The World of Wadley NBA Playoff Guide

Finally, it's here. The NBA Playoffs are upon us. The Association, which has found a way to stay at the forefront of sports news around the calendar, put together another dramatic regular season with questions in Cleveland, injuries to Western Conference titans, more triple-doubles from Russ and so much more.

The league is thriving and it's now time to enter an enticing postseason with plenty of intriguing first round matchups. What should you expect? It's tough to say with the Warriors' injuries, Cleveland's rollercoaster regular season and the unproven past of so many contenders such as the Raptors and Rockets.

Before the games tip off, here's a few things to watch...

Will we see Warriors-Cavs Part IV?
No we will not. It wouldn't be wise to write off a LeBron James-led team, but Cleveland's road looks tougher than in past years. The Indiana Pacers won't be an easy first round matchup with Victor Oladipo's emergence as an All-Star caliber player. Lance Stephenson, though ultimately unsuccessful in his efforts, is just crazy enough to push LeBron's buttons and Bankers Life Fieldhouse can be a difficult place to play when it's filled with LeBron haters. Toronto would most likely await Cleveland in the second round and the 76ers look like a formidable opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals. Still, LeBron is LeBron and Cleveland will end up in the Finals.

The Warriors won't though. Injuries have plagued Golden State and they will be without Steph Curry for the first round against San Antonio. If Golden State were healthy, there is no team on the planet that could unseat them as the NBA's best, but they aren't healthy and that means James Harden and Houston will meet Cleveland in the Finals. For what it's worth, Houston will hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy.

What about the Raptors?
The Raps have turned in some disappointing playoff performances in past seasons and Brian Windhorst wrote a piece on their Game 1 woes, which they can potentially end Saturday against Washington. There's reason to believe Toronto will advance past the first round, but I struggle to believe they can beat a LeBron-led team four times. That means the No. 1 seed in the East will be out in the semifinals, adding another chapter to the franchise's disappointing playoff story.

Are the Sixers for real?
Winning 16 games in a row without one of your top two players means you are for real. Joel Embiid will return from injury and Ben Simmons looks like a superstar in the making. The Process has been a long one for Philly, but this young bunch looks primed to make a run. Some of that is due to their talent, while some of it is due to injuries to other teams. Boston doesn't pose nearly the same threat in the second round as we thought they would now that Kyrie Irving is out. Count on the Sixers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, which will give us a Ben Simmons vs. LeBron matchup that should provide great theatre.

What's an underrated first round matchup to watch?
The Portland Trail Blazers versus the New Orleans Pelicans is a series to watch. Houston and Golden State hog the national spotlight out West, but Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard will have national stage they deserve in this series. Davis is an MVP candidate with 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. Lillard has put up 27 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. This one will be fun.

It's a long road to the title and it begins Saturday with Warriors-Spurs at 3 p.m. ET. See the entire playoff schedule here.

Unpredictable Bulls May Have Saved Best Act For Last

Forgive these Chicago Bulls if they are are disrupting what was expected in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Forgive them if they've put Boston in a sour mood after a stellar regular season, and certainly forgive a few Chicago players for quizzically playing their best ball of the season here in the last two games. Forgive them because this Bulls team can't figure out who they are. They weren't able to do so through an 82-game regular season, but perhaps now they have and it couldn't have come at a better time.

The Bulls, an eight seed, went into Boston and didn't just beat the top-seeded Celtics - they whooped them. Twice. It's only the second time ever that an eight seed has won the first two games of a series against a one seed on the road and now Chicago gets to go back to the United Center for two games.

What a surprise it was to see Bobby Portis play like an animal in game one. Or to see Robin Lopez act like Brook Lopez in game two. Rajon Rondo? He's looked like the 2008 version of himself. Jimmy Butler has continued to play like a superstar and Dwyane Wade bounced back to have a quality game two after a poor game one, which featured a missed dunk on a breakaway.

Chicago earned the eight seed after a rollercoaster season in which they went 22-24 against teams .500 or better, but 19-17 versus teams that were below .500. They were mediocre in every sense of the word and finished 41-41.

For all the unpredictable play in the regular season though, Chicago has looked like anything but an eight seed through two games. The Bulls have been locked in and have hardly suffered any lapses, something that plagued them throughout the regular season. In game two, Boston made several runs at the Bulls, but every time Chicago responded and fended off the Celtics' charges. Simply put, they looked like a team ready to make a run in the postseason.

This looks like a different team and it's all thanks to the role players. Butler, Wade and Rondo are clicking, but it takes guys like Lopez and Portis to make a run in the playoffs. So far those guys have stepped up. It's given the Bulls a real chance to pull off the upset and move to the ECF semifinals. But to accomplish that it will take sustained focus. Inconsistent play doesn't work in the playoffs and the Bulls had 82 games to prove they could play consistent basketball and they couldn't do that.

The time is now for Chicago. They have been the better team to this point and the belief that Jimmy Butler with two seasoned veterans like Wade and Rondo could thrive looks justified. It may not have been pretty during the regular season, but the Bulls are staying true to form. The up-and-down team is trending up.

They couldn't have picked a better time.

The State of College Basketball: Trending Up or Down?

It's the most dreadful time of year for a college basketball fan. March Madness has come to a close, the game is absent from the sports world, and along with that, underclassmen begin to declare for the NBA Draft later in June. Spurning one to three more years of college for the chance at fame and millions of dollars seems like a no-brainer, and the amount of young men who choose that path illustrate that thinking. But while players sign agents, fans are left with the changing landscape of college basketball.

Is the game improving? Quite simply, it is not. A case could be made that the game has been stagnant, but it's difficult to argue that college basketball has improved in the last decade. Choppy gameplay due to fouls, conference realignment, coaching changes and early draft entries have affected the game negatively and continue to do so.

The national championship game between North Carolina and Gonzaga was difficult to watch despite the close score. 44 fouls meant constant stoppages, which led to poor shooting and no rhythm in gameplay. The final 20 minutes seemed to take a lifetime as it became a free throw contest. 52 free throws were shot before the end of the night and both teams were in the bonus with 13 minutes left. In the second half alone there were 27 fouls and it sent nearly every big man for both teams to the bench in foul trouble.

Unfortunately, the national championship was not an anomaly. UCLA, a run-and-gun team that featured quality shooters, versatile big men and Lonzo Ball to orchestrate it all, was a breath of fresh air during a season that would frequently feature games in the 60's.

