Basketball

Presti Proud of Thunder’s 2012-13 Season

We've already done a pretty thorough "Best of the 2012-13 Chicago Bulls," but there was plenty of stuff that was left out. Namely, some of the more hilarious or "lesser" moments that were GIF'd for our pleasure. There was a request for a "Best GIFs of the Year" post, and I couldn't help but oblige. So without further ado, here's some of the best GIFs from this Bulls campaign, which do include some of the plays from the "Best of..." post. These are in no particular order, and if there are any I forgot, please do share. Jimmy is not impressed Jimmy is not impressed part deux via gifs.gifbin.com Jimmy posterizes Bosh Taj posterizes Humphries Marco's big spicy meatballs Nate discount double checks all over the place Nate blocks LeBron Bulls' bench starring D-Rose jumping very high and Nate going nuts Nate crosses Humphries via losthatsportsblog.com Shocked Boozer Shocked Boozer part deux Boozer low blows Danny Crawford via i.minus.com "That's a bad man" via gifrific.com Boozer stares down LeBron via cdn.bleacherreport.net Noah mocks Bosh and Chalmers Noah's jazz hands Noah's playoff promos Kirk rips ball away from Bosh via s3-ec.buzzfed.com Kirk's awful lob Kirk and Jimmy ticked with a side of Fred via i.minus.com Thibs is befuddled via cjzero.com Thibs is not pleased Thibs is REALLY not pleased via cdn.fansided.com Nazr shoves LeBron Nate and Deng's epic celebration

via cdn3.sbnation.com Surprise! There will be no Lakers or Thunder in this year's Western Conference Finals matchup as predicted by the majority of sports analysts at the beginning of the year. Instead, on May 19, the #2 seed San Antonio Spurs look to seek revenge from their most embarassing exit in previous playoff history as they host the #4 seed Memphis Grizzlies.For Spurs fans, 2011 was a year to forget. They were the second #1 seed in NBA history to lose in the first round to the #8 seed. Not only was this series a major setback for the Spurs, but it also was the major confidence boost the Grizzlies needed to become one of the elite NBA teams. via nbcprobasketballtalk.files.wordpress.com Now, here we are with the Grizzlies reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in their franchise history.And believe me, San Antonio fans hold grudges. "Remember the Alamo" ring a bell? via 5.nicekicks.com Spurs X-factor: Kawhi LeonardYou might not think the Spurs have changed much between 2011 and now, but I'd argue you would be wrong.Yes, the Spurs still have the Big Three. However, Manu Ginobili is playing and healthy (unlike 2011), Duncan has somehow improved as he has gotten older, and Parker is having another MVP candidate type season. The major addition however is the the 15th overall pick in 2011, Kawhi Leonard. In only his second year, Leonard has become the best perimeter defender on the Spurs team. In addition, he has developed a potent offensive game as well, averaging just under 14 points per game and 9 rebounds a game during the playoffs this year. He is a consistent double double threat each and every game. via ww1.hdnux.com Key Matchup: Tim Duncan vs Marc GasolThe Grizzlies are a selfless team, arguably without a pure superstar. Marc Gasol is their sole all-star player, however he is both a major defensive and offensive force to reckon with. Out of all current playoff players, Gasol is 4th in blocks at 2.2 per game. What does this mean for Duncan? He will likely not being drawing any double teams this series and will need to be aggressive with his offensive moves. On the flip side, the Spurs will need to commit to team defense when guarding Gasol or Zach Randolph. Duncan might not guard Gasol until the end of the game to allow Duncan to stay out of foul trouble. via www3.pictures.zimbio.com Prediction: Spurs in Seven Since 1999, the Spurs and Lakers have combined to have won 10 out of the last 13 Western Conference Finals. The major difference makers of this series include the following. 1)Spurs have homecourt2)Spurs have Kawhi Leonard3)Manu Ginobili is healthier4)Grizzlies are without Rudy Gay via cdn3.sbnation.com In the end, I believe the Spurs have adjusted enough from 2011 to have the firepower to get through the Grizzlies to the NBA Finals for the 5th time in 14 years. via cdn3.sbnation.com Surprise! There will be no Lakers or Thunder in this year's Western Conference Finals matchup as predicted by the majority of sports analysts at the beginning of the year. Instead, on May 19, the #2 seed San Antonio Spurs look to seek revenge from their most embarassing exit in previous playoff history as they host the #4 seed Memphis Grizzlies.For Spurs fans, 2011 was a year to forget. They were the second #1 seed in NBA history to lose in the first round to the #8 seed. Not only was this series a major setback for the Spurs, but it also was the major confidence boost the Grizzlies needed to become one of the elite NBA teams. via nbcprobasketballtalk.files.wordpress.com Now, here we are with the Grizzlies reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in their franchise history.And believe me, San Antonio fans hold grudges. "Remember the Alamo" ring a bell? via 5.nicekicks.com Spurs X-factor: Kawhi LeonardYou might not think the Spurs have changed much between 2011 and now, but I'd argue you would be wrong.Yes, the Spurs still have th

The point guard, who was hurt in Game 4 against the Knicks, must complete a series of exertion exercises before being cleared to play.

