Let me preface this by saying I do not like the Pacers one bit.  I can honestly say the main reason I don’t like them is because of this man.

I like the rest of the players with a couple of exceptions and all in all they put together a solid season.  Danny Granger was supposed to be their best player but he only played 5 games for them this year.  The Granger injury kind of worked out for them because it gave Paul George the chance to become the man.  The Pacers are a tough team and they have 2 bigs down low who can really affect a game which will make them a tough out in the playoffs.

Paul George broke out in a major way this year.  I have always been a fan of his and I was happy to see him play the way he did.  George was the best player for them this year averaging 17 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.8 steals.  This kid has a great all around game and he is long and quick enough to guard most players on the floor.

The 2 bigs I referenced earlier are David West and Roy Hibbert and the Pacers made a big commitment to Hibbert.  They drastically overpaid him and this season he scored less points and grabbed less rebounds than he did last year.  His defense was legit and he averaged a monster 2.6 blocks per game.  David West had another solid season and they got some solid contributions from 2nd year player Lance Stephenson.  The Pacers have been slumping but luckily for them they drew the Atlanta Hawks in the first round which should be an easy win.

Chicago Bulls (45-37)

This was an absolutely insane year for us Bulls fans.  The Bulls had the best record in the NBA the 2 previous seasons and we entered into this one missing our best player.  I don’t want to spend a lot of time on here talking about Derrick Rose because that would detract from what the squad actually did this year.  Tom Thibodeau would not let this team quit and he would not let them feel bad for themselves.  I know Thibs won’t win coach of the year but he absolutely should.  Joakin Noah missed 16 games, Rip Hamilton missed 32 games, Deng missed 7, Boozer missed 3, Belinelli missed 9, Taj Gibson missed 17, Hinrich missed 22 games, and former MVP D Rose missed 82.  There were times when Thibs had to roll out lineups featuring guys like Nazr Mohammed, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Daequan Cook.  The only other coach who could make this work might be Greg Popovich, but Thibs did an amazing job.

It’s funny to say this but the MVP for the Bulls this year may be Carlos Boozer.  The Bulls really struggled to score this season but we were able to run our offense through Boozer.  He was healthy this year and finished as one of the league leaders in double-doubles.  Unfortunately a foot injury slowed down the tremendous season Joakim Noah was having, but not before he made his first All-Star team.  Noah worked on his game a lot over the off season and it really showed.  He set a career high in PPG (11.9), rebounds (11.1), blocks (2.1) and steals (1.2).

Lost in the Rose saga was the complete make over of the bench mob.  The Bulls lost Omer Asik, Kyle Korver, CJ Watson, John Lucas III, and Ronnie Brewer.  Management signed who they could find on the cheap because they did not look at this year as a championship year.  2 guys really shined from this group, Nate Robinson and Jimmy Butler.  Nate may be one of the most frustrating players to have on your squad, but the fact is he won a lot of games for the Bulls.  If he is hot than he is your favorite player and when he is bad, you’re cursing at the TV.  Nate had 12 games where he scored 20 points or more and we definitely got more out of him that anyone expected.

Jimmy Butler was fantastic for us this year.  He got a lot more playing time due to all of the injuries and he made the most of it.  Jimmy showed some promise on offense with an above average shot and an amazing leaping ability.  He also proved to be a big time defensive stopper.  Jimmy is very quick and athletic and he and Deng are capable of locking down your teams wing players.  As my guy Stacy King said, Jimmy Butler is hungry, he is going to work on his game and be even better next season.

Milwaukee Bucks (38-44)

The Bucks seem to be stuck in basketball purgatory.  They are not good enough to do anything in the post season and they are not bad enough to get a great draft pick.  They have to get out of this or they will be stuck kind of like the Atlanta Hawks.    As it stands right now they are in the 8th seed and will play the defending champion Miami Heat in the 1st round.

The Bucks have some solid pieces and they got a couple of great performances.  The Bucks traded Andrew Bogut for Monta Ellis at the end of last season and decided to roll with the small backcourt.  Ellis finished the season averaging 19 points, 6 assists, 4 boards, and 2 steals per game.  Ellis is a baller and is capable of taking over a game and if his running mate, Brandon Jennings, is hot at the same time then you better watch out.  The problem is these guys don’t mesh together, they are both high volume shooters and Jennings is just not a good shooter.  He can get hot and score in bunches but he is to inconsistent, he shot 39% this year and this is pathetic from your point guard.

Larry Sanders emerged this season as an elite shot blocker and a guy who can get you a double-double.  He averaged 2.8 blocks/game and if he could stay out of foul trouble this number could easily grow next season.

Detroit Pistons (29-53)

Not a good year for the Pistons, they got ravaged by good teams to the tune of a 6-39 record against teams above .500.  The good news for the Pistons is that they got it right on their 1st round pick of Andre Drummond.  He is still raw but he is crazy athletic and he finished the season very well averaging 11 points, 8 boards, 1 block and 1 steal over the last month.  The Pistons have a few good pieces but they are still missing a lot.

The Pistons were led this season by center Greg Monroe who had a solid season averaging 16 points, 9.6 boards, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.  Monroe has some skills and he and Drummond could end up being a force down low.  The Pistons seem to have a good start for big men but they are lacking in guard play and wing play.  Brandon Knight has been a disappointment and seems to be best know for getting dunked on.

The Pistons will need to draft well and I would look into trading Rodney Stuckey to a contender who needs a scoring punch off the bench.

