NY Knicks 2016-2017: Third Rock from the Sun

Article from fansided.com

The 2009 NBA Draft was supposed to be the beginning of a new era of sorts for the New York Knicks. Gone was head coach/GM/Team President Isiah Thomas — Donnie Walsh and in turn, Mike D’Antoni had arrived, and after purging the roster of Jamal Crawford, Zach Randolph, Tim Thomas, and Stephon Marbury, it was time for the Knicks to begin the long road back to relevance.

With D’Antoni at the helm, many thought the Knicks would use the draft to find his next Steve Nash. The 2009 draft was oddly awash with first-round talent at the point guard position, and with the Knicks picking 8th that year, the Knicks seemed destined to end up with a Steph Curry, Ricky Rubio or Tyreke Evans, or at a minimum a Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor or Jeff Teague, if they found a way to acquire a later pick.

The benefit of hindsight makes Curry the obvious choice here (alas, the Warriors picked him just one spot ahead of the Knicks), with his sweet stroke and the improved distribution skills he showed off in his final year at Davidson on paper, Curry would have been the perfect fit for a Mike D’Antoni offense (plus, under D’Antoni, his defensive shortcomings would never be an issue). But in spirit, no point guard appeared more Knick-ian than Brandon Jennings.

With a game equal parts playground and prep-school, Jennings seemed destined to return the archetype to the vaunted status it once held, giving the city it’s first dominant point guard since Mark Jackson was traded away in 1992. But alas, with Jennings still on the board, the Knicks instead took Jordan Hill (who they would later trade for Tracy McGrady in the next season), and Jennings fell to the 10th pick, where he was selected by the Bucks.

After passing on Jennings, the Knicks were never really able to find their long-term solution at point guard, trotting out both veterans like Chauncey Billups, Mike Bibby and Jason Kidd, and young guys like Toney Douglas, Jeremy Lin and Shane Larkin. But now, five losing seasons, three head coaches, and two general managers later, the Knicks have righted their wrong. The Knicks have finally found their point guard.

Let’s be honest for a second here, save for a 55-point game here, and a triple-double there, Jennings wasn’t always the platonic ideal of a point guard that I’ve made him out to be here. He made the playoffs once in Milwaukee before being quickly shipped out to Detroit, and the first year and a half of his stint with the Pistons was largely forgettable. But then, halfway through the 2014-15 season, the Pistons waived Josh Smith, and over the next 16 games Jennings began to realize his potential as a top-flight floor general.

Smith’s departure allowed the entire Pistons roster to play with a newfound confidence, but no one improved more than Jennings, who finally began to resemble the unstoppable force he was during his senior season at Oak Hill Academy. Jennings lead the Pistons to a 12-4 record over that period, including impressive wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, and Atlanta Hawks, twice. Averaging 20 points and 7 assists during that period, Jennings was well on his way to winning that year’s Most Improved Player award, but then the rug was pulled out from under him. In a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the franchise that drafted him, he ruptured his achilles tendon, ending his season.

NBA: Transfer market got busy. Lakers near deal to sign Brandon Bass, may trade Nick Young

The Lakers are not going in the tank again, not in what could well be Kobe Bryant‘s final season.

They struck out on big-name free agents but are now settling in on a smart strategy (maybe one they should have done from the start) of getting quality players to build the kind of roster base that elite free agents look at and think they could win with. They drafted D’Angelo Russell to go with Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson, then they have gotten Lou Williams and Roy Hibbert.

The latest Laker addition recent Celtics big man Brandon Bass, reports Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports. The financial terms of Bass’ deal are not yet finalized. He could get the room exception or they may clear some cap space for him. Bass is the definition of solid NBA big man. He averaged 10.6 points and almost five rebounds a game, shooting 50.5 percent He had a PER of 16.3. He will play hard for them.

For the Lakers to sign Williams and Hibbert is going to take clearing out some cap space, which could mean Nick Young will be on the move. The Lakers have tested the trade market for Young for a while, and it’s a smart move now — with Kobe and Williams and Young, all the Lakers jumpers would be contested.

