Basketball

Kevin Durant and Zach Randolph are stars whose play and personalities match the cities they play for. Will the Jazz find a player like that? Facing a stream of questions this offseason, the Jazz might take note from the journey of All-Star forward Zach Randolph. In a recorded interview with ESPN and Grantland.com’s Bill Simmons earlier this season, the Grizzlies’ All-Star forward revealed what helped him go from well-traveled and unwanted to beloved citizen and athlete in Memphis. “[Memphis] is a place where people work hard,” Randolph said. “Ain’t nothing given to them easy. I’m that  type of guy…They respect real people. It’s a blue-collar town and I’m a blue-collar player. It’s a perfect fit.” It’s no coincidence Randolph’s seamless fit in Memphis led to the Grizzlies’ rise in the Western Conference. Yes, Randolph is talented. Yes, he has talented players around him. There’s something else at play with the combination, however. It’s both subtle and overwhelming. It’s the point when a team’s star and a city’s personality reflect each other, lifting the franchise to an identity that breeds success. It’s not just Randolph and the Grizzlies. Oklahoma City was ready to support an NBA franchise. No question. But for a city renowned for college sports, the Thunder’s college-age star core couldn’t have been a better fit. Ditto for LeBron’s fun-loving showmanship and Miami. Tim Duncan’s almost-boring consistency is the glove to San Antonio’s almost-boring lifestyle. Oakland has embraced Stephen Curry’s cross-over, a move seen often in the city’s playgrounds. There’s a reason Golden State has embraced Stephen Curry so feverishly. Oakland is pickup hoops heaven. Its streets produced Gary Payton and Jason Kidd for crying out loud. So when Curry is pulling off double-crossovers and splashing step-backs from 25 feet out, the crowd isn’t just entertained. It’s more than that, more than merely an entertainer and his audience. In his best moments, Curry represents a fan base, a community. It’s the kind of connection that has fans nodding their heads when they talk about him. Yeah, that’s our guy. The Jazz had that for 18 years in Stockton and Malone. They weren’t flashy, but by gum they were dependable. They didn’t call in sick. They showed up. They got the job done in the most efficient way possible, and did it long enough to become known as the best pick-and-roll game in the business. When national pundits would highlight those qualities, you know what Utahns did? They nodded their heads and smiled in approval. It’s been a while since that connection was severed. Others tried to replace it. Kirilenko. Williams. Boozer. Jefferson. For various reasons, none of them latched on. Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and Gordon Hayward appear to be the next candidates, and young ones at that. It’s a valid attempt. In a state overflowing with college kids, the NBA “kids” could do a bang-up job representing the fans for whom they play. Jazz fans would love nothing more than that. It’s been a while since they took a source of prolonged pride in the faces plastered on the sides of Energy Solutions Arena. The last few years’ worth of faces have inspired more dissatisfaction than anything else. Utah needs to get better. They need a star that can carry the team. But if this year’s playoff teams have proven anything, the fit is just as important as the talent.

It’s not often a 16-year veteran receives All-NBA First Team honors after failing to make the club at any level just one year before, but that’s what Tim Duncan has did this season. With the recognition, the 37-year-old Big Fundamental has become the second-oldest player to ever be named to the league’s top five-man roster. Duncan, who in 2011 failed to make an All-NBA team for the first time in his career, was once again left off the list in 2012. But the big man has rebounded to an elite level this season, justifying his position among the greats once again. As if we needed a reminder. Duncan now joins Kobe Bryant (11), Karl Malone (11), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (10), Elgin Baylor (10), Bob Cousy (10), Michael Jordan (10), Bob Pettit (10) and Jerry West (10) as the ninth player in history to make the All-NBA First Team 10 times or more. The ever-consistent Timmy D had one of the best seasons of his career based on his numbers per 36 minutes. His 21.3 points per 36 minutes are the most he’s put up in eight years, his 11.9 rebounds are more than he’s averaged since 2007-08, and the 3.2 blocks per 36 minutes of action is the best average he’s ever recorded in a single season. It bears repeating: at 37 years old, Duncan just recorded the best per-minute shot-blocking season of his career. Duncan’s value to this franchise continues to be unmatched, but his long-time teammate kept the machine running this season as the tires wore down. Tony Parker had a career year himself, and he was recognized for it today. The Spurs’ All-Star point guard was named to his second consecutive All-NBA Second Team. It was the third time he’s ever been named to an All-NBA team (he was named to the third team in 2009). Parker also notched career numbers as the head of San Antonio’s snake in 2012-13. He led the team in scoring and dishing out assists, contributing 20.3 points per game and 7.6 assists per game. Both numbers are the second-best averages of his 12-year career. What’s more, Parker was the only player in the entire league to average at least 20 points and seven assists per game while shooting at least 50 percent from the floor and 80 percent or better from the free-throw line. His 52.2 percent from the floor led all guards. The Spurs are in the midst of their most crucial portion of the season, and just as it’s been for years now, success in San Antonio is only measured by Larry O’Brien trophies. But that certainly does not take away from everything they achieved this season. Whether it’s the 50+ wins they achieved for an NBA record 14th consecutive year, another dominant season from the greatest power forward of all time or the every-growing portfolio of a Hall-of-Fame-bound point guard, the accolades continue to pile up for one of the greatest franchises this sport has ever seen. And here they are, on the doorstep of a fourth NBA Finals appearance with Parker, Duncan and Manu Ginobili as the core, and what would be the fifth visit of the Duncan era. In a decade that has seen ‘dynasties’ come and go and game-breaking superstars change teams, the Spurs have remained a constant. And not one that just coasts through the motions, they’ve been consistently excellent through the entirety of it all. No team in the four major sports has a higher winning percentage than the Spurs since Duncan entered the league, and no player-coach combination has more total wins together in NBA history than Duncan and Gregg Popovich. If those two can somehow win a ring for the thumb, then the legacy will only continue to grow. 2012-13 ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM Position                            Player, Team (1st Team Votes)                          Points Forward                             LeBron James, Miami (119)                                  595 Forward                             Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City (102)                       555 Center                    

