2014 Review / 2015 Preview by BUCKETS Magazine

MMXIV

Year In Review

KEVIN DURANT Oklahoma City Thunder | No. 35 | S.F

BALLER OF THE YEAR

Season Preview MMXV

OPENING SEQUENCE The recent convergence of talent has created an extra exciting state of affairs

Want to know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to happen in 2015?

with the NBA landscape now containing as many dreaded territories as it does kingdoms.

20 Start by reflecting ON WHAT TRANSPIRED DURING...

13 14

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WELL, THAT WAS QUITE A CAMPAIGN… Struggling to find an identity (or establish any consistency) during their respective 2013-14 runs, the Cavaliers, Knicks, Lakers, Pistons and Wolves all tortured their respective followings while the Bobcats, Raptors, Suns and Trail Blazers defied the fortune tellers, delivering all kinds of treasure. The penthouse five: Clippers, Heat, Pacers, Thunder and Spurs all hired extra security and kept the Conference crowds behind the velvet rope while those still learning to drive (Bucks, Jazz and Sixers) all crashed soon after the season’s traffic lights turned green. A number of key contributors, including Luol Deng, Spencer Hawes, Danny Granger and Andre Miller were traded prior to and during deadline day but when push came to shove, the majority of G.M’s avoided making any bus stops. Kevin Durant (points), DeAndre Jordan (rebounds; FG%), Chris Paul (assists; steals) and Anthony Davis (blocks) finished as the respective primary stat leaders while the NBA’s refereeing crews ejected 45 players with a healthy number being repeat offenders. In all, the NBA received over $4 million from various violations -- including 50k from J.R Smith (who was undone by his own unsportsmanlike conduct) -- and that was before Donald Sterling’s lifetime ban. When the dust finally settled, the Spurs were once again champions, correcting their previous slip-up. Notching yet another 60 win campaign, San Antonio secured home-court advantage throughout the 2014 Playoffs, an obvious goal given how they lost Game’s 6 and 7 (on the road) in 2013. The hapless Milwaukee Bucks, who failed to register any back-to-back victories, were the exact opposite of Popovich’s collective en route to 15 total wins. Joining the Deer in headlights were Philly who managed to equal Cleveland’s NBA record for consecutive loses with 26. 2013-14 also had its share of memorable games too, like the shootout in Los Angeles between the Clippers and visiting Rockets (which totaled 255 points) or the time the Pelicans barely flew over the raging Bulls in 3OT. There were a couple of 60-point performances, a few unlikely 50-point bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

outings, a pile of triple-doubles (see bar), enough timeless dunks and buzzer beaters to satisfy all. NBA fans were also treated to lots of free action with all 30 teams appearing in at least one OT game. Speaking of, Washington worked the most extra sessions but finished with a lowly 4-8 record. Likewise, when it came to close encounters of the 3-points-or-less kind, Dallas found themselves in that situation on 22 occasions, breaking even with an 11 win, 11 loss record. As for winning via blowout (10 points or more), fans from the Alamo were excused for leaving early as their team notched 35 such wins in their 47 games decided by four or more possessions. At the opposite end of that spectrum, Philly diehards didn’t bolt for the exits (to beat local traffic), they were simply leaving another crime scene.

Players who registered triple-doubles in 2013-14 5 4 3 2

Lance Stephenson Steph Curry; Joakim Noah Kevin Love; Kevin Durant Nicolas Batum; Michael Carter-Williams; Kyle Lowry; Ricky Rubio; John Wall; Russell Westbrook

1 Steve Blake; Jordan Crawford; Tyreke Evans; Paul George; Blake Griffin; James Harden; Kyrie Irving; LeBron James; Jeremy Lin; Paul Millsap; Victor Oladipo; Rajon Rondo; Isaiah Thomas; Kemba Walker; Tony Wroten

After the Indiana Pacers jump out to an 8-0 start, they turned their Fieldhouse into a fortress thanks to a 35-6 home stand while Popovich’s troop became the top road warriors, winning 30 of 41 away from their Republican stronghold. At the other end, Utah slumped to an 0-8 start but was later out-tanked by both the Bucks and Sixers (each hoping to land the No. 1 pick. Neither did. Tanking really is fools gold). As for crippling injuries, there were plenty, turning the 2013-14 season into an event some would rather forget. Brook Lopez broke his foot and unintentionally gave Brooklyn a shot in theirs. Tyson Chandler suffered a fractured right fibula allowing the city’s homeless to camp out in the Knicks’ painted area. Thankfully Anthony Davis’ broken hand didn’t derail his impact in Louisiana while Marc Gasol’s MCL sprain kept him from walking in Memphis (before the Blue Bear’s swiped a number of picnic baskets late in the year). Andre Iguodala had to contend with a hamstring strain but he certainly wouldn’t have traded lunches with Al Horford who suffered a pectoral tear. The comedic world was at a loss after JaVale McGee suffered a stress fracture while Steve Nash’s battle with nerve root irritation was flipped from quiet recovery into a revealing documentary. Emeka Okafor’s herniated disc might’ve kept him on the sidelines but it also purchased his plane ticket to Phoenix where he bathed in their wonder water. Derrick Rose’s torn meniscus required immediate and sadly, season-ending surgery, bringing his long term health (and impact) into question. Central Division counterpart, Larry Sanders, had to give the thumbs down to his digit’s damaged ligament but that was the least of Milwaukee’s worries. Russell Westbrook injured his other knee in yet another freak occurrence but he bounced back just in time to temporarily disrupt Kevin Durant’s M.V.P rhythm (before being in and out of the rotation). However, of all the D.N.P’s, it was Kobe Bryant’s fractured right knee which received the most attention (with his Lakers turning into a smelly swamp without him). Hopefully the injury bug doesn’t bite hard in 2015.

TRIBUTE

A ( ) I( A=

by Mark Bruty

T @markbruty

Mark Bruty is an Australian-based NBA writer who powers floorgeneral.com.au and moonlights as the Editor for the FanSided Network’s OKC Thunder centric blog: Thunderous Intentions.

(

Virginia

LL EN + ) (

Philadelphia

Georgetown De./Dt./Me. Team USA Reebok

L = 6.7.1975 E = 1996 L = 6-0 x 165 N = 2014

VER S ON )

43-31-78 914 5624 375784 1983 24368

Every sporting galaxy is littered with stars but it’s those “once-in-a-generation” supernova talents like Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan or Bo Jackson that are able to transcend sports and live forever as pop-culture icons. To many, Allen Iverson is such a figure. In early 2014, the Philadelphia 76ers retired Iverson’s jersey No. in an emotional ceremony. By doing so, the tumultuous athlete -- the franchise’s biggest star and most polarizing talent -- was turned into an immortal. Prior to becoming 1996’s top Draft choice (and the shortest No. 1 pick in history), the man nicknamed The Answer was a decorated star of the timber and turf -- having won High School Championships on both the gridiron and the hardwood. Iverson earned himself an athletic scholarship and attended Georgetown University. Once enrolled, he became the first player in John Thompson’s program to exit without completing the full four years (he stayed two). From the moment he arrived in the pros, his explosive scoring outbursts and deadly crossover made him instantly recognisable. Taking the league by storm, young ballers all over the globle fell in love with the magnetic Iverson. Almost by design, he became the default face of the NBA -- for better and worse. The torch might’ve been unofficially passed from Michael Jordan to A.I but The Answer lacked M.J’s ability to balance corporate interests with his concrete following. More so, he wasn’t motivated by what others expected of him. Still, he was as compelling off the court as he was on it and he mattered because everyone was looking for that next leader to be the new millennium’s M.J. It was impossible to relate to Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal, so Iverson was that guy and would be for the next decade and change. Far from the clean cut, corporate image that Jordan perfected, Iverson was tagged with “street appeal” because his baggy jeans, do-rags, flat-brim baseball caps, jewellery, (eventual) tattoos and unmistakable cornrows spoke to young NBA fans in a languge they liked: Hip Hop -- and it’s worth remembering, there were the sneaker advertisements with rapper Jadakiss and (subsequently) his own rap songs under the alias Jewelz.

V = All-Star 2001 E = M.V.P

)= 3

R = All-NBA 4 S = P.P.G

O = P.o.t.W N = $155 mil.

His relationships with his “boyz” were also headline material and his spats with coaches over the journey were abundant. Allen Iverson wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for the moment. Always the little guy, standing barely 6 foot tall, Iverson was David amongst a league of Goliath’s. In fact, he was so small and so slender that every fan knew someone who was bigger than A.I – but no-one you knew could dazzle you like this hooper could. The intensity he brought to the game, the talent he possessed, the ability to overcome any obstacle (to realise his potential) all remain unsurpassed. As fans, we all wanted him to win... and we all felt connected to him – because everyone loves the underdog. With numbers and achievements far too numerous to mention here, it may have been what he accomplished off the court that made the most impact. Countless new fans were introduced to the sport as a result of Iverson always being himself. His pro career started with a crossover so it’s only fitting that’s what he’ll be remembered for: bringing the stylings of a minority into the mainstream. With his Reeboks leaving giant impressions and his hand forever cupping his ear, Iverson’s place among the Philly greats is no longer in question. A.I meant (or represented) a lot of things to a lot of people but how you felt about The Answer said more about you than it ever did about him.

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p s o y

l f f a 2

Thanks to some (really) fantastic basketball, a fairly even distribution of talent and a number of contenders doing whatever was needed to avoid elimination, the

2014 Playoffs were rough and rugged.

Possibly the most competitive, entertaining, exhaustive, drama laden Post-season in some time, 2014 contained an inflated number of nail-biting comebacks out west and a series of bi-polar squads pretending they knew how to conquer back East.

While most could see the Heat vs. Spurs rematch a mile away, few, if any, predicted it would be such a complete ass-kicking.

by Brad Graham

From the opening round to the Finals, there wasn’t a single night off. It really was must-see TV in 2014. Yet history was made even before the Post-season commenced with 2014 marking the first time in pro hoops history that the Celtics, Knicks, Lakers and Sixers were all absent from late April action. The four major market participants were hardly missed too as 2014’s First Round registered one of the highest TV ratings sessions ever (thanks in part to its NCAA Tournament like unpredictability). Strong years by Chicago, Toronto and Washington meant things evened out in the end with seven of the East’s eight Playoff teams finishing above .500 but that didn’t stop folks from calling for the dual Conference system to be reformatted, citing geography as a lame excuse for preventing product maximisation. However, the fact remains that roster health, chemistry and front office acumen count for a larger slice of the success pie -- even if Toronto’s 48 wins wouldn’t have been good enough for the No. 8 seed in the wild west while Phoenix’s ninth place Conference finish would’ve secured them (at least) the fifth seed back East. Renovating the system to whatever non-fixed format best pools the 16 teams required is good for the NBA in the short term but it doesn’t account the fact that success can be cyclical or dramatic alteration may hurt the free market’s ability for self correction. Raising concern is one thing, solving the problem is another battle altogether. As for how things played out, the giant reset button had clearly been pushed with Conference seeding being more recommendation than accurate description of [regular season] superiority. With desperation fueling competition, only Washington vs. Chicago and Miami vs. Charlotte were one-sided affairs.

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WEST 1

Spurs

Mavericks

4 3

Chessmasters Gregg Popovich and Rick Carlisle went at it while Tim Duncan danced with Dirk Nowitzki for what seemed like the 268th time. Game 1 went to San Antonio behind 27 from T.D. The Mavs then stole Game 2 before Vince Carter’s near impossible corner triple gave Mark Cuban’s squad a surprising 2-1 lead. Manu Ginobili then helped the Spurs even things up before the remaining best-of-three tipped in San Antonio’s favor. Monta Ellis showed flashes, Vince Carter injected himself with relevance, Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan were vintage versions (at times) but it was the surgical play of Tony Parker that made the biggest difference (helped along by Danny Green making it rain and Kwahi Leonard finding his bounce). It might’ve needed seven games but this Texas tussle took everything from Dallas to make it competitive.

Clippers

Warriors

4 3

As the only 2014 contender without a Conference Finals appearance, the Clippers faced more questions than anyone else in 2014 but any First Round failings would’ve been forgiven thanks to the Donald Sterling drama. Before TMZ leaked the straw that broke the camel’s back, many believed Chris Paul was fresh out of excuses because he finally had: A. All tthe shooters he needed... B. Quality bigmen / finishers... and C. A respected coach (Doc Rivers). Just like San Antonio and OKC, the Clips had their faults but were collectively talented (and experienced) enough to sail by their rivals and dock at Port Finals. Again, this was before Donald Sterling’s mistress made a name for herself and confirmed all suspicions. After the Warriors stole Game 1, thanks to big nights from Klay Thompson and David Lee, a pissed off Blake Griffin then dunked his way to a game-high 35 points (two days later) as L.A blew the undersized Warriors out of the water. In Oakland, Professor Griff resumed his lecture, this time to the tune of 32 and eight as the visitors went ahead in the series 2-1. Then Donald Sterling’s voice shattered the team’s spirit and although new Pope Adam Silver exorcised the franchise, the damage was done -adding insult to injury, Steph Curry nailed seven triples as the Warriors feasted on a dejected squad. From there, the home team triumphed each time with this seven game series showing everyone’s true colors: Chris Paul conducted the show like only he can; Curry made you believe his team was always a shot away from greatness; Klay Thompson / Andre Iguodala provided nice support; Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan demonstrated their destructive powers and no fan felt cheated because the proposed walk-outs were avoided.

Thunder

Grizzlies

4 3

Memphis and Oklahoma City played chicken in Game’s 2 through 5, marking the first time in Post-season history that a series required four consecutive overtime games. Kevin Durant encored his 33-8-7 opener with 36-11-4 in Game 2 but once the series moved to Tennessee, he was anything but the Easy Money Sniper. He might’ve registered a 30-9-3 line in Game 3 but struggled mightily in Game 4 (15-13-4 on five of 21 shooting) and if not for Reggie Jackson’s career-best showing, OKC wouldn’t have evened things up at two games apiece. Game 5 saw the Grizz eek out a one-point win inside Chesapeake Energy Arena as K.D shot 10 for 24 (26 points) while Westbrook launched 31 shots. On the eve of Game 6, The Oklahoman newspaper delivered their “Mr. Unreliable” headline and predictably, Durant responded by torching the Grizzlies -- but not before deflecting the editorial criticism for being a decoy / passive on offensive -- tallying 36 points with 10 rebounds to force a Game 7 at home. Marred by the one-game suspension of Zach Randolph (for his shove on Steven Adams), the series ended with K.D notching 33-8-2 (on 12 of 18 shooting) while Russell Westbrook contributing a close-out triple double: 27-10-16. After being blamed for taking shots away from K.D, Russ showed just how effective and deadly his highoctane play can be. Coupled with K.D’s M.V.P stylings, Russ and the Thunder narrowly advanced to Round 2.

Rockets

Blazers

2 4

Before the 2014 Playoffs, Damian Lillard signed a $100 million endorsement deal with adidas (and starred in an instant classic Foot Locker “Approved” commercial. Sorry, Mailman it’s the truth)... so all eyes were focused on Lillard and the young dynamo didn’t disappoint. However, it was All-Star teammate LaMarcus Aldridge (89 combined points) who turned Houston’s frontline into putty during Game’s 1 and 2. After righting their wrongs, the Rockets returned with classic James Harden in Game 3 (37-9-6 in overtime) before Aldridge resumed his arm-wrestle with Dwight Howard. A surprise hero was then found in former D-Leaguer Troy Daniels and although Kevin McHale’s outfit extended the series to six games with a much needed win at home, the $100,000,000 kid netted one of the franchise’s biggest shots to close Game 6, thus helping the Blazers to advance for the first time since 2000. Every contest might’ve been decided in the final minutes and this duel might’ve broken the entertainment gauge but the history books will only remember Aldridge’s timeless start and Lillard’s immortal finish. And sadly, former NBA championship winning coach “Dr. Jack” Ramsay also passed away during the series.

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EAST

Pacers

Hawks

4 3

This series was supposed to be a sparring match, instead Atlanta showed its professionalism, landing a nasty right hook in the opener. Jeff Teague carved up Indy’s defence (28-3-5) as the Hawks stunned everyone, forcing the Pacers to swallow their pride and start pointing fingers. The top seed bounced back in Game 2 but after Teague and co. again embarrassed Indiana in Game 3, the likelihood of an upsetide shifted from “highly unlikely” to just “high”. Pushed to the cliff’s edge (Hawks up 3-2), the Pacers rallied back winning Game’s 6 and 7 but not before their day at the beach resulted in severe sunburn. With the basketball world watching, David West (24-11-6) and then Paul George (30-11-3) clipped the Hawks’ wings but it wasn’t easy or pretty. Few predicted the series would go the distance but once the Hawks exposed Indy’s repressed weaknesses, Frank Vogel’s squad went on the defensive. Suddenly, their insecurities and unresolved concerns were now public knowledge.

Bulls

Wizards

1 4

After the Wizards stole home court away from the Bulls (winning Game 1 by nine and Game 2 in overtime), the odds were clearly stacked against Chicago. Then Mike Dunleavy Jr. exploded for a game- and Playoff-career high 35 points, which also featured a new franchise mark for made triples in a single Post-season contest (8). That alone effectively breathed new life into Tom Thibodeau’s team. However, during that contest, Nene and Jimmy Butler got up in each other’s faces and the NBA suspended the Wizards’ big man for Game 4. Surprisingly, it didn’t matter as Trevor Ariza (30 points) netted six triples while John Wall offered a solid 15 points, 10 assist night. Suddenly, the kids from the Capital nullified the loss of their Brazilian import and secured a stranglehold on the series (with a 3-1 lead). Even with their backs against the china shop wall, the Bulls couldn’t manufacture enough points -- scoring only 69, including a mere 14 in the fourth -- as they were forced to watch their season fade to black. In Game 5, John Wall had himself a decent showing (24-7-4) while Nene contributed 20-7-4 in support. The series win gave Washington its first semi-final appearance since 2005 (aka the time Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Larry Hughes were in charge). With so much uncertainty in the East, the Wizards are starting to finally look like they can be trusted.

Heat

Bobcats

4 0

As predicted, Miami turned on the charm for their opening round encounter with Charlotte. Game 1 saw LeBron James deliver a 27-9 night while a rested Dwyane Wade offered 23-5 in support. Game 2 was much closer but James’ 32-6-8 showing (with 20 points in support from Chris Bosh) was enough to protect home court. Game 3 was over after three quarters as LeBron (30-10-6) and D-Wade (17-3-6) put the South Beach boys in the drivers seat, effectively ending Charlotte’s season. Since relocating to Miami, LeBron has never lost to Charlotte,. With the broom waiting, James (31-7-9) made sure Miami swept the Bobcats. Unfortunately for Michael Jordan’s troops, they were forced to battle injuries as much as they were tasked with facing the defending champs. Kemba Walker sprained his ankle in Game 3, limiting his play and Al Jefferson had to deal with his own ongoing foot issues. If the ‘Cats had finished with either the sixth or eighth seed, who knows, they might’ve moved on but as it were, their date with LeBron remind all that Miami is a different kind of monster whenever drinks in June is in play.

Raptors

Nets

3 4

Paul Pierce and co. have been around long enough to know that you don’t publicly discredit a team. Guess Raptors G.M Masai Ujiri never received that email, or, if he did, maybe he just figured his words would motivate his own team, not the competition. Early on, both the Nets and Raptors were erratic. It appeared as though neither could figure themselves out, let alone their opponent. Game 1 went to Brooklyn because Deron Williams and Joe Johnson each netted 24 points while the hosts shot just 39%. Game 2 saw Pierce struggle with his shot while DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson helped even things up. Game 3 was a solid showing from both sides with the Nets barely prevailing. The Raps then took took care of business in hostile territory in Game 4 before Kyle Lowry’s 36 point, six assist outing gave the dinosaur’s a favorable 3-2 series lead. Brooklyn then forced a Game 7 in Maple Leaf country and although the decider featured it all, the Truth prevailed as Paul Pierce found himself in the right place at the right time (blocking Kyle Lowry’s series winning attempt). For Brooklyn, it was a bucket of ice cold water. For Toronto, it was a promising sign and warnin to all future superior / veteran squads.

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Round 2 With the stakes raised, the respective Conference beasts displayed their true colors (separating themselves from the boys in the process). Regardless of outcome,each of the NBA’s Elite Eight had something to be proud of.

Pacers

Wizards

4 2

This was a rather oddball series that somewhat fittingly concluded with the losing team receiving a standing ovation. Just like they did against the Hawks, Indy dropped Game 1 at home and turned into the bizarro Spurs. Roy Hibbert finally emerged from his Playoff slumber to power the Pacers’ Game 2 victory while Paul George’s two-way play helped Indy escape the ultra ugly Game 3. Game 4 saw George shine as he netted a new Playoff career high (39 points) while Indy’s 20-point comeback put them in a 3-1 lead. Marcin Gortat (31-16) then helped the Wiz avoid elimination for another 48 hours before David West decided he wanted a rematch with LeBron, effectively ending Washington’s campaign with his 29-6-4 line (while John Wall and Bradley Beal combined for just 28 points on 36 shots). And just like that, the No. 1 seed was in the Conference Finals, although it walked the road less traveled. The Wiz meanwhile did plenty during the Playoffs to convince the experts they’re poised for another deep Post-season run.

Heat

Nets

4 2

The Nets might’ve claimed all their regular season meetings (in 2013-14) but since 2011, the Playoffs have given off another kind of Heat, just ask anybody who has tried to contain Miami’s triangular attack. Game 1 was a non event, the Heat running away easy 21-point winners. After Game 2 saw Miami register their 8th consecutive Playoff victory, B.K bounced back, connecting on 15 triples -- Joe Johnson hitting five, Mirza Teletovic netting four. For the most part, LeBron’s play kept Miami within reach during Game 3 but he wasn’t interested in seeing whether or not his pals would show up for Game 4, so the King took it upon himself to crush Brooklyn before they sniffed momentum. During the 90s, Michael Jordan owned the Knicks, often turning M.S.G into his home away from home and now LeBron could be embarking on a similar trajectory across the bridge. His mighty 49 point showing in Game 4 was exactly the kind of performance M.J saved for a night against his favorite targets, namely Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley. The Game 4 victory gave the Heat a 3-1 series lead and reminded all that King James still yields serious power. Game 5 needed everything from LeBron (29-9-5), Dwyane Wade (28 points) and Ray Allen (crucial down the stretch) as Miami narrowly escaped to recorded their fourth straight Conference Finals appearance. K.G and P-Double’s first foray post-Boston faded to black as Brooklyn’s $100,000,000 payroll was set alight by all the King’s men.

Spurs

Blazers

4 1

It wasn’t unrealistic to believe Portland could handle San Antonio, especially after Dallas pushed them all the way. While LaMarcus Aldridge continued to audition for ”Best Power Forward”, the opener went to the Spurs because Tony Parker dropped 33 points and Portland’s shooting accuracy was awful. The Spurs won Game 2 in another route before T.P pushed San An ahead 3-0. From there, the Blazers staged off the sweep winning Game 4 by 11 but the series was pretty much over. The coffin was finally closed thanks to 22 apiece from Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard. During the series, Tim Duncan notched his 4762nd Playoff point, moving him into fifth all-time. With the series win, the Alamo attack recorded their ninth Conference Finals appearance, the most since 1997.

Thunder

Clippers

4 2

This electric series almost didn’t happen when you consider that: A. OKC was down 3-2 to an extra tough and seasoned Memphis team (custom built to defeat them)… and B. Donald Sterling’s drunk-at-the-wheel comments nearly ran the Clip bus off the road. Thank goodness this series was allowed to happen because it produced oodles of talking points. Chris Paul’s extra hot-hand (eight made triples) helped the Clippers steal Game 1 in OKC before K.D was asked up to the podium. The newly crowned M.V.P then returned the favor by guiding the Thunder to convincing wins in Game’s 2 (home) and 3 (inside Staples Center). Game 4 saw the Clips storm back in dramatic fashion too even things up at two apiece. With control of the series hanging in the balance, Game 5 delivered on its promise to be a classic. The Thunder’s inability to hold their lead in Game 4 raised eyebrows and even forced Bill Simmons to label Durant the “right-handed Josh Smith”. Ouch. Late in Game 5, the ball found its way into Reggie Jackson’s hand then the refs made a possession call that’s sure to haunt L.A die-hards for years. CP3 then encored that whistle blunder by uncharacteristically fouling Russ’ three-point attempt before over-dribbling and failing to spot a wide open J.J. Redick. Those two decisions by the Point God cost L.A the game. It was nothing short of heartbreaking for Doc Rivers, riveting for everybody else. Durant might’ve sat, facing the crowd, unable to watch Russ net his late Game 5 freebies (to eek out the comeback win) but Game 6 was all M.V.P as K.D put up a commanding 39-16-5 close-out performance (despite hitting just one of his first seven shots). The series encapsulated everything we love and hate about modern refereeing.

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Conference Finals In the Wild West, San Antonio was given their overdue 2012 do-over...

Spurs

Thunder

4 2

The James Harden trade aside, had it not been for Patrick Beverley, the Spurs and Thunder might’ve been battling in their third consecutive Conference Final. Regardless, these two powerhouses remain the West standard and although their respective regular season’s muddled things, the Playoffs provided clarity. Sadly, for OKC fans, the lights once again dimmed on their team’s title chase after it was revealed that Serge Ibaka would be out for an extended (and uncertain) length of time following a leg injury suffered during the end of the clash with the Clips. Without Serge’s one-man riot squad around, the Spurs looted OKC’s basket time and again. Game’s 1 and 2 were all San Antonio with Duncan (27-7 and 14-12, respectively) in throwback mode. However, it was Popovich’s precise perimeter attack (Green-Ginobili-Leonard-Mills) that meant OKC was left scrambling for shelter. Durant was valiant in the opener (28-9-5) but could only produce 15 points in Game 2. Likewise, Westbrook was limited as it became clear that without Ibaka, OKC was counting down the clock, not providing competition. Then Serge returned and OKC found the inspiration it needed. Playing in front of their boisterous fans, K.D and Russ both regained their form and Ibaka unleashed his barking dogs as Scott Brooks’ battalion claimed Game’s 3 and 4 to even the series. Just like in 2012, OKC looked out of it after Game’s 1 and 2 only to level things up. Many anticipated K.D would repeat of his previous Conference Finals sequence only Duncan was having none of it, powering the Spurs to another blow-out victory in Game 5. In Game 6, Boris Diaw’s number was called and he responded, slicing up the Thunder D and leading all Spurs scorers. After Tony Parker went down hurt, Westbrook stepped up, producing a 34-7-8-6 line while K.D contributed 31 and 14 in a game that featured over 30 lead changes. In his last game as a pro player, Derek Fisher became the weakest link, exploited at both ends. Still, the M.V.P was given a clean look at a three to even the score at 110 but missed, effectively ending OKC’s season. bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

while back East, a pair of familiar foes flirted with each other once aagin.

Pacers

Heat

2 4

The Pacers might’ve tripped, stumbled and embarrassed themselves en route to the Conference Finals but how they arrived at the party wasn’t as important as which lady they’d be taking home. After claiming Game 1, the unlikely outcome of Indy finally surpassing LeBron’s Heatles was on the table. Game 2 was full of opportunity for Larry Bird’s boys but they couldn’t capitalise and allowed Miami to remove their home court advantage. Ray Allen then found his shooting stroke and LeBron controlled the action as Miami -- down 37-22 early but able to score 77 of the game’s next 127 points -- ran out Game 3 victors, winning by a dozen. Two days later, thanks in large to LeBron’s 32-10-5 line (his 73rd Playoff showing with at least 25-5-5, tying him with Michael Jordan), Miami enjoyed a repeat margin of victory and while David West (20-12-4) and Paul George (23-7-3) were solid, it was Lance Stephenson’s tomfoolery which dominated headlines. And just like that, Indy’s strong series start evaporated but that didn’t stop them from flexing a little Game 5 muscle. George provided a stellar 37 points -- scoring 21 of his team’s 23 in the fourth -while LeBron added a new career low of seven. Not wanting to return to Indy for an elimination Game 7, LeBron and Chris Bosh (25 points apiece) sent the Pacers home without a reason to smile during the summer. While one team was forced to soul search, the other made Finals plans. So much for Indiana’s home court advantage, white-hot season start and custom built, anti-Miami squad. If nothing else, the Heat demonstrated the difference between accomplished and aspiring. Early in the season, it looked as though Indy might finally do to the Heat what Michael’s Bulls did to the Bad Boy Pistons in the early 90s but it wasn’t to be. Still, we’ll always have the 2014 Lance Stephenson memes.

FOLLOWING THE 2013-14 SEASON, WE CAN NOW OFFICIALLY SAY: THESE ARE

THE 25 most awesomest, no questions asked, unequivocal, grandest, greatest National Basketball Association Players (ever)!!! WHEN RANKED ACCORDING TO

POWER FORWARD 1. Tim Duncan

SMALL FORWARD. 1. L e Bron James

THEIR RESPECTIVE STARTING SPOTS. SHOOTING GUARD.

POINT GUARD. 1. magic Johnson 2. OSCAR ROBERTSON 3. isiah thomas 4. steve nash 5. WALT FRAZIER

1. MICHAEL JORDAN 2. KOBE BRYANT 3. JERRY WEST 4. DWYANE WADE 5. ALLEN IVERSON

2. Kevin Garnett 3. Charles Barkley 4. Dirk Nowzitki 5. Karl Malone

2. Larry Bird 3. ELGIN BAYLOR 4. Kevin Durant 5. JULIUS ERVING

AS FANS, WE ALWAYS HOPE THE TITLE WILL BE DECIDED BY THE (ALL-TIME) TOP TALENTS AND IN 2014 THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. THANKS, NBA...

CENTER 1. BILL RUSSELL 2. KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR 3. WILT CHAMBERLAIN 4. SHAQUILLE O’NEAL 5. HAKEEM OLAJUWON

With the Heat and Spurs both advancing, the stage was set for an enticing

Yet when Miami and San Antonio clashed it was like one side had entered a cheat code while the other was forced to compete with a busted joystick.

THE

FINALS June 5 - 15, 2014.

1 2

Spurs Heat

4 1

Score: 110 - 95 San Antonio (1-0). San Antonio turned up the heat on Miami in the opening contest, both literally (via the AT&T Center’s busted air conditioning) and figuratively (with a blowout, 15-point victory). The Spurs also closed the contest by out-scoring Miami 36 - 17. James’ 25-6-3 wasn’t enough to defeat the humidity or Tim Duncan (21-10) and Ginobili (16-5-11). Afterwards, there were humorous claims by Jason Terry that Coach Pop was behind the broken air con while sports drink giant Gatorade received a strange social media bashing (and rightly quipped back) following LeBron’s late game cramping and dehydration. For the record, Gatorade isn’t part of James’ corporate portfolio.

Score: 98 - 96 Miami (1-1). Miami’s impressive bounce back record continued in Game 2 -- the Heat mproving to 5-0 since LeBron’s arrival on South Beach -- and with the arena’s cooler temperature restored, King James was able to pour in 35-10-3, including the game-winning assist to Chris Bosh (whose corner triple tied the series). It was a Finals classic and genuine nail biter as the Heat improved their postseason record to 15-1 whenever James tallies 30 points with ten boards. At the other end, Tim Duncan’s 18-15 stat line was his 157th Playoff doubledouble. That tied him with Magic Johnson on top of the leaderboard.

Score: 111 - 92 San Antonio (2-1) Powered by their 41point opening quarter and Kawhi Leonard’s career-high 29 points, San Antonio crushed Miami with a clinical display as the Spurs went into NBA 2K mode, nailing 19 of their first 21 shots. Not helping matters, LeBron turned it over seven times and was continually denied by Leonard in masterful two-way showing. Up by 20 at halftime, Popovich’s outfit took care of business and improved to 46-0 (during his coaching tenure) when up at least 20 points at the main break. After being hit in the head with an unsuspecting right hook, Miami stumbling back towards their corner -- all eyes now firmly fixed on Erik Spoelstra’s response.

After their crushing 2013 Finals defeat, San Antonio was able to regroup and focus on securing home court advantage (throughout the Playoffs). With that wrinkle their undoing 12 months earlier, coupled with Miami’s new vulnerabilities, the Spurs made sure history wouldn’t repeat. And just in case you’re reading this in 2085, know that Miami and San Antonio conquered their respective opponents before battling each other (again) because they were classy acts who knew the best ways to win. It also helped that each powerhouse was built around a once-in-a-lifetime talent: (P.F) Tim Duncan on one side, (S.F) LeBron James on the other.

Score:107 - 96 San Antonio (3-1) Everyone anticipated LeBron would have an answer for San Antonio in Game 4… and he did, netting 28 points. However, few expected his support cast, namely Bosh (12 points) and Wade (10 points) would be so useless. In fact, the other four starters (not named James) managed just 28 points between them on 11 of 34 shooting. Meanwhile the Spurs remained white hot, their opening four game stand of .542 helped them to register the highest team shooting total since the 1984 Lakers. Kawhi Leonard added another 20 points to his running total while Duncan notched yet another double-double (10-11); Tony Parker contributed an efficient 19 points; and Boris Diaw filled in most of the blanks (8-9-9). Also helping to cool the Heat were timely makes by Danny Green (three triples) and Patty Mills (four treys). Losing back-to-back Playoff games for the first time since 2012, the record books show Miami as dropping a pair of home contests by a combined 40 points.

