Larry Bird praises Dirk Nowitzki

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With the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics out of the playoffs, Pacers president Larry Bird does not deny that he's pulling for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

That's mostly because of his longtime friendship with Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, but also because Bird is an unabashed fan of Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki.

"I've always admired the guy," Bird said.
Carlisle has gone to great lengths during Nowitzki's playoff surge to dismiss longstanding and increasingly frequent comparisons between the two, noting that Nowitzki is nearly three inches taller and plays mostly as a power forward, while Bird operated as a small forward for the bulk of his career.

Bird, though, acknowledged in a phone conversation Tuesday before Game 1 of the Finals that he does see "a lot of similarities."

"He's had a great run (in the playoffs), but I've always been very impressed with him," Bird said. "His work ethic, his loyalty to his country. It's really an honor for me to have people compare us.

"He rebounds. He plays at his own pace. He sort of controls the tempo on offense. It'd be nice to be 7 foot and when they run plays and switch (defenders) on him, it doesn't bother him at all. He can see over everybody.
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"He's got the step-backs. He gets to the rim. The difficulty of some of the shots that he makes ... one thing about him is that he's always got great balance. His shot looks like he's falling away, but he's got a lot of balance when the shot goes up.

"I understand (the comparisons). I've always felt it's an honor when they compare anyone to me, because I haven't played ball for 20 years."

Asked how much he would have enjoyed the opportunity to take Nowitzki on in one of his legendary post-practice shooting games, Bird said: "I would have loved to compete against all these young guys: LeBron (James), (Kevin) Durant, Dirk. When you play this game, you want to go up against the very best. But I can't even beat Magic (Johnson) in a H-O-R-S-E game any more. That's how far I've fallen."

In an ESPN Radio interview last week with "Mike and Mike," Carlisle said: "I played with Larry Bird for three straight years when he was the undisputed best player on the planet. But he had four Hall of Fame guys to play with. I don't believe that anybody in the history of this game has had to shoulder as much responsibility to score the ball, to get rebounds, to faciliate and try to get other teammates involved as much as Dirk has. And if you think about the nature of his game, to me, it's even more remarkable."
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In another interview, Carlisle added: "These two guys are very different. As much as people want to compare Larry and Dirk, Larry was a small forward and he was 6-9. Dirk is close to 7-1 and he's a power forward. There's never been a guy 7 feet, 7-foot-1, that has developed a game to play this style of basketball. Dirk is an absolute original, really, in every sense of the word. He's not like anybody who's ever played in this game. And to me that's one of the things that makes historically good and just unbelievably special."

Bird's passing ability is the area where Nowitzki will never be able to match him, but the 55-year-old lauded Nowitzki's improvement as a playmaker, which was a key element of Dallas' 12-3 march through the West playoffs.

"He keeps his guys involved," Bird said. "He finds his shooters when he's double-teamed. Something that really helped me out is every time I got in trouble, I always had big men to throw it to. I always thought that took a lot of pressure off me.

"Dirk plays the game like Mully (Chris Mullin). He plays it at his pace. You can think the game out a lot easier if you're going at your pace."

Bird employed Carlisle for five seasons as the Pacers' head coach from 2003-07. Carlisle also served as one of Bird's top assistant coaches when Bird coached the Pacers to the 2000 NBA Finals.

"I'm so happy not only for Dirk, but for Rick to get an opportunity to win the ring," Bird said. "A lot of people think Miami's going to win (comfortably), but I think (the Mavs) got a great chance."

2011 NBA Mock Draft: Will PGs Rule the Day or Will the Draft Be a Bust?

The NBA is on the verge of being locked out, with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire on July 1st. This comes after a season of unseen parity, both in the East and West.

We've been down this road before, haven't we?

Of course, NBA fanatics still have something to look forward to: The 2011 NBA Draft.

This draft, in particular, though, is pretty guard-heavy, with 11 combo-guards and nine point guards expected to be taken in the draft, with a total of seven widely regarded to be taken in the first round.

This draft is also considered one of the worst drafts of the decade, which is daunting, considering NBA fans are in a lockout year.

Will point guards be the subject, or will this entire draft be subordinate in comparison to the past ten NBA drafts? Let's take a look, shall we?

Threat of NBA lockout puts damper on Thunder offseason

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Kevin Durant sat in Thunder headquarters Thursday, about 14 hours after the end of his season, and declared that it would be OK with him if we started next season right now.