Four different conferences were represented at the Final Four this season (ACC, SEC, WCC, PAC-12), but not one of those conferences has had the same members for longer than five seasons. Football and the pursuit of the almighty dollar for television networks has led many conference to shift and change over the years. This is nothing new, but it's reached a new level in this decade. It's taken away fantastic basketball rivalries like Kansas-Missouri, Syracuse-Georgetown and Duke-Maryland.

Instead, fans are treated to games like Missouri-Auburn, Syracuse-Clemson and Maryland-Nebraska. Sure, there are still plenty of great rivalries, but a Missouri fan has lost the two best games of the year. A Maryland fan is watching their team in games with no history or passion. A Syracuse fan is pleased to see games against Duke and Carolina, but it's not Georgetown or UConn. The realignment is not what is best for the game despite being what's best for the bottom line.

Speaking of the bottom line, did you watch ESPN's 30 for 30 One and Not Done on John Calipari? His players have made plenty of money in the NBA and very few of them stuck around for more than a year or two in college. The one-and-done topic has been beaten to death, but despite all the talk, there has been no action to fix what plagues the game and the NBA.

For the college game, it's an issue for the fans and that's it. The teams and coaches must continually replenish their rosters, but that has not been difficult for the game's best. For the fans though, they are watching a revolving door. Players come and go and there is hardly any connection between the player and the university. Kyrie Irving can claim to be a Dukie, but 10 games doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things.

Consider all the freshmen who have gone through Kansas in recent years: Xavier Henry, Andrew Wiggins, Josh Selby and Josh Jackson. They have all done well in Lawrence, but departed after a year. Perhaps only a Jayhawk fan can truly answer the question, but is that fun? Those players have brought plenty of wins and that's fun, but is it truly fun to root for the program when the best player is someone new every season? There's rarely a long-term connection with stars anymore like J.J. Redick or Adam Morrison. That's why teams like this year's North Carolina and Gonzaga squads should be treasured.

And it's not just players who leave early. Coaches are guilty as well. No one could ever fault someone for moving up in the ranks and bettering their career, but coaches don't last long at one place anymore. Jim Boeheim vs. John Thompson or Gene Keady vs. Bob Knight? Those kind of coaching rivalries are hard to come by now. Is that a death sentence for the game? Of course not. The game can go on without those, but it doesn't make for a better product.

Make no mistake though, college basketball is a great game. March Madness continues to thrill the masses year after year, but that can't be the sole barometer for the state of the game. There are plenty of factors that contribute to college basketball as a whole and as the book closes on another season, it's safe to say there is work to be done.

It's Okay To Not Stick To Sports

On this blog we talk about sports. You name it and we've probably touched on it, but sometimes there are current events in this world that take precedence over the games and the athletes. Here on our blog, Nate and I have sometimes ventured out (examples here, and here) beyond the borders of sports and written about those, like Carmelo Anthony, who chose to step out of the sports bubble. Sometimes there are things that are simply too important to brush to the side, although we try while escaping to sports.

Athletes, coaches and sports media figures are stepping out of the sports bubble more than ever and giving the media and fans their thoughts on the world's current issues, leaders and political debates. Check the comment or replies section after any of these opinions are given and there's the same old comeback of "stick to sports."

Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, the USWNT and a whole host of NFL and NBA players have given their opinion on Donald Trump, Black Lives Matter, race and equal pay matters. Reporters like Richard Deitsch, Seth Davis and others are willing to talk politics on their social media networks. Every time each person listed above strays from sports topics they are told to just "stick to sports."

Sports is an outlet for people. It's a place to get away from the political debates and the issues of the world we live in. For three hours, a fan's worries can just be about the bad call the umpire made or the dropped catch by their favorite wide receiver. Sports is an escape, but it seems some would like to completely forget that there is more to an athlete, coach or media member than their job. They have earned a platform and they are entitled to use it how they see fit.

These are turbulent times in our world. Political leaders in multiple countries pose a threat, violence is on the rise both at home and abroad and the divide between the American people seems to be at an all-time high. Now, more than ever, it would be great if we could just stick to sports.

But we can't. There's more to this life than just sports and there are decisions being made by our leaders that will greatly affect the trajectory of this country and this world. These are no small matters when we talk about people's freedoms, equal pay, race relations, etc. More than ever, sports figures are taking responsibility for their cities and the happenings in them. The platforms they have are massive, reaching millions of people each day. Thankfully, most choose to use them for what they believe in.

You might not agree with their opinion and that's okay. You may disagree with Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the National Anthem or you might disagree with Derrick Rose and LeBron James wearing "I Can't Breathe" shirts in warmups. That's okay. You might not understand why the US Women's National Team is asking for equal pay with their male counterparts. That's fine. But what is not fine is telling them to just stick to sports. Appreciate the fact that they are using their platform for what they see as positive change.

Can you imagine if no one used their platform for change? Why do we ask sports figures to stay in a box, but not others? If everyone confined themselves to their profession then Martin Luther King would have just been a preacher. No person in today's world thinks that MLK should have "just stuck to his day job." Chance the Rapper is very dedicated to seeing Chicago prosper and recently donated $1 million to Chicago Public Schools. No one suggested he "just stick to music."

Rather than asking these sports figures to stick to sports, we should commend them for speaking up. When young black men are being killed unjustly, we should respect the fact that men with a platform speak out. When women aren't earning equal pay, we should appreciate that some of the most influential women in the US are setting an example and enacting change. When our President is causing strong divisions among the American people and a coach says it's wrong, bravo to the coach for taking a stand.

Sticking to sports is a tired comeback to those who choose not to. It's asking sports figures to put themselves in a box and not use the platform they have been given. Don't like it? The unfollow button isn't far away. Go ahead and give it a click.

Carmelo Anthony Should Be Commended For Using His Voice

Anthony marches in Baltimore during Freddie Gray protests

You can say what you want about Carmelo Anthony as a basketball player. He is a ball hog, he won't ever lead a team to a title, he took too much money to stay in New York, he acted like a baby when he demanded a trade from Denver, etc. However, whatever your opinions are of Anthony the player, his words this past week deserve respect for Anthony the man.

After a tumultuous week in America, marred by violence between African American men and white police officers in three different cities, Anthony took to Instagram to make sure his voice was heard.