The San Antonio Spurs seem aware that the Memphis Grizzlies are also a team willing to grind things out in the all-function, no-form style that the Spurs have patented.

Shooting Guards/Small Forwards: Measurements: Name Height W/O Shoes Height With Shoes Weight Wingspan Standing Reach Body Fat Hand Length Hand Width Shooting Guards C.J. McCollum (SG) 6' 2.25'' 6' 3.25'' 197 6' 6.25'' 8' 0.5'' 8.6 8 9.5 Ben McLemore (SG) 6' 3.5'' 6' 4.75'' 189.2 6' 7.75'' 8' 4.5'' 5 8.75 9.5 Victor Oladipo (SG) 6' 3.25'' 6' 4.25'' 213.2 6' 9.25'' 8' 4.5'' 6.55 8.75 9.25 Small Forwards Shabazz Muhammad (SF) 6' 4.75'' 6' 6.25'' 221.8 6' 11'' 8' 8.5'' 9 9 10 Otto Porter (SF) 6' 7.5'' 6' 8.5'' 197.6 7' 1.5'' 8' 9.5'' 6.65 8.75 9.25 For the shooting guards, Oladipo stood out the most overall with his 6"9.25" reach, making him the longest guard in the draft. While McLemore is technically the tallest, it's hard to call that a win for him being that he is only one-quarter of an inch taller than Oladipo, when many scouts thought he was 1"-2" inches taller. McLemore is the leanest with only 5% body fat, but Oladipo isn't much more at 6.55%, and when you couple that with his weight of 213 lbs, it shows that he has the strongest, most NBA-ready body by far. As for the small forwards, it's a two-man competition for the prospective lottery players with Dario Saric not participating in the NBA Combine. Porter wins the measurabes with ease as he registers nearly three inches taller than Shabazz without shoes. Although Muhammad's 6'11" wingspan is very impressive, Porter still manages to one-up him here registering a 7'1.5" measurement. Muhammad does win the size contest weighing in at 221lbs compared to Porter at a svelte 197.6, but he's also at 9% body fat compared to Porter at only 6.65%. Still, Shabazz calculates to around 20lbs of total body fat compared to Porter at around 13lbs....only a 7lb difference. So Muhammad's weight advantage is still mostly muscle...which is good. Results: Name 3/4 Court Sprint Time Lane Agility Time Modified Time Standing Vertical Max Vertical Shooting Guards C.J. McCollum (SG) 3.32 11.02 2.91 (14th overall) 32 (15th overall) 38.5 (14th overall) Ben McLemore (SG) 3.27 (20th overall) 11.87 3.11 32.5 (13th overall) 42 (Tied 2nd overall) Victor Oladipo (SG) 3.25 (17th overall) 10.69 (11th overall) 3.14 33 (11th overall) 42 (Tied 2nd overall) Small Forwards Shabazz Muhammad (SF) 3.32 10.99 2.93 29.5 37 Otto Porter (SF) 3.4 11.25 3.06 27 36 The story here for the guards is Oladipo's athleticism. While McLemore proved he is no doubt an elite athlete, Oladipo proved he is even more so. McLemore and Oladipo tied for 2nd place overall with 42" max verticals (only PG Shane Larkin registered higher at 44"). While Oladipo registered slightly higher in the standing vertical and 3/4 court sprint, the difference was very minor, so they are both fairly comparable in these regards. The biggest difference was in the lane agility drill, where Oladipo showed his lateral quickness and ability to move side-to-side, forward, and backwards with a substantial advantage over McLemore...who actually fell down at the conclusion of the drill by losing his balance. In contrast, Oladipo stayed very low to the court and showed terrific agility and body control...this was apparent just by watching him. As for the small forwards, Muhammad ran the table on Porter here, but didn't really set himself apart from the rest of the pack in any substantial way. Porter is not an elite athlete, and while Muhammad is more athletic, he isn't considered high-level or elite by any means either. Tim Hardaway Jr. was actually the most impressive small forward in this regard, but is not considered a lottery pick by most accounts, so he was not part of this comparison. Conclusion: If the Suns are going to draft a wing with their first round p

