Opening Night

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics

The first game to be played on opening night, and a battle of two teams that many people though would meet in the conference championship game come playoff time. When the Kyrie Irving/Isiah Thomas trade went through this summer, the game had even more meaning behind it. Sadly, neither of these points were why this game will be reminded. Instead the disturbing image of Gordon Hayward’s injury will be held in people’s minds as they think about this game. What a terrible way to start an NBA season. Hayward is a player that I was extremely excited for this season as he finally was going to get the chance to show his ability to contribute and lead a team. Unfortunately, he will not be able to do that this season for the Celtics

A little more on the actual game itself, the Celtics came out an impressed despite having lost one of their key players 6 minutes into the first quarter. The major key for the Celtics was the performance of Jaylen Brown, who proved he made big strides this off season and was worth the 3^rd pick in the 2015 draft. This is also huge for the Celtics because he will help fill the role that was emptied by hayward. Jason Tatum also had a good start to his season which continued through he first month, showing his skills set will transfer well like many people believed it would.

Finally, the Cavaliers played about as you would expect the Cavaliers to play. Lebron James topped the stat sheet and was followed by Kevin Love. The rest of the new pieces that they acquired in the offseason did a fair job in their respective rights, with Dwayne Wade, Derrick Rose, and Jae Crowder all putting up solid numbers.

Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets

The score line of this game started out as many people may have thought, with the warriors holding down an early lead, and carrying around a 10-point lead consistently into the start of the 4^th quarter. Now the interesting thing was that they got to this lead at the hands of . . . Nick Young. Yes, you read that right, Nick Young was having himself a great night in his debut for the Warriors. This 10-point lead was not enough as the Rockets bench came up big in the 4^th quarter and brought the rockets back into the game. All of this lead up to a game winning shot opportunity by Stephen Curry with 5 seconds left, which hit rim and was rebounded by Kevin Durant who put the shot up but had a finger on the ball for about 0.1 second too long and the shot was no good.

The Warriors could compete as they always do, and plated a great game against a top team in the Rockets. The only thing that was potentially worrisome for any fans was that they were in a 1-point game with needing Nick Young to put up big numbers, something that will not happen even close to consistently. If the Warriors make either one of the last shots no one is talking about any downsides that may have come from the game, therefore I don’t see anything to point out as to why they lost, the just simpler weren’t able to close out. Now you can play now your favorite games online and win incredible prizes.

Worry comes for the Rocket team when looking at the poor performance and injury that hindered Chris Paul from playing well. Paul was one of the main reasons that this team was going to do be a force this season and he has been a shaky piece of the team to start that season. That being said the team should be optimistic as to how well they played despite Paul’s lack of contribution in the scoring department. The bench contributed a good amount of points, as well as brought the game back due to performances of the 3 bench players that logged minutes: Eric Gordon, Luc Mbah a Moute, and P.J. Tucker.

Panicking on Cavaliers or Warriors?

If you are currently panicking on either the Cavaliers or the Warriors getting off to the start that you may have not expected, stop. This is a lot more relevant for Cavs fans who are seeing their team struggle, but the Warriors more losses on their record than one would expect. There is no need for either of these teams to worry though, because they are in fact the best teams in their respective division. Every team has to shake off the dust in whatever sport they are playing, but eventually a team with the talent these two teams have will come together and be a well-oiled machine a little way into the season. There is no doubt in my mind that both teams will get back to the performances that we expected from them going into the season

Who’s Real and Who’s Fake

All of the following teams have in my eyes outperformed their projections that I had for the team in the regular season. The west coast sees two teams that were fringe playoff teams, playing with top talent in the league right now. The east has many teams that I would have said had under a 50% chance of making the playoffs, but are currently a top 8 seed in the east.

Magic – Fake

The top team in the Eastern Conference, sorry Magic but I don’t think so. While this team has been off to a hot start I don’t think that it is too bold to say that they are going to slow down. The big reason this team has been playing better than years past is the performance of recently signed Jonathan Simmons, as well as the emergence of Aaron Gordon as he is finally playing Power Forward, rather than Small Forward that he was playing last week. This fits much better with his game and has allowed for him to make major steps in his game. This team is young an trending in the right direction, and may finally move closer to making the playoffs, but their fall from the top of the Eastern Conference is just waiting to happen within the next couple of weeks.

Clippers – Real

I slept on the clippers going into the season, and I feel like I owe and apology to Clippers fans everywhere. This team has showed consistency week in and out, and have a very good bench to support the starting line-up. Through a lot of offseason movement with the lineup, the team acquired players from many different skills sets creating a great offense/defense balance. If Blake Griffin is able to stay healthy, we may see this team make a low end playoff push easily, something that was up in the air for me at the start of the regular season.

