Greg Oden OUT for the playoffs

Few stories were more heart warming in the NBA this season than watching Greg Oden take the court for the Miami Heat. Sure, he ended up coat tailing by picking the Heat for less money – but the Heat did have a need for a big man, so it was a justified signing.

The oft-injured big man even saw some rather significant playing time (considering he hadn’t graced an NBA court in a few years), at times pushing fifteen minutes a game.

But Oden’s health issues have haunted him again as it’s believed that the former Ohio State star is likely out for the season according to Brian Windhorst.

“I don’t think Greg Oden is going to play the rest of the seaosn to be honest. I think Roy Hibbert broke him,” @WindhorstESPN on 1070.

The Heat didn’t sign Oden with the intention of being a difference maker in the regular season, but knowing a playoff matchup with the Indiana Pacers was very likely, the hope was that Oden would be able to assist in covering a player like the previously mentioned Roy Hibbert.

There’s a little confusion as to if Oden would be able to play in the playoffs, but given he hasn’t seen the court since March 26th, that appears questionable at the current moment.

Phil Jackson Had Cancer During The 2011 playoffs

Back in the 2011 NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers season ended after a disappointing sweep at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. Apparently playing the eventual NBA champions that season wasn’t the only thing weighing on the Lakers minds, as head coach Phil Jackson reveals that he informed the team that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, per a report from Kevin Ding of the OC Register:

Jackson was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March 2011. After doctors assured him the cancer could be controlled by drugs temporarily, Jackson waited until after the season to undergo surgery.

Jackson decided to divulge his situation to his players when he sensed the team was lacking something in the playoffs.

“Shocking,” Pau Gasol said Saturday, remembering Jackson’s disclosure to the team. “But then you also could understand certain moments of his demeanor, energy and involvement because of what he was going through health-wise. It explained certain things. It was a shock. A difficult moment for the team.”

Whoa. That’s pretty heavy for a team to handle, especially one that was facing as much adversity that the Lakers were that season. It also explains why Jackson chose to walk away from coaching at the time.

Lately Jackson has expressed an interest in returning to basketball in some capacity, and if he does return hopefully his health is up to the task.

Russel Westbrook Out Infinitely

Westbrook suffered the injury in the second quarter of game 2 of the Thunder’s first round match up with the Houston Rockets. Westbrook stayed in the game, finishing with 29 points in 37 minutes played.

Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley was involved in the play that caused Westbrook’s injury, and has since received some harsh treatment due to his alleged role in the play (that you can see here).

Westbrook had yet to miss a single game in his playing career dating back to high school. The Thunder have second year reserve guard Reggie Jackson and Derek Fisher on the roster and both will be needed to fill some of the void left by Westbrook’s absence. Westbrook averaged 23.2 points, 7.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds during the regular season and was averaging 24 points, seven assists and 6.5 rebounds so far in the series. The Thunder are up 2-0 in the series.

Stephen Jackson Confirms That Him and Popovich “had a disagreement”

Stephen Jackson was released abruptly by the Spurs just a week ago, and speculation was of course that Popovich and Jackson had a disagreement which led to the release. Jackson confirmed to ‘Sister 2 Sister’ that him and the no-nonsense Pop ‘had a disagreement.’

“He wanted me to agree to players being better than me, and I didn’t agree. I’ve been in the NBA a long time, so it’s just something I didn’t agree with and something I have no control over. He’s the coach. He controls who plays, and he controls the team, which I do respect. At the same time, I know what I can do and what I been doing my whole career, and I’m far from ready to hang it up. So, I can’t let one person tell me where I’m at 35-years-old. To me, it just didn’t make no sense.”

I can’t say that I agree with Stephen’s reasons for jumping ship, or for that matter even understand them.  Stephen may have wanted to enjoy a nice playoff run with a second seed team and listen to a coach who has  four championships under his belt.  Welp?

Kevin Garnett: Knicks are the better team

Boston Celtics veteran Kevin Garnett has been all but certified as a master of  mind-games.  He could be spinning his most most masterful web of all. 

Garnett has very little if any love for his rivals.

He has always shown a certain level of disdain for those he considers his true peers.

Think about the classic battles of his career.

Garnett has always played the hardest when he takes the time to respect somebody enough to disrespect them.

The Atlanta Hawks, the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers and his current dance partners the New York Knicks have all see him at his best/worst.

On Friday, Garnett shifted gears and decided to play nice.

Garnett not only agreed with the statement that the Celtics are the underdogs by stating “we are,” he told the New York Post that his squad will not be the best team on the floor when the series starts on Saturday.

“The Knicks are the better team. They’ve deserved it. They’ve earned it and rightfully so. (Carmelo Anthony) is playing unbelievable. J.R. (Smith), that whole team. They’re playing with a lot of confidence. That’s what you want going into the playoffs.”

The drama that lives in the space between he and Carmelo Anthony is sizable.

Garnett could easily be playing the role of the gentleman to get in the head of the NBA’s new scoring champion.

Garnett’s teammate Paul Pierce sees this as yet another epic battle.

“You think Celtics vs. Knicks, you think of a rivalry, an intense series,” Pierce said. “No matter who puts on that jersey, when you put those two teams together, that’s what you can expect.

“We really got a taste of it during the season, but…you have to elevate it times 10,” Pierce said.

