. As Chris Paul reminded us, "If you ain't first, you're last" - Ricky Bobby. Well the Knicks may not be last, their fanbase surely feels like they are.
Once again, the 76ers have another high lottery pick, maybe this year they will actually pick a player who can play next season. Two years ago they selected Nerlens Noel, who had to sit out his 1st year, and this past season they gathered up Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, who both sat out this past season. Next year, they could possibly start 4 lottery picks from the past 3 drafts, but even then the Tank-A-Palooza may still continue.
Although many teams hope to turn around the fortune of their respective franchise with the upcoming NBA Draft, their is no gurantee their picks will pay out. The Draft comes with no promise, and until next year or even many years down the road we will just have an idea about the impact this class of players will impress on the league. For all we know, these kids could be battling it out in the playoffs around this time in a few years, just like Steph Curry and James Harden are right now.
Last night the Cleveland Cavilers knocked off the Chicago Bulls 94-73. They also won their series against the Bulls four games to two. Now it's time for them to prepare for the Eastern Conference Finals.
Despite a subpar shooting night, LeBron James still put up 15 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds. He only shot 7-23 from the field and 0-4 from behind the arc though. Although the Cavs still won, LeBron seemed to struggle. Yes, he was 1 rebound away from a triple-double, but he still seemed to struggle. When you're the King, good is not good enough. He has to play perfect from now on in order to chase his dream of winning a title in Cleveland.
While the Cavs were cruising to victory, they still needed people to score the ball. With Kevin Love out for the playoffs, Kyrie Irving banged up, and LeBron struggling, it was another player's time to shine. Matthew Dellavedova did just that and racked up 19 points off of the bench.
Production off the bench will be crucial for Cleveland as the playoffs carry on. They await the winner of the Wizards and Hawks series, both of which are deep teams. The Atlanta Hawks are arguably the deepest team in the NBA. They are often considered the Spurs of the Eastern Conference because of their deep bench, full of talented players. On the other hand, the Wizards boast the best back-court in the Eastern Conference. John Wall and Bradley Beal will pick apart any defense that they face whilst they make everyone around them better. Playing against the top talent in the league, the Cavs need everyone on their team to produce.
After a 5 year hiatus, the Cleveland Cavaliers are back to the Eastern Conference Finals. During those 5 years, LeBron went to the ECF every single year but one, his last year with the Cavs. After that he went to Miami and has been to the Finals every single year. This year is different though. LeBron has had to build his team almost by himself. Kyrie Irving is good, but he is not always enough. James has had to develop his team all season long and prepare them all for this moment. For Cleveland, the time is now, it's time to get back to the NBA Finals.
When game 5 between the Hawks and Wizards tipped off last night all eyes were on John Wall, who started the game despite having 5 fractures in his left hand. As everyone focused on Wall, Al Horford quietly did his thing, and as the game progressed, Horford stole what should have been the John Wall show.
After the 1st quarter, the Hawks were up 23-19. Although the Wizards were down, it was impressive that they were still so close. Atlanta came out red hot and was firing on all cylinders. The only problem that they faced was John Wall, he was also firing on all cylinders, and has a bit more horsepower.
In the second quarter it became clear, Washington needed John Wall on the floor. Their offense had trouble flowing without him. Both Otto Porter and Marcin Gortat were getting great looks under the basket off of Wall's penetration. Bradley Beal also benefited from his play because when the Hawks defense would collapse on Porter, Gorat and Wall, he was ready to launch up a jumper from the outside.
The Wizards outscored Atlanta 28-18 in the second quarter despite a breakout quarter by Mike Muscala. Although many people don't even know who he is, Muscala finished with 8 points and was the reason Atlanta was able to hold off a Wizards run going into halftime.
Coming out of the half, Al Horford switched into beast mode. In the third quarter he began to dominate the boards, protect the rim, and also carry the Hawks offensive responsibilities. We would later find out, he was only warming up at this point.
While the Wizards got out on the break and ran, the Hawks tried to slow the game down and pound the ball inside. Even though the game was low scoring, each team still had troubles defending one another. For the Hawks, they had trouble defending against the fast break. It seemed every time Washington was running the floor, only Kyle Korver was back to stop it. Although Korver was there, no one else was and the Wizards had a feast on the fast break. On the other hand, the Wizards struggled to slow down the Hawks bigs inside, which eventually cost them.
Although many may argue John Wall was the difference maker for Washington, Bradley Beal was their most important player. Not only did he contribute to their offense, but Beal also shut down Kyle Korver, and grabbed 3 steals on the defensive end. All in all, Beal made all the hustle plays and discretely helped the Wizards stay in the game. He finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.
