Vinny Del Negro fired as coach of Los Angeles Clippers

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Vinny Del NegroVinny Del Negro fired as coach of Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers have fired Vinny Del Negro from being their head coach, according to sources.

After coaching the Clippers to one of their best NBA seasons in the franchise’s history, Los Angeles decided not to offer Del Negro a new contract. His current contract expires on June 30th.

Del Negro and the Clippers won 56 games this season, which is a franchise record, on top of winning the Pacific Division title.

With that said, the L.A. Clippers were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies during the first round of the NBA playoffs, losing 4-2 after winning the first two games at home.

Vinny Del Negro had a record of 128-102 during his three seasons as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, and has a 210-184 career record as a head coach in the NBA.

Dwight Howard frustrated with Mike D’Antoni

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Dwight HowardDwight Howard frustrated with Mike D’Antoni

The Dwight Howard saga seems to be endless. After many reports that the seven-time All-Star center wants to explore his options during the summer free agency, new reports state that he showed his frustration towards the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Mike D’Antoni.

This is yet another addition to the drama season the Lakers had this year, with the constant injuries that loomed over the team and the early Playoff exit.

Many times LA has expressed its strong will to keep Howard in Los Angeles, but with him hitting the free agency this summer things could get tricky for the team.

The problem that Dwight Howard seems to have with the Lakers Head Coach is regarding who is the team’s alpha-dog. As reported, Howard expressed his frustration to the team’s general manager, Mitch Kupchak, saying that D’Antoni turned mostly to Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant when it comes to the leadership of the team. As he has proved in his nine-year NBA career, he always wants to keep the flashing lights on him, regardless of the result.

That was the story during his Orlando Magic days, when Coach Stan Van Gundy was then in the position D’Antoni currently is. Especially now, that the Lakers have lots of star power in their arsenal, Howard’s importance gets divided. Nevertheless, that’s the fact that bothered him. Arriving in LA last summer, Dwight was expected to be the next big thing for the Lakers and put the team on his shoulders, leading the way as they’ll gradually enter the post-Kobe era. Now his future with the Lakers is under question.

After the bad twist in his relationship with the Orlando Magic, everyone believed that the City of Angels would be the ideal destination for him. Apart from the Lakers fans and team officials, the whole NBA world welcomed the movement that was supposed to put an end to the constant talks about Howard’s future. Playing alongside superstars Kobe and Nash and having another quality big man in the team, in Pau Gasol, the Lakers looked unbeatable on paper prior to the start of the season. Nonetheless, reality proved to be drastically different and now the team faces another challenge in regards to its formation.

The Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks are waiting right in the corner for Howard to become available. According to many reports, they are the top contenders for him, of course together with the Lakers.

Under the current circumstances, it won’t be that easy for LA to keep D-12 on their roster. Despite the fact that they can offer a greatly better contract for him than all the other destination teams, Howard’s wills and also his character could stand in the way to him resigning with his current team.

The recent dissatisfaction of Howard with D’Antoni’s choices adds up another headache for the team officials.

Surely, whatever his final choice this summer might be, it will get to the headlines of every NBA media and it will draw much attention from the whole sports world. Which is the right choice for him? That might be an answer only Dwight Howard knows better.

Talking First Round Picks: Kevin Love Still a Monster

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Talking First Round Picks: Kevin Love Still a Monster

Playoff basketball is plenty exciting, but watching players excel in the postseason gets me pumped for one thing: next year’s fantasy basketball draft.  As we sit there and analyze how players’ roles change from game to game, we realize there is no immediate fantasy repercussions.  It is a sad realization that the start of the next fantasy basketball season is nearly six months away.  Well, I am here to get the conversation started on who to take when your pick comes around in October.