“The system is Broken. Point blank period. It has been this way forever. Martin Luther King marched. Malcolm X rebelled. Muhammad Ali literally fought of US. Our anger should be towards the system. If the system doesn’t change we will continue to turn on the TVs and see the same thing. We have to put the pressure on the people in charge in order to get this thing we call JUSTICE right. A march doesn’t work. We tried that. I’ve tried that. A couple social media post/tweet doesn’t work. We’ve all tried that. That didn’t work. Shooting 11 cops and killing 5 WILL NOT work. While I don’t have a solution, and I’m pretty sure a lot of people don’t have a solution, we need to come together more than anything at this time. We need each other. These politicians have to step up and fight for change. Go to your local officials, leaders, congressman, assemblymen/assemblywoman and demand change. There’s NO more sitting back and being afraid of tackling and addressing political issues anymore. Those days are long gone. We have to step up and take charge. We can’t worry about what endorsements we gonna lose or whose going to look at us crazy. I need your voices to be heard. We can demand change. We just have to be willing to. THE TIME IS NOW. I’M all in. Take Charge. Take Action. DEMAND CHANGE. Carmelo Anthony.”

Anthony is not obligated to speak up and as Charles Barkley so eloquently put it years ago: athletes don't have to be role models. Barkley was right that they don't have to act like it, but the reality is that athletes are. Anthony's voice will be heard by many and, regardless of whether or not his play is well-liked, it will be respected by many. There's a certain section of society that Anthony's voice can go where President Obama's and other suited political figures just won't. Quite frankly, the world needs everyone to step up at a time like this because everybody could be better and do better.

Anthony's post is just words, but he is a man who has shown he's more than that in the past. He marched in Baltimore with protesters after Freddie Gray's death. And his post this time asks those who have remained silent to step up to the plate. Speaking up is not for every athlete, but we do live in a generation where some of the biggest names (Anthony, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul) are not afraid to go beyond the court. Just because they can drop 25 points whenever they want does not mean they have to step out in times of tragedy, but it is refreshing to me that they do. It shows they understand that they can make a positive difference.

A positive change is needed in this country and any athlete who will have the ears of millions, and wants to use their voice in a positive manner, will earn my respect. Anthony, despite his flaws on the court, is a role model for everyone, including his peers in the NBA. His platform can be used for good and that's exactly what he's doing. Bravo.

Tim Duncan Calls It Quits On Hall of Fame Career

Tim Duncan exited the league just as many would have expected -- quietly and with little bravado. There was no season-long farewell with tributes at every arena and no article in the Players' Tribune to say goodbye. It was a quiet announcement with a big impact for the league. The greatest power forward in the history of the game is calling it quits, and it ends one of the greatest eras for a franchise the NBA has ever known.

Duncan has a laundry list of accolades, but perhaps none is more impressive than this: his Spurs' teams won five NBA titles in his 19 seasons and NEVER missed the playoffs. Duncan never knew what it was like to have an offseason start early and his first championship (1999) and last (2014) came 15 years apart.

His 15 All-NBA honors are tied for the most all-time and the 40-year-old became the first player in league history to start and win a title in three different decades. Duncan is one of two players in NBA history, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to record at least 26,000 points, 15,000 rebounds and 3,000 blocks in his career and holds the record for All-Defensive Team selections with 15. The Big Fundamental is a two-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP and was named the 1998 Rookie of the Year. From start to finish, his career was something special.

And still, while his numbers are impressive and his awards list is long, there have been many others who have achieved those kinds of things. What made Duncan special is the way he went about it. Known for being quiet on the court, Duncan was purely business and earned the respect of many of his peers. Twitter was full of congratulatory tweets from fellow players today and many players in the league today cannot remember the NBA without Tim Duncan.

Duncan's career is great in its own right, but his legend only grew when paired with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Gregg Popovich. The three players and coach won four titles together and the players own the NBA record for most wins by a trio in both the regular season (575) and postseason (126). Duncan and Popovich have the most wins by a player-coach duo in NBA history with 1,001. The quartet has provided a blueprint for success, but it's difficult to duplicate what they have achieved. The wins and titles are one thing, but the unity they have had is something truly special.

The NBA will go on without Duncan, but it certainly won't be the same. The big man was a winner from start to finish and led the Spurs to one of the most dominant runs in professional sports history. The Spurs can still be great next season and further into the future, and if they are it will still be because of the example Duncan has set for younger players for years.

19 years, five titles, two MVPs and 26,496 points later, Duncan's time has come. For a guy who has always let his play do the talking, perhaps I've said too much. He's earned the respect of everyone and there may never be another like him. So all that is left to say is t
hank you, Tim Duncan. Thank you for the memories.

If I Could Get A Ticket...

Sports bless us on regular occasion. Buzzer beater threes for national titles, chase down blocks to seal a city's long-awaited title, walk off home runs to beat a rival -- we crave that kind of drama and heroism. Lately, sports has provided some instant classics, and as a viewer of many games each week, I've loved every second.

Still, for all the games and plays that have made me say wow and for all the moments I've relished the Twitter explosion, I wish I could go back in time. I wish I could have been there for the biggest of games because there is truly nothing better than witnessing it all. So, here's the deal: I've made a list of five games I wish I could have been present at. Some of these I watched on television while others took place long before I was even thought of on this Earth. But if I could go back in time and somehow get a ticket then here's where I would go...

Boston Braves 3 - Brooklyn Dodgers 5 - April 15, 1947
Just over 26,500 fans were in attendance at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947 and if I could have been one of them I would certainly have taken the opportunity. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier that day, starting at first base and batting second. It was a monumental moment in history at the time, but it seems even bigger now as we look around sports today. African Americans have provided some of the finest play we've seen and Robinson blazed the trail for all of them, suiting up for the Dodgers on that April afternoon. Robinson was not particularly great in the opener, finishing 0-for-3 with a run scored, but there are some things that go beyond the box score and this certainly qualifies as one of them.

Villanova Wildcats 77 - North Carolina Tar Heels 74 - April 4, 2016
You really don't need a play-by-play for this one because certainly you remember. Even before Marcus Paige hit his acrobatic three-pointer to tie the game with six seconds left and before Kris Jenkins made the greatest shot maybe ever, this game was magical. Carolina took a five-point lead into the break, and Villanova led by five with three minutes to go. Paige's three may be forgotten as time passes, but it was one of the greatest clutch shots we've seen. The only problem: Jenkins topped it on the other end of the floor with a buzzer-beating three to give the 'Cats their second national title.