Score: 104 - 87 San Antonio (4-1) Before the series, Tim Duncan announced the Spurs would correct 2013’s failings. After being down as many as 16 points early, San Antonio rallied and claimed the title for the fifth time in 15 years. Leonard paced the Spurs with 22 points and 10 rebounds while Miami trotted out their Allen-Wade-BoshJames-Lewis line-up in a desperate attempt to find a spark (but to no avail). The series might’ve required at least four full games but it was all over during Game 3. Their confidence clearly shattered, Miami lost the title to a more athletic, better engineered outfit. Led by their collection of internationalists -Ginobili (Argentina), Parker, Diaw (France), Belinelli (Italy), Splitter (Brazil), Mills, Baynes (Autsralia) -- the Spurs, erased all lingering nightmares. The Heat, exhausted from weeks of deflecting arrows, following years of assaults on their castle, conceded the throne as King James was forced to hand his crown over to Lord Duncan. With the Larry O’Brien trophy back in Texas, Popovich imitated LeBron’s 2010 declaration (during his team’s downtown parade), counting not one, not two... but five titles on his digits.

12 basketballinsiders.com

2014 WORLD

ChampionS

2014 marked the first time in 16 years -- since Bulls vs. Jazz in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;98 -- that the two Finalists from the previous year refused to share. However, unlike Karl Malone, Tim Duncan wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interested in seeing the more popular player parade around with the crown.

III

THE

EXORCISM OF

DONALD STERLING Donald Sterling purchased the San Diego Clippers in 1981 for $12.5 million. He moved them to Los Angeles three years later.

Forbes estimated the [L.A] franchise was worth $575 million but many believed the forced auction would bring the final sale closer to $1 billion. In the end, former Microsoft C.E.O (and part-time kid on a sugar-high), Steve Ballmer purchased the Clippers for a staggering $2 billion!

After 33 years, Donald Sterling had been kicked out of (one of) the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most exclusive ownership clubs, banned for life by the NBA on April 29, 2014.

14 basketballinsiders.com

Prior to Donald Sterling’s indefensible comments, the most controversial and concerning NBA moments of the past 30 years included: Latrell Sprewell’s stranglehold on P.J Carlesimo’s coaching tenure; Ron Artest’s 73 game suspension without pay for his role in 2004’s Malice in the Palace; the premiere of Teamless in Seattle; Tim Donahgy’s rogue, mob-related refereeing scandal; Kobe Bryant’s Colorado trial and Magic Johnson’s forced retirement due to H.I.V. Although each was a black-eye on the NBA, the league always recovered.

Media commentator David Hepworth once wrote “The world is porous and news travels at the precise speed that human interest wishes it to travel.” That was certainly true as social media was set ablaze following TMZ’s sharing of the Donald Sterling recordings. Once they were in the public domain, everyone had an opinion, few siding with the Los Angeles Clippers’ owner as news organizations rushed to cover what was a hot-button topic for all, not just NBA fans. Trapped by the drama, the Clippers’ players and coaching staff were clearly overwhelmed but received staunch support because Sterling clearly crossed a moral line, even if what was said was recorded privately. As the situation developed, time and distance weren’t afforded to those people tasked with formulating an adequate response -- the tsunami against Sterling in tandem with pending player walk outs threatened to derail the Playoffs. The newly appointed NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wasn’t willing to let one man stop traffic. In this instance, Sterling was a cancer which needed to be removed but that’s not always going to be the case, as Mark Cuban noted, following the NBA’s desire to remove an owner from a franchise that was legally his. Important to note, Cubes wasn’t defending Sterling, he was just looking out for his own interests (as someone who could become a future target of a jaded family member, lover or employee). Last thing Cuban wants is for the NBA mantra to become “sticks and stones may break your bones but words can now get you banned for life from the NBA (and remove your right at ownership)”. Ironically, Sterling’s remarks were leaked just weeks after the Best Picture Oscar went to 12 Years a Slave, a film based on a story from, that’s right, 1853. As best selling author Chuck Klosterman quipped on a podcast with Bill Simmons, Sterling wasn’t punished for his words (which were disseminated without his approval), he was removed because of his beliefs (which have no place in 2014 America). Yet it was LeBron James who said it best when he stated there’s simply no room [in the NBA] for Donald Sterling. As the Association’s longest tenured owner, Sterling was expelled from all NBA related venues and banned from participating in his team’s business or player personnel decisions; handed a $2.5 million fine -- the maximum amount allowed under the NBA’s constitution but not even a mosquito bite for a man worth an estimated $1.9 billion -- and banished from the NBA family. Affected on a personal level, Silver noted Sterling’s views were “deeply offensive” and “hurtful”. After social media ignited, the NBA acted -- initially on the grounds of decency but later to insulate itself from additional fallout as the 72-hour tailspin saw a number of corporate partners bolt for the hills -- but dropped the guillotine on Sterling because his comments effected the business of Basketball. Silver’s primary role as Commissioner is to act on behalf of the 30 owners while always protecting the hand which feeds the NBA. In this instance, Sterling became so toxic Silver had no other choice. Wisely placing the responsibly of expulsion with the owners co-op, Silver did right by the Players Association, flexed Executive muscle in public view and positioned himself as a measured, thoughtful, not-to-be-fucked-with Commissioner. In his first real test, Silver’s stance against intolerance was a clear message that the NBA considers injustice, whether through action or dialogue, to be unacceptable.

BLACK EYES ON SPORT Once it was discovered that Olympic-level figure-skater Tonya Harding hired a hitman to immobilise U.S.A teammate Nancy Kerrigan, no one viewed her sport through the same (soft) lense again. English Football star Eric Cantona karate kicked his way into infamy and was forced to the sidelines for nine months as a result. American Football survived Michael Vick’s dog-fighting saga (which resulted in the Q.B spending 21 months behind bars) before domestic violence’s ugly face showed up to the party. However, many feel that the Gridiron’s real injustice might be Daniel Synder’s refusal to rename his D.C based “Redskins”...or the league’s concussion cover-up. The immortal Mike Tyson took a real bite out of Heavyweight Boxing’s reputation more than once, cementing his bad boy status. Cycling was kneed in the balls by Lance Armstrong’s lies after it was discovered he had lived extra strong (and with assistance), resulting in the cancer survivor being stripped of his seven(!!!) Tour de France wins. Sprinters Marion Jones and Ben Johnson were both stripped of their respective track titles after being unable to out-run positive drug results. Lastly, America’s game somehow survived the 1919 Sox scandal, Pete Rose’s gambling, the P.E.D era and the late Marge Schott. Thanks, Baseball.

15 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

Think our rivalry, you know, the one I tell everyone doesn’t matter, ranked first in “Best Individual Duel”?

I really hope so... Hey Kevin, does that giant neon sign look a little crooked to you?*

16 basketballinsiders.com

After constructing a list of 50(!) end-of-year categories, each devised to help celebrate the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people, places and releases, the BUCKETS team -- in tandem with select NBA fans, a few free-lance contributors and a couple of noteworthy media outlets -- have all the politics on Planet Basketball covered.

H Baller of the Year 2014 H F

MAYA MOORE

KEVIN DURANT

Others receiving votes :

Diana Taurasi Angel McCoughtry Candace Parker Brittney Griner Elena Delle Donne

LeBron James Blake Griffin Damian Lillard Steph Curry Joakim Noah

17 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

All banners have been built by the Ducted Air Maintenance Co., a proud partner of the AT&T Center.

how to be “BALLER OF THE YEAR”

MAYA MOORE

2014 EDITION

SMALL FORWARD MINNESOTA LYNX

OUT WORK THE COMPETITION.

If you’re ever looking for Maya Moore, she’s never too hard to find. She’s the one with a basketball in her hand, tirelessly putting up shot after shot from all areas of the court -- before and after practice as well as on her own time. One after another. Catch. Shoot. Make. Repeat. It’s not something Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve demands of her [established] star athlete, though it certainly fits the hardworking personality of Reeve’s team as a whole. It’s not because assistant coach Shelley Patterson, who regularly helps with the Small Forward’s routine, insists she goes through one more rep or puts up one more game-situation shot. And it’s not because the spirited ball girls like retrieving the occasional miss or feeding No. 23 for the next catch and shoot -- although they undoubtedly do love the routine, too. It’s because Moore is tirelessly meticulous in how she approaches her craft. You’ve heard the story of how elite players are always the first in the gym and the last to leave. That’s certainly true of Ms. Moore. She’s dedicated to winning like it’s her spouse. She doesn’t just talk, she walks the walk. And if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know she’s fairly good at it too.

CATCH. SHOOT. MAKE. REPEAT.

At UConn, Moore joined coach Geno Auriemma’s elite program, the blue-ribbon for women’s Basketball development. Under his Pai Mei-like (expert, no nonsense, gruelling but ultimately rewarding) tutelage, Moore continued to build her skill set and honed her quick-draw release. Not just a gifted point producer, Moore also advanced her two-way capabilities -- evolving into a dogged, tireless defender -- knowing it takes excellence at both ends of the court to succeed at the highest level. Giving teeth to the Husky bite, Moore became the focal point of a team that changed history. Not only did the Navy Blue and White win back-to-back national titles (2009; 2010), they tallied 90 consecutive victories in the process -- the longest winning streak in NCAA Hoops history, men’s or women’s.

Maya Moore won three High School FIG. 2 state titles before collecting two NCAA banners while enrolled at the University of Connecticut. Her first four pro seasons have been equally fruitful as Moore has managed to win a pair of WNBA campaigns while also helping Team USA collect Olympic Gold. Not stopping there, she guided her Women’s CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) to dual championships and even earned herself a EuroLeague title (with Ros Casares Valencia)... as you do in the off-season. At 25, Moore’s already an iconic Women’s Basketball figure thanks to her association with NIKE’s Jordan brand -- she was hand-picked by his Airness -- and regular appearances on WNBA marketing materials. The leading vote-getter of the 2014 All-Star showpiece, it’s not hard to understand Moore’s mass appeal, especially when she’s prone to make the most out of her stardom (e.g. Her cameo as Betty Lou in Kyrie Irving’s hilarious Pepsi Max Uncle Drew series). See: Fig. 2. But her popularity is largely driven by her on court accomplishments. After being named The Finals’ Most Valuable Player in 2013, Moore simply took over the WNBA this past season, earning her first regular season M.V.P -- an honor as inevitable as it was spectacular. Moore, whose cares deeply about achieving team success, seems destined for these individual accolades because she’s willing to do anything (and everything) in her power to reach victory. Her first quarter century’s list of decorations reads like a greatest hits album and given her career is only just beginning, there’s no telling how many championships (or what kind of individual numbers) she’ll accumulate by the time she’s done.

Betty Lou

FIG. 1

23 3

LOOK LIKE THIS:

n o.

5 When the Small Forward joined the WNBA as 2011’s top choice, she joined the perfect storm. Reeve, just like Auriemma, is the type of coach that expects excellence and gets the most out of her players. Reeve took over the Lynx organization in 2010 and immediately began changing the culture. The Lynx failed to make the WNBA Playoffs in Reeve’s debut season, but their fortunes turned after they re-signed Seimone Augustus and brought in All-Star Lindsay Whalen. By the time Moore arrived (the following season), Minny’s revamped roster was talented and better suited for the type of game Reeve’s wanted to play with Moore helping to crystalize everything.

by Mark Remme

@MarkRemme

Mark Remme has been a sports journalist in the Twin Cities and Boston since 2006. He has covered the NBA’s Timberwolves and WNBA’s Lynx as well as the NFL’s Vikings, MLB’s Boston Red Sox and various NCA A Football programs. Mark has also been lucky enough to attend three NBA All-Star Weekends and a pair of WNBA Finals.

6 After claiming Rookie of the Year honors (2011), Maya Moore helped the Lynx win their first WNBA title. The following year, the Lynx were the best team all season, winning 27 games (for the second consecutive year) en route to the trophy round but their title defence was upset by the Indiana Fever. Instead of becoming back-to-back champs, the Lynx -- and Moore -- needed to regroup. After painful reflection, the squad returned rejuvenated and refocused. Moore talked about the importance of learning from 2012’s shortcomings and building on the team’s strengths. And they did just that. The Lynx won 26 games, swept through the Post-season and reclaimed their standing as WNBA champions. Moore, who had been a contributor since Day one, began showing signs of becoming the unstoppable force she had been during her days at Collins Hill High in Georgia (where the four year starter and eventual All-American guided her Eagles to an astonishing 125-3 record). Even on a team full of standouts, including WNBA All-Stars Augustus, Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson, Moore was still the drawcard and most gifted. Upping her points per game from 13.2 as a rookie to

16.4 in 2012 and eventually 18.5 in 2013, Moore found the net on 45 percent of her three-point attempts and connected on 51 percent of her shots overall. She also averaged 6.2 rebounds, three assists and 1.7 steals along the way. The league took notice. Moore finished runner-up to the Los Angeles Sparks’ Candace Parker in what was the closest M.V.P race since 2005 (when Sheryl Swoopes narrowly edged Lauren Jackson by two voting points). Not satisfied, Moore kept working. She dominated the Post-season, was named Finals MVP, then went to China and collected her second straight WCBA title with the Shanxi Xing Rui Flame.

CATCH. SHOOT. MAKE. REPEAT.

Upon her return to Minnesota, Moore immediately produced the numbers that solidified her case as the league’s best player. Moore opened her 2014 campaign by becoming the first WNBA player to record four straight 30-point games. Her 135 total points during that stretch set a new WNBA mark as well. Moore’s campaign was full of record-making turns but it was her 48 point explosion during the Lynx’s double overtime victory (112 - 108) in Atlanta on July 22 that operates as 2014’s lighthouse. Her 48 point special now stands as the second highest single game haul behind Riquna Williams’ (eye-popping) 51 points. By season’s end, Moore was named Player of the Month three times (May, July, August) but not before she claimed four consecutive Player of the Week honors (Week 8 to 11) -- another WNBA first.

Throughout, her shot making was joy to watch while her point production was a sight to behold. Yet it was her defensive prowess that dominated her highlight reel. Add it all together and it wasn’t hard to see why Moore dominated the ongoing Performance Awards.

9 In 2014, M-Double scored the third most points (812) and notched the third highest single season scoring average (23.9 ppg) in WNBA history. She also grabbed 8.1 boards (good enough for 8th league-wide), handed out 3.4 assists (20th) and swiped 1.9 possessions per game (5th). Passing both the eye and stat tests, Moore was named the M.V.P after receiving 35 of a possible 38 First-Place votes. It was her first M.V.P trophy. It won’t be her last.

Although the Lynx didn’t repeat as champions in 2014 -losing the Western Conference Finals to a deeper, healthier, blazing Phoenix Mercury outfit -Moore was still voted Top [WNBA] Player at the ESPY’s and looks poised to right 2014’s wrongs when she walks back onto the timber in 2015. And Unlike the Lynx’s 2012 Finals loss, which felt like it slipped away from the team, their 2014 defeat was different because they weren’t the superior squad. Now Moore has all the motivation she’ll ever need to show up early and leave the gym late.

T /MooreMaya T /minnesotalynx f /MooreMaya f /minnesotalynx

Perfecting the fundamentals while mastering her shot making abilities has helped Moore achieve championships at every level. Striving for perfection has also helped her remain hungry when it’s easy to be complacent. And it’s helped her become an elite athlete who continues to inspire girls all around the world (just ask Little League World Series pitcher, Mo’Ne Davis). The Missouri native’s career is far from over but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stop and offer applause for her excellence. There’s no telling what heights she may reach in the future -- there’s every chance she could become the Serena Williams of Basketball -- but as of today, there are three things we know for sure:

Her decorated style will help grow the WNBA. 2014 will always be a road sign on her highway towards the Hall of Fame We’ll always know where to find her because each day begins with a tightly laced pair of Air Jordan kicks inside an empty gym.

12 CONGRATS, YOU’RE NOW THE Baller of the year. REMEMBER, IT’S AS EASY AS CATCH. SHOOT. MAKE...

In 1993, Charles Barkley was presented with the National Basketball Association’s highest individual honor because his Phoenix Suns registered the best regular season record (62 wins), two more than Patrick Ewing’s New York Knicks and five higher than Michael Jordan’s two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls. NATURALLY, m.J took this snub personally, squashing any debate OVER WHO WAS TOP DOG by kicking Sir Charles’ ass during the ‘93 Finals. Four years later, it was voter fatigue -- coupled with a very slight dip in Jordan’s averages -- that seemingly justified a pivot towards Karl Malone (1997). Unfortunately for the mailman, that didn’t end too well for him either. Although there were fears, especially early on in the 2013-14 season, that a similar fate would envelope the 2014 M.V.P chase, Kevin Durant avoided being a history book misnomer by outright producing a better all round campaign than the incumbent LeBron James*. Not only did K.D join M.J (1988), Bill Walton (‘78) and Oscar Robertson (‘64) as 25-year-olds named regular season M.V.P, he broke a couple of his airness’s records along the way… BUT THAT’S NOT THE ONLY REASON WHY he’s OUR [male] Baller of the Year. Only eight players -- Wilt Chamberlain (x6), M.J (x4), Kobe Bryant, Bob McAdoo, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor and Tiny Archibald -- found the net more over a single 82-game span than K.D did in 2013-14. His 2593 point total was both the 18th highest in NBA history and the most by any player since Kobe’s 2832 in 2007. Additionally, his 32 points per game were the 25th highest with only Wilt (x7), M.J (x5), Rick Barry, Kobe, Kareem, Elgin Baylor (x2), Bob McAdoo, Tiny Archibald, George Gervin (x2), Allen Iverson, Bernard King and Tracy McGrady posting higher averages since records started in the 1940s. Point being, anytime a player ranks inside the Top 25 all-time, for any statistical category, you know they’ve had a transcendent season. That certainly was the case for Kevin Durant in 2014… but that’s not why he’s our Baller of the Year. K.D wins because of two completed separate but equally weighty occurrences. Each now stands as a watershed moment not just for Durant’s illustrious, evolving career but for Basketball at large. The first, his touching May 2014 M.V.P speech should’ve been predictable (given his character) yet no one saw it coming. Unscripted, honest and sincere, K.D’s heartfelt praise elevated this year’s awards season from standard to standout. More so, his 27 minute acknowledgement made us momentarily forget that LeBron remains Basketball’s biggest and by default, most important figure -- more on this in a moment. Additionally, because everything in the social media / instant gratification age is now deemed as either a “win” or a “loss”... “something” or “nothing” -- with little room for the in-between -- K.D’s speech won him the Presidency because it was a cooling reprieve from the Donald Sterling forest fire. In other words, it was a “win”. We knew in advance the trophy would be K.D’s but what no one saw coming was a magnificent display of humility and a moment that would spill over into the mainstream. Everyone from CNN’s Anderson Cooper to the New York Times’ David Brooks paused to acknowledge the speech while for Kevin’s mother, Wanda, it was a Mother’s Day gift for the ages.

K.D’s thoughtful and candid thank you letter was also the best NBA-related advertisement from the past 12 months (sorry, Damian Lillard). It was a civic victory that again safeguards the talented point producer from any immediate on court failings because as the New York Times’ David Shields said (during his appearance on the PBS Newshour), “We seek the authentic. We prize the real, the human, the humane, the unpretentious, the genuine. He was all of these things.” The other major moment came in the form of Under Armour’s jaw-dropping endorsement offer. On the surface, it was a lucrative offer by an East Coast brand keen to claim a larger market share in a place they have next to no influence. Dig deeper and one quickly uncovers an active hive that informs on the health of the sport (especially in the U.S) and transfers power over to the athlete. More so, K.D, now a fully realised brand under the watchful eye of RocNation Sports, showed us what the future of endorsement deals and elite athlete business will look like. While not all future spokesperson offerings will be as mighty as U.A’s proposal, it nonetheless created some kind of sea change. Elite players are savvier than ever and now they’ll be able to demand the “K.D deal” whenever a cargo ship sized contract is presented. Plus, brands, more than ever, understand the two-way appeal with regards to perceived digital value and how that lifts potential earnings, especially once there’s a transactional relationship between “follower” and “consumer”. If nothing else, U.A brought Durant’s authority to the forefront and showed his value is far greater than anyone imagined. We now also know the price of authenticity. So while LeBron quietly announced his return to Cleveland (via Sports Illustrated), the world’s largest sportswear brand and its feisty competitor did a song and dance to try and win over K.D’s heart. In the end, K.D’s bank balance won; Jay Z’s RocNation Sports was able to cement its place as a powerbroker and NIKE claimed ultimate victory by locking up Durant for a similar deal they gave Golf pro Rory McIlroy: 10-years, approx. $250 million. In 2014, no one played both games like The Baddest.

After venting life-long frustrations to S.I in 2013 (about always finishing second), K.D finally shattered the glass ceiling by turning his previous averages of 28-8-5-1-1 with 51-42-91 shooting splits (and a 73% team winning percentage that included 82 games with Westbrook by his side) into 32-7-6-1-1 averages on 50-39-87 splits while still notching a 72% winning percentage despite only 46 games with Russ in the line-up. Meanwhile, King James slid slightly from his 2013 averages: 27-8-7-1-2 on 56-40-75 splits (and his team winning 81% of the time with Wade appearing in 69 contests) to 27-7-6-0-2 on 57-38-75 splits while winning just 66% of the time (Wade appearing in 54 games).

Nestled downtown on West Reno Drive, the Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the Thunder, is surrounded by a Courtyard hotel (next door), the Myriad Botanical Gardens (adjacent), the Cox Convention Center (in front) and well, not all that much else, unless of course you count the Amtrak line and distant freeway overpass. If there’s one takeaway from OKC it’s this: it’s a midsized, mid-west American city that’s exactly what you’d expect it would be: clean, spacious, rich with history, easy to navigate, welcoming, modest. On game day, the venue itself, situated a short walk from the city’s center or the Bricktown entertainment district, quickly transforms from lifeless dwelling into a hive of major activity, both inside and out. This isn’t unique to Oklahoma City but because few residents reside downtown, convergence on the surrounding tertian quickly shifts from vacant to swarming. For those fortunate enough to be a part of the Fourth Estate, visiting a new NBA arena is like being a child walking through your friend’s house for the very first time. After venturing down the concrete stairs and pushing open the large blue doors, one enters the building’s event level. And like most other NBA abode’s, centre court inside Chesapeake is accessible via a number of tunnels that bridge the playing stage with the locker rooms, media base, luxury dining suites, equipment area, etc. Given there’s only (a little over) 18,000 available seats on game night, every vantage point is a great one -- from the expensive court side chairs to those in the upper bowl, dubbed Loud City. That might be why Forbes.com announced that the Thunder had the NBA’s highest ticket re-sale value. Small arena, high demand, the building blocks for inflated scalper pricing. Helping matters: the folks in OKC do love them some Thunder. It’s everywhere you go. From license plates to store fronts; from freeway billboards to street level fashion, no matter where you are in OKC, the city lets you know it’s Thunder country.

Rocking their Baby Blue sleeved outfits, the Clip show jumped out to a 10 - 2 start while the Thunder were icy. Matt Barnes netted 11 points in the opening quarter and looked on pace for a 45 point night before everyone realized he also let his primarily defensive assignment (Durant) tally 13 points in the same 12 minute span. Crawford’s shake and bake cooked Derek Fisher early and often and maybe it was the midday start but there were a lot of angry Clippers in this one. L.A. led at the main break, 72 - 67 -- the most points OKC had conceded in one half all season. Entertaining, yes but not exactly what Scott Brooks envisioned. The Thunder found themselves down 15 with two minutes to play in the third quarter before Reggie Jackson and Fisher netted field goals to steady the ship. Then the following sequence happened: CP3 lay-up. Another Fisher triple. CP3 turnover. Field goal by K.D. Nick Collison banker. Deep three by Durant. Out of nowhere, the Clipper grip was slipping. With five minutes to go, game tied at 109, Thunder fans were ready to celebrate the classic Sunday meal only it wasn’t to be. Despite K.D’s (quiet) 42 points with ten assists, Crawford (36 points) and the Clips handed OKC yet another tough home loss. Westbrook’s inability to instantly regain form (13 points) had some believing he wasn’t ready to resume full-time work but it wasn’t the Point Guard’s fault they faced Miami and a spirited Los Angeles collective while trying to restore their rotations -- a complex task that was less about Russ as disruption and more about management of expectation. More so, the Thunder missed Kendrick Perkins’ presence in the middle (groin injury) as rookie Steve Adams, while serviceable, wasn’t able to run with the likes of DeAndre Jordan.

2. LOS ANGELES @ Oklahoma City. SUNday, Feb. 23, 2014 // Result: Thunder lost by EIGHT.

Sold as Russell Westbrook’s return (after Kevin Durant let it slip that his partner-in-shine would be fit for post All-Star action), everyone from ESPN to USA Today flocked to catch this clash of contenders. Given the pre-game’s three biggest plot lines: Russ’ first time on the timber since Christmas Day; the final regular season meeting between the two heavyweights; the M.V.P front runner vs. the four-time trophy holder, it was surprising more media clowns weren’t around to crash the circus. Against someone like Philadelphia it wouldn’t have matter but with the Heat in town, the band wasn’t given any time to rehearse and find their signature sound. Early on, K.D deferred to Westbrook in hope the wrecking ball could be pushed back to its most devastating force but Dwyane Wade and LeBron James had other ideas. Remembered as the night Serge Ibaka broke LeBron’s nose, the Heat left middle America victors. Inside the visitors locker room, the Miami contingent relaxed with a plate of food in hand and a “mission accomplished” look upon their faces. In the hallway, Head Coach Erik Spoelstra praised Durant; told the media not to read too much into the win and said he was pleased with his team’s improved mental toughness. Meanwhile, Norris Cole’s high-top fade informed me, ”we don’t just lift for TV games, we’re always focused, we’re the champs.” Word later arrived that James’ nose needed to be evaluated by the medical staff before anything could be determined. At the time, he was expected to appear in Miami’s next outing but as we later found out, his face was broken. When the two teams previously met, the Thundercats kicked South Beach butt (winning 112 - 95), this time around however, Miami returned the favor. That’s life in the NBA: win some, lose some (with no time to dwell). Game 52 was over, , now they had to regroup and prep for Clippers.

1. Miami @ Oklahoma City. Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014 // Result: Thunder lost by 22.

Being a credentialed member of the media has afforded me the opportunity to explore pro hoops arenas in Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando and Phoenix, so naturally, when the chance arose to spend an extended session in Oklahoma City -- covering a four game home stand that included contests against LeBron James’ Heat, Chris Paul’s Clippers, Kyrie Irving’s Cavaliers and Marc Gasol’s Grizzlies -- this humble author quickly jumped at the opportunity to experience Thunderball first hand.

C ontinu e d ove r p age > >

The Chesapeake Energy Arena’s doors open to the general public 90 minutes before tip off. Ticket holders of lower bowl seats often congregate down by the court entrance to catch Durant and Ibaka concluding their pre-game shooting rituals (before they dive back into the locker room). Before tip-off, the anticipation’s palpable and the lights-out ceremony concludes with player introductions (where K.D always calmly walks out onto the timber last after his name is called out).

Drive 15 minutes north of the city’s central business district and you’ll find the Integris Health Center, the multi-million dollar facility where the Thunder break daily bread. The understated exterior might cleverly hide the animal that awaits inside -- a pair of NBA sized courts, offices for the training staff, scouts and coaches, and a media area for those who need to work on site -but that’s just OKC: highly functional yet conservative. A glimpse behind the curtain showed this author why this city loves this roster. While the hulking physiques of Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Perkins, Steve Adams, Serge Ibaka and Derek Fisher all extrude might, it’s the Thunder’s laser focus that can be seen every you look. Each and every participant works exceptionally hard, spends countless hours on the training court and visits the gym regularly -- but those practices aren’t exclusive to pro ball in OKC, they just remind the viewer this program is a ratings winner for the right reasons. Even the team’s most finesse players, Kevin Durant and Jeremy Lamb, attack their shooting drills like their life depends on it. What can also be observed (post-training) is how the team’s coaching and training staffs, respectively, work with individuals to build them up for game night because as avid NBA fans know, players develop their skills during the off-peak sessions but are continually pushed to produce whatever’s needed for the system during peak times. Observe K.D’s habits long enough and you realise that while supreme belief helps, being an All-Star is the result of making plays and creating opportunities when the system breaks down -- and it’s part experience, part instinct, part athletic ability, part cerebral prowess but mostly the result of on-going work. Spend enough time around any NBA team and you begin to view things from the coaching perspective. Spend time with the Thunder and you see what makes Sam Presti’s curation a skill. Placing smaller planets like Derek Fisher (opportunistic scorer who’s ready at a moments notice) and Nick Collison (does little things at training that help produce large rewards in game) inside the twin sun solar system helps to create greater force.

Being spanked by the Blue Bears (in the 2013 Playoffs) only intensified OKC’s rivalry with Memphis. For years, these squads have matched up incredibly well (Conley vs. Westbrook; Allen vs. Durant; Randolph vs. Ibaka) and as result, they’re continually getting in each others way. Throw in the fact they’d lost three-in-a-row at home, offered little defensive intensity versus the mediocre Cavaliers and gave up 41 points(!) in the fourth quarter, and all of a sudden there was an awful lot riding on this one. Then Thabo Sefolosha suffered a left calf strain, just four minutes into action. Great. Without their defensive ace, Derek Fisher, Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb and Reggie Jackson were all called upon to help provide support. And while Hasheem Thabeet and Steve Adams did well in limited time, it was Mike Conley who best assisted the Thunder by shooting a miserable one from 10. Appearing more poised, focused and determined (than at any point against Cleveland), OKC’s sense of urgency was refreshing; as was the sight of Westbrook, who finally looked comfortable on the court. As result, OKC went into the main break up, 57 - 42. Fresh off winning five of their past six outings, Memphis were in form and keen to hand the Thunder an unprecedented fourth consecutive home loss -- which would’ve been the team’s longest home losing streak in five years -- but Kevin Durant (37 points, on 50-38-100 shooting splits, including 13 points in the fourth, along with six rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals) was having none of it and netted the goahead basket during the final phase of the contest to halt the Grizzlies’ sweet shooting comeback (powered largely by Mike Miller and the team’s 63% accuracy from deep). Playing Westbrook, Fisher, Jackson, K.D at the four and Thabeet inside, the Thunder pushed ahead, 99 - 86 with 7:00 to play but then it was Miller Time and the Grizz closed the gap to 103 - 95 with 4:46 remaining. With the outcome uncertain and his team looking shaky, Durant strapped on his fireman’s hat and rescued the Thunder from another burning building.

4. MEMPHIS @ Oklahoma City. FRIday, Feb. 28, 2014 // Result: Thunder WIN, FINALLY.

Pre game, K.D was awarded the Kia Performance Award for his outstanding January while media hospitality included peanut better cookies -- a trivial fact until you realize you’re in line behind the No. 1 draft pick, Anthony Bennett. Usually, there’s food approved for players inside the locker room, guess Bennett also likes freshly baked treats. As for the game, Spencer Hawes (who gave Steve Adams fits away from the hoop) and Jarrett Jack (in rare form) inflicted damage early but the Thunder managed to hold onto a slim lead, 27 - 26. Against Cleveland, Brooks rolled the dice on the Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones, Nick Collison, Derek Fisher, Reggie Jackson line-up. Sensing an opportunity, the Cavs combated the experiment with Kyrie Irving, Matthew Dellavedova, Anthony Bennett, Alonzo Gee and Tyler Zeller. Needless to say, it didn’t take Brooks long to send Russ, Serge and K.D back to the scorers table but bonus points for giving it a try. Even with three P.Gs (Russ, Reggie and Derek), K.D was the team’s primary handler. It paid off as the Thunder were slightly ahead at the main break. Side-tracked by free popcorn and friendly elevator operators, I eventually returned to my assigned seat at the 8:00 mark of the third quarter to find the Thunder ahead 64 - 54. Then Kyrie went to work. His slick handles continually sliced up the lazy defence and after being up 79 - 73, the Thunder found themselves down 93 - 90 with six minutes to play. It was a confusing session that ended with K.D and Cleveland’s Double-J exchanging triples before Irving quietened the crowd (with another three). Hawes then helped the Wine and Gold increase their lead to six, 105 - 99, with just two minutes remaining. Kyrie and his game-high 30 points then stepped up to the charity stripe as fans headed for the exits. It was clock management and fouls the rest of the way. Game, Cleveland. Durant finished with a 28-10-9 line but in his eyes, the near triple-double counted for zero. Too unselfish at times and definitely not the January assassin people quickly grew accustomed too, Durant addressed the media post-game but offered limited insight because there was little that needed to be said. The team lacked effort, plain and simple. And just like that, OKC suffered their third consecutive loss with yours truly in the buiding. And yes, I was starting to believe I was an omen. Up next, the Blue Bears from Memphis. Anything but 0-4, please.

3. CLEVELAND @ Oklahoma City. WEDNESday, Feb. 26, 2014 // Result: Thunder lost by 10.

Small Forward M.V.P Honor Roll

The noise is also regularly deafening. At the time of my visit, four large banners hung from the Arena’s rafters -- one blue Conference championship memento and three white Division titles. As one media member pointed out, the retired numbers of Frank Brown, Spencer Haywood, Nate McMillan, Jack Sikma, Lenny Wilkins, Gus Williams and broadcaster Bob Blackburn are all absent, so to is Seattle’s 1979 championship banner but ownership’s decision to withhold the Northwest artefacts isn’t discouraging (and until it was brought to my attention, I hadn’t even noticed). In many ways, despite the linkage of history, the Thunder are a new product That’s how they’re positioned and sold. The incentive of course in having a championship-less reminder is to try and add a flag to venue’s upper structure, not live in the distance past. What the TV cameras never capture is the mad post-game rush, especially by the visiting team’s staff as they attempt to pack-up and move an entire room’s worth of equipment and belongings before the team bus is due to depart. Likewise, long after the public have shuffled out of the arena, players can be found chatting with the media. The Thunder make both Westbrook and Durant available (to anyone keen to grab their thoughts). It’s worth noting, the franchise from tornado alley knows exactly how to manage the small group of local press agents as well as the irregular influx of national media members who stop by whenever the contest justifies their attendance. Always granting the press a few precious minutes with the franchise’s most popular pair, the Thunder’s Communications Team have a non-discriminatory, streamlined, controlled and economic system in place that only seems to get on the athlete’s nerves when unintelligence questions are thrown at them. For the most part, the Thunder manage their loses well and Russ and K.D always front up to the media, regardless of outcome. Other than that, they’re as courteous as can be. Once formalities have concluded and the players are dressed according to the NBA’s code, they usually head back on the court, unless a team flight or dinner reservations pulls them away. If you’re Kevin Durant, you sit court side with mom to discuss whatever’s on your mind.

