Gameday Dish: Magic Host Wall and the Wizards

October 28 by 1 Comment

Since 1980 only three guards have been selected #1 overall in the NBA draft – Allen Iverson in 1996, Derrick Rose in 2008 and John Wall this past May. To say that this latest first-pick point guard will be heavily scrutinized and constantly analyzed is almost an understatement. With the Wizards entrusting the future of their franchise to this one-and-done, record-breaking Kentucky Wildcat, 20-year-old Wall already carries a lot of weight on his rookie shoulders.

Named Most Outstanding Player at the Las Vegas Summer League, Wall led all players in scoring (23.5) and assists (7.8), giving Wizards fans good reason to be optimistic. Tonight Wall and the Wizards travel to central Florida to play the Orlando Magic in what will be both teams’ opening game of the 2010-11 NBA campaign.

Washington had the fourth worst record in the league last season and was only 11-30 on the road. On the other hand, the Magic possessed a formidable home-court advantage by going 34-7 at the Amway Center.

People aren’t talking about Orlando as much since LeBron announced his move to Miami and took the media spotlight with him. But let’s not forget that last year Orlando won 59 games, and they are anchored by two-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard, also a #1 overall pick (2004 draft) and First-Team All-League player.

Howard averages double-figure points and rebounds, and he’s one of the premiere shot blockers in the NBA. Led by their super-center and bolstered by a deep roster, the Magic will go head to head with the Heat and Celtics for a shot at the title. Orlando hopes to start this season on a better note than they ended last season when they lost to Boston 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Because Orlando felt they didn’t match up well against Boston’s bigger front line (which got even bigger with the additions of Shaquille and Jermaine) in the playoffs, they have been experimenting with Rashard Lewis starting at the small forward position during the preseason and will likely continue to explore whether this can be a successful strategy come playoff time.

The Wizards will be without three-time All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas, who has a strained tendon in his right ankle. Arenas missed most the 2010 season due to a 50-game league suspension for a felony-gun conviction.  He’s also generated some curious and negative publicity for the Wiz and himself this pre-season by faking a left knee injury in a bizarre attempt to give some playing time to teammate Nick Young.  Newly acquired guard Kirk Heinrich, a former Chicago Bull, will fill in for Arenas in the Wizards starting lineup.

Even if Arenas were playing tonight, this contest is all about John Wall’s debut as an NBA pro. Will Orlando’s newly anointed Wizard cast a proverbial spell on his opponents? Marv, Steve and I will be back in the booth when the Washington Wizards vs. Orlando Magic airs live at 8:00 PM EST on TNT.

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Gameday Dish: Heat at Celtics Season Opener

October 26 by 2 Comments

The Heat and the Celtics have their eyes on the same prize: getting to and winning the NBA Finals in June. The Lakers will be showing off their newly acquired championship rings in a pregame ceremony at the Staples Center tonight and appear ready to threepeat for another title and more bling.

Rings, this game is all about championship rings: LeBron on the beach looking for that first ring; Shaq in Boston determined to get championship number five to keep up with his former teammate and now trophy rival Kobe Bryant.

The finals are a very long, arduous regular season away. But there’s the type of buzz surrounding the start of this season that we usually don’t encounter until playoff time. And tonight’s opener between the Celtics and Heat features two teams at the center of the drama as the Celtics’ Big Three Pierce, Garnett and Allen prepare to do battle with Miami’s newly formed triumvirate of James, Wade and Bosh for Eastern Conference supremacy

Tonight’s matchup will put into motion the many exciting subplots set to play out this season. Will D-Wade occupy seat 1 or seat 2? Will Rajon Rondo make the proverbial jump to superstar? How will Kendrick Perkins’ injured knee and his mid-season return to the starting lineup affect the Celts? Will Miami’s supporting cast surrounding the stars step up and deliver? Will Coach Doc Rivers be happy with his big decision to come back to the Boston bench after the heartbreaking Game 7 loss in last year’s Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. And how will second-year head coach Erik Spoelstra lead his new awesome threesome?

Did I mention LeBron James joining Dwyane Wade and the Heat?

The biggest star in professional basketball (professional sports?) leaves his almost-hometown team (the Akron Cavs?) via a prime-time television special and relocates to flashy, splashy Miami to join forces with D-Wade, Chris Bosh and Pat Boss, aka team president Pat Riley.

Some prognosticators have been throwing around the Michael Jordan-led 1995-96 Champion Chicago Bulls and their 72-10 all-time best regular season mark as a measuring stick for this Miami team. Jordan, Pippen and Rodman … James, Wade and Bosh – different eras, different players for sure, but similar expectations in many fans’ and even experts’ minds.

Anything less than a dominating start of the season in the wins column will be viewed as a letdown for this newer than new Miami Heat squad.  Expectations of success are higher than maybe any team has shouldered since those mid-to-late 90’s Bulls teams that won three titles back-to-back-to-back.

The Celtics on the other hand, having won the crown in 2008 with what was then considered a veteran team, are statistically the oldest team in the NBA and may be forgiven for some regular season stretches of sub-par play due to wear and tear.

However, Boston fans could taste franchise-record title 18 until the final, final moments of Finals’ Game 7 last year and are hungry for another championship banner to add to the Celtics’ collection in the rafters of the TD Garden.

The quest for the coveted 2011 NBA Championship ring starts tonight. Marv Albert, Steve Kerr and I have Miami Heat at Boston Celtics at 7:30 PM EST on TNT.