I know it sounds crazy,” Durant said, “but I'm ready to get back to work already for next year.”
Where do we all sign up?
The Thunder's wondrous ride to the Western Conference Finals ended with a double thud. Defeat at the hands of the Mavericks, followed by fear of the unknown.
After the Miami-Dallas Finals and the June 23 draft, no one knows when NBA basketball will return. Labor negotiations appear to be going nowhere fast, a July 1 lockout is virtually assured and the chances of an on-time start to next season seem slim.
“Seems like a deadline is what makes people negotiate,” Nick Collison said.
He's right, of course. The NFL is Exhibit A. Rather than sit down and talk it out, football's players and owners would rather lawyer up and dance in the courts. Would rather call each other names in the media, where we are glad to report whatever they say.
Will we have pro football come September? Will we have pro basketball come November? There is no reason for optimism.
What a drag on Thunder momentum. The city and the state has gone crazy over the Durantulas. The still-ridiculously-young Thunder might be the West favorite next season. And yet NBA arenas, most notably ours, could be dark for who knows how long, even after hoops season has arrived.
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Bad for business and bad for basketball. Just when you teach Oklahomans they can't live without the NBA, you offer them a chance to do exactly that.
The last NBA work stoppage came in 1998-99, when play resumed in February, tipping off a 50-game season for each team. Anyone interested in waiting until February to see Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka play again?
“Hopefully we'll have a season at the regular time,” Durant said. “Kind of tough to figure out. I just don't know. It's up in the air. But I have confidence we can get something going.”
More youthful exuberance from the Thunder. Never seems to run out, whether the Boomers are off on a fast break or talking collective bargaining.
“It's tough going into an offseason not knowing,” said Thabo Sefolosha. “At the same time, I'm pretty optimistic we'll figure it out. Hopefully won't be locked out too long.”
Frankly, some places could use a regular-season reprieve. A shortened season would be perfect for the Lakers and Spurs and Celtics, older teams that seemed haggard by the playoffs. In basketball-destitute cities like Detroit and Minneapolis, a lockout might go unnoticed.
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But in Miami, Year 2 of LeBron? In Dallas, coming off, at worst, its second West title ever? In Orlando, for what could be Dwight Howard's final year in the kingdom? In Chicago, where homegrown Derrick Rose holds court? In Memphis, where after 10 years in town the Grizzlies have been discovered?
In Oklahoma City, where watching the Thunder 99 nights a year quickly became standard operating procedure?
Say it ain't so. A season we wish could start early appears to be dead set on starting late, if at all.

John Klein: Thunder not waiting for lightning in a bottle

http://www.highschoolsports.net/

The opportunity for Kevin Durant to lead the Thunder into the NBA finals and perhaps a championship may not be as long and as assured as some believe.

Oklahoma City has terrific young players and a coach that pushed most of the right buttons.

The Thunder reached the NBA Western Conference Finals, finally losing the series to Dallas in five games, with players that should get better with experience.

If so, next year Oklahoma City will again be a contender in the NBA Western Conference.

Yet, there are no guarantees. Just because you are young and good one year does not automatically mean you'll be even better the next season.

Everything changes every season.

The schedule changes. The chemistry, regardless of how many of the same players remain in place, changes.

Injuries, free agency and other teams can change how a season plays out.

This was a perfect storm for the Thunder. Oklahoma City did not have to contend with the Los Angeles Lakers or San Antonio Spurs. Both suffered rare quick exits in the playoffs.

Do you really believe the Lakers and Spurs are going to remain bad?

Sure, it could happen. Age is starting to bring San Antonio and Los Angeles back to the pack.

Still, it is hard to imagine the Lakers and Spurs, two of the top organizations in the NBA, not getting back to a level to contend pretty quick.

Plus, there are other franchises, like Dallas and Houston, that aren't likely to stand still.

What about Memphis? It took OKC seven games to knock out the Grizzlies.

How long Oklahoma City can keep its young stars together, and how moves impact the team, may depend on the future labor agreement.

Still, despite all of the factors, there are plenty of reasons for optimism.
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"We're no different than 29 other teams in this league," said Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks in a post-game press conference. "We want to win a championship. We respect the process that it takes to win one. Our guys do the same thing. They respect the heck out of the game.

"I don't know how soon we were going to get there but I can tell you this: that guys are not going to hope to get there. They're going to work to get there. They're focused on hitting every day on the practice floor as a day of improvement, a day of work. We have a good future if we continue to keep our mindset in the right place."

The Thunder won 55 games in the regular season. It won two playoff series. It went five games deep into a conference championship series.