A number of lessons were learnt during my time in OKC. 1. Hire a car. The horizontal metropolis is best experienced with an automobile... 2. There’s no shame in watching the Indiana Jones marathon on a Saturday night when you’ve got a midday game the following day.... 3. The Thunder Girls (Thunderettes, anyone?) should always wear daisy dukes, cowboy hats, boots and tight flannel tops.... 4. Thunder fans truly love Kiss Cam... 5. The odd NBA tradition of having mascots from other teams appear in random venues is alive and well... 6. There’s no sight like Thunder mascot Bison playing drums at mid-court while the platform spins... 7. 90s pop-group Hanson’s are still around and perform a kick-ass rendition of the national anthem… 8. Be prepared for freaky weather. Speaking of, Saturday night’s chilling snow storm peppered the freeway with mangled cars. It was as though the Mayor called in set decorators from The Walking Dead. The conditions also delayed my departing flight. Stuck inside the Will Rogers World Airport -- named after the state’s favorite son and major player of Hollywood’s silent film era -- I eventually arrived in Atlanta only to miss my connection. The ordeal was probably orchestrated by some jaded OKC resident. I did, after all, jinx their team (1-3 during my stay; injuries to Perk and Sefolosha).

Julius Erving Philadelphia: 1981

Larry Bird

Boston: 1984; 1985; 1986

LeBron James

Cleveland: 2009; 2010 Miami: 2012; 2013

Kevin Durant

Oklahoma City: 2014

1 Most Valuable Player (NBA) KEVIN DURANT // OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER First player to ever average 32 (or more) ppg while taking less than 21 shots per.

First player since Michael Jordan in 1989 to average 32 points with seven rebounds and five assists.

First player since Jordan in 1990 to average 32 points while shooting better than 50 percent

Highest Win Share by a player not named LeBron since Michael Jordan in 1996.

First player since Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson (2006) to average 32 points.

Highest P.E.R by a player not named LeBron James or Wade since 2009.

First player since 2008 to lead the league in Win Shares and not be named LeBron James.

First player in 50 years with at least 25 points in 41 consecutive games (Jan. 7 to Apr. 6, 2014).

First player since 2007 not named LeBron to lead the league in P.E.R.

First player since ‘07 to score 40 points in at least 14 games.

24 basketballinsiders.com

2014 Award Winners

THE 10 WNBA M.V.P’s Cynthia Cooper 1997; ‘98 Yolanda Griffin 1999 Sheryl Swoopes 2000; ‘02; ‘05 Lisa Leslie 2001; ‘04; ‘06 Lauren Jackson 2003; ‘07; ‘10 Candace Parker 2008; ‘13 Diana Taurasi 2009 Tamika Catchings 2011 Tina Charles 2012 << 2014

A New York native, Stewart tallied 777 points in 2013-14, the second most in a single UConn season and the top total for any second year Huskie. She was her team’s leading scorer (19.4 points), hoop protector (2.8 blocks) and collected the second most rebounds per (8.1). Grouped with Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi on just about every school ranking, Stewart left no doubt which talent mattered most in the 2014 Tournament. For concrete evidence, just review her resume: ACC Player of the Year, Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Associated Press Player of the Year, Naismith trophy recipient, USBWA Player of the Year, First Team All American, ESPN W Player of the Year -- and that was just her Sophomore season. Good lord. Oh, and she led Geno Auriemma’s team to yet another national title. Honorable mentions: Chiney Ogwumike, Odyssey Sims, Kayla McBride, Shoni Schimmel.

MAYA MOORE // MINNESOTA LYNX

Breanna Stewart // University of Connecticut

Most Valuable Player (WNBA)

NCAA Women’s M.V.P

NCAA Men’s M.V.P DOUG McDERMOTT // CREIGHTON University Power to the t-shirt. Creighton senior Doug McDermott was sensational throughout his final year in school, finishing fifth all-time on the NCAA points leaderboard. This wily point producer collected both the Naismith Award and John R. Wooden trophy’s, all while the world was busy obsessing over the Wiggins-Parker freshman class. Turns out sometimes all you need to steady the ship is a sweet shooting senior but whether he’s more Adam Morrison than Larry Bird isn’t really the point, what matters is that for one year, his final year, McDermott was all kinds of specialist. He paced the nation in scoring (26.9ppg), broke a 29-year-old record by becoming a consensus First Team All-American for three straight years and set a number of school records (for points in a single season and amateur career). Oh, and it didn’t hurt his production or trade stock that his dad was the one on the sideline calling all the plays. Honorable mentions: Julius Randle, Jabari Parker, Marcus Smart, Andrew Wiggins, Russ Smith, Joel Embiid, Shabazz Napier.

25 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

2014 Award Winners

6 Best Defender JOAKIM NOAH

// CHICAGO BULLS

All-NBA First Team F Kevin Durant .THUNDER F L e bron JAMES .HEAT C JOAKIM NOAH .BULLS G JAMES HARDEN .ROCKETS G CHRIS PAUL .CLIPPERS

When the official votes were tallied, Kevin Durant was the (somewhat surprisingly) lone unanimous First Team selection. Joining him on the starting five were M.V.P runner-up LeBron James (Forward), Chris Paul, James Harden (Guards) and first-time inclusion, on any All-NBA line-up, Joakim Noah. Missing the cut was Blake Griffin, Kevin Love (Forwards), Tony Parker, Stephen Curry (Guards) and Dwight Howard (Centre). When the official teams were revealed, a number of deserving candidates were arguably left out in the rain but with voter results finally made public, everyone had a chance to see who didn’t vote for Dirk Nowitzki or who left LeBron off the First Team... but more interesting than who was left on the editing room floor was the complete disregarded of Basketball’s predetermined (and yes, somewhat arbitrary... but rules are rules) positional listings. There were ballots featuring Paul George, Durant and James at “Guard” (so Griffin, Love or LaMarcus Aldridge could be elevated to First Team status) while others dodged the Small Forward logjam by moving Power Forward’s over to Center. In the end, there was one consistency in 2014 voting: inconsistency. And with the loss of anonymity, at least now each voter can defend their choices or face the wrath of a concerned social media collective.

A player’s defensive impact is easy to measure. Rarely does the eye-test fail and one only needs to watch the game to know who causes the most disruption. It’s no secret one’s attempt isn’t safe with Serge Ibaka, DeAndre Jordan, Anthony Davis or Roy Hibbert patrolling the paint. Likewise, LeBron James, Ricky Rubio, Chris Paul and a select group of others are so quick with their eye-tohand reactions that a casual dribble or less than perfect pass can quickly result in the change of possession. While those fish nets and bear traps offer something for the boxscore, there’s another kind of menace who denies the offensive team an otherwise easy opportunity: the ball-hawk. By applying constant pressure and invading personal space, these creatures of havoc are likely to receive a standing ovation for their heart and hustle alone. Tony Allen, Jimmy Butler, Patrick Beverley and Paul George are four prime examples. Yet, in 2013-14, there was one player who combined all three defensive elements: Joakim Noah. That’s why Noah became the first Bull since Michael Jordan (1988) to be named the NBA’s Top Defender.

All-Defensive First Team

PAUL GEORGE.PACERS SERGE IBAKA.THUNDER C JOAKIM NOAH .BULLS G ANDRE IGUODALA .WARRIORS G JIMMY BUTLER .BULLS F F

Honorable mentions: Anthony Davis, Wesley Matthews, Patrick Beverley, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Ricky Rubio, Tony Allen.

Rookie of the Year

Michael Carter-Williams // PHILADELPHIA 76 ers

Assessing the NBA’s first year talent is never an easy task. The young guns who usually post the best stat lines often clock minutes on woeful teams (but gain invaluable experience in the process). There’s also the group of mid-level contributors who find a niche with Playoff bound squads but remain stuck in the 7-10 spots on the rotation. One’s first year on the job should never be their best, so lets hope that’s certainly true for Michael Carter-Williams who posted better rookie averages than Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. The lone bright spot for a Sixers team that was hellbent on hitting the lottery jackpot, M.C.W was a rebellious leader who’ll be remembered as the headliner from David Stern’s final rookie roll call. Elsewhere, Mason Plumlee helped save this Draft class from being a complete big man disaster while guards Trey Burke and Victor Oladipo tried valiantly to rescue their squad’s but with seldom rewards. Other surprises included Pero Antic, Steve Adams, Matthew Dellavedova, Cody Zellar, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nick Calathes. Sorry, Anthony Bennett.

All-Rookie First Team

Michael Carter-Williams.Sixers Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bucks Victor Oladipo. Magic Mason Plumlee. Nets Trey Burke. Jazz

26 basketballinsiders.com

MOST IMPROVED

The

FUTILITY OF

NAMING

Nothing against

Goran Dragic

(or any previous / future recipient)

it’s just tHAT

This media outlet believes

this particular AWARD requires MUCH clearer selection criteria. iF that’s UNABLE TO be produced,

it should be discontinued. As ESPN’s Marc Stein rightfully notes, second year NBA players are supposed to make some sort of memorable leap so whatever improvements former top pick Anthony Davis made (especially to his stats) during his sophomore campaign, it was more expectation than valid reason to assign him the M.I.P trophy. Thankfully, he didn’t win. Still, the notion of naming a single “Most Improved Player” is, according to this publication’s beliefs, an exercise in futility because: How does one measure Kevin Durant’s advancement to Goran Dragic’s... or Lance Stephenson’s... or John Wall’s... etc.?= So while Indiana’s guard (Stephenson) made a visible jump this past year (and he has the triple doubles to prove it), he couldn’t touch Gerald Green or Goran Dragic, both of whom thrived in Jeff Hornacek’s system en route to 48 wins... but who exactly improved more? At its best, “Most Improved” suggests surprise while at its worse, it’s confused, ill-informed expectation mixed with ignorance. Additionally, end of season NBA awards shouldn’t be token or handed out due to some sort of obligation. That being said, the Phoenix Suns became an extra interesting case of “improvement by committee” in 2014 and enjoyed / achieved major success because everyone was better than their expert reports suggested. From Mason Plumlee to the Morris twins, everyone on the Suns deserved recognition. Eric Bledsoe’s injury also forced everyone to get better in a hurry but it was the collective, not any one player who should’ve been celebrated -- even though they were all just doing their jobs.

Naming Dragic as the sole winner was disingenuous but that didn’t stop the media from pinning the badge on him anyway. While few players offered the delights of first-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan (23-4-4 averages on 43-30-82 shooting splits), many turned their attention to Anthony Davis yet forgot to argue for the merits of Blake Griffin, John Wall and Joakim Noah -- even though all four provided the same immeasurably help to their respective franchises. DeMarcus Cousins, another name who probably deserved to be mentioned for his across the board improvement, was never even a part of the conversation. Each season there’s a slew of writers, columnists and reporters who harp on about how the M.I.P is subjective and there are no clear-cut guidelines to govern who should be considered. Yet few want to argue for the unpopular vote and give credit to an emerging contributor like Draymond Green or Mike Scott (both doubled their personal production in nearly every category) or Terrence Ross (who started 60 more games than the year before) or Jeremy Lamb (almost tripled his first year averages) or Terrence Jones (key member of Houston’s frontline) or even former lottery picks like Damian Lillard (now an All-Star) and Andre Drummond (a serious force and now key member of Team USA member). Then there was Kendall Marshall. He provided veteran play for an empty Lakers squad on just $547,570 and averaged 8.8 assists (which would’ve tied him for second next to Wall and Ty Lawson had he appeared in more games). The M.I.P’s biggest problem mightn’t be the metrics employed [to locate a winner] but voter attraction towards a name, not the most dramatic needle mover.

27 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

2014 Award Winners

Head Coach of the Year tom thibodeau.bulls jeff hornacek.suns 3 gregg popovich .spurs 4 steve clifford .bobcats 5 dwane casey .raptors 1 2

Top Executive

Ryan McDonough.SUNS MASAI UJIRI.RAPTORS 3 R.C. BUFORD .SPURS 4 RICH CHO .BOBCATS 5 DARYL MOREY .ROCKETS 1 2

Candidates fell into one of three groups: A. Overachievers: Jeff Horncek, Steve Clifford, Terry Stotts. B. Established Managers: Tom Thibodeau, Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers. C. Pleasant Surprises: Dwane Casey, Randy Wittman, Jason Kidd. In the end, Tom Thibodeau won our popular vote because of his ability to adjustment on both the micro (in-game) and macro (injuries, roster additions) levels. Other influences included talent available, team record, statistical ranking and late game management.

When the official votes were tallied, San Antonio’s R.C. Buford was named the NBA’s Executive of the Year. In tandem with Gregg Popovich being named the [official] Coach of the Year, 2014 marked the second straight season where the two winners resided from the same organization.

2014. Spurs. Gregg Popovich / R.C. Buford 2013. Nuggets. George Karl / Masai Ujiri 2011. Bulls. Tom Thibodeau / Gar Forman 2007. Raptors. Sam Mitchell / Bryan Colangelo 2005. Suns. Mike D’Antoni / Bryan Colangelo

bizarro coach of the year

(aka the mike club) Woodson.KNICKS 2 d’antoni .lakers 3 brown .cavaliers 1

Favorite Owner

Mark cuban.mavericks peter holt.spurs 3 leslie alexander .rockets 4 paul allen .trail blazers 5 tom benson .pelicans 1 2

Best Home Crowd

golden state oklahoma city 3 portland 4 TORONTO 5 chicago (first in attendance) 1 2

Every NBA game tells a [different] story. Despite what some many think, each game has purpose. Even when it appears like no one is watching, the 12th man on the roster, often itching for minutes, looks at a regular season blowout like Dexter does a kill. Not only is it an opportunity to release weeks (or months) of tension, it’s an invitation to increase one’s free market worth (by dominating others in the exact same position). So, what meaning then should be given to a match-up featuring the two-time defending NBA Champions and one of the sexiest teams in Basketball? Glorious, progressive, San Francisco versus the glamourous, plastic Miami. Billionaire Boys and Tech-heads from silicon Valley vs. Beach babes with silicon breasts from South Beach. BUCKETS Magazine’s Editorial Director Alan Hedevang was in the building and still talks about his experience, often noting how electric the atmosphere was, how vocal the fans were and how enjoyable it was to see Andre Iguodala vs. LeBron James (or Andrew Bogut beat-up Chris Bosh). It was also a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the greatest sniper of all-time (Ray Allen) hitting targets next to today’s deadliest gunner (Steph Curry). For the record: LeBron James (36-13-9) had the perfect antidote for the Warriors’ roar: a step-back triple to hand Miami another dramatic victory.

28 basketballinsiders.com

14 1

Best Ingame Dunk TERRENCE ROSS with the one-handed, pull-back hammer on Kenneth Faried. >>

PAUL GEORGE with the 360 degree, against the grain, windmill on the fastbreak.

GERALD GREEN with two-handed, double-pump monster dunk on Mason Plumlee.

15 1 2 3 4 5

Best Dunker

gerald green.SUNS BLAKE GRIFFIN.CLIPPERS lebron james.heat TERRENCE ROSS.RAPTORS DeAndre jordan.clippers

There was no shortage of rim-rattling highlights in 2013-14 -- for reference, Russell Westbrook’s flurry of tomahawk dunks, Taj Gibson’s facial on Omer Asik, JJ Hickson’s two-handed power stuff on Marvin Williams, Xavier Henry’s down the lane cram over Jeff Withey, Victor Oladipo’s smackdown on Paul Millsap and Al Horford, John Wall’s complete 360 degree finish on the one-man fastbreak and every Chris Paul to Blake Griffin connection didn’t make the podium -- yet somehow, Gerald Green found new ways to remind us that he’s a real life NBA Jam character.

Excluded from consideration: Blake Griffin’s throw-down on Kris Humphries, mainly because it wasn’t a dunk. That’s right, we went there.

29 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

2014 Award Winners

16 1

Best Ankle Breaker

Top Play, Playoffs

Top Buzzer Beater

DAMIAN LILLARD puts Rip City back on the map.

JEFF GREEN with fadeaway

Ty Lawson embarrasses

Corey Brewer with the crossover.

VICTOR OLADIPO with the extra clean block in Portland.

ADAM SILVER placing a

lifetime ban on Donald Sterling.

RUSSELL WESTBROOK with the turnaround overtime winner.

Kevin Durant goes to work

Andre Iguodala with the

VINCE CARTER nailing the corner triple vs. San Antonio.

randy foye with the high arching triple over Blake Griffin.

J.R. Smith kindly helps

DAMIAN LILLARD with backto-back game winners.

KAWHI LEONARD with the

TOBIAS HARRIS sneaks in a

Lance Stephenson lets Courtney Lee taste his handles.

AL HORFORD with the baseline

CORY JOSEPH with the one-handed slam over Ibaka.

eric bledsoe with the triple

Tristan Thompson take a seat.

JOHN WALL with the near

on Darrell Author.

Top Play, Reg. season

Andre Iguodala shakes and bakes Quincy Miller.

Fine Art

impossible bank shot.

pin-point pass to David Lee.

winner against Washington.

Top Player Milestone

two-handed put back dunk.

Greatest Comeback

corner triple to beat the Heat.

game-wining dunk against OKC. from the top versus Utah.

Best NBA Blooper

j.r.SMITH billed $50,000 for artfully untying shoe-laces.

DIRK NOWITZKI entered the Top 10 all-time scorers.

GOLDEN STATE erased a 27-point deficit against Toronto.

nick young with the 360 degree airball lay-up.

jason kidd charged $50K for purposefully spilling soda.

KEVIN DURANT netted 25

OKLAHOMA CITY over

mike woodson and the

donald sterling fined $2.5 million for his racist comments.

STEVE NASH is now third all-time in assists.

houston, powered by Harden, snuck by Portland.

TONY WROTEN proves the Sixers can ruin Air Jordan’s too.

mark cuban was sent a final fine by D.Stern for legacy sake.

KYLE KORVER made a triple in 127 consecutive games.

MEMPHIS bulldozing their way

ANTHONY BENNETT being

matt barnes who somehow forgot Twitter is public domain.

KEVIN GARNETT grabbed his

godzilla, who returned to the silver screen and kicked ass.

NICK YOUNG prematurely celebrating a triple that missed.

3 4 5

points in 41 consecutive games.

14,000th career rebound.

Sweetest Shooter

stephen curry whose shot is as pretty as Natalie Portman.

dirk nowitzki who speaks German, English and Swish.

kyle korver makes love to the net like it’s Mila Kunis.

danny green, the game’s new spot-up artist, loves Pop art.

ray allen, the Mona Lisa of distance shooting.

Houston who had 73 at the half.

into the Playoff picture.

Knick’s timeout blunder.

taken ahead of, well, everyone.

Following in the footsteps of Steve Nash and Mark Price, Curry is a full-time sniper who doubles as his team’s most crafty playmaker). Yet according to Kevin Durant, Curry is the greatest shooter ever. While it’s too early to tell for sure, the case for Steph is getting stronger. While no single measurement can determine who is the most accurate shooter [in the pros], a clear picture forms once you combine categories. Here’s Stephen Curry’s 2014 finishes.

2014 LEAGUE rank

STEPH JUX 1 3PT FG Made / Attempted: 261 / 615 2 Catch and Shoot FG%*: 48.9 5 3PT Shooting %: .424 6 True Shooting %: .610

THE KID CAN COOK In 2014, Curry became the first player in NBA history to ever net 250 or more three-pointers in multiple seasons. Holy hell.

30 *

Among NBA Guards

basketballinsiders.com

2014 Award Winners

Favorite Starting 5

Strangest Single Game

Best Player Duel

Best Team Duel

GOLDEN STATE CurryThompson-Iguodala-Lee-Bogut.

corey brewer 51 points with six steals vs. Houston.

LeBron vs. K.D It’s the Pacino

PORTLAND Lillard-MatthewsBatum-Aldridge-Lopez.

MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS

CURRY vs. CP3 Classic case of whatever you can do, I can do.

Also known as cocktail vs. beer.

MIAMI Chalers-Wade-JamesBosh-Andersen.

Terrence Ross 51 points,

including 10 treys, vs. Clippers.

INDIANA Hill-StephensonGeorge-West-Hibbert.

JODIE MEEKS 42 points on just 18 shots vs. Oklahoma City.

Head vs. Heart. Heart vs. Head.

PHOENIX Bledsoe-Dragic-

GEORGE HILL finished with a mighty 37-9-8 line vs. Portland.

Tucker-Frye-Plumlee.

Best Game, Reg. Season

22-7-12-9 on debut vs. Miami

Best Game, Playoff

WARRIORS vs. CLIPPERS

HEAT vs. PACERS

HARDEN vs. DURANT These wild west gunners have history.

THUNDER vs. HEAT

WESTBROOK vs. BEVERLEY

GRIZZLIES vs. THUNDER

Randolph vs. griffin Rock stops wind. Wind erodes rock.

bucks vs. sixers

vs. DeNiro of modern battles.

Biggest Letdown

The fault lines have been drawn

Hollywood couldn’t script this. Two of natures greatest forces. Race you to the bottom. Go.

Please Explain

THUNDER vs. Warriors

ROCKETS vs. BLAZERs. G M 6 . Classic series. Dramatic close.

ANTHONY BENNETT stumbled early and never recovered.

New York showed us again that money can’t buy respect.

HEAT vs. WARRIORS

SPURS vs. THUNDER. G M 6 . San An extracts revenge in OT.

JOSH SMITH poured sand, not

CLEVELAND wore a blindfold to the Draft then played in it.

LeBron at his best on the road.

THUNDER vs. RAPTORS

WARRIORS vs. CLIPPERS. G M 7.

kyrie irving always showed

DETROIT advertised themselves as a sportscar. They were a bike.

KNICKS vs. BOBCATS

spurs vs. heat. G M 2 . F I N A L S . Only game that lasted 48 mins.

roy hibbert forgot he’s paid to play Basketball, not spectate.

INDIANA turned into the film

Melo tallies 62 points.

PELICANS vs. BULLS

Raptors vs. NEtS. G M 7 .

larry sanders from promising to potential poison.

MINNESOTA had a really big appetite but no real bite.

Thrilling clash of contenders.

The M.V.P takes Canada in 2OT.

Who’s up for a little overtime?

Highlander battle at its best.

Long live Basketball in Canada.

oil, into the Pistons’ engine. up when it didn’t count.

High Tension : Great. Then lame.

Best Single Game Line

LeBron James

CARMELO ANTHONY

kevin durant

kevin love

JAMES HARDEN

61 pts, 7 rbs, 5 asts vs. CHA. 62 pts, 13 rbs, 0 asts vs. CHA. 54 pts, 4 rbs, 6 asts vs. GSW. 45 pts, 19 rbs, 6 asts vs. L.AC. 41-10-6-6 vs. POR.

31 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

} pickandroll.com.au /pickandrollau @picknrollau

}

f T

Some people were born to play basketball. Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, Blake Griffin: all undoubtedly athletic godsends. Josh Smith also belongs in this category. 6’9, 225 pounds, smooth, can leap tall humans in a single bound: Lebron-esque gifts indeed! Yet, for most of this season, you could have been watching Boris Diaw’s less athletic brother. His RPG was the lowest since Smith’s rookie year, and his shot selection wavered between unforgivable and embarrassing. Seriously, he shot 265 3-pointers, at 26%; a combination entitling him consideration among the all-time worst 3-point shooters. Andrew Bynum, a 7-footer whose work ethic would embarrass Eddy Curry, warrants nominating. However, nobody is more deserving of this season’s award than Smith. He was supposed to be that new thoroughbred, bigger and faster than all the rest. Yet, instead of dominating, upon hitting the track (continuing the metaphor) it trots, drinks other horses’ water and swears it’s a greyhound. Don’t worry, we can expect Smith to get it together by 2017, just in time for another team to overspend.

by Chris Carillo and Jonny Duennebier

The Derrick Coleman Wasted Talent Award

“What else is there to write about, when 45 award categories are so comprehensively covered?” That was my first thought when BUCKETS Mag offered The Pick and Roll team an opportunity to contribute to their ‘2014 Award Winners’ issue. I’m confident, however, that our 5 additions are of unrivalled relevance! Save for BUCKETS’ “Best NBA Blooper” award… how are we supposed to compete with THAT? -- Terry Goldfain

on behalf of #TeamPnR

The Dominique Wilkins Most Underappreciated Award by Eli Cohen When Portland fans and management were dreaming of a defensive stopper to pair with LaMarcus Aldridge, it wasn’t a floppy-haired Spanish whirlwind of long arms and hilarious sideline ‘RunningMan’ celebrations, they were imagining. But then came (and went) Greg Oden, and ever since, Portland’s been scrambling. Robin Lopez has become the hero they needed, if not the one they deserved, grabbing rebounds and causing mayhem with enough frantic energy to allow Aldridge to hang out in the midrange, jacking up those ever so lethal jumpers. RoLo’s stats aren’t going to blow you away, but he’s as responsible as anyone for Portland’s explosive season. Just ask Dwight Howard, run ragged trying to box him out whenever he wasn’t covering Aldridge. It wasn’t easy to pass over Phoenix’s Markieff Morris and his bench heroics, but only one of the aforementioned teams is still chasing a ring. Congratulations Mr. Lopez, a worthy winner of the inaugural Dominique Wilkins award.

32 basketballinsiders.com

2014 Award Winners The 2013-14 season was one of the best, and the most frustrating, seasons in fantasy basketball for quite some time. We saw a number of players take their game to an elite level, with Steph Curry, Anthony Davis and Kevin Love, joining the likes of K.D and LeBron atop the fantasy basketball mountain. But there was one player who really changed the outcome of many fantasy leagues this season. It’s not often that a 10-year NBA veteran goes from being undrafted in fantasy leagues to finishing the year in the top 25. But that’s exactly what the Wizards’ Trevor Ariza accomplished this season, and that’s why he is the Best Value Fantasy Player Award winner for 2013-14. The Wizards drafted his replacement and Ariza responded with his best campaign, winning the love of fantasy owners in the process. It goes to show the motivating force, upcoming free agency can be!

Talking about free agents is always a juicy topic. Yet, while the player signed often makes a contribution, they rarely change the culture of a franchise. I doubt Portland’s pick up of Earl Watson is the reason behind their 21-win improvement. However, there are some F.A.’s who not only can, but do change the culture, while also drastically improving the team. And it was this rationale that went into my selection of the ‘Shaq Impact’ award recipient. So, who wins for 2013-14? Certainly not D-12 of the first-round exiting Rockets. Monta Ellis and Paul Millsap were big for their respective squads, but neither changed their clubs’ cultures. The same cannot be said of Charlotte’s Al Jefferson. The Bobcats signed Big Al, and suddenly were transformed from cellar dwellers into a Playoff team. That’s right, the Bobcats. With the All-NBAer locked up long-term, the Buzz is back in Charlotte.

by Josh Lloyd

by Josh Haar

Best Value Fantasy Player Award

The Shaquille O’Neal Most Impactful F.A. Award

The Dirk Nowitzki Anti-Analytics Award by Josh Planos Over the last couple of years, perhaps nothing has had more of an effect on the way professional basketball is coached and written about than the “eye test” being replaced by the “how much do you hate Rudy Gay’s game?” test. Yes, we are truly living in the world of Databall where what once was considered geeky is now the new black. Yet, many players have not only flourished in this brave new world, but been instrumental to their team’s success while flying in the face of the analytics gospel. No player has defied these laws more than Portland power forward, LaMarcus Aldridge. The midrange jumper is Aldridge’s leitmotif, shooting them at 44.6% this season. He’s dwarfing league averages, and as Chris Webber announced after LMA splashed another midrange jumper in a recent playoff game, “throw the analytics out the window, baby!” And if it’s good enough for C-Webb, it’s good enough for me. L.M.A wins the Anti-Analytics Award for 2013-14.

33 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

2014 Award Winners

THE SCREEN OUR Time spent in the virtual space only increasES... but that doesn’t mean we’re not still thinking and talking all things Basketball, ALL THE TIME. BECAUSE OF THAT FACT, WE THOUGHT WE’D PAY A LITTLE ATTENTION TO ALL THE spaces and items THAT KEEP US FROM ACTUALLY BEING ON THE TIMBER.

& ROLL

40 39 Best Product

NBA 2K14 by 2K Sports The game-play was top notch, the cover athlete (LeBron James) was a perfect choice, the in-game presentation was world-class and the next generation iterations took NBA 2K14 beyond the stratosphere. The MyPlayer mode, online gaming options, hidden treats and milestone driven rewards all helped to turbo charge the 2K series.

Others receiving votes: League Pass

Top Twitterer

M. WORLD PEACE @MettaWorldPeace Even if you don’t intend on maintaining an account, it’s worth signing up to Twitter just to read whatever the artist formerly known as Ron Artest is saying. There mightn’t be any high scores given out but World Peace wins, again.

Others receiving votes: Kendall Marshall (@KButter5) Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) Daryl Morey (@dmorey) Joakim Noah (@JoakimNoah) Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer)

41 Best Blog or Website

GRANTLAND grantland.com Spend a few minutes on Grantland.com and you’re bound to stumble across something of interest (let alone find that the digital space has stolen your entire morning). From Bill Simmons to Jalen Rose; from Jonathan Abrams to Zach Lowe; from Rembert Browne to Kirk Goldsberry, Grantland.com’s lead NBA scribes all have something unique to offer. More food court than fastfood outlet, Grantland.com is a destination space for Hoop-heads who like probing coverage, strong voices, neatly packaged information, sharp writing and colorful shooting charts. If you haven’t already, bookmark this website.

Others receiving votes:

42 Favorite Writer

ZACH LOWE

NBA writer for Grantland

Whether he’s breaking down specific defensive systems, rating the forthcoming season’s hardwood designs, rambling about nicknames and mascots, offering his take on someone’s contract situation, dissecting the value of a new wrinkle in the game or hosting his own podcast, Zach Lowe continually delivers well written copy and waxes lyrical about the topics of the day but rarely does his impressive workload (or published frequency) result in dilution -- a rare find in the digital age. While Lowe isn’t the only scribe keeping long form journalism alive, he certainly is the first person our voting panel turns to whenever they want to go swimming in content online.

Others receiving votes: Kelly Dwyer Adrian Wojnarowski Alex Kennedy Brian Windhorst Royce Young

Ball Don’t Lie (Yahoo)

Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin32)

Basketball Reference

Tony Allen (@aa000G9)

Eye on Basketball (CBS Sports)

Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover)

Basketball Insiders

Andre Drummond (@AndreDrummondd)

Hardwood Paroxysm NBA.com/Stats

NBA Game Time (App)

34 basketballinsiders.com

2014 Award Winners

Top Uniform

Best Dressed

Biggest Storyline

Worst New Addition

PHOENIX

Dwyane WADE

K.D is spelt m-v-p! It was a season (& speech) for the ages.

short sleeved jerseys

WASHINGTON

CHRIS PAUL

BANNED FOR LIFE Donald Sterling was given his orders.

nickname jerseys

BOSTON

RUSSELL WESTBROOK

sWAP Stern for silver

30 years of David as Goliath.

THE 2013 DRAFT CLASS

Courage comes in many forms.

PORTLAND

LeBRON JAMES

JASON COLLINS One of Time’s 100 Most Influential.

JOSH SMTH, S.F Building Detroit’s future, brick by brick.

Classy, on and off the court.

NEW YORK

PAUL GEORGE

TANKAPALOOZA The Sixers

Pelicans mascot

All. Gotta love that new look. Road (Red).

Home (White). Alternate (Rip City). Alternate (Orange).

Even with those 3/4 pants. Almost as well dressed as Cliff.

Rated PG gets a five star review.

Please don’t repeat this mistake.

Cleveland selects...

and Bucks discovered new lows.

The NBA has admitted that uniform sponsorship and outsider / partner logo placement is only a matter of time. Lets all pray that time frame is set to “never” because it’s a rather slippery slope. So while the players stand to make more money, you just know the owners are licking their lips. What’s most annoying [to fans] is the fact that the respective jersey sponsors never subsidize the retail price of the product. So not only are patrons turned into mobile billboards, they have to pay unfair amounts to corporations for the privilege (all while Billionaire’s fatten their wallets). Hopefully the new broadcast deal (which will see owners pocket plenty) slows the jersey sponsor train... but given what we know

$1,300,000

Note: Brands like Degree will happily part ways with $550,000 (per annum) to become the official armpit sponsor of NBA uniforms. Imagine seeing the Degree logo everytime a player lifts their arm to grab a rebound or take a shot. Don’t worry, this probably won’t happen... for at least two, maybe three years.

Insert Sponsor here

At least his meme game was hot.

about the nature of business, increased coverage will probably place even more pressure on the NBA to sell their waterfront property. Oh, and we have nothing against Dwight Howard, dude is just the model here. This comment was brought to you by The Insert Sponsor Here Button Outlet. If you need buttons pushed, give us a call.

Insert Sponsor here

$800,000

Again. Short. Sleeved. Uniforms.

