Basketball

Damian Lillard is getting special edition shoes from adidas to honor his Rookie of the Year campaign with the Blazers. As with all commemorative releases, it’s the small design details that make them something worth coveting. From the official release: “The shoe’s sockliners feature Damian’s Twitter handle, an Oakland satellite print and “9800s” to represent…

Spurs fans have every reason to feel confident right now. San Antonio swiftly dispatched the Lakers, a perennial powerhouse, and then quelled the uprising and youthful Warriors, a team which appears poised to contend in the West for years to come. The Spurs accomplished all of this through familiar means: systematic offense and suppressive defense, dropping only two games out of ten en route to a second straight Western Conference Finals showdown with a relatively familiar pseudo-rival. The Spurs and the Grizzlies are not rivals in the purest sense of the word. Tim Duncan and Zach Randolph haven't, and never would, fasten their fingers around the each other's necks, a la Bird-Erving. The teams have only clashed in one playoff series with rosters remotely similar to what they are now (The Spurs swept the Grizz in the 2004 first round. Not a single player on that Memphis roster still plays in "The Bluff City"), but that 2011 series sure was a doozy. While this matchup will never rival those Spurs-Mavericks/Suns tilts when each of those teams was in its prime, the sting from 2011 still lingers for many fans. That unceremonious first-round loss, only the third time in NBA history that an 8-seed defeated a 1-seed, was a serious gut-punch to the people of San Antonio. Most feel some combination of visceral dread and confident optimism, in varying degrees, heading in to a series with the physical Grizzlies. With a second straight chance to earn a spot in the Finals, however, those who wear Silver and Black would love nothing more than sweet, sweet revenge and a chance to dethrone King James. What's Different Now? Let's come back a minute to that sense of "visceral dread" we talked about earlier. Why are Spurs fans so scared of the Grizzlies? I'll tell you why. Because everybody remembers how Mike Conley subjugated Tony Parker, imposing his defensive will on the fulcrum of the Spurs offense. Everybody remembers that Zach Randolph never missed for the whole series. Everybody remembers that the Spurs shouldn't even have won two games, avoiding the Gentleman's sweep only through improbable heroics from Gary Neal and Manu Ginobili in Game 5. It was complete domination by the Grizzlies from start to finish, and it left most Spurs fans in a depressive offseason stupor. Fortunately, the guys from SA who will step out on the court on Sunday afternoon have a selective memory, and they know things have changed. This is a new series in a new year, with tweaked rosters, reborn players and shifted mentalities. Neither coach is game-planning for the respective opposing teams from two years ago. The series may display the same brand of grinding drudgery with which the Spurs of the aughts were well acquainted, but after a few years "lost at D," the Spurs have righted the ship and are prepared to treat national audiences to a great defensive series. Roster Changes: The Ins and Outs Each team has made some noteworthy roster changes in the last two years. Below are the playoff rotation players who have left or joined each roster since 2011. Spurs Grizzlies Out In Out In Richard Jefferson Kawhi Leonard O.J. Mayo Tayshaun Prince Antonio McDyess Boris Diaw Shane Battier Jerryd Bayless George Hill Cory Joseph Greivis Vasquez Quincy Pondexter There are some significant changes over the span of two years. While the core of each team remains intact, the surrounding cast is largely different. The Spurs ditched Richard Jefferson (who finally managed to help us win a playoff game via two wonderfully missed free throws), Antonio McDyess and George Hill. The loss of Hill certainly hurts the most, as the Pacers are now discovering following his concussion in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semis. Even two years ago, George Hill was a great defender who could create his own shots. When Manu joined the starting lineup in Game 2 of the 2011 fir