Texas Rangers 9 - St. Louis Cardinals 10 - October 27, 2011 (11 innings)
Texas and St. Louis gave baseball fans arguably the greatest World Series game ever in Game 6 of the 2011 Fall Classic. With Texas leading the series 3-2, the Cardinals were facing elimination in their own ballpark. Needing a win to force a Game 7, the Cards led 2-1 after the first inning in a game that featured at least one run in every inning but one. The Rangers chased Jaime Garcia after three innings and led 7-4 after seven innings. St. Louis got one back in the eighth and went to the ninth trailing by two. Down to their last strike in the ninth, David Freese unloaded a deep fly to right that Nelson Cruz couldn't handle. Freese wound up with a triple and drove in Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman to tie the game and force extra innings. Josh Hamilton homered in the 10th to give Texas the lead again, but Berkman singled on a 2-2 count in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at nine. In the bottom of the 11th, Freese played the role of hero again, launching the walk off home run to centerfield, forcing a Game 7 which the Cardinals would win for their 11th World Series.

Florida State Seminoles 34 - Auburn Tigers 31 - January 6th, 2014
One of the greatest BCS National Championship games in history featured a 21-point comeback and a game-winning touchdown pass with 13 seconds left on the clock. The Seminoles entered as the top-ranked team with Jameis Winston fresh off a Heisman trophy win, but Auburn looked impressive out of the gate, leading 21-3 late in the first half. FSU scored a touchdown right before the half to trim the lead to 11 and then connected on a field goal in the third quarter to make it 21-13. Then things got fun in the fourth. Winston threw a touchdown pass with 11 minutes to play to make it a one-point game, but Auburn pushed it to four with a field goal at the 4:42 mark. However, on the ensuing kickoff, Florida State ran it back 100 yards to take a 27-24 lead. The Tigers didn't give in though, scoring a touchdown with 1:19 to play to take a 31-27 lead. That set the stage for Winston's signature moment. The Heisman winner drove the Seminoles down the field and threw a two-yard TD pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds remaining to win the game.

Chicago Bulls 87 - Utah Jazz 86 - June 14, 1998
After failing to close out the Jazz in Game 5 at the United Center, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls had to go back to Utah for Game 6 to try and complete the franchise's second three-peat. The Jazz won the first three quarters and led by five heading into the fourth quarter. Jordan, playing in his last game as a Chicago Bull, poured in 45 points on 15-of-35 shooting, but saved his best for last. Down by one with under 10 seconds to play, Jordan drove left and pulled up for his final shot as a Bull. He sank it and sealed the win as only the greatest to ever play could do it. Six rings, six Finals MVPs and one lasting memory for Bulls fans.

These five games were something special that fans still talk about today. However, there are hundreds of others that could be talked about. What are yours? Leave a comment with games that you wished you could have attended...

Bulls Sign Rondo, Wade In Bizarre Free Agency Moves

At some point in this millennium, signing Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade would have been any team's dream and perhaps put them as a frontrunner for best backcourt in the league. That would have been in 2008 or so, but it's 2016 and the Chicago Bulls just signed both players to sizable contracts. This comes on the heels of Gar Forman and John Paxson's stated goals of "getting younger and more athletic" moving forward.

How does a team get younger and more athletic you ask? I don't have all the answers, but probably not by signing 30-year-old Rondo and 34-year-old Wade. The main qualm from many is that the Bulls just signed up to get older, slower and lock themselves into more years of mediocrity, which is the worst place to be in basketball. Forman was reluctant to rebuild the Bulls, opting instead for a retool, which began with the Derrick Rose-to-New York trade. 

Bleacher Report

So the plan was a retool, but then on Draft night word was going around that the Bulls were also looking at trading Jimmy Butler, the other cornerstone of the Bulls who had assumed the face of the franchise role just a day before. Which was it? Retool or rebuild? It seemed a bit unclear. However, the Bulls hung on to Butler and drafted Denzel Valentine, returning a few good vibes to the team after trading Rose.

All signs pointed to the Bulls taking a pass on free agency this season and instead waiting for 2017 to (try) and woo some free agents to Chicago. And then news broke that Rondo was coming to Chicago and fans started scratching their heads. Sure, the guy could be blindfolded in the dark and still find the open man, but he could also tear a locker room apart, fight with his coach, refuse to play and demand a trade. Am I right, Dallas?

Rondo is not young and he's not necessarily athletic. He's joining a group of athletic freaks like Niko Mirotic and Doug McDermott. How does this fit in with GarPax's plan other than the fact that it doesn't?

A few days go by and Dwyane Wade signs with Chicago. If it was 2010 Bulls fans might be ecstatic, but again, it's 2016. Personally, I don't think it's a horrible move. Sure, Wade is older than the Bulls would like, but he averaged 19/4/4 last season and could potentially lure other free agents next season. As for right now, it at least shows the Bulls can sign a big name in free agency after years of failure to do so (James, Wade, Bosh, Anthony).

My take: neither signing is awful for the Bulls who have shown they do not want to rebuild. However, fans in Chicago have grown tired of Forman and Paxson and their poor track record in the front office. Perhaps if they had not stated that they wanted the Bulls to "get younger and more athletic" fans would be a bit more perceptive to the pair of signings. But "trust" and "GarPax" don't go together for Bulls fans unless they are saying they don't trust them.

Only time will tell whether or not the signings pay off, but even if the Bulls wallow in mediocrity for another season there will be no shortage of interesting headlines around this team. GarPax may not know what direction they want this team to go, but the direction is now clear: the Bulls have retooled the roster and may get the exact same results.

That's not something that will sit well with Chicago fans. 

Bulls Trade Former MVP Derrick Rose to New York

Trade rumors aren't always true, but in the case of Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks the rumors became fact Wednesday afternoon shortly before 3 p.m. CT. The youngest MVP and hometown hero won't be back in a Bulls uniform and it's no surprise to many as Rose's large contract handicapped the Chicago front office during an unexpected time of mediocrity. It was a deal that had to be done as the Bulls look to rebuild after a disastrous season that left them on the couch during the playoffs, despite playing in the woeful Eastern Conference.