The National Basketball Association saw new stars take center stage this past season. There will be many new faces in the first round of fantasy drafts next year.  Of all the changes that will come in the first round, the top two will not be among those.  LeBron James and Kevin Durant began the 2012-2013 season as the best two fantasy players and proved that they belong there.  Others, like James Harden and Paul George, earned their stripes this year with their first truly monster seasons.  With all that said, I have ranked who I would take with every pick of the first round in a ten team fantasy basketball league.  I have based my picks on rotisserie scoring based on eight categories: PTS, 3PM, FG%, FT%, REB, AST, STL, and BLK.  For the record, format is key to how you draft.  In head-to-head formats, my rankings would be much different.  As long as we are talking first round picks, though, here is how I would make each pick next year if I had it:

  1. LeBron James
  2. Kevin Durant
  3. Kevin Love
  4. Chris Paul
  5. James Harden
  6. Paul George
  7. Derrick Rose
  8. Stephen Curry
  9. Marc Gasol
  10. LaMarcus Aldridge

I know what you are thinking: what is going on with these rankings?  They are way out there!  Yes they are, but there is a method behind the madness.  Let me defend my picks that are outside the box:

Kevin Love - As will be the theme of this article, I will be targeting elite big men in the first round of any fantasy draft next season.  Why, you ask?  In my book, there are 14 NBA point guards that are fantasy studs.  If I miss on Stephen Curry or Russell Westbrook, how much do I really lose by getting Damian Lillard or John Wall a round later?  Next year, I want players that have special skills in the first round because I know I will be able to find point guard stats later.  While Kevin Love missed a lot of the year with a fractured hand, he should be fully healed by next season.  I know he was frustrating this year especially because his injury stemmed from knuckle push-ups in the preseason.  However, when healthy, there is no questioning Love’s elite skills.  Not only is a healthy Kevin Love a threat for the NBA rebounds lead, but he shoots a healthy amount of threes.  Why wouldn’t he? He won the 2012 NBA three point contest over the NBA’s best lights out shooters such as Ryan Anderson.  At no point this season was Kevin Love even close to healthy, and he still put up a 18/14 double double line nightly.  Assuming he comes into next year 100%, I don’t see why he can’t come closer to his 2011-2012 production. If you are talking first round picks, would you take 26 PPG, 13 REB, and 2 AST with almost 2 3PM?  Yes you would, and you would take that production over almost any other players’.  Take the guy with an elite, unusual skill over top point guards.  You will like your point guard just fine in round two to go along with your fantasy beast, Kevin Love, in the first round.

Derrick Rose - See http://www.fantasybasketballmoneyleagues.com/point-guards/

Marc Gasol - Marc Gasol over Kobe Bryant or Russell Westbrook?  Are you insane? Maybe, but that’s not the point.  My argument is that Kobe and Russell Westbrook are obviously great players, but their greatest assets is their scoring.  Scoring is the easiest category to find in fantasy basketball.  While the scorers are the ones who get all the publicity, they are not the ones who win you fantasy championships.  You need players who do the dirty work and fill up box scores.  Marc Gasol will certainly do that for your fantasy team.  There were only five players in basketball who averaged at least 1.5 BLK and 1.0 STL in 2012: Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, Josh Smith, Andre Drummond and Gasol.  Of those players, Gasol is the only over to average over 75.1% FT.  In fact, if you take out Noah, the highest FT% of the other three was 51.7%.  Gasol accomplished this feat while averaging 49.4% FG and a whopping 84.8% FT.  Clearly he has a fantasy friendly game, but we haven’t even gotten to his best fantasy asset: his passing.  In ESPN fantasy leagues, Gasol finshed second in assists for all players who qualified at the center position.  Coincidentally, only Pau Gasol averaged more assists than Marc.  With great percentages, elite assist totals, and the defensive stats, all he needs to do is not hurt you in the scoring/rebounding categories.  He absolutely does not.  While I would like more than 14.1 PPG and 7.8 REB, his well balanced game is enough to justify talking about him as a first round pick.  If you can get him and Westbrook or John Wall with your first two picks, then you are doing just fine.