Detroit – Real

Another team that I was doubting going into the season due to their performance last year.I thought this lineup had potential last year, but I gave up hope after, yet another mediocre year was produced from Detroit. This doesn’t look like this will be the case this year, as Tobias Harris is having a big start to the year to lead the team, and the pieces around him are all starting to play well at the perfect time. I believe that the Pistons have the ability to make the playoffs in a weak eastern conference, and maybe even push up into a 6^th seed.

Indiana – Fake

I have been extremely impressed with the Indian Pacers, specifically Victor Oladipo. Oladipo has yet to find a place to call home in the NBA, but it looks like he may be settling in nicely in Indiana. This is a team that has a very interesting mess of players in different career stages on their lineup, and I don’t believe the talent is there for them to squeak out close games leading to them just missing the playoffs.

Memphis – Fake

This team has some extremely good wins (Houston twice, Golden State once) but it is their lack of depth in the starting lineup that worries me. The Grizzlies are always a fascinating team that finds ways to use a few of their stars, along with some gritty G-League or college players to field a team, and always do well with them. This Is the same type of team, but the wins against the top tier teams won’t be there for long when all it takes is one player for Memphis to do bad and they don’t have many others to pick up the slack. I still see this team potentially making the playoffs, but they will not continue to play as a top team like they are right now.

My Predictions

Western Conference Playoffs –

1. Warriors
2. Rockets
3. Spurs
4. Thunder
5. Grizzlies
6. Timberwolves
7. Clippers
8. Jazz

Eastern Conference Playoffs – 

1. Cavaliers
2. Celtics
3. Wizards
4. Bucks
5. Raptors
6. Detroit
7. Charlotte
8. Philadelphia

MVP Race – 

• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Stephen Curry
• Blake Griffin
• Russel Westbrook
• Lebron James

Rookie of the Year Race – 

• Jayson Tatum
• De’Aaron Fox
• Dennis Smith Jr

The post A Month in Review: October Basketball appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Four Years, Two Teams?

It may be to the point where these teams have faced each other so often that it is now considered a war by international law, but odds have it that the Warriors and Cavaliers will play each other in the NBA Finals once again. The argument remains as to whether or not the dominance of these two teams is good for the NBA, but anyway you put it this is the outcome for the 2017 season and maybe even a couple more years down the road. Buckle up NBA fans, this one may be a long ride. On another note the question remains, can anyone challenge either of these teams? No. At least not this year, and it is hard to see a new team emerging if both superpowers stay together this off-season.

Moves, Moves, and more Moves

There was a major shopping spree on players this off-season, as this it was one of the most active and exciting off-season’s that NBA fans have seen in a long time. Big names all seemed to move to and throughout the western conference. So much that it sparked the league to change the format of the All-Star game so that the West would not be so lopsided. One team in each conference stood out to me, as well as many other people, in making the most enticing moves this off-season.

In the east it was clearly the Celtics who had the best additions to their team. Adding Gordon Hayward through free agency and trading for Kyrie Irving were two great moves that helped the team get a lot younger and have a true identity to go along with the youth of their bench. There is still the aging Al Horford who does not fit the long-term plans of the team, but for right now he is good veteran help. This team is not going to stun the Cavaliers and take the eastern conference championship, but they should at least make the east finals competitive. The Celtics will be a force in the eastern conference for years to come, whether or not they do anything depends on the future of the Cavaliers roster.

As for the west the most intriguing team this off-season was the Oklahoma City Thunder with the additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. The fact that both of these trades were pulled off is incredible, especially considering that Sam Presti technically flipped Serge Ibaka (traded to Magic for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis) for Paul George (Traded to Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis). This team now has a very interesting dynamic, as they have 3 guys that love to operate with the ball in their hands. Will they figure out a way to make it work? Yeah, I think they do but I do not think they reach a level that is higher for the Warriors. Sorry Thunder fans.

Lastly, some quick hitters regarding the rest of NBA and free agency moves. In the East everyone seemed to get worse and is entering rebuilding stages as the Bulls, Pacers, Hawks, and Knicks all traded away key pieces to get younger assets. All those stars migrated to the West where there were shuffles on most of the rosters. The Rockets propelled themselves into the top of the conference even further with the addition of Chris Paul. The Timberwolves made a big acquisition in getting Jimmy Butler, a move that they hope will help them in the long run as they have an extremely young roster. Lastly the Nuggets and Clippers both made additions that will likely keep them on the edge of the playoffs, but will not amount to major success in the West.

Graduating Class of 2017

Just about every team not mentioned above decided that it was a good move to invest in the draft, and it looks like the draft class is not going to disappoint. While it seems like the draft prospects have always busted in recent years, the rookies this year seem to be of a different breed. Going into the draft there were talks that this could be the best class since 2003, and from the little film we have seen in the summer league and preseason this looks more than formidable.

