Basketball

Trade 1: Luol Deng for Ryan Anderson (and Darius Miller, to make the salaries work). I think this is feasible from both team's perspectives. Anderson is a good player on a reasonable contract, but he plays the same position as the Pelican's franchise player. At the same time, they have an obvious need for a good SF, and with Deng on board, they might well make some noise next year. Trade 2: Carlos Boozer to Nets, Kris Humphries to Bobcats, Ben Gordon and pick #22 (from Nets) to Bulls. This is one I'm less certain about, but I think it's reasonable to believe this would be doable. The Nets seem to totally not care about money, and saw first hand that Boozer was effective last year. They'll want to improve, and Humphries brings them very little. Boozer would bring plenty. Likewise, the Bobcats were ready to do Gordon for Hump last year, So why not again. Trade 3: Marcus Teague and pick #49 for any pick in the #27-35 range. Some team would bite on this, I think. I really like Erick Green and Nate Wolters as instant offense options. I don't like Teague to do anything except waste a roster spot. Draft Picks: #20- Dieng #22- Bullock #33- Erick Green 2013-2014 Bulls Rose, Hinrich Gordon, Green Butler, Bullock, Miller Anderson, Taj, Thomas Noah, Dieng, Nazr With these moves, I think the Bulls set themselves up for a lot of good things: 1. They get younger. Anderson is only 25. His contract is reasonable enough that he'll be easily movable if Mirotic comes in and takes his job. 2. They get under the luxury tax. (Deng + Boozer = $29.5M out, Gordon + Anderson = $21.5M in). 3. They massively improve their shooting ability. Gordon is obviously only going to be a short-termer, but he can shoot. Green and Bullock both project as good shooters in the NBA. Anderson is one of the league's best. 4. They retain a strong defensive anchored by Noah, Taj, and Butler, with Hinrich and Rose as plus defenders at the guard positions, and two younger players, Dieng and Bullock, who could contribute in both of these respects. Trade 1: Luol Deng for Ryan Anderson (and Darius Miller, to make the salaries work). I think this is feasible from both team's perspectives. Anderson is a good player on a reasonable contract, but he plays the same position as the Pelican's franchise player. At the same time, they have an obvious need for a good SF, and with Deng on board, they might well make some noise next year. Trade 2: Carlos Boozer to Nets, Kris Humphries to Bobcats, Ben Gordon and pick #22 (from Nets) to Bulls. This is one I'm less certain about, but I think it's reasonable to believe this would be doable. The Nets seem to totally not care about money, and saw first hand that Boozer was effective last year. They'll want to improve, and Humphries brings them very little. Boozer would bring plenty. Likewise, the Bobcats were ready to do Gordon for Hump last year, So why not again. Trade 3: Marcus Teague and pick #49 for any pick in the #27-35 range. Some team would bite on this, I think. I really like Erick Green and Nate Wolters as instant offense options. I don't like Teague to do anything except waste a roster spot. Draft Picks: #20- Dieng #22- Bullock #33- Erick Green 2013-2014 Bulls Rose, Hinrich Gordon, Green Butler, Bullock, Miller Anderson, Taj, Thomas Noah, Dieng, Nazr With these moves, I think the Bulls set themselves up for a lot of good things: 1. They get younger. Anderson is only 25. His contract is reasonable enough that he'll be easily movable if Mirotic comes in and takes his job. 2. They get under the luxury tax. (Deng + Boozer = $29.5M out, Gordon + Anderson = $21.5M in). 3. They massively improve their shooting ability. Gordon is obviously only going to be a short-termer, but he can shoot. Green and Bullock both project as good shooters in the NBA. Anderson is one of the league's best. 4. They retain a strong defensive anchored by Noah, Taj, and Butler, with Hinrich and Ro