LaMarcus Aldridge - Elite skills in unusual places: the theme of my article.  When talking first round picks, I want a guy that excels in statistics that most others at his position don’t. Aldridge has a unique skill set mix of: elite amount of points at a high percentage, great FT%, above average rebounding, and over a block per game.  Can you name all the players in the NBA last year that averaged 20+ PPG and 1+ BLK?  Well, can you?  Alright, well here’s the answer: one.  Only Aldridge accomplished this feat which shows how unique his game actually is.  Like I have ranted about all article, I don’t mind taking second and third round point guards.  I have said before that I think John Wall is almost the exact same thing as Russell Westbrook so why would I reach on a player like that?  I only want point guards with special skills like CP3, Rose and Steph Curry.  In fact, this is why I ranked Westbrook and Irving over Curry in my last article, but would take Curry higher.  It’s because he can do things others can’t. Give me a unique PG, otherwise,  I want the guy who will combine percentages, points and blocks like nobody else.  Having big men that don’t kill your free throw percentage is a big advantage that most don’t realize.  Hence why I have three big men in the top ten that hit their free throws.

Let me know what you think of arguments for first round rankings by commenting on this article or hitting me up on Twitter.

Author: Ricky Sanders, @RSanders85

Can the Grizzlies fight their way back against the Spurs?

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GrizzliesCan the Grizzlies fight their way back against the Spurs?

The Memphis Grizzlies got smashed last night by the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. They got outscored, they looked like they lacked energy and generally resembled a team that doesn’t have the stature to beat the Playoff-tested and Championship-hearted Spurs. However, throughout the year, the Grizzlies have shown some signs of a team with great potential and the ability to stand firm against any opponent.

Although their first matchup against the four-time Champions might have ended with the Grizzlies suffering a devastating loss, they’ve proved that they are a team that knows how to make impressive comebacks happen. So there should be no rush writing them off just yet.

Despite their minor Playoff experience, at least in comparison to San Antonio, the Grizzlies have shown that they are made of metal. After trailing 0-2 in their first round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, they turned the series around with four consecutive wins, knocking out one of the title favorites from the first round. Then again, they managed to beat Kevin Durant and the Westbrook-less Oklahoma City Thunder in five games.

Well the answer might be obvious. They should get their frontcourt duo going.

There is no way you can win in a Conference Finals series against this San Antonio team, when your leader in scoring, Zach Randolph, is having the worst game of his playoff career. Of course, a playoff franchise record for most three-pointers from the opposing team only makes things worse.

Nonetheless, the Grizzlies do have the bodies to hold off the penetrations of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. What they should do is tighten up their defense. The Spurs are a great team shooting from beyond the arc and they will exploit every single open look they are given. Because of the ability of nearly every player in the roster to knock down a three, Memphis’ big men will have to adjust to the role of stretching the defense close to the arc.

Tony Parker will most likely be Tony Parker in a Playoff situation, and Tim Duncan will also provide a great boost inside. What the Grizzlies will have to pay attention to is limiting easy hoops from their opponents. There is no excuse when an opposing guard gets an easy layup against a set defense. Of course Mike Conley has a tough challenge trying to defend Parker. But with the assistance of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, they should adjust their pick and roll defense and effectively close down the lanes.

The offense will come for Z-Bo and for every other quality player Memphis possesses. Despite the fact that the most efficient player in scoring was Quincy Pondexter off the bench, the starters, and especially Z-Bo, should get back to normal in Game 2.

When the Grizzlies reach their surprisingly high level of performance, they are able to beat almost any team in the league, including the Spurs. So the question for the next games of the series is whether or not Lionel Hollins’ team will get back on its feet and reach its relentless level of play.

Expect Dwight Howard to entertain multiple destinations this Summer

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Dwight HowardExpect Dwight Howard to entertain multiple destinations this Summer

If you are tired of hearing about Dwight Howard and where he may be playing next NBA season, you may want to consider living in a cave for the entire offseason.

According to sources, the soon to be free agent superstar will not re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers immediately…shocking I know! Instead, he plans to “explore all options.”

And with that said, let the “Summer of Dwight” begin.

A lot of NBA fans quickly were fed up with the off-the-court antics of Howard while he played for the Orlando Magic. He continuously went back and forth, like an exhausting see-saw, between wanting to stay and wanting out. Once he was traded to the Lakers, after signing a one-year deal with the Magic, everyone thought the media circus surrounding his decision was finally over.

Well, think again. Only one year removed from the trade to L.A., the circus is back on.

