NBA WeblogNBA news, recaps, and analysisHow Much Does Coaching Matter in the NBA- May 18, 2008 The playoffs this year have been fantastic, but no series have been as intense as the Lakers v. Jazz series was. What made this series so entertaining was the raw competitiveness of the 10 players on the hardwood. So many talented players, all willing and wanting to take the big shot, no one shirking their responsibility as a scorer or play maker (except for Jordan Farmar, who was abused by Deron Williams this entire series). With regards to the Lakers, what impressed me most was the high level.http://nbaweblog.com/lakers/archive/2008/05/19/how-much-does-coaching-matter-in-the-nba.as... Raja Bell Named to All-NBA Defensive 2nd Team- May 13, 2008 Suns guard Raja Bell was announced as a selection for the NBA's All-Defensive 2nd team. Bell was on the All-Defensive 1st team last year, but making the list is still an honor for Raja, especially considering how bad a rap the Suns get for their porous defense. Raja is joined on the 2nd team by: Shane Battier (Rockets), Chris Paul (Hornets), Dwight Howard (Magic) and Tayshaun Prince (Pistons). The All-Defensive 1st team was made up of MVP Kobe Bryant (Lakers) , Defensive Player of the Year...http://nbaweblog.com/suns/archive/2008/05/13/raja-bell-named-to-all-nba-defensive-2nd-team... NBA Report: Mike D'Antoni to Coach New York Knicks- May 10, 2008 Can't say it wasn't coming... (Former) Suns coach Mike D'Antoni has reportedly accepted an offer to coach the New York Knicks. New York GM Donnie Walsh had narrowed his choices to Mark Jackson and D'Antoni, w the former being the favorite until the Suns were excused from the NBA playoffs. The former coach of the run-and-gun Suns has accepted a four-year deal at around $6 million per year to coach the Knicks. Knicks president Donnie Walsh chose D'Antoni over Mark Jackson. The D'Antoni saga...http://nbaweblog.com/suns/archive/2008/05/10/nba-report-mike-d-antoni-to-coach-new-york-kn... Kobe Bryant Wins NBA's MVP Award- May 7, 2008 The L.A. Lakers' Kobe Bryant has been announced as the league's MVP for the 2007-2008 season . I know is particularly of interest to loyal Suns fans (NOT!), so I've got a great video for you here to help get through the offseason. Check it out....(read more)http://nbaweblog.com/suns/archive/2008/05/06/kobe-bryant-wins-nba-s-mvp-award.aspx Welcome to the Second Round- May 6, 2008 What a first round! While there were a number of snoozer series that lacked a single competitive moment (I'm looking in your general direction, Denver), there were plenty of exciting battles, some where I expected, others in less expected series.While the SpursSuns series had some exciting moments - Game 1 was the most amazing first round basketball game I've ever had the pleasure of watching - it was not nearly as competitive as I expected. What went wrong I don't blame Steve Nash; nor do I...http://nbaweblog.com/lakers/archive/2008/05/06/welcome-to-the-second-round.aspx Suns' Coach Mike D'Antoni Allowed to Interview w Bulls, Knicks- May 5, 2008 Former Suns coach... Errr...so it's not 100% official yet, but the writing is on the wall. GM Steve Kerr and owner Robert Sarver have given Suns' coach Mike D'Antoni permission to seek interviews w other teams. The three met on Friday to determine if Mike would be able to continue coaching the team and apparently he cannot. Whether that's because Mike is stubborn and wants to focus only on offense or if he's lost the locker room (see Amare's post-playoff comments), it really doesn't matter....http://nbaweblog.com/suns/archive/2008/05/05/suns-coach-mike-d-antoni-allowed-to-interview... |