InGameNow

Troy Murphy, Pacers Beat Los Angeles Lakers at Buzzer

December 2nd, 2008 | By InGameNow Posted in NBA

The Lakers are the NBA’s dominant team. No question about it.
Troy Murphy isn’t exactly a dominating NBA player.
But his tip on an ill-executed last-possession play won the game for the Indiana Pacers… who suddenly asked, “Jermaine Oneal Who??”

2008-2009 NBA Preview: Pacific Division

October 27th, 2008 | By Sean Finerty Posted in NBA

Los Angeles Lakers

Projected Starting Lineup (6th Man):
PG Derek Fisher (11.7 PPG, 2.9 APG)
SG Kobe Bryant (28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG)
SF Lamar Odom (14.2 PPG, 10.6 RPG)
PF Pau Gasol (18.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG)
C Andrew Bynum (13.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.1 BPG)
6th Man SF Luke Walton (7.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG)

Key Player: Kobe Bryant. He made great strides in 2007-2008, not necessarily on the stat sheet, but in becoming a better teammate. It was probably the most cohesive the Lakers have looked since the Shaq days, and this year’s Lakers can be even better provided we see the same Kobe.

Overrated Player: Sasha Vujacic. However, there’s probably nobody who rates “The Machine” higher than Vujacic rates himself. He has flashes of brilliance, like his 20 point performance in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. But too often he falls far short of making anybody forget about Kobe. He’s a role player - not a budding star worthy of a nickname like “The Machine.”

Biggest Addition: Andrew Bynum. The Lakers that reached the NBA Finals were a much different team than the Bynum Lakers. Now everyone’s waiting to see how Bynum will mesh with a Los Angeles team that now features stud Pau Gasol. The numbers suggest this Lakers team will be the most talented and well-rounded team in the NBA - but whether that becomes true is obviously yet to be seen.

Biggest Loss: Joe Crawford. The Lakers had one draft pick (2nd Round) in the 2008 NBA Draft, but fans won’t even get a chance to see if he’ll have any impact on the team. That’s because the Lakers used their lone pick on Kentucky shooting guard Joe Crawford - who they subsequently cut from the roster just this past Thursday. Aside from that, these Lakers are business as usual. Well, besides from the fact that Ronny Turiaf skipped town, but I think Kobe & Co. will be just fine without him.

Prediction: 59-23

Golden State Warriors

Projected Starting Lineup (6th Man):
PG Monta Ellis (20.2 PPG, 3.9 APG)
SG Stephen Jackson (20.1 PPG, 4.1 APG)
SF Corey Maggette (22.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG)
PF Al Harrington (13.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG)
C Andris Biedrins (10.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG)
6th Man SF Kelenna Azubuike (8.5 PPG)

Key Player: Steven Jackson. As the senior resident Warrior, Captain Jack will need to take it upon himself to become a team leader. The fact that Monta Ellis will begin the year on the sideline further necessitates Stack Jack take on the role. On the scoring end, he’ll need to sacrifice some of his own opportunities so that guys like Maggette and Harrington are still getting their touches.

Overrated Player: Monta Ellis. There’s no question he’s an elite scorer, but there is a question whether he can handle being “the guy” in Golden State. Before signing the big contract, Ellis was always seen as Baron Davis’s sidekick. But now Monta is running things, and it remains to be seen if the shoot-first guard is ready to lead an offense filled with other shoot-first guys like Jackson, Maggette, and Harrington. Or whether he’ll stay off that damn moped.

Biggest Addition: Corey Maggette. Maggette fits in very well in Golden State - he’s very athletic and can score in bunches. The only question is whether he can stay healthy for most of the year, as he’s never played in more than 75 games in any given season. If Maggette does go down for any significant stretch of time, the Warriors will need rookie Anthony Randolph to pick up the slack.

Biggest Loss: Baron Davis. More important than an unlikely playoff run in 2006-2007, Baron Davis brought respectability to Bay Area basketball. There were no small feelings of betrayal among fans when Davis opted to head home to Los Angeles. Monta Ellis’s injury didn’t help matters much, either.

Prediction: 42-40

Phoenix Suns

Projected Starting Lineup (6th Man):
PG Steve Nash (16.9 PPG, 11.1 APG)
SG Raja Bell (11.9 PPG, .401 3P%)
SF Matt Barnes (6.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG)
PF Amare Stoudemire (25.2 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.1 BPG)
C Shaquille O’Neal (13.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG)
6th Men SG Leandro Barbosa (15.6 PPG)/SF Grant Hill (13.1 PPG)/PF Boris Diaw (8.8 PPG)/C Robin Lopez (Rookie)

Key Player: Steve Nash. Everyone knows Nash is the motor that drives this offense - but Mike D’Antoni was always in the driver’s seat. With D’Antoni gone, Nash will have to prove whether he’s really an MVP-caliber player, or just the beneficiary of D’Antoni’s system. After all, Nash never averaged more than 9 assists a game in a season until he moved to the desert - then all of a sudden he’s dishing out 11 dimes a game. Perhaps no other contending team in the NBA hinges so much of its success on the play of one man.