It's 2016 and Derrick Rose is leaving Chicago without a ring and zero trips to the Finals. Who could have ever guessed that five years after becoming the youngest MVP in the history of the Association that this would be the case? Who would have thought back in 2011 that Rose would have more torn ACLs than Finals appearances? You would have been a fool to think Rose wouldn't retire as a Bull back then.

The story had all the makings of a fairytale. Rose dominated for four seasons at Simeon Career Academy in Chicago before playing a year of college basketball at Memphis. He helped carry the Tigers to the NCAA championship game, before entering the NBA Draft. The Bulls had a 1.7% chance of landing the number one pick in the lottery, but the ping pong balls were in Chicago's favor and Derrick Rose was coming home to play pro ball.

Rose averaged 17 points, four rebounds and six assists en route to being named the Rookie of the Year for the 2008-09 season. Two years later, he posted 25 points, four rebounds and eight assists per game to become the youngest MVP in the league. The Bulls, winners of 60 games that season, entered the playoffs as the number one seed in the East. That year marked the start of one of the great rivalries in recent sports history as Chicago battled Miami and its Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. In the Eastern Conference Finals, Miami dispatched Chicago in five games and thus began the downward spiral of Rose's career.

Sure, he followed up his MVP campaign with another solid season in 2011-12, but he tore his ACL in the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Bulls would go on to lose the series to the eighth seed. With a serious knee injury, many speculated Rose would miss much of the 2012-13 season, but fans and the league were excited for The Return.

Only problem: The Return never happened. Rose didn't suit up despite being cleared by doctors, and it only aggravated the fan base more when the wounded Bulls left it all the floor to defeat the Brooklyn Nets in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. While his teammates limped through a taxing series, Rose watched in his suit from the bench.

Finally, he returned for the 2013-14 season. 10 games into the season it was clear there was some rust to knock off, but Rose put up respectable numbers of 16/3/4 per game. And then it happened again. Rose went down with another torn meniscus against the Portland Trail Blazers, required surgery and missed the remainder of the season.

He came back in 2014-15 and played in 51 games, missing 20 due to another knee surgery for a torn meniscus. Still, he returned in time for the playoffs and buried a game-winning three at the buzzer in the Eastern Conference semifinals to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3. However, the Cavs won the next three games and took the series, as LeBron James slammed the door shut once and for all on the Bulls' championship window. 

Rose played in 66 games this season, but the Bulls looked nothing like they once were under Tom Thibodeau. Chicago limped through the regular season and missed the playoffs, despite a roster with Rose, Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol. Wednesday marked the end of Rose's run in Chicago.

What a cruel story it seems to be. What had all the makings of a fairytale turned into a nightmare for Rose and Chicago fans as silly remarks were made in the media, tension with the front office mounted and rumors of incoherency in the locker room became weekly fodder for the media. Rose, a hometown hero, was supposed to bring a championship to Chicago. He drew the praise of LeBron James, Scottie Pippen and even Michael Jordan. But his knees failed him, his game changed and the hype faded. 

He is now a 27-year-old former MVP who seems to be past his prime when he should be in the thick of it. He's a point guard that relies on explosive drives to the hoop who has been forced to try and fix a broken jumper to no avail. He's a Chicago kid who no longer plays in Chicago.

It goes to show that not all fairytales have happy endings.

LeBron's Latest Title is More Special Than the Rest

LeBron James has been one of the most polarizing and publicly ridiculed athletes in the history of sports. No athlete in today's world endures more criticism or skepticism than James, even though he brought most of it on himself. You either love him or you hate him, there is no in between. But now, just hours after capturing his first title with the Cleveland Cavaliers, it's time for the hatred and disrespect of LeBron James to go by the wayside.

Ever since "The Decision", LeBron put a target on his back and became one of the biggest villains the sports world had ever seen. He was viewed as a sellout, someone who can't win on his own. He took the easy way out and became an ego that the world wanted to see fail, and fail miserably. Yet he won two championships and captured four MVPs. It was obvious that the road to the Finals went through LeBron and the Miami Heat. He truly was the King.

Redemption.

But a return home was in order. LeBron went back to Cleveland but was far from forgiven by those who weren't fans of his. He immediately created drama with the acquisition of Kevin Love, issues with not listening to former head coach David Blatt, and yet another Finals loss. It was LeBron in a nutshell. A figure that constantly has the media drooling simply because he's such a popular quote. People want to hear LeBron talk either because they adore him, or they want to use whatever he says against him when he fails.

This season was no different. Not only did the Cavs downplay the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship by saying they would have won if Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were healthy, but LeBron then came across as being incredibly bitter when he argued the definition of the MVP award after Steph Curry won his second-straight MVP. It was a bad look. LeBron started to look like the athlete whose best days were behind him, yet was unwilling to accept the fact that the NBA was on the verge of having a new face. The Warriors were taking the league by storm, breaking plenty of records along the way. It was obvious LeBron couldn't stand that.

Honestly, that's what made this championship so special not just for LeBron, but for those who have spent the last however many years hating him. We finally saw LeBron take something personally. We finally saw LeBron show emotion and a killer instinct. It was clear from the start that he took this series as a personal challenge unlike ever before. It was initially him versus Curry, but it quickly became him versus the Warriors with multiple people chipping in to spur the eventual Finals MVP.

I'll be honest, I was all set to type a blog about how LeBron was no longer King when the series was 3-1. I was ready to say that it was Steph Curry's league and that the Cavs were never going to be able to topple the Golden State giant. I've been one of the LeBron haters since that historic day in July of 2010, and I was ready to celebrate another failed trip to the Finals. Yet now, I have gained so much respect for LeBron James. The respect for his game was always there, how could you not respect what this guy can do for a team, for a city? The NBA has never seen a guy that can do the things LeBron can do. Yet it was the sense of entitlement, the ego, the flopping, the constant whining, the selfishness when dealing with personnel within the organization. It got old, it got old real quick.

LeBron repeatedly out-performed the unanimous MVP

However, LeBron was a different animal in this Finals. Trash-talking Steph Curry, stepping over Draymond Green, and literally willing his team to a victory. This was a LeBron we had rarely seen before, but one that people literally begged for all these years. The comparisons of LeBron to Michael Jordan always consisted of a statement somewhere along the lines of "Well Jordan had a killer instinct and was a better competitor." Before this Finals, there were only a handful of moments in LeBron's career where he possessed that killer mentality. Obviously last year he dragged the Cavs through the Finals by himself, but this year was different. He had flare. He had personality. He finally showed us that losing was not an option.