$5,000,000 Insert Sponsor here

Insert Sponsor here

$3,400,000

$550,000 Insert Sponsor here

Insert Sponsor here

$250,000 $3,800,000 35

bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

2014 Award Winners

Top Signature Sneaker

KD VI.NIKE D-ROSE 4.ADIDAS 3 KOBE 9 .NIKE 4 CP3 VII .JORDAN 5 L E BRON ZOOM SOLDIER VII .NIKE

Favorite Retro

KAMIKAZE 1.REEBOK AIR JORDAN XII.JORDAN 3 AIR FOAMPOSITE ONE .NIKE 4 THE QUESTION .REEBOK 5 AIR WAY UPS .NIKE

NICK YOUNG.LAKERS TONY WROTEN.SIXERS 3 P.J. TUCKER .SUNS 4 DERRICK WILLIAMS .WOLVES 5 ANDRE DRUMMOND .PISTONS

On one end of the spectrum there are those who enjoy sneakers as a form of porn. Those folks can easily rationalize spending $380 on a single a pair of shoes. And it’s these sneaker collectors, who often treat their footwear like treasure, that associate their shoes with a particular lifestyle or social standing ahead of the sport they’re from. At the opposite end, there are those who believe Basketball sneakers are simply another piece of performance equipment (think tennis racket) that’s vital to one’s ability to play the game. For these people, the pleasure is found in what the sneakers lead to, not what they mean to some kid riding the subway (or working down at the local Subway). Regardless of where one believes they fall on the spectrum, Basketball sneakers are a multibillion dollar industry and we all contribute in some way. So while younger consumers often copy their favorite on court stylings, the players themselves can be found using their footwear as personal message boards or megaphones. Along with hairdos and tattoos, shoes remain one of the few ways in which NBA players are free to express themselves. For that reason, Kevin Durant’s ultra tasty collection of memorable colorways (created by Leo Chang and his team -from instant classics like “P.B&J” and “Aunt Pearl”) put K.D ahead of the competition in 2014.

Best Pro Collection*

In 2013-14, the Los Angeles Lakers’ faithful didn’t have all that much to celebrate but thanks to Nick Young’s keen on-court fashion focus, there was plenty to distract or discuss (depending on your view). He wore everything from Air Jordan classics (II’s; III’s, XI’s) to more contemporary Jordan Brand styles (5Lab3’s). He laced up various Foamposites, dropped 40 points in a pair of Air Zoom Generations and debuted the NIKE Kobe 9 Elite (while it’s namesake was busy rehabbed his knee). Young provided the blog-o-sphere with oodles of content and even challenged teammate / fellow footwear connoisseur, Kendall Marshall to a collection off (with both trotting out retro gems and new-age grails). Young also made waves for switching up sneakers during halftime on Christmas Day when he traded his custom Purple Air Jordan XI’s for a pair of Chuttey Air Jordan XX’s. There was no confusing his emergence as the King of Kicks in 2014 and although his Lakers didn’t win much, they did collect lots of style points -- and in today’s Instagram world, that counts for something. Sadly, Swaggy P’s sneaker collection also made headlines for all the wrong reasons after it was revealed that in late March his Sherman Oaks home was broken into. According to reports, $100k worth of clothing, jewellery and shoes were stolen. As ESPN’s Dave McMenamin noted, Young was especially upset with the fact his Red October NIKE Air Yeezy 2’s were pilfered... now that’s a sneakerhead. Even though Young can afford to replace all his property, home invasion is no joke.

* Tip of the Hat to the Raptors’ trio of DeMar

DeRozan, Amir Johnson and Terrence Ross. They were 2013-14’s “Big Three” of on-court stylings.

In all, it was huge year for sneaker fiends, from the broader (beloved) NIKE Hyperposite range to the specific adidas Crazy 8 releases; from Stephen Curry kicking ass in Under Armour to the countless collaborations that clogged cupboards and shrunk bank balances. As for 2015, there’s the Air Jordan 30. Just as well you have this mag to keep you company while you camp out. Excluded: lebron xi.NIKE While this release might’ve gone bonkers at the box office, netting NIKE approx. $300 million in retails sales (according to various online sources) it didn’t properly fit James’ foot, forcing LeBron to abandon his own custom made shoe for an earlier model. Consumers clearly didn’t care and most sneaker bloggers are so in love with NIKE product that it didn’t matter to them either, proving once more that aesthetics trump performance.

36 NOTE:

Only releases before June 1, 2014, were considered.

basketballinsiders.com

KD VI

“What the...”

50 H

Top Event

ALL-STAR WEEKEND New Orleans. Feb. 15 - 17, 2014. EAS T.

F.C Carmelo Anthony. Knicks LeBron James. Heat Paul Geroge. Pacers B.C Dwyane Wade. Heat Kyrie Irving. Cavs WE S T.

F.C Kevin Love. Wolves Blake Griffin. Clippers Kevin Durant. Thunder B.C Kobe Bryant. Lakers (Inj.) Steph Curry. Warriors (1st)

New Orleans, Louisiana, was especially crowded in mid February because locals (and tourists) were all gearing up for Mardi Gras… and then the NBA brought it’s All-Star Weekend to town. So what’s usually a pretty insane three to five days turned into a massive city wide party that just had to be experienced to be believed. On the court, Friday night saw Andre Drummond collect the hardware for his handiwork during the Rising Stars Challenge but it was the cocky play of Dion Waiters and Tim Hardaway Jr., who exchanged triples like they were back on the playground, that had everyone talking deep into the morning. The East vs. West thematic was pushed to its limits on Saturday night while Damian Lillard participated in three of the four events (and he should’ve taken over emceeing duties too, given no one knew how to kill Nick Cannon’s zombie). The Dunk Competition was more pile of spilt Lego bricks than crescendo while the Three-point Shootout was genuinely exciting. The Shooting Stars event remained novel and if not for how the Skills Challenged concluded, the night might’ve been given a less than satisfactory grade. In the absence of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant took over as the primary option for the West during Sunday’s spectacle but in the end, it was the East squad who prevailed, 163 - 155.

Kyrie Irving walked away with M.V.P honors but it was the Wizard, John Wall, who won the weekend. Away from the hardwood, surviving the mountain climb is important because there’s simply no way to see or attend everything at All-Star -- and this was especially true in New Orleans given its reputation (party town) and the fact that every brand was in town. The NBA Cares All-Star Community Caravan was also in tow and continued its good work across the region with various participants and volunteers all lending a hand across four days and more than 35 projects. So while we wrote daily articles, edited countless photographs and transcribed stacks of interviews, we still found time to explore all that the Crescent City had to offer. Musical performances by noteworthy artists like Kendrick Lamar and Trombone Shorty were enjoyed, as were branded showings by Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. If there’s one thing we learnt during our short stay it was this: New Orleans, vibrant and culturally rich, has a flair all its own and it isn’t afraid to be itself. We now have a collection of original stories we’ll tell until we’re in the grave: From drinks with Drake and ladies who love to rump shake to freshly baked Beignets and lost nights on Bourbon Street that we’ll never forget.

38 basketballinsiders.com

2014 Award Winners 1

Rising Stars

Posted a 13-5-5 line in 30 mins.

3-Point Shootout 18 points. Failed to reach final.

All-Star Game Nine points (3-8 FG) in nine mins.

Skills Challenge Won the trophy by 0.1 seconds.

Dunk Contest Eliminated by Terrence Ross in Rd 2.

Dame’s All-Star Grade:

B+

H H H H H The first person to participate in five separate All-Star events, Damian Lillard was more visible than the NBA logo in New Orleans (en route to showing the world why adidas offered him that massive endorsement deal).

Back in 1979, the NBA forged a partnership with the Special Olympics to help introduce Basketball into their sporting agenda. In the years since, the NBA has been actively involved in providing awareness, participation, public service announcements and sponsorship to Special Olympics events and tournaments. When it comes to developing the platforms needed for all people to be able to enjoy the game, the NBA cares. At All-Star 2014, the extended NBA family, in conjunction with the Special Olympics, hosted a unique Sunday afternoon experience called the NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified Sports Basketball Game. Supported by The Coca-Cola Company and ESPN, the exhibition involved 12 special needs athletes and took place inside the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Jam Session’s Center Court. All-Star Stephen Curry and his dad, Dell, were both on hand to toss up the honorary jumpball before the actual contest got underway. Running alongside legends of game, including A.C. Green, Ron Harper, Detlef Schrempf and Dikembe Mutombo -- who’s also a Special Olympics International Board Member -- the 12 participants were also joined by current WNBA stars Tamika Catchings, Lindsey Harding, Ruth Riley and Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Elena Delle Donne. Michael Carter-Williams, Victor Oladipo, Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Trey Burke also made appearances as honorary coaches. Needless to say, hooping with those names was an experience that the respective players and their families will cherish for a long time. By combining athletes with and without intellectual disabilities, the exhibition demonstrated how inclusion creates an environment of acceptance -- a message the NBA and Special Olympics are keen to grow (and their partnership ensures that it will). Additionally, Special Olympics Global Ambassador Damian Lillard hosted his own NBA FIT clinic for 75 local special needs athletes, help them to also develop their hardwood skills.

39 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

HALL OF FAME

CLASS OF 2014 From the Women’s Committee: IMMACULATA UNIVERSITY [Team] From the North American Committee: ALONZO MOURNING [Player] NOLAN RICHARDSON [Coach] MITCH RICHMOND [Player] GARY WILLIAMS [Coach] From the ABA Committee: BOB LEONARD [Coach] From the Early African American Pioneers Committee: NATHANIEL “SWEETWATER” CLIFTON [Contributor] From the International Committee: SARUNAS MARCIULIONIS [Player] From the Veterans Committee: GUY RODGERS [Player] From the Contributor Direct Election Committee:

40 basketballinsiders.com

RetrospectivE

Takeaways from David Stern’s 30

YEARS AS NBA COMMISSIONER H

HH H

A New York City native who first graduated from Rutgers University and then the Columbia [University] Law School, David J. Stern helped bring the National Basketball Association to millions of fans all over the globe. Under his watch, the once rocky pro-hoops league was transformed into a global sports enterprise. As for Stern: the Commissioner, he appeared presidential at times, petty at others. Yet he always worked diligently for the 30 franchise owners (who buttered one side of the NBA’s bread) and by doing so, he was able to oversee the development a product that was highly watchable, wealthy and always welcomed. He might’ve allowed pro hoops to be hijacked from Seattle but he also helped it remain in Sacramento. Knowing were and when to draw the battle lines, Stern negotiated with media moguls as often as he wrestled with the Players Association but like any good leader, he let the economics of any given situation inform what needed to be front and center. Stern often drove a hard bargain but the NBA always prospered as a result. Influential, powerful, tactical, practical, controlling, David Stern was all of those things. He was also Santa Claus, who’s legendary “naughty or nice” list was complemented by his generous gift giving. By helping the NBA mutate from respectable sports league into a multibillion-dollar sports entertainment package, he redefined our expectations of “Commissioner” (surpassing Gotham City’s Lt. Gordon). In retrospect, his tenure wasn’t perfect but it was exactly what Basketball needed. This is how we’ll remember Stern... 41 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

Stern’s team developed the mid February All-Star Weekend and eventually turned it into a three day extravaganza.

30 Takeaways from David Stern’s

He worked with FIBA to allow NBA players to partake in Olympic competition. Thanks to Stern, the 1992 Dream Team went from fantasy to reality. And since the ‘92 Games, all international competition has been elevated.

Early on, Stern realised the power of television and steered his league into its path. Now advertisers piggy-back or link whenever they can because tens of millions of fans from over 215 countries and territories are tune in. Once limited to CBS, NBC or ABC scheduling, NBA footage now lives in most people’s pockets and is available on demand 24 / 7 (and often in your language of choice). Stern helped to make that a reality but it’s not a reality because of Stern -- He just understood the power of cable networks and cross-platform products, hence the landmark deals with broadcasters.

We’ll always have the Lockouts of 1999 and 2011. Retrospectively, the first labor stoppage hurt the NBA because there was no Michael Jordan around to mop up the mess while the second actually helped to create a new thirst for all things LeBron.

Stern helped the NBA become a bigger international force than American Football, Baseball and Ice Hockey. Playing Preand Regular season games in Europe and Asia, he allowed fans everywhere to experience the NBA.

X Stern helped create the Lottery (and happily became Draft night’s everything man).

Stern oversaw the inclusion of new franchises in Miami, Charlotte (1988), Orlando, Minnesota (1989), Toronto and Vancouver (1995). He also managed multiple relocations, like those to Sacramento (1985), Memphis (2001), New Orleans (2002), Oklahoma City (2008) and Brooklyn (2012). Interestingly, there was also Washington’s name change (to Wizards in ‘97) and Charlotte’s second life (2004).

Under his watch, foreign born players became major NBA forces. In just 20 years, the NBA quadrupled its number of foreign-born players. Now, nearly one in five is from outside the U.S.

O Stern effectively removed alcohol and drug abuse from the NBA system, culled on-court violence and once the internet was commonplace, he handed out bans or fines whenever and wherever policy was breached.

Under Stern’s watch, the NBA created a new professional league for women. Launched in 1997, the WNBA presented a new platform for future generations of girls to make Basketball a viable career.

Under Stern, NBA TV, NBA League Pass and NBA.com (in addition to a robust social media strategy) were developed. Some of it through necessity, most of it realized by forward thinking.

With Larry Bird and Magic Johnson already on heavy rotation and Michael Jordan about to drop his debut album, Stern took the NBA from tape delay to prime time. In tandem with the above, Stern made the most of the Celtics vs. Lakers bi-coastal rivalry; allowed the Bad Boy Pistons to temporarily takeover; milked everything from the Jordan powered Chicago Bulls threepeats; made all kinds of shrewd moves during the Shaq / Kobe Laker campaigns; approved Kevin Garnett’s move to Boston; celebrated the Tim Duncan x Gregg Popovich dynasty and gave the thumbs-up to the recent Miami Heatles experiment.

He not only welcomed the star-studded crop of Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Akeem Olajuwon and John Stockton, he introducing every cornerstone since: Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Len Bias (R.I.P), David Robinson, Shawn Kemp, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, etc. during his tenure at the lectern.

Stern welcomed African-American’s into Head Coaching, General Manager and Ownership roles! Before his term was over, there was even a U.S President (Barack Obama) whose favorite sport was hoops. The commish made sure race, gender and sexual orientation were never an issue -- consistent with his stances on salary cap limits, luxury taxes and revenue sharing.

42 basketballinsiders.com

30 YEARS AS NBA COMMISSIONER O

Never perfect, Stern’s Association did avoid Major League Baseball’s P.E.D scandal; outcry over concussions in the NFL and his sport never lost an entire season to disputes, unlike the NHL.

The NBA now generates approximately $5.5 billion annually with the average player salary hovering around $4 million. Context: 25 years ago, 3x M.V.P Larry Bird was paid just $1.8 million per season.

Sure, there’ll always be those who’ll want blood because... Stern had a hand in airbrushing Allen Iverson’s tattoos (from the cover of HOOP Magazine)… or because he implemented a dress code… or set an age limit… or gave nine players 146 games worth of suspensions because of their respective roles in The Malice at the Palace… or introduced the microfiber basketball… or canned Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton for their exploits in the Capital… or was caught napping while Tim Donaghy got himself embroiled in a mob-related gambling scandal… or never dealt with the one-sided foul count during the 2002 Western Conference Playoffs… or the way he vetoed the Chris Paul trade which has since turned the Clippers into contenders… or anything Donald Sterling related… sure, there’s all that and more but given the good heavily outweighs the bad, and the fact the NBA exists as part of an imperfect world, there’s reason for celebration here, not cause for crucifixion. Point being, Bill Walton once claimed, “David Stern is the single most important person in the history of Basketball”. Excluded Dr. James Naismith, he might be right.

X O With demand at an all-time high, Stern expanded the Playoffs to include four rounds of seven games.

Thanks to growing global demand, Stern took advantage of the times, be it through technology, the new media landscape or foreign markets.

X Three words: Collective. Bargaining. Agreement.

O Stern built a league strong enough to withstand Magic Johnson’s forced retirement (H.I.V) and Michael Jordan’s voluntary one (so he could chase diamond dreams).

Oddly, Stern made carrying the ball a big no-no but allowed for traveling.

Under Stern’s watch, franchise value increased significantly. No wonder Mark Cuban could afford all of those HQ issued fines, his Dallas Mavericks, purchased for $200 million in early 2000, had been flipped for $765 million just 13 years later.

Stern helped the NBA forge a unique partnership with China.

Stern was at the wheel when the NBA introduced its Cares initiative. Since, Cares has championed various youth and community based programs (like NBA Fit and Read to Achieve), as well as numerous other socially responsible projects. It’s not often talked about but Cares makes a tangible difference.

X Conspiracy theorists love to speculate about Stern’s hand in Michael Jordan’s first retirement (at the peak of his powers). Likewise, they love to believe the Commish controlled the Lottery order, specifically, he allowed Patrick Ewing to land in New York, LeBron to fall into Cleveland’s lap and Derrick Rose to reside in his hometown. He apparently rigged the Lottery for some but left many without a hope in hell. Right.

Wanting to avoid Major League Baseball’s two-tiered, rich vs. poor system and without the NFL’s revenue sharing scheme, Stern helped various small market franchises (in Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Portland, Sacramento and Salt Lake City) prosper while setting up safeguards -- think hard salary cap -- to help protect those owners.

He became part of the NBA family in 1966 before formally joined in 1978. On February 1, 1984, Stern was appointed Commissioner.

An article by Jeff Zillgitt for USA Today was used as research for this piece.

Officially retiring on February 1, 2014, after 30 years in the top job, 645 Fifth Ave. will never be the same without David J. Stern. 43

bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

W C D O U I D R P R O L T Z DYE N f i b a

20 14

by Nicolas Jungfer & Brad Graham

T @nickjungfer

THE 12 players we paid the mosT attention to during the Tourney. (10) (46) (08) (20) ( 11 ) (02)

(03) ( 16 ) (05) (34) ( 17 ) ( 41 )

(26) (39) ( 19 ) (07) ( 01 ) (45)

(15) (09) (04) (24) (13) ( 31 )

A Brazil Egypt France Iran Serbia Spain

B Argentina Croatia Greece Philippines Puerto Rico Senegal

C Dominican Republic Finland New Zealand Turkey United States Ukraine D Angola Australia Lithuania Mexico Slovenia South Korea

Spain August30-

September14

Top 20 FIBA ranked teams not participating in 2014: Russia ( 06) , China (12 ) , Germany (14 ) , Nigeria (18 ) .

Marc Gasol NBA: Memphis Grizzlies

C | Spain T @MarcGasol During the 2012-13 season, Grantland.com’s Zach Lowe wrote a thoughtful piece about Marc Gasol (the eventual NBA Defensive Player of the Year), noting: “I’m not sure there’s a larger gap between the level of nationwide fan appreciation for a player and the level of appreciation from coaches / scouts / league executives for that player than the gap for Gasol.” Point being, his imposing size and lumberjack beard makes Gasol an instantly recognisable figure but you’ll rarely find Marc appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter, trending on Twitter or hogging magazine covers. Yet ask a hardcore hoops fan and they’ll rave about the younger Gasol -- Memphis fans often do this until they’re blue in the face. His loveable, hardworking, no nonsense traits aside, Gasol’s solid mid-range game and elite playmaking abilities place him ahead of the competition. As a proposition, his mastery of Basketball is made all the more deadly when paired with his equally capable brother, Pau, a fellow high-low threat. Yet somehow, someway, the weight of expectation, the focus on the medal round (not the pathway) and the team’s sense of entitlement ended Spain’s dream of hoisting the World Cup. It’s no secret that Gasol is a defensive maestro who rarely swats the ball into the expensive seats but always protects the rim. Having earned his stripes in the NBA, the Spaniard continues to provide invaluable play to his national team and in 2014, the hosts, powered by Marc Gasol, were ultra keen to avenge their Olympic losses to Team USA. Along with his brother, Serge Ibaka, Jose Calderon, Rudy Fernandez, Juan-Carlos Navarro and Ricky Rubio, Marc Gasol had never been in a better position to help bring the Spanish empire back. Then their neighbors showed up and ruined the party.

2014 FIBA World Cup

Anthony Davis NBA: NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

P.F | U.S.A T @AntDavis23 The 2014 World Cup was sold as Anthony Davis’ coming out party long before Kevin Durant (endorsement issues), Kevin Love (contract issues) and Paul George (freak injury) all withdrew. At only 21 but no stranger to the national program -- Davis was included on the 2012 London Olympic team but was a seldom used, dunk-happy, 12th man -- A.D has transformed from unibrow to Unicron. Already playing at an [NBA] All-Star level -- many analysts have Davis third in line to the NBA’s throne behind LeBron James and K.D -- his rapid rise has allowed him to become one of the faces of USA basketball. Averaging 12.3 points with 2.1 blocks in just 20 minutes per, Davis patrolled the paint, rejected weak attempts, intimidated opposing teams, nailed his mid-range jumpers, finish hard in traffic and generally raised hell. Arguably Team USA’s most important player (with James Harden the most talented perimeter player) winning Gold rested largely on the Chicago native’s toned shoulders and he delivered. His ability to make shots out to 20 feet forced opposing defenders to chose between leaving the hoop (and risking getting blown by) or sending a faster, smaller man A.D’s way, albeit giving him an easier look. Davis’ athleticism, height, defensive instincts and inspector gadget arms meant no one was ever safe. Think about it, he was able to prevent NBA All-Stars from getting theirs, set loose on the World, it’s no wonder he wreaked havoc against inferior foes.

Jonas Valanciunas NBA: TORONTO RAPTORS

C | Lithuania T @JValanciunas Following in the footsteps of Arvydas Sabonis and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jonas Valanciunas appears destined to become the next great Lithuanian big and in Spain, he produced when it mattered most, tallying team-highs in points (14.4), boards (8.4) and efficiency (19.8). Although Lithuania lost their Bronze medal match to France [by a single basket], J.V contributed 25 and nine, helping the Euro powerhouse to a fourth place finish and giving them real optimism for the Brazil 2016 Olympics. With elite athleticism and charity stripe accuracy (for a man his size), Valanciunas is a rare find, like a dropped iPhone without a cracked screen. His 7-6 wingspan makes Jay Bilas hyperventilate while his strength and leaping ability allows Valanciunas to be the kind of finisher coaches dream of. Conversely, those same attributes make him as hard to beat on the less glamorous end. Having burst onto the scene at the 2011 U19 Championships (where he averaged 23.0 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in 31 minutes per), Valanciunas netted 36 points in the final, earning him Tournament MVP honors and Lithuania the Gold medal. Promoted to the senior side for the 2012 London Olympics (in a reduced role as he adjusted to the speed at the highest level), the experience was priceless for the young man. basketballinsiders.com

2014 FIBA World Cup

Tiago Splitter

Giannis Antetokounmpo

NBA: SAN ANTONIO SPURS

C | BRAZIL T @tiagosplitter Brazil was ranked 9th by FIBA coming into the tourney and finished sixth, so no matter how you slice it, 2014 was a National Team success. We kept a close eye on Splitter’s game (and boxscores) throughout the World Cup and although fellow pivots Nene Hillario and Anderson Varejao, as well as guard Leandrinho Barbosa remain sexier players, Splitter helped Ruben Magnano’s squad at both ends. He played his specified role to a tee, collecting 6.4 rebounds per game (second on the team to Varejao) and set his share of iron wall picks while creating lanes / opportunities for his guards and forward Marquinhos Vieira. Caring little for traditional low-post play, Splitter thrived on the elbow -- where he hit the midrange shot, got to the basket in one stride and worked the high-low set with his fellow bigs. His mobility and unselfish nature were exactly what the doctor ordered for the South Americans and without LeBron James around to deny him at the rim -- an enduring 2013 Finals image -- Brasil’s center(piece) was able to assist his squad improve on their 5th placed London Olympic finish.

Once tagged as the future of New Zealand Basketball but now a national team veteran, the 27-year-old Abercrombie is at the peak of his hoop powers. Only problem for the Kiwi’s? Abercrombie isn’t the overall offensive ace that Kirk Penney is. That doesn’t mean he can’t score -- his 22 points in N.Z’s second pool game was proof of his ability -- it’s just he’s inconstant when the Tall Blacks need him to be a takeover artist. A key component of the New Zealand Breakers’ recent three-peat (2011 - 2013), Abercrombie is a marquee player Down Under and he’s now being treated like one, thanks to the newly introduced rule that allows [Aus.] NBL clubs to sign one player outside of their salary cap to halt an exodus of top talent from chasing more lucrative deals overseas. While there’ll always be a need for Abercrombie’s services -- he has a tendency to be on the receiving end of alley-oops -his struggles, mainly to absorb contact and finish in traffic, prevent him from ever making mega dollars in Europe and possibly the NBA. Still, as the Tall Blacks’ jack-in-the-box, Abercrombie gives N.Z fans hope, especially once NBAbased big-man Steven Adams is available and healthy.

T @tomabo10

Thomas Abercrombie NBL: NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS

S.F | NEW ZEALAND

bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

NBA: Milwaukee BUCKS

s.f | GREECE T @G_ante34 The Greek Freak stands at 6’11 (and growing), possess a 7-3 wingspan, enormous hands and is equipped with a Guard’s game. In short, Antetokounmpo has all the tools to do big things on a Basketball court. Containing the 19-year-old Small Forward was a scary proposition before the World Cup tipped off but given he was primarily used as a reserve, Greece’s Fotis Katsikaris let many defenders off the hook. Less than two years ago, Antetokounmpo was playing in small, empty gyms in the Greek second division with only a relatively small number of scouts knowing about his potential, and even those well informed parties had concerns. Fast forward 18 months and Antetokounmpo is being touted as the future of the Milwaukee Bucks (following a rookie campaign that included averages of 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, two assists and just under a block and steal per in just 24 minutes of action). Playing a crucial role in the Greek defence, Antetokounmpo’s size and speed saw him guard multiple positions, disrupt shots and close passing lanes. NBA TV’s Tas Melas once jokingly held a measuring tape alongside Antetokounmpo during their interview (just to make sure he wasn’t growing by the minute). But the 2014 tournament was another kind of measuring stick for the Greek Freak, one that solidified his place among the world’s best young talents.

Despite being the first Iranian born player to earn an NBA gig, Hamed Haddadi remains a relatively unknown product to most folks. His solid showing with Phoenix in 201213 encored his four and a half years in Memphis but a roster rebuild saw the Suns let the towering Haddadi go. Having since taken his evolving postgame back to the Iranian Super League, Haddadi remains a rare gem and not just because he’s keen on establishing his homeland as a hoops hotbed. While Haddadi and Iran have dominated the recent Asian Championships (winning 3 out of the last 4 tournaments in 2007, ‘09 and ‘13 respectively), they’re yet to see their successes translate to the bigger stage. Iran is quietly establishing itself as a regional power but that zone isn’t close to being a global threat. Even with Haddadi playing the role of Hulk, the 20th ranked outfit weren’t able to amend their recent failings. Bounced in the pool stage, the Islamic nation did see their leader contribute a team high 18.8 points (sixth best for the tourney) with 11.4 board (second), so while he’ll continue to be Iran’s emotional and spiritual guide, as well as their best player, his supporting cast clearly needs to be upgraded, and fast.

T @hamedHaddadi15

Hamed Haddadi Iran superleague: Mahram Tehran

c | iran 47

2014 FIBA World Cup It was easy to nerd out on Goran Dragic’s NBA stats. He did, after all, average 20.3 points on 51-41-76 shooting splits, coupled with 5.9 assists, 1.4 steals and a top 15 Player Efficiency Rating: 21.43 (min. 60 games played) in Jeff Hornacek’s turbo charged Phoenix attack. After earning a spot on the All-NBA Third Team, Dragic naturally became the center of attention for NBA fans who knew little about the Slovenian squad. Additionally, after the 2013-14 NBA season became the Year of the Dragon, pundits were optimistic FIBA’s zodiac would see a similar outcome shine in the Spanish sky. Much like he did on the NBA timber, Dragic treated FIBA’s courts like his personal playground. In fact, it was safe to call him Bart Simpson because the painted area was like Principal Skinner’s office -- he was always seen there. His aggressive drives, southpaw finishes, herky-jerky hesitation moves, unsettling display of body contortions and general magnetic appeal -mixing ferociousness with craftiness -- were all on full display in Spain. Along with his brother Zoran (who has since signed with the Suns), the Dragon helped Slovenia blitz through the pool round before a date with Team USA’s combined might boxed his powres. Still, Dragic posted averages of 16 points (55% shooting) and four dimes per and there’s every reason to believe he will return an even fiercer fire breather.

T @Goran_Dragic

Goran Dragic

Boris Diaw

NBA: PHOENIX SUNS

NBA: SAN ANTONIO SPURS

P.G | SLOVENIA

P.F | FRANCE T @theborisdiaw Even without Tony Parker, who earned a well-deserved rest after guiding France to that Euro title in-between playing in back-to-back NBA campaigns (of 100 games), Les Bleus’ weren’t acking in NBA talent, especially with Boris Diaw still carrying that NBA title glow. However, because Diaw didn’t have the luxury of San Antonio’s engineering, his individual stats weren’t off-the-charts good (in pool play) but he did manage to produce when it mattered most, vs. Lithuania for the Bronze: 15 points, four assists. After France toppled Spain -- with France’s most versatile and important weapon pouring in a 15-5-3 line -- the entire tournament became a free-for-all and the walking mismatch will be remembered as the catalyst. Able to burn big-men outside and slice up smaller guys on the post, Diaw was a classic triple threat throughout. Additionally, without Parker around to run the show, France became extra reliant on Diaw’s surprising bursts of speed, swiss army knife skill set and crafty decision making. Head Coach Vincent Collet rightfully played Diaw big minutes in the knockout round and France medalled as a result. Now 32years-old, Diaw has gone from “that washed up guy on those awful Bobcats” to “disruptive force that should never be underestimated”.

Gustavo Ayon EURO LEAGUE: REAL MADRID

C | MEXICO

A dominant international force since before his voice broke, the now 20-year-old Power Forward (and the future member of the Philadelphia 76ers) joined Dante Exum as the event’s most coveted foreign talent turned NBA prospect. Unlike Exum, Saric was worth the wait. Able to parade around at the senior level, the Croatian sensation scored the second most points and recorded the second highest rebound count per for his team. For those unaware of the child prodigy, Saric first kicked his fair share of ass during the 2010 European Under 16 Championships. Not only did he capture Gold for Croatia (en route to being named M.V.P), he finished first in points (24.3) and rebounds (11.5) but couldn’t complete the trifecta, ending the event two tenths shy of also leading the tournament in assists per game (5.8). Capable but still a work in progress, Saric showed us in Spain that he’s able to fight bigger players in the post and outsmart quicker defenders on the wing. He also busts his ass on cuts, so while effort often goes unrewarded, it is necessary for success. In Spain, Saric showed us he’s a gamer who could quickly become a serious NBA threat. The Jordan Brand sponsored Checkerboard’s might’ve narrowly lost to France but they were impressive.

Dario Saric NBA: PHILADELPHIA 76ers

P. F | CROATIA T @AyonGustavo

Keen to show the Mexicans weren’t just in town to make up the numbers, Sergio Valdeolmillo’s squad -- powered by Gustavo Ayon and Jorge Gutierrez (of the Brooklyn Nets) -- wanted to turn their first World Cup appearance in 40 years into a Cinderella story. While the fairytale finish never crystallized, Ayon was an individual standout, pacing the Red, White and Green in efficiency (19.2), points (17.6) and rebounds (7.6). In fact, he was so stellar that Spain’s domestic powerhouse, Real Madrid offered the pivot a contract (which he accepted). For those unaware of Ayon’s exploits, here’s a quick history lesson: After first committing to San Jose State University, Ayon instead elected to remain in his native Mexico where he eventually lead Halcones UV Xalapa to back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009 -- snow capping his Mexican league career with a 24 point, 20 rebound championship winning performance. After a stopover in Spain’s Liga ACB, Ayon earned himself a three year contract with the New Orleans Hornets. As a 26-year-old rookie, the hard-working big showed plenty of promise in the Big Easy but was later traded to Orlando as part of the Ryan Anderson deal. In mid 2013, he signed with Atlanta and remained with the Birds of Prey until 2014. A tip in junkie, Ayon always plays smart paintball, often taking the highest percentage shot available. His skill was on full display in the 2013 FIBA Americas champions, where Mexico defeated Puerto Rico behind his 17 point, nine rebound showing. Then, three weeks before Mexico traveled to Spain, the 2013 FIBA Americas Tournament MVP broke Puerto Rico’s heart again, this time at Centrobasket, bouncing back from shoulder surgery to drop a championship winning 16 points with 16 rebounds in his hometown of Tepi.

48 basketballinsiders.com

2014 FIBA World Cup

Dante Exum NBA: UTAH JAZZ

P.G | Australia T @daanteee

Women’s World Cup Host: turkey

winner: u.s.a Over on the Women’s side, their World Cup -- Sep. 27 to Oct. 5 -- actually featured the Men’s version of a dream Gold medal match as Spain tried to take down the U.S.A. However, the finale ended up being a no contest as Geno Auriemma’s team crushed their opponents for all the reason’s no one could keep pace with their male counterparts. Maya Moore, our 2014 [Female] Baller of the Year, tallied 18 points with four rebounds in the final clash en route to posting the event’s fifth highest PPG, despite playing limited minutes. She was subsequently named to the World Cup Five where Moore was joined by Brittney Griner, Australia’s Penny Taylor and the Spanish duo of Alba Torrens and Sancho Lyttle. And although the U.S easily captured Gold, their Semi-final match with Australia was worth the price of admission. A 12 point victory for Team USA forced the Opals to settle for Bronze (which they easily collected by blowing out hosts Turkey). bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

Once dubbed ‘The International Man of Mystery’ (because so few experts had seen him perform, minus a few grainy YouTube clips and stories from the Nike Hoop Summit invitational -- a realisation made all the more interesting given the world lives under the digital cloud with unprecedented connectivity), Dante Exum was presented as Australia’s version of Michael Carter-Williams but the FIBA Tournament exposed everyone’s worst fears: he’s an undercooked steak, not a slice of young Kobe beef. Clocking just 12.5 mpg (second fewest on the Boomers), Exum was an afterthought, especially once Joe Ingles stole the spotlight, subsequently playing his way to an NBA contract. A lot was made about Exum’s 2013 Under 19 World Champs showing -- 18.2 ppg, 3.8 apt and 1.7 spg -- and his spot on the All-Star Five but after 2014’s performance, he’ll have his work cut out for him. Utah Jazz fans might’ve tried to talk themselves into Exum but it’s hard to ignore the fact he was fourth on the Boomers’ backcourt hierarchy. A boy amongst men -- with Head Coach Andrej Lemanis opting for Matthew Dellavedova at point, and who knows, if not for the injury to Patty Mills, there’s no proof Exum would’ve qualified for the squad -- Exum was expected to make an impact and display his full skill set, instead, the ideal platform was too much pressure for the 19-year-old musician. Blame inflated expectation or the hype machine but neither of those things off-sets what happened: Exum isn’t a fully realised product yet. So while Rudy Gobert (France), Isaac Fotu (New Zealand), Kyrie Irving (USA), Lee Jonghyun (Korea) and Yanick Moreira (Angola) all showed youthfulness isn’t an excuse, Exum remains a traditional understudy. Still a liability on defence, especially in pick and roll situations, Exum needs to use every ounce of his hoops IQ to make sure his incredibly bright future is realized. Working in Exum’s favor, conversation about the Boomers largely centered around Goran Dragic’s (and others) overtly critical views on Australia’s decision to rest its starters during the final group game against Angola (to hopefully avoid facing the USA early in the elimination round). In the end, that didn’t matter because the Boomers’ defence didn’t account for Emir Preldzic whose triple late in the game effectively ended their campaign, rendering their strategic loss null and void. Men’s tournament takeaway: No tectonic shifts. The sport is clearly global but interest in Basketball is skewed towards its real ceiling: the NBA. So while a number of countries continue to produce top talent, the governing body’s quadrennial (senior) event doesn’t capture imaginations like the slickly produced American product.