First, hats off to Herald photographer Charles Trainor Jr. for capturing this unbelievable moment. The faces! Allen's feet! Pulling jersey! Yellow rope! If the Heat goes on to win Game 7, this photo will go down as one of the greatest moments in history of South Florida sports. What a game, and how lucky we all were to witness it. LeBron James called it the best game he has ever played in. For me, it was the greatest game I've ever covered and I felt honored to be there covering it for The Herald and South Florida sports fans. James' triple-double, his fourth in an NBA Finals, seemed like a minor footnote when it was all over. That's how amazing and layered and thrilling Game 6 felt. James finished with 32 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He had 23 points in the second half and 16 in the fourth, carrying the Heat all the way to the finish line and setting the stage for Allen's heroics. James' two turnovers in the final minute will be a focal point, but don't let that take away from his amazing effort. After three-pointers by Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller to begin the fourth quarter, James willed the Heat back into the game. There were so many incredible moments tonight, but, for James, his block against Tim Duncan in the fourth will be a cherished moment if the Heat wins Game 7. If the Heat wins Game 7...That's what it's all about now. Game 6 was unbelievable but Game 7 of the NBA Finals will top it just by simply being a Game 7. These moments come around once in a lifetime, Heat fans. Enjoy it. Savor it. Seriously, who's going to sleep between now and then? Probably not me. And what about Mario Chalmers? Yes, his turnover was bad with a minute left in regulation, but the Heat's point guard carried the Heat for long stretches in the first half and third quarter before James kicked it into overdrive. Chalmers finished with 20 points, going 7 of 11 from the field and 4 of 5 from three-point range. You want the game in one stat? Here you go: The Heat was outscored 60-36 in the paint but made 11 of 19 three-pointers to save the night. Chalmers was locked in. Shane Battier went 3 of 4 from distance. Mike Miller made both of his attempts from three-point range. And don't forget the shoeless three-pointer! Never forget the shoeless three-pointer! But the night belonged to Allen, who made his only three-pointer of the game with 5.2 seconds left in regulation to send it into overtime. The NBA's yellow celebration rope was already surrounding the court long before Allen backpedaled, caught a pass from Chris Bosh and drilled one of the biggest three-pointers of his career. And Allen has made a lot of big shots in his 17-year career. Let's not forget that he's the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers and postseason three-pointers. And what about Bosh? No one will ever be able to call this guy soft anymore. Tim Duncan went off for 25 points in the first half. It appeared the Spurs' cerebral center was on his way to winning the fifth championship of his career when Bosh knuckled up and helped limit Duncan to five points combined in the second half and overtime. Bosh's two blocks in overtime can't be overlooked. He showed off every bit of his athleticism rejected Tony Parker and then sealed the victory with a block of Danny Green on the Spurs' last ditch effort to tie the game. And now Game 7. AND NOW GAME 7! Since the NBA moved its championship round to a 2-3-2 format a road team has never won a Game 7. Advantage Heat. Still, something tells me it's not going to be that easy. For this Heat team, nothing has been easy ever since the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Heat hasn't won back-to-back games since the beginning of the Eastern Conference finals. That feels like ages ago at this point. But, to win a series for the ages, the Heat will have to link two victories together to win its second championship in a row.

Jun 18, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich reacts during the post-game press conference after game six in the 2013 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena. Miami defeated San Antonio 103-100. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports Gregg Popovich is one of the best coaches in the NBA (and maybe in NBA history).  He’s also one of the best interviewers ever.  Here are some of his best hits from the playoffs (so far). Gems: Keep pound on that rock!   Knock the stuffing out of ‘em!