Shared from probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com

The NBA Summer League 2015 Spot Platform for Teams' Draft Picks and Young Players

The NBA Summer League is a series of off-season competitions during which National Basketball Association come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. The summer leagues will feature teams' draft picks and other young players, as well as undrafted players trying to land a spot with a team, typically consisting of a mix of rookies, younger bench players, and unsigned free agents. The NBA has announced the schedules for the 2015 summer leagues in Las Vegas, Orlando and Utah.

When the 2015 NBA Summer Leagues start, it is everyone’s first glimpse into what is to come for a lot of these players as they embark on their NBA journeys. The NBA Summer League schedule starts on July 4th in Orlando with nine NBA teams participating.

The Las Vegas Summer League is the largest of the three competitions, featuring 24 teams, including one made up of select players from the D-League.

Nine teams will play in the Orlando league, with the Magic splitting into two squads to make an even 10 teams. The host team Orlando Magic will have a split squad (Orlando Blue and Orlando White) with the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Los Angeles Clippers, all sending squads to the Magic Kingdom. The Orlando Summer league will last from July 4th thru July 10th and will be televised on NBA TV. These are the match-ups that will be the most intriguing in the upcoming week for the Orlando Summer League that will feature top picks from the 2015 NBA Draft.

The Utah summer league, previously known as the Rocky Mountain Revue, will be played this year for the first time since 2009. Only four teams will play in the four-day Utah event.

Just weeks after facing in the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers will play on the first day of the Las Vegas Summer League. The first day of action will also likely feature the top two picks in this year's draft, as the Minnesota Timberwolves play the Los Angeles Lakers.


2015 NBA Summer League Participant

Las Vegas Summer League
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
NBA D-League Ambassadors
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

Orlando Summer League
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic white
Orlando Magic blue

Utah Jazz Summer League
Utah Jazz
Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers

San Antonio Spurs

NBA Draft 2015: Full result list of all first and second round selections

The 2015 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2015 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It was televised nationally by ESPN.National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The draft lottery took place on May 19, 2015. The Minnesota Timberwolves won the draft lottery to earn the first overall pick in the draft; it marked the first time in Timberwolves history that they would receive the first overall pick through the lottery, as well as become the third one they'd receive in a row after a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers gave them the 2013 and 2014 first overall picks in exchange for Kevin Love. This draft also gave the Los Angeles Lakers the second overall pick after jumping over the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks within the draft lottery.

Highlights from the draft include the first Dominican Republican to be the first overall pick (Karl-Anthony Towns), the highest amount of Kentucky Wildcats selected in the draft lottery (four with Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Trey Lyles, and Devin Booker), which tied the North Carolina Tar Heels in 2005 for most players selected in the lottery by one school; the tied record for most Kentucky players selected in the draft, the second Latvian to have been drafted in the first round (Kristaps Porziņģis), the first former high school player to have skipped college to play in China that was selected in the draft (Emmanuel Mudiay), and the first Indian to have been selected in the NBA (Satnam Singh Bhamara), who was also the first player since 2005 to have been drafted directly from high school (albeit as a postgraduate). Other noteworthy announces that came out of the draft included the official announcement of the passing of the last pioneer of the original NBA, Harvey Pollack, around the third pick and the upcoming resignation of the league's president of basketball operations Rod Thorn  in August after the end of the first round.

Shared from Wikipedia

Full results fixture as per below;

The New York Knicks are the biggest mystery of the NBA Draft 2015

Hours before the 2015 NBA Draft, nobody knows what the New York Knicks are going to do with the No. 4 pick. After posting a franchise-worst 17-65 season, landing the No. 4 pick was a disappointment for the Knicks, who hoped to land in the top three to nab one of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, or D’Angelo Russell. After those three, there seems to be an uncertainty about who the best players are, and for the Knicks, there are a number of options.

If the top three plays out as expected, they could look at Emmanuel Mudiay, a 6-foot-5, explosive point guard who skipped college to play professionally in China. They could also look at Kristaps Porzingis, a 7-foot 19-year-old Latvian player with a tantalizing combination of skills. Duke’s Justise Winslow or the intriguing 19-year-old Mario Hezonja from Croatia could be the Knicks’ pick as well. This is the Knicks’ highest draft pick in 20 years, and with needs at just about every position, there’s a lot of pressure on the Knicks to nail it.