All the Celtics news you need in one convenient place. All the Celtics news you need in one convenient place. Herald Execs split on C’s chances Rest assured, no surgery for KG Globe A collision of Celtics nostalgia and realityCeltics Green Ainge Making Decisions With One Hand Tied Behind His BackA Few Summer League Notes Stephen A Smith Stirring Things Up Yet AgainNo Surgery Needed for KGCelticsBlog Ainge elaborates on comments about Pierce and Garnett2013 NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Gorgui DiengCeltics may be looking to move up in NBA draft Celtics Life Karl on the Kayak Episode 7- Featuring Dan the Camera ManProjected top pick Nerlens Noel interviews with Celtics ESPN Satisfaction guaranteed? Report Card: Chris Wilcox Lex Nihil Novi Sidney Wicks Drops 35 & 15 as C's Dump BucksCowens' 33 Goes for Naught, as DJ and the Sonics PrevailCeltic Nation What Went Wrong? A Quick Recap of the 2013 SeasonCLNS Radio Exploring the Celtics' Trade Options for Paul PierceRed's Army Greg Oden comeback update: He looks unbelievable What do we do with… Brandon Bass? Your Morning Dump… No surgery for Kevin GarnettCSNNE Bass ready to go to work on his game this summerShould the Celtics sign Greg Oden?NESN Report: Celtics Assistant G.M. Mike Zarren Turned Down Sixers’ General Manager Job Celtics Share Old Footage of Tony Allen Touring Whole Foods to Celebrate Grizzlies’ Playoff Win Celtics Town Washburn: Paul Pierce’s family is preparing for relocation Green Street What Doc Rivers’ return means to the CelticsMass Live 2013 NBA Draft: Boston Celtics potentially looking to move up? Celtics Hub Danny Ainge is Waiting on Talking Future with Kevin Garnett

Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports It’s a must for the Indiana Pacers to have George Hill in the lineup for Game 6 or, if necessary, Game 7 of the NBA semifinal playoff series with the New York Knicks. Without him, the Knicks could take advantage and steal the series away from the Pacers. It’s a series that the Pacers, with their fine 3-1 start, deserve to win. But the concussion that Hill sustained threatens the Pacers’ much-deserved series victory, especially if the Knicks win Saturday night. The Pacers can’t afford to have a key player like him out of the lineup. On the other hand, the Pacers risk long-term disaster by playing Hill if he’s not fully recuperated from the concussion. That’s an awful dilemma to be in, but there’s not much the Pacer can do about it at this point. Hills has ranked as the team’s third-best point producer all season and with 14.6 points and 4.9 assists per game. As a guard, his 44.6 percent shooting from the floor, 36.8 percent in threes and 81.7 in free throws are marks of a decent shooting guard. He also is one of the better defensive guards on the team. In a close game, the presence or absence of Hill will make a difference. It’s why Indiana needs him to be healthy enough to play. For the playoffs, he’s averaging 16 points, 4.10 rebounds and 4.4 assists a game. He’s also been putting in 36.4 minutes per playoff game — that’s what really hurts the Pacers if he is not in the lineup. Now’s not the time to be looking for quality substitutes.