In an Insider article yesterday, Tom Haberstroh used advanced analytics to look at the best "Big Three" trios to play in the Finals. The trio of Stockton, Malone, and Hornacek was found to be 4th on the list, and the best to never win the Championship. Haberstroh says: If this trio played at any point in NBA history other than Michael Jordan's era, they'd probably be known as the model for Duncan-Parker-Ginobili. But of course, the general public tends to be blinded by the shiny rings the Jazz trio unfortunately never received. Their cumulative WARP of 324.4 ranked third in modern history. A former All-Star and one of the premier shooters of his time, Hornacek probably doesn't garner the recognition that he deserves. The guy was a beacon of efficiency and nearly joined the 50-40-90 club in field goal percentage, free throw percentage and 3-point percentage, respectively, during his entire run with the Jazz. Easily the best Big Three to never win the title. I don't want to give away the rest of the list, but 2 of the top three are legendary and the other is in the making. Its comforting to know where that amazing team stands. Not Jazz related, but I need to share this: After every Finals game the Grantland Staff does a "NBA Finals Shootaround" where they all contribute little tidbits from the game. They are nothing short of brilliant. I have read them all and enjoy them immensely. The best part is Shea Serrano's (@SheaSerrano) "Text Messages to Pop From a Spurs Fan". They are just hilarious. Here is last game's, and keep an eye out for the recap of last night's Game 6 (the best game of the season). Also of interest at Grantland is their NBA Job Interview series. Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose (who are great together) sit down with the prospects and talk about their game, as well as look at some plays. Its great because Simmons and Rose are able to get the prospects to be somewhat genuine in a time during their careers in which their words are as scripted as a politician's during election season. I watched CJ McCollum's and thought he was fantastic. Here are a couple of interest to Jazz fans: CJ McCollum Trey Burke The Jazz have another round of workouts today, featuring 6 prospects, mostly from Midwestern schools. The list can be found here. These guys mostly fall in the late 30's of Draft Express' Top 100 and in the 40's of Chad Ford's Top 100, so they are most likely being looked at as potential 2nd Round picks. I believe this brings the tryout count to 72 (Amar?) There are some (probably overblown) labels of last night's game as the best Finals game ever. It was probably one of the best I've ever watched. Did you watch the game? Where you would you rank it? The problem with this series is it is almost impossible to get an unbiased opinion. There is too much disdain for the Heat for that; and if you started out neutral it likely is difficult to stay that way. The vitriol aimed at the Heat and especially at LeBron is enough to push some people to a place they never thought they'd end up. I found myself cheering loudly when LBJ made the three in the last minute of the 4th last night. Its odd how so much pushback on one side can cause people's opinion to migrate just to balance things out. Having said that, there is one thing that anyone who is a fan of basketball should be able to agree on: Game 6 was a blast. I could feel the sense of urgency that both teams had, from my couch. It was scrappy, chaotic, hectic, tense, and absolutely glorious.

Gregg Popovich is the best coach in basketball right now. One of the best of all time. He has four rings and built a culture in San Antonio that has them in NBA Finals 14 years apart and with consistent 50+ win seasons in between. But he is not perfect. He made a couple decisions…

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. -Winston Churchill's commencement speech at Harrow School, 1941 There are so many things I could say at this point, but I thought I'd yield the floor to you folks who have written so powerfully and eloquently in the comments after Tuesday night's Game 6 loss. You've done a much better job of handling this situation than I could have. Manu does, what Manu does. For years we have loved him for that and now he's the enemy? I think not! Question is: Who do you replace him with? Gary Neal? With the Heat defense playing even tighter, would a shorter player make sense? You gotta go with the 5 you think match up and can produce. Should Pop do what he thinks the fans want or trust his proven Soldiers? Did Parker catch fire in the last 2 minutes? Did Duncan? How about OT? Sometimes, you just have to tip the hat to the other guys and say, ‘get you next time'. If I'm the coach, I lose on my terms, with my guys, my Big 3, my vets! I wouldn't second guess in the middle of chaos. You get low and push forward...you keep Pounding The Rock!! Has Manu looked like Manu of old? Nope, but I would rather lose with him than some other bench guy. This new found hate for Pop decisions and Manu is sickening. I get the frustration the game can give you, but Spurs fans are better than this non-stop whining. This organizations is blessed from top to bottom. All of a sudden, we are some spoiled divas? Hell no, we are not. Spurs and their fans should take losses like a champ, because we have been dishing out losses to others without prejudice! The thing to remember is that there is still one game on the schedule. With one game left in the season, I feel comfortable knowing that my team is the Spurs. Pounding the Rock is what they do. Go Spurs! -TrooperJoe73 Stop saying bad things about Kawhi. He has been utterly amazing this entire season, this entire Playoffs, this entire Finals. Offensively, and defensively. He has performed greater than most people could have imagined, and sad to say, you seem to have missed all that. He’s also still just a kid. And human. And he went 1/2 from the line there. That happens about 50% of the time a decent FT shooter goes to the line. They make both once, they make 1/2 the next time, that’s 75%. Happens constantly. You want to talk about bad missed FT’s, you’d have an argument in Manu. No idea what’s going on with him at the line. He’s been there so many times, no excuse. But Kawhi missing one free throw? After everything he’s given us? Please just be quiet. - M3D1T8R No. No excuses. We didn't rebound when we should've, missed timely FTs, and they hit some incredible shots. We had the game. We were in control. We should've won, but didn't. On to Game 7. - Dark Black Yes, there were some tough calls. Bad ones, even. Yes, we missed some FTs. Part of the game. Yes, Ray Allen hit a dagger. SO THE WHAT?!? Champions are stronger than any circumstance that comes their way. They're going to come back harder. And sharper. And even better. We took a backdoor sweep last year and bounced back from it. We got beat by the Grizzlies two years ago and repaid them with interest. These men are basketball legends, forged in fire - and if age and injury and playoff heartbreak couldn't stop them from returning to the Finals, if The Greatest Team EVAR needed a home win just to force a game seven, I'll be damned to think that one tough loss is going to stop them now. You can wallow in the loss if you choose; just know that your team will not. - SRJ34 - verde 2005. 2-2 split.Spurs win game 5Spurs lose game 6Spurs win in 7. I'm over this one. We WILL win game 7. There are too many champion hearts on