This is the LeBron that we have always wished he would be. An absolutely unstoppable force that wasn't going to settle for anything less than a ring. I feel sorry for the people that can't appreciate what he just accomplished. He fulfilled his promise and is now a hero in every sense of the word for the entire state of Ohio. He put on a performance for the ages that culminated in an iconic chase-down block like only LeBron James could do. Then to see the raw emotion, the tears of relief, of absolute joy, when that final buzzer sounded was special. The wait for a championship is finally over in Cleveland, and LeBron deserves all the respect in the world for delivering on his promise.

In Warriors-Cavs Spat, Nobody Is Right

In an NBA Finals that have become a string of blowout games with little storylines other than the
Warriors closing in on history and LeBron James losing again, the Game 4 scuffle between James and Draymond Green gave the media what they needed. Finally, there was a new talking point and the media beat the subject of the scuffle to death yesterday, offering opinions on Green's Game 5 suspension and James' role in the matter.

Let me offer one more opinion even though you probably don't need another.

There isn't a single guy in this whole mess who is right. They are all wrong and people's judgement of the matter in baffling. Let's start with the actual play. You've seen it: James and Green get tangled up on a Green screen for Steph Curry. James pushes Green to the floor, and while he did get pushed, Green sells it with a flop as well. James, with miles of real estate around Green, looks down at the Warriors' forward and chooses to step over him. Green took exception and flung his hand up and hit James in the groin before taking another swipe at him. The two then went for a rebound and were whistled for a double foul. Some jawing occurred after the whistle and Green reportedly called James a b*tch, which resulted in an upset LeBron James.

Here's the deal: James was wrong for stepping over Green and deserved to have it upgraded by the league. Green was also wrong for swinging at James and deserves to be suspended for Game 5. Let's not forget that this isn't the first time Green has done something like this in the playoffs. He had his moment with Steven Adams in the Western Conference Finals and has been caught unnecessarily flailing his legs on other plays. Green was suspended because of his body of work. He has no one to blame but himself for missing Game 5.

James then sat at the podium in the postgame press conference and violated an unwritten rule by bringing the trash talk off the court. Let's be clear: what Green reportedly said is not right, but it is said all the time in all sports. For James to overreact the way he did both in the game and afterwards at the press conference says plenty about James, but it's nothing we haven't seen before. Nobody loves flaunting who they are more than James with his constant reminders that he's the leader of the team, best player in the game and father of three. In this case, he used the father of three schtick to help lobby for Green's punishment in the postgame presser. While it's not illegal to do what James did, it certainly didn't win him any more fans.

After the suspension was announced yesterday more jawing ensued and this time it was Klay Thompson doing the talking. Thompson questioned why James' feelings were hurt and insinuated that he was being a baby. Again, nothing wrong with what Thompson said because he was basically articulating what many fans and players thought about James. Where Thompson is wrong is the fact that he spent more than enough time complaining about a Timofey Mozgov screen in Game 3, claiming it was a dirty play. For a guy whose career is primarily based on his ability to get shots off of moving screens, he came across as a baby complaining about a screen in a blowout loss. To then turn around and question another man's toughness was weak on his part.

James wasn't quite done, stepping to the podium later and laughing at Thompson's comments. He then insisted that he "took the high road" in the entire situation. If the high road is stepping over someone then whining about a swear word in the postgame press conference then, yes, James certainly took the high road. However, I'm not sure many people would see it the way James sees it. He once again, tries to remain the holier than thou, but it's easy see right through it.

Nobody was right in this situation and everybody got what they deserved. To not understand that is to not be paying attention or to see things through the lens of a Cavs or Warriors fan.

So where does this leave us? Pretty simple: Draymond Green isn't going to play in Game 5. Everything else is just smoke and mirrors from that. Tonight, it would be shocking if James didn't come out with an extra edge and drop 40 points on the Warriors. However, his willingness to do that seems non-existent as he prefers to set up his teammates and allow the losses to pile up in the process. A change of strategy should be in order.

For Golden State, they are without their engine and their most versatile player. That could cause some issues, but it could also give Steph Curry a chance to build on his legacy. A dominating performance in the absence of a key teammate with the Finals on the line would certainly be worth adulation.

Until tonight, it's all talk and speculation and the pettiness that has transpired since the scuffle will finally end once the ball is tipped. It can't come soon enough.

If I Were NBA Commissioner For A Day...

While reading through the sports news yesterday, I saw two articles that talked about points I have
previously made on this very blog, although I'll give the authors credit that their pieces went into much more depth than mine. Both articles talked about the NBA and changes that should happen for the league to improve. The Association is in something of an upward trend of late, garnering enormous television deals, high ratings during the playoffs and a Finals rematch between the league's two biggest starts.

Life is pretty good for Adam Silver and the NBA. But what if he let me run the show for a day or two? Here are some things I would consider...

Shorten the schedule
There are a few different ways to go about this, and from a financial point of view none of them are attractive. Obviously, shortening the schedule means less games and less money, but star players are dropping like flies at crucial points in the season and it's bad for the game overall. No disrespect to the Portland Trail Blazers, but how fun would a Warriors-Clippers series have been in this year's playoffs with a healthy Steph Curry, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin? Unfortunately, we can only speculate since Griffin's quad and Paul's hand meant the Clippers were trotting out the B team against the Blazers. The Warriors are good enough that Curry could sit through a handful of games, but the league has to realize that the best players are going down in the playoffs year after year.

The league could do a few things to help the situation. They could go back to a five-game series in the opening round of the playoffs where teams only need to win three games to advance. They could schedule a few less games and have longer breaks in between games or they could get creative and cut the schedule by quite a bit and implement games in the form of a midseason tournament.

Implement a midseason tournament
It wasn't too hard to guess that this was my next idea. A past post went into a little more detail about the possibilities of a midseason tournament, but it would be fun to see teams match up in a single-elimination tournament in the middle of the season. The league could get very creative with the tournament, playing games at neutral sites and holding the championship during All-Star weekend. The league could then take the cup winner and the Finals winner and hold a game to open the following season in another country. That puts the spotlight on the winners and grows the game outside of the USA. Again, scheduling would be the biggest issue, but it's certainly something the league should explore.