THE FUTURE OF BOOMER BASKETBALL Dante Exum, Cameron Bairstow and the Kids of Tomorrow. by Olgun Uluc

(of AUS BBALL Prospects)

& Damian Arsenis

It made international headlines when Dante Exum declared for the 2014 NBA Draft, befitting his recent status as a next generation, franchise leading, Point Guard. The commonly held view among experts was that Exum, a 6-6 guard out of Melbourne, would be a Top 5 NBA Draft pick. The Utah Jazz snapped him up at No. 4. Consensus of opinion that ‘03 was the last class featuring so many potential stars, makes this transcendent talent’s expected lottery placing all the more significant and prestigious. Despite being an unknown quantity, the confidence held in Exum to live up to his potential is enormous. So great, in fact, that he landed a multi-million dollar endorsement deal before playing a single second in the NBA, or the NCAA for that matter. College was a stepping stone he chose to forego, thus denying NBA scouts and G.M’s the opportunity to analyze his game amidst the pressure filled atmosphere of March Madness. However, Exum has already proven himself against his peers on the international stage, first in 2012, as a member of Australia’s U17 National Team and then in 2013, at the U19 FIBA World Championships (as well as various sportswear sponsored exhibitions -- Nike Hoops Summit and adidas Nations). Joining Exum at the NBA pre-Draft Combine, was fellow Aussie Cameron Bairstow, a 6’9 bruiser from Brisbane who averaged a Mountain West best 20 points with seven rebounds in his final year with New Mexico. Only 60 NBA Draft-eligible players were invited to the event, based on voting by NBA teams, thus it was likely Bairstow would sneak onto a roster as a late second rounder. He eventually landed with the Chicago Bulls. Other Australian prospects making a name for themselves include: Jonah Bolden (2014) Ben Simmons, Deng Adel (2015), Thon Maker and Isaac Humphries (2016).

Aussies in the NBA: 2013-14 Season Review

}

by Michael Tozer & Dean Zardo

pickandroll.com.au

/pickandrollau @picknrollau

}

f T

For the Australian born players in the NBA this past season has been, collectively, the most successful in many years, with almost everybody either exceeding expectations or over achieving in some way. Matthew Dellavedova’s shot at an NBA career came via a Summer League workout with Cleveland. The Maryborough-raised, St Mary’s college-educated, Point Guard made the most of his opportunity, as the big names around him fell due to poor form or injuries. His unrelenting effort and trademark intensity [at both ends] meant the undrafted Aussie had, arguably, the biggest impact of any Cleveland rookie -- and that included the top overall pick, Anthony Bennett. Dellavedova played in 73 of a possible 82 games, including four as a starter. He stepped up to admirably fill the void when Kyrie Irving battled injury, with his defensive assignments varying from back-ups to Dwayne Wade. His most memorable game was a buzzer-beating win against the Detroit Pistons in late March, where Delly scored a team and career-high 21 points off the bench. He also dished out 10 or more assists three times. Despite all his good work, Delly ended the season in a similar position to which it began: the fourth guard on a team dependent on the three names ahead of him. And now that LeBron James and is back in town, Delly

only needs to impress at practice and the King will be singing his praises. Patty Mills, a comparative veteran, headed into his 5th NBA season needing to show that he belonged. Mills took his game to a whole new level, adding plenty of scoring and energy off the bench for the NBA-best Spurs. Mills’ fitness and decision-making was a priority over the offseason and had improved dramatically. He won over Gregg Popovich, leading to a significant increase in meaningful minutes and being put in positions that allowed for much greater influence during regular season outings which gave Pop the confidence to play him throughout the Playoffs and eventually the 2014 Finals. Meanwhile, Mills’ teammate and fellow Aussie Aron Baynes, struggled to cement his spot in the rotation, leaving him in a similar position to that of Mills in 2013. However, his strong showing in Spain at the FIBA World Cup regenerated interest in his services. Unlike the previously mentioned Aussies, Andrew Bogut had already established himself in the U.S. Golden State’s defensive anchor will be welcomed back after their middle man posted 7.3 points with 10 rebounds per game in 2013-14, numbers he’ll be looking to improve now that Steve Kerr is in charge. Vital to the Warriors’ system, Bogut can cover for both David Lee and Steph Curry.

basketballinsiders.com

2014 WORLD CUP RECAP

U.S.A (Gold) Serbia (Silver) France (Bronze)

FIBA’s flagship event, the artist formerly known as the World Championships, doesn’t seem to ignite fan or media interest quite like the NBA’s season or that other quadrennial showcase: the Summer Olympics. The reasons why are best left for another article.* Hosted by the Spanish Basketball Federation (on custom made courts in Barcelona, Bilbao, Granada, Gran Canaria, Madrid and Sevilla), FIBA’s 2014 event -- Aug. 30 to Sep. 14 -- comprised of 24 squads from the respective five qualifying regions: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania. Entering 2014’s World Cup, the former Yugoslavia had claimed Gold five times (from the previous 16 tournaments) but without needing to break a sweat, Team U.S.A eventually walked way with an equal number of event triumphs. Speaking of the U.S, their road to Spain was full of hairpin turns, tyre changers and fuel stops. Even though Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge all announced they’d be unable to participate, team manager Jerry Colangelo didn’t fret. Then Blake Griffin removed himself from consideration while Kevin Love opted out to protect his NBA value (despite promising he’d be a major component of Mike Krzyzewski’s 2014 attack). With those five unavailable, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Anthony Davis and Derrick Rose were left to absorb the pressure. Then the Indiana Pacers’ dynamo suffered that devastating compound leg fracture (after trying to chase down a James Harden lay-up) during the final few minutes of Team USA’s Aug. 1 intrasquad exhibition match. Suddenly, doubt washed over those in the program. P.G’s injury brought Mark Cuban’s worst fears into sharp focus. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Kevin Durant bailed. Citing exhaustion (mental and physical), K.D’s departure appeared to have more to do with his expiring NIKE contract -- Team USA’s primary partner -- than his ability to remain productive on the court. Regardless of rhyme or reason, the loss of Durant forced a rethink. Attention then shifted to the renovated starting five: Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry (Guards), James Harden, Kenneth Faried (Forwards) and Anthony Davis (Center), with Derrick Rose earmarked as “Sixth man”. That meant 10 players: DeMarcus Cousins, Mason Plumlee, Andre Drummond, Damian Lillard, DeMar DeRozan, Klay Thompson, Chandler Parsons, Gordon Hayward, Kyle Korver and (late call-up) Rudy Gay, rumbled over the remaining six spots. As GQ.com’s Dennis Tang wrote, “for the first time in a generation, American international basketball might not be a cynical exercise in preordained victory: It might be a real, honest-to-god dogfight.” While that proved to be untrue, the drama of building a makeshift line-up did generate conversation before it was decided that size was the best option to combat the Spanish. Grantland.com’s Zach Lowe would later write, “one cold shooting half makes any Team USA game interesting” but it was the host’s who would eventually discover that ball don’t lie. After impressing Coach K and co., Andre Drummond was added to the roster while the other five spots went to Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan (Guards), Rudy Gay, DeMarcus Cousins (Forwards) and Mason Plumlee (Center). Small ball, which had served the U.S so well since 2010, had been abandoned in favour of interior strength. The selection of NBA castaway Rudy Gay surprised many but with no K.D or Paul George, he was a necessary addition and one that was supposed to limit James Harden from playing solo ball should things get tight. The biggest omission however was Damian Lillard, who many perceived to be a better closer and more accomplished NBA player than Kyrie Irving. However Irving is a favorite with the selection committee, a worry-free personality, NIKE’s guy and he served as the face of a major Jeep x Team USA campaign. More so, he was the eventual tournament’s M.V.P and named to the Tournament five (alongside Kenneth Faried, Pau Gasol, Nicolas Batum and Serbia’s Milos Teodosic). Point, Colangelo. Keen to defend their national pride because the fear, as always, is a repeat of Indianapolis 2002 (where the USA finished an embarrassing sixth despite being event hosts). But just as the K.D led squad did in 2010, the so-called USA B-Team turned 2014’s tourney into a reminder about who’s boss. Heading into the knockout stage, Spain was a slight favorite ahead of Team USA thanks to their home court advantage, perfect pool play (5-0) and total in-game domination (average margin of victory: 25 points). After Spain was upset by the current Eurobasket champs, France, the World Cup’s two horse race was turned into a one-trick pony event. So set on avenging their 2008 and 2012 Olympic defeats [to the USA], Spain forget to take care of their other business. If there was lacklustre attention State side before the event, suddenly crickets could be heard across the atlantic. In the end, Mike Krzyzewski’s crew slaughtered everyone. They were too quick, too athletics, too skilled and just too talented. Their dominance on the glass created countless lethal fastbreak opportunities. The bloodbath left in Spain had many scrambling for answers while deepening the divided between the Team NBA and those battling for the other podium spots. The U.S’s World Cup win marked the first time any nation has won four consecutive combined tournaments (Olympics and World Cups). By steamrolling their way to Gold -- winning margin greater than 20 -- Team USA showed that it doesn’t matter what percentage of a nations line-up is made up of NBA experienced talent because their roster is always 100% NBA. Not helping matters, the hosts were seduced, poisoned and later dumped in the river by the French. With Spain out of the way, Team USA -- complete with the tournament’s youngest roster -- moonwalked their way to victory. Spain’s meltdown was unfortunate while Serbia’s place in the Gold medal match offered genuine surprise (after they enforced austerity on Greece, waxed Brazil and souffléd the French).

What is worth stating here is this: SI.com, via figures released by Twitter, reported that FIBA’s 2014 World Cup generated over 4.3 million tweets during the two-week tournament. However impressive that may appear to be, it doesn’t bode well given FIFA World Cup saw 672 million tweets shared during its showcase. The discrepancy raises questions about the Basketball’s perceived vs. actual global standing and whether or not the FIBA Tournament is able to resonate with hoop-heads the way that the NBA Playoffs, NCAA March Madness and Olympic Basketball does. Having it’s own tournament is important but it’s probably not essential for FIBA to exhaust resources at the senior level. That, or Olympic competition should be limited to amateur participants to redirect attention towards the FIBA run event... but given how advantageous I.O.C competition is, it’s unlikely we’ll see any major shake-up soon. bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

Basketball Health Care provider. LLC.

HEADLINE: SPECIALIST: League: INTRO:

Roster Diagnosis B rad Graham

Pro., National Basketball Association

D.o.i:

October, 2014

After the way-too-long-but-it’s-always-missed-the-second-it’sover 82 game schedule, subsequent Playoffs and June Finals, conversation quickly shifts towards the promise of the Draft and buzz infused free agency session (the NBA’s new digital currency). Not helping matters, social media’s restlessness and appetite for all things speculation has created a heightened sense of urgency (heavily help by the 2011 C.B.A) while also giving front offices a way to measure temperature. So while August and September offer slower news months, being a seasonal Basketball enthusiast has essentially turned into a 24/7 gig. And ever since the Summer of 2010, there has been an expectation that a number of teams will make major moves as the respective box-office draw cards treat free agency like speed dating. Meanwhile, a growing number of coaches will be fired, hired, put on the hot seat or given cushy commentator jobs... and as for the 30 General Managers, well, they have the unenviable task of balancing ownership’s spending desires with roster requirements -- a process based on bias, inexact measurements, scouting reports and success inside a vacuum. Still, the various transactions, acquisitions and athlete moves now play out in real time (but lets be honest, after a while, it all starts sounding like real estate chatter or stock market talk because that’s exactly what shorter contracts and higher player movement creates: more ups and downs). So while there’ll always be a separation between legit contenders and Playoff impostors, not to mention mediocre marauders and those seduced by the lottery temptress, not every franchise has the same problem, thus it’s impossible to prescribe a one-size-fitsall cure. With that in mind, lets examine the health of each team... And when you’re done, seek out a second opinion.

Each teams power bar was created using a very scientific formula, i.e: player stats + team importance + our expert opinion... these weren’t weighted in equal portions either. Each power bar was built based on the given franchise’s starting unit (Center to Point Guard) with their respective back-ups either assigned a “standard” or “added” value weight according to their previous production in a supporting role.

EAST

AT LAN T I C .

2014 DIAGNOSIS Fans north of the border were given plenty to be excited about once G.M Masai Ujiri sent Rudy Gay (and the $19.3 million owed to him) west to Sacramento. That shrewd move allowed DeMar DeRozan to blossom into an All-Star -- the team’s first since Chris Bosh -- while posting 23-4-4 averages. It also didn’t hurt that Terrence Ross showed flashes of brilliance while Jonas Valanciunas gained confidence. But if you wanna talk Raptors it’s best to center discussion around Kyle Lowry’s steady hand (18-5-7), Amir Johnson’s criminally underrated play and the postGay line-up shuffle -- which subsequently led to a timeless piece of YouTubage. However, as the Raps faithful learned, you can’t lint roll away all your problems. Toronto might’ve been a Lowry lay-up away from advancing but their Game 7 home loss will linger until they can show it was the exception, not the rule.

TOR Surgery needed

Elective, Microsurgery. The Raptors need to clear scar tissue and strengthen their wrists (which’ll help them better hold on in close games).

KYLE LOWRY P.G | No.7 | RAPTORS Having finally found a home where he’s free to be the man of the house, Lowry is not only Toronto’s most complete player, he’s their spiritual leader too. This of course means the P.G now has to deliver, especially because he’s the franchise’s bread winner. If he can close games, keep his turnovers down and shooting percentages high, while also reinventing himself as Toronto’s Allen Iverson, instead of their Stephon Marbury or Steve Francis, he’ll become an All-Star.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

vs. Boston (March 28, 2014). The two-point win secured Toronto’s first Playoff berth since 2008.

The Canadian dinosaurs are hellbent on making a comeback and finally appear ready to be the Jurassic Park remake (after years as Jurassic Park III).

2014 VITALS Rec o rd

48-34

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t 2014 Al l -Stars

.585 +14 1

R an k ( E ) Team O M .V.P

3 13

Rank (L) Te a m D

11 7

Kyle Lowry

the SPECIALIST SAYS... The Irving-Waiters and Wall-Beal pairings can argue all they like about “best (starting) back-court in the East” but they’re essentially fighting over the Silver medal because the Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan duo is the better partnership, at least according to Sports Illustrated’s Top NBA Player rankings who have Lowry (30) and DeRozan (61) ahead of Deron Williams (45) and Joe Johnson (51) with Wall (31) and Beal (76) at Bronze. FYI: Kyrie was 21st, Dion Waiters wasn’t even in their Top 100. So there’s that.

2015 POWER BAR LOWRY VASQUEZ

P.G

D e Rozan WILLIAMS

S.G

ROSS FIELDS

JOHNSON PATTERSON

S.F

P.F

VALANCIUS HAYES

EAST

Health Class

BOS Surgery needed

Emergency, Reconstructive. Danny Ainge drove the bus through a stop sign which resulted in the need for major surgery.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

For Boston fans, the 2013-14 campaign will be remembered as the franchise’s first without the long serving Paul Pierce. While the absence of Kevin Garnett also mattered, it was The Truth’s departure that signalled (to all) this franchise was done title chasing -- for now -- ushering in a new Dark Age. During the year, Gerald Wallace spoke out often and was fined for his candour; Rajon Rondo returned but was more Jade Fox than Jedi; Brad Stevens showed he could hold his own on the sideline even though Team President Danny Ainge tied his hands behind his back, and as for Boston’s best player, Jeff Green, well, he was inconsistently awesome and reliably average, proving once again he’s better than your standard NBA Forward but not quite an All-Star.

Despite their imposing payroll, the stacked Nets were actually better off without All-Star big-man Brook Lopez (winning 34 of 50 games in early 2014). With Kevin Garnett and Andrei Kirilenko unable to beat father time, and Paul Pierce struggling to play without stepping on everyone’s (okay, just Joe Johnson’s) toes, rookie coach Jason Kidd gambled on extended phases of small ball and received big returns. Helping matters: Shaun Livingston found his groove, Deron Williams didn’t try and do too much, Joe Johnson did just enough, Pierce was refurbished as a Stretch 4 and Mason Plumlee was the perfect middle man. Even if he did deliberately knock a cup onto the court or force Lawrence Frank to work the phone lines instead of the sidelines, J-Kidd survived all the scrutiny before salvaging what could’ve been a total train-wreck.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

@ Miami (Nov. 9, 2013). Jeff Green’s incredible baseline triple at the buzzer was a rare bright spot.

BKN Surgery needed

Elective, Cosmestic. Brooklyn has an aging roster and as a result, they’re not as attractive as their New York cousins.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

After severing several limbs, Boston diehards hope that whatever new prosthetics are added they return the body to full function soon.

@ Miami (Mar. 12, 2014). Classic Playoff preamble.

BK were a $100,000,000 haunted house, complete with guys dressed as ghosts, skeletons and monsters… but their fans loved the roller-coaster like experience.

2014 VITALS Re c ord

25-57

Win%

Improvem ent 2014 Al l- Stars

.305 -16 0

2014 VITALS

R a nk (E)

R a nk (L )

Tea m O

Tea m D

M .V.P

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

Rec o rd

44-38

Jeff Green

Wi n %

.537

Imp rovemen t

-5

2014 Al l -Stars

R an k ( E ) Team O M .V.P

R an k ( L )

Team D

Joe Johnson

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

Adding Marcus Smart (via the 2014 Draft) only confused matters in Boston and what happens next with Rajon Rondo is anyone’s guess. This team remains a mess, is lacking in true fire (and star) power and missing out on the Wiggins-Embiid-Parker sweepstakes hurt. Danny Ainge will again have his work cut out for him in 2015. Still, Boston may surprise -- not a safe bet -- but their biggest challenge will be staying above water, aka .500.

Addition through subtraction. Lionel Hollins is an upgrade over Jason Kidd (on the sideline) while letting Paul Pierce sign with Washington may actual be helpful because it’ll free up shots for everyone else (don’t say we never think about you, Joe Johnson). Banking on Kevin Garnett becoming more productive (as a starter) is a gamble but so long as the bi-polar Nets remain injury free, the herringbone points to them being back in the Post-season... just don’t expect much more.

2015 POWER BAR

RONDO SMART

P.G

BRADLEY THORTON

S.G

GREEN WALLACE

S.F

BASS SULLINGER

P.F

ZELLER OLYNYK

WILLIAMS JACK

P.G

JOHNSON ANDERSON

S.G

KIRILENKO BOGDANOVIC

S.F

GARNETT TELETOVIC

P.F

LOPEZ PLUMLEE

54 basketballinsiders.com

Health Class

NYK Surgery needed

Semi-elective, cardiac The blocked arteries inside N.Y.C persist but with a change in diet, surgery can be avoided.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

On paper, the Knicks’ ball-hoggery and awful defence wasn’t Mike Woodson’s fault. On paper, James Dolan’s spending and general lunacy was justified. On paper, adding Andrea Bargnini to a mixture already featuring the chemicals Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith was a smart choice. On paper, messing around in-game by untying an opponents shoelaces will be brushed off as playful. On paper, limiting Phil Jackson’s effectiveness by not creating any salary cap flexibility won’t upset the Zen Master. On paper, Raymond Felton is capable of running a specialty offence. On paper, Carmelo Anthony had every right to make it all about his bank balance. On paper, Amar’e Stoudemire had every right to say that “on paper, we might be the best team in the league.” The good news for those who love the Blue and Orange? The future is bright, on paper.

After defying the experts and opening their 2013-14 campaign with an anti-tank missile launcher, the Sixers quickly ran out of ammo, lost their ability to maintain heavy artillery and opted to load-up on water pistols. Michael Carter-Williams was a nice surprise, at first, opening his season with an eye-popping 22-7-12-9 line (vs. the 2x champs) but not even his classic play could save Philly who, from a front office standpoint, decided they’d rather lose today and hope the Basketball Gods answer all their prays tomorrow. Only problem? G.M Sam Hinkie’s bizarro philosophy was in direct competition with his own roster’s nature (and the reason you pay a coaching staff, scouts and trainers). Strangely, Joshua Harris, the Sixers’ owner, labeled his team’s pathetic 19-63 finish “a success”. The good news is Sam Hinkie will soon be taking your drive-thru order.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE @ Miami (April 6, 2014). J.R Smith took a quarter of his team’s total shots and yes, they were all triples.

PHI Surgery needed

Exploratory

Waking from their year long coma, new M.R.I scans are needed to determine the internal healthy of the Sixers.

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

As an outfit, the Knicks were the sort of screw-ups Dignan -- from the film Bottle Rocket -- would recruit for his next caper. Why is Melo getting the max.? Exactly.

Blow the dust off your video tapes from 2001. It’s such a shame this great, proud franchise is where it is.

The D-League is no longer Basketball’s best laboratory because Sixers G.M Sam Hinkie is doing his best to recreate The Philadelphia Experiment.

2014 VITALS Reco rd

37-45

Win%

Improvement 2014 Al l-Sta rs

.451 -16 1

R a nk (E) Tea m O M.V.P

2014 VITALS 9 20

R a nk (L) Tea m D

Rec o rd

19-63

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t

Carmelo Anthony

2014 Al l -Stars

.232 -15

R an k ( E )

Rank (L)

Team O

Te a m D

M .V.P

Thaddeus Young

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

Carmelo is all smiles because new faces have joined... his bank account. As for the Knicks’ locker room, that’s full of new names too. Cleanthony Early (Draft), Travis Outlaw, Quincy Acy (free agency), Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert (trade) have all been added and if Calderon is allowed to run the show, any chemistry question marks should be erased. However, the appointment of Derek Fisher to Head Coach might be a temporary one, especially if they stink at home.

Trading Thaddeus Young was probably the right move but conclusive evidence on that transaction won’t be available until 2016. At least Head Coach Brett Brown has early Rookie of the Year favorite, and Anthony Davis clone, Nerlens Noel around to help make sure this squad doesn’t again equal the worst losing streak in NBA history. But that’s the thing, Hinkie is building for / day-dreaming about next season... so charging patrons for home games is criminal conduct.

2015 POWER BAR

Calderson PRIGIONI

SHUMPERT SMITH

P.G

S.G

ANTHONY OUTLAW

S.F

STOUDEMIRE BARGNANI

P.F

DALEMBERT SMITH

CARTER-WILLIAMS WARE

P.G

WROTEN SHVED

S.G

RICHARDSON THOMPSON

S.F

MBAH a MOUTE MOULTRIE

P.F

NOEL DAVIES

55 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

EAST

CE N TRAL.

2014 DIAGNOSIS Trading Luol Deng to their Divisional rivals (to avoid the Luxury Tax) forced Joakim Noah to shoulder more of his team’s responsibilities (at both ends). His subsequent emergence however was less about discovery and more about advancement courtesy of demolition. As a result of bullying his way onto the First Team, ESPN elevated Noah to second pick (following Kevin Durant) in their 2007 Draft do-over. Coupled with the resurrection of D.J. Augustin (who was waived by the Raptors just weeks earlier) and the always stellar Taj Gibson, Coach Thibs’ was able to squeeze every ounce of flavor from his fruit basket. Second in defensive efficiency, the Bulls were guardians of the highest order for 82 games but eventually hit a wall in Washington when they faced the Wizards early in the 2014 Playoffs. Still, Noah’s Iron Man helped the Bulls win an East best 36 of their final 51 games.

CHI Surgery needed

None. Continue with recovery. The Bulls are almost back to full health. So long as Rose’s knees are fine.

DERRICK ROSE P.G | No.1 | BULLS Once Derrick Rose was forced back to rehab, everyone knew the Chicago Bulls, an already limited offensive outfit, would struggle to manufacture points. Rather than try and reinvent the wheel, Tom Thibodeau instead reinforced his team’s iron shield and went to battle with armour few could penetrate. As a result, the Bulls gave away a mere 91.8ppg but finished with the worst offense. Now, with an active and engaged Rose finally back in the line-up, the former M.V.P needs to once again show he’s able to produce flowers. If he can, the Bulls might just find themselves with a banner worthy garden.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

@Boston (March 30, 2014). Augustin netted a careerhigh 33 points. Noah added 13 points with 13 dimes.

Losing both Derrick Rose and Luol Deng should’ve meant the instant demise of the Bulls, instead, Noah mutated into a two-way monster.

2014 VITALS Rec o rd

48-34

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t 2014 Al l -Stars

.585 +3

R an k ( E ) Team O

M .V.P

Rank (L)

Te a m D

12 1

Joakim Noah

the SPECIALIST SAYS... Replacing Carlos Boozer with Pau Gasol was a minor victory (on many levels) so long as it doesn’t limit Taj Gibson’s minutes. More so, after finishing 30th in Team PPG last season, Chicago will need to prove they’re capable of producing lots of O, especially in the Playoffs, before anyone believes their claim as contenders. The return of Derrick Rose is a welcomed sight and the additions of Doug McDermott and Aaron Brooks can’t hurt.

2015 POWER BAR ROSE Hinrich

butler snell

P.G

S.G

dunleavy m C DERMOTT

S.F

GASOL GIBSON

P.F

NOAH BAIRSTOW

EAST

Health Class

CLE Surgery needed

None.

In May, Cleveland was in terrible shape. They’ve since recovered like Wolverine.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

Despite improving on their previous season’s record, the Cavs were a minor disaster in 2013-14 with their failings exposing a variety of internal problems (i.e Mike Brown, Andrew Bynum, etc.). Philly’s fire sale of Spencer Hawes next to the addition of Luol Deng failed to ignite any home stretch fire while top overall Draft pick Anthony Bennett became a deer in the headlights instead of the next human highlight reel. In the end, Cleveland’s false start left them playing catch-up with quicker, bigger, stronger, healthier opponents. Despite there being Playoff vacancies, there just wasn’t enough good emanating from Ohio. It might’ve been rather gloomy in April but once June arrived, the sun was shining extra bright. First, they miraculously won the 2014 lottery, then they flipped that asset into Kevin Love following LeBron James’ change of heart. It sure was a pain and gain year for Cavs fans.

Winning in the NBA is supposed to be cyclical, so how does one explain the current state of the Pistons? Adding Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith was meant to morph MoTown into the southpaw Devastator (from the Transformers animated series). Instead, what we got was the Michael Bay movie version. Andre Drummond provided hope for tomorrow but Greg Monroe underwhelmed. Then again, playing Josh Smith at Small Forward was its own kind of offensive nightmare. Mo Cheeks was canned after 50 games and Joe Dumars stepped down in mid April but it was the latter’s fault Detroit paid over $38 million to Jennings, Smith, Rodney Stuckey and Charlie Villanueva. And what did they get for their investment? The same amount of wins as the year before. Ouch. Yet they were pretty good when it suited, beating San Antonio and Miami, among others.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY Talk about identity crisis... thankfully the reverse metamorphosis from Bennett-Brown-Bynum back into LeBron is now complete.

Peter Jackson’s Academy Award winning The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

DET Surgery needed

Immediate change of diet. Eating all the wrong foods, Detroit could give their fans a stress related stroke.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

Rising Stars (Feb. 15, 2014). Andre Drummond (30 pts, 25 rbs) ate his peers. Shame the game didn’t count.

The 2013-14 Pistons managed to be more disappointing than the eternally painful Iron Man 3 -- at least that insult was under three hours.

2014 VITALS Re c ord

33-49

Win%

Improvem ent 2014 Al l- Stars

.402 +9 1

2014 VITALS

R a nk (E)

R a nk (L )

Tea m O

Tea m D

M .V.P

Rec o rd

29-53

Kyrie Irving

Wi n %

.354

R an k ( E )

R an k ( L )

Imp rovemen t

even

Team O

Team D

2014 Al l -Stars

M .V.P

Andre Drummond

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

The Chris Grant era is over. Rejoice (You can’t break what you can’t touch). More so, if the hapless Cavs of the past four years were worn- out VCR tapes, their 2015 line-up is like the DVD revolution. Not only is LeBron back in town, motivated, happy and eager but he’s joined by Kevin Love, Shawn Marion and Mike Miller. Not interested in generously donating a kidney, LeBron instead transplanted his heart, mind and God-like power over to the Cavs. Now comes the hard part.

Adding Jodie Meeks and D.J Augustin won’t cure their ills but it should at least provide more spacing and playmaking (to whatever system Stan Van Gundy employs). Continuity is usually a positive but in Detroit’s case it’s a hindrance (Josh Smith isn’t a Small Forward). That’s not to say J-Smoove isn’t capable of being a force, it’s just he has never presented as a shooter or closer -- this squad lacks both. Drummond is still the future, just a shame they’re stuck living in today.

2015 POWER BAR

IRVING DELLAVEDOVA

P.G

WAITERS MILLER

S.G

JAMES JONES

S.F

LOVE THOMPSON

P.F

VAREJAO HAYWOOD

JENNINGS AUGUSTIN

P.G

MEEKS CALDWELL-POPE

S.G

SMITH SINGLER

S.F

MONROE JEREBKO

P.F

DRUMMOND GRAY

58 basketballinsiders.com

Health Class

IND Surgery needed

None. Recommend a pysciatrist. We strongly recommend seeing a shrink because this team’s mental wounds may resurface if not treated.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

Explosive start, sluggish finish. That’s the Pacers in a nutshell. And yet, despite their mediocre post All-Star showing, they still managed to secure the East’s top seed, oddly ending things exactly where they started off. Paul George’s name appeared in early M.V.P discussions but he crashed to earth following a series of off-court episodes and a wayward jumpshot. Roy Hibbert, an early Defensive Player of the Year favorite, saw his play fluctuate while David West and Lance Stephenson continued to prove their respective worths. Interestingly, the Pacers slumped once former lead singer turned back-up vocalist Danny Granger was traded at the deadline for Evan Turner. Then Frank Vogel went from maestro to fending off questions about his compositions even through no one stopped to realise Indy didn’t have an elite playmaker, a reliable closer or a way to hide Hibbert against small-ball.

Gotta love a franchise capable of losing 23 more games than the year before while also failing to collect any back-to-back wins. That takes commitment. After giving Larry Sanders a heap of money he decided to pay the Wisconsin fanbase back by getting into a bar-fight. In isolation, his misstep mightn’t have mattered but with Carlos Delfino unable to stay healthy, Fantasy Hoops legend Ersan Ilyasova unable to find the hoop, Caron Bulter unable to remain on the roster, Brandon Knight unable to make any real difference, O.J Mayo unable to avoid being an oddity and Giannis Antetokounmpo unable to fend off being shut down, losing Sanders hurt. After barely being a Playoff team the year before, long-time owner Herb Kohl decided he had had enough, announcing on the final day of the regular season that his Bucks would be sold to a pair of New York investors for more than $500 million.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

Pacers Media Day. Seeing Paul George in his No. 13 jersey, walking around unassisted, that’s a positive.

Indiana’s second half meltdown turned out not to be toxic but their shrinking / inflated contributors masked what was really happening, or so it appeared.

MIL Surgery needed

Elective. Liver transplant The Bucks recently sold a tired kidney and if they can replace their liver, they’ll be free to drink champagne soon.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE $100,000,000 from the sale of the team has been put away to help build a new arena: Jabari Parker Pavilion

2014 VITALS Reco rd

56-26

Win%

Improvement 2014 Al l-Sta rs

.683 +7

R a nk (E) Tea m O

M.V.P

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY It’s hard to Fear the Deer when they’re more Bambi than Shishi-gami. Don’t know what the eff we’re taking about? Watch more Anime people.

2014 VITALS 1 24

R a nk (L)

Tea m D

Rec o rd

15-67

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t

Paul George

2014 Al l -Stars

.183 -23 X

R an k ( E )

Rank (L)

Team O

Te a m D

M .V.P

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

Bizarro Cavs anyone? In a matter of months, the Conference Finalist’s went from Paul George and Lance Stephenson to losing both (freak injury and free agency, respectively) and appearing like they’re destined for the lottery. Larry Bird, Frank Vogel and the entire organization have reason to believe the Pacers will be back in 2016 but until then, anything close to 40 wins is a major victory. Roy Hibbert, more than ever, needs to show us what he’s made of.

With a starting five that includes Knight, Antetokounmpo, Parker, Ilyasova and Sanders (Henson as sixth man), this team is poised to takeover LeaguePass (even if they only win 20 games). Throw in cast offs Kendall Marshall, Jerryd Bayless and Jared Dudley and there’s just so much to like about these young Bucks. They’re also fearless and keen to impress (both positives) but understand that to win, they’ll need to build a new culture. See you at Zaza Pachulia’s cookout.