Bradley Beal is still more than a week away from his 20th birthday, but there is another significant date that the Wizards’ shooting guard is possibly monitoring with even greater anticipation: The day when he will finally be cleared to … Continue reading →

Only one letter today, and it’s from goodnight_punk: "It seems that the general consensus is that we've seen the best of Tyreke. I mean, I know he hasn't put up the gaudy stats that he put up his rookie year (in which, I'll remind you, his second options were some sort of combination of Carl Landry and Beno "Yeti" Udrih), but it seems like everyone has agreed that he's reached his ceiling. Am I just a reckless optimist for still thinking that this 23 year old has untapped potential? Most of my problems with his game (moving off the ball, the occasional ill-advised jumper, tunnel vision, disappearing for stretches) would seem to be correctable with a set system, set rotation and an NBA level coach provided that he buys in (he seems pretty coachable). If Thibodeau can make an imperfect Calipari guard an MVP, don't you think that it's possible Tyreke could make a leap under Malone? Not MVP or even All-Star (I'm still realistic), but am I crazy for thinking that with a good coach that we might see two-way star emerge from this? P.S. - Akis, please bring back "Good/Bad/Ugly" when the season starts. Please and thank you." Second thing first: Aykis16 will definitely be bringing back the GB&U. It’s one of the best things about StR. I don’t know that there is a "general consensus" about Evans. We have at least a couple of members that think that he’s deserving of a max contract, and at the other end at least one member that likens him to Luke Ridnour in NBA stature. As usual, the truth probably exists somewhere in the middle. There is no doubt that the fan base had huge expectations for Evans after his Rookie of the Year performance. And though Evans has improved incrementally, we have not seen the sort of move forward that has been seen in fellow 2009 draft picks James Harden and Steph Curry (or Jrue Holiday or Ty Lawson). On the other hand, he’s a far cry better today than Johnny Flynn or Brandon Jennings or Ricky Rubio. Evans is probably still a top five pick if you re-rack that draft today, so it’s hard to call him a disappointment. However, aspects of his game such as his court vision and his ability to move without the ball certainly fall short of even reasonable expectations. Evans came into the league under Paul Westphal, who basically handed him the keys to the team and built the offense around him. When Westphal was replaced by Smart, Evans’ time as the centerpiece was suddenly over, as Smart hitched his wagon to DeMarcus Cousins. During Smart’s tenure, Evans played three positions and was treated to the same uneven minutes as everyone else on the team. Tyreke’s inability to stay consistently healthy did not help his cause, either. All of this, combined with being a member of the most dysfunctional franchise in the league, has aided in stalling Evans’ growth, but the slow (though steady) improvement in his shot and his shortcomings as it pertains to moving and seeing the floor rest a lot on his shoulders. You have to think that he would have progressed a bit more under the Oklahoma City umbrella, or the past couple of years at Golden State. To his credit, Evans has never really bellyached about the situation in Sacramento, and he didn’t pout through his myriad role and position changes. He’s never had a fellow teammate say anything but good things about him. This team has lost a lot of games over the past four years, but not because of Tyreke Evans. At age 23, and under what appears to be a smart, solid franchise for the first time in his professional life, Evans could indeed be ready to take off to that next level. There is really no reason why Evans could not become the next Andre Igoudala, but he could also become an incredibly overpriced Tony Allen if he does not improve much more. I think that Evans is worth somewhere between $40-$44m over four years, but supply