The network suits at TNT have to be happy they have the rights to the Eastern Conference finals — they got the Heat and LeBron James to showcase. Indiana may be a small market to go against them (you know the network was pulling for the Knicks last round) but at least they have crossover…

There was a six game winning streak right after the new year where Sullinger really came into his own. In 26 minutes of playing time, Sully average nearly 10 points and 9 rebounds on 62% shooting. He did most of his damage on the offensive glass and held his own on defense. Chris Forsberg caught up with the former Buckeye and has this update on Jared and his recovery from back surgery: Jared Sullinger on surgery: "Everybody says back with a question mark, you might as well put an X through that." — Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 23, 2013 More Sullinger: "Because I had surgery, I’m taking my time and getting back right. It won’t be a recurring injury." — Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 23, 2013 Sullinger, who resumed light workouts about two weeks ago, is now on a 10-week program aimed to ramp him up. Hopes to be 100% by camp. — Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 23, 2013 Ainge mentioned it immediately after the procedure and Sully has reiterated it here: this will not be a recurring injury. That's huge news for a guy that could be the power forward of the future for the franchise. And as RedsArmy points out, you should really check out JS's Instagram page. He's looking svelte. When he was drafted, he likened himself to Kevin Love and it looks like he's transforming his body in the same vain. He also offered some insight on Rajon Rondo's recovery: Sullinger ready to work his way back REHABBING WITH RONDO: Sullinger said that watching point guard Rajon Rondo rehab from ACL surgery has only given him additional motivation and a shoulder to lean on. "We talk off and on, just trying to get each other's minds right. Situations like this, you go through it alone, it's kinda tough. But when you have someone by your side that's trying to get back to where they were as well, it really helps you out." As for how Rondo is doing: "Rondo's doing great," said Sullinger. "Right now he's rehabbing, and doing what he's supposed to." And of course, Forsberg asks him about Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett: No inside info from Sully on KG/Pierce: "I'm not the GM... so I don’t know anything that’s happening." Said supports them whatever happens. — Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 23, 2013

Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com's latest mock drafthas the Atlanta Hawks and Danny Ferry looking for size in the upcoming 2013 Draft. With the No. 17 pick, Howard Cooper projects Atlanta to take 6-10 small forward Dario Saric from Croatia. We previously briefly discussed Saric and it looked for a moment that he might pull out of the draft all together. Saric is a guy that with some strong individual workouts that could see his name moving up the draft boards. An apparent change of heart after initially saying he would stay in Europe puts the Toni Kukoc-like small forward with a great feel for the game back into lottery contention. Saric's high basketball IQ is regarded as one of his biggest strengths and Toni Kukoc is a player that he is often compared with. DraftExpress recently did a three part video interview with Saric. With the No. 18 pick in the draft, Howard-Cooper has the Hawks going with Louisville center Gorgui Dieng. The run of backup centers begins. Dieng's size and mobility translate into a future as a shot blocker, with signs of a respectable offense. Being 23 years old is a drawback, giving him fewer years to develop and play. Dieng measured out at the combine at just under 6-11 in shoes and 230 pounds. He has good athleticism to go along with his size and played a key part in Louisville's run to the National Championship. He averaged 9.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks as a junior. At 23 years of age he is a little older than some of the other prospects but still projects to be a serviceable NBA big. Here is DraftExpress' combine interview with Dieng:

On Thursday, the Orlando Magic announced the schedule for the 2013 Orlando Pro Summer League. The yearly event allows rookies, young prospects, and NBA hopefuls to gain five-on-five experience in front of scouts, general managers, and other league decision-makers. The Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, and Utah Jazz will join the Magic for the 2013 Summer League, which runs from July 7th through the 12th on the practice court at Amway Center. The event is closed to the public. Each of the 12 teams will play four games over the first five days of the event. July 12th, designated Championship Day, will crown a winner of the 2013 Orlando Pro Summer League. Championship Day is a new addition to the event. To determine seeding for Championship Day, points will be awarded based on results from the first five days of Summer League play. Three points will be awarded for a win, with one point being awarded for each quarter won. In the event that teams tie in a quarter, then each team will receive 0.5 points. The tiebreakers, for seeding purposes, are, in order: total point differential and total points allowed. A coin flip will serve as the third tiebreaker. The schedule is listed below. Sunday, July 7th 9 AM: Houston at Philadelphia 11 AM: Boston at Orlando 1 PM: Miami at Utah 3 PM: Oklahoma City at Indiana 5 PM: Detroit at Brooklyn Monday, July 8th 11 AM: Oklahoma City at Orlando 1 PM: Philadelphia at Indiana 3 PM: Boston at Detroit 5 PM: Brooklyn at Miami Tuesday, July 9th 11 AM: Indiana at Boston 1 PM: Detroit at Oklahoma City 3 PM: Utah at Houston 5 PM: Miami at Orlando Wednesday, July 10th 11 AM: Utah at Brooklyn 1 PM: Oklahoma City at Philadelphia 3 PM: Boston at Houston Thursday, July 11th 11 AM: Indiana at Utah 1 PM: Miami at Detroit 3 PM: Houston at Brooklyn 5 PM: Philadelphia at Orlando Friday, July 12th (Championship Day) 8 AM: 6th place at 5th place 10 AM: 4th place at 3rd place 12 PM: 2nd place at 1st place 2 PM: 8th place at 9th place 4 PM: 10th place at 9th place Looking for Orlando Magic tickets? Orlando Pinstriped Post has you covered. We invite you to follow Orlando Pinstriped Post on Twitter and like Orlando Pinstriped Post on Facebook.

Roy Hibbert was a force on the boards in Game 1, and his size gives the Pacers a big advantage. (Greg Nelson/SI) The Pacers have a knack for playing the Heat competitively, and in Game 1 they played the champs about as closely as possible. If not for an improbable drive by LeBron James on the game’s final possession, Indiana would have executed a clever theft of home-court advantage in the series’ opening act — an achievement still unlikely to make the Pacers favorites, but significant in dictating the course of the Eastern Conference finals. Instead, Frank Vogel’s decision to sit Roy Hibbert on that final, fateful possession has devoured most all other reflection on the game itself, and in the process obscured all that went wrong for the Heat in Game 1. This particular near-loss may not have turned the series against Miami, but it did spotlight several problematic factors worth considering. Rebounding Due to shaky ball handling and a more generally plodding pace, Indiana’s offense hinges heavily on its clean-up. Only three other teams in the league this season relied on second-chance points for a greater percentage of their overall scoring, and in Game 1 those extra opportunities accounted for roughly a quarter of the Pacers’ offense. Hibbert alone grabbed seven offensive boards in his 41 minutes of action, and on the whole, Indiana’s active, outsized frontcourt collected a rebound on almost half (44 percent) of its own misses. That influx of possessions didn’t just put Indiana in a position to win with 2.2 seconds remaining in overtime, but also served to avoid a runaway loss. Many of the Pacers’ put-backs came in the midst of furious Heat rallies, in effect stunting the momentum of a run in a way that little else could. With that, Indiana’s second-chance buckets fulfilled a function more crucial than scoring — particularly against a Miami team that’s so dangerous going downhill. Both the specific rebounding numbers and Miami’s effort level on the glass will fluctuate throughout the series, but this particular weakness is fundamental to the matchup. In addition to the blatant size disadvantage that the Heat surrender, their defensive system is predicated on such frequent scrambling that boxing out every potential rebounding threat can prove problematic. In this particular series, that fault is magnified by a group of massive (Hibbert), strong (David West) and active (Tyler Hansbrough, Ian Mahinmi) opposing bigs. This is simply the advantage that the Pacers hold over the best team in the NBA, though it might be less substantial were Chris Bosh (who finished with just two rebounds) to play a more active role on the defensive end. Also, it need be noted that Miami’s struggles on the defensive glass can’t be generalized to rebounding in total, as the Heat grabbed 38 percent of their misses and nearly matched the Pacers in second-chance points. That’s easy to overlook given the general tilt of this series’ narrative, but Miami could put itself in a position to finish this series quickly if it can play the offensive boards to a virtual wash in subsequent games. Perimeter shooting Indiana’s defense excels in imposing limitations, and can prove particularly strict in inhibiting three-point attempts. This is just one of the many benefits that Hibbert’s presence on the backline provides. By virtue of having a tall, long-armed deterrent hovering in between the ball and the basket, Indiana’s perimeter defenders are afforded a chance to challenge ball handlers and remain glued to potentially dangerous shooters. As a result, only the Bulls held opponents to fewer three-point attempts per game  in the regular season. We have every reason to think that Indiana will curtail Miami’s three-point attempts in this series, as the Heat shot 6.4 fewer threes per game against the Pacers this season than they did on average. B