Cleveland Cavaliers (24-58)

For a team that played terribly this season their seems to be a lot of optimism.  They have some solid players and a superstar in Kyrie Irving.  The fact remains that they still play no defense and their 2 best players can’t stay on the floor.

Kyrie Irving is legit and there is no question about that.  The questions I have for him are can he stay healthy and will he pass enough to be a true point guard.  The first question might be that he is simply an injury prone guy; he missed 70% of his freshman year at Duke, missed 15 games last year, and he missed 23 games this year.  The second is that he only averages 6 assists per game which is not enough, but good news is he is only 21 and immensely talented.

The Cavs got some nice contributions this year from 2nd year big Tristan Thompson and rookie Dion Waiters.  I like these 2 guys and they can be very solid players in the future.  The last guy I need to mention is Anderson Varejao, he was on his way to his best season scoring 14 points and grabbing 14 rebounds per game, then he got injured again.  He is another disappointing injury prone guy who has not played more than 31 games in the last 3 seasons, at least he has cool hair.

Since 2000, the Lions have had five head coaches. During that time, they’ve had one winning season and zero playoff wins.

Since 2000, the Pistons have had seven head coaches. During that time they won an NBA title and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals six consecutive years.

Anyone else see a problem here?

Lawrence Frank was fired today after two lackluster years coaching the Pistons. Frank is a good man and a good coach, but few tears are being shed for his ouster. It’s not like the Pistons just fired a coach who won a title and got to Game 7 of the Finals the following year (That’s right. They already did that with Larry Brown back in 2005. Oh well.)

Whoever gets the job next will be the eighth coach that the Pistons have employed since 2000. George Irvine. Rick Carlisle. Brown. Flip Saunders. Michael Curry. John Kuester. Frank.

It’s a lengthy list with some clear highs and deadly lows. But here’s the most amazing thing. During that same era, only the Oakland Raiders have employed more coaches or managers than the Pistons have in ALL of major sports. That’s staggering. Especially when you consider the fact that the Pistons were probably the second or third best team in the NBA over the previous decade (Spurs and Lakers were ahead of them. Who else?)

Coaching instability usually comes with losing teams to try to jumpstart a talented roster. This roster was talented for most of this era (thanks in large part to Joe Dumars). But they kept feeling the need to jumpstart the coaching job.

Granted, this is not all on Dumars. To be fair, the ouster of Brown and perhaps Carlisle rested more on the shoulders of owner Bill Davidson than in did on Dumars. And it’s clear now that current owner Tom Gores favored Frank over current Knicks head coach Mike Woodson (who was Dumars’ pick). But Dumars bears plenty of blame as well. The picks of Curry and Kuester made no sense. The Saunders hire was such a contrast to the hard-driving Brown that the team basically took over control at that point and never gave it back.

Dumars didn’t help either by empowering Rodney Stuckey to act like an NBA diva even though he never played close to that level. And while the Chauncey Billups-for-Allen Iverson trade was a calculated gamble. It clearly destroyed the once proud team and sabotaged the season for Curry before it had even gotten going.

Joe Dumars is one of the greatest Pistons ever. And he is the architect of one of the most unique title teams in modern NBA history. There were no superstars and no mega contracts. It was just a group of guys who played together the ‘right way’. He’s made some good picks (Greg Monroe, Tayshaun Prince, Andre Drummond) and some awful ones. He’s made a slew of very shrewd trades. And he’s made some horrific, cap-consuming signings. There is no doubt that the good outweighs the bad for the Dumars regime. But as he has said many times when he’s hired new coaches, sometimes it’s just time to go in a different direction.

This summer, the Pistons will search for a new head coach and will have a bunch of money to spend under the cap. Do you trust Dumars to do either one of these things well? The track record indicates that you shouldn’t. And I don’t either. Dumars should be a Piston for life. He just shouldn’t run the basketball operations any more.

The Pistons have fired head coach Lawrence Frank after two years and a 54-94 overall record with the team. (Allen Einstein/Getty Images)

The Pistons have fired coach Lawrence Frank after two years with the team, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein. The news did not come as a major surprise; Frank led the team to a 29-53 record this season (.354) and 25-41 mark last season (.379).

From the ESPN report:

A meeting Thursday with Pistons owner Tom Gores finally confirmed Frank’s ouster, after Gores offered very tepid public support of his coach when speaking to local reporters earlier this week.

The move is expected to be announced later Thursday.

Prior to the start of the season, Frank said he expected the young team to make the playoffs. They started the season 0-8 and finished in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

Following the team’s final game, a loss to the Nets, Frank admitted that the possibility of being fired was on his mind. From the ESPN report:

“Unfortunately, it’s been too long a talk for too long,” Frank told reporters Wednesday night. “It’s been going on for a while, so it’s not like this just jumped up and it’s news flash.

“Because you have to answer the question every day, it’s something you do give some thought to.”

“We thank Lawrence for his hard work and dedication, but we feel it is in the best interest of the franchise to make a change at this time,” said Dumars. “Decisions like this are never easy and we wish Lawrence well in the future.”

Frank, who was named head coach on August 3, 2011, tallied a regular-season record of 54-94 (.365) in two seasons with the Pistons.

Frank failed to make the playoffs in the two seasons he ran the team.

97.1 The Ticket’s Jamie Samuelsen Tweeted: “The next Pistons head coach will be the EIGHTH since 2000. That ties DP with the Raiders for MOST coaches in ALL major sports during era.”