“So much is on the line. One mistake could cost you a series. One play could cost you a game. It could all be fatal in a series like this.”

The pieces are on the board, we’ll see how this all plays out.

NBA Playoffs Preview: Knicks vs. Celtics

This is a tale of two hungry teams.  Boston never lets go.  Even with the absence of all-star point guard, Rajon Rondo, the Celtics expect to make this a highly competitive series.  The nature of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett is to keep pushing.  They disregard the effects of old age.  New York is out to prove they can go far in the playoffs.  The regular season gave fans a reason to believe in the team.

What New York needs to do to win: Melo and J.R. Smith both need to be on top of their game.  When they both get going, the Knicks can be very difficult to stop.  With that said, they also cannot stop the ball movement too much.  The Knicks don’t execute great when Melo or J.R. goes one-on-one every single time.  They need to mix it up.  Anthony can pick and choose when he wants to isolate his defender.  Also, the Knicks simply need to match the energy level of Boston.  They have some momentum coming into the series.  Finally and most importantly, they can’t overlook the Celtics.  The Celtics are always ready to rumble in the playoffs.

What Boston needs to do to win: They absolutely need to guard the perimeter.  If Carmelo beats them, they’ll have to live with it.  But they can’t let deadly three-point shooting beat them.  The Celtics must stay at home on all the three-point shooters.  Obviously, that makes it more difficult to guard Melo but that’s the breaks.  Also, Paul Pierce needs to match up well with Melo.  He needs to be the same go-to-guy he has been since 2008.  ”The Truth” has great heart and for that reason, you can’t doubt that he can possibly get the best of Anthony.  While Anthony is certainly the better scorer, Pierce has other facets of his game that he can utilize.

Key Matchups:

Carmelo Anthony vs. Paul Pierce: This is one of the most entertaining head-to-head matchups in the playoffs.  Paul Pierce has proved himself in the past as an elite playoff player.  He has unbelievable courage and is willing to do just about anything in order to win.  But there seems to be a new and evolved Carmelo Anthony this year.  Anthony is scoring at an exceptionally high level.  On top of that, he has become a far better teammate this year.  He is making players around him perform better.  It should be fun to watch these guys go at it.

Tyson Chandler vs. Kevin Garnett: Tyson Chandler has never fit better anywhere else than New York.  He doesn’t need to worry about producing on offense because he is the backbone of the Knicks’ defense.  Without Chandler, the Knicks would be strictly an offensive team.  Tyson can give any player trouble finishing at the rim.  With that said, Garnett has been relying a lot on his mid-range shot, which is almost automatic if you give him space.  Therefore, the Knicks’ defensive scheme may be something other than man-to-man.

Big question: Can Avery Bradley shut down J.R. Smith?  Bradley is an excellent defender that’s known to get under your skin.

Playoff Experience: There is a whole lot of this from both teams.  The Celts benefit from playoff experience every postseason.  Jason Terry has had a subpar season.  However, the playoffs are a whole new season.  Watch out for him to explode on any given night.  Then there is Pierce and Garnett, who have been there and done that.  Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, and Jason Terry all won a championship together on the Mavericks.

#prayforboston

#Bostonstrong

REALLY? Brandon Jennings: We Will Beat Heat In 6 Games

Brandon Jennings: We Will Beat Heat In 6 Games

Published April 19, 2013 | By Mark Evans

This season, the Milwaukee Bucks got the misfortune of matching up with the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Almost everyone is expecting the defending champion Heat to destroy the Bucks, and no one really thinks that there is a serious chance at an upset here. It’s very rare that a number one seed loses in the first round, especially when that one seed is led by a player like LeBron James in his prime.

You can put Brandon Jennings on the short-list of people expecting an upset. The shoot-first point guard is calling an upset over the Miami Heat in 6 games. Yes, you read that right. Milwaukee over Miami. In 6 games.

We’re Gonna Win In Six. - Brandon Jennings on #BucksPlayoffs
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 19, 2013

Well, there’s a reason the games are played on the court, and not on paper. I guess.

Many would not be surprised by a Heat sweep, and very few expect this to be a terribly serious series. With that being said, you obviously don’t expect Brandon Jennings to come out and say that. But to predict a Milwaukee victory in 6 games is bold to say the least.

Hey, confidence is a good thing. Strictly from a fan’s perspective, it would be great if Brandon Jennings and the Bucks could make this a competitive series. And could you imagine the mayhem that would occur if the Bucks actually pulled this one out, true to his prediction? I can hear Skip Bayless yelling through my television already.

Seriously, how funny would it be if LeBron hears this and just decides to go nuts? As in, “I’m going to go drop 50 every game and shut this guy up. Just because.”

Keep being you, Brandon Jennings.

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Richard Hamilton needed 2 U-Hauls for his sneaker collection (Picture)

Recently, Chicago Bulls guard Richard Hamilton is moving to a place and decided to reveal his epic sneaker collection to the world of Instagram.

Check out the below picture and apparently, Mr. Hamilton needed two U-Hauls to move it:

Really, is that necessary RIP?

[Video] Best of Phantom 2012-2013 Regular Season, DOPE VIDEO!

Published on Apr 19, 2013

Check out the best of the best from our phantom slo-motion camera from this season. Enjoy these amazing highlights while listening to the hit song "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons.

[Video] Top 10 Dunks of the 2012-2013 NBA Season