The number one overall pick by the 76ers Markelle Fultz not only looks like a stud, but so do his teammates around him. This is a team that has the potential to be really good in years to come if all of their young players tend to pan out how they should. While this pick was a no brainer for the 76ers, he is a perfect fit for their team as he provides the outside shooting needed to spread the floor.

The second overall pick went to the Los Angeles Lakers and they selected Lonzo Ball, as I am sure everyone on the planet knows by this point. Put his dad and all the drama aside and consensus has it that this kid is going to be a star. The pieces around him seem to be in place, but it is just a matter of how everyone progresses in the coming years. The interesting thing to follow with this roster is what happens next year in free agency, as the Lakers have a lot of money to spend and a lot of big name free agents should be available.

Some other noticeable draft picks were Jayson Tatum to the Celtics at three, Josh Jackson to the Suns at four, De’Aaron Fox to the Kings at five, and Dennis Smith Jr. to the Mavericks at nine. All of these players have potential to shine almost immediately in the league, and could very well be superstars in the making. Tatum is in a very interesting scenario as he is going to develop on a team that will likely get a lot of playoff success and experience. Jackson is on a young, but extremely talented team as he prepares to pair up with Devin Booker for years to come. Fox and Smith will not have any enticing prospects around them, but both are extremely explosive and quick players at the point guard position and should have long careers ahead of them.

The post Recapping the Chaotic NBA Off-season appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Western Conference
Regular Season Standings
Playoff Teams

1. San Antonio Spurs: I want to choose against the Spurs, and the Cavaliers for that matter, with all of my being. However, it’s pretty difficult in San Antonio’s case when they’re night in and night out the most fundamentally sound squad. The ageless Tim Duncan returns with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli once again. Add in NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, alongside Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Marco Belinelli and the best coach in the game, and you have yourself a recipe for success. See: The last decade or so.
2.  Los Angeles Clippers: How would things in the NBA be different if the original Chris Paul trade went through? Would CP3, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard be headlining this city for the Lakers and the Clippers stuck in their usual second-tier rut? We’ll never know, but what we can expect is Doc Rivers to have one of the best squads in the NBA this season, especially with his system implemented for another year.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook may be the highest scorer in the league come December. Afterwards? Not so much. That’s when Kevin Durant will return and lead what will potentially be a middle of the road team back to the top three in the West. Steven Adams showed he could be a decent big man in the league, so Kendrick Perkins may find more and more pine. Anthony Morrow and Jeremy Lamb still aren’t a replacement for James Harden, but they should stretch the floor consistently. That is, if Westbrook and Durant don’t do it enough.
4. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki finally has help again in Dallas. Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler should form a dangerous starting lineup run by Jameer Nelson. If the Mavericks do make a top four seed in the West, does Rick Carlisle have a case for coach of the year? There’s a strong chance. Remember, the Mavericks took the Spurs to seven games last season. They’d meet them in the second round this year.
5. Golden State Warriors: And here we have the Western Conference team that everyone wants to play as in video games. Do you want scorers? Well, they have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodola, Shaun Livingston, Brandon Rush, David Lee and Andrew Bogut. Even new head coach Steve Kerr can knock it down from range. The defense might be a little
6. Portland Trail Blazers: If Damian Lillard played in a bigger market than Oregon, he’d be a superstar in this league. Lamarcus Aldridge is a top tier power forward, but I felt was overhyped during his magnificent stretch of last season. It didn’t carry deep into the playoffs, losing to the Spurs in the second round in five games after eliminating the Rockets in the first. Nicolas Batum might be the key factor if the Blazers can take the next step, while Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews and Steve Blake will also play significant roles.
7. Houston Rockets: Don’t get me wrong, the Rockets are a strong team with Dwight Howard and James Harden. However, the loss of Chandler Parsons will really hurt. Trevor Ariza ought to bring a strong third option, but I’m not too sold on the depth of this squad. I wouldn’t hold my breath on a championship run.
8. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies won 50 games in 2014 despite multiple missed games by their stars. Marc Gasol may not be on the squad a year from now, but Tony Allen, Tayshaun Prince, Zach Randolph, Vince Carter and Mike Conley should be enough to push the Grizzlies into postseason play.

