tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post3311014616676767502..comments2024-03-29T05:08:30.047-04:00Comments on The Heath Post: NBA23 UpdateGoHeathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-77830328062197075082023-03-13T00:05:53.898-04:002023-03-13T00:05:53.898-04:00Dwane Casey of Union County High School and UK is ...Dwane Casey of Union County High School and UK is the head coach, and he has five assistant coaches, plus a strength-and-conditioning guy.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-56790650886980997502023-03-13T00:04:31.146-04:002023-03-13T00:04:31.146-04:00When the Pistons lost to Indiana, , on Saturday, t...When the Pistons lost to Indiana, , on Saturday, their starters were center Marvin Bagley III (minus-5.2 on the season), point guard Killlian Hayes (minus-5.9), power forward Isaiah Livers (minus-3.8), shooting guard Rodney McGruder (minus-0.1) and center James Wiseman (minus-5.1). Power forward Bojan Bogdanovic (minus-5.6), shooting guard Jaden Ivey (minus-7.9), center Isaiah Stewart (minus-4.5), center Jalen Duren (minus-4.7) and shootging guard Alec Burks (minus-0.1) each average at least 20 minutes per game. Bogdanovic, Ivey, Stewart and Duren also typically start, but each was out Saturday. Cade Cunningham was starting early in the season, but he’s out for the rest of the year. Bogdanovic is the team leader in points per game (21.6); Duren, in rebounds (8.8), and Hayes, in assists (6.0).<br /><br />Shooting guard Hamidou Dialllo (minus-0.3) also is on the Detroit roster, and he’s averaging 9.3 points in 17.8 minutes per game.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-75770528881996896362023-03-12T23:52:15.864-04:002023-03-12T23:52:15.864-04:00Basketball Reference’s All-Time Top 12 Pistons:
1...<i>Basketball Reference’s</i> All-Time Top 12 Pistons:<br /><br />1. Bill Laimbeer 98.4 WSs<br />2. Bob Lanier 91.6 (it’s amazing to me that “Bill Laimbeer” and “Bob Lanier” make such an excellent rhyme)<br />3. Joe Dumars 86.2<br />4. Isiah Thomas 80.7<br />5. Chauncey Billups 73.6<br />6. Ben Wallace 65.9<br />7. Andre Drummond 60.4<br />8. Grant Hill 60.0<br />9. Tayshaun Prince of Kentucky 57.6<br />10. Larry Foust 57.5<br />11. Dave Bing 56.0<br />12. Richard Hamilton 54.0Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-17462895191373998502023-03-12T23:47:09.622-04:002023-03-12T23:47:09.622-04:00Athletic Harper's No. 30 is the Detroit Piston...<a href="https://theathletic.com/4255665/2023/03/06/nba-power-rankings-week-21/" rel="nofollow"><i>Athletic</i> Harper's No. 30 is the Detroit Pistons.</a> Wikipedia: "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Pistons" rel="nofollow">The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Little Caesars Arena, located in Midtown Detroit. Founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as a semi-professional company basketball team called the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons in 1937, they would turn pro in 1941 as a member of the National Basketball League (NBL), where they won two NBL championships: in 1944 and 1945. The Pistons later joined the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1948. The NBL and BAA merged to become the NBA in 1949, and the Pistons became part of the merged league.[1][8] In 1957, the franchise moved to Detroit. The Pistons have won three NBA championships: in 1989, 1990 and 2004.</a>"Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-45836168255115929822023-03-12T23:41:21.568-04:002023-03-12T23:41:21.568-04:00I hope the Wizards trade for Charles Bassey.I hope the Wizards trade for Charles Bassey.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-84277277460311432042023-03-12T23:41:04.570-04:002023-03-12T23:41:04.570-04:00The Spurs beat the Nuggets on Friday, 128-120, and...The Spurs beat the Nuggets on Friday, 128-120, and their starters were small forward Malaki Branham (minus-5.7 on the season), center Zach Collins (minus-4.4), small forward Keldon Johnson of Kentucky (minus-8.6), power forward Jeremy Sochan (minus-4.4) and shooting guard Devin Vassell (minus-7.7). Other Spurs averaging at least 20 minutes per game are point guard Tre Jones (minus-5.1), point guard Devonte Graham (minus-11.4), small forward Keita Bates-Diop (minus-4.4), small forward Doug McDermott (minus-2.9) and shooting guard Romeo Langford (minus-3.7). Johnson leads the Rockets in points per game (21.6); Collins, in rebounds (6.2), and Jones, in assists (6.2). Center Charles Bassey of Western Kentucky (minus-1.1 and 5.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 14.7 minutes per game) and center Gorgui Dieng of Louisville (minus-2.8 in 9.7) also are on the roster.<br /><br />Greg Popovich is the head coach, and he has four assistants.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-17316689086027071942023-03-12T23:31:16.186-04:002023-03-12T23:31:16.186-04:00All-Time Top 12 Spurs:
1. Tim Duncan 206.4 WSs
2....All-Time Top 12 Spurs:<br /><br />1. Tim Duncan 206.4 WSs<br />2. David Robinson 178.7<br />3. Tony Parker 110.4<br />4. George Gervin 107.4<br />5. Manu Ginobili 106.4<br />6. James Silas 57.9<br />7. Kawhi Leonard 56.3<br />8. Sean Elliott 54.3<br />9. Avery Johnson 47.3<br />10. LaMarcus Aldridge 42.8<br />11. Artis Gilmore 40.2<br />12. Larry Kenon 37.4Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-11656453716545254122023-03-12T23:26:50.648-04:002023-03-12T23:26:50.648-04:00The San Antonio Spurs are No. 29:
The San Antonio...The San Antonio Spurs are No. 29:<br /><br /><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_Spurs" rel="nofollow">The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at AT&T Center in San Antonio.<br /><br />The Spurs are one of four former American Basketball Association (ABA) teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA–NBA merger[8][9] and are the only former ABA team to have won an NBA championship.[10] The franchise has won NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.[11] As of the 2019–20 season, the Spurs had the highest winning percentage among active NBA franchises.[12] As of May 2017, the Spurs had the best winning percentage of any franchise in the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada over the previous three decades.[13] From 1999–2000 to 2016–17, the Spurs won 50 games each season,[14] setting a record of 18 consecutive 50-win seasons.[15] In the 2018–19 season, the Spurs matched an NBA record for most consecutive playoff appearances with 22.[16] The team's recent success has coincided with the tenure of current head coach Gregg Popovich[11][17] and with the playing careers of Spurs icons David Robinson (1989–2003) and Tim Duncan (1997–2016). Throughout the 2022 season, the Spurs will celebrate the club's 50th anniversary.[18]</i></a>Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-69866519733933837282023-03-12T23:22:13.117-04:002023-03-12T23:22:13.117-04:00The head coach is Stephen Silas, and he has seven ...The head coach is Stephen Silas, and he has seven assistant coaches.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-29537799323000367872023-03-12T23:17:08.555-04:002023-03-12T23:17:08.555-04:00The Rockets lost to the Bulls yesterday, 119-111, ...The Rockets lost to the Bulls yesterday, 119-111, and their starters were shooting guard Jalen Green (minus-6.5 on the season), small forward Kenyon Martin Jr. (minus-4.0), point guard Kevin Porter Jr. (minus-5.9), center Alperen Sengun (minus-3.9) and power forward Jabari Smith Jr. (minus-7.4). Small forward Jae’Sean Tate (minus-3.7) and power forward Tari Eason (minus-2.1) also each average 20 minutes per game. Green leads the team in points per game (21.7); Sengun, in rebounds (8.7), and Porter, in assists (5.7).<br /><br />Point guard TyTy Washington Jr. of Kentucky (minus-1.9) is also on the roster, and he averages 4.7 points in 13.8 minutes per game. TyTy didn’t play against Chicago yesterday. Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-78948488665579041592023-03-12T23:09:53.938-04:002023-03-12T23:09:53.938-04:00All-Time Top 12 Rockets, per Basketball Reference:...All-Time Top 12 Rockets, per <i>Basketball Reference</i>:<br /><br />1. Hakeem Olajuwon 160.6 WSs<br />2. James Harden 115.0<br />3. Calvin Murphy 84.1<br />4. Rudy Tomjanovich 70.4<br />5. Moses Malone 70.0<br />6. Yao Ming 65.9<br />7. Otis Thorpe 54.5 (I HAD TOTALLY FORGOTTEN ABOUT OTIS THORPE!)<br />8. Stevie Francis 41.4<br />9. Robert Reid 40.9<br />10. Elvin Hayes 40.8<br />11. Kenny Smith 37.3<br />12. Clint Capela 36.4Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-82264714890715510732023-03-12T23:03:48.038-04:002023-03-12T23:03:48.038-04:00... The Rockets acquired all-star power forward Ch...<i>... The Rockets acquired all-star power forward Charles Barkley in 1996, but the presence of three of the NBA's 50 greatest players of all-time (Olajuwon, Drexler, and Barkley) was not enough to propel Houston past the Western Conference Finals. Each one of the aging trio had left the team by 2001. The Rockets of the early 2000s, led by superstars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, followed the trend of consistent regular-season respectability followed by playoff underachievement as both players struggled with injuries. After Yao's early retirement in 2011, the Rockets entered a period of rebuilding, completely dismantling and retooling their roster.