This is obviously a good team. But, in the NBA, fame can float away just as quick.

Everybody has good players. There are teams that just need a role player here or there.

The Thunder knows it'll have to get better to move further in the playoffs.

"It's a very good year," said Brooks. "It's a year I'm proud of as a coach.

"But, we'll have to get better, including myself. I will evaluate myself and work this summer to get better going into next year. And, I expect the same out of all of our guys."

Most believe the Thunder will go as far as Durant will take them. Yes, Oklahoma City has a fine group of core players to go around Durant.

Russell Westbrook, who took some heat from the media during the playoffs, developed into an NBA all-star this season. James Harden blossomed into a possible star.

The Thunder has a handful of very nice role players.

Westbrook needs to become better in delivering passes to players, something that should come with experience and age.
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Durant may be the league's best pure scorer but many believe he needs to become stronger to take advantage of his skills on the interior.

And, don't forget Brooks will become better organized as a coach. Some of his late-game decisions in the playoffs were questionable.

Yet, this is a very good season for Oklahoma City. Actually, it was terrific.

That doesn't automatically mean the Thunder will be better next year.

But, it leaves Oklahomans believing more NBA glory may be coming this way.

"Paying attention to details and things like that win you championships," said Durant. "That's what a good team like Dallas did and that's one thing we continue to work on.

"It's tough right now but I'm excited about what the future holds for us."

Mejia: 2011 NBA Draft Top 10 point guard prospects

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport
1. Kyrie Irving, Duke: Barely got into double-digits in games played at the NCAA level, but what he displayed before getting injured was enough to put him atop this list in the eyes of scouts, hands down. Not as superb an athlete as past top picks Derrick Rose and John Wall, but seemed more polished at that comparable stage of their careers.

2. Kemba Walker, UConn: Smaller than you would like him to be, but plays with a fearless swagger that certainly worked out for him this past year. Can he be special against pros, especially given the trend of seeking out bigger athletes to play this position? Given his range and propensity for coming through in the clutch, he's got a shot. Don't sleep on him.

3. Darius Morris, Michigan: His size and improvement throughout a sophomore season where he came into his own as a leader and playmaker were eye-opening. One of this draft's top sleepers.

4. Jimmer Fredette, BYU: You know him, you may not love him, but he's a guy who will carve out a niche in this league. His shooting talent is too great, his basketball instincts are too sound and he may wind up being a kid who actually becomes more efficient playing with better players.
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5. Brandon Knight, Kentucky: Extremely intelligent kid who needs to become a better playmaker, but has a lot of interesting intangibles. Is probably going to go higher than he would've in a deeper draft, so it's of paramount importance that he go to a team that isn't planning on rushing his development with unnecessary pressure.

6. Charles Jenkins, Hofstra: One-man show at the CAA level has great size (6-3, 220) and was able to hang obscene scoring numbers against defenses geared to stop him. Queens native will have his combo guard skills picked apart, but he won't lack for confidence.

7. Nolan Smith, Duke: Carried the Blue Devils when Irving went down and has shown over the years that he'll do whatever it takes to be successful. Has NBA bloodlines and a glue guy on a good team written all over him.
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8. Cory Joseph, Texas: Canadian one-and-done who should have stayed for at least another season with the Longhorns in an effort to improve his skills. Promising, but the fear is that he'll fall through the cracks given the long road ahead.

9. Reggie Jackson, Boston College: A consistently strong performer running the show at the ACC level, he's got to improve his jumper and continue to fill out to make a dent in the NBA and fulfill his goal of sneaking into the first round.

10. Norris Cole, Cleveland St.: Strong athlete put up eye-popping numbers in the Horizon League thanks to a motor that never stops, but probably too raw to excel at this level, even as a strong perimeter defender.

Lakers have a deal to hire Mike Brown as their coach Brown, who coa

The Lakers have put together a deal to hire former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown as their new coach, an NBA official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said late Tuesday.

If Brown agrees to the deal, he'll sign a contract worth between $4 million and $4.5 million per season, the official said. Brown would sign for three years, with a team option on the fourth season that would give him partial pay if he was not retained.

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Brown, 41, became the front-runner because Jim Buss, the team's executive vice president of player personnel, was impressed with his defense-minded style.

Former Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman also was in the mix for the job and will remain a candidate to replace Phil Jackson if Brown turns down the deal from the Lakers.

Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw also was considered for the head position.