Contenders

9. New Orleans Pelicans: Honestly, I had to fix the mistake of putting “Hornets” down. Look at this lineup, though: Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Anthony Davis and Omer Asik. Austin Rivers and Ryan Anderson can come off the bench and form a pesky team throughout the season. I have them ninth, but they should be in the playoff hunt up until the end.
10. Denver Nuggets: Kenneth Faried looked like a top-level player in the FIBA games. Nate Robinson will be back and healthy as a sparkplug. Danillo Gallinari, Ty Lawson, JaVale McGee, Aaron Afflalo, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov put together a pretty talented roster that might be in the running for a final seed.
11. Phoenix Suns: The Suns played as well as anyone could have expected last year…and still just missed the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference. A step back is more likely than a step forward as they played a little over their heads in 2013.The Rest
12. Los Angeles Lakers: I’m not as low on the Lakers as most. They finished second to last without Kobe in 2013, so with Kobe it ought to be a little better. Or at the very least more entertaining. Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Linn and Nick Young don’t exactly form a stellar “Big Three” to tag along. You might as well have Kobe go for the record 100 points every single game.
13. Sacramento Kings: The Kings could be a surprise team in the sense they might be around the 10^th-seed by year’s end. Could. We’re talking Dumb and Dumber level chances. Ben McLemore, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Derrick Williams and all of the Big Ten’s favorite Nic Stauskas form a young core. If someone like Sim Bhullar turns out to be more than height, they could be dangerous. But don’t count on it.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves: “Why can’t this be Love?” “Do you believe in life after Love?” “Love is a battlefield.” This might as well be the Timberwolves pregame music. Wiggins should sell some tickets, but they won’t win many games.
15. Utah Jazz: I mean, the Jazz have players who could be decent in the future. As for right now? Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, Trey Burke, Enes Kanter and Gordon Hayward aren’t exactly striking fear into anybody. Daunte Exum may end up being a good draft pick, but he has looked a little overwhelmed in our limited viewing.

    

Eastern Conference
Regular Season Standings
Playoff Teams

1. Chicago Bulls: The Bulls boast the deepest roster in the league. Rumor has it that rookie Doug McDermott may find a starting role so it looks something like this: Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, McDermott, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah starting, Kirk Hinrich, Tony Snell, Mike Dunleavy, Nikola Mirotic, Taj Gibson rotating off the bench, and Aaron Brooks with Nazr Mohammed available for spot minutes. What worries me? Despite the depth, Rose and Gasol’s health are vital, especially the former. We’ve all heard that enough throughout the past few years for the former.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: We keep being force fed information about LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, so I’ll stray away from them. If Dion Waiters can take a step forward, Mike Miller stays healthy, and Anderson Varejao does the same, the Cavaliers should win the East. The biggest, underrated offseason move of the season? Cleveland getting Shawn Marion. He can provide some defense where Love and Irving don’t.
3. Toronto Raptors: And here we hit the ridiculous amount of solid teams that East has relative to last year. But honestly, most of these teams aren’t making the playoffs in the West. Toronto boasts Kyle Lowry, DeMar Derozan and Jonas Valanciunas among a group of good role players.
4. Washington Wizards: I could see any order happening from teams ranked 3-6, and then again from 7-12. The Wizards are here because they, and I’m going to make up a few words here, outgritted the grittiest team in basketball last year in the playoffs. Sure, it was a banged up Bulls team, but Nene and Gortat took it to Noah and Gibson. John Wall, Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce finish up a starting lineup that could make some noise.
5. Miami Heat: Sure, the Heat lost the best player in the game to Cleveland. That doesn’t mean they’re going to fall as fast and hard as the Cavaliers did when they originally lost James. Wade, Bosh, Chalmers and Anderson all return to the squad. One of the best two-way players in the game in recent years, Luol Deng, joins them and so does Shannon Brown, Danny Granger and rookie Shabazz Napier. The Heat still have plenty of firepower to make an impact on the East.
6. Charlotte Hornets: Outside of any of the Cavs’ moves, Lance Stephenson is the biggest name in the East to change homes this past offseason. Combined with Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller, the Hornets have their best team in the Michael Jordan ownership era. Don’t be shocked if you hear something along the lines of “Al Jefferson” and “MVP” at some point. He won’t win, but he could very well be mentioned if the Hornets get off to a blazing start.
7. Brooklyn Nets: I have so many problems with the Nets. First of all, I said immediately that the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Secondly, remember when Deron Williams versus Chris Paul was actually a thing? Two more stars of yesterday are featured in this lineup: Joe Johnson and Andrei Kirilenko. Brook Lopez only managed to play in 17 games last year. This team has enough to make the playoffs, but not much more. They’ll be at the very bottom of the East in about two or three years.
8. New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony received a ton of hatred last year, and in his whole career for that matter, for being lackadaisical, not winning playoff games and struggling defensively. From my perspective, very few played harder for their team – if you can call what is around ‘Melo a team. Phil Jackson’s influence should bring improvements across the board to get this team into the playoffs, and then next year the real rebuilding begins.