Brooklyn Nets – Detroit Pistons 103-99
Charlotte Bobcats – Cleveland Cavaliers 105-98
Chicago Bulls – Washington Wizards 95-92
Dallas Mavericks – New Orleans Hornets 99-87
Denver Nuggets – Phoenix Suns 118-98
Indiana Pacers – Philadelphia 76ers 95-105
Los Angeles Lakers – Houston Rockets 99-95
Memphis Grizzlies – Utah Jazz 86-70
Miami Heat – Orlando Magic 105-93
New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks 98-92
Oklahoma City Thunder – Milwaukee Bucks 89-95
Portland Trail Blazers – Golden State Warriors 88-99
Sacramento Kings – Los Angeles Clippers 108-112
San Antonio Spurs – Minnesota Timberwolves 95-108
Toronto Raptors – Boston Celtics 114-90

  by  ctsnow 

1. Charlotte Bobcats: Nerlens Noel, PF/C, Kentucky

Once again the Bobcats are at the bottom of the pack. They were so bad that they would be better off with their 50 year old owner on the court, Michael Jordan. In my opinion Noel would be a perfect fit with the Cats. He has great upside to his game and is also only a freshman. Noel had his season destroyed when he tore his ACL against the Florida Gators. He has to have time to recover but when time comes Noel will be at the top of the charts.

2. Orlando Magic: Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas

The Magic have really struggled after the departure of Dwight Howard. I think McLemore would be just the man to turn this organization around. McLemore is not at his full potential yet but he will be there soon, and when he gets there he will be a huge star. If the Magic want to get back to the top they need to Draft Ben McLemore.

3. Phoenix Suns: Shabazz Muhammad, SG/SF, UCLA

The Suns have looked like a lost puppy after Steve Nash left to sign with the Lakers. They need some good play at the SG/SF position BIG TIME, and Muhammad will give you that. He was the top recruit going into college, but didn’t live up to all of his great expectations. I think it is because of his inexperience, but he has one year of college under the belt so I think he will be ready. Shabazz Muhammad can help bring the the Suns back to life.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a bright future with rising star Kyrie Irving. They have one star in Cleveland but it wouldn’t hurt to have another one. I think Otto Porter would complement the play of Kyrie Irving very well. If the Cavs pick up Porter they could be an unstoppable force.

5. New Orleans Hornets: Trey Burke, PG, Michigan 

Burke is the hottest name going into the draft, winning every single player of the year award possible. He has had many comparisons to Chris Paul, who used to be a Hornet. Once Paul left, New Orleans has really been in the bottom of the standings. They need a new Chris Paul, and Burke is the man to do it. In my opinion Burke is the best player going into the draft and loves the big moments. Burke is the best college player and he will be a huge name in a couple years in the NBA. Last year the Hornets picked center Anthony Davis number one overall and with Burke along side him the Hornets will be back in playoff contention, and maybe even title contention. The New Orleans Hornets need to draft Trey Burke.

6.  Detroit Pistons: Anthony Bennett, SF/PF, UNLV

The Pistons have a solid front-court but Bennett has too much talent to pass up. He’s very young but his talent makes him look like a fifth year senior. He is long and lengthy, can score inside, a solid shooter, and he is a threat from three point range. If the Pistons pass up Bennett they will make a big mistake.

7.  Sacramento Kings: Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana 

The Kings have had a rough year and the locker room has been dead. No one wants to give the ball up, there are some problems in California’s capital. Oladipo is the man to spark up the locker room in Sacramento. His electrifying game will get the bench up on their feet and brighten up the mood in Sacramento. The Kings should definitely draft Victor Oladipo.

8.  Washington Wizards: Jamaal Franklin, SG, San Diego State

The Nation’s capital hasn’t had a good season since they were the Bullets. Jamaal Franklin could get them out of the shadows though, he already did it to another program when he was at San Diego State so why can’t he turn the Wizards around? He is a lethal three point shooter and is automatic energy.  Jamaal Franklin would be a total steal.

9.  Minnesota Timberwolves: Michael Carter-Williams, G, Syracuse 

The T-Wolves looked like a playoff contender at the beginning of the year, but they slowly moved their way out of contention. They could use Carter-Williams. He is explosive, quick, and a good passer. He would a great back up for the always hurt Ricky Rubio.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Toronto): Glenn Robinson III, SF/PF, Michigan 

The Thunder have dominated the Western Conference, and they are my pick to win the NBA Finals this year. GR3 had a great freshman season with the Wolverines and has boosted his draft stock very high. He is a high flying explosive dunker that will always get the crowd roaring, and in OKC the crowd is already 100x louder then any other team. He has developed his three point shooting and is always a threat from mid-range. Robinson is still very young but playing behind superstar Kevin Durant will elevate his game. He will be a good back up at the small forward position, which they need and he will learn from Durant. I think Glenn Robinson III will be a future superstar in the association. The OKC Thunder wouldn’t want to miss out on Glenn Robinson III.

2) Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers - Indiana Pacers – favourite pick. Indiana holds a 2-1 season series lead over the 76ers following a 95-85 home victory on Dec. 14, an 88-69 road triumph on Feb. 6 and a 98-91 defeat at Philadelphia on March 16. The 76ers are 10-30 on the road and average a league-worst 93.0 points per game. The Indiana Pacers have clinched the third seed and would like 50 winning games.  Indiana committed a season-worst 26 turnovers in a 90-80 loss at New York on Sunday, which coach Frank Vogel attributed to general fatigue. “Got a couple of guys banged up and a couple of guys with dead legs,” Vogel told reporters following the loss.  I cannot see the Pacers doing much to win this one..rest and be competitive at most.  The 76ers may want to go out in a little style 76ers

3) Orlando Magic vs Miami Heat – Miami Heat -favourite pick. The Heat will rest its stars and give the supporting cast a chance to show their stuff.. again.  The data, points and differentials point to Miami taking this game offense and defence is the Heats for the air and ground game though the Magic have improved their ground game.  Heat 0.25

4) Washington Wizard vs Chicago Bulls – Washington Wizard longshot pick. I think the Bulls have more to play for given there position hopes are tied to a win.  The good thing is that the Bulls have the points, the ground and largely the air game in their favour. Washington recently has been strong in FG’s but I do not think i will be enough. Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah returned to the lineup on Monday for the Bulls. Chicago will finish either fifth or sixth and will finish the season against Washington. “We need a lot of energy late, and I told them I was going to play today,” Gibson said after the game. ”They had me on limited minutes, they had Jo on limited minutes, but we just wanted to be out there and really push the guys and know that we got to sharpen up. We got to get ready for the playoffs.” Bulls 0.25

5) Milwaukee Bucks vs Oklahoma City Thunder – Oklahoma City Thunder – favourite pick. Looks like Durant and the centre Perkins will be out.  There is little to play for today for the Thunder and the Bucks; the Bucks are in the finals and have nothing to gain by pushing. The data will be misleading as it comprises everyone from the Thunder playing.  The datas says this is all the Thunder points, differentials and stats leading to dominance in the air and ground game.

6) Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks underdog pick. Listen you can do the analysis but with all the key players out for the Knicks and some of the key players out for the Hawks this could go either way .. the data says Knicks. New York has clinched the second seed in the East and has sent its stars to the bench. Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith, Ray Felton and Kenyon Martin all wore suits on Monday against the Bobcats. Anthony could see some minutes on Wednesday against the Hawks, according to the New York Post. I cannot see Anthony playing as he has the scoring championship. They lost to the Bobcats they will lose to the Hawks probably

7) Detroit Pistons vs Brooklyn Nets – Brooklyn Nets – favourite pick. The data all says that the Nets should win this but they do not care if they win and this is just exercise for them.  I would lean towards to the Pistons.

8) Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Bobcats – Charlotte Bobcats – favourite pick. The motivation is behind the Bobcats not have a worst season again and the last set of games say they want to win.

9) New Orleans Hornets vs Dallas Mavericks – Dallas Mavericks -favourite pick.  The host Mavericks have a little more to play for in the season finale for both teams. Dallas can still extend its streak of non-losing seasons to 13 with a victory. Coach Monty Williams told nola.com that he is using the back-to-back games with Dallas as an opponent to experiment with some unusual rotational combinations.” That includes a three-guard lineup with Eric Gordon at the three and forward Ryan Anderson at the five. The Hornets, who lost starting power forward and No. 1 overall draft pick Anthony Davis for the season on April 10 with a sprained medial collateral ligament and bone bruise in his left knee, have dropped four in a row and six of their last seven. The data and points say Mavericks game Mavs have it

10) San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves – San Antonio Spurs – favourite pick. The Spurs will finish second in the Western Conference. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard did not play Tuesday against Golden State. But Manu Ginobili could return to the lineup against Minnesota on Wednesdayaccording to the San Antonio Express-News. No one will be there and the second string has not helped much.  Coach Gregg Popovich said Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard will likely return after missing the 116-106 loss to Golden State on Monday with injuries. Minnesota has only 10 victories away from home, and is missing the postseason for the ninth straight season. Timberwolves’ scoring threat Nikola Pekovic has missed the last three games with a left calf contusion and is doubtful. Spurs

11) Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies - Memphis Grizzlies – favourite pick. Utah Jazz are in a must-win situation to land the eighth and final playoff spot. Memphis is still in the mix for home court in the opening round of the playoffs. They will want to knock off the Jazz for the third time in four meetings. Memphis will use reserves again and they will see a lot of playing time. Memphis coach -  “I thought in the first half, our guys didn’t come out and compete,” Hollins said. “They were treating it like an exhibition game.”  Utah Jazz for motivation and last run of wins  Jazz

12)  Phoenix Suns vs Denver Nuggets – Denver Nuggets – favourite pick.  The challenge who is going to be motivated to win.  I would suggest that the Nuggets will want to preserve their awesome home record.  The stats, points and analysis all say the Nuggets. The Suns 3pts shooting and defending is impressie but should not shut down the Nuggets. Nuggets

13) Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers - Los Angeles Lakers – favourite pick. The Lakers will make the playoffs if they beat Houston in the final game of the season. Kobe Bryant is out with a torn ACL and Steve Nash will also miss the game with the Rockets as MRIs confirmed he has nerve irritation from old injuries that are contributing to his hamstring pain the team announced Tuesday. The Rockets suffered a dreadful 119-112 loss to lowly Phoenix on Monday and that defeat has put them in danger of slipping into the No. 8 spot with the loss to the Lakers. No data – Lakers or Rockets