2015 POWER BAR

hill watson

P.G

stuckey miles

S.G

george copeland

S.F

west scola

P.F

hibbert mahinmi

KNIGHT WOLTERS

P.G

ANTETOKOUNMPO MAYO

S.G

PARKER MIDDLETON

S.F

ILYASOVA HENSON

P.F

SANDERS PACHULIA

59 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

EAST

SO UTH E A ST .

2014 DIAGNOSIS Everyone knew the Wizards were overdue for a jump but their +15 increase was mighty impressive. Of course it helped that John Wall appeared in all 82 games, posted 19-4-9-2 averages and showcased the kind of carpentry we all knew this timber master was capable of. They might’ve swapped a coveted Draft pick (and the injured Emeka Okafor) for Marcin Gortat but once the Playoffs rolled around their coin toss came up heads. Additionally, Bradley Beal, Martell Webster and Trevor Booker all made [major] contributors while Trevor Ariza regained the kind of form that once made him the Lakers’ most dangerous and diverse player. The late additions of Andre Miller and Drew Gooden also paid dividends as the (Randy) Whit(t)man’s sampler was replaced with a deluxe box of candy -- Nene Hilario being the sweetest and biggest treat of all.

WAS Surgery needed

Elective. Laser, Foot. Still a little unsure of their standing, the Wiz need a little work on their feet.

JOHN WALL P.G | No.2 | WIZARDS Guess who’s finally ready for the spotlight? Or should that be their close-up? Either way, John Wall made huge strides last season and finally has the necessary weapons around him to win in the Playoffs. Once considered the most promising P.G in Basketball, Wall has the skill, speed and moxy to retain his All-Star status but what’s really needed is an All-NBA level campaign.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

A.S.W. (Feb. 15-17). John Wall won the weekend. Comfortable in the spotlight, candid during interviews.

The Eastern Conference has an emerging power and it wants to be the man like Frank Underwood (House of Cards).

2014 VITALS Rec o rd

44-38

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t 2014 Al l -Stars

.537 +15

R an k ( E ) Team O

M .V.P

Rank (L)

Te a m D

14 9

John Wall

the SPECIALIST SAYS... Paul Pierce is the right kind of insurance policy (esecially if Otto Porter can’t get it done) while John Wall finally looks like -- and posts the stats reflective of -- the star we all hoped he would be. Andre Miller remains relevant and that means he’ll continue to get Marcin Gortat and Nene makable shots but this team’s greatest strength is its depth. The perfect blend of youth and experience, the Wiz are finally skilled enough to a cast another spell and sneak into the Conference Finals

2015 POWER BAR WALL MILLER

BEAL WEBSTER

PIERCE PORTER

HILARIO BLAIR

GORTAT HUMPHRIES

P.G

S.G

S.F

P.F

EAST

Health Class

ATL Surgery needed

Elective. Cosmetic, biceps. The Hawks need tougher wings. Millsap and Teague alone can only fly so far.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

Danny Ferry’s roster was ravaged by injuries -- the pectoral tear to Al Horford being the worst -- before they squeezed into the Playoffs and almost knocked off the top-seeded Pacers. Not given much to work with, post Horford injury, Mike Budenholzer kept the Hawks together with sticky-tape and more than earned his salary along the way. As for everyone else, Jeff Teague showed he’s capable of delivering on a consistent basis; 31-yearold rookie Pero Antic was a nice find; DeMarre Carroll and Mike Scott did well in their revised roles; Kyle Korver continued his accurate ways (setting a new NBA mark for consecutive triples made and pacing the league in TS%); and last but certainly not least, Paul Millsap finally cracked the All-Star squad after years of unheralded play in Utah. All in all, it was a successful campaign even though some cried foul over their record (18th best) leading to a Playoff berth.

Steve Clifford’s first year calling the shots was a minor triumph as the JordanCats won 22 more games (than in 2012-13). The lone addition of Al Jefferson first appeared to be an incomplete tactic but once April rolled around, the big man averaged All-NBA level production. Kemba Walker’s stats didn’t reflect his dramatic improvement but fortunately the team’s win / loss record told the story of his growth, decision making, fortitude and fourth quarter play. Adding Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour at the deadline helped Clifford’s squad secure the franchise’s second Playoff berth while their rise from last to top 10 in defensive efficiency helped frame the campaign. The long awaited return of the Hornets moniker, logo and color scheme signals a new era, just don’t remind any Charlotte native they could’ve drafted Damian Lillard or Andre Drummond in 2013.

CHA Surgery needed

None, damage is Psychological. The Hornets might be back but they still talk and walk like Bobcats. That’ll need to change.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

vs. Cleveland (Dec. 6, 2013). Ashton Kutcher’s run of consecutive game’s with a made triple set a new record.

They mightn’t have anything to show for their moral victories in 2014 but these Birds of Prey are poised to fly higher next season.

@Toronto (Dec. 18, 2013). Kemba Walker nailed a baseline jumper at the buzzer to secure the O.T win.

Say goodbye to the Bobcats, say hello to Michael Jordan’s Buzz City Hornets.

2014 VITALS Re c ord

38-44

Win%

.463

Improvem ent

-6

2014 Al l- Stars

R a nk (E) Tea m O M .V.P

2014 VITALS 8 15

R a nk (L )

Tea m D

Rec o rd

43-39

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t

Paul Millsap

P.G

S.G

CARROLL SEFOLOSHA

S.F

Team D

16 4

Al Jefferson

2015 POWER BAR MILLSAP SCOTT

P.F

M .V.P

R an k ( L )

If the Hornets can find ways to score, they’ll be back in the Playoffs. If Lance Stephenson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Noah Vonleh all struggle, their hopes of returning to the Post-season will unfairly weigh on Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker. Given the jury is still out on the latter, his intrinsic value will finally be determined in 2015. The new / restored identity will help make Michael Jordan some cash but what his Airness really needs is a profit from the Stephenson investment.

2015 POWER BAR KORVER BAZEMORE

+22

Team O

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

Order has been restored in C.N.N City with controlling owner Bruce Levenson opting to step down and G.M Danny Ferry cleared of his racist gaffe (following an internal investigation that exposed some ill behaviour). Good news? The beloved Pac-man logo has been reinstated, Al Horford’s health has returned, Paul Millsap is finally an All-Star and the TeagueCarroll-Korver trio is ready to go. 48 wins also looks doable (so long as these Hawks aren’t wounded).

TEAGUE SCHRODER

R an k ( E )

2014 Al l -Stars

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

.524

HORFORD ANTIC

WALKER NEAL

STEPHENSON HENDERSON

KIDD-GILCHRIST WILLIAMS

P.G

S.G

S.F

ZELLER VONLEH

P.F

JEFFERSON BIYOMBO

62 basketballinsiders.com

Health Class

MIA Surgery needed

Emergency. Lung transplant Miami needs someone to breathe new life into them. Wade could be that person again but it’s unlikely.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

The 2013-14 regular season gave us the worst winning percentage (.659) since the Big Three formed and first signs of Miami’s mortality. Overall, the team was a couple of steps behind their monstrous 66win squad but their lack of dominance wasn’t due to a misunderstanding of directive, rather, they suffered from post-honeymoon reality. Dwyane Wade sat out a third of the season to ready himself for the Heat’s title defence but that decision proved costly because it prevented the Heat from locking up home court advantage. Michael Beasley and Greg Oden didn’t leave the kind of impressions many hoped for and Ray Allen was effective in patches but even his best couldn’t garner Oscar praise. Mike Miller was clearly missed while Shane Battier was a shell. Despite making their fourth straight Finals, the campaign was unsatisfactory. LeBron’s South Beach vacation is now over.

Like most predicted, Victor Oladipo emerged as a ready-made first-year player, putting egg all over Cleveland’s face. V.O also provided his fair share of highlights and favorable boxscores, keeping Orlando on the radar even though there was little else to celebrate. Arron Afflalo, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic were all solid pillars while Head Coach Jacque Vaughn did about as good a job as anyone could’ve expected -- and unlike his counterparts in L.A, MoTown, Manhattan and Salt Lake City, J.V kept his job. Mo Harkless wasn’t the arsonist experts had hoped for and Andrew Nicholson struggled to make an impact but the possibility that this unit will enjoy success within three years appears likely. G.M Rob Hennigan also dumped Hedo Turkoglu and Glen Davis but gave Jameer Nelson room to prove his locker room value (all wins). Above all, the pain of rebuilding has a relief point: 2018.

ORL Surgery needed

Emergency. shoulder. The Magic need assistance Oladipo and Gordon don’t have the shoulders to carry this team yet.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

vs. Charlotte (Mar. 3, 2014). Something about a 61 point night... oh wait, don’t watch this again. Painful memories.

After baking a feast full of wins in 2012 and 2013, Miami turned 2014’s dial down to simmer but forget to preheat the Finals oven.

vs. OKC (Feb. 7, 2014). Like a great plot twist, the must-see finish has plenty of replay value.

2014 VITALS Reco rd

54-28

Win%

Improvement 2014 Al l-Sta rs

.659 -12

R a nk (E) Tea m O

M.V.P

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY In central Florida, tomorrow’s plans trump today’s goals.

2014 VITALS 2 12

R a nk (L)

Tea m D

Rec o rd

23-59

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t

LeBron James

2014 Al l -Stars

.280 +3

R an k ( E )

Rank (L)

Team O

Te a m D

M .V.P

Their pin-stripes.

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

Shannon Brown, Josh McRoberts, Danny Granger and Luol Deng have all been added [to the roster] but lets face facts, it’s impossible to replace King James (with anyone not named Kevin Durant). Now we’re back to Dwyane Wade being the cornerstone, a role he once thrived in but unless Chris Bosh puts up 25 points with 14 rebounds per, it’s hard to envision the Heat having homecourt advantage in the First Round of the 2015 Playoffs. Welcome back to earth, Heat fans.

By adding Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon (Draft), Luke Ridnour and Channing Frye (free agency) the Magic have shown they want to stay open for business even though they’re renovating. Creating cushions for their rookies is a good sign and while many believe Orlando will be back in the lottery mix come mid 2015, there’s enough talent in the locker room that they should surprise a few teams. Traveling to the Magic Kingdom might sound like fun but it’s easy to be disappointed.

2015 POWER BAR

CHALMERS COLE

P.G

WADE BROWN

S.G

DENG GRANGER

S.F

BOSH haslem

P.F

ANDERSEN M c Roberts

Ridnour PAYTON

OLADIPO GORDON

P.G

S.G

HARKLESS HARRIS

FRYE GORDON

VUCEVIC NICHOLSON

S.F

P.F

63 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

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n o rt hwe st.

2014 DIAGNOSIS More talented renegade than reckless force, Russell Westbrook continued to seep into every conversation about the Thunder (even though Kevin Durant continued his accession up the all-time ladder with a truly transcendent season). K.D’s mastery of the elements allowed Russ to rehabilitate his knee on a guilt free timetable while the Small Forward’s play cloaked the team’s inadequacies (although that’s what hoop icons do). More so, the health of their marriage matters more than any of their individual flaws. Rookie pivot Steven Adams was the right kind of annoyance while the addition of Caron Butler helped to sure up the second unit. Scott Brooks’ boys might’ve finished with one less win than they had in 2013 but the fact they even reached the 59 victory mark was a miraculous feat. Reggie Jackson again showed his value but it was the injury to Serge Ibaka that sealed OKC’s Playoff fate.

OKC Surgery REQUIRED

Elective, foot

Where OKC stands post K.D’s return will be a telling story. They could be seriously overworked or need him to overwork.

KEVIN DURANT S.F | No.35 | THUNDER We may never be able to reconcile with the fact Kevin Durant is paid a few million less than Joe Johnson (to play Basketball) but that’s of minor concern to K.D, especially now that he has to recover from a broken bone in his foot. Upon his return, and first action of the 2014-15 season, there’ll be heightened expectation because regardless of art (be it musical, literary, theatrical, photographic, traditional, contemporary, etc.), whatever work is released following one’s masterpiece, it’ll be overly scrutinized. As a result, K.D will have less slack to duplicate his timeless 2014 showing.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

@Toronto (Mar. 21, 2014). Contest concluded with K.D stepping up and knocking down a 2OT triple.

Kevin Durant took us places in 2014 we thought only LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan could.

2014 VITALS Rec o rd

59-23

Wi n %

.720

Imp rovemen t

-1

2014 Al l -Stars

R an k ( W)

Rank (L)

Team O

Te a m D

M .V.P

2 12

Kevin Durant

the SPECIALIST SAYS... Sam Presti is hoping the Sebastian Telfair / Anthony Morrow upgarde (over Derek Fisher and Thabo Sefsolosha) is enough to help get the Thundercats back into the Finals. So while Scott Brooks believes Russell Westbrook is the best P.G in Basketball (and he’ll get the chance to prove it with K.D out for a few weeks), it’s their bench production that’ll decide OKC’s 2015 fate. As the only NBA team with a pair of Top Five talents, it’s either title or bust in tornado alley.

2015 POWER BAR westbrook telfair

P.G

JACKSON MORROW

durant roberson

S.G

S.F

ibaka collison

P.F

perkins adams

WEST

Health Class

DEN Surgery needed

A full-body cast is needed. After a series of hard falls, the Nuggets have broken bones all over. Now they need help doing basic things.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

Ty Lawson showed significant improvement (averaging 18-4-9 with only his FG% taking a minor dip) while Kenneth Faried held steady (scoring 14 points per and pulling down nine boards). But whatever climbs each starin-the-making enjoyed, this past year’s version of the Nuggs was buried beneath a mountain of injuries. Lawson, the team’s highest paid, only appeared in 61 games. Starter Wilson Chandler only did him one better while combo forward Danilo Gallinari sat out the entire year, hurting Denver’s Post-season chances. Dealt an mediocre hand, rookie coach Brian Shaw did his best to keep the team afloat after management sent Corey Brewer and a pair of Andre’s (Iguodala and Miller) away. Missing the Playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons, the men from Mile High never developed into the disruptors that Tim Connelly and Josh Kroenke hoped they would be.

Kevin Love (26.1ppg with 12.5rpg) continued to be a lone wolf of excellence while everyone else watched or failed to match his majesty. The Wolves won almost half their outings but in an over-crowded conference, that was never going to be good enough. Having Kevin Martin on the roster helped (19.1 ppg) but again, the story in Minnesota was health, or rather, a lack there of as the teams top three talents -- Love, Martin and Nikola Pekovic -- missed a combined 47 matches. Corey Brewer and Ricky Rubio both offered support (in their own unique ways) but it just wasn’t enough. Through it all, the Wolves never stopped competing, they just didn’t have enough firepower or high enough walls. The result? Their 10th straight campaign watching the Playoffs from home (or, the more likely outcome, not at all). Not helping, they lost a heap of games decided by a single possession.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

vs. Lakers (Mar. 7, 2014). Ty Lawson notched 30 with 17 as the two team’s scored 260 combined points.

MIN Surgery needed

Damage is psychological There’s no medical cure for losing Love. The best thing to do is move on. Maybe find a rebound (or 12.5 per).

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

Their dramatic dip in the standings was due to injuries, not chemistry concerns or a cancerous coach.

vs. Houston (Apr. 11, 2014). Corey Brewer’s unlikely 51-point outing just has to be seen to be believed.

Losing Kevin Love’s services has brought on an extra long winter to Minneapolis.

2014 VITALS Re c ord

36-46

Win%

Improvem ent 2014 Al l- Stars

.439 -21

R a nk (W) Tea m O

M .V.P

2014 VITALS 11 9

R a nk (L )

Tea m D

Rec o rd

40-42

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t

Ty Lawson

2014 Al l -Stars

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

GALLINARI CHANDLER

P.G

S.G

S.F

+9 1

R an k ( W) Team O M .V.P

10 3

R an k ( L )

Team D

Kevin Love

Able to flip their bankruptcy sell-off (Kevin Love) into an investment property (Wiggins-Bennett-Young), the Wolves did rather well for themselves given the circumstances. The assumption that no one wants to volunteer for the Minneapolis winter remains but if Ricky Rubio and co. can show signs of life, things could turn. And lets not forget, Wiggins needs to impress in order for Flip Saunders to keep his job... even though he assigned himself (after Rick Adelman retired).

2015 POWER BAR AFFLALO FOYE

.488

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

Bringing Arron Afflalo back into the mix will help but it’s all about their core being able to stay on the court. So while the McGee-Faried-GallinariChandler-Lawson line-up is oodles of fun to watch (and is well supported by Nate Robinson, Randy Foye and J.J. Hickson), it’s still a high risk, high reward collective that’s able to be a major pain in the ass for visitors but also self destructive when set free. Even without one exceptional player, they can still win by committee.

LAWSON ROBINSON

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

2015 POWER BAR FARIED HICKSON

P.F

M C GEE MOZGOV

RUBIO BAREA

MARTIN WIGGINS

P.G

S.G

BREWER BUDINGER

S.F

YOUNG BENNETT

PEKOVIC DIENG

P.F

66 basketballinsiders.com

WEST

Ever wanted to support a second team? Contributor Kirstie Yu breaks down the benefits and serendipitous happenings which led her to connect with the Blazers

...and their dynamic Point Guard, Damian Lillard.

by Kirstie Yu Given the revival of interest (and success) in the Northwest, it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be all that surprising that I recently elected to make the Portland Trail Blazers my de facto Western Conference preference. After years of passionately cheering for the Miami Heat, I started shopping around for a West Coast team to also call my own with the hopes of these two teams eventually meeting in my dream NBA Finals. This was also prior to the 2012-13 season, long before LeBron James was considering a return to Ohio. 67 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

WEST

My search strangely ended one afternoon when I stumbled across a McDonald’s advertisement featuring Damian Lillard. Pre falling in love with the Blazers, it was near impossible to imagine I’m still not sure what made that Dame ad stick. Blame the boredom of watching the Heat post 27 consecutive wins, but I noticed that during that span Portland had caught my attention. Like any inquisitive NBA fan, I needed to learn everything about the Blazers ASAP -- starting with their rookie Point Guard from Oakland. And although the Blazers struggled post-All-Star break, ultimately missing the 2012 Playoffs, I found myself enthusiastically cheering for the high-flying kid with the chip on his shoulder. Lillard’s ‘never back down’ attitude wasn’t just magnetic, it said a lot about his character. I was hooked. Although he played in relative anonymity at Weber State, Lillard dominated Rookie of the Year talk. Gaining a much better understanding and appreciation of the pro game following my freshman year in college, I began studying the Great Dame’s ways as though it was an extension of my collegiate requirements. Ending their season on a 13-game losing streak, thanks to injuries suffered by key contributors -- namely LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, and Wesley Matthews -- speculation grew about Aldridge’s future and for a moment there, it appeared like he wanted out of Portland, immediately. L.A’s options became a talking point during the [always] dull days of August. Instead, however, the summer of 2013 brought together an outstanding ensemble cast for the perfect underdog film that eventually allowed the Blazers to end their near decade-and-ahalf of First Round Playoff exits. As with all great motion pictures, one needs a brilliant casting agent (General Manager Neil Olshey) who quietly goes to work assembling the ensemble. Rather than give up on All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, or attempt to trade him away for rebuilding purposes, Olshey figured out exactly who was needed to assist Aldridge. Among the players chosen to fortify the Blazers’ bench were two seasoned veterans (Earl Watson and Mo Williams), one improving young Power Forward (Thomas Robinson), one experienced wing (Dorell Wright), and one mobile big man (Robin Lopez). Together, those additions would allow Aldridge to play freer and longer at Power Forward. Gone were the days of Aldridge pretending to be a Center. Olshey also picked up the promising guard C.J. McCollum with the tenth pick (2013). Now ten deep, the Blazers’ starters each had their own highly capable understudy. Yet despite these moves, the predictionists and pollsters still wrote the Blazers off -- most predicting they’d either barely qualify for the Playoffs or, more commonly, miss out entirely [once again]. The importance of team chemistry among this ragtag group of players was broadcast in High Definition early on during the 2013-14 campaign as Portland sprinted out of the gates. The Director charged with bringing the players together was Head Coach Terry Stotts. Helping to orchestrate a vast improvement from the previous season, the Blazers climbed from 33 to 54

a world in which the fast-food factory could inform my NBA diet, yet that’s exactly what they did -and I’m yet to regret my McPortland meal with Lillard sundae. wins, the second-year coach convinced his squad they could defeat the established contenders -- San Antonio, Golden State, Indiana, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles -- and throughout the regular season, that’s exactly what they did. Though the Blazers did cool off a little after their red-hot start, Director Stotts did enough to warrant his inclusion in the Coach of the Year conversation. Their unselfish style helped me to fall in love with these Trail Blazers but I never anticipated that I’d grow extra fond of each and every player. The sexier starters, sure, but the entire cast, well, that was a pleasant surprise. Speaking of, LaMarcus’s midrange jumper puts a smile on my face every time it finds the net. It’s Basketball’s version of a quotable phrase or classic line. I can’t say enough about Dame’s shot making ability, be it in the clutch, from long-range, over a defender, driving the lane or at the buzzer. Lillard might’ve started the season as a neutral, largely supporting character but by film’s end, he was all hero. The eccentric, comic-book loving King of the Nerds, aka Robin Lopez, not only emerged from his twin brother’s shadow, he quickly found himself starting and proving his worth on a nightly basis. If the Blazers were Batman’s outfit, the sharp-shooting Nicolas Batum would be the costume’s Utility Belt. A constant quadruple-double threat, the Frenchman again did a little of everything and made his share of fourth quarter shots. Sticking with the comic book theme, Wesley Matthews became the team’s IronMan -- always reliable, a fan favorite, great in isolation or as part of the collective and for someone who went undrafted in ‘09, he certainly has made a lot of scouts and G.M’s look silly. And to an impressionable mind, Matthews made his true value known during the 2014 Postseason when he helped to contain the explosive threat known as James Harden. In supporting roles, Mo Williams and Earl Watson provided the necessary guidance from the control center, while Thomas Robinson, Will Barton and Dorell Wright gave the Blazers a much-needed boost from the bench. Lastly, rookie C.J. McCollum started his NBA career well before a foot injury kept him out for half of the season. Upon his return, McCollum was solid and showed signs of being a capable contributor. Overall, Portland’s 2013-14 season was nothing short of spectacular -- helped mightily by their dramatic Playoff duel with Houston and Lillard’s timeless, series-ending buzzer beater. Finally able to remain healthy, the Blazers only needed to use two different starting lineups, a first for the franchise, proving once again there’s a premium relationship between health and chemistry in the NBA. Though they do still have room for growth, particularly with bench production and on the defensive end, the Blazers more than exemplified the late great Dr. Jack Ramsay’s quote: “Teams that play together beat those teams with superior players who play more as individuals.” Now, can I upsize my fries?

68 basketballinsiders.com

Health Class

POR Surgery needed

Elective, cosmetic. If they get that boob job, folks all over the U.S will be paying attention to what happens in Portland.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

They might’ve started out looking like a young Tim Duncan / Tony Parker, the way they blitzed through November and December (2013) but the LaMarcus Aldridge / Damian Lillard tandem eventually settled into a Kevin Johnson / Charles Barkley, circa 1994, set-up with the P.G crossing over and crushing on defences while the P.F went to work around the paint (often piling on mid range makes until the defender could no longer breathe). The Blazers showed us a lot in 2013-14 but question marks remain. And their (well documented) recent Playoff success will need to be repeated before anyone invites them up to the Western penthouse. Still, the Rose Garden was turned into a hostile place for the first time since Brandon Roy was the man, and with the maturation of Nicolas Batum (so he’s less Andrei Kirilenko, more Paul Pierce) coupled with their depth, Rip City is back... we think.

Rookie Trey Burke arrived late but showed he was worth the wait (finishing with 133-6 averages). In fact, he often resembled a real NBA floor general, well, most of the time -- high praise for any player trying to learn the nuances of the pro game’s toughest position. Letting both Paul Millsap (Atlanta; first time All-Star) and Al Jefferson (Charlotte; All-NBA level season) walk really hurt their competitiveness but it was obvious from the jump that Utah wasn’t concerned with 2014, they’re clearly sampling new sounds for the future. Wings Richard Jefferson and Marvin Williams were rarelly mentioned in any circles (despite being given opportunities to resurrect their careers without consequence). Derrick Favors showed glimpses of beast mode while Gordon Hayward’s heart was in the right place. Regardless, Tyrone Corbin was dismissed because the Jazz sucked.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE vs. Houston (Dec. 12, 2013). Aldridge opened his clinic early and proceeded to educate the Rockets’.

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

UTA Surgery needed

Emergency, Head trauma After being twice struck in the head, Utah needs major surgery to repair their busted jaw and skull.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

Production wise, Aldridge and Lillard are starting to look every bit as good as Tim Duncan and Tony Parker -- if only they could play elite defence too.

vs. Thunder (Jan. 7, 2014). One of the few bright spots for the Jazz, this shoot-out is well worth watching.

2014 VITALS Reco rd

54-28

Win%

Imp rove ment 2014 Al l-Sta rs

.659 +21 2

Like all garage bands, this outfit needs a few extra lessons, a couple of new instruments and a revamped sound (before it can tour any music).

2014 VITALS

R a nk (W)

R a nk (L )

Tea m O

Tea m D

M.V.P

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

Rec o rd

25-57

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t

LaMarcus Aldridge

2014 Al l -Stars

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

.305 -18

R an k ( W)

Rank (L)

Team O

Te a m D

M .V.P

Gordon Hayward

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

Rasheed Wallace 2.0 (Aldridge) mightn’t be Basketball’s sexiest (or the most visible) player but he’s a delight to watch. Throw in the swagger of Damian Lillard and all of a sudden Portland has the right blend of fearlessness and talent. With a roster that’s ten deep, hungry and more experienced, Portland will be gunning for the Conference Finals, and nothing short of it. Their secret’s out now, and it’s unlikely they’ll steamroll the entire league like they did in late 2013... but they might.

Sorry, Jazz fans. When Gordon Hayward is your highest paid player ($14,746,000 in 2015) there isn’t all that much to get excited about. Not helping matters, there are signs Dante Exum might be more sizzle than steak. Unless Derrick Favors joins Andre Drummond, DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis in the discussion for “Best Young Big in Basketball” (which is unlikely), Utah’s best chance of making the Post-season resides with someone purchasing a copy of NBA 2K15.

2015 POWER BAR

LILLARD BLAKE

MATTHEWS BARTON

BATUM WRIGHT

ALDRIDGE ROBINSON

LOPEZ KAMAN

BURKE EXUM

BURKS CLARK

HAYWOOD HOOD

P.G

S.G

S.F

P.F

P.G

S.G

S.F

FAVORS BOOKER

P.F

KANTER GOBERT

69 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

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PACI FI C .

2014 DIAGNOSIS Crashing the bus is one thing but the Los Angeles Lakers’ highway collision left corpses all over the concrete, hence the largest NBA fan base couldn’t wait for their horrific 2013-14 campaign to conclude. Most blamed Mike D’Antoni for the mess but he didn’t blow out the tyres mid trip or forget to check the oil levels prior to departing. However, rather than pull over, D’Antoni tried to right the bus at high speed and thus when it did finally topple over, the body count was much higher than it needed to be. Kobe Bryant’s bloated contract inadvertently hurt the Lakers but it was clear the front office would rather swing a wounded snake than no Black Mamba at all. In Kobe’s absence, Nick Young was his own kind of Hollywood act, pacing the team in scoring, sneakers and tweets. And if it weren’t for Kendall “break glass in case of an emergency” Marshall, who knows what other ugliness would’ve surfaced.

LAL Surgery needed

Elective, lower back Carrying the team (and most of its salary cap) for another year will mean extra pressure on Kobe’s spine.

KOBE BRYANT S.G | No.24 | LAKERS Kobe is back to work after an extended vacation. Now all he has to do is wait for Carlos Boozer to become an All-Star again. In the event that doesn’t happen, Bryant just has to wait for Julius Randle to... should Plan B fail, there’s always drinks at Swaggy P’s penthouse with Steve Nash -- who’ll be nursing a skinny glass of icy water with lemon... but he’s still happy to sit with you until sunrise because that’s just the kind of friend he is. The only thing that’ll be getting in Kobe’s way this season? Vanessa enforcing his curfew (and thus Kobe will have to take the chopper straight home after games at Staples).

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

vs. Thunder (Mar. 9, 2014). Jodie Meeks was a one-man tornado netting 42 points on just 18 shots.

Not having Kobe available meant the Lakers were forced to produce an 80s tele-movie, complete with second rate acting and a horrible script.

2014 VITALS Rec o rd

27-55

.329

Wi n %

-18

Imp rovemen t

2014 Al l -Stars

R an k ( W)

Rank (L)

Team O

Te a m D

M .V.P

Kendall Marshall

the SPECIALIST SAYS... Kobe Bryant couldn’t convince Carmelo Anthony that the smog of L.A was better than the noise in NYC so now he’ll have to take on all comers with an aging Steve Nash, the artist formerly known as Linsanity, Carlos Boozer’s mediocrity and whatever rookie Julius Randle produces. The upside is that Wesley Johnson, Nick Young, Xavier Henry and Jordan Hill all return to their supporting roles and everyone appears to be believe in what Byron Scott is selling.

2015 POWER BAR NASH LIN

P.G

BRYANT HENRY

S.G

YOUNG JOHNSON

S.F

BOOZER RANDLE

P.F

HILL DAVIS

WEST

Health Class

GSW Surgery needed

Elective, Dental The Warriors have root damage with some of their teeth. Whenever they bite, they get hurt.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

News of Andrew Bogut’s fractured ribs crashed the team’s “first 50-win season in 20 years” party. That bitter pill (which occurred on the eve of the 2014 Postseason) left many wondering what would become of Golden State’s Head Coach despite the franchise’s noteworthy play. Somewhat predictably, Mark Jackson was fired after the Bogut-less Warriors failed to sink the Clippers. Prior, the Bay Area boys were able to brush off the loses of Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry with the addition of Andre Iguodala -- who helped in a number of immeasurable ways -- and the rise of Draymond Green. This while the Splash Brothers of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson continued their stellar play (as a pairing and individually). Production on the court aside, the team’s apparent internal squabbles, mostly between Jackson and his staff, left many wondering: how long until the egg-shells finally crack.

With six players averaging double figures (Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, J.J Redick, Darren Collison and DeAndre Jordan), the league’s premier distributor running the show (CP3) a range of snipers helping to spread the floor (Matt Barnes, Danny Granger, Hedo Turkoglu, Crawford, Redick) and the game’s top interior finishers (Griffin, Jordan) ready in a lob’s notice, it’s not all that surprising the Clip Show finished as the NBA’s top offensive outfit. Even though Professor Griff was picked on all season long, he responded in the best possible way: by playing like an M.V.P. So while adding Glen Davis and Granger didn’t help, having Doc on the sidelines did In the end, the Red and Blue army recorded a new franchise high for wins (57; including 20 of 27 after the All-Star break). In the process, CP3 again paced the Association in dimes and pilfers per. Guess he’s still the top P.G.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE @ Portland (Apr. 13, 2014). Despite losing by a single basket in OT, Steph Curry’s 47-point night was art.

LAC Surgery needed

None. Monitor blood pressure. Of the 30 teams, the Clips have the highest blood pressure and lose their temper the easiest.

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

Don’t feel bad, Mark Jakson, it was such an unfortunate end to what was a near storybook season.

vs. GSW (Oct. 31, 2013). Chris Paul became the first player to tally 40-15-5 since steals were recorded in 1978.

2014 VITALS Re c ord

51 - 31

Win%

Improvem ent 2014 Al l- Stars

.622 +4 1

R a nk (E) Tea m O M .V.P

R a nk (L )

Rec o rd

57-25

Tea m D

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t

Stephen Curry

2014 Al l -Stars

P.G

S.G

S.F

R an k ( E )

R an k ( L )

Team O

Team D

M .V.P

3 14

Chris Paul

Chris Paul has never played in a Conference Final and if he ever wishes to be considered one of the five best Point Guards of all-time, he’ll have to find a way to get there (making Blake Griffin shoot 90% at the charity stripe is a good place to start). This team appears locked into the Bronze medal, for now, and the key to unlocking their fate might just be Jamal Crawford (arguably the game’s best makeshift starter and microwave scorer). Big year for Steve Ballmer’s Clip show.

2015 POWER BAR IGUODALA BARNES

.695

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

Pinning their hopes to Andrew Bogut’s health is a high risk / high reward scenario but Golden State could easily move ahead of Portland and Houston should the big man’s hotrod dodge the injury truck. If the Warriors don’t appear in the 2015 Conference Finals, it might be time to consider alternative medicines, like trading David Lee for Zach Randolph. With the sexiest starting five in Basketball, and Steve Kerr keen to prove himself, this could be a Golden year in California.

THOMPSON RUSH

The arrival of Doc Rivers clearly put typhoon force winds into the Clippers’ sails.

2014 VITALS

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

CURRY LIVINGSTON

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

2015 POWER BAR LEE GREEN

P.F

BOGUT SPEIGHTS

PAUL FARMAR

REDICK CRAWFORD

P.G

S.G

BARNES BULLOCK

S.F

GRIFFIN DAVIS

P.F

JORDAN HAWES

72 basketballinsiders.com

Health Class

PHX Surgery needed

Elective, kneecap dislocation Phoenix got weak at the knees late in 2013-14 (when they needed to stand tall). If knees dislocate again, visit the doc.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

Masters of their own destiny, Phoenix’s Playoff hopes rested on their ability to defeat the visiting Grizzlies (Game 81) but those dreams were quickly dashed once Zach Randolph went to work. Instead of celebrating a surprise Post-season berth, the best dressed team in the NBA became the fourth most successful squad (47 wins) to miss the second season -- the third time in franchise history the Suns won 47 or more games but didn’t qualify. The result soured an otherwise excellent year in which rookie coach Jeff Hornacek and All-NBA guard Goran Dragic turned a lot of heads. Gerald Green also rebooted his relevance while Eric Bledsoe proved his worth and defying the experts before getting hurt. Miles Plumlee, the Morris twins (Marcus and Markieff), P.J Tucker and Channing Frye were all solid throughout giving G.M Ryan McDonough lots to look forward to.