Contenders

9. Indiana Pacers: Lance Stephenson left, Paul George broke his leg and there isn’t a bigger head scratcher in the NBA than Roy Hibbert…literally. The core of this team that was supposed to dethrone the Heat is in shambles. It could still have enough to find a postseason berth, but it could also tank to a top pick.
10. Detroit Pistons: This is where the East falls apart. It has no depth on outsiders looking in. The Pistons feature a front court of Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond and Josh Smith. It bothers me to this day that the Pistons shelled out so much cash for Smith, but fortunately, I’m not a fan of any Detroit sports. Brandon Jennings and Jodie Smith will head the backcourt, as the Pistons will make an effort at being swept in the first round of the playoffs. Stan Van Gundy will help matters some, but the current Pistons roster is like three different puzzles thrown into one box.The Rest
11. Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks are here simply by default of making the playoffs last year, albeit finishing 38-44. There may not be a more boring team on paper in the NBA. Or on the court. Kyle Korver is fun to watch shoot threes. That’s it, we’re done here.
12. Orlando Magic: Roy Devyn Marble will score 20 points per game and…oh, forget it. The Magic actually have one of my favorite underrated players in Nikola Vucevic. Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Even Fournier, Tobias Harris, Channing Frye, Mo Harkless and Seth Curry might be the biggest group of average players to ever grace a professional team.
13. Boston Celtics: Just give it time and that trade off of Pierce and Garnett will look great. Unfortunately for Rajon Rondo, he has to play during that time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in another uniform by the All-Star break. There is potential on this squad in Marcus Smart, Evan Turner, Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger, but that’s for down the line.
14. Milwaukee Bucks: At least the Brewers didn’t have a complete meltdown and miss the playoffs after having a huge division lead or anything. Jabari Parker and O.J. Mayo are an interesting backcourt, but that’s about the extent of my interest in this team. It will take a few drafts for the Bucks to be back in the playoffs.
15. Philadelphia 76ers: Outside of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, name two players on this team right now. Try it. If you can, I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t be able to. Here is the rest of the roster: Michael Carter-Williams, K.J. McDaniels, Hollis Thompson, Henry Sims, Luc Mbah a Moute, Brandon Davies, Chris Johnson, Jerami Grant, Arnett Moultrie, Alexey Shved, Elliot Williams, Jason Richardson, Tony Wroten and Casper Ware. Yes, Jason Richardson is still in the league, apparently. And yes, the 76ers will have the worst team in the NBA.

Playoff Predictions and Awards

Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers over Bulls in six. The Bulls will have the better regular season record, but will continue to struggle to get past LeBron James. At this point, it’s going to put Chicago in a bind about how it can compete going forward. 2014-15 is the window for this Chicago squad. Cleveland will take a little bit of time to get all the kinks out, but should hit their stride come playoff time.

Western Conference Finals: Clippers over Mavericks. That’s right, no Spurs or Thunder in this matchup. The Mavericks will take out the Spurs in the second round, but run into a tougher matchup in the Doc Rivers-led Clippers. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and company continue taking positive steps on both ends of the court and get on a hot streak to finish the season.

NBA Finals: Clippers over Cavaliers. The “Jordan wouldn’t have lost,” arguments gain even more fuel as LeBron James reaches his fifth straight Finals. Cleveland will continue to be a threat however by adding a few role pieces and defensive additions in the next offseason to make what should be multiple consecutive deep playoff runs.

Coach of the Year: Rick Carlisle, Dallas. If the Mavericks are able to make a top four seed in the West, I can’t see anybody else staking a claim to this award.

Rookie of the Year: Doug McDermott, Chicago. The rookie will be getting a lot of shot attempts on a Chicago squad desperate for offense. If he does end up starting and Thibodeau continues to like his “swag,” as the coach said during the preseason, then he could out-perform Parker, Wiggins and company.

MVP: Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers. If Chris Paul plays a full schedule last year, his name is right up there with LeBron and Durant. With Durant’s injury, it’s going to be difficult for a repeat MVP performance, so it may come down to CP3, who averaged nearly 20 points to complement 10 assists per game, and James.

Defensive Player of the Year: Marc Gasol, Grizzlies. Once again, LeBron finishes second in this category. Gasol will be the best defensive player on the best defensive team.

The post NBA Preview: Who will surprise out of the West? appeared first on KRUI Radio.

