Some wishes for NBA fans, players and teams
Santa Claus already has finished his trip around the globe for this year, but hopefully it’s not too late to offer some belated Christmas and holiday wishes to players, teams and fans around the NBA. For fans of lottery-bound teams We wish some perspective on the 2014 NBA Draft.
The upcoming draft already has been labeled “the best draft since 2003,” when LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade were selected in the top five, along with Darko Milicic.
But hyperbole is dangerous in this case. Although the upcoming draft features four players who are considered can’tmiss prospects — Duke’s Jabari Parker, Kentucky’s Julius Randle, Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart and Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins — you’ll find some disagreement among NBA scouts about the depth in the draft. Some talent evaluators believe there’s a significant drop-off in talent after Parker, Randle, Smart and Wiggins.
Why do we mention that? Because only the team that finishes this regular season with the worst record in the NBA will be guaranteed to exit the lottery with a topfour pick. Fans of lottery-bound teams need to know they’ll need luck for their team to leave the draft appreciably better.
For Kobe, Brook and Derrick Our wish is an obvious one: full and complete recoveries from their injuries.
You know about Kobe Bryant’s knee injury, but Brook Lopez’s and Derrick Rose’s injuries are especially troubling. They’re just 25 years old. Lopez, the Brooklyn Nets’ All-Star center, has had recurring foot problems, and any foot issues are disconcerting for 7-footers. Rose, the Chicago Bulls’ All-Star point guard, now has suffered significant injuries to both of his knees, and that’s worrisome because his game is predicated on quickness and explosiveness.
No one wants to see Lopez’s or Rose’s careers limited by injuries, as former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden’s career has been. Speaking of Greg Oden We wish him success in the playoffs. After all of his knee issues, after all of his work to return to the court, he deserves a few moments in the spotlight. For fans who attend games We wish earplugs so the fans can withstand the unnecessarily loud and jarring pregame theatrics that rattle the insides of arenas just before the home team is introduced. For the Indiana Pacers We wish better crowds at their home games.
The Pacers, who have the Eastern Conference’s best record, do everything right.
They play tenacious defense. They’ve built their roster brilliantly, finding value in the draft by selecting Paul George10th overall in 2010 and Lance Stephenson 40th overall in 2010 and trading for Roy Hibbert shortly after the draft in 2008. And the Pacers also play in one of the best arenas in the league, Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
But as of Christmas Day, the Pacers ranked18th in the NBA in average home attendance, drawing just 16,863 fans per game. That’s ridiculous. The team deserves better. For Mike Woodson We hope the owner of the New York Knicks, James Dolan, realizes just how flawed the Knicks’ roster is.
Mike Woodson, one of the classier coaches in the NBA, doesn’t deserve to be fired because of the Knicks’ awful start — a start worsened by an injury earlier in the season to center and defensive linchpin Tyson Chandler. an ample assortment of garish red or green holiday-themed sneakers.
While the Heat closed at 51.3 percent from the field, players spoke afterward of feeling constrained, particularly James, who shot 6 of 6 in the paint but was just 1 of 8 on his jumpers. Teammates said the sleeved jerseys also got heavier than usual when sweaty.
The victory was the Heat’s 19th in a row against the Western Conference, one game shy of tying the 1973 Boston Celtics for most consecutive wins by an Eastern Conference team against the West. The Heat next play Friday night against the Sacramento Kings. With a victory there, the Heat would have the chance to break the record in Saturday’s showdown against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Wednesday, the Heat’s momentum changed when they began to go inside to Bosh.
“There’s no question,” Spoelstra said. “His aggression can be a catalyst for our energy.”
Bosh opened 0 for 6 before making his next five shots, on the way to his 9-of-18 shooting.
Spoelstra had to alter his rotation in the second half, with backup center Chris Andersen sitting out the final two periods with a sore back, icing his back after the game.