For some odd, odd, but really not that odd reason, ABC has played some of the worst music in their intros and lead-outs of commercials. The mixture of Pitbull, Macklemore (the overplay nature of his "Thrift Shop" song should be a referendum on his career) and the occasional Justin Bieber is ear-splitting. T here are, of course, some classic songs played during games, including the traditional Tony Bennett's "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" played after a San Francisco Giants' win. However, when it comes to the Golden State Warriors, I'm not a season-ticket holder so I won't speak to what's the most consistently played song, but as long as "Don't Stop Believing" isn't playing, we should all be safe. When noting the songs played inside the arena, I'm inclined to say they should do without it altogether. The Miami Heat have taken to the Seven Nation Army chant—that's as close to a contemporary in-game classic as possible and I actually like it—but most teams don't have recognizable songs. However, Memphis is known for playing "Whoop That Trick" and the players have popularized that. It's hard seeing David Lee, Stephen Curry or Andrew Bogut but well, Marc Gasol did. When I'm watching other teams on TV, I've heard some DJs play 50 Cent, Adam Levine or whatever is popular in the middle of an offensive possession and it leaves me wondering why we can't just enjoy great basketball instead of trying to search for extra gratification when what we are looking for is in front of us. Having in-game music can add to the experience but just letting the people play would be much more entertaining that fist-pumping to the latest Flo Rida classic. This doesn't mean that all music should be left out; there's a time and place for it, especially during timeouts and intros when people are looking for an extra amp. Some suggestions for next year's list, with suggestions from comrade Nate Parham. I think you'll be able to differentiate between which one of us is choosing which: The XX - Sunset Richie Rich - Let's Ride On Fire- Lloyd Banks Too Short - Game Time Daft Punk - Too Long/ Steam Machine Luniz - Out To Be the Boss Avicii - Levels Mac Dre - Life's A B***h And of course, there is always this. What are some of your favorites?

NBA Mock Draft Pick #14 -- Dennis Schroeder, Guard, Germany SB Nation's Jazz blog SLC Dunk explains the pick: Last season the Utah Jazz started three guys on the wrong side of 30 at point guard during any random part of the season. The most complete player was the oldest. The best defender was coming off an injury. And the youngest was the one who has the least ‘point guard-y' game of the trio. The madness must stop in a Western Conference stocked with talented point guards who love to run the pick and roll. The Jazz need to correct all of the point guard fail, and will attempt to do so in short order by drafting Schroeder. While he's young and turnover prone, he's injury free and fearless. His shot needs work, but admits with pride that his calling card is defense. It's easy to see why, he has a 6'7.75 wingspan and will get his hands on more balls than a urologist. The Jazz don't need a me-first point guard on the team, they need a PG who can spoon feed our young bigmen and know how to play defense. Out of all that point guards in this draft no one does those two things better than Dennis. Meeting him at the NBA Draft Combine I immediately hated this guy. (A German guy who doesn't listen to Techno music?) However, the entire Jazz roster is filled with pussycats. Maybe it's time we got someone with a little attitude back on the court. SB Nation Scouting Report: Dennis Schroeder More: Full NBA Draft Coverage Updated 2013 NBA Mock Draft Board: 1. Cleveland Cavaliers: NERLENS NOEL2. Orlando Magic BEN MCLEMORE3. Washington Wizards OTTO PORTER4. Charlotte Hornets ALEX LEN5. Phoenix Suns VICTOR OLADIPO6. New Orleans Pelicans TREY BURKE7. Sacramento Kings ANTHONY BENNETT (for Philly)8. Detroit Pistons C.J. MCCOLLUM9. Minnesota Timberwolves KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE10. Portland Trail Blazers RUDY GOBERT (For Phoenix) 11. Philadelphia 76ers MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS (For Sacramento) 12. Oklahoma City Thunder CODY ZELLER13. Dallas Mavericks SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD14. Utah Jazz DENNIS SCHROEDER15. Milwaukee Bucks 16. Boston Celtics 17. Atlanta Hawks 18. Atlanta Hawks 19. Cleveland Cavaliers 20. Chicago Bulls 21. Utah Jazz 22. Brooklyn Nets 23. Indiana Pacers 24. New York Knicks25. Los Angeles Clippers 26. Minnesota Timberwolves 27. Denver Nuggets 28. San Antonio Spurs 29. Oklahoma City Thunder30. Phoenix Suns