1. Fowl expletives against Selig

• Recently, Major League Baseball took over ownership of The Los Angeles Dodgers due to financial troubles plaguing the owner Frank McCourt and The Dodgers organization.  Frank McCourt has expressed some displeasure for the take-over by MLB commissioner Bud Selig and how the league is handling the situation.  The Dodgers organization were potentially discussing a huge deal with the FOX network that McCourt argues would virtually eliminate the controversy surrounding McCourt’s financial troubles and his divorce. The deal would bring close to 3 billion dollars to the organization over the next 17 years.  McCourt went on MSNBC this week and was quoted as saying, “I want to talk to Bud, and I want to know why he is ducking me!”  referring to how Bud Selig and the MLB are not trying to work with McCourt to solve the financial problem.  This is not the first time that the MLB has had to take over a team, most recently The Texas Rangers last season and the 2001 Montreal Expos which ultimately moved the team to Washington D.C.  Mr. McCourt is allegedly going to sue Major League Baseball for taking over the team.  McCourt’s fowl (great pun right?) language against Selig brings the Los Angeles Dodgers situation into our Bottom 5 for the second straight week.

2. $2, 445,680.00, is cheap according to Granger

• After the Chicago Bulls squashed the Indiana Pacers hopes of moving on to the next round of the NBA playoffs Tuesday night, Pacers forward, Danny Granger, had some choice words about big man for the Bulls, Joakim Noah.  Granger was quoted as calling Noah “cheap” and “cowardly.”  Referring to Noah taking cheap shots during the game against Pacers players such as Josh McRoberts, which ultimately resulted in McRoberts getting ejected from the game due to a retaliation.  Noah has become known for his ability to instigate technical fouls from other players due to his tough play and his demeanor during the game.  Hopefully Granger makes enough money to go and buy some tissues because after the sob fest that was his statements towards Noah, he is going to need quite a few.  Good thing the Pacers will have the entire offseason to have team therapy to blame.

3. Tweet Tweet, Shut Up!

• Todd Tichenor, home plate umpire during the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees game on Wednesday ejected White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen for arguing balls and strikes.  No big deal right?  Ozzie gets ejected all the time because of that loud, fiery mouth of his, so it should come as no surprise, but thanks to the unlimited access to the internet and social media via Twitter, Ozzie was not done.  He tweeted during the game on Twitter, “This one going to cost me a lot money, this is patetic” and “Today a tough guy show up a Yankee Stadium.”  Yes, those quotes are verbatim from Twitter and are exactly what he wrote.  Ozzie, we know you do not like umpiring when it goes against you, but if you are going to bash umpires and are going to make a rouse out of getting ejected, please, for Pete’s sake, at least use the common courtesy to spell things correctly and not look like a total idiot.  Thanks.

4. All-time Lowe

• The lowest of the low this week is just that.  Derek Lowe, opening-day starting pitched for the Atlanta Braves was arrested late Thursday night after making an illegal lane change.  The police officer that pulled him over smelled what he believed to be alcohol on Lowe’s breath so he made him do a sobriety test after Lowe refused to blow in the BAC indicator.  Any time a professional athlete is arrested for a DUI it is low, but rumors have spread since the accident that Lowe was actually involved in street racing.  Derek Lowe is 37 years old and a seasoned veteran in Major League Baseball.  It is unclear what the repercussions will be for Lowe.  This is not the way that a veteran leader like Lowe is supposed to act and that is why he breaks into the Bottom 5.  Lowe man, real Lowe!

5. Homophobic Remarks Not Just In Basketball

• According to a fan that attended an Atlanta Braves game this week in San Francisco against the Giants, pitching coach Roger McDowell made homophobic gestures and comments to heckling fans.  The content of the comments has forced the Atlanta Braves to place McDowell on administrative leave starting Friday April 29, 2011.  According to a report on AOL.com McDowell asked a group of fans in the outfield bleachers, “Are you a homo couple, or a threesome?” and then made an obscene sexual gesture with a baseball bat.  Are you kidding me? This homophobic blast from McDowell comes just barely 2 weeks removed from the controversy surrounding Kobe Bryant and his homophobic slurs directed at officials in the NBA.  Come on people, this is the year 2011, get with the program and start being more accepting

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The Chicago Bulls accomplished something last night that they had not done since the 2006-2007 season; they advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

The Bulls won the first three games of the series in extremely close contests before losing game four in Indianapolis, 89-84. Bulls superstar and MVP candidate, Derrick Rose suffered a sprained ankle in the first quarter of game 4 before returning later in the game. An MRI showed no structural damage and despite wearing a walking boot on Monday, Rose said he would play in game 5.

The atmosphere at the United Center was electric as 22,822 fans packed the Madhouse hoping to see for the first time in the series, the Bulls get out to a fast start and put the Pacers away early.

The Bulls came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, jumping out to a quick 10-point lead.  Making things even better, Rose showed no signs of having ever sprained his ankle.

Joakim Noah was playing with extra motivation as his grandfather, who had never been to an NBA game, was in attendance last night. Noah certainly brought the intensity last night getting into the paint, drawing fouls, rebounding the ball, blocking shots, and more importantly, getting into the Pacers’ heads.