<br /><br />The acquisition of franchise player James Harden in 2012 launched the Rockets back into perennial championship contention throughout the rest of the 2010s, with no losing seasons in Harden's nine-season tenure with the team. Harden broke countless franchise and NBA records while on the team, winning three consecutive scoring titles between 2018 and 2020, and leading the team to two Western Conference Finals appearances (both times losing to the Golden State Warriors). Prior to the 2020–21 season, head coach Mike D'Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey left the organization, prompting Harden to seek a trade. He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets[A] which started a rebuilding period.<br /><br />Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, and James Harden have been named the NBA's MVPs while playing for the Rockets, for a total of four MVP awards. The Rockets, when piloted by Morey, were renowned for popularizing the use of advanced statistical analytics (similar to sabermetrics in baseball) in player acquisitions and style of play.</i>Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-22023943022139019582023-03-12T23:03:16.359-04:002023-03-12T23:03:16.359-04:00Zach Harper's No. 28 last week:
The Houston R...<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Rockets" rel="nofollow">Zach Harper's No. 28 last week:</a><br /><br /><i>The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center, located in Downtown Houston. Throughout its history, Houston has won two NBA championships and four Western Conference titles. It was established in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets, an expansion team originally based in San Diego. In 1971, the Rockets relocated to Houston.<br /><br />The Rockets won only 15 games in their debut season as a franchise in 1967. In the 1968 NBA draft, the Rockets were awarded the first overall pick and selected power forward Elvin Hayes, who would lead the team to its first playoff appearance in his rookie season. The Rockets did not finish a season with a winning record for almost a decade until the 1976–77 season, when they traded for All-Star center Moses Malone. Malone went on to win the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award twice while playing with the Rockets and led Houston to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first year with the team. During the 1980–81 season, the Rockets finished the regular season with a 40–42 record but still made the playoffs. Led by Malone, the Rockets reached their first NBA Finals in 1981, becoming only the second team in NBA history to do so with a losing record. They would lose in six games to the 62–20 Boston Celtics, led by Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and future Rockets head coach Kevin McHale. As of 2021, the 1980–81 Rockets are the last team since the 1954–55 Minneapolis Lakers to make it all the way to the NBA Finals with a losing record.<br /><br />In the 1984 NBA draft, once again with the first overall pick, the Rockets drafted center Hakeem Olajuwon, who would become the cornerstone of the most successful period in franchise history. Paired with 7-foot-4-inch (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson, they formed one of the tallest front courts in the NBA. Nicknamed the "Twin Towers", they led the team to the 1986 NBA Finals—the second NBA Finals appearance in franchise history—where Houston was again defeated by Larry Bird and the 67-win Boston Celtics. The Rockets continued to reach the playoffs throughout the 1980s, but failed to advance past the first round for several years following a second-round defeat to the Seattle SuperSonics in 1987. Rudy Tomjanovich took over as head coach midway through the 1991–92 season, ushering in the most successful period in franchise history. Led by Olajuwon, the Rockets dominated the 1993–94 season, setting a then-franchise record 58 wins and went to the 1994 NBA Finals—the third NBA Finals appearance in franchise history—and won the franchise's first championship against Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks. During the following season, reinforced by another All-Star, Clyde Drexler, the Rockets—in their fourth NBA Finals appearance in franchise history—repeated as champions with a four-game sweep of the Orlando Magic, which was led by a young Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. Houston, which finished the season with a 47–35 record and was seeded sixth in the Western Conference during the 1995 playoffs, became the lowest-seeded team in NBA history to win the title. ...