Toronto has until Monday to decide the fate of Bryan Colangelo as GM and the guy steering the Raptors ship — do they pick up his option for next season or release him? It looks more and more like the new management of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment — which owns the Raptors — wants…

First off, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gets the vjl110 treatment over at canishoopus: Unlike the case with Oladipo, the comparison model pumps out a group of largely uninteresting comps for KCP. This Mar 7, 2013; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1) drives the ball up the court against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia defeated Kentucky 72-62. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports really should not be too concerning though as I think it says more about how weird his college line is. 8.7 rebounds and 8.6 3PA per 40 is getting into Troy Murphy or Kevin Love territory… but KCP is doing it from the two spot. It isn’t like he is just floating around under the hoop on defense either given his impressive 2.5 steals per 40 rate. I like KCP a lot but his shot distribution makes me a little uncomfortable. He fails to get to the rim and settles for jumpers far too often. In this sense he is the opposite prospect of Oladipo and not in a flattering way. KCP can still be useful without being a major threat to attack the paint, but I think it puts a cap on his potential and may make him more dependent on pairing with a complimentary point guard. The biggest issue that stands out to me with KCP is how weird his lack of media hype is. He is a high usage guard who averaged 18.5 points per game as a sophomore and was similarly prolific (though in fewer minutes) through the first half of his freshman season. His numbers and highlights tell the story of a physically dominant athlete who slams home dunks and makes impressive plays. In short… he is the type of player ESPN et al. usually drool over. What did the poor guy do to miss out on all of the media attention? I started asking this question earlier last season when KCP was performing better than the much more popular freshman shooting guards Rivers, Beal and Waiters but he started missing shots and I shut up. This season KCP held strong throughout the entire season and still got minimal love. That may be changing as I see him slide up the mock drafts weekly, but I am still left baffled by his omission from the spotlight. Ricky Rubio gets a year-in-review post at timberwolves.com with some nice highlights (the Rising Stars Challenge pass to Bradley Beal was my favorite gif of the year) and this nice detail on Ricky’s summer plans: Rubio spent last summer in the Twin Cities while rehabbing that left knee, working closely with physical therapist Andre Deloya as well as the rest of the Wolves’ training staff. He worked tirelessly trying to return to the court within the first two months of the regular season, and he succeeded with his Dec. 15 return. This year will be a little different. Rubio said he plans to spend his offseason back in Spain this summer. The goal was to take three weeks off after the season and then get back to work—during that time, he did spend a few days in Minnesota before heading to Puerto Rico with a few of his Wolves teammates. It’s a new challenge for Rubio, who has never had a traditional NBA offseason. Last year he focused on getting healthy. This year, he has the chance to truly prepare for the upcoming campaign knowing exactly what the rigors of an NBA season is like. “It’s something I always thought about … since I was 14,” said Rubio, referring to NBA offseason preparation. “I didn’t have a lot of time to work on my things [last year], and I’m going to do it.”

I just read an article that advocated it was time the Kings moved on from Cousins and his problems and traded him away. Do you think it is a worthwhile gamble to trade for Cousins? That would mean thinking that Atlanta can get beyond his attitude and behavior problems and that he is good enough to endure the risk that they may not. I'm not suggesting trading Al Horford, but I am suggesting both our 1st round picks in this year's draft. It's likely that those picks would have at least landed a prospect big. It is important to note that you'd have just 1 year of rookie contract time with DeMarcus before you'd have to decide whether he's worthy of a big contract. This is a hypothetical exercise. Don't get hung up if you think that the 2 mid-round firsts aren't enough to get the trade done. Just assume they are for the sake of this discussion. Also, what coaching hire would be best to get a talented, but messed up big guy to fly right and reach his potential? I just read an article that advocated it was time the Kings moved on from Cousins and his problems and traded him away. Do you think it is a worthwhile gamble to trade for Cousins? That would mean thinking that Atlanta can get beyond his attitude and behavior problems and that he is good enough to endure the risk that they may not. I'm not suggesting trading Al Horford, but I am suggesting both our 1st round picks in this year's draft. It's likely that those picks would have at least landed a prospect big. It is important to note that you'd have just 1 year of rookie contract time with DeMarcus before you'd have to decide whether he's worthy of a big contract. This is a hypothetical exercise. Don't get hung up if you think that the 2 mid-round firsts aren't enough to get the trade done. Just assume they are for the sake of this discussion. Also, what coaching hire would be best to get a talented, but messed up big guy to fly right and reach his potential?