New owner Vivek Ranadive and G.M Pete D’Alessandro did a decent job in Year 1 of mopping up the Maloof’s mess but blood soaked stains remain and it’ll be a few years before the entire clubhouse is clean. The good news is DeMarcus Cousins (22.7ppg, 11.7 rpg) has started to figure things out while playmaker Isaiah Thomas is growing as a floor leader (while management decides which direction it wants to go). The addition of Rudy Gay gave the Kings three 20 ppg producers, which helped ice over Ben McLemore’s [typical] rookie struggles -- he shot below .400 against bigger and quicker defenders but showed promise in March with 43-33-83 shooting splits. Derrick Williams and Jason Thompson both underwhelmed in their continually revised roles but with no ownership tussles to distract and a new menu in development, the Kings just need to land a top chef to help run the kitchen.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE vs. Thunder (Mar. 6, 2014). Gerald Green tallied 41 points as the Suns broke through the storm clouds.

SAC Surgery needed

Emergency, retina repair needed. Their eyes are badly damaged after seeing nothing but losing season’s for over half a decade.

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

An unlimited source of renewable (fastbreak) energy gave life to this island of misfit toys.

@ N.O (Mar. 31, 2014). Cousins tallied a 35-14-3-1-2 line while also scoring his 5000th career point.

DeMarcus Cousins might’ve evolved into the NBA’s Grimlock but his fellow starters couldn’t transform into the other Dinobots.

2014 VITALS Reco rd

48-34

Win%

Improvement 2014 Al l-Sta rs

.585 +23 0

2014 VITALS

R a nk (W)

R a nk (L )

Tea m O

Tea m D

M.V.P

Rec o rd

28-54

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t

Goran Dragic

2014 Al l -Stars

.341

R an k ( W)

Rank (L)

Team O

Te a m D

Even 0

M .V.P

DeMarcus Cousins

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

The West hasn’t weakened, and might actually be even more competitive in 2015, so Dragic and co. will have to find new ways to win, otherwise they’ll become the new Milwaukee -- Ceiling: eighth seed. Basement: low lottery pick. Working in their favor is the fact they ‘re wiser, really pissed off and enveloped in low expert expectation. Losing Frye hurts but adding Isaiah Thomas to the team’s talented second unit could be deadly for team’s thinking Phoenix is an easy W.

Replacing Isaiah Thomas with Darren Collison was a shrewd move that allows Ben McLemore and sniper Nik Stauskas more looks (while adding Jason Terry helps in the locker room). Rudy Gay should once again shine, especially now that he’s enjoying that Team USA glow. DeMarcus Cousins is ready for primetime but the Kings aren’t talented or deep enough to make a legit Playoff challenge. Someone has to end up in the lottery mix and it appears, once again, to be Sacramento.

2015 POWER BAR

BLEDSOE THOMAS

DRAGIC DRAGIC

P.G

S.G

GREEN TUCKER

S.F

MORRIS MORRIS

PLUMLEE LEN

COLLISON M C CALLUM

P.F

P.G

M C LEMORE STAUSKAS

S.G

GAY MORELAND

S.F

THOMPSON LANDRY

COUSINS EVANS

P.F

73 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

weST

so ut hwe st.

2014 DIAGNOSIS Daryl Morey’s roster was able to score and rebound with the best of them but needed mission control whenever they were asked to pass or implement the simplest defensive strategies -- which is counterintuitive given how Dwight Howard patrols the paint. James Harden’s reluctance to dominate on both ends (like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade often would) was off-set by Patrick Beverley -- a menace who won the starting job from Jeremy Lin. Even with his flaws, Harden managed to ascend to the top of the Shooting Guard totem pole but it’s a title he holds by default. Elsewhere, Omer Asik trade chatter dissipated once Terrence Jones was moved into the starting line-up before Asik was asked to provide support in wake of Howard’s injuries. What was thought to be an employee battle turned out to be management’s problem, especially once Houston’s night ended before the party was over.

HOU Surgery needed

Transplant, heart. Houston needs a new heart, or at least some sign that the one they have (Harden) cares about defence.

JAMES HARDEN S.G | No.3 | ROCKETS As the game’s top Shooting Guard, Harden wasn’t happy with Sports Illustrated after they elected to keep him from their Top Ten NBA Player Rankings, again. And after guiding Team USA to the Gold in Spain (at the 2014 FIBA World Cup), the Beard is back and ready for a full-blown NBA takeover. Just don’t bring up that whole defensive effort thing.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

vs. Portland (Mar. 9, 2014). James Harden (41-10-6-6 with seven triples) helped the home team prevail in OT.

Having Howard helps but getting Harden to play defence makes all the difference to McHale’s high-octane Houston outfit.

2014 VITALS Rec o rd

54-28

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t 2014 Al l -Stars

.659 +9

R an k ( E )

Rank (L)

Team O

Te a m D

M .V.P

6 23

Dwight Howard

the SPECIALIST SAYS... Chandler Parsons -- since replaced by Trevor Ariza -- was offended Harden and Howard were treated / act different. Given Sports Illustrated has them as the top C and S.G in Basketball, they couldn’t be common if they tried (but Houston’s loss is Dallas’ gain, or so Mark Cuban says). Now Texas is going to be hot all year round with these two squads locked into an arms race for the middle. As for how Kevin McHale’s boys will perform, it’s hard to see them being great.

2015 POWER BAR BEVERLEY DANIELS

P.G

HARDEN GARCIA

S.G

ARIZA GEE

S.F

JONES ADRIEN

P.F

HOWARD MOTIEJUNAS

WEST

Health Class

DAL Surgery needed

Elective, crooked feet. When motivated, Dallas can dance but when asked to defend, they have concrete blocks for feet.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

With Jose Calderon running the show, Monta Ellis only being asked to do Monta Ellis things, Vince Carter and Devin Harris forming one of the best back-up tandems in history and Dirk Nowitzki’s expiration date being revised, Mark Cuban’s Mavericks were again able to lasso the majority of their opponents. Ellis, reborn under the clock management and tutelage of Rick Carlisle, was electric at times and perfect for pick and pops (with Dirk) at others. Meanwhile, the big German moved into 10th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, thanks to another year above 20 points per (the 13th time he has reached the mark in 16 campaigns). Rarely did Dallas make headlines but that didn’t mean their play wasn’t noteworthy, so long as you’re only talking about offence because their defensive capabilities ranked them last out of the eight Western Conference Playoff qualifiers.

A Post-season berth appeared improbable back in December when the Grizz were on the verge of a wasted campaign. Despite the odds being stacked against them, the Blue Bears rallied to record the third best win / loss record in 2014. Eventually climbing up the standings to seventh, they finish with 48 wins and date with the Most Valuable Player. First-year Head Coach Dave Joerger had his share of critics along the way (and the weight of expectations, especially after Lionel Hollins was ousted following their surprisingly deep 2013 Playoff run). Mike Miller was decent in his re-up with Memphis but it wasn’t until Marc Gasol returned from injury that the Grindhouse regained its label as a tortious venue for visiting teams. Z-Bo’s stellar career continued (he posted averages of 17 and 10) while Mike Conley made a mini-leap and Tony “The Tiger” Allen showed his claws.

MEM Surgery needed

Elective. Fluid build-up. The Grizz have fluid building up in the neck. It’s not serious, yet... only winning will stop the swelling.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

vs. Houston (Nov. 20, 2013). Dirk and Monta combined for 72 points as the Mavs stormed back in a shootout.

A Cuban Studios production… A film by Rick Carlisle… Dirk “The Diggler” Nowitzki in… Dirk Does Dallas, Again. That’s right, he’s still all money shots.

@ Phoenix (Apr. 14, 2014). With a Playoff berth on the line, Z-Bo collected a basket of fish in the desert.

2014 VITALS Re c ord

49-33

Win%

Improvem ent 2014 Al l- Stars

.598

R a nk (L )

Tea m O

Tea m D

M .V.P

They were the fourth best team (out West) coming into the season but injuries altered their fate... and yet they someone won 60% of their games.

2014 VITALS

R a nk (W)

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

Rec o rd

50-32

Dirk Nowitzki

Wi n %

. 610

Imp rovemen t

-6

2014 Al l -Stars

R an k ( W) Team O M .V.P

R an k ( L )

Team D

Mike Conley

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

It’s possible Nowitzki will pass Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 9), Elvin Hayes (No. 8) and Moses Malone (No. 7) on the all-time scoring leaderboard in 2015 but that individual accomplishment will be secondary to team goals (aka Make the Playoffs). To help, Cuban is giving almost $15 million to Tyson Chandler (in part because he never should’ve ended their bromance but mainly) because he’s the D in Big D. Only one question now remains: can Jameer Nelson be his 2009 self at P.G?

Another year, another title chase with the Conley-Randolph-Gasol core. However, instead of Mike Miller in support, the Blue Bear’s welcome Vince Carter. Hopefully Nick Calathes learned from his 20-game suspension (for violating the NBA’s performance enhancement policy) and while Memphis has the talent / chemistry / defensive scheme to upset any Conference frontrunner, the clock is ticking. Management won’t stand on the sidelines forever. So, go Grizz.

2015 POWER BAR

NELSON FELTON

ELLIS HARRIS

P.G

S.G

PARSONS JEFFERSON

S.F

NOWITZI WRIGHT

CHANDLER SMITH

P.F

CONLEY UDRIH

P.G

LEE ALLEN

S.G

PRINCE CARTER

RANDOLPH LEUER

S.F

P.F

GASOL KOUFOS

76 basketballinsiders.com

Health Class

NOP Surgery needed

None. Suffering growing pains. So long as their bones and limb muscles continue to grow in unison, there’s no cause for concern here.

2014 DIAGNOSIS

The Pelicans’ inexperienced roster performed as well as could’ve been expected -- and even improved on their previous season’s standing -- while battling through set backs (various injuries to Ryan Anderson, Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday) and fending off distractions (Tyreke Evans). Eric Gordon even appeared in 64 games but he wasn’t exactly an All-Star contributor (just 15.4 points, 2.6 boards and 3.3 dimes per). Still, the Sea-birds did have an even spread of point producers and Monty Williams made a tough situation tolerable so while the Peli’s couldn’t compete over the long haul, Anthony Davis managed to breathe life into the Crescent City (his P.E.R of 26.5 was fourth highest). Thanks to A.D, the Pelicans aren’t a joke. So not only is there talent to build around in the Big Easy, there’s a reason for celebration, not just drinks to drown out sorrows.

In San Antonio, sacrifice equates to success and Gregg Popovich’s strategy (to never play any starter more than 30 minutes per) produced powerful results. Because the Spurs only faced the East’s cellar dwellers twice (rather than three or four times like Indiana and Miami), they could’ve easily won 66 games, if that was their intention. Instead, what did we get? Another year their title window remained open. They ranked No. 1 in assists (so it’s fair to say the like to share), recorded top ten finishes at both ends (leading to the conclusion they play hard, look out for one another, communicate and are exceptionally well prepared) so it’s no wonder they earned 60 victories in a brutal Conference. 2014 also marked the 17th consecutive year Tim Duncan’s troop earned a Playoff spot. Pause. It’s also the franchise’s 17th consecutive year with at least .600 wins. Coincidence? Don’t think so.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

vs. Boston (Mar. 3, 2014). A.D poured on 40 points with 21 rebounds in a tough one-point overtime win.

Broken wings are no fun. Lets hope the Pelicans are able to soar high in 2015.

SAS Surgery needed

Congrats. Clean bill of health. With a clean bill of health, the Spurs could donate a kidney, lung, some blood and still claim the 2015 title.

RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

ONE LINE TAKEAWAY

For dramatic purposes, start with the 2013 Finals and go from there. Trust us, you’ll love how the sequel ends.

As Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver once wrote, “There is domination, there is total domination and then there’s San Antonio.”

2014 VITALS Reco rd

34-48

Win%

Improvement 2014 Al l-Sta rs

.415 +7 1

2014 VITALS

R a nk (W)

R a nk (L )

Tea m O

Tea m D

M.V.P

Rec o rd

62-20

Wi n %

Imp rovemen t

Anthony Davis

2014 Al l -Stars

.756 +4 1

R an k ( W)

Rank (L)

Team O

Te a m D

M .V.P

Tim Duncan

the SPECIALIST SAYS...

Adding Omer Asik allows Davis to move over to P.F. It also means the Peli’s can play three guards (Holiday, Gordon and Evans) without fearing they’ll get beaten on the glass. Having Ryan Anderson and John Salmons come off the bench gives the second unit signs of life and if their new alternate uniforms are anything to go by, the Pelicans will have the NBA seeing Red in 2015 -- especially if Davis keeps on his current track. No wonder the experts are all raising an eyebrow.

San Antonio will again turn the trophy voting system on its head because no one player will record gaudy personal stats (to qualify them)... but that’s just how the Spurs like to do business. Duncan and co. will have a real battle on their hands in 2015 with Oklahoma City extra angry and Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles and possibly another squad keen to dethrone them. Still, the professional killers from the Alamo have what it takes to (finally) repeat as champs.

2015 POWER BAR

HOLIDAY SMITH

GORDON FREDETTE

P.G

S.G

EVANS SALMONS

S.F

DAVIS ANDERSON

P.F

ASIK AJINCA

PARKER JOSEPH

P.G

GREEN GINOBILI

S.G

LEONARD DAYE

S.F

DUNCAN BONNER

P.F

SPLITTER DIAW

77 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

N u m b e r s 23 G a m e

78 basketballinsiders.com

LEBRON Shortly after his 2014 Finals loss -- the second such defeat in four years -- LeBron James opted out of his Miami Heat contract. It was first believed he was simply restructuring his deal (while publicly forcing Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to follow suit) so Pat Riley could work his free agent magic and attract more talent to Miami. While the King entertained a number of offers, many believed South Beach (still) offered LeBron the best chance to chase the trophy, at least in the short term. Then he decided it was time to return to Ohio. Florida will always be dear to him but it’s not home. Sorry, Mos Def, it’s about where you’re from, not where you’re at. At least that’s how it is in LeBron’s heart --- post what he called his “college experience” in Miami. And just like that, the multi-year Heatles experiment was over, the result: four trips to the Finals, back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, an M.V.P season for the ages (‘13), the second longest regular season winning steak (27 games) and countless other records. There were a lot of lessons learnt (and taught) along the way, plenty of high-stakes / memorable Basketball played and best of all --- and this is especially true for Cleveland die-hards --- Miami turned out to be a stopover, not the final destination during this Lion King’s NBA safari. With a third title on the agenda, we thought it appropriate to pause and reflect on LeBron’s first 12 campaigns. The figures mightn’t be enough to place James’ career portrait in front of Michael Jordan’s but lets not forget, there’s still plenty of time left for James to touch up the corners and paint in the crown.

JAMES bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

LeBron now has a 2-3 NBA Finals record. He’s also 1-2 against Tim Duncan. This hurts his legacy so far as Michael Jordan was 6-0 in his half-dozen Finals appearances. Ultimately beaten by a Wu-Tang Clan like collective (with no one personality hogging all the tracks), LeBron elected to depart South Beach even though his Cavalier reunion brings him no closer to another Larry O’Brien. Now, with a young Kyrie Skywalker by his side and a R2-Dion2 unit in tow, LeBron Kenobi has since hired the services of Andersonbacca and Kevin Solo to help him overthrow Emperor Popovich and Darth Duncan... and it’s worth mentioning, their fleet of Star Destroyers will hunt LeBron’s rebellion wherever they are. If LeBron can defeat the Spurs (who have conquered more planetary systems than any other franchise in the post-Michael Jordan NBA), his seat on the Jedi Council will be guaranteed.

Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver once wrote, “The only truly fair standard for James to compare himself to at this stage of his career is himself. There simply isn’t another player capable of doing as many things as James does offensively, or a player capable of matching his versatility or combination of size, strength, quickness and agility. And there isn’t another player who matches overwhelming physical ability with elite basketball intelligence like James.”

KOBE BRYANT *

OSCAR ROBERTSON

WILT CHAMBERLAIN

LARRY BIRD

LeBRON JAMES *

S.G | 6-6

P.G | 6-5

C | 7-1

S.F | 6-9

S.F | 6-8

Lakers

Royals Bucks

Warriors 76ers Lakers

Celtics

Cavaliers Heat

Draft: ‘96 No. 8; 24

Draft: ‘60 No. 14; 1

Draft: ‘59 No. 13

Draft: ‘78 No. 33

Draft: ‘03 No. 23; 6

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

H H H H H H H H H H H H

H H H H H H H H H H H H H

H H H H H H H H H H H H

H H H H H H H H H H

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 M.V.P

All-Star

Reg.

M. V. P

Finals

2x Scoring Leader 9x All-Defence 1st Team 17x Player of the Month

All-Star

N/A All-Defence 1st Team N/A Player of the Month

All-Star

1 2 4 5

Gm s

x2 (2008; ‘12)

2 2 0

M. V. P

Finals

7x Scoring Leader 2x All-Defence 1st Team N/A Player of the Month

All-Star

26710 7804 9887 1910 578 769

25.7 07.5 09.5 22.2 06.7 08.9

FINALS RECORD

Olympic G old

x1 (1960)

Gm s

8 6

30.1 22.9 04.4 22.5 24.5 04.2

O ly mpi c G old

---

All-Star

1 0 4 5

G ms

1 6 0

Finals

21791 8974 5695 3897 1683 1062

24.3 10.0 06.3 23.8 10.3 06.5

O ly mpi c G old

x1 (1992)

FINALS RECORD

11-16 (41%)

STATS G ms

Reg.

FINALS

16-15 (52%)

STATS

31419 23924 4643 3607 3913 673

FINALS RECORD

16-19 (46%) 1 0 4 0

M. V. P

Finals

FINALS

Gm s

Reg.

0x Scoring Leader 1x Scoring Leader 0x All-Defence 1st Team 5x All-Defence 1st Team 7x Player of the Month 27x Player of the Month

STATS Gm s

Reg.

FINALS

7-4 (64%)

STATS

Olympic Gold

FINALS RECORD

23-15 (61%) 25.5 05.3 04.8 25.6 05.1 04.7

M. V. P

Finals

FINALS

FINALS RECORD

31700 6601 5925 5640 1119 1040

Reg.

1x Scoring Leader

FINALS

So despite someone else being awarded 2014’s Best In Show ribbon, it’s clear LeBron remains safe from mass apostasy. He is, after all, Basketball’s most popular figure and remains it’s most important custodian. Throughout 2014, James was everywhere. He appeared on the cover of Basketball’s best product (NBA 2K14); partnered with Sprite to unscrupulously releasing his own soda; unequivocally spoke out against Donald Sterling; carried the

STATS G ms

8 9 7

G ms

1 6 4

23170 6086 5790 4419 1332 1019

27.5 07.2 06.9 28.0 08.4 06.4

Gms

8 4 2

Gms

1 5 8

O ly mpi c G old

x2 (2008; ‘12) *

Active players basketballinsiders.com

Profiling LeBron, be it via snapshot or from a legacy standpoint, isn’t just good for business, it’s also a lot of fun. Photogenic and accomplished, James offers sports writers the same rewards often associated with Hollywood’s most famous, meaning that he’s always an interesting subject and worthy of the spotlight. From here, LeBron fights on two fronts: 1. Trying to bring a title home to Ohio and 2. Trying to break into Basketball’s Top Five. The former should should grease the latter.

Heat while Dwyane Wade played an NFL schedule; wore the best selling jersey; registered the top selling Basketball sneaker (by a wide margin); remained the games highest overall earner and netted a franchise record / career high 61 points. Late last season, LeBron acknowledged that Kevin Durant was the rightful M.V.P but now he embarks on a new quest, one to reclaim his throne (Larry O’Brien trophy) and crown (the Maurice Podoloff M.V.P statue).

TIM DUNCAN *

MAGIC JOHNSON

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR

BILL RUSSELL

MICHAEL JORDAN

P.F | 6-10

P.G | 6-8

C | 7-2

C | 6-10

S.G | 6-6

Spurs

Lakers

Bucks Lakers

Celtics

Bulls Wizards

Draft: ‘97 No. 21

Draft: ‘79 No. 32

Draft: ‘69 No. 33

Draft: ‘56 No. 6

Draft: ‘84 No. 23; 45

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

H H H H H H H H H H H H

H H H H HH H H H H H H H H H HH H H H H H H H H HH H H H H

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

M .V.P

All-Star

Reg.

M. V. P

Finals

All-Star

Reg.

1 1 1

M. V. P

Finals

All-Star

Reg.

M. V. P

Finals

0x Scoring Leader 8x All-Defence 1st Team 3x Player of the Month

0x Scoring Leader 0x All-Defence 1st Team 6x Player of the Month

2x Scoring Leader 5x All-Defence 1st Team 2x Player of the Month

FINALS

FINALS RECORD

23-11 (68%) 19.9 11.1 03.1 21.3 11.7 03.1

Olymp ic Gold

x0 (2004)

1 2 5 4

Gm s

2 3 4

17707 6559 10141 3701 1465 2346

19.5 07.2 11.2 19.5 07.7 12.3

Olympic G old

x1 (1992)

Career totals correct as of October 1, 2014. bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

9 0 6

Gm s

1 9 0

All-Star

Reg.

38387 17440 5660 5762 2481 767

24.6 11.2 03.6 24.3 10.5 03.2

FINALS RECORD

O ly mpi c G old

---

FINALS RECORD

46-26 (64%)

24-11 (69%)

STATS

1 5 6 0

G ms

2 3 7

FINALS

G ms

Finals

0x Scoring Leader 10x Scoring Leader 1x All-Defence 1st Team 9x All-Defence 1st Team 16x Player of the Month N/A Player of the Month

STATS Gm s

M.V.P

Finals

26-31 (46%)

STATS Gm s

Reg.

FINALS

FINALS RECORD

24-27 (47%)

STATS

24904 13940 3832 4988 2733 727

All-Star

14522 21620 4100 2673 4104 770

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Rather than make lots of wild predictions, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve elected to inform the season ahead via the following 25 must-see clashes.

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Right now, the NBA apple is bruise free. From its skin to the core, the pro game is in a really healthy state (especially because the removal of Donald Sterling was painless while there’s enough established and young talent --- especially in Milwaukee, Orlando and Utah --- to believe things are only getting better). Tipping off with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs hosting Dallas (following their pre-game ring ceremony), the 2014-15 NBA campaign looks set to become a hot shower on a cold winter’s day, thanks to an extra large collection of delicious story lines, an abundance of headliners, bi-coastal rivalries, no clear cut front runner (that’s right, we’re discounting the Spurs again, what else is new?) and the return of King James to his homeland. NBA fans won’t have to wait long to see Phil Jackson’s new Broadway act dance with LeBron because the Knicks fly to Cleveland inside the first week. So while the Small Forward duel (Carmelo Anthony vs. King James) will be worth the price of admission, it’s the battle between first-time sideline managers (David Blatt in one corner, Derek Fisher in the other) that’ll offer NBA entertainment on par with a teenager’s first driving lesson. Jokes aside, there are a number of lingering questions --- which have been on the minds of most fans for months --- that concern every franchise. Thankfully, something resembling answers will start to arrive in late October. Will the Spurs retain or lose their hunger? How empty is the shell LeBron left in Miami? Can Indiana survive without Paul George (broken leg) and Lance Stephenson (lost to free agency)? What will we get from the Derrick Rose-Pau Gasol tandem? Can Kobe Bryant return to his winning ways? Will Dwight Howard grow a beard? Is Anthony Davis ready for primetime? And above all else, will the ghosts of Cleveland’s past return? Lets get to it...

Note: the following match-up guide shouldn’t be used for gambling or Fantasy Basketball purposes.

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KNICKS vs. CAVALIERS Quicken Loans Arena // Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014

After four noteworthy seasons drinking white cosmos on South Beach, LeBron James has left an ageing Justice League to assemble his new Avengers in Cleveland. That much we know. What remains the great unknown is everything else, although it’s safe to predict the Cavs will collect between 55 and 60 wins, with LeBron restoring Cleveland’s status as “contenders”. So, while James might’ve lived under a national microscope -- one that’s capable of recording ultraviolet rays -- following his Decision in 2010, now the Fourth Estate will switch their lenses to detect electromagnetic radiation. Any Cav who wasn’t around in 2009 will quickly find out there’s simply no place to hide inside an x-ray. Knowing this, LeBron has stressed the need for patience. James’ second Cleveland crusade will commence when the red carpet is rolled out for Carmelo Anthony and his new look New York Knicks. Not only will the two biggest free agents of 2014 do battle, they’ll each be putting their respective overhauled rosters to the test. There are a lot of expectations for this Cavs squad but there’s arguable more pressure on the boys from the Big Apple, especially since Phil Jackson arrived and Melo padded his bank balance.

THUNDER vs. TRAIL BLAZERS Moda Center // Friday, Feb. 27, 2015

There was no love lost between Seattle and Portland and it appears as though the rivalry has carried over to the Blazers vs. Thunder (despite geography no longer being a key component). Their four contests in 2013-14 were decided by seven, four, eight and three points, respectively, meaning these two match up incredibly well. After dropping their first two outings against Portland, the Thunder prevailed by eight (at home) thanks to Kevin Durant’s efficient 46 points (68% FG). Although they danced on October 29, we’ve highlighted their late February meeting -- third in the 2014-15 series -- because there’s nothing like a pair of rumbles to motivate a pair of proud rosters who want a decisive edge over their divisional rival. More so, their late January contest comes attached with Playoff implications. In Dec., 2013, LaMarcus Aldridge averaged 31.5 points with 13.5 boards in the Blazers’ pair of victories but the series M.V.P was K.D who contributed a four game average of 38-9-2 [against Portland]. His haul of 152 points was also the highest against a single opponent during his award winning reign. Oh, and there’ll be Russell Westbrook vs. Damian Lillard as well. Expect fireworks but don’t surprised if this series is dynamite.

LAKERS vs. ROCKETS Toyota Center // Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014

The Rockets gobble up a lot of misses while the Lakers can’t seem to rebound. The Rockets were the second best offensive team last season, netting a cool 107.7 points per game, the Lakers had the second worst defence, giving up over 109 points per. This wouldn’t ordinarily register as a “must-see” contest until you realise Kobe Bryant is back and he wants his Top S.G belt returned. It’s current holder: James Harden. In 2013, Bryant averaged 30-6-5 in his two visits to the Toyota Center, so assuming he has his legs, expect the Black Mamba to strike fear in The Beard. And it’s not just the Bryant versus Harden duel framing this match-up. Dwight Howard didn’t perform well against L.A last season and will be looking to feast on the Lake-show when they visit. He shouldn’t have any troubles against rookie big-man Julius Randle, Carlos Boozer or Jordan Hill but he has to get the ball on the block first. This outing will be their second clash of the season and Jeremy Lin’s first return to Houston, so there will be bragging rights on the line. The best Byron Scott can hope for is Bryant and Harden getting swept up in a pistols at dawn duel that renders Howard mute.

PISTONS vs. JAZZ EnergySolutions Arena // Saturday, Mar. 14, 2015

Both of these (once successful) franchises want to move out of the basement and into luxurious downtown condos… but before that can happen they’ll each need to display an ability to make repayments on their current investment properties. While Detroit and Utah would each love to surprise the world like Phoenix did in 2013-14 (unlikely) and avoid the lottery (again, unlikely), they’ll have to face facts: new sideline managers -- in this instance, Stan Van Gundy in Detroit, Quin Synder in Salt Lake City -- rarely enjoy Playoff success in Year 1. However, show enough promise and the future can quickly appear brighter. Andre Drummond netted 19 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in his only visit to the Beehive State last season. More so, he connected on nine of his 10 attempts as Detroit ran out 20 points victors. In many ways, the dominate win was MoTown’s response to the Jazz’s January sound which saw the Salt Lake City contingent blow the Pistons away inside their own Palace. Both squads will be looking to make amends in 2015 and it’ll be their ability to take care of business against opponents like each other that’ll determine their fate. Desperate to restore relevance, and hopeful Stan Van Gundy is the man to make that happen, Detroit could go the way of Boston or be the Conference force of tomorrow, like New Orleans.

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CELTICS vs. HAWKS Philips Arena // Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014.

You can learn a lot about your friends at 2am and the same is true of NBA teams. It’s the trap games, the team’s facing back-to-back nights, the supposed “easy” home stretches and the squads you can’t predict that provide the majority of entertainment to hardcore fans like us. So why Hawks and Celtics? The C’s fly down to Atlanta’s nest after facing Portland, Chicago and San Antonio at home. If they walk away from this stretch 2-2, it’ll be a minor victory, if they go 0-3 at home, there’s no telling what might happen when they arrive in the Coca-Cola capital. As for the Hawks, this contest will be their fourth straight at home before they travel to Miami and Brooklyn. Again, it’s easy to sleep on the visiting Celtics after you’ve battled Toronto, New Orleans and Charlotte. Our money will be on the Pac-man logos but Brad Stevens won’t go down without a fight. Last season, the Celts couldn’t score (26th), they didn’t grab the lions share of rebounds (18th), they weren’t great at setting one another up (22nd) but they could occasionally stop people (13th in points allowed). Now things only get tougher and with the uncertainty cloud hovering over Rajon Rondo, the Green machine will need to collect early win they can.

THUNDER vs. GRIZZLIES FedEx Forum // Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015

During last season’s extraordinary, distance lasting Playoff clash, the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder participated in a record-setting four consecutive overtime games. It’s no secret that Memphis matches up extremely well with OKC -- on the court and on the sidelines -- and nowhere was this more evident than during their opening round rumble… but that’s all ancient history now, right? Not so fast. Because their 2014 run ended prematurely, the Griz are on the hunt for OKC’s picnic basket… and they’ll get their first chance just one week into the upcoming campaign (when OKC first hosts the Blue Bear’s) but it’s the Thunder’s return to the FedExForum in late January that’ll separate the Conference front runners from the tourists. And the loser of that clash won’t have to wait long to extract (possible) revenge because the two meet again just 11 days later, only this time it’ll be OKC’s turn to set the table. These squads know one another so intimately that every inch, every possession, every lapse in judgement matters -- and that’s the key here, as it was last season: the first one to swerve loses. NOTE: An extended version of this piece first appeared on the Memphis Grizzlies blog: 3 Shades of Blue (3sob.com).

MAGIC vs. NUGGETS Pepsi Center // Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015

When we’re honest with ourselves, we just want more JaVale McGee and relish any opportunity to see one of the NBA’s true individuals. In this instance, Brian Shaw should give the big man plenty of time against the visitors from Florida. When these two last tangled, Nikola Vucevic posted a 20-16-3 line (mid March 2014) and will again lock horns with fellow foreign warrior Timofey Mozgov in a battle of true bruisers. Contrastingly, the Power Forward clash between Kenneth Faried and Channing Frye is about polar opposites (closerange strikes and ferociousness versus long-range attacks coupled with finesse). We’ve also ear-marked this outing because it’ll give us an opportunity to see Aaron Gordon and Maurice Harkless challenge Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler. Surprisingly, Denver was the second best rebounding team last season (45.4 per) but missed the Post-season because of injuries... oh, and because they couldn’t stop anyone (28th in points allowed). Likewise, when these team’s last meet, they combined for 232 points, including 73 in the final 12 minutes. That’s the kind of video game like production is exactly the kind of Basketball we love to see, making this one custom built for those looking to pad their stats.

KINGS vs. SIXERS Wells Fargo Center // Friday, Mar. 13, 2015

The fifth game of their March road trip will see the Kings (11-30 on the road in 2013-14) stopover in Philadelphia (10-31 at home) before they travel down to Washington D.C en route to the Californian capital, where they’ll host five consecutive games, the last of which will see them entertain the traveling 76ers. So whatever transpires in mid March, these two will get another shot at each other (or another opportunity to tank). Scheduling and the Sixers’ race to the bottom aside, anything greater than 30 wins for the Purple army will be seen a productive year. However, neither team will be measuring their season’s according to the standings, instead, it’ll be how they perform in their own weight class, in this case, the bottom third. We’re looking forward to this clash because: A. Everything we’ve seen from a healthy Nerlens Noel gives us reason to believe that Sixers G.M Sam Hinkie knows what he’s doing, even though it often appears like he’s throwing the baby out with the bath water… and B. Noel will be tested by DeMarcus Cousins (who has blossomed into one Basketball’s best bigs). Keith Smart’s Kings were last in team assists per in 2013-14 (just 18.9) and we’ll know by mid March if Darren Collison was able to rectify their sharing issues. Expect a big night form Rudy Gay while M.C.W tries to stop Jason from unleashing hell on this Friday the 13th.

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clippers vs. cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena // Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015

Lets just say that any contest featuring Kevin Love vs. Blake Griffin, Kyrie Irving vs. Chris Paul, LeBron’s brutal attacks vs. DeAndre Jordan’s rim protection, Shawn Marion talking smack with Matt Barnes, Mike Miller and J.J. Redick burning nets and Dion Waiters getting schooled by Jamal Crawford, is an NBA outing we definitely won’t be missing. Prior to this contest, the Cavs host Sacramento, travel to Minnesota and return home for the hapless Sixers. Point being, they’ll be rested and ready. The Clip show, on the other hand, will be on a massive road trip. They’ll visit Salt Lake City, New Orleans, San Antonio and Brooklyn before checking into their rooms in downtown Cleveland… and after facing LeBron, Los Angeles will grab their passports for Toronto, shoot down tornado alley to Oklahoma City and finally conclude their eight game tour in Dallas. That’s why we believe this outing will be a statement game for the Clippers. Win in Cleveland and they’ll strengthen their claim at the title. Lose and it’ll another indicator that the Clips still have plenty to prove (to themselves).

