Basketball

It will be known as the LeBron James Headband Game.

Since we're a little over a week from the draft, I figured I'd throw out a dream scenario. 1. Cavs - Alex Len, C, Maryland2. Magic - Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas3. TRADE Suns - Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky4. Bobcats - Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV5. TRADE Wizards - Otto Porter, SF, GeorgetownWizards give: 3rd pick, 38th pick, 54th pick, Jan Vessley, Trevor Booker, Wizards receive: 5th pick, Derrick WilliamsSuns give: 5th pick, 30th pick, Marcin GortatSuns receive: 3rd pick, 26th Pick, 38th pick, Jan Vessley, Trevor BookerTwolves give: Derrick Williams, 26th pickTwolves receive: Marcin Gortat, 30th Pick, 54th pickSo the Wizards unload some cap onto the Suns, give away the 2nd rounders, and swap picks with the Suns. The Suns don't mind the cap hit because they get their center of the future and move up from the 30th pick to round out the draft (I imagine Giannis Adetokunbo or Jamaal Franklin) and all they lose is Gortat. The Twolves move a player that has a hard time fitting in the roster and replace soon to be Free Agent, Nikola Pekovic. Even if they are able to keep Pekovic, it gets rid of a player they have little use for in favor of a player that has a shorter contract and can play in their rotation. This trade allows the Twolves to use their 9th pick to address SG/SF. With the 30th, they can take a flyer on a project like Mike Muscala, Jeff Withey, Rudy Gobert, or get a SF. I think this improves all three teams without taking advantage of any of them.Starting 5:Wizards: Wall, Beal, Porter, Williams, NeneSuns: Dragic, Johnson, Beasley/26th pick, Scola, Noel Twolves: Rubio, Roy/9th pick, Kirilenko/9th pick, Love, Pekovic/Gortat Hopefully y'all agree that this is fair and would benefit the Wizards. Since we're a little over a week from the draft, I figured I'd throw out a dream scenario. 1. Cavs - Alex Len, C, Maryland2. Magic - Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas3. TRADE Suns - Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky4. Bobcats - Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV5. TRADE Wizards - Otto Porter, SF, GeorgetownWizards give: 3rd pick, 38th pick, 54th pick, Jan Vessley, Trevor Booker, Wizards receive: 5th pick, Derrick WilliamsSuns give: 5th pick, 30th pick, Marcin GortatSuns receive: 3rd pick, 26th Pick, 38th pick, Jan Vessley, Trevor BookerTwolves give: Derrick Williams, 26th pickTwolves receive: Marcin Gortat, 30th Pick, 54th pickSo the Wizards unload some cap onto the Suns, give away the 2nd rounders, and swap picks with the Suns. The Suns don't mind the cap hit because they get their center of the future and move up from the 30th pick to round out the draft (I imagine Giannis Adetokunbo or Jamaal Franklin) and all they lose is Gortat. The Twolves move a player that has a hard time fitting in the roster and replace soon to be Free Agent, Nikola Pekovic. Even if they are able to keep Pekovic, it gets rid of a player they have little use for in favor of a player that has a shorter contract and can play in their rotation. This trade allows the Twolves to use their 9th pick to address SG/SF. With the 30th, they can take a flyer on a project like Mike Muscala, Jeff Withey, Rudy Gobert, or get a SF. I think this improves all three teams without taking advantage of any of them.Starting 5:Wizards: Wall, Beal, Porter, Williams, NeneSuns: Dragic, Johnson, Beasley/26th pick, Scola, Noel Twolves: Rubio, Roy/9th pick, Kirilenko/9th pick, Love, Pekovic/Gortat Hopefully y'all agree that this is fair and would benefit the Wizards. Poll Would you find this trade acceptable? Yes No Yes, but it isn't possible No, even if it could happen 0 votes | Results

MIAMI — For all intents and purposes, the game was over. Except that it wasn’t. The Heat trailed Game 6 of the Finals by five with under 30 seconds to play, and fans in Miami began streaming for the exits. Arena staffers in yellow shirts lined the baselines and the court across from the team…