An extremely physical series, in which the Pacers seemed to get away with murder, it was Indiana, not Chicago that finally snapped in game 5. After a missed 3-point attempt by Rose late in the 3^rd quarter, Noah ran into Pacers forward Josh McRoberts. McRoberts proceeded to throw a punch at Noah, which is a flagrant-2 foul and an automatic ejection from the game. Noah was fired up and so was the crowd. Bulls forward Taj Gibson tried to throw gasoline on the fire, visibly laughing at McRoberts as he walked off the court. Noah knocked down the two free throws and the Bulls entered the 4^th quarter with an 84-65 lead.

The Bulls refused to let up in the 4^th, dropping an additional 32 points on the Pacers. The Bulls bench and Luol Deng led in 4th quarter scoring. Noah was pulled early in the quarter finishing with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocked shots, receiving a standing ovation in front of his grandfather.

With 3:31 left in the game, Ronnie Brewer and Rasaul Butler, the only two Bulls to not have a point in the game, were brought in for Gibson and Deng. With just over a minute left, the Bulls flew down the court, finding Brewer for an alley-oop, getting him on the board. Now it was time to get Butler on the stats sheet. The Bulls had the ball on the side with 26.3 seconds left, meaning that they would have to take one more shot. The Bulls found Butler behind the arc who drained the 3-point shot, giving everyone on the team points in the game.

The Bulls finally looked like the team they were all season with the dominant win over Indiana. Carlos Boozer continued to under-perform, getting in foul trouble early again and finished with just 2 points and 5 rebounds. Derrick Rose showed no ill-effects from his ankle injury leading all scorers with 25 points adding in 6 assists and 2 blocked shots, one of which electrified the crowd pinning a Roy Hibbert dunk attempt to the rim.  Luol Deng continued to shine with 24 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds.

The bench also added 36 points of their own with big time performances from Taj Gibson and Kyle Korver. Gibson gave Bulls fans something to think about with 10 points and 7 rebounds, looking more effective in one game than Boozer did in the entire series. Korver, better known to Bulls fans as “Hot Sauce” thanks to TV broadcaster Stacey King, added 13 points of his own.

The Bulls will now have a little time to rest after a physical series as they await the winner of the series between the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks. The series moves back to Atlanta on Thursday as the Magic fought off elimination last night with a 101-76 win over the Hawks.

The post Running of the Bulls appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The Chicago Bulls opened up the 2011 NBA playoffs on Saturday afternoon beginning what many Bulls fans hope to be their 7^th championship run. The Bulls entered the playoffs with very high expectations after finishing the regular season 62-20 (the first time since Jordan and the Bulls won their 6^th ring in ’98) and securing the overall number one seed in the NBA.

22,986 packed the United Center on Saturday for game 1 of the Bulls’ first round matchup with the 8^th seeded Indiana Pacers. The Pacers came out ready to play leading the Bulls by four at the half. The Bulls, who were one of the top defensive teams during the regular season, appeared to have no answer for the Pacers offense.

The trend continued in the 3^rd quarter as the Pacers extended their lead to eight. Fans at the United Center were visibly frustrated and nervous. Every time the Bulls made a big shot to start to draw closer to Indiana, the Pacers came right back with a response.

The 4^th quarter appeared to be more of the same, as the Bulls could just not draw closer to the Pacers. It appeared as if they were about to give up home court advantage to the Indiana Pacers; the team that finished below .500.

But then something happened; something Bulls fans had seen all season; Derrick Rose went all Derrick Rose on the Pacers.

Trailing by 10 with 3:28 left in the game, Derrick Rose took over as the Bulls went on a 16-1 run.

Down by five (94-99) with 1:50 left, Derrick Rose drove to the basket, drawing the and-one. Rose drained the free throw amid the chants of “MVP”, bringing Chicago to within two.

Following a stop on the defensive end, Rose sank a jump shot to tie the game at 99. The crowd was deafening.

Following yet another defensive stop, Rose made another drive towards the hoop as the Pacer defense collapsed around him, leaving Kyle Korver wide open where he drained the go-ahead three. The play looked just like the clutch 3’s that John Paxon and Steve Kerr had back in the ‘90s.

The Bulls would then never look back as they went on to win the game 104-99.

Game 1 was a major scare and Bulls fans were praying that game 2 on Tuesday night would go more smoothly than the first one. I mean, after all, it is the Indiana Pacers. And the Bulls can’t possibly play as poorly defensively as they did and Boozer can’t possibly be that bad again (12 pts, 6 rebounds).

Tuesday night could not come soon enough for a lot of Bulls fans, hoping the Bulls would go out and dominate the Pacers. Fans were looking for a much better defensive effort from the Bulls, a much better performance out of Boozer, and a similar performance out of Rose, who scored 39 points in game 1.