HORNETS vs. PACERS Bankers Life Fieldhouse // Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2015

The Pacer faithful won’t have to wait very long to welcome back Lance Stephenson because he’ll be returning just three weeks into the 2014-15 season. With Stephenson taking his talents to Charlotte, in tandem with the freak Paul George injury, Frank Vogel’s vibrant squad has dulled. It’s not unreasonable to expect Indy to use Born Ready’s return as extra motivation, plus, David West and Roy Hibbert seem like the kind of players who’ll be more than happy to part with a foul (or two) in order to remind Stephenson they’re not mad, they’re just disappointed. The Rodney Stuckey-George Hill pairing is one of the weaker starting backcourts in the pros but Stuckey will now have considerable opportunity to produce. Whether he can is yet to be seen. At the other end, we’re keen to see whether or not Kemba Walker is worthy of a maximum contract extension and given his troubles against elite shot blockers, his ability to navigate around Hibbert will indicate his true value. Adding former UNC stud Marvin Williams to the Al Jefferson, Cody Zeller, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist mix is one subplot that’s worth paying attention to, especially because Charlotte has aspirations of being the contending force Indiana was as recently as 2014.

ALL-STAR SUNDAY Madison Square Garden // Feb. 15 2015

Usually, the mid-season fan fuelled exhibition doesn’t matter to a large slice of NBA enthusiasts, however, with the game being staged in New York City and a number of noteworthy subplots -- LeBron reunited with Dwyane Wade, Carmelo playing host, Kobe (and D-Rose) expected to be back in the All-Star mix, etc. -- this could be one of the more memorable and even more important events. Away from the court, there’ll be discussions about the new media rights deal, the Commissioner’s annual address, every brand and its dog in town to cash in on the circus, etc.. The last time the Big Apple hosted All-Star festivities (1998), the Dunk Contest was replaced by Two-ball so whoever wins Saturday Night (this time around) will become legend. The fans will most likely elect Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love (East) to battle Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard (West) but that’s not as important as everything that happens prior to the mid season break. By All-Star Sunday, we’ll have a clear view of which franchises are in need of a trade deadline boost and which one’s need to improve their Lottery odds. Oh, and this could also be Kobe’s final All-Star.

SUNS vs. PELICANS Smoothie King Center // Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014

Jeff Hornacek and Monty Williams both find their squads stuck on the outside looking in (because the West is at capacity right now, hence the security down at Club Playoff won’t let them in). This game has been earmarked simple for curiosity reasons. We believe these are the ninth and tenth best team’s out West and that alone makes for an interesting confrontation. New Orleans appears to have the slightly brighter future, especially if the hype around Anthony Davis is correct. The addition of Omer Asik should pay dividends too because it’ll allow Davis to be a true P.F while also placing Ryan Anderson in charge of the second unit (but what’s really intriguing about the Big Easy outfit is their gamble of going all in with Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, John Salmons and Jimmer Fredette). In the visitors locker room, the Goran and Zoran show should be fun, especially because the Marcus and Markieff hour is already a ratings winner. Getting Eric Bledsoe back to full health could tip the scales in Phoenix’s favor but New Orleans has their own hellraiser-when-healthy in Eric Gordon. Throw in Gerald Green, Tyler Ennis, Alex Len, Miles Plumlee, P.J Tucker and of course, Isaiah Thomas on back-up vocals, and there’s no reason why this clash won’t feature the kind of blue-ribbon Basketball that makes League Pass a steal.

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THUNDER vs. WIZARDS Verizon Center // Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015

Critics of the Thunder’s sleepy off-season will be paying extra attention to this contest because it’ll give them a reason to talk about the Wizards’ strengths and how they’ll appeal to the Kevin Durant in 2016. It’s a rather sad state of affairs but anytime K.D is back in the D.C area he’ll have to fend off enquires about his playing future (whenever or not he denies a move back East is on the table). For the next 20 months, folks will find ways to read into his words, gestures and posture -- and often at the expense of discussing the more important topics of the day. Unfortunately for Durant, the chatter isn’t just going to go away. Blame his transcendent M.V.P season, blame LeBron’s return to Cleveland, blame Jay Z, blame a blood thirsty Fourth Estate, blame whoever, just know this’ll be a major annoyance. When crafting this feature, we deliberate set this space aside to address the issue. For those who are interested in what’ll happen on the court, K.D vs. Paul Pierce, Serge Ibaka vs. Marcin Gortat and Russell Westbrook vs. John Wall should see countless lightning bolts being hurled at whatever supernatural conjuring the locals can manifest.

BULLS vs. CAVALIERS Quicken Loans Arena // Sunday, Apr. 5, 2015

We’re spotlighting the fourth and final regular season meeting between these two Conference heavyweights because we fully expect that both will be chasing down each and every late season win to improve their respective Playoff seeds, just like a politician tries to secure every vote they can. Chicago and Cleveland both want to win seats in the Conference Finals and avoid one another before hand. Helping matters, Joakim Noah doesn’t like LeBron James and it’s his competitive fire that helps to frame this clash of Central foes. The other expectation? This’ll be a bar fight between Tom Thibodeau’s impenetrable defense and David Blatt’s sublime offensive sets. It’s no secret Chicago wants to be taken seriously, especially with Pau Gasol rocking the Red and White. The big X-factor will be Derrick Rose, who is back but based on talent alone, the Cavs stand between the Bulls’ Guard and his title aspirations. If they’re at 50 to 52 wins apiece, with only five games to go, the winner of this one might just decide who claims the East’s best record. No biggie.

NETS vs. RAPTORS Air Canada Centre // Wednesday. Dec. 17, 2014

Up 3-2, the Dinosaurs dropped Game 6 in Brooklyn and lost the decider at home in heartbreaking fashion. After swimming in Canadian Club over the summer, the Raptors are back and keen to take care of business. First item on their Kill Bill list? The Brooklyn Nets. While they’ll get to take the smug look off Jason Kidd’s face on November 21 (when Milwaukee visits), it’s their beef with Brooklyn that’ll remain a thorn until revenge is extracted. With no Paul Pierce around to stop Kyle Lowry at the hoop, the Maple Leaf men should triumph but it’s not enough to win. In a competitive environment where you’re remembered more for how last season ended than what’s to come, the Raptors will be gunning to sweep the season series en route to winning another Divisional banner. DeMar DeRozan’s match-up with Joe Johnson is a real clash of identities, salary cap management and playing philosophies. Hoping to pour a large cup of Tim Hortons coffee on their cake is the wise-cracking, ageing but still able Kevin Garnett (who, like Joe Johnson, will face his opposite in Amir Johnson). However, it’ll most likely be the P.G duel (Kyle Lowry versus Deron Williams) that’ll decide this one.

BUCKS vs. NETS Barclays Center // Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014

We’ve said it before (in this very publication) and we’ll say it again, there’s a lot to like about these Milwaukee Bucks. From Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo to Jabari Parker; from Ersan Ilyasova to John Henson; from O.J Mayo to Brandon Knight; from the promise of Larry Sanders (if he stays out of trouble) to the fact they could upset a lot of teams or end the season with single figure wins, Deer nation has a lot to be excited / nervous about… and that’s a privilege reserved for fans. Utah and Philadelphia are largely predictable, the Bucks, not so much. Plain and simple, we can’t wait to see what happens when Jason Kidd faces his old squad after a Summer spent playing the title role on Basketball’s House of Cards. As for the Nets, Brook Lopez wants to remind people he’s an All-Star calibre pivot and beating up on the Bucks is a great way for him to pad his stats. Above all else, this match has Rocky Balboa (underdog / USA) vs. Ivan Drago (engineered to win / Russia) connotations with new Bucks owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasey doing the jiggerbug while Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov unleashes the Troika.

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After Cleveland (pending chemistry... not likely to be a problem) and Chicago (pending health... and that question mark can only be erased in April, 2015), the Eastern Conference is wiiiddee open. That leaves plenty of room for either Washington or New York to restore pride and relevance. The former looks likely for the Wiz now that Paul Pierce has been added to a capable roster while the latter can’t be promised to the Blue and Orange’s fans. The Knicks, a major broadcast drawcard and Christmas Day staple, will have until late 2014 to forge an identity. That’s why this game matters. Not only have the Knicks been given a national platform to announce their 2015 intentions, their match against the kids from the capital will give the world a chance to see if they’re serious Post-season challengers. For Washington, it’s about building on last season’s goodwill while the Knicks just need to qualify to give Phil Jackson a reason to keep Derek Fisher employed. Expect John Wall and Bradley Beal to approach this contest like a Playoff game, with performances to match. Likewise, the strength of Carmelo Anthony’s flame is on trial in 2014-15. After opting for the money, Melo’s on court worth is again up for review. There’s no turning back now.

According to NBA.com, LeBron hasn’t lost on Christmas Day since 2003 when Orlando toppled his Cavs. That’s an impressive 7-1 record. So things don’t look good for Miami. And while they’ve now a Conference afterthought, they still pack some, um, heat. We anticipate Miami will be the fifth best team in the East, pending Dwyane Wade’s knees, and they could easily disrupt every one’s plans -- so those thinking a trip to south Florida will be a vacation, think again. It’s impossible to replace LeBron but this isn’t like when Michael Jordan retired from the Bulls in 1998 and Chicago was a shell of its former self. No, Miami has D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Loul Deng, the ghost of Danny Granger, Chris Andersen, Mario Chalmers and Josh McRoberts as their core seven, which should translate into 45 wins… but who are we kidding? LeBron plus Kevin Love... plus Kyrie Irving... plus nine kids from the local playground should win their Conference and Miami better bring their A-game (or find a way to call on the A-Team), otherwise it’ll be over by halftime. One other question: What kind of serenade will LeBron receive upon his return? Will Miami’s rent-a-crowd even bother to show up and if so, will they cheer in appreciation or shower their former King with boos?

Madison Square Garden // Christmas Day. Midday.

American Airlines Arena // Christmas Day. 5pm.

WIZARDs vs. Knicks

CAVALIERS vs. HEAT

Thunder vs. SPURS

LAKERS vs. BULLS

AT&T Center // Christmas Day. 2:30pm.

United Center // Christmas Day. 8pm

The Spurs vs. Heat duel might’ve defined the previous two seasons but now the focus shifts to a four-way melee between Oklahoma City and San Antonio out west, while Cleveland battles Chicago in the East. Those are your four favorites and unless the Clippers or Warriors can collect 60 wins, it’ll be one of those four teams enjoying the champagne shower. While the Spurs will be gunning for back-to-back titles (for the fifth time since Tim Duncan was drafted in ‘97), OKC is arguably more talented than they were last year (when they pushed a highly motivated Spurs outfit to six games) so if nothing else, the Thunder and Spurs respect each other. By adding Sebastian Telfair and Anthony Morrow, OKC’s upgrade (if you can call replacing Thabo Sefolosha and Derek Fisher with Morrow and Telfair an upgrade) should result in better spacing and thus their double-barrelled attack will be harder for San Antonio to contain. Even though San Antonio’s malfunctioning air conditioning unit (during the 2014 NBA Finals) had absolutely nothing to do with Gregg Popovich hanging around the AT&T Center at 2am in a nondescript van, this franchise has shown, time and again, that they don’t get lucky, they make their own luck (via preparation, scouting and strategy). That approach keeps them ahead of any thunderstorms.

This game could be titled Great Expectations as both Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose try to convince the public of their reinstated value. The superstars are reportedly healthy, hungry and happen to play for two of the three biggest NBA markets. Additionally, the Pau Gasol / Carlos Boozer jersey swap only adds drama to this Christmas conflict. Laker Nation were treated to just six games with Kobe in 2013-14 and will be writing to Santa every day in October and November in hopes that he makes it to Christmas. And not that he’ll be overly focused (at least not publicly) but Kobe’s career points leaderboard chase could see him pass Michael Jordan on Chicago timber. Don’t worry, No. 24 cares deeply about this stuff and will make sure that when he does overtake M.J, the world knows about it. Still those living in Laker land will have until Christmas to answer five questions: 1. Will Swaggy P be Kobe’s partner in shine or evolve into a J.R Smith type hindrance (upon his return)? 2. Melo wasn’t happy with Jeremy Lin receiving more press in NYC, so how will Kobe react if Linsanity 2.0 shows up in the Hollywood hills? 3. Will Byron Scott ever be safe? 4. Can Carlos Boozer give L.A 50% of what Pau Gasol did? 5. Will Kobe concede at least a few shot attempts?

basketballinsiders.com

Everything is bigger in Texas, even NBA melodrama. What started out as the Mavericks’ simple need to land a new starting Small Forward (in wake of their decision to part ways with Shawn Marion) quickly blew up into a tug-o-war over the services for Chandler Parsons. And while the former University of Florida swingman is more than capable of being a third banana (or starter) at the NBA level, he’s not exactly renting a room in the S.F penthouse. Still, Dallas had needs and Houston was more interested in Carmelo Anthony’s decision (which went against them). As the story goes, Dallas couldn’t secure Chris Bosh so they went after Tyson Chandler, added Richard Jefferson and accepted whatever is left in Raymond Felton’s game. Houston meanwhile acquired Trevor Ariza as Parsons’ replacement and believed that was that. So what exactly do we have here? The skinny looks like this: Houston: Two of the 12 best players in the NBA; a highly respected but stubborn rostermatician (Daryl Morey); no more Jeremy Lin or Omer Aik; a new $9 million Small Forward... Dallas: Outspoken owner (Mark Cuban) who overpaid for Parsons in place of Marion; Jefferson to cover for Vince Carter (now with Memphis); and a return to the Chandler-Harris-Nowitzi days. Game on.

This match-up has history, dating back to ‘07... and some cuts never fully heal. Although LeBron has since removed the gorilla (from off his back), the Alamo remains a traumatic place because it’s where his 2014 title hopes were crushed, effectively commencing South Beach divorce proceedings. One doesn’t easily forget these things. The most interesting storyline to the Spurs’ title defence is whether or not they have enough motivation and hunger left to defend. Tim Duncan and Coach Pop don’t exactly have a reliable record in that department but with the East losing it’s biggest power and with a few too many question marks in Oklahoma (Thunder) and California (Clippers, Warriors), 2015 may in fact be Timmy D’s best / last opportunity to claim repeat trophies. That’s why their match-up with the Cavaliers will be so anticipated. It’s not just LeBron’s chance to extract a small dose of revenge but it’s a real measuring stick for both squads. It’ll give Pop a chance to watch the new Cavs (and David Blatt) in person while testing his own troops. Given it’s a regular season outing, the final score won’t matter 48 hours later (especially because San Antonio doesn’t linger and have few things left to prove) but you need to bake the cake before it qualifies as a culinary delight.

American Airlines Center // Friday, Feb. 20, 2015

AT&T Center // Thursday, March 12, 2015

ROCKETS vs. MAVERICKS

CAVALIERS vs. Spurs

5 4

3 2

WARRIORS vs. CLIPPERS

Cavaliers vs. TIMBERWOLVES

Staples Center // Christmas Day. 10:30pm

Target Center // Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015

Even if you discount their memorable -- for all the right (seven games) and wrong (Donald Sterling) reasons -- and rather epic, opening round Playoff clash, the Clippers versus Warriors is still a wild west shootout between two of the best (Los Angeles: 107.9 ppg... Golden State: 104.3 ppg) offensive producers in the Association. The starting match-ups are all delicious too, headlined by Chris Paul’s playmaking versus Stephen Curry desire to be the game’s top P.G. However, it’s the David Lee plus Andrew Bogut pairing and their ability to keep Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan grounded, that’ll go a long way to helping the Bay Area crew depart downtown L.A with the win. If you’re watching the Christmas Day coverage live, you’ll most likely be drunk on NBA commentary by the time this contest tips off but we recommend you leave a little in the tank because these two teams always put on a classy show. And if you’re keen on getting drunk (please drink responsibly), try having a shot of rum every time either one of the Splash brothers hits a triple or Jamal Crawford crosses someone over.

Kevin Love’s departure is a fresh a cut so there’s sure to be ill feelings between the assailant with the knife (Cleveland) and the people who don’t want to see these pups slaughtered (Wolves fans). Much like Carmelo Anthony’s return to Denver or Dwight Howard’s walk of shame in Los Angeles, Love can expect a torrent of words that aren’t safe for children when he takes to the timber. The Minny faithful also have a couple of months (prior to Love’s visit) for Andrew Wiggins to blossom. The the first No. 1 pick in more than 20 years (Chris Webber, 1993) to be traded before playing a pro minute, everyone is hoping the Canadian turns out to be the same kind of cultural changer C-Webb was. But that alone doesn’t address the immediate issue: Minny’s promising future isn’t as bright as Cleveland’s present. For those keeping score, Cleveland won back-to-back NBA Drafts (after LeBron bolted to South Beach) and took a pair of Canadian talents -- Anthony Bennett, 2013; Andrew Wiggins, 2014 -- only to flip them for LeBron 4.0, an All-NBA Power Forward (Kevin Love) and arguably the most talented Point Guard in Basketball (Kyrie Irving). Maybe the “God hates Cleveland” rhetoric can finally be put to bed. So while Wolves fans have a 2015 Rookie of the Year fave to rally behind, Cavs fans expect to be sipping wine and rocking Gold.

bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

REWIND CLE FANS:

Anytime LeBron is left guarding K.D one-on-one.

OKC FANS:

Anytime K.D sticks a shot with LeBron in his face.

SCAN BCK

STOP

PLAY

PAUSE

SCAN FWD

FAST FWD

Whenever If Kyrie forgets If K.D is hot The K.D LeBron is in LeBron is and Oklahoma vs. LeBron mid flight. around and City happens chess Few sights gets caught to be ahead by match is on Earth up trying to 30 points at unlike compare. crossover Russ. the half. anything else in Whenever If Scott Brooks sport. Enjoy If Ibaka If the Thunder If Cleveland and savor Westbrook won’t sub manages to go into hero is up by 30 every play break LeBron’s realises Irving Kendrick ball or my at the half between is the only one Perkins despite nose a turn, your turn and K.D is these two between him K-Love getting second time. mode. 0-12 outside masters. and the hoop. hot. the arc. Whenever Irving has the ball and he makes eye contact with LeBron.

If Kevin Love and Shawn Marion are ejected for fighting each other.

THUNDER vs. CAVALIERS Quicken Loans Arena // Monday, January 26, 2015.

Say what you will about the Cavs holding down the top three “must-see” spots but they’re easily the most enticing team in Basketball right now. Not since the 2010 Miami Heat or 2008 Boston Celtics have we seen such a formidable trio emerge -- and yes, we’re aware both the Thunder and Spurs have equally mighty triangular attacks but their respective forces were built through the draft, not free-agency. More so, they’ve had to develop products, rather than acquire them via a hostile takeover. Anytime the two best players in the game (in this instance, LeBron James and Kevin Durant) do battle, you have to cancel all other plans and tune in. The fact K.D and King James play the same position, use the other as motivation and play in opposite NBA Conference’s only fuels debate and generates excitement. The first Durant vs. James showdown was set to take place on December 11 in Oklahoma City but it’s their second and final regular season meeting, in Cleveland, that has us all giddy. Durant went 0-5 against LeBron during the King’s first Cavalier reign (most games ending in blow outs) but now things are different. K.D is an M.V.P, the Thunder

posses three elite talents and Durant has shown he can beat LeBron on the King’s court. When LeBron last visited the Sooner state, Serge Ibaka broke his nose, so there’ll be no love lost between these titans. K.D doesn’t like the fact the media makes their team duel a personal one but just like Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson, fans attach themselves to the most loveable / popular characters and the drama is enriched because inside the bigger war there’s a number of smaller battles. Still, K.D is probably right and until he takes down the King (during the Finals) there really isn’t too much to discuss, even if their 2014-15 mexican standoff results in a John Woo directed shootout. One could argue that the James-Love-Irving trinity is neutralized by the Durant-Ibaka-Westbrook triptych, leaving this contest to be decided by their respective supporting casts. If that ends up being the case, advantage Cleveland (since they’ve added Brandon Haywood, Shawn Marion and Mike Miller). If Westbrook goes into Single’s Tennis mode and the team’s trainers inject Reggie Jackson with his favorite erratic confidence serum, well, anything goes. Same could be said for Cleveland too who have their own ticking time bomb in Dion Waiters. Not surprisingly, U.S TV audiences will see the Bulls, Cavs and Thunder more than any other teams in 2014-15. Fair call, one of them could be champs.

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THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED ...AND STREAMED. October 6, 2014, mark that date down. That’s the day Adam Silver’s commissionership cemented a new pathway for the NBA. That particular Monday included the announced that the National Basketball Association would be expanding its partnerships with Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and The Walt Disney Company, effectively extending their media deal another nine years to 2025. The New Yorks Times first reported the extension will generate approx. $2.6 billion annually but no official figures were disclosed at the press conference. If that’s true, the agreement would increase revenue 186 percent because the current deal is worth a mere $930 million per annum. For NBA fans, this means there won’t be any disruption to coverage for at least the next decade but things could get rather choppy once the C.B.A is up for renewal. Interesting wrinkle: both LeBron James and Kevin Durant could become free agents in the summer of 2016. In other words, their new contracts will be largely built around the salary cap number that’s established in tandem with the new media rights deal. For K.D, this means Jay Z will drive up his asking price and entertain offers from every loaded suitor. For King James, it gives Cleveland room to sign a fourth superstar. It’s expected the new media rights deal will dramatically inflate the current cap (because league generated revenue drives the salary limit) but the NBA is exploring ways of curbing market shocks by introducing on-going, incremental increases. One hopes this is so those who’ve just signed new deals won’t feel exploited... or violated. The new deal has promised increased appearances of the most popular teams and most compelling match-ups. Translation: agents can demand more for headliners because they’ll be seen more (and thus worth more). Worth noting, those under the ESPN International umbrella -- specifically Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand -- will also enjoy significantly more regular-season and Playoff coverage via the new deal with Australia and New Zealand viewers able to catch the Finals exclusively on local ESPN channels. Adam Silver said he was thrilled about the agreement struck [with ABC, ESPN, TNT, NBA TV and all their digital platforms]. And it’s that fifth component, digital, that offers the greatest reward now that streaming content, be it live, delayed or on-demand, has changed the broadcast landscape. So while primetime telecasts will always matter, the NBA and its media partners (Disney and Turner Sports) know that live sports coverage is an oil field capable of producing unimaginable wealth -and those who are able to extract, package, distribute and deliver content, especially exclusively, will be able to control the fields and set the terms of consumption. Media rights are more powerful than Godzilla, especially now that the smart phone era has meant sports, especially live broadcasts, are immune from the revenue shortfalls effecting other, older programming models. So while the NBA’s digital properties -- NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA Mobile, NBA LEAGUE PASS and WNBA.com -- will remain with Turner Sports until 2025, it’ll be their ability to capture eyeballs (now that there’s an even greater emphasis on viewer control, convenience, customization and tangible, real time, tracking methods) that’ll determine what professional Basketball’s future earnings potential is. The NBA’s parters now have to produce coverage fans adore or else the league will take its talents elsewhere.

ESPN is owned by The Walt Disney Company. Background information and figures for this piece courtesy of NBA.com bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

Per the official press release, here’s how the new rights coverage will break down… ABC • 15 regular-season games. • Exclusive Playoff and Finals coverage. • Finals broadcast in primetime. ESPN • 85 regular-season games (up from 70). • 30 Playoff games in Rounds 1 and 2. • Conference Finals coverage. • Exclusive Draft and Lottery telecast. • Up to 20 Summer League games. • WNBA broadcast rights through to 2025. • Development League games. • Framework to launch a new offering. • Enhanced digital media rights. • Increased ESPN Audio coverage. • Spanish-language rights for ESPN Audio. • More exclusive games • Focused programming outside the U.S. • Opportunities to stream ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 games live, delayed or on-demand across its multimedia platforms. NBA TV • Over 100 regular-season games. • As many as nine Playoff games. • Enhanced digital media opportunities. • Joint NBA and Turner management of NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, and the NBA Game Time app. TNT • 64 regular-season games (up from 52). • Up to 45 Playoff games in Rounds 1 and 2. • The other Conference Finals. • All-Star Weekend coverage. • End of season awards show. • TV Everywhere rights that allow for NBA content airing across Turner Broadcasting networks to be streamed live, delayed and on-demand across its digital platforms • Digital media rights, including streaming of TNT x NBA games on a live, delayed and on-demand basis across all multimedia platforms. • Broader rights to distribute NBA games, non-game programming and new NBA-related content via digital platforms. • Interactive online to complement telecast. • Enhanced rights for Bleacher Report. • Exclusive broadband and other content for digital platforms, including studio shows.

STAND UP

2014-15

POWER RANKINGS

EAST 1

Cleveland Cavaliers

C e n t ra l

Chicago Bulls

S o u t h east

C e n t ra l

Washington Wizards 4

Toronto Raptors At l a n t i c

8 9

Miami Heat

S o u t h east

Charlotte Bobcats S o u t h east

At l a n t i c

Brooklyn Nets 8

Atlanta Hawks

S o u t h east

NEW YORK KNICKS

C e n t ra l

At l a n t i c

Detroit Pistons 11

Indiana Pacers C e n t ra l

20 21

Boston Celtics

At l a n t i c

Milwaukee Bucks C e n t ra l

S o u t h east

Orlando Magic 15

Philadelphia 76 ers At l a n t i c

27 28 29 30

NBA

SAN ANTONIO SPURS oklahoma city thunder Cleveland Cavaliers LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS CHICAGO BULLS PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS HOUSTON ROCKETS Memphis Grizzlies Washington Wizards Toronto Raptors Miami Heat Dallas Mavericks Phoenix Suns Charlotte Bobcats Brooklyn Nets Atlanta Hawks Denver Nuggets NEW YORK KNICKS New Orleans Pelicans Los Angeles Lakers Detroit Pistons Indiana Pacers Sacramento Kings Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves Orlando Magic Utah Jazz Philadelphia 76erS

WEST 1

San Antonio Spurs Sout hw est

Oklahoma City Thunder Nort hw est

Los Angeles Clippers Pacific

Golden State Warriors Pacific

Portland Trail Blazers Nort hw est

Houston Rockets Sout hw est

Memphis Grizzlies Sout hw est

Dallas Mavericks Sout hw est

Phoenix Suns Pacific

Denver Nuggets Division

New Orleans Pelicans Sout hw est

Los Angeles Lakers Pacific

Sacramento Kings Pacific

Minnesota Timberwolves Nort hw est

Utah Jazz Nort hw est

Accurate as of October 1, 2014. basketballinsiders.com

FINAL THOUGHT

2014-15

ROUND AND ROUND

RIG

H E

E W

E AR ST

TE ME FOR AN D. TI OT HE

GO O

N T

...

Coaching Carousel Prior to the commencement of the 2013-14 NBA season, six different 2013 Playoff teams changed the name on the door to their Head Coach’s office. Again, these weren’t lottery bound squads, they actually qualified for the Post-season. Of that group, only Doc Rivers (from the Los Angeles Clippers) and Jason Kidd (Brooklyn Nets) were able to guide their team’s past 2014’s first round. That’s right, of the six Head Coaches who should’ve kept their jobs, only two replacements became wise investments. There’s simply no rhyme or reason when it comes to ownership’s decisions in the NBA. Need more proof? Dwane Casey (Toronto Raptors) was rewarded with a multi-year contract extension in mid 2014 despite his team’s first-round exit, even though they enjoyed home-court advantage... while Mark Jackson (Golden State Warriors), whose troops didn’t have that same advantage and tried to compete without their most talented defensive player, Andrew Bogut, was kindly handed a number at the unemployment line. As every Head Coach not named Gregg Popovich eventually finds out, the Grim Reaper is always sitting by the phone. The good news though, death in the NBA is rarely eternal*. As it turns out, there’s always someone who needs to be replaced, whether or not they produce wins.

93 bucketsmag.bigcartel.com

Unless of course you’re Patrick Ewing. Then there’s no life or death, just an eternity as an assistant.

Tickets, Please

the

items history will remember from 2013-14

San Antonio wins their fifth NBA title. The King can’t top Pop culture. Donald Sterling is banned for life. K.D gets emotional at the podium. Adam Silver gets a new corner office. Cleveland wins the lottery, again. Damian Lillard resurrects Rip City. Phil Jackson returns to New York City. D-Rose and Kobe Bryant go down. Michele Roberts becomes NBPA boss. The Wizards are no house of cards. Worst Draft Class since 2000. Jason Collins finally breaks through. Player tracking good. Replays bad. LeBron James, 61 points. Philadelphia are Tanktastic. Lance Stephenson feels blowback. Owners have fire sale on coaches. Dirk is one of the 10 best scorers ever. Toronto Raptors x Drake. Another Conf. Finals without CP3. Terrence Ross over Kenneth Faried. Atlanta loses its way into 8th place The Pelicans are here to stay. Phoenix wins 48 games but misses out on the Post-season.

Incremental success in the NBA no longer holds water. Only problem: one team wins, the other 29 don’t. So while there have been a couple of rosters featuring discarded rocks that turned out to be unrefined gems (like Phoenix last season or the Detroit Pistons, circa 2003), most line-ups don’t surprise and yet it’s the sideline manager, not the person charged with building the faulty product, who cops the bulk of the blame. If a Head Coach assembles their own roster and it doesn’t perform, by all means, have them fall on their sword but with tens of millions of dollars at stake, the words “progression” and “patience” have been taken off the table -- unless of course you’re tanking... and then it’s all about praying for the next hoop messiah to arrive. It’s one thing to can a General Manager for making poor draft choices (year after year), it’s another to hold a coach accountable for decisions that were made prior to their arrival. Again, one team wins, the other 29 are deemed losers. It doesn’t matter how many times you shuffle the coaching deck, you can’t gamble without chips. The lesson over the past two years has been clear: even if the players buy into whatever it is that their coach is selling -- and one would like to think that those who have to do the listening get a say... but no -- once they fall out with upper management, or fail to meet the ownerships goals (whatever they may be) their job secruity is trashed or they become Sarah Conner, circa 1984. As a result, the turnover of coaches in the past 24 months has been staggering. Thirteen of the 30 teams appointed new Head Coaches to start the 2013-14 season with seven more changes occurring before the 2014 Champions where even crowned. Leading the way were a trio of Mike firings - Brown, D’Antoni and Woodson -- who were all sent home by their respective employers after they each failed to reach the Post-season. Elsewhere, the Detroit Pistons hired Stan Van Gundy, giving him free range to do whatever he likes, from driving the company car off a cliff to wearing khaki shorts to the office. The Utah Jazz meanwhile replaced Tyrone Corbin with Quin Synder but he shouldn’t get too comfortable because the Jazz are a young band and thus it’s difficult to know what’s great and what’s noise. They also have Gordon Hayward on lead vocals. That says it all. While those two changes were shotgun blasts, the appointment of Steve Kerr in Golden State was a ramjet propelled missile (after he opted for sunny California over the stresses in New York City). First rumored to be joining Phil Jackson in Manhattan, the former ESPN analyst opted to ultimately switch jobs with Mark Jackson. That particular decision [by Kerr] led to the panic hiring of Derek Fisher. On the surface, it makes complete sense for the New York Knicks to have Fisher patrol their sidelines. Why hire a proven General when you have no military for them to command? Plus, it’s better to hold off on hiring anyone significant until after Phil Jackson’s roster overhaul is complete. While no one is selling Fisher as a stand-in, that’s what he appears to be, a temporary holdover until the Zen Master knows what the Knicks will look like (post their current contractual squeeze). If Jackson does hire a boat and set out for a new Head Coach, the expectation is he’ll return with a trophy fish, not the current Fish on his line. Across the bridge, Brooklyn appointed former Grizz sideline manager Lionel Hollins after Jason Kidd ran away to be with Milwaukee (who fired Larry Drew following their 15 win season). Because the Bucks’ new owners want a name they can sell -- at least until Jabari Parker comes of age -- Kidd is their man. And his rather messy break-up with Brooklyn would’ve been the most talked about off-season (sideline) signing but once news broke that LeBron James had reconciled with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, all attention moved towards the King’s relationship with first timer David Blatt -- who Gilbert signed after cancelling Mike Brown’s contract just 12 months into his five year deal (because he failed to find the Ohio Player’s new signature sound). Four states over, Minnesota’s Team President Flip Saunders opted to name himself as the team’s top coach after efforts to replace Rick Adelman, who retired after 23 years, failed. A number of high profile people were said to have been propositioned but no one wanted to endure the Minnesota winter. The Los Angeles Lakers finally ended their search for a new coach after Byron Scott accepting the (unforgiving) role in late July. Looking at it form the outside, it’s hard to be envious of anyone holding down such a brittle, gloomy, thankless and morose position. Scott better ready his C.V, the Lakers aren’t winning much in 2015. In the NBA, you’re either a contender or you’re not… and if you’re not, well, you’re immediately on the hot seat. The good news is, coaches are free to rejoin (the ride) whenever there’s an opening.

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CLOSING CREDITS Published, DESIGNED AND WRITTEN BY BRAD GRAHAM EDITORIAL DIRECTion and PHOTOGRAPHy by ALAN HEDEVANG EDITORIAL DONATIONS COURTESY OF Damian Arsenis MARK BRUTY Chris Carillo Eli Cohen Jonny Duennebier Nicolas Jungfer Josh Lloyd Josh Planos Mark Remme Michael Tozer Olgun Uluc KIRSTIE YU Dean Zardo ADDITIONAL SURVEY CONTRIBUTORS JOEL BRIGHAMwww.basketballinsiders.com STEVE DANZIGERwww.3sob.com ADAM HOWESwww.abovetherim.com.au TOM READwww.believethehypeNBA.com ANDREW SCHLECHTwww.downtodunk.com IMAGES courtesy of adidas basketballwww.adidas.com fibawww.fiba.com getty imageswww.gettyimages.com JORDAN BRANDwww.jumpman23.com nike basketballwww.nike.com

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MMXIV

Year In Review

MAYA MOORE MINNESOTA LYNX | No. 23 | S.F

BALLER OF THE YEAR

Season Preview MMXV