Mock drafts are always fun. They're even more fun when YOU get to choose what the teams do. We've been getting a lot of response to the SBNation Blogger Mock Draft, with you guys having a lot to say about the draft choices Dave (and the rest of the Bright Side Front Office) has been making. Well, here's your chance to run things your own way. Taking a page from Fear the Sword (check out their Community Mock Draft sign-up here), we have decided to give BSotS users a chance to participate in an interactive mock draft. In the comments section of this post, sign up for one of the 30 teams. The teams will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so whoever requests a team first will get assigned that particular team. I will be the Suns so pick anyone but them, please. Hehe sorry. The actual draft will happen live on Monday, June 24th at 10 pm EST/7 pm PT. We will do the draft on a live thread, which I will be updating as people make their respective teams' picks. Here are some rules: We are only drafting the first round. On draft day, you will have 5 minutes to make your pick once your team is up (like the real draft). If you fail to make your pick within those 5 minutes, I (or another moderator) will make your pick for you. To make your official pick, either post a comment (on the mock draft thread, not this one) with your pick in the subject line or email me a list of your top picks you think might be available at your spot ahead of time. TRADES ARE ALLOWED. However, I need to make sure they're valid so when you and another user agree to a trade, one of you needs to email me (sjasthi13@gmail.com) so I can approve them. If you can't be here on Monday night but still want to participate, you will need to email me your pick ahead of time. Please email me a few options of players you think will be available when you're picking, ranked in your order of preference. Pick your team in the comments section below (once again - first-come, first-served). You can/should also use comments to discuss trades with other users (you may also choose to provide your email address so others can contact you about possible trades). Feel free to ask any questions about something I may have forgotten to mention. Here is the order of the 2013 NBA draft. 1. Cleveland Cavaliers 2. Orlando Magic3. Washington Wizards4. Charlotte Bobcats5. Phoenix Suns - Richard6. New Orleans Pelicans7. Sacramento Kings8. Detroit Pistons9. Minnesota Timberwolves10. Portland Trail Blazers11. Philadelphia 76ers12. Oklahoma City Thunder13. Dallas Mavericks14. Utah Jazz15. Milwaukee Bucks16. Boston Celtics17. Atlanta Hawks18. Atlanta Hawks19. Cleveland Cavaliers20. Chicago Bulls21. Utah Jazz22. Brooklyn Nets23. Indiana Pacers24. New York Knicks25. Los Angeles Clippers26. Minnesota Timberwolves27. Denver Nuggets28. San Antonio Spurs29. Oklahoma City Thunder30. Phoenix Suns - Richard

Neil Olshey has gone on record to say he wants a defensive center to pair with Lamarcus Aldrige. DJ who may have fallen out of favor with the Clippers, would fit better with pick and pop PF Lamarcus Aldridge than he fits with Blake Griffin. The Blazers have the cap room to make a one sided trade and could field an impressive starting five of DJ/Aldridge/Batum/Lillard. The Clippers could shed DJ's contract and put themselves in better position financially to make other moves via trade, draft, FA signing to fill out the roster... Neil Olshey has gone on record to say he wants a defensive center to pair with Lamarcus Aldrige. DJ who may have fallen out of favor with the Clippers, would fit better with pick and pop PF Lamarcus Aldridge than he fits with Blake Griffin. The Blazers have the cap room to make a one sided trade and could field an impressive starting five of DJ/Aldridge/Batum/Lillard. The Clippers could shed DJ's contract and put themselves in better position financially to make other moves via trade, draft, FA signing to fill out the roster...