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Gameday Dish: To Play or Not to Play? Celts at Chicago

April 13 by Leave a Comment

Many questions surround tonight’s game in Chicago: Will coach Doc Rivers rest his key guys in order to have them as fresh as possible for the playoff run? Will the Bulls come out and play with spit and fire, fighting for their playoff lives in the Eastern Conference? Do the Celtics believe they have a legitimate shot at snatching the 3rd seed in the East from the Atlanta Hawks, thereby avoiding LeBron and the Cavs in a possible second round matchup? All these questions and more will be answered tonight when the Celtics take on the Bulls at the United Center.

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

Kevin Garnett, now in his 15th season in the league, missed 11 games this year due to knee and thigh injuries. Captain Paul Pierce, in his 12th season, was sidelined for ten games with knee, foot and back woes. The rest of the Celtics starting five also missed time because of injuries at some point during this season. So, the question becomes: Does Doc Rivers feel that entering the playoffs on a winning roll trumps resting his keys guys for what could be a tough first-round matchup against the #5 Miami Heat, who happen to be playing their best ball of the season?

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

The Atlanta Hawks, currently occupying the 3rd seed in the East, have one contest remaining against the Cavaliers on Wednesday night in Atlanta. With a win against Cleveland, Atlanta can clinch the 3rd seed regardless of what the Atlantic Division Champs (who hold the tiebreaker) do in their final two games. And in all probability the Cavs, having secured the NBA’s best record, will be resting LeBron James (as they have in their last three losses) and his key supporting cast members in the 82nd game of the year.

Meanwhile the Bulls, the top rebounding team in the NBA, need to win their remaining two games to guarantee the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and a first round series against top-seeded Cleveland. If Chicago loses tonight, then the Toronto Raptors can clinch the final spot with a win on Wednesday at home against the 29-52 New York Knicks.

The Celtics are 2-1 vs. the Bulls this season, with victories in Boston as well as in the Windy City. Tune in for the exciting conclusion of tonight’s page turner. Marv Albert, Reggie Miller and I have the call on TNT at 8:00 PM ET.

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Gameday Dish: Tough Test for the Best in the West

April 8 by Leave a Comment

The Lakers come to Denver tonight attempting to hold on to the second best record in the league behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. Los Angeles hasn’t played since Sunday’s loss at home by 19 points to the San Antonio Spurs. With four losses in their last six games, LA needs to come out strong tonight and build some momentum heading into the playoffs.

Center Andrew Bynum has missed LA’s last eight games with a strained Achilles’ tendon and will not be suiting up for tonight’s contest. Struggling to compensate for his productivity, the Lakers are 4-4 without their 22-year-old big man. On the other hand, the Nuggets are on a three-game winning streak after rallying to beat Kevin Durant and the Thunder last night in Oklahoma City. They outscored the Thunder by 11 points in the fourth quarter to win 98-94 and now stand tied with Dallas for the second best record in the Western Conference with four games remaining in the regular season for each squad.

Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

The Nuggets are 2-1 against the Lakers so far this season, winning by 26 and 13-point margins in their two victories. With Carmelo Anthony, third in the league in scoring at 28.4 ppg, and savvy, championship veteran Chauncey Billups running the point, Denver is bolstered by a fearsome twosome who are healthy and ramping up for their playoff run. The Nuggets had a scare last night when Anthony briefly lost consciousness after banging heads with Durant in the third quarter. But fortunately he returned to play in the pivotal fourth quarter and appeared in good form.

The Lakers must win their final five games this season to reach the 60-win plateau for the second straight year. The last time LA accomplished this impressive feat was when they did it four consecutive seasons, starting with the1984-1985 campaign. More importantly, LA must keep winning in order to secure the second best record in the league and solidify home-court advantage over the Orlando Magic should a rematch of last year’s Finals occur.

Marv Albert, Reggie Miller and I have the call on TNT tonight at 10:30 PM ET.

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Gameday Dish: Back in the Saddle

March 24 by Leave a Comment

Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

Two guys who have been sorely missed by their teams and fans are back in action this week and will face off tonight in New Orleans. Chris Paul returned to the Hornets’ starting lineup after being sidelined with a left knee injury for 25 games. And upon release from his contract with the Wizards, Zydrunas Ilgauskas agreed to return to the Cavaliers for the remainder of the season and is expected to make his return debut against Chris and the Hornets tonight.

A fixture in Cleveland for over a decade, Zydrunas has battled through foot injuries to become the Cavaliers’ all-time leader in games played, rebounds and blocked shots. Among the most popular players in the franchise’s history, Z is a role player who has been integral to the Cavs’ success and remains a valuable asset to his team. He’s a skilled big man, a solid passer and the rare center who can reliably hit outside jump shots. With Shaq back, the addition of Z makes the Cavs an even deeper, better team.

Chris Paul is the heart and soul of the Hornets. He’s an amazing point guard, quite possibly the best of his generation. Though rookies Collison and Thornton stepped up their games in Chris’s absence and did a terrific job holding down the fort, the Hornets only pulled off eight wins without Chris, slipping out of playoff contention. No doubt his teammates were relieved and excited to have him back on the court Monday to take on the Mavs. Chris appeared a little rusty in the first half of the game, but he hit some key shots down the stretch and the Hornets wound up winning the game 115-99.

The Hornets have been playing well the last few games and they just beat the second team in the West by a significant margin. With Chris back in the lineup they’re looking like a playoff caliber team once again, though unfortunately not in time to nab a position in the postseason series this year. However, a strong finish will help build the young players’ confidence as they look to next season.

The Hornets were without Chris Paul in their previous matchup against the Cavs, who wound up with the win. With Chris back in the mix, the Hornets are certainly capable of beating Cleveland, who lost their last three road games against the Hornets. But tonight New Orleans will be fighting an uphill battle because the Cavs are playing strong ball and LeBron appears to be reenergized as they look to lock up first place in the league overall.

Cleveland Cavaliers at New Orleans Hornets: Wednesday, March 24 at 8 PM ET

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