Overrated Player: Steve Nash. As a fellow Santa Clara alum, it pains me to put the former Bronco here. But at 34 years old and Mike D’Antoni across the country, we should expect Nash to lose a step, and give way to a new generation of star point guards like Chris Paul and Deron Williams.

Biggest Addition: Matt Barnes. He proved adept in a run-n-gun offense as a reserve while at Golden State. But now we’ll see if he has what it takes to be a starting forward in a similar offense. Obviously, the presence of Steve Nash makes the transition that much easier for Barnes, but he still has some big shoes to fill as he’s basically replacing the departed Shawn Marion.

Biggest Loss: Mike D’Antoni. Terry Porter will be hard pressed to duplicate the success D’Antoni had in Phoenix - likewise, D’Antoni will be hard pressed to duplicate that same success in New York. In any event, there are a lot of questions about this Phoenix offense with D’Antoni gone and with the arrival Shaq. Will they continue to push the tempo, or will they start to slow things down and run everything through the Big Aristotle?

Prediction: 51-31

Los Angeles Clippers

Projected Starting Lineup (6th Man):
PG Baron Davis (21.8 PPG, 7.6 APG)
SG Cuttino Mobley (12.8 PPG, 2.6 APG)
SF Al Thornton (12.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG)
PF Marcus Camby (9.1 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 3.6 BPG)
C Chris Kaman (15.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 2.8 BPG)
6th Man SG Eric Gordon (Rookie)

Key Player: Al Thornton. With both Elton Brand and Corey Maggette gone, there should be a ton more scoring opportunities to go around. Expect Thornton to capitalize and improve upon an impressive rookie season. He’ll undoubtedly see better more shots open up with Baron Davis now running the point. Thornton and rookie Eric Gordon should take on big roles in Los Angeles this season, as the Clippers are likely looking to build around those two.

Overrated Player: Baron Davis. He’s good - but he’s not an elite point guard among the likes of Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Steve Nash, a category some fans are too quick to lump Davis into. He just simply doesn’t stay on the court enough to warrant those comparisons; however, he did start all 82 games in 2007-2008, so there is a chance he proves his blogger wrong. But even if Boom needs some time off, rookie PG Mike Taylor out of Iowa State has looked very good in preseason.

Biggest Addition: Baron Davis. He’s exactly the type of player the Clippers needed - a PG who can create opportunities for himself or his teammates. If you’ll remember, all it took was the addition of Sam Cassel a couple years ago to get the Clippers into the Playoffs - well, Baron Davis > Sam Cassel. The departure of Elton Brand undoubtedly hurts, but Davis is the perfect guy to try and keep these Clips chugging along.

Biggest Loss: Elton Brand. I’m a Clipper fan (yes, we do exist), please don’t make me revisit what happened this past Summer. *Sigh* Still, the Clippers rebounded about as well as they could have, receiving Marcus Camby from the Denver Nuggets for pennies on the dollar.

Prediction: 42-40

Sacramento Kings

Projected Starting Lineup (6th Man):
PG Beno Udrih (12.8 PPG, 4.3 APG)
SG Kevin Martin (23.7 PPG, .402 3P%)
SF John Salmons (12.5 PPG)
PF Mikki Moore (8.5 PPG, 6 RPG)
C Brad Miller (13.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG)

Key Player: Kevin Martin. He’s by far the best player the casual NBA observer has never heard of. In fact, he’s probably the only thing getting butts in the seats at Arco Arena. We’ll get to see how he responds to being THE MAN now that Artest and his 20.5 PPG are gone.

Overrated Player: Brad Miller. Of course, the Kings don’t have a whole lot to work with at PF/C. When he averaged 14.1 PPG and 10.4 RPG back in 2003-2004, the Kings thought they had something special. Well, Miller never got better, but to his credit, he never got much worse. These days, probably the best you can expect from the 32-year old is a season of 12 PPG and 8 RPG.

Biggest Addition: Bobby Jackson. He provides veteran leadership behind 26-year old PG Beno Udrih, and he’s capable of helping out the offense to the tune of 7.7 PPG. Obviously, he’s just a stopgap solution for the Kings while they hope to rebuild.

Biggest Loss: Ron Artest. Between Artest and Martin, the Kings were able to salvage some shreds of credibility in 2007-2008. But now that Artest is gone, the Maloofs are going all-in with Martin. There aren’t any other legitimate scoring threats on this roster, so expect the Kings to try their luck on the 2009 NBA Lottery.

