Posts Tagged ‘seattle supersonics’




Heat may be better in 2012-13

Wednesday, July 11th, 2012

Ray Allen (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

The Miami Heat were a great team in the National Basketball Association this past year. They may be even better next season.

On Wednesday, the Heat, the reigning NBA Champions, confirmed the acquisitions of Ray Allen from the Boston Celtics and Rashard Lewis from the New Orleans Hornets. Both are longtime veterans in the NBA and were teammates in Seattle from 2002-2007.

Allen will receive $3 million this season, while Lewis will receive $15 million.

Lewis was traded from Washington to New Orleans with a  second round draft pick for Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza on June 20, but Lewis was dropped from the Hornets ten days later as he was put on waivers.

Lewis had a career high 22.4 points with the Seattle Supersonics in 2007, but has seen his production drop over the years because of knee injuries.

Allen meanwhile was part of the big three in Boston alongside Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, and won an NBA Finals in 2008. Last season he averaged 14.2 points.

 

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Thunder advance to NBA Finals

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

Kevin Durant (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

The Oklahoma City Thunder are advancing to the NBA Finals after defeating the San Antonio Spurs 107-99 in game six of the Western Conference Finals.

Kevin Durant scored 34 points and recorded 14 rebounds.

The Thunder, like the Boston Celtics were once down 2-0 in the conference finals, but have roared back since. The Celtics can close out the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

The Spurs dominated the first half and the Thunder dominated the second half, outscoring the Spurs 59-36. The Thunder had four different players recording a key second half three point shot. Durant, Derek Fisher, Thabo Sefolosha and James Harden all scored key baskets from beyond the arc.

The Spurs meanwhile lost four consecutive games after winning twenty consecutive games. The Thunder meanwhile were 2-0 against the Celtics this year and 1-1 against the Heat.

This will be the fourth time in the history of the Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder that the franchise has advanced to the NBA Finals. Their only championship came in 1979 when they beat the Washington Bullets.

 

 

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Raptors name Casey head coach

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Dwane Casey (Bing Images)

The Toronto Raptors have found their replacement for Jay Triano.

On Tuesday, the Raptors will announce Dwane Casey as the eighth head coach in franchise history.

Casey spent last year as an assistant coach for the NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks. Considered a defensive minded specialist, Casey was credited for putting together outstanding creative schemes in limiting the offensive output by Miami Heat star LeBron James.

Casey does have some head coaching experience as well. From June 2005 to January 2007,  he was the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves and posted a record of 43-59.

Another reason Casey got a brownie point from General Manager Bryan Colangelo in my opinion, is because he knows the international game as well. Casey spent five years as a head coach in Japan before returning to the NBA where he spent eleven years in the Seattle Supersonics’ organization.

Colangelo is expected to keep P.J. Carlesimo as Casey’s assistant. Last year the Raptors had a disappointing 22-60 record, the third worst record in the entire NBA.

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Raptors won’t have Triano as head coach in 2011-12

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Jay Triano (Bing Images)

The Toronto Raptors won’t have Jay Triano as their head coach next season.

Triano will take on a new role as Special Assistant to Raptors’ President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo.

The Raptors were the third worst team in the NBA this season with a record of 22-60. Only the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-63) and Minnesota Timberwolves (17-65) were worse.

Triano, from Niagara Falls, Ontario, cannot be blamed exclusively for the Raptors’ downfall this season. The Raptors were not in a great position to win, having lost their best player, Chris Bosh to the Miami Heat last summer.

The Raptors were just not in a financial position to go on the free agent market and replace a player of Bosh’s talents last year.

Injuries were also a major factor. Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, Leandro Barbosa and Linas Kleiza all missed significant time due to various ailments.

(more…)

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