As the Dwight Howard free agency news cycle rolls on, the latest report has him expanding the list of teams he’ll consider signing with this summer. It’s been previously reported that Howard is most intrigued by the Houston Rockets, thanks in no small part to a young star already in place there in the form…

Sue Ogrocki/AP Kevin Durant donated $1 million to the Red Cross for tornado relief on Tuesday. He did it quietly. Quieter than when he signed his extension. He didn’t tweet it. He didn’t put out a press release. We only knew about it because the Red Cross told us. He wasn’t on a street corner shouting about it with a megaphone. He gave the way you’re suppose to give: selflessly, with no fanfare, because people needed help. As Royce said, it wasn’t a surprise. This is what he does. Maybe better than any star in the league, he has his finger on the pulse of his city. He knows what it needs and when it needs it. Grantland’s Brian Phillips wrote an incredible piece last week on the end of our season. He was at The Peake on the night we finally got tired and faded into summer vacation. In his write up he mentioned something that Scott Brooks said about Durant’s final shot of the season. “The thing about Kevin is I live with his decisions because he has a pure heart.” Pure heart. Durant has made Brooks look right a lot over the course of these last four seasons. What’s one more time. * * * Russell Westbrook is at a hospital. He’s there with DeAndre Liggins, Hasheem Thabeet, Jeremy Lamb, and Scott Brooks. They’re there because of the tornado. They’re there to try to put smiles on faces. Westbrook meets a young boy while he’s there. The boy’s name is Grayson. On Monday afternoon Grayson was in a day care facility that was destroyed by the tornado. Now he’s okay. Westbrook meets Grayson in a hospital hallway. Westbrook’s in a wheelchair. He has bubbles with him. Grayson has cuts on his face and his ear. After some coaxing, they high five each other. The boy blows the bubbles and they scatter and nurses clap and Westbrook says good job. They give each other three high fives. On the last one Westbrook makes Grayson jump because who knows the joys of jumping better than the man with forever bounce. Grayson smiles wide. He jumps and their hands connect and hopefully for that moment everybody in the hallway thought about something other than the storm. * * * I do not live in Oklahoma City or the surrounding metro area. The closest I’ve ever lived to it is Shawnee. I watched the awfulness from in front of my computer screen at work. I tuned in to Channel 4′s live stream and watched for hours. I spent the afternoon like I’d imagine a lot of Oklahomans did. Eyes glassed over, neglecting work, texting my friends to ask if they were okay, hoping for a positive answer. It’s rough being helpless. It gets hard in those moments where everything is going wrong to remember that there is good in the world. All your screen is ever showing you is the bad. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, though, did that for us Tuesday. They reminded us of the good. At this point it’s old hat to say that we, as a fan base, are lucky to have Durant and Westbrook. That luck, we realized on Tuesday more than ever, extends far beyond the court. As for the state, I don’t know what to say about it that hasn’t already been said by those smarter than me. The resiliency. The care. The love. These are not surprising things either. They have been proven, time and again. 1995. 1999. We are stronger than the things that would try and break us. It’s in these times, the hard, dark ones, that we shine the brightest.

Sullinger, who resumed light workouts about two weeks ago, is now on a 10-week program aimed to ramp him up. Hopes to be 100% by camp. — Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 23, 2013 That’s good news.  You can infer from this that there have been no setbacks in Sullinger’s recovery from back surgery that cost him his season.  He’s already been posting photos from the weight room on his Instagram page. It seems like everything is going well.  In July, we’ll see if he’s back up to 100% like he hopes to be.  The beauty of this timing is that it can be dialed back if it needs to be without really impacting his availability. So good luck with the recovery, Sully.  Let’s hope it moves along as planned.