Prediction: 29-53

Sport’s Odd Couples

September 27th, 2008 | By Sean Finerty Posted in MLB, NBA, NFL, Uncategorized

Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos fans have hated each other since, like, forever.  It’s the kind of rivalry that doesn’t even take a break for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or the Second Coming.  So imagine the shock in Denver when the news broke that Hall of Fame Quarterback and two-time Super Bowl Champion John Elway is engaged to a former Raiders cheerleader.  But in the meantime while we at InGameNow wait patiently for our wedding invitations, here are some of the oddest couples we’ve seen in sports.

1.  Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez

The New York Yankees experienced some of their most successful seasons in franchise history during the Joe Torre years.  In fact, Yankees fans will have a long offseason to reminisce about those days.  Meanwhile, the rival Boston Red Sox won two World Series championships in the past 4 years, with Boston posterboy Manny Ramirez in left field.  It took a coast-to-coast move for the both of them, but now Torre and Ramirez look towards the postseason together like star-crossed lovers.

2.  Terrell Owens and Bill Parcells

This relationship didn’t last long, but it sure was an odd one while it lasted.  Owens kicked and screamed his way out of Philadelphia, despite a Super Bowl appearance, and found himself in the home of Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.  Not a strange result given Jones’ desire for star players; but it was odd given that it was General Bill Parcells holding the clipboard on the sideline.  Parcells wouldn’t even refer to Owens by name, instead calling him “the player.”

3.  Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson

There was nothing odd about the first five years: 4 NBA Finals appearances and 3 consecutive NBA Championships.  It was their reconciliation after a messy divorce that was odd.  In his book The Last Season, perhaps the nicest thing Phil Jackson had to say about Kobe Bryant was that he was “uncoachable.”  But Phil’s return to the Los Angeles sideline resulted in relative success, as the Lakers headed into the 2007-2008 postseason as the West’s #1 seed and made it all the way to the NBA Finals.  Speaking of the NBA Finals…

4.  Doc Rivers and the NBA Championship

Before the 2007-2008 season, no one associated Doc Rivers with “NBA Championship.”  On the contrary, “hot seat” was always the first thing that came to my mind whenever Rivers’ name was mentioned.  That all changed when the Celtics dumped the long-time Lakers in the Finals to become NBA Champs.  Still, it’s not like you need to be Red Auerbach to lead the Garnett-Pierce-Allen Celtics to a Championship.

5.   Brett Favre and the New York Jets

Seriously.  What’s “odder” than seeing Brett wearing anything but a Green Bay Packers uniform?  At least for the sake of Packers’ fans and their emotional well-being, he’s not donning a Minnesota Vikings jersey.

Kobe Bryant Prison Photo was Sports Illustrated Cover 5 Years Ago Today

July 30th, 2008 | By InGameNow Posted in NBA

Five years ago today, Kobe Bryant’s infamous prison photo from Eagle, Colorado ‘graced’ the cover of Sports Illustrated. Ironically, in a few days, he will be the face Team USA as the Olympic Basketball Team tries to regain international dominance… It’s amazing how much can change in five years.

Lakers vs. Celtics - Game 3 of NBA Finals in Los Angeles

June 10th, 2008 | By InGameNow Posted in NBA

Can the Lakers avoid a 3-0 deficit to the very hot Boston Celtics? I imagine that Kobe Bryant will come out gunning and the Lakers will take advantage of their home crowd (and perhaps some better officiating?). But this is a must-win game for the Lakers - and their chances of a 2008 NBA crown are already questionable as only a handful of teams have returned from an 0-2 hole (the last being the Miami Heat in 2004).

Follow tonight’s Lakers vs. Celtics Game 3 on InGameNow. Or catch up on Game 1 and game 2.

Here is the Lakers pre-game video montage (awesome, eh?):
Read more…

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets: NBA Playoffs Preview & Predictions

April 19th, 2008 | By InGameNow Posted in NBA

#1 LA Lakers vs. #8 Denver Nuggets

The Lakers have the best player in the NBA and have been unstoppable since acquiring Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. And if Andrew Bynum is able to play any significant time, the Nuggets are in serious trouble. The Nuggets have three prime-time scorers in Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and streaky-shooter JR Smith… but they simply do not play defense; and that never translates into playoff success.

Prediction: The Nuggets win one high-scoring affair, but lose the series in 5 games.

# GAME 1: NUGGETS @ LAKERS SUN 3:00 PM
# GAME 2: NUGGETS @ LAKERS WED 10:30 PM
# GAME 3: LAKERS @ NUGGETS SAT 5:30 PM
# GAME 4: LAKERS @ NUGGETS MON 10:30 PM
# GAME 5: NUGGETS @ LAKERS WED TBD
# GAME 6: LAKERS @ NUGGETS FRI TBD
# GAME 7: NUGGETS @ LAKERS SUN TBD