With numerous gaps in their roster, the Knicks are also the team most frequently discussed in trade rumors. Some people in the NBA world believe that the Knicks would be willing to trade down in the draft to get back a veteran player and a lower pick. Though Phil Jackson said there’s only a “five percent” chance the Knicks trade down, he did acknowledge the Knicks are listening to offers.

The Knicks have so many options that it makes them the most unpredictable team at the top of the draft. The Lakers could also be wild cards and do something unexpected, but at No. 2, there seems to be an obvious decision to make between Okafor and Russell. The Sixers have a tendency to think outside the box, but with their roster construction, it seems that they would target a guard to complement their big man duo of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. The Knicks, meanwhile, are directionless, and will be the team to watch the as their pick approaches.

Shared from businessinsider.my

NBA Finals 2015 Golden State Warriors end 40-year championship drought, win over Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6

The Warriors beat the Cavaliers 105-97 Tuesday night to win their first NBA title since 1975. Iguodala's MVP award was also the first time a player got the award without starting every game. It also marks the first time that the finals MVP has been on the same team as the regular-season MVP since Magic Johnson claimed the honor in 1980 while playing on a Los Angeles Lakers squad with regular-season MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, according to ESPN.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/nba-finals-mvp-andre-iguodala-thanks-god-for-golden-state-warriors-win-says-team-is-full-of-believers-140515/#gb97tGguCfTYcDuW.99

The Warriors beat the Cavaliers 105-97 Tuesday night to win their first NBA title since 1975. Iguodala's MVP award was also the first time a player got the award without starting every game. It also marks the first time that the finals MVP has been on the same team as the regular-season MVP since Magic Johnson claimed the honor in 1980 while playing on a Los Angeles Lakers squad with regular-season MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, according to ESPN.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/nba-finals-mvp-andre-iguodala-thanks-god-for-golden-state-warriors-win-says-team-is-full-of-believers-140515/#gb97tGguCfTYcDuW.99

The Warriors beat the Cavaliers 105-97 Tuesday night to win their first NBA title since 1975. Iguodala's MVP award was also the first time a player got the award without starting every game. It also marks the first time that the finals MVP has been on the same team as the regular-season MVP since Magic Johnson claimed the honor in 1980 while playing on a Los Angeles Lakers squad with regular-season MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, according to ESPN.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/nba-finals-mvp-andre-iguodala-thanks-god-for-golden-state-warriors-win-says-team-is-full-of-believers-140515/#gb97tGguCfTYcDuW.99

Golden State Warriors were chasing history, the journey that they completed with a 105-97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the 2015 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. That was an emotional Golden State Warriors squad captured its first NBA title in 40 years.

Right after the final buzzer sounded, the players forming a frantic mob at center court as silence fell over the Cleveland's crowd. The Golden State Warriors won the final three games of this best-of-seven series, countering every move that the Cavaliers made and all the points, rebounds and assists that LeBron James could produce. They dazzled fans and overwhelmed opponents.

NBA regular season MVP (Most Valuable Player) Stephen Curry and NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala each scored 25 points as the Warriors took the best-of-seven series four games to two to claim their first crown since 1975 and fourth overall. This MVP's were too much to handle by the Cleveland's.

“Pure joy,” said Steve Kerr, the coach of the Warriors, who showed up to his news conference soaking wet, fresh off a champagne shower in the locker room.

Stephen Curry joined Magic Johnson and Bob Cousy as the only point guards to win the regular-season NBA MVP award and capture the league title in the same season.

Golden State Warriors' Shooters Get The Job Done, tied the series 2-2 NBA Finals 2015!

If recap last year NBA Finals 2014, the Heat and Spurs were tied at Game 2 with the Heat feeling they could've won both games. But, San Antonio blitzed them from there combination of Duncan-Parker-Leonard results winning both games in Miami easily before wrapping it up in Game 5 at home.

Then here's come 2015 NBA Finals, perhaps the Golden State Warriors can duplicate that and the NBA's best team in the regular season can find its game on the road. But that won't be easy, with the way the Cleveland Cavaliers are defending in this series. No team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals, so a win for the Warriors was essential in keeping their NBA Finals hope alive. With the Cavaliers continued to have difficulty finding an offensive flow, the Warriors improved their connection offensively-defensively, and communicated much better than the Cavaliers.

