Give and Go
By Erie Times-News Sports Erie Times-New staff bloggers
The Erie Times-News sports staff delivers in-depth coverage of the Erie BayHawks and pro and college basketball   Read more about this blog.
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Posts tagged ‘Tony Parker’
Posted: June 12th, 2012

Has the time come for 3-time MVP LeBron James to win his first R-I-N-G? OKC doesn't think so./AP Photo.

Got to stick my with pick.

Before the season started, I picked the Miami Heat as one of the five favorites to win it all.

Before the NBA playoffs, I picked them to win it all.

Now with Game 1 of the NBA Finals about to start in a few hours, the Heat are right where they’re supposed to be, but face the team I picked they’d meet in the finals – the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Oh boy.

The Thunder are serious, folks.

They play fast, can score as will, defend the paint and their Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden are not only shot makers, but shot takers.

None of them are afraid to launch when all is on the line.

It’s hard to beat a team like that.

The Heat have the team to do it, but are they up to the challenge?

This isn’t the New York Knicks, who had talent, but couldn’t put it together in time to really challenge them.

This isn’t the Indiana Pacers, who although physical and tough, lacked the experience to put a team way.

This isn’t the Boston Celtics, who are savvy vets that ran out of gas.

This is Oklahoma City. The Thunder have the NBA’s best fans, just beat the league’s best team in San Antonio four straight times after the Spurs had won 20 games in a row.

However, this is LeBron James’ time.

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Posted in: NBA, New York Knicks
Posted: May 22nd, 2012

Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs have won 18 consecutive games. Will the Thunder challenge them?/AP

18 wins in a row. The San Antonio Spurs are rolling.

Unbeaten in this year’s NBA playoffs, the Spurs swept the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers to reach the Western Conference finals. They’ve been unstoppable.

They haven’t been tested, either, but that’s all about to change Sunday.

Here come the Thunder. The Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs have the best team, but the Thunder have the two best players in the series in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in James Harden.

So make no mistake. The Spurs will lose a game in this series, but will they lose the series?

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Posted in: NBA
Posted: May 15th, 2012

San Antonio's Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich may be the NBA's best point guard-coach duo./AP Photo

The debate is finally going to be settled where it should be settled – on the court.

Chris Paul and Tony Parker are considered two of the top five point guards in the NBA along with Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo.

Some say they’re the top two. They’re generals in their own way.

Paul leads and motivates the Los Angeles Clippers with an iron hand, is the mayor of Lob City and closes games with great decision making and precision.

Parker leads and motivates the San Antonio Spurs with flair and creativity, gets to the rim at will and leads an offense that is arguably the most potent in the NBA.

The question is which one will do more to help their team get one step closer to the NBA Finals?

Will that ultimately determine who’s better? No, but people can use the results of this series as a barometer to pick one over the other.

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Posted in: NBA
Posted: April 27th, 2012

(1). San Antonio Spurs (50-16)

1st round foe: (8) Utah Jazz (36-30)

Biggest concern vs. Jazz: With big boys Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, Utah can cause the Spurs problems in the paint.

Last 10: 10-0 (Won 10)

Strengths: The hottest team in the NBA, the Spurs have great chemistry, Tony Parker is playing at a very high level and they’ve got one of game’s best coaches in Gregg Popovich.

Weaknesses: Still wondering if this regular-season success is a product of the schedule? Are they really as good as they appear to be? What happens if Parker gets in foul trouble early?

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Posted in: NBA
Posted: May 9th, 2010

The Orlando Magic are the only team that hasn't lost a game in this year's NBA playoffs.

Well, let me rephrase that.

The Orlando Magic are looking very strong.

They’re 7-0 in the playoffs and just taking Atlanta to the cleaners. Hard to gauge their wins against Atlanta because the Hawks are so disoriented, but Orlando has something to do with that.

After winning Game 3 by 30 points on Saturday, Orlando will close out its Eastern Conference series against the Hawks on Monday in Game 4.

Dwight Howard seems to have adjusted to the fouls, but what’s great about the Magic is they’ve got five guys who can get 20 points at any time.

Hard to guard a team like that. The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to have their hands full with the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals.

I know. I know.

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Posted in: NBA
Posted: March 11th, 2010

Here's Mike Sweetney in this season's training camp with the Boston Celtics.

I saw this guy when he was at Georgetown years ago when I was a beat writer for The Dominion Post in Morgantown, W.Va.

Big wide body. Space eater. Score a ton (seventh on Georgetown’s all-time career scoring list at 1,750 points).

Michael Sweetney was an effective college player, but after being the ninth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, his pro career fizzled. Sweetney only averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 boards in 233 games and with two teams in the Knicks and the Chicago Bulls.

Now he’s going to attempt to rekindle his career in the D-League.

Hmmmm.

The BayHawks are filling the roster void left by rookie point guard Cedric Jackson, who signed a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week.

Since All-Star point guard Tony Parker will be out six weeks with a broken right  hand for the Spurs, San Antonio will likely keep Jackson for at least two 10-day contracts and might keep him for the remainder of the season.

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Posted: November 6th, 2009
lebron-vs-kobe

Instead of NYC, columnist Sam Smith believes LeBron may join Kobe Bryant in L.A.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers playing at the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden tonight on ESPN (8 p.m.), it gives reason to discuss the possibility of LeBron James playing for the Knicks or the New Jersey Nets after this season.

James will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Just for argument sake, check out Sam Smith’s column on the idea that James may head to Los Angeles to join Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

Now, the question isn’t will or will he not go. It’s more of should he go.

My take?

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Posted: October 26th, 2009
gilbert-arenas

Will Gilbert Arenas, right, return to the form when he was one the most feared players in the NBA?

I can be kind of quirky sometimes.

It’s rare, but when I’m in this sort of state, I think of some crazy things.

Here’s a few of those thoughts heading into the 2009-10 NBA season.

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Posted in: NBA, NBA fix

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