14) LA Clippers vs Sacramento Kings - Sacramento Kings – underdog pick. Los Angeles can overtake Denver for third place in the West with a victory over Sacramento and a Nuggets home loss to Phoenix. I thnk the Clippers will want the chance to beat the Nuggets to 3rd place but I am not sure if it will be likely.  The Clippers have the horse power to do it but whether they will really want to mix it all up with he Kings remains to be seen.  The data suggests a closer game than you might imagine but I think the Kings have poor motivation.  Clippers

15) Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers – Portland Trail Blazers – longshot pick. The Warriors wil want this one as to finish 6th and gain a good playoff space.  Plus Stephen Curry will take aim at the single-season record for made 3-pointers. Portland’s - Aldridge and Matthews are still listed as day-to-day, but Batum will not be available for the season finale.   The Trail Blazers are in with a shot but the last 10 straight losses and injuries mean that it is unlikely they will come out ahead given most of the strength comes from historical data. Warriors

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace retired again from the NBA on Wednesday after he was unable to recover from a left foot injury.

Shortly after coach Mike Woodson said Wallace was still struggling with soreness, the Knicks made the announcement in a press release.

“Rasheed has given this team everything he had,” Woodson said in the statement. “He is a winner, true professional and leader on and off the court. Due to his injury, he will not be available to play for us during the playoffs. We owe this season’s success to veterans like Rasheed.”

It’s a damaging blow for the Knicks, who loaded up on veteran big men this season but have now lost two of them for good in Kurt Thomas and Wallace, and have gotten almost nothing from Marcus Camby.

Also, Amare Stoudemire’s status for the postseason is unclear as he recovers from right knee surgery.

The Knicks added another big man Wednesday by signing Earl Barron.

Wallace, 38, ended a two-year retirement this season to join the Knicks and play for Woodson, who was an assistant in Detroit when Wallace helped the Pistons win the 2004 NBA title. The 6-foot-11 forward was a key player off the bench during the Knicks’ strong start, but hadn’t played since December before returning Monday against Charlotte.

Wallace, who had surgery to repair a broken left foot on Feb. 28, lasted only 4 minutes before exiting because of continued soreness.

Woodson said during the Knicks’ morning shootaround that Wallace was still bothered by pain and it wasn’t known if he would be able to play Saturday against Boston in the postseason opener.

“Again, it’s not my foot, so I don’t know,” Woodson said. “I mean, as long as I’ve known him, he’s had a high tolerance for pain, but obviously it’s bothering him and we’re going to have to be cautious of that.”

The Knicks expect Tyson Chandler (bulging disk) and Kenyon Martin (sprained left ankle) to be ready for the opener.

Thomas was waived recently to free up a roster spot after his season ended because of a stress fracture in his foot. The Knicks were hoping Wallace would be able to give them a few minutes a game in the postseason, but Woodson acknowledged earlier Wednesday that the soreness was a “big problem.”

“Again guys, I’m not a doctor and I’ve never had foot problems, so I can’t even begin to relate to what these cats are going through. But only thing (is) I feel for them, because I do know that they do want to be on the floor,” Woodson said. “They feel like that they can help us and right now that’s not the case with Rasheed.”

Wallace retired after helping the Celtics reach the 2010 NBA Finals. Woodson reached out to him in the offseason about a comeback, seeking Wallace’s defensive toughness and veteran leadership. But Wallace could only deliver it for 21 games in his 15th season, averaging 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in about 14 minutes per game.

Woodson said Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and Jason Kidd also won’t play Wednesday in the regular-season finale against Atlanta. He added that Quentin Richardson, who was signed Tuesday, could play significant minutes with the Knicks so short-handed.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

With the Eastern Conference’s fourth seed locked up, the Nets will go for their first season sweep of the Detroit Pistons in franchise history and sixth win in seven games overall Wednesday night in Brooklyn.

Even with starters Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Reggie Evans and Joe Johnson getting the night off, the Nets (48-33) rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Washington 106-101 on Monday.

Andray Blatche had 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Kris Humphries scored a season-high 20 with nine boards as part of the Nets’ makeshift lineup. Both big men started for the first time since December.

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Just a few seasons ago, the center position was one of the weakest in the NBA. In 2013, it has become one of the deepest. Here is a list of the 30 best men in the middle. Note: Tim Duncan considered a PF and Andrew Bynum not included due to uncertain return date.

30. Robin Lopez – New Orleans Hornets: Had this list been compiled last season, Lopez probably wouldn’t have cracked the top-50. Thanks to the best season of his five-year NBA career, the seven-footer comes in at number-30 on the list of top centers.

Lopez has started all 75 games for the Hornets this season, which eclipses his previous season-high of games played. Speaking of season-highs, Lopez is on pace to set new personal bests in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, free throw percentage, minutes played and field goals made. At 11.1 points, 5.4 boards and 1.6 blocks per game, he provides a viable option for New Orleans to spell Anthony Davis, or even better, play beside him.

29. Spencer Hawes – Philadelphia 76ers: Like Lopez, Hawes has just recently clawed his way onto this list. Hawes had a formidable final two years in Sacramento, but never seemed to find his niche in Philly. That is, until March of 2013. Remember, although Hawes is in his sixth season, he is just 24 years old.

On March 2 against the Warriors, Hawes had possibly his worst game as a pro, finishing with zero points and just four rebounds on 0-for-9 shooting. Since then, the seven-foot-one center is averaging 15.1 points and 10.0 boards and has nine double-doubles. Quietly, Hawes has begun to develop a bit of a three-ball as well.