Continue to improve the D-League
Okay, so this isn't necessarily a new idea, but it's something that needs to continue. Over half the NBA franchises now have a D-League affiliate and the league needs to work to get every team an affiliate soon. Too many players are drafted and then their career flops after a few seasons. A strengthened D-League would cut down on the grimaces I give the television set when a middling college players thinks he should leave after his sophomore season. A quality minor league system would give those college players who make poor decisions a better chance at reaching the league. The up-and-down nature of the D-League is like the Wild West of basketball, but pro teams can at least have a hand in the system that's being run and the players that are getting minutes. Ultimately, a healthy D-League means a healthier NBA so it would be wise to make the D-League a priority.

These are just three small ideas, but there are plenty of other possibilities for the league to consider. The main thing is this: the league is in a great place, but perhaps there is too much demand on the players. Money is fantastics and games equal money, but how can the league protect its players, while maximizing its profit? Moving forward, that's Silver's biggest challenge.

What are your thoughts? Toss some ideas out there or comment on mine.

LeBron Forced to Shoulder Load Once More

Down 2-0 to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have looked like a JV squad so far against the defending champs. A series that was hyped up beforehand due to it being a rematch and the way Cleveland breezed through the Eastern Conference bracket has become a slaughter that has left fans and analysts wondering if it's already over.

As always, no one is more polarizing than James, the native son who is once again trying to bring home a championship to a city that desperately covets one. Lyndon B. Johnson was in office the last time Cleveland was crowned champions in any of the four major sports, but with a healthy Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, it seemed this might be the year for the Cavs.

Yet here we are, once again, wondering where LeBron James' running mates are. It's become a theme of LeBron's career in the playoffs: he handpicks his teammates, his teams dominate the regular season and then his sidekicks play their worst basketball in the playoffs, while James takes the scrutiny for the losses.

The 2016 Finals are just the latest example. While James shot poorly and turned the ball over seven times in Game 2, he has still averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists through the first two games. He's shooting 42 percent from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. He leads his team in steals and blocks as well.

His Game 2 performance was a mixed bag as Golden State's defense has done a fantastic job frustrating him, and for James there is no room for error. His help has been virtually nonexistent leaving him with no choice but to take over, something he has not done yet. Irving missed all but one game of the Finals last season, and opened this year's Finals with a pair of poor-shooting performances. His 26 points led all scorers in Game 1, but he shot just 7-for-22 from the field and 1-for-4 from 3-point land. He followed it up with a 5-for-14 night, which was good for just 10 points. 

Love, whose status is uncertain for Game 3 due to a concussion, had no issues on the offensive end in Game 1. He scored 17 points and hauled in 13 rebounds, but struggled in Game 2 before exiting with the concussion. He scored five points on 2-for-7 shooting in 21 minutes of play. Where Love has struggled has been defensively as Draymond Green has carved the Cavs up, averaging a series-high 22 points.

Beyond Love and Irving, the rollercoaster ride that is J.R. Smith seems to be at a low point currently. Smith has taken only nine shots and scored only eight points in the two games so far, while Iman Shumpert has taken four shots and scored six points. What's this mean? The Cavs are relying far too heavily on 35-year-old Richard Jefferson and junkyard dog Matthew Dellavedova to score. 

James, who could fall to 2-5 all-time in the Finals with two more losses, has to see Golden State's style of play and wish he had that luxury. Golden State is up 2-0 in the series and Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have averaged 14.5 and 13 points, respectively. However, five players for the Warriors are averaging double figures and seven players are averaging nine points or more. Truly, Golden State's strength is in numbers.

Meanwhile, James will either need his supporting cast to step up or he will need to take over like he did in last season's Finals. If it's the latter, Golden State will no doubt be crowned champions. They are overwhelmingly a better team top to bottom and it will take more than just LeBron James to take them down. 

The first two games beg the question: has any superstar before been hung out to dry by his teammates as much as LeBron James? James' career will have him in the conversation of the all-time greats, but his teammates' shortcomings, and what it's cost him, in the playoffs will inevitably be his shortcoming in that conversation. 

Curry Can Cement Status With Finals Win

Steph Curry's meteoric rise to the top of the NBA is almost complete. The kid from Davidson who
captured the nation's attention during a 2008 NCAA Tournament run fought through a host of ankle injuries early in his NBA career and became just the tenth player in league history to win back-to-back MVP awards this season.

He led the Golden State Warriors to the 2015 NBA title, shattering shooting records in the process. For an encore, he's led the Warriors to the regular-season wins record at 73-9, while shattering those same shooting records again. Curry hit 286 3-pointers last season and then knocked down 402 this year. He elevated his scoring average by 6.3 points per game and averaged more rebounds and steals than a year ago. He shot more 3-pointers and two-point field goals than last season, but still shot a higher percentage this season. For all of that, he was voted the first ever unanimous MVP in NBA history.

Many think he's the league's best player and why not? The numbers paint a picture of somebody who will go down in history as one of the game's greatest, but there's still one other man vying for that title. As long as LeBron James is in the league, he will always be in the conversation. At 31 years old and in his 13th NBA season, James can put up 25/7/7 any given night. He's been widely considered the league's best player for years, but that title is slipping away with every late-game dagger from Curry.

Curry's Warriors defeated James' Cavaliers in six games during last year's Finals, but if Curry is to cement his status as the league's best then he will need to defeat James again this year. The Cavs limped through the Finals last season with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving sitting due to injuries. J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert were exceptionally bad, shooting 31 and 25 percent in the series, respectively.

Curry was his usual self, averaging 26/5/6, while James gave us a performance for the ages, putting the team on his back and averaging 36/13/9. This season it's the Cavs who look unstoppable, advancing the Finals with a 12-2 playoff record. With the exception of an 0-2 trip to Toronto in the conference finals, Cleveland has mowed down any and all opposition. Love and Irving are healthy and playing well, while Tyronn Lue has made this Cavs team his own.

Golden State has battled the championship-or-bust expectations, a Curry knee injury and the Oklahoma City Thunder on its way to the Finals. The Warriors have lost five games in the playoffs, which seems alarming after their rampage through the regular season (fun fact: if they lose the Finals to Cleveland, they will have as many playoff losses as regular season losses. Puts that regular season in perspective a bit).

Despite the long road to the Finals and the Cavs' dominance, Golden State has Curry, Klay Thompson and a host of role players who give them quality minutes. Any team that can shoot like Golden State can win any game. For Curry, a win would mean back-to-back titles to go along with back-to-back MVPs. The only other point guard to accomplish that feat? Magic Johnson.