This is not to suggest that Dwight Howard is not worth all the attention.

Despite entering last season while coming off of major back surgery and never looking 100% like himself, Howard still posted averages of 17.1 points and a league-leading 12.4 rebounds per contest. He also shot 57.8 from the field and recorded 2.4 blocks per game.

Dwight HowardWhen on the court, Los Angeles put up over three points per 100 possessions more than when he wasn’t on the court.

Even though it seemed to be a down year, Howard, who is only 27 years of age, still showed why he is considered one of the most dominating low post presences in the NBA.

And because of that, the interest that will surround him once July 1st rolls around, which is when free agency will begin, will still be off the charts.

Reportedly the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, which both attempted vigorously to land the big man while he was available on the trade block last offseason, will undoubtedly be contending for Howard’s services again this offseason. The Atlanta Hawks are another team that will be clearing a lot of cap space to make room for a player like Dwight Howard.

However, most likely the Los Angeles Lakers will have the advantage above all the rest, mainly due to the fact they will be able to offer Howard more money and more years under the new 2011 collective bargaining agreement. Of course that is only if the superstar center is ultimately seeking that.

Any ways, however you slice it, there will be great anticipation all Summer long as to where Howard will ultimately decide to sign.

Unfortunately for those sick and tired of hearing about Dwight Howard and his decision on his future, it doesn’t look like any questions will be answered anytime soon, which means the madness lives on.

San Antonio Spurs roll Memphis Grizzlies and take 1-0 series lead

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San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs roll Memphis Grizzlies and take 1-0 series lead

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker scored a game-high 20 points while dishing out nine assists, and Kawhi Leonard put up 18 points to lead their team to a blowout win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of their NBA playoffs series by the score of 105-83 Sunday.

San Antonio was determined to avoid having a repeat performance of when they loss Game 1 the last time these two teams met in the first round of the NBA playoffs two years ago. The No. 8 seed Grizzlies eliminated the No. 1 seed Spurs out of the postseason that time.

This time, the Spurs got off to a fast start, leading by 17 points at the end of the first quarter. Then, when the Grizzlies rallied to cut the lead to six points during the second half, San Antonio was able fend it off and run away with the victory. The game got so out of hand, that both teams ended up sitting their starters with over five minutes remaining, as the Spurs held a 21-point lead.

Quincy Pondexter scored a team-high 17 points for the Grizzlies, but Memphis’ All-Star forward Zach Randolph failed to connect on his first seven shot attempts and ended up scoring just two points, which came off a tip-in with 9:26 remaining in the game.

The Memphis Grizzlies defense, which ranked No. 1 in the league in terms of points allowed during the regular season, was not playing at the level we have grown accustomed to seeing. They allowed San Antonio to shoot 53 percent from the field, which included a franchise NBA playoffs record 14 made three-pointers, while Randolph, one of the Grizzlies’ primary offensive threats, struggled throughout the game. Z-Bo was a complete non-factor versus the Spurs, after putting up a playoff career-best 28 points and 14 boards during Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is when the Grizzlies closed out their Western Conference semifinals series back on Wednesday night.

The San Antonio Spurs will look to go up 2-0 in Game 2, which will be played on Tuesday night.

2013 Eastern Conference Finals, who has the edge, Miami or Indiana?

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indianavsmiami2013 Eastern Conference Finals, who has the edge, Miami or Indiana?

After last season’s Semifinals meeting, the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers will face each other again, but this time in the Eastern Conference Finals. Let’s analyze which team has more chances to advance and play for a Championship ring in the NBA Finals.

First of all, there is no doubt that the Heat are considered as the strong favorites. They are the defending Champions, they do have the reigning MVP of the regular season on their roster in the name of LeBron James and their arsenal consists of better players than last year. The off and mid-season acquisitions of Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and Chris Andersen came to fill almost every hole the Heat team seemed to have. Even the second-year Norris Cole has uplifted his performance and provides a great spark off the bench, many times playing starter minutes. Apart from Dwyane Wade, who appeared to be not at 100%, due to a right knee injury, the rest of the crew is just doing what they are best at, each one on it’s field of expertise.