28. Andre Drummond – Detroit Pistons: Talk about freakish athleticism and worlds of talent. Despite lingering injury troubles, Drummond has shown flashes of promise and scary ability to play above the rim.

The six-foot-ten rookie has been on the receiving end of some fierce alley-oops, and has swatted his share of shots into the front row of the crowd. Drummond is still raw and needs to polish his low post game on both ends of the floor, but at just 19 years of age, he has plenty of time to learn from teammate Greg Monroe.

Drummond averages 7.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks off the Detroit bench. Per Ian Thomsen of SI.com, he averages 18.3 rebounds per 48 minutes (most by a rookie since 1985-86) and he is one of four centers (joining Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah and Marc Gasol) with 85 blocks and 45 steals this year.

27. Tiago Splitter – San Antonio Spurs: While Splitter may not live up to Skip Bayless’s high praise and win Sixth Man of the Year, he has made the most of his expanded role which includes 53 starts. The third-year center is averaging 10.4 points, 6.3 boards and nearly a block per game. Splitter has recorded three times as many double-doubles this season (nine) as he did in his first two years combined.

Perhaps the most underrated part of the 28-year-old Brazilian’s game is his shooting efficiency. Splitter makes 73.5 percent of his free throws and 56.9 percent of his field goals. His trademark floater in the lane has proven difficult to defend.

26. Chris Kaman – Dallas Mavericks: Kaman’s stats have surely been on the decline over the past few seasons, but he is still a solid and reliable man in the middle. Kaman is arguably one of the most underrated big men of the mid-2000s, and people seem to forget that in 2007-08, he averaged 15.7 points, 12.7 boards and 2.8 blocks for the Clippers.

This season, Kaman scores 10.8 points per game and pulls down 5.5 rebounds to provide a solid option at center for the Mavs who have had a revolving door of players at that position over the past few seasons.

The 33-year-old McGrady is a seven-time NBA All-Star drafted ninth overall in 1997. In 938 career NBA games, McGrady has averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.21 steals per game. In 44 playoff games, he has averaged 25.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.16 steals.

He has played for Toronto, Orlando, Houston, the New York Knicks, Detroit and Atlanta in his career. He most recently played for Qingdao of the Chinese Basketball League, averaging 25 points and 7.2 rebounds in 29 games.

Terms were not disclosed by the team Tuesday.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Pistons have consistently delivered the hits for us here at All Ball land this season — the dancing usher, the Star Wars send up, Kyle Singler hitting shots both here and abroad — and they’ve got one last one in the stockade before we put the wraps on 2012-13.

Rookie Kim English has played in just 40 games this season and although he’s seen an uptick in his minutes the last week or so, he’s mostly a deep reserve on a young Detroit bunch. While minutes are scarce for him this season, English has no doubt endeared himself to his teammates after his karaoke performance a few weeks ago in Minnesota.

With the Pistons in Minneapolis for an April 6 game against the Timberwolves, English and his teammates headed out to Hell’s Kitchen, a restaurant in the city.

It was there that English tried his hand at a Johnny Cash classic, “A Boy Named Sue”, and did nothing but amaze the crowd — which included teammates Jose Calderon, Corey Maggette, Jonas Jerebko, Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Rodney Stuckey, Charlie Villanueva and Singler — that was recording the performance on their cell phone cameras.

[nba-video vid=teams/pistons/2013/04/10/OffTheCourtEnglishStealsTheShowm-2440623]

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No shocker a guy named Kim considers “A Boy Named Sue” one of his favorite songs …

H/T Yahoo! Sports’ Ball Don’t Lie and Pistons.com

Pistons owner Tom Gores was in the building last night. Detroit knocked off Philadelphia 109-101 at the Palace and one thing is for sure, the players have not mailed-in the month of April. The Pistons are 5-2 this month and have played better as of late. But that is not the story here. Gores spoke to the media before season’s end and he did not have a definitive answer on the futures of Joe Dumars and Lawrence Frank.

“I expected better results,” he said. “I met with Joe and Lawrence yesterday and let them know that. They’re great guys that know their business, but I’m here assessing everything. My job is to move this franchise forward.”

This is not about changing the coach. This is about changing the culture. The coach will probably be let go yet again, but this goes deeper than that. The Detroit Pistons have some work to do to win back their fans and to win period. As I stated in October, I did not think this current group of players was ready to take the team to the playoffs. But again, it is a river that runs deeper than just talent and execution. There is also accountability and consequences and professionalism and trust. A plan and model that everyone from the owner on down should follow. This is how the San Antonio Spurs win. This is the “Celtic Way”. This is now how the Miami Heat win. Pat Riley has rules and the entire team, including LeBron James, follows them. The Detroit Pistons do not have the roster to compete with the Heat yet, I know that and you know that. But in Miami, there is also an organizational understanding from the very top on down with communication and problem-solving and a willingness to trust one another through the good times and the bad of an 82 game grind. This is a huge part of the NBA model for successful franchises right now. If everyone is on the same page and happy to be there and comfortable in their role, do you know how much more tolerable work is every day? On the floor, the players have to be tougher and have to learn to fight through adversity. This comes with experience and it is still a very young team, you have to keep that in mind. Also keep in mind that the Pistons have Andre Drummond and he is going to be special.