While the Wizards got off to a blazing hot start in the 4th quarter, it was not enough. The Hawks made a run of their own and Kyle Korver knocked down a deep three pointer in order to spark a late Hawks run. Then Al Horford knocked down a 3 and helped extend an 8-0 run for Atlanta. It seemed the game was ready for the Hawks to take, but the Wizards were still secretly hanging around. With only seconds left Paul Pierce knocked down a three to give Washington and 81-80 lead. While Hawks fans were in shock after Pierce's shot, their beloved team rushed down the floor and got an open look at the rim. Wait, no, John Wall came in and blocked the shot off the glass! But Al Horford rushed into the paint and snatched up the rebound right out of Nene's hands, and layed the ball back up to give them an 82-81 lead. With about a second left in the game, the Wizards had no timeouts and heaved up a halfcourt prayer to try to win the game. It fell short and so did the Wizards hopes to win game 5.
Horford finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Not only did he carry the Atlanta offense all night long, he also dominated the paint on the defensive end a helped change many shots, and finally he also scored the game winning basket for them.
Although John Wall played like an animal, he fell short. Despite the fact, he still finished with 15 points, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 5 fractured bones. John Wall displayed one of the best efforts in NBA Playoff history, but in the end his effort was still not enough.
Even though the Wizards seemed to be in control early in the 4th, they fell apart late. Now they are down 3-2 and have to win two straight games in order to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. With John Wall's health questionable as the playoffs continue, they really needed a win tonight. Instead they will have the improbable task of coming back against the Hawks. Meanwhile, the Hawks are only two games away from the Eastern Conference finals and have two games to try to advance. At this point, it seems that Al Horford's performance tonight may have been the most important by any player in the whole series. He may have just given the Atlanta Hawks the boost they need to advance on closer to the NBA Finals.
Throughout the past day or two, new NBA jerseys and logos have been leaked online. The 76ers will have a new logo next year, and a plethora of teams will have a new look on the court with new jerseys. The NBA's Christmas Day uniforms have also been leaked. View all the new looks below.
LeBron James knew coming into the Cavaliers' series against the Bulls that he was going to have to dominate in order for them to win the series. Without Kevin Love, the shorthanded Cavs seemed to struggle at first. Then Kyrie Irving got banged up and started to slow down, King James knew it was time to take charge and dominated.
When LeBron needs to show up, he does. Last night he needed to have a big game and he finished with 38 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. Despite a late comeback by the Bulls, the Cavaliers held on to win 106-101.
Cleveland now leads the Bulls three games to two, and has plenty of momentum. The Bulls still have a shot to win the series, but their chances took a serious hit last night. Once again, LeBron is willing his way through the playoffs, something he always seems to do.
Coach Cal, Bill Self, Tom Izzo, and numerous college basketball coaches across the country felt their stomachs tense up a little bit today. While they began to feel fear, a big smile came across Mark Turgeon's face. He felt this happiness when Rasheed Sulaimon announced today that he will be transferring to Maryland.
Sulaimon was a member of Duke's team this past season, but was dismissed from the team in January for not living up to Duke University standards. During his freshman season as a Blue Devil, the 6 foot 5 swingman averaged 11.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Although his stats were impressive, his play was even more impressive. This past season was a different story as he struggled to find the same success.
Sulaimon will join a loaded Maryland team. Standout guard Melo Trimble and Jake Layman will both return to school, after many thought they would leave for the NBA. They also have dominant bigs coming into town. Diamond Stone, the 6th ranked high school player in the country, and Georgia Tech transfer Robert Carter will man the front court for Turgeon. Not only will the Terps have a loaded starting five, but they will also have a deep bench.
All in all, Sulaimon's announcement immediately changed the college basketball landscape. Not only are the Terps contenders for a national title, they may even be the favorite to win it all next season. They have a perfect mix of experience, skill, and incoming talent. Look for Maryland to not only be a top ranked team next year, but also play like one too.
This past weekend was ideal for Buzzer Beater Basketball. There was not one buzzer beater, not two, not three, not four... wait no there was three, but LeBron does play into the buzzer beater fiesta.
Derrick Rose started the trend by knocking down a deep 3 to give the Bulls a 99-96 edge in game 3 on Friday night.
The next day, Paul Pierce continued the trend against the Atlanta Hawks. Pierce was posted at the top of the key with about 3 seconds left. He then squared to the basket and knocked down a tough shot as defenders rushed towards him. He lifted the Wizards over the Hawks 103-101.
Then came Sunday, time for LeBron and Co. to get revenge on Derrick Rose and the Bulls. With 1.5 seconds left in the game, it was tied 84-84. Then LeBron ran to the corner caught an inbounds pass and knocked down a deep two-pointer to win the game.