That’s the reason why we witnessed the Miami Heat setting a new franchise record for most wins in a regular season and also recording the second longest winning streak in the history of the NBA, with 27 in a row. They are the best team in the league in transition, with two of the top finishers in the league, LeBron and Wade, being close to unstoppable on the break. Points off their opponents’ turnovers are a big part of the Heat’s game. They also ranked second in three point percentage this season. Many times the only option of their opponents was to just pick their poison. So what’s Miami’s vulnerability?

Inside presence.

That’s where the Indiana Pacers can work their magic. After all, their big men played a significant role in their two wins this regular season against the Heat. Roy Hibbert and David West acted like a barricade against Miami’s penetrators. They also exploited the Heat’s defense, especially when Miami plays Shane Battier at the stretch-four position.

What Indiana’s Head Coach Frank Vogel has achieved is to build a great ensemble of talented players who work as a unit and complete each other. Considering that they play without the All-Star Danny Granger, they still have the power and strength to look Miami straight in the eye and fight for the ticket to the NBA Finals.

Rebounding will also play a big role in the outcome of this series. Indiana seems to have the edge because of their frontcourt supremacy. However, Miami is a team that collectively fights for a board and there were numerous times where we’ve seen LeBron leading his team in this stat category.

Of course, another key to the series will be containing The King. Following his almost unreal regular season numbers, LeBron has continued to lead his team in the NBA Playoffs. His matchup against Paul George will be crucial and could turn the balance in favor of one team or the other.

The Miami Heat are entering the series having the upper hand and of course the home court advantage. Nonetheless, the underdog Indiana Pacers have a great chance to redeem themselves during this Eastern Conference Finals and prove that they’ve grown up and learned their lesson since their previous postseason meeting last season.

Indiana Pacers knockout New York Knicks despite Melo’s 39 points

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Indiana PacersIndiana Pacers knockout New York Knicks despite Melo’s 39 points

Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson put up 25 points, which is a postseason career-high for him, including nine coming in an 11-2 late run to lead his team over the New York Knicks by the score of 106-99 Saturday night. With the win, the Pacers eliminated the Knicks 4-2 in their NBA playoffs series and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, which is the first time the franchise has reached this point since 2004.

Stephenson, who happens to be a New York native, also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out three assists for Indiana. The Pacers were also boosted by the return of starting point guard George Hill, who was forced to sit out of Game 5 due to a concussion. Hill finished with 12 points.

The rest of the Indiana Pacers starters played very well also. Paul George scored 23 points, David West had 17 points and Roy Hibbert posted a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Carmelo Anthony ended up with 39 points, while Iman Shumpert added 19 points for the New York Knicks in Game 6.

The Indiana Pacers improved to 6-0 at home during this postseason. Next up for Indiana is a rematch with the Miami Heat, which is the team that eliminated the Pacers last NBA season in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 will be played in Miami on Wednesday night.

Ranking Point Guards: Who Takes the Next Step?

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Point GuardsRanking Point Guards: Who Takes the Next Step?

The National Basketball Association is a point guards driven league these days. Since there are so many outstanding ball handlers in today’s game, it is tough to distinguish who reigns supreme in the point guard hierarchy.  Do you prefer score first point guards or pure passers?  How much should you take scoring efficiency into play? Do you look for rebounds and defensive statistics from your smallest player? All these questions determine personal preference of which guard you want to draft for your fantasy basketball team.  In this article, I have ranked the top fifteen NBA point guards from a fantasy perspective for the 2013-2014 season.  I will highlight the guys that I believe I have a different perspective on from other experts.  Without further ado, this is how I go about ranking point guards from a fantasy perspective for next year:

  1. Chris Paul
  2. Derrick Rose
  3. Russell Westbrook
  4. Kyrie Irving
  5. Stephen Curry
  6. John Wall
  7. Jrue Holiday
  8. Rajon Rondo
  9. Damian Lillard
  10. Deron Williams
  11. Mike Conley
  12. Brandon Jennings
  13. Ty Lawson
  14. Goran Dragic
  15. Tony Parker

Highlights:

Derrick Rose: Chicago Bulls‘ nation and I could not be anymore disappointed with Derrick Rose after the lack of heart he showed this season.  Doctors cleared him to play two months before the shorthanded Bulls were knocked out of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.  With that being said, we are talking about fantasy basketball and not reality.  ”Heart” is not a category in rotisserie nor head-to-head leagues.  Next year, people may cite his extended absence as a reason to drop him in the rankings.  I am here to tell you that I absolutely would not.  Derrick Rose will have something to prove next year.  Already having won one MVP award, Rose should immediately return to the player he was in the 2011-2012 season.  In a Thibodeau run offense, Derrick Rose (and any PG) will have all kinds of freedom and encouragement to score the basketball.  In 2011, Rose averaged 25 PPG on 44.5% FG.  With Luol Deng a year older, Carlos Boozer in danger of being amnestied, and not much other scoring on the roster, I don’t see why Rose can’t repeat those numbers.  Along with elite scoring numbers, including 1.5 3PM and good FT%, Rose offers around 8 AST, 1 STL, and over a half a block per game.  As you’ll find out in my John Wall snippet, I love getting blocks from the guard position.  Taking all his numbers into consideration, you have an elite scoring point guard who also dishes out an upper-echelon amount of assists with other goodies.  Besides Chris Paul, there is no other point guard I would rather own than Derrick Rose.

Stephen Curry: Steph may be the toughest player to rank at the point guard position.  He is the true definition of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  The “Dr. Jekyll” version of Steph is as good as it gets.  Curry is the best shooter in the NBA: he made 59 more 3-pointers than any other player while shooting 45% from beyond the arc.  His percentage, while making 3.5 threes per game, was third in the NBA.  I cannot put into words how absolutely insane that is.  To take things to the next level, that is only where his fantasy value begins.  Curry also posted 23 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST, and 1.6 STL on a nightly basis this year.  Since the playoffs began, his AST total has actually risen to around 8 per game.  Oh, and naturally being a lights out shooter, he posts a super-elite free throw percentage.  So why is Stephen Curry not the number one player in fantasy basketball?  The answer can be summed up in one word: ankles (his Mr. Hyde).  Stephen Curry’s ankles are similar to Samuel L. Jackson’s character in the movie Unbreakable.  Anytime Samuel was barely touched, he would instantly break a bone or become severely injured.  Stephen Curry sprains his ankles more than Kendrick Perkins gives refs the stink eye.  It is reasons like this that makes ranking point guards so difficult.  I cannot trust Curry to play 82 games in a season.  He has only played 80 games one time in 4 years.  He sprained his ankle again a few games ago this postseason.  Only because of injury concern do I have him ranked at #5.  If you believe that he will stay healthy for all of next year, then you must take Steph Curry as the #1 PG off of the board.

John Wall: The title of my article includes “Who Takes the Next Step?” because I believe that player will be John Wall next year.  Ranking point guards was not an easy task because my love for John Wall wanted me to rank him ahead of everyone.  Wall, who began 2012 on the bench with a stress injury to his kneecap, saw his game take giant leaps this year.  By March, his game had fully returned because his health fully returned.  From that point on, he went nuts.  Here are his numbers for the last two months:

March: 22.1 PPG, 48.4% FG, 0.6 3PM, 82.6% FT, 4.8 REB, 8.1 AST, 1.8 STL, 0.6 BLK        April: 23.9 PPG, 43.5% FG, 0.1 3PM, 75.0% FT, 4.8 REB, 7.3 AST, 1.2 STL, 0.9 BLK

Wall produces in all nine fantasy basketball standard categories. His elite scoring numbers and upper echelon assist numbers speak for themselves. The category I want to really examine is the blocks.  His last two season per-average totals were 0.9 BLK and 0.8 BLK.  It might surprise you, but he averaged more blocks per game than DeMarcus Cousins, Shawn Marion, Greg Monroe and Gerald Wallace this year.  If you draft John Wall, it gives you the freedom to take one less blocking big man.  Instead of wasting big money on a one category player such as JaVale McGee, you now have the freedom to go for well rounded big men such as Zach Randolph.  With those kind of big man numbers, along with his big rebounding numbers for a point, he offers sneaky value and roster flexibility.  I also think if the Wizards fill another team hole with the draft, there is no reason to believe his assists cannot go up also.  With better team scoring, his efficiency should stay above the 43.5% he posted in April.  He also will continue to work on bettering his shot including long range (three pointers).  I don’t believe that Wall’s price tag will be as high as the other point guard elites even though his stat line is more well rounded. When ranking point guards, most will have him around PG #10 on their boards.  Therefore, in an auction league, I think Wall is a must-buy.