"Atlanta Hawks Next Year" What I would like to see which could be realistic pg:Jeff Teague Lou Williams draft pick sg:Monta Ellis Kyle Korver John Jenkins sf:Chandler Parsons or Andre Igodoula Corey Brewer or Carlos Delfino and a possible free agent or draft pick pf:Al Horford J.J Hickson and a draft pick or free agent c:Al Jefferson Draft Pick and a Nba Free Agent Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer Assitant Coaches:Quin Snider Darvin Ham and possibly two more Gm: Danny Ferry Now they could go after Chris Paul and Dwight Howard but why spend 20 million on both players when a team like this is much more talented and has a defense set and scoring threat I see this team being able to hang with Miami Heat next season and beat them a finals appearence isnt ruled out but is probable depending on how the season goes determines all of that and a great bench who will put up at least 40 to 50 points per game and off the bench Lou Williams and kyle korver can come off the bench with 20 to 24 minutes Kyle could put up 10 pts off the bench so lou with 14 ppg kyle 10 ppg Carlos or Corey 10 ppg 10 about 10 ppg and with the right draft pick at the center posistion 10 ppg shouldnt be to hard to put up 10 to 8 points this bench is just a mini version of the starting lineup rebounding lineup scoring threat fast-break points and defensivley better than decent and Best Case Scenario: they go after a big 5 if they want Monta Ellis which would be Jeff Teague Monta Ellis Chandler Parsons or Andre Igodoula Al Horford Al Jefferson if they do this then they will need Adjustments umm... All players will need to work as one unit and this could be the best team ever Salaries no salaries will rise accept Jeff Teauge because hes becoming a better pg by the year i can say this wont last forever unless they use mid-level exception on al horford when his contract is up bacause i caculated this after I caculated monta al jefferson jeff teague chandler parsons there was 8 to 9 million left to spend and al horford is worth 12 or 13 million so to keep this team together they can sign all these players and resign al horford with a mid level exception and keep him and keep the bench lou kyle brewer or delfino hickson and a draft pick and sign players to veterans minimum and sign draft picks to keep empty posistions filled and to keep things nice and even and draft picks for insurance policy on players and veterans to teach the youngsterz and a backup plan as well I really hope my thoughts will get out there and the hawks see this and use this next season now john jenkins idk if he wants to stay because playing time so I dont know but hawks and hawks fans please see this and use it Just my thoughts comment what do you guys think should happen and tell me if this could be succsessful "Atlanta Hawks Next Year" What I would like to see which could be realistic pg:Jeff Teague Lou Williams draft pick sg:Monta Ellis Kyle Korver John Jenkins sf:Chandler Parsons or Andre Igodoula Corey Brewer or Carlos Delfino and a possible free agent or draft pick pf:Al Horford J.J Hickson and a draft pick or free agent c:Al Jefferson Draft Pick and a Nba Free Agent Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer Assitant Coaches:Quin Snider Darvin Ham and possibly two more Gm: Danny Ferry Now they could go after Chris Paul and Dwight Howard but why spend 20 million on both players when a team like this is much more talented and has a defense set and scoring threat I see this team being able to hang with Miami Heat next season and beat them a finals appearence isnt ruled out but is probable depending on how the season goes determines all of that and a great bench who will put up at least 40 to 50 points per game and off the bench Lou Williams and kyle korver can come off the bench with 20 to 24 minutes Kyle could put up 10 pts off the bench so lou with 14 ppg kyle 10 ppg Carlos or Corey 10 ppg 10 about 10 ppg and with the right draft pick at the center posistion 10 ppg should

The 7-foot Nogueira boasts a 7-6 wingspan and is considered one of the most athletic big men in the draft. He has been projected to go as high as No. 11 in the 2013 NBA draft, and as low as No. 40.

So I'm pretty sure most if not all of you have heard the ridiculous story of Miami Heat fans leaving the game early last night, but just in case you didn't check it out: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/miami-heat-fans-leave-nba-finals-game-6-051052669.html This really got me thinking. If we were in the same position of the Heat, I honestly don't think our fans would do something this silly, but I wonder exactly where are we as far as fan bases. I mean we have been through it, over the years, we have stuck with this team during some hard times. We ranked 20th in attendance this year average 16,343 fans per game, which places us in front of Minnesota but behind Memphis. The previous year we ranked 18th. Despite being an awful franchise we are a middle of the pack/low middle of the pack in attendance. How much credit do you give to our fans being loyal? And how potentially good can this fan base be if this team wins consistently? So I'm pretty sure most if not all of you have heard the ridiculous story of Miami Heat fans leaving the game early last night, but just in case you didn't check it out: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/miami-heat-fans-leave-nba-finals-game-6-051052669.html This really got me thinking. If we were in the same position of the Heat, I honestly don't think our fans would do something this silly, but I wonder exactly where are we as far as fan bases. I mean we have been through it, over the years, we have stuck with this team during some hard times. We ranked 20th in attendance this year average 16,343 fans per game, which places us in front of Minnesota but behind Memphis. The previous year we ranked 18th. Despite being an awful franchise we are a middle of the pack/low middle of the pack in attendance. How much credit do you give to our fans being loyal? And how potentially good can this fan base be if this team wins consistently?

