The standards and expectations are getting higher and higher in the National Basketball Association. Just making the playoffs has become not good enough in order for head coaches to keep their job.
On Sunday the Brooklyn Nets fired head coach P.J. Carlesimo, despite the fact the Nets qualified for the postseason and the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference.
Carlesimo becomes the second head coach this season to take his team to the playoffs and then to find out he would be out of a job once his team was eliminated. Last week the Milwaukee Bucks fired Jim Boylan after the Bucks were swept by the Miami Heat.
The Edmonton Oil Kings are one win away from returning to the Western Hockey League’s Championship Final. On Sunday, the Oil Kings will play the Calgary Hitmen at the Scotiabank Saddledome in game six of the Eastern Conference Final, leading the series 3-2.
On Friday night in Edmonton, the Oil Kings had a similar start in game five of the series to what they had in game four. Complete dominance. The Oil Kings scored three first period goals en route to a 5-1 victory. Game six can be seen on Sunday afternoon on Shaw at 4:00 p.m.
The 2013 NBA Playoffs opened on Saturday with the favourites winning all eight matchups.
In fact, many of the games weren’t even close. The best game of the weekend was Saturday in Denver, where the Nuggets got a late basket from veteran guard Andre Miller en route to a 97-95 win over Golden State. However even though the Warriors played the Nuggets tight, it is going to be tough for them to be competitive in the series because one of their key players, David Lee, who led the NBA in double doubles this season, severely injured his hip and will be out for the playoffs.
It was also a great weekend for role players on the favourites. Former Toronto Raptor Matthew Bonner recorded 10 points in San Antonio’s 91-79 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, while tattoo artist Kenyon Martin scored 10 key points for New York in their 85-78 win over Boston.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder won with ease.
This week on the show we’re talking World Juniors, the NHL lockout (of course!), Adrian Peterson’s big season & we take a look at Wildcard Weekend in the NFL.
In the GABBYs: The London Knights, the LA Clippers, Adrian Peterson, US customs, the Atlanta Braves & Avery Johnson. The Punchline this week is the Memphis Grizzlies!
I understand head coaches are fired in professional sports. It is simply part of the business.
But I don’t completely understand the firing of Avery Johnson this week. Johnson, was 14-14 as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets this season. Not outstanding. But respectable. They are good enough to be in the playoffs, as the Nets are currently seventh in the East.
Nets management were simply impatient here. Decisions made in professional sports take the “what have you done for me lately?” approach and it simply isn’t right. I know the Nets have lost 10 of 13 games this month, but Johnson was the NBA coach of the month for November as the Nets went 11-4.
Johnson has also been a former NBA coach of the year and taken the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals. He simply has had much better coaching success and resume than incoming coach P.J. Carlesimo.
The 2012-13 NBA season starts Tuesday. Yes, I know the Los Angeles Lakers now have Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, the Miami Heat have Ray Allen and the Toronto Raptors have Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields, but I think it is time to look at other significant off-season moves in the offseason.
The Dallas Mavericks have changed their roster significantly, and got younger in the process. In are German center Chris Kaman (from New Orleans), shooting guard O.J. Mayo (from Memphis) and point guard Darren Collison (from Indiana). All three averaged in double digits in scoring. Out meanwhile are Jason Kidd (New York) and Jason Terry (Boston).
Another team that has a completely different look are the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are gambling on Russian forward Andrei Kirilenko from Utah (11.7 ppg) and Brandon Roy from Portland who is coming out of retirement at the age of 28.
The New York Islanders appear to be moving in with the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center for the 2015-16 National Hockey League season.
The Islanders signed a 25 year lease to play in the building according to TSN.
With the Islanders making the decision to move to Brooklyn, this will make Rexall Place in Edmonton the oldest building in the National Hockey League. It will be interesting if this decision will put greater pressure on Edmonton city council members to get a deal done with owner Darryl Katz and vice versa.
Last week Katz did not attend a city council meeting at the request of Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel. Katz has requested for more financial help, but according to Mandel, has not given the city of Edmonton an explanation for the reasons why.
The Brooklyn Nets could raise some serious eyebrows in the NBA’s Eastern Conference this season.
Earlier in the week they acquired guard Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks and re-signed point guard Deron Williams to a five year deal worth $98 million.
Contracts cannot be confirmed until July 11, but this move by the Nets is basically signed and sealed.
The Nets have a new look this season. No longer in New Jersey, they are making some noise and are the front runner in acquiring the disgruntled all-star Dwight Howard.
But with the New York Knicks losing the Steve Nash sweepstakes to the Los Angeles Lakers, don’t be surprised if they get back into the discussions in acquiring a high profile player before October.
This week on the show, we look at the tragic death of former NFL star Junior Seau and the latest bounty suspensions from that league, as well as news from the NHL that Raffi Torres is appealing his lengthy suspension. We also look at the situation in the Nashville Predators camp, along with speculation that the NY Islanders might soon have a new home.
In the GABBYs: Leo Messi, Jose Mourinho, Jered Weaver, the NY Knicks, the Montreal Canadiens and Jeremy Affeldt. The Punchline this week is, once again, the Charlotte Bobcats!
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