One of the lasting images for me this season will be the looks on Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye’s faces the night they were traded to Memphis back on January 30th. The two took questions from reporters in Indy following the Pistons’ game with the Pacers and both guys looked like the weight of the world was off their shoulders. It should not be that way. Players should want to escape other cities to come play here. Detroit was one of the model franchises just recently and guys couldn’t wait to land in Auburn Hills and play for a winner. Joe Dumars built those teams and Tom Gores should take that into consideration. But the bottom line is, the entire culture must change to get back to that winning feeling.

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News of the morning

Noah, Gibson could be on playoff minutes limit | Lawson finding his rhythm | OKC continues to impress | Gores wants accountability for Dumars, Frank | Report: Bobcats name change a ways off

Bulls win, but bigs could be on minutes limit – As they’ve done all season, the Bulls continue to stay in the thick of the race for the No. 5 seed in the East — a spot that won’t be decided until likely the season’s final night. Last night’s easy win over the hapless Orlando Magic provided a good sign for the Bulls in that injured big men Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson both got in some playing time after missing games with injuries. But K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports that Noah and Gibson could see a tight minutes limit come playoff time:

A season filled with uncertainty will close with this dose of clarity: The Bulls won’t know their first-round playoff opponent until Wednesday’s season finale.

That’s because the Bulls defeated the hapless Magic 102-84 on Monday night as both Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson returned to test their recoveries from injury and coach Tom Thibodeau said it’s “a possibility” both players will be on minutes limits at the start of the posteason.

…

Noah, who had missed 12 of the previous 13 games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, finished with six points, five rebounds and four fouls in 14 minutes, 21 seconds off the bench. Gibson, who had missed 17 games recently in two separate bouts with a sprained MCL in his left knee, contributed 12 points and two blocks in 21:13.

“I knew there was a setback right away last time,” Noah said after his last attempt to return April 7 in Detroit. “I feel pretty good right now. I’m just happy my foot held up.”

Noah admitted his wind wasn’t “great” but vowed it would “get better quick.”

Gibson wore the large brace he said he disliked.

“The brace is real protective, but I just have to get used to it,” Gibson said. “It’s kind of heavy. But the knee felt great. The main thing I wanted to do was play some defense because our defense was really awful the last couple games.”

…”We have to be at our best in a short amount of time,” Thibodeau said. “We’re a well-rested team. The question I have is are we a sharp team? We have guys that haven’t played a lot of minutes lately that are going to be called upon to be at their best. The moment of truth will be here shortly.”

Lawson getting back to his old self — Shortly after their 15-game win streak ended, the Nuggets were dealt a serious blow to their hopes of a long playoff run when Ty Lawson went down with a foot injury on March 27. Although he missed just five games as he got better, the Nuggets were concerned how much their point guard could play and whether or not he’d be the game-changing playmaker they were used to. Last night’s win in Milwaukee went a long way in proving Lawson is speedily returning to form, though, writes Christopher Dempsy of The Denver Post:

With 14.2 seconds to go and down one at Milwaukee, a game the Nuggets had to have to lock up a top four spot in the Western Conference, Ty Lawson surveyed the court and lofted the ball to Wilson Chandler. Chandler handed the ball back off to Lawson who drove the lane, crossed over the defender, Monta Ellis, rose up and hit a shot that was arguably the most important jumper any Nugget has hit in the last three weeks.

Lawson is back.

His heel is not all the way healed, but that shot suggested his game is.

…

The degree of difficulty won’t go down as calculus level stuff. It was a 10-ish-foot jumper. But Lawson’s speed and quickness, which was in full display on the play, got him free for an open look. And in the process wiped away – or should have – any of the doubt about what he is and can be in the playoffs.

Initially, Karl said if Lawson could give 20-25 minutes when he returned that he could work with that. And yet Lawson, since returning late last week, has given him so much more.

His arc, since playing on April 12 has looked like this: 13 points; 12 points and 10 assists; and now 26 points and seven assists. After Sunday’s game against Portland, Karl was already gushing: “I couldn’t have asked for a better script these last two games,” he said of his point guard.

Tonight’s game should have erased any other doubts.

Lawson has averaged 17 points, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals in the three games he’s been back. He’s shot 56 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free throw line. Monday night’s game brought back another encouraging sign – his ability to get to the rim and draw fouls.

…

In the last two weeks there has been enough bad news for the Nuggets, who are just trying to get their roster to survive the remainder of the regular season to get to the playoffs. First, Lawson’s status was in doubt. Then Danilo Gallinari was lost for the season. Then Kenneth Faried went down and can only hope to be close to 100 percent for the start of the playoffs.

It was time for some good news.

Ty Lawson provided it. And with it, may have renewed at least some of the belief that these Nuggets are still headed for a healthy playoff run.

OKC wraps up No. 1 in West — It is easy to take for granted the success the Thunder have enjoyed all-so-quickly since moving from Seattle before the 2008-09 season. Although the first campaign in Oklahoma saw the Thunder go 23-59, since then it has been nothing but a steady climb for the youthful contenders. Last night, they achieved perhaps their greatest feat since the move, winning their 60th game and wrapping up the top spot in the West. Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman has more on the Thunder’s rise to the top of the conference:

Not only did the Thunder clinch the top spot in the conference, but OKC also won for the 60th time this season, marking the first 60-win season in Oklahoma City’s brief basketball history.

“It’s shows that we’re improving every year,” said Thabo Sefolosha. “It’s a big number. There’s not a lot of teams that can do it, and to be part of that group and just to get to that number is big.”