Jun 18, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) and shooting guard Danny Green (4) during the second half of game six in the 2013 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin C. Cox\Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports To be shamelessly goofy for a moment: Game 6 of the NBA Finals was magical. It was a game of magic. Sorcery, witchcraft, wizardry, I don’t know what kind of magic exactly, but that’s what it was. It was pure, holy, divine, sublime, exciting, ridiculous, momentous, incredible, insane, exciting, amusing, and magical. When I write about basketball I usually write about it with love. Even when my teams lose, there’s usually something beautiful at the margin that is worth mentioning, silver linings worth privately entertaining. But the sad truth is that there are a slew of ugly NBA games, turgid low-scoring brick-fests or lackadaisical defensive stands compounded by body language that college hoops fans assume is proof that the pro’s just don’t care. Most games are a mix of both, the beautiful and the banal, and the beauty is in the space between. Game 6 between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs delivered objectively gorgeous basketball. It was a love song written to the game, a gateway drug for anyone on the fence. I sat in a crowded bar. The guy on my left was rooting for the Spurs and the guy on my right was rooting for the Heat. That seemed to be a microcosm of the allegiances of the bar in general. Every time Tim Duncan scored effortlessly half the bar erupted into cheers. When the Heat struck back the other half of the bar applauded raucously. Those less initiated with the game sat in awe of the seesaw battle. With about a minute left, a friend leaned over and asked me, “They’re down five. There’s no way the Heat can win, right?” It was possible, I admitted, though not likely. “Never say never,” said that weird bird in American Tail and once again the weird bird turned out to be right. Two missed free throws, a couple of Heat offensive rebounds, a punch in the face three by LeBron James followed by an absolutely back-shattering three by Ray Allen and you could tell the Heat were going to pull it out. It went to overtime but the game seemed decided with that last desperate Heat rally. The defending champs weren’t going quietly. Nor should they. It’s not a given that the two best teams actually make it to the Finals. Match-ups, streaks, injuries, a slick spot on the court, any number of things conspire to keep the final dance somewhat unpredictable. But this year there can be no question that the two best teams in the league have come together to give us a series to remember for years to come. This series is going the proverbial seven game distance. It’s a stirring combination of Aesop’s Fables and of Hegel’s Dialectic. Tim Duncan wanted that fifth ring. Here’s a sports cliché: He came to play. And it was spectacular to watch in a sharply divided environment that unified adulation with derision into some kind of boisterous barroom melody. Duncan looked five years younger, corralling rebounds with those deceptively long arms (how does a seven foot tall man still impress one with his wingspan?), tossing shots in contemptuous of his defenders, abusing Chris Bosh and Birdman in the post. If this was Tim Duncan’s last Finals it would have been an exclamation point to a brilliant but muted career. His virtuosity around the hoop was a spectacle as usual, but this time it had an edge. Tim Duncan didn’t look content to be the Big Fundamental or to exhibit that serene self-control that makes the Spurs so deadly and vexing to inferior opponents. No, he broke from the script. Duncan wanted it. But as I watched the Spurs take the game by the throat, I felt some sadness that LeBron would once again be eviscerated by a feckless media and blowhards like (but not limited to) Skip Bayless whose reason for existe

Heading into Game 6, I made the incredibly bold observation that the Miami Heat needed either starter Mario Chalmers or reserve Norris Cole to play quite a bit better than they did in the San Antonio Spurs' big Game 5 win. Chalmers certainly answered the bell in Game 6, scoring 20 points on 11 shots, going 4 for 5 from the 3-point line and teaming with LeBron James, Ray Allen, Chris Andersen and Mike Miller to rip off a big fourth-quarter run that brought the Heat back from the brink. Cole, though, didn't play at all, earning his first DNP-CD of the playoffs as Erik Spoelstra relied on Chalmers with support from no-point-guard lineups in which James and Dwyane Wade handled the ball. But that doesn't mean Cole didn't make any awesome contributions on Tuesday night — check out his reaction to the Heat's final offensive possession of the fourth quarter, which ended with Allen's massive 3-pointer to tie the game and force overtime: Unbridled joy + unfettered athleticism = good Vine. (Seriously: Look how high he jumped. That's an excited young man.) Cole might not have had a starring role in Game 6, but he was arguably the Best Supporting Actor on one of the greatest, most memorable shots in NBA Finals history. Not a bad consolation prize, huh? Vine via Ryan Weiss.