While the Cavaliers and Bulls head into their off-day with the series tied up 2-2, the Wizards and Hawks are back at it again tonight. Time will only tell if the Wizards have a late trick up their sleeves or if the Hawks will snatch up a final second victory in order to continue the streak of consecutive buzzer-beaters. Even if they don't, this past weekend was a fun one for basketball fans everywhere.
Over the weekend, the western coast of college basketball got a lot stronger. Both Cal and Gonzaga picked up top talents in the country to play for them.
The 4th ranked high school player in the country, Jaylen Brown, committed to Cal on Friday night. Many expected the 6 foot 7 swingman to go to either Kentucky or Michigan, but instead he wanted to head out west. Brown is going to elevate the Cal program to the next level. He is known for his ability to drive to the basket and finish through traffic. While his jumpshot still needs a little work, his high motor will carry him on both sides of the floor.
Cal also has one of the top big men in the 2015 class coming in next year too. Ivan Rabb, the 8th ranked player in the country, is a 6 foot 11 big who is going to rule the paint for their team next season. After Rabb played Brown at the Hoophall Classic in January, they went upstairs to talk to each other after the game. As I predicted after seeing that, Brown and Rabb did indeed pair up to play their college ball together. Not only will they be a deadly duo in the Pac 12, but they will be one of the best duos in all of college basketball. A Final Four run for the Golden Bears next season would come with no surprise at all, as their freshman duo has serious potential to be difference makers once the balls are rolled out next season. Below is our mixtape of Rabb and Brown battling it out at the Hoophall Classic. (Start at the 1:40 mark)
Another west coast school also got richer this weekend. Gonzaga got Ex-Washington point guard Nigel Williams-Goss to transfer into their program. Goss averaged 15.6 points and 5.9 assists per game last season as the Huskies point guard. He was also considering transferring to Providence or UNLV, but he felt the Zags were the right fit for him. Williams-Goss has serious potential to play NBA basketball, and moving to Gonzaga is a great move for him, not only will he play for a national contender, he will surround himself with a team that plays more his style of basketball.
As the west coast got richer this past weekend, the 2015 commitment class came to a close. On the other hand, many players are still looking for a program to transfer to. A notable name to watch over the next few weeks is Ex-Duke player Rasheed Sulaimon. It has been rumored that he is interested in playing for Maryland. As the college basketball landscape continues to shape up, one thing is for sure; next year is going to provide fans with another great year of hoops.
In one of the best games thus far in the NBA Playoffs, the Chicago Bulls won Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-92.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were without the third piece to the big three tonight. With Kevin Love out for the rest of the playoffs, it's crucial for the Cavs duo to step up. In the early minutes of the game it seemed as though they could not do so. The Bulls outscored the Cavs 27-15 in the first quarter.
As always, Cleveland made a second quarter run. LeBron James started off the quarter by bullying his way into the paint and straight to the rim multiple times. Once he got his inside game going, he started to kick the ball out and his teammates also started to heat up. James finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals and helped lead his shorthanded Cleveland team.
As LeBron started to set up teammates with open shots, Kyrie Irving took full advantage. Kyrie started to pick apart the Bulls defense and was finishing at the rim over, under, and around defenders. Then he expanded his game and started to knock down jump-shots from all around the court. Although Irving played great for the Cavs, he took some risky shots that eventually led to the Bulls running out on the fast break. Don't be fooled though, Irving still had a great game and racked up 30 points and 6 assists.
While Cleveland played their version of a two man game, the Bulls played with their own version. Their duo featured Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol. All night they ran the pick and roll and got wide open jumpers atop the key. Sometimes Jimmy Butler would also jump into the pick and roll offense. No matter who was involved, the Cavaliers could not stop the Bulls pick and roll offense tonight. The Bulls big three played with hate in their hearts tonight and were ready to prove they came to play. Gaol finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks while Rose had 25 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. Similar to Rose, Jimmy Butler scored 20 points and also racked up 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals.
While the Cavaliers struggled some tonight, they still played the Bulls very well. The only problem for them is depth. While LeBron almost had a triple double and Kyrie had 30 points, their production was still not enough. It's not every night your two star players can produce that well, and without help from other players on the Cavaliers, it seems this is the Bulls series to take. While the Bulls have brought a fiery hatred to the court, Cleveland is wishing they could bring Love to the court. Although Kevin Love will not be able to play again in these playoffs, J.R. Smith will return after Game 2. Maybe he will serve as the spark that the Cavaliers need in order to compete with the Chicago Bulls. But as it looks right now, Chicago is ready to win this series.