Both teams, especially the Bulls, came out of the gates rather slow, each team not doing a lot of scoring. At the half, the Bulls found themselves trailing yet again 47-44. Bulls fans were thinking, “We couldn’t possibly have another game like Saturday, could we?”

The Bulls continued to look absolutely terrible in the second half as they finished the night shooting just 38.6% from the field and turning the ball over an unacceptable 22 times.

The Bulls found themselves in a close game yet again towards the end of the 4^th quarter and, like Saturday, Derrick Rose just wanted it more.

With just over a minute to play and his team up by two, Rose found none other than Kyle Korver who drained another clutch 3 to put the Bulls up by five.

Now, with just 23.4 seconds left and the Bulls still up by five, Derrick Rose got called for fouling a three point shooter. However, Rose never actually touched the guy. A.J. Price was awarded three free throws for kicking his leg out at the top of his jump shot, creating the illusion of being fouled.

Price made all three foul shots to bring the Pacers back to within two.

The Pacers immediately fouled Luol Deng on the next possession who made just 1 of 2 from the line, increasing the Bulls’ lead to three.

The Pacers failed to convert on their next possession and the game was essentially over. After fouling a couple more times, the Bulls went on to win the game 96-90.

The first two games have been a lot closer than both Bulls fans and players would like. Derrick Rose was not satisfied with his team’s play in each of the first two games saying after game 2, “Our play has to get better… We have to be more smooth, more efficient, especially on the defensive end where we have to try a lot harder. But I feel like we’re going to get things together pretty quickly.”

While it is true that the Pacers are a tougher and better team than people give them credit for, the Bulls have to play better basketball. The Bulls cannot afford to have games where they turn the ball over 22 times and shoot just 38%. While they may be able to just barely get away with it against the Pacers, a team like the Miami Heat will bury them.

The Bulls will have the next two days to get things together before playing game 3 at Conseco Fieldhouse on Thursday night. The game is scheduled to start at 6:00pm and will be broadcast on Comcast Sportsnet Chicago.

The post Not In His House appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The NBA Playoffs just kicked off and this is where all the hard work in the offseason and regular season pay off.  This year’s playoffs are going to excite with teams like: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Antonio, Boston, Orlando, Oklahoma City, Denver and Dallas. These and other teams are more than  capable of winning it all.

Eastern Conference

#1 Chicago Bulls vs. #8 Indiana Pacers

• Chicago is the #1 overall seed with a 62-20 record; they have the league’s best ranked defense and arguably, the MVP in Derrick Rose. The bench has played well and that should not change in the playoffs. Indiana is a young team with a lot talent, but it’s not their time.

Chicago wins the series 4-1

#2 Miami Heat vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers

• Miami and Philly are similar in their up-tempo style of play. The glaring difference is Miami has two of the top five players in Dwayne Wade and Lebron James. Just the two of them alone is too much for Philly to handle.

Miami wins the series 4-1

#3 Boston Celtics vs. #6 New York Knicks

• The most exciting series in the Eastern Conference, the number of star players could light up the Milky Way galaxy. Carmelo Anthony, amare Stoudemire, Chauncey Billups going up against the Boston four party. This has seven games written all over it.

Boston wins the series 4-3

#4 Orlando Magic vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks

• This Orlando team is not as good as they have been in the past, but they still have Dwight Howard and he is the best center in the league. Atlanta has no answer for Dwight and that will really make it hard to advance any further.

Orlando wins the series 4-2

Western Conference

#1 San Antonio Spurs vs. #8 Memphis Grizzlies

• If the spurs stay healthy they should be able to handle this dangerous Memphis team. This series has upset all over it, the veteran spurs going against the young grizzlies. In this situation I think that experience determines everything.

San Antonio wins the series 4-2

#2 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #7 New Orleans Hornets

• The hornets haven’t beaten the Lakers all year and their star forward is out with a torn ACL. The Lakers ended the season losing five out of their last seven games so they are most vulnerable but you need more than luck to beat the two time defending champs in a playoff series.

Los Angeles wins the series 4-1

#3 Dallas Mavericks vs. #6 Portland Trail Blazers

• This is a tough first round matchup for the Mavericks; Portland is not a true #6 seed. Home court advantage definitely comes into play in this series. Ultimately I think that Dirk Nowitzki will be too much for Portland.

Dallas wins the series 4-2

#4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #5 Denver Nuggets

• Oklahoma City is a great team, but the Denver Nuggets have a lot of depth. Denver can go ten deep and that can wear any team down. The Thunder have home court advantage, but the Nuggets are more than capable of stealing one on the road.

Denver wins the series 4-3

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