This is just getting excited! Here is a look at the rest of the schedule:
Game 5: Cavaliers At Warriors, 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 14
Game 6: Warriors at Cavaliers, 9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16
Game 7: Cavaliers At Warriors, 9 p.m. on Friday, June 19 (if necessary)

NBA Playoffs Finals Champions, List of champions since 1947. Who will be champion in The Finals 2015?

Game 1 NBA The Finals 2015 Cleveland Cavaliers up against Golden State Warriors will be held on June 4, 2015 (US Time). So what is the story previously? Who win the series? Lets recall back and take down the road to the hall of fame, of playoffs history of NBA Finals. NBA Champions Year Champion Series Against 2014 San Antonio Spurs 4-1 Miami Heat 2013 Miami Heat 4-3 San Antonio Spurs 2012 Miami Heat 4-1 Oklahoma City Thunder 2011 Dallas Mavericks 4-2 Miami Heat 2010 Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 Boston Celtics 2009 Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 Orlando Magic 2008 Boston Celtics 4-2 Los Angeles Lakers 2007 San Antonio Spurs 4-0 Cleveland Cavaliers 2006 Miami Heat 4-2 Dallas Mavericks 2005 San Antonio Spurs 4-3 Detroit Pistons 2004 Detroit Pistons 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers 2003 San Antonio Spurs 4-2 New Jersey Nets 2002 Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 New Jersey Nets 2001 Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 Philadelphia 76ers 2000 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Indiana Pacers 1999 San Antonio Spurs 4-1 New York Knicks 1998 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Utah Jazz 1997 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Utah Jazz 1996 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Seattle SuperSonics 1995 Houston Rockets 4-0 Orlando Magic 1994 Houston Rockets 4-3 New York Knicks 1993 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Phoenix Suns 1992 Chicago Bulls 4-2 Portland Trail Blazers 1991 Chicago Bulls 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers 1990 Detroit Pistons 4-1 Portland Trail Blazers 1989 Detroit Pistons 4-0 Los Angeles Lakers 1988 Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 Detroit Pistons 1987 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Boston Celtics 1986 Boston Celtics 4-2 Houston Rockets 1985 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Boston Celtics 1984 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers 1983 Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 Los Angeles Lakers 1982 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers 1981 Boston Celtics 4-2 Houston Rockets 1980 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers 1979 Seattle SuperSonics 4-1 Washington Bullets 1978 Washington Bullets 4-3 Seattle SuperSonics 1977 Portland Trail Blazers 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers 1976 Boston Celtics 4-2 Phoenix Suns 1975 Golden State Warriors 4-0 Washington Bullets 1974 Boston Celtics 4-3 Milwaukee Bucks 1973 New York Knicks 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers 1972 Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 New York Knicks 1971 Milwaukee Bucks 4-0 Baltimore Bullets 1970 New York Knicks 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers 1969 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers 1968 Boston Celtics 4-2 Los Angeles Lakers 1967 Philadelphia 76ers 4-2 San Francisco Warriors 1966 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers 1965 Boston Celtics 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers 1964 Boston Celtics 4-1 San Francisco Warriors 1963 Boston Celtics 4-2 Los Angeles Lakers 1962 Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers 1961 Boston Celtics 4-1 St. Louis Hawks 1960 Boston Celtics 4-3 St. Louis Hawks 1959 Boston Celtics 4-0 Minneapolis Lakers 1958 St. Louis Hawks 4-2 Boston Celtics 1957 Boston Celtics 4-3 St. Louis Hawks 1956 Philadelphia Warriors 4-1 Fort Wayne Pistons 1955 Syracuse Nationals 4-3 Fort Wayne Pistons 1954 Minneapolis Lakers 4-3 Syracuse Nationals 1953 Minneapolis Lakers 4-1 New York Knicks 1952 Minneapolis Lakers 4-3 New York Knicks 1951 Rochester Royals 4-3 New York Knicks 1950 Minneapolis Lakers 4-2 Syracuse Nationals 1949 Minneapolis Lakers 4-2 Washington Capitols 1948 Baltimore Bullets 4-2 Philadelphia Warriors 1947 Philadelphia Warriors 4-1 Chicago Stags