With a win in the season finale Wednesday against Milwaukee, the Thunder can finish with a .744 winning percentage. Win or lose, though, the Thunder will have increased its winning percentage in each of its first five seasons, from .280 in 2008-09, to .610 in 2009-10, to .671 in 2010-11, to .712 last year. Even with a loss Wednesday, the Thunder would finish with a .732 winning percentage.

“It feels good, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do,” said Kevin Durant of winning 60 games. “We’ve never done it here before so it’s new to us. But it feels good. It shows our progression as a franchise each and every year.”

Gores wants accountability for Dumars, Frank — We haven’t seen or heard much from Tom Gores since he took over ownership of the Pistons in 2011 from the Davidson family. While he has been mostly a quiet owner of the team, he has no doubt been unhappy with the fifth straight season of sub-.500 basketball, the youthful-but-mistake-prone efforts and the roster that is a bit of a mishmash of parts. Gores spoke to the media before the Pistons’ home finale against Philly and was none to pleased with his team, GM Joe Dumars and coach Lawrence Frank, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press:

Speaking with the news media briefly before Monday night’s home finale against the Philadelphia 76ers, Gores said he was serious when he said last season he expected to make the playoffs and is disappointed the franchise didn’t come close.

“I will say I expected better results,” Gores said. “I met with Joe and Lawrence (Sunday) and I let them know that. They’re great guys that know their business, but I’m here assessing everything. My job is to move this franchise forward.”

The Pistons moved to 29-52 on the season following Monday night’s 109-101 victory. The season concludes Wednesday at the Brooklyn Nets, and then the season postmortem will begin.

For Gores, it’s all about accountability. He plans to meet with both Frank and Dumars in the coming days. The Pistons are 54-93 under Frank in two seasons.

“I think both of them, including ownership, has to be accountable for the year,” Gores said. “We have to be accountable for the results of this year. We have a great core of young players, but we have to be accountable.”

…

“Now I’m very excited about what we have going,” Gores said. “We have a lot of (cap) room. We’ve set ourselves up financially, and basketball operations has set ourselves up, so I’m very excited about the future.

“But I’m not content about how we performed this year.”

Through a series of transactions the last 10 months, the Pistons will have roughly $25 million to spend this summer on free agency or trades. He said the Pistons “are prepared to spend.”

“It’s always important, but it’s magnified this year because we’ve really put ourselves in position to really make moves,” Gores said. We want to win a championship. We want to get into the playoffs and all of things.

“I tell you, Lawrence is a tremendous guy. I’ve gotten to know him over the last couple and he’s tremendous, but I really have to think about what the best thing is.”

Report: Bobcats name change a ways off — On Jan. 24, the New Orleans Hornets officially announced they would be changing their name, colors and logo to that of the Pelicans for next season. It was a move to closer bind the franchise to the New Orleans community and leaves the Hornets moniker, which dates to the franchise’s days in Charlotte, back in the NBA’s hands. Shortly thereafter, chatter (or buzz, if you will) began around the Web and the Charlotte community that the current team there — the Bobcats — should look to reclaim the nickname that was once theirs. A website called BringBackTheBuzz.com is spearheading the charge on the Internet, but the hopes of that group and others who want the Bobcats renamed for next season are looking unlikely. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer has more on what it would take to change from the Bobcats to something else:

If the Charlotte Bobcats ask the NBA for a name change, it would be at least 18 months before such a request was implemented.

NBA commissioner-to-be Adam Silver met with the Observer and other print media outlets Monday during a visit to Charlotte. Much of his 20-minute interview addressed the possibility the Bobcats might switch their nickname to “Hornets” now that the New Orleans Hornets are switching to “Pelicans.”

The Bobcats have done some market research but have yet to make a request with the NBA. Silver said he is fine with whatever the Bobcats decide, but that the team’s deliberate approach is the right course.

Silver said this would be a “very expensive process for the team,” so it’s “a weighty process, not just what ‘X’ amount of fans say in an opinion poll.”

Rather, it’s about whether a rebranding would be lucrative enough to justify spending millions on new uniforms, logos and signage.

Since the NBA owns the name “Charlotte Hornets,” plus the teal-and-purple color scheme the team wore in Charlotte and New Orleans, Silver was asked how quickly a new brand could be implemented.

Even with all that working for it, a change from Bobcats to Hornets would take a minimum of 18 months, the deputy commissioner said.

Silver also was asked whether the Benson family, which owns the Pelicans, still controls the Hornets nickname. Silver replied that the Bobcats wouldn’t owe the Pelicans compensation if they took on that name.

ICYMI of the night: Derrick Williams might be the best player in the league at finishing off crazy alley-oops. Here’s another one to add to his stockade of such plays:

[nba-video vid=games/timberwolves/2013/04/15/0021201210-uta-min-play3.nba]

Brooklyn Nets – Washington Wizards 106-101
Charlotte Bobcats – New York Knicks 106-95
Cleveland Cavaliers – Miami Heat 95-96
Dallas Mavericks – Memphis Grizzlies 97-103
Detroit Pistons – Philadelphia 76ers 109-101
Golden State Warriors – San Antonio Spurs 116-106
Milwaukee Bucks – Denver Nuggets 111-112
Minnesota Timberwolves – Utah Jazz 80-96
Oklahoma City Thunder – Sacramento Kings 104-95
Orlando Magic – Chicago Bulls 84-102
Phoenix Suns – Houston Rockets 119-112

  by  ctsnow