Ty Lawson: I admittedly may be as low as any analyst on Ty Lawson.  Entering this draft, I saw him go as high as #4 at the point guard position.  With the addition of Andre Iguodala, I  was always worried about his assist numbers coming to an elite level.  Don’t believe me?  Look at Jrue Holiday’s numbers this year once Iguodala left.  Holiday’s assists went from 4.5 in 2011 to 8.0 in 2012.  Having foresight can be key to ranking point guards, and I don’t see Lawson having much upside.  In back to back years, his numbers have been almost identical. In fact, in 2012, his numbers plateaued across the board with his efficiencies actually going down.  Masai Ujiri, the Denver Nuggets‘ GM, won GM of the year this year.  I think because of that, he will not change up much with this organization going into next year.  He and the organization believe they are on the right path so they will continue to structure the roster similarly to this year.  With no major changes in sight, I continue to value Lawson the exact same that I have for the last few years: a barely above average fantasy point guard.

Let me know what you think of my point guards rankings by commenting on this article or hitting me up on Twitter.

Author: Ricky Sanders, @RSanders85

Maloofs reach agreement, sell Sacramento Kings for record $535 million

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Sacramento KingsMaloofs reach agreement, sell Sacramento Kings for record $535 million

One of the longest serials in NBA history, regarding the sale of a team, has finally reached it’s end. The Maloof family, owners of the Sacramento Kings, has come to an agreement to sell the team to a group of investors led by the technology mogul Vivek Ranadive. According to multiple sources, the purchase amount will be $535 million, which will set an NBA record.

The sale completes a big circle of negotiations and speculations regarding the ownership and the future of the Kings, and also its final location. As reported, the Maloof family had previously agreed with another group of investors, led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen, in a deal worth $525. However, Hansen’s intention to move the team to Seattle was rejected by the board of NBA team owners. With 22 votes against and only 8 for, and with the urge of the NBA to keep the franchise in Sacramento, that agreement was quickly called off.

In fact, Hansen’s plan to bring the NBA back to Seattle awakened the local basketball community and the fans, who got excited and eagerly awaited for the latest updates. After all, Seattle is a well-known basketball city and the legendary Supersonics were one of the top teams in the NBA with lots of Hall of Famers passing from their roster. Hansen’s significant offer and his promises for a new arena brought hope to the city of Seattle.

Nonetheless, those plans for a brand new start for the franchise, which included a new arena and a general rebuild of the team, will occur in Sacramento. The city’s mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson committed to make strong efforts to keep the Kings in Sacramento, and his efforts succeeded. Now, the Sacramento group and the new ownership will have to work their way to fulfilling their promises and bring new life to the Sacramento Kings. Almost half of the amount that will be spent to build the new arena in the capital of California is projected to come from public resources.

The new owner, Vivek Ranadive is also a minor shareholder of the Golden State Warriors, and his share will have to be replaced in order for this deal to be completed. This shouldn’t take long to happen and the transaction should evolve smoothly. After all, NBA commissioner David Stern stays close to the transaction and will provide his assistance so the sale gets finalized without any problems.

Sacramento Kings fans can finally rejoice and be optimistic about the future of their favorite team. After many years of struggle, when the team not only failed to enter the Playoffs but also finished in the bottom places of the Western Conference, a new light of hope appeared on the horizon.

Hopefully, with a good team management and various off-season movements and acquisitions, the Sacramento Kings can return to a successful course, similar to the one they once had over a decade ago. The team currently has some talented young players to build around, however an addition of a star player could be next and really help the team move forward.