</i>Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-9728719637280361482023-03-12T22:54:53.229-04:002023-03-12T22:54:53.229-04:00The Hornets lost yesterday to the Jazz, 119-111, a...The Hornets lost yesterday to the Jazz, 119-111, and here was their starting lineup: small forward Gordon Hayward, small forward and former Wizard Kelly Oubre Jr. (minus-5.6 for the season), center Nick Richards of Kentucky (minus-1.4), shooting guard Terry Rozier of Louisville (minus-4.3) and power forward P.J. Washington of Kentucky (minus-5.3). Point guard Dennis Smith Jr. (minus-0.7) also averages more than 20 minutes per game. Charlotte also has point guard LaMelo Ball (minus-4.2 through 36 games), but he’s out for the season with an ankle injury. Among the current Hornets on the roster, Ball was the team leader in points (23.3), rebounds (6.4) and assists per game (8.4). <br /><br />Charlotte’s head coach is Steve Clifford, and he has eight assistant coaches, in addition to a strength-and-conditioning coach.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-72393007183561147462023-03-12T18:01:14.646-04:002023-03-12T18:01:14.646-04:00My favorite part of this little NBA activity has b...My favorite part of this little NBA activity has become trying to guess a team’s <i>Basketball Reference</i> top 12 all-time players based on their little thumbnail pictures. I almost always get the first two or three players without hovering over the pictures for the names, but I’m struggling with the Hornets:<br /><br />1. Kemba Walker 48.5 WSs (I guessed wrong)<br />2. Gerald Wallace 45.9 (I guessed wrong)<br />3. Muggsy” Bogues 44.8 (I guessed right! This is who I thought would be No. 1)<br />4. Larry Johnson 41.1 (I guessed right! This is who I thought would be No. 2)<br />5. Dell Curry 31.0 (I’m disappointed I guessed wrong and didn’t think of him)<br />6. Cody Zeller 31.0 (I guessed wrong)<br />7. Anthony Mason 29.5 (I guessed right, though I was surprised to see him so high)<br />8. Glen Rice 28.4 (I guess wrong, but I actually was thinking about him and guessed the wrong name—partial credit)<br />9. Marvin Williams 27.5 (I don’t remember ever hearing o him)<br />10. David Wesley 26.9 (I guessed wrong)<br />11. Emeka Okafor 26.2 (I guessed wrong)<br />12. Alonzo Mourning 23.9 (I guessed right!)Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-11317336808350264882023-03-12T17:51:37.779-04:002023-03-12T17:51:37.779-04:00There's the Charlotte Hornets at No. 27. Wikip...There's the Charlotte Hornets at No. 27. Wikipedia:<br /><br /><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Hornets" rel="nofollow">The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and play their home games at the Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte. The Hornets are mainly owned by Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who acquired a controlling interest in the team in 2010.[8][9]<br /><br />The Charlotte Hornets franchise was established in 1988 as an expansion team owned by George Shinn. In 2002, Shinn moved the Hornets to New Orleans as an expansion team. They continued to play as the Hornets until 2013, when they changed their name to the New Orleans Pelicans.<br /><br />As part of an agreement with the NBA, Charlotte returned for the 2004–05 NBA season, known as the Charlotte Bobcats.[10] In 2013, the Bobcats announced they would rebrand to the Charlotte Hornets beginning with the 2014–15 season.[1][11][12] On the day the name change became official, the Charlotte franchise reclaimed the history and records of the 1988–2002 Hornets from the Pelicans. As a result, the league considers the Hornets retrospectively, having suspended operations from 2002 to 2004.</a></i>Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-33928957539517220192023-03-07T16:16:12.888-05:002023-03-07T16:16:12.888-05:00And that brings us to four teams Harper lists as o...And that brings us to four teams Harper lists as on "Victor Wembanyama Watch."Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-81649223833308450202023-03-07T16:14:48.522-05:002023-03-07T16:14:48.522-05:00Oh, I forgot to mention--the Jazz are The Athletic...