The Lakers had to wait until General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Buss returned from pre-draft camps in Chicago and Minneapolis on Tuesday night before they could get a deal done.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss did an interview with Sirius XM Radio on Tuesday, saying the team was "very close" to filling its coaching vacancy.

It now appears as if Brown is that person, something that could be announced in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Brown was with the Cavaliers for five seasons until he was fired in 2010, leaving with a 272-138 record.

He was named the NBA's coach of the year in 2009 for leading the Cavaliers to a 66-16 record.

Brown led the Cavaliers to a 61-21 record during the 2009-10 season, another league-best record.

But after the Cavaliers lost to the Orlando Magic in the 2009 Eastern Conference finals and to the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals in 2010, Brown was fired.

Brown led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007, but Cleveland was swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

Brown coached one of the NBA's superstars in former Cavalier LeBron James.

In his radio interview Tuesday, Jerry Buss said that he expected the Lakers' core roster to return next season, with a "tweak … here or there."

Buss was interviewed by Playboy Radio's Michael Eaves and Bonnie-Jill Laflin.

Buss did say there would be changes in the Lakers' offense.

"We're not going to continue exclusively with the triangle," Buss said. "Certainly, there will be facets of the triangle incorporated into any modern offense."

Various Lakers, including Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Luke Walton, have publicly endorsed Shaw to be the next coach, in part because of his familiarity with their personnel.

"We really don't consult the players on these matters," Buss said. "Obviously, we have to select somebody who has a reputation that players would be happy with. But to ask a direct player to select a particular coach, that's general manager territory."

The Lakers' quest for a third consecutive title ended more than two weeks ago when they were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks. Buss called the Lakers' 122-86 loss in Game 4 "very disappointing and humiliating."
But he sounded upbeat about the Lakers' prospects for next season.

"We may have to tweak it here or there, but as far the core is concerned, we have some of the best players in the NBA, if not the best players in the NBA," Buss said. "I don't think there's going to be any drastic change."

The Lakers for now have the NBA's largest player payroll for next season, with a guaranteed $87.6 million committed to eight players.

Buss added that he and Bryant "have formed a mutual admiration society. I think he realizes that of all owners in the NBA, I want to win more desperately. …That gives us a certain relationship that perhaps other owners and players do not have."

Among the many uncertainties for the NBA, however, is whether there will be a 2011-12 season. The collective-bargaining agreement between the league and the players expires on June 30, and a lockout remains likely.

"I don't think we can allow it to affect our planning," Buss said of a potential lockout.

"Everybody is aware of it, but everybody is hoping and praying. Both sides … are saying we don't want this. We'll keep our fingers crossed. But in terms of selecting our coach, we are neglecting a potential lockout."

2011 NBA Mock Draft, los Knicks: Klay Thompson

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport 

The last SB Nation Mock Draft, the NBA, the Knicks taking care of the Washington State junior Klay Thompson added 17 Pick. Here is a selection, I do not think it will happen, that mockery of another man who is before Thompson 17th If Thompson were to drop a good choice for the Knicks would be? It could go either way.

His answer to whether Thompson would be the right choice for the Knicks, depends on where you fall with Mike D'Antoni system. If you're a fan of D'Antoni, Thompson could be a flight in 17 years. It is perhaps the best pure shooter in the draft, and the Knicks could use a shooter dead eyes three points. With Carmelo Anthony back to play for down the block for the isolation and Amare Stoudemire pick and roll, the offense is a guy who can still take in three of the wing and the corner. Thompson could be the guy.
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But when you see the real problems of the Knicks, and falls with the weakness of the Thompson, which may not be the best option. Thompson is known for his defense. And while the Knicks need to keep shooting, they have two elite markers, and for one season, a point guard Chauncey Billups, who can fill it. Anyone who has seen the Knicks all season, they know urgently need the front and center for assistance. Another shooter, a player initially not what the Knicks lack. There are options on 17, which may lack the Knicks' tall.

On the basis of available players in the SB Nation joke when I Donnie Walsh Chris Singleton Florida State. Singleton is not too large in pounds and 6 feet 9 and
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230, but has a huge scope and is one of the best defenders of the map. The Knicks may need someone to save Stoudemire and playing defense, rebounding and picking Singleton can. If the Knicks have a free-agent center Samuel Dalembert and / or (in a dream scenario) Tyson Chandler, collecting Singleton gives the Knicks a solid frontcourt. You see Dalembert Chandler from mid Ronny Turiaf as a backup and Stoudemire in the fourth with his minutes Singleton take backup. Not horrible at all.