Here's a round-up of stories from day two of the 2013 Chicago pre-draft combine. Day one news and notes were posted here. Jason Quick of The Oregonian runs down some of the guards that the Portland Trail Blazers interviewed this week. In the Blazers' case, [GM Neil] Olshey said the majority of the interviews were handled by team performance psychologist Dana Sinclair because he expects most of the 18 players to visit Portland. Olshey and his staff did, however, interview UCLA wing Shabazz Muhammad and Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams, perhaps because it would be their only chance to interview them before the draft. ... [Carter-Williams] also said the Blazers were one of two teams that asked him about his on-the-court body language, which teetered between pouting and surly during stretches of this season at Syracuse. "They were one of the teams to ask me about it," Carter-Williams said of the Blazers. "I told them my body language didn't have anything to do with my coaches or my teammates. I hold myself accountable, and to a high standard, and when I'm disappointed in myself that frustration comes out a little bit. I don't let it affect my game, but it's definitely something I can work on. I think it's something that I can fix, something that is easy to change, so I don't think it's a problem." Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com offers some news and notes from day two. "I'm not sure I want the No. 1 pick," said one NBA general manager. Another looked frightened at the thought of having to draft someone first this year. "There's really no one worthy of the top pick," he said. "But someone has to go number one." ... • No one was hurt more in the measurements and testing than Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk. He is 6-foot-10 and 3/4 without shoes, but he has a wingspan of just 6-9 3/4. For a comparison, Nerlens Noel was actually shorter at 6-foot-10, but has a 7-3 3/4 wingspan. ... • Don't read much into which teams interviewed which players out in Chicago. Many teams lined up guys they know won't come in for actual workouts over the next few weeks. For instance, Boston -- picking No. 16 -- interviewed Victor Oladipo, who is expected to go before the Celtics pick. Danny Ainge and his staff also brought in Noel, who is expected to go either first or second overall. All That Amar of SLC Dunk did some great work from the combine. Full player list with statistics and draft board rankings. Who has the worst wingspan-to-height ratio? The T-Rex/Alligator rankings. Digging into the heights of various prospects. Who cheated the most on their list height compared to their real height? Chad Ford of ESPN.com breaks down the results of the athletic testing portions of the combine. We typically don't make a big deal out of the standing vertical jump, but in the case of Indiana's Cody Zeller, we'll make an exception. Zeller's score (35.5) was the highest ever recorded by a player taller than 6-foot-9. Standing vertical jumps matter for big men, who typically don't get a running start before jumping in the paint. ... Of the players projected in the lottery, Zeller was the most impressive. He got a reputation this season as someone who struggled to play against long, athletic players. However, he excelled in every category Friday. He was explosive, quick and fast. He clearly showed some of that at Indiana with the way he ran the floor and at times showed explosion around the basket, but this result could only help him. "It was a big day for Cody, I thought," one GM said. "I think we soured on him just a little too much. I still have questions and want to see him shooting the ball more. But this really helped us get intrigued again." A look at winners and losers from Ford. France's Rudy Gobert also wowed with sheer size. His 7-foot-8.5 wingspan and 9-foot-7 standing reach both were record measurements by the NBA. While Gobert didn't look particularly explosive, nor was he particularly skilled offensively,

Apr 29, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) talks to center Kendrick Perkins (5) during a timeout against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports Kendrick Perkins has been the scapegoat for a lot of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s recent shortcomings. The criticism reached new highs when Perkins rounded off this year’s NBA Playoffs with a NEGATIVE PER among players who played significant minutes, naturally the worst such mark in the history of the NBA. Many are calling for Perk’s head, encouraging Sam Presti to use the team’s amnesty clause on the perpetually useless big man. Well, it doesn’t seem that Presti agrees. Instead, Thunder’s GM thinks that Perkins has a lot of value to the team. https://twitter.com/DarnellMayberry/status/335791313821782016 Clearly, Presti doesn’t want to hurt Kendrick’s feelings. Perkins has the ability to position himself in the paint while acting as a human wall, and is a somewhat underrated passer, he does practically nothing offensively and is a huge liability in so many ways. Oklahoma City is a small market team, and using the amnesty provision on Perkins was probably not a likely option at this point. While it would allow the Thunder to add other players to the roster, the team would still have to pay his salary, which is a sizeable amount of money. Don’t forget to “LIKE” King James Gospel on Facebook for the latest news, columns and updates on all things NBA. @VytisLasaitis

Pistons fans will have to wait a little while for ESPN's Bad Boys retrospective.

Trey Burke thought he had it all.

INDIANAPOLIS – George Hill went through shootaround this morning for the Pacers giving hope that he would be able to play tonight against the Knicks who were fighting to stave off elimination in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals here. Hill missed Game 5 at the Garden Thursday when he...

Presti Proud of Thunder’s 2012-13 Season