By defeating James two years in a row, Curry would thoroughly announce to the world that he is the game's greatest, but he would also carve out a spot in the NBA history books with a win. It's the game within the game, and it's a game that will surely not disappoint.

With Warriors' Game 5 Win, Pressure on Thunder

Being down 3-1 in a seven-game series is never a good thing, in fact it's normally a death sentence to a team's season. Only nine NBA teams have ever come back from being down 3-1 in a series like the Golden State Warriors were to the Oklahoma City Thunder. After last night's crucial Game 5 win for the Dubs, it's 3-2 in favor of the Thunder as the series shifts back to OKC. The pressure is all on the defending champs to force a Game 7.

Or is it?

There is certainly pressure on the champs to come back and win this series. After all, they say 73-9 don't mean a thing without the ring. But heading into Game 6 Saturday night in Oklahoma City, the Thunder are under immense pressure to get the job done. A loss would send the series back to Golden State for a winner-take-all Game 7 and the prospects of winning that are slim to none. Oracle Arena is one of the toughest places to play in American sports and the Warriors have only lost three games there all season. 

Couple that with the fact that the Thunder are potentially seeing a championship window close in front of their eyes and it's now-or-maybe-never for OKC. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook's free agencies loom in the offseason and, due to injuries is past postseasons, the playoffs have not gone the way many Thunder fans expected. After a 2012 trip to the Finals, OKC has not been back despite keeping the core of Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka intact. This is the closest the Thunder have come since that 2012 run and a win over the Warriors would mean OKC dispatched the defending champions and the San Antonio Spurs en route to this year's Finals. Not bad.

And while it won't be easy, the Thunder seem up to the task. Long gone are the accusations that the Thunder blow fourth-quarter leads and can't finish. Long gone are the gripes about Westbrook's game and superstar status. And on top of all that, the Thunder are far from scared by the Warriors. The big lineups employed by Billy Donovan have given the Warriors fits and Westbrook flat out laughed at a question in last night's press conference about Curry's defense. This is a team that believes they can and should win.

The Warriors won't have Oracle behind them Saturday night and the 8-0 runs won't be met with any enthusiasm. Instead, they will be heading into a hostile crowd that is also one of the best in the Association. The Thunder won Games 3 and 4 in OKC by 24 and 28 points, respectively. Despite that, Game 6 feels like a must-win and it probably should be viewed as that by everybody. 

Going into Oracle and stealing Game 7 would be the toughest challenge for any team. That's why the pressure is on Durant, Westbrook and the Thunder to win Saturday. If they don't then they can kiss this season goodbye.

With Potential Duncan, Ginobili Departure, San Antonio Will Take on a Whole New Look

It wasn't the ending that Spurs, or NBA fans for that matter, had in mind for San Antonio. The team that won 67 games in the regular season was said to be a shoe-in for the Western Conference Finals and the team that could take down the Golden State Warriors. Yet the Oklahoma City Thunder accepted the underdog label, as well as a Game 1 embarrassment, and ended the series in six games. It was an entertaining series to say the least, but the young athleticism and support of seldom-mentioned role players propelled the Thunder into the next round where Golden State awaits.

Duncan and Ginobili have lots to smile about after another successful season

While the Thunder/Warriors series has NBA fans licking their chops, the uncertainty of San Antonio's "Big 3" lingers in the minds of fans everywhere as Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili take the time to make a decision about whether or not to retire. It's a decision much less subtle than that of fellow All-Star Kobe Bryant, whose season turned into one big farewell this year, and deservedly so. The great thing about Duncan, Ginobili, and really the Spurs organization as a whole is that they don't attract, or even want that kind of attention. This is not to say that Kobe's farewell tour was in selfish or bad taste. That's not it at all. But Duncan and Ginobili have displayed nothing but class in both victory and defeat and they embody what the Spurs' organization is all about. For that reason, San Antonio and the NBA will take a significant hit should they decided to hang it up for good.

With Duncan being 40 years old, and Ginobili not far behind at 38, it would have made sense for both of them to retire two years ago when they won the title. Could there have been a more perfect ending for two players who have done so much for the game of basketball? To see the greatest power forward of all-time and the player who paved the way for future Argentinian NBA players, there's not a more fitting conclusion than that championship. But they both came back, and that shows not only their dedication to the Spurs and the game of basketball, but the impact that organization has on its players.

Teammates since 2003

In an article by ESPN's Michael C. Wright following last night's game, Ginobili responded to a question regarding his potential retirement by saying "It could have happened two years ago. I really appreciate everybody: the team, front office, coaches, everything. So it makes it different." It's nearly impossible to find a professional organization where the athletes and the front office coincide so well. Being a Bulls fan, that's a foreign concept, but it goes to show just how in-tune the Spurs are from top to bottom and it shows the precedent set by Duncan and Ginobili over these last 20 years. You just don't find humble, classy players that manage to stay together like these two and Tony Parker have. It doesn't happen and it most likely won't happen ever again. Players are too concerned about money and have too much ego to be concerned with pay cuts or lessening their role the way Duncan and Ginobili have.


There's no telling what the final decision will be. Maybe it depends on whether or not San Antonio can attract a big free agent like Kevin Durant or Mike Conley, both of whom have been named people of interest for the Spurs. Maybe it depends on the Spurs' outlook heading into another year in the ever-competitive Western Conference. Or maybe, and perhaps most simply, it depends on whether or not Duncan and Ginobili believe they can still play at a high level. It would appear that both still have a little left in the tank, as Duncan posted 19 points last night and Ginobili averaged 21 minutes for the series. They're still capable, but the Spurs are not a team that plays just to play. They are perennial contenders, and the wear and tear of playing 85+ games (once playoffs are factored in) is not exactly friendly to the body of veterans at their ages.

So is this the end? Only time will tell. Should Duncan and Ginobili decide to retire, fans can be sure that it will be done quietly and humbly, the same way they have done everything throughout their careers. No flare, no desire to make headlines. The NBA will miss Duncan and Ginobili whenever they do ride off into the sunset, but when they do, they should be appreciated. They have shed positive light on the league and have shown professionalism every step of the way. They are two players that everyone can learn from, athlete or not. They've done things the right way. The Spurs have done things the right way. It's sad to think that this could be the final time we saw these two All-Stars in uniform, but they have given us more than enough memories from their illustrious careers.