<a href="https://theathletic.com/4255665/2023/03/06/nba-power-rankings-week-21/" rel="nofollow">Oh, I forgot to mention--the Jazz are <i>The Athletic</i> Zach Harper's No. 25 this week. The Chicago Bulls are No. 26, and we discussed them last week.</a>Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-44322967911536774522023-03-07T16:11:22.394-05:002023-03-07T16:11:22.394-05:00When the Jazz lost, 129-119, in Oklahoma City on S...When the Jazz lost, 129-119, in Oklahoma City on Sunday, Utah’s starters were shooting guard Ochai Agbaji (0.0 on the season), shooting guard Jordan Clarkson (plus-0.6), shooting guard Talen Horton-Tucker (plus-0.9), center Walker Kessler (plus-0.7) and center Kelly Olynyk (plus-0.3). Small forward Markkanen (plus-2.5)—the team leader in points (25.2) and rebounds (8.6) per game—typically starts. Shooting guard Collin Sexton (minus-0.6) and point guard Kris Dunn (minus-10.2 in five games with the Jazz) also each average at least 20 minutes per game. Small forward Johnny Juzang, who played at UK before starring at UCLA, is also now in the mix after going undrafted, signing with Utah's summer-league team and then joining the big Jazz three games ago. He’s averaging 5.3 points in 10.6 minutes per game so far. He’s a minus-11.3 in the NBA.<br /><br />Utah’s head coach is Will Hardy. The staff list also includes three plain-old "assistant coaches," two “assistant coaches/player development,” an “assistant coach/director of basketball operations,” an “assistant coach/director of integrated player development” and then a strength-and-conditioning person. I haven’t heard of any of them.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-31140535522589902372023-03-07T15:40:04.090-05:002023-03-07T15:40:04.090-05:00Basketball Reference All-Time Top 12 Jazz:
1. Kar...<i>Basketball Reference</i> All-Time Top 12 Jazz:<br /><br />1. Karl Malone 230 WSs<br />2. John Stockton 207.7<br />3. Rudy Gobert 86.6<br />4. Adrian Dantley 76.3<br />5. Andrei Kirilenko 68.2<br />6. Jeff Hornacek 55.0<br />7. Derrick Favors 52.7<br />8. Paul Millsap 48.1<br />9. Deron Williams 46.7<br />10. Mehmet Okur 45.0<br />11. Marc Eaton 44.8<br />12. Gordon Hayward 43.0Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-2704941809335488762023-03-07T15:30:19.878-05:002023-03-07T15:30:19.878-05:00The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketb...<i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Jazz" rel="nofollow">The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Since the 1991–92 season, the team has played its home games at Vivint Arena.<br /><br />The franchise began play as an expansion team in the 1974–75 season as the New Orleans Jazz (as a tribute to New Orleans' history of originating jazz music). The Jazz relocated from New Orleans to Salt Lake City on June 8, 1979.[10]<br /><br />The Jazz were one of the least successful teams in the league in their early years. Although 10 seasons elapsed before the Jazz qualified for their first playoff appearance in 1984, they did not miss the playoffs again until 2004. During the late 1980s, John Stockton and Karl Malone arose as the franchise players for the team and formed one of the most famed pick and roll duos in NBA history. Led by coach Jerry Sloan, who took over from Frank Layden in 1988, they became one of the powerhouse teams of the 1990s, culminating in two NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998, where they lost both times to the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan.<br /><br />Both Stockton and Malone moved on in 2003. After missing the playoffs for three consecutive seasons the Jazz returned to prominence under the on-court leadership of point guard Deron Williams. However, partway through the 2010–11 season, the Jazz began restructuring after Sloan's retirement and Williams' trade to the New Jersey Nets. Quin Snyder was hired as head coach in June 2014. With the development of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell into All-Stars, the Jazz launched themselves back into title contention, eventually earning the league's best regular season record in the 2020–21 season. However, following disappointing early playoff exits in both 2021 and 2022, the Jazz traded Mitchell and Gobert to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively, in the 2022 offseason and entered a new era of rebuilding centered around Lauri Markkanen, who became an All-Star in his first season with the Jazz after being acquired in the Mitchell trade.</i></a>Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-13849288823700038552023-03-07T15:28:45.546-05:002023-03-07T15:28:45.546-05:00With a terrific history like that, how in the heck...With a terrific history like that, how in the heck did the New Orleans Jazz <i>not</i> become the Utah Stars (or even the Utah "Starzz") when they moved to Salt Lake City in 1979? It bothered me then; it bothered me again in 2002 when the Hornets moved to New Orleans and couldn't become the Jazz, and it still bothers me to this day. People don't consult with me enough before they do things.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-73975631925494482332023-03-07T15:22:27.770-05:002023-03-07T15:22:27.770-05:00Wikipedia:
The Utah Stars were an American Basket...Wikipedia:<br /><br /><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Stars" rel="nofollow">The Utah Stars were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround. ...<br /><br />The team was founded as the Anaheim Amigos, a charter member of the ABA based in Anaheim, California. ...<br /><br />In March 1970, (Jim) Kirst sold the team to Colorado cable TV pioneer Bill Daniels, who moved the team in June to Salt Lake City as the Utah Stars for the 1970–71 season.[2] Zelmo Beaty suited up for the team and they finished second in the Western Division with their best record yet at 57–27 (.679), one game behind the Indiana Pacers. ...<br /><br />In the Western Division Semifinals, the Stars would go on to sweep the Texas Chaparrals and then stunned the Pacers in game 7 of the Western Division Finals, earning a spot in the ABA Championship.<br /><br />The Stars would face the Kentucky Colonels in the ABA Championship. In game one a near-capacity crowd filed into the Salt Palace to watch the Stars defeat Kentucky 136-117. The Stars set an ABA Playoff record by scoring 50 points in the 2nd quarter. In game 2, the series continued its high scoring with the Stars beating Kentucky 138-125. The series shifted to Louisville and Kentucky took games 3 and 4, tying the series up at 2-2. The series then returned to Salt Lake City, where the Stars beat Kentucky 137-127, taking a 3-2 series lead. The Stars looked to wrap up the ABA Championship with a game 6 victory in Louisville. However Kentucky clawed their way to a 7th game, barely beating the Stars 105-102, sending the series to a decisive 7th game back in Salt Lake City.<br /><br />With the ABA Championship on the line, an ABA record crowd of 13,260 packed into the Salt Palace[11] to watch game 7 of the 1971 ABA Championship. The game remained close throughout, however the Stars pulled away late, winning the 1971 ABA Championship 131-121. [12] As the game ended, hundreds of Stars fans rushed the court, lifting players onto their shoulders in a jubilant celebration. The actions were a total surprise to Stars officials, as they had not anticipated such a reaction from the fans. ...<br /><br />To date, this is Utah's only pro basketball championship.</i></a><br /><br />Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-36884675073125427122023-03-07T15:15:10.418-05:002023-03-07T15:15:10.418-05:00The Magic lost at home to the Blazers a couple of ...The Magic lost at home to the Blazers a couple of nights ago, 122-119. Orlando’s starters were power forward Paolo Banchero (minus-3.3 for the season), point guard Markelle Fultz (minus-2.7), point guard Jalen Suggs (minus-1.4), small forward Franz Wagner (plus-0.5) and center Moritz Wagner (minus-0.8). Center Wendell Carter Jr. (minus-1.3) and shooting guard Gary Harris (minus-1.5) both have started a bunch of games for the Magic but are injured. Point guard Cole Anthony (minus-1.7), small forward Chuma Okeke (minus-3.9) and power forward Bol Bol (minus-2.0) also each average more than 20 minutes per game.<br /><br />Orlando’s head coach is Jamal Mosley, and the Magic employ an associate coach for player development (Lionel Chalmers), five assistant coaches and two strength-and-conditioning coaches.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-14211862859594317642023-03-07T14:26:37.978-05:002023-03-07T14:26:37.978-05:00Top 12 All-Time Magic, per Basketball Reference:
...Top 12 All-Time Magic, per <i>Basketball Reference</i>:<br /><br />1. Dwight Howard 87.5 WSs<br />2. Nick Anderson 52.9<br />3. Nikola Vučević 50.1<br />4. Shaquille O’Neal 48.3<br />5. Tracy McGrady 48.2<br />6. Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway 46.3<br />7. Jameer Nelson 43.0<br />8. Horace Grant 42.2<br />9. Darrell Armstrong 40.2<br />10. Hedo Türkoğlu 39.6<br />11. Dennis Scott 28.3<br />12. Rashard Lewis 27.4Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.com