2012 NBA Coach of the Year: Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs

When Gregg Popovich retires, we'll look back at his career and accomplishments. And we'll wonder why he didn't win NBA Coach of the Year more often. He's this season's honoree, and he won in 2003... and he probably deserved several other trophies.

Not that he'd want them.

This season, Coach Pop took a team that was knocked out in the first round of the 2011 playoffs and gave up George Hill - a key backcourt sub - into a compressed season that was supposed to make life super-difficult for veteran teams...

And led them to a 50-16 record, tying the Chicago Bulls for tops in the NBA.

Tom Thibodeau of the Bulls - last season's coach of the year - placed second in the voting, while Indiana's Frank Vogel was third.

• NBA Coach of the Year
• 2012 NBA Awards

View the original article here

NBA Playoffs: First Round

Playoff basketball brings a whole new level of intensity, but this season, the postseason might offer players a much-needed break. After a lockout-compressed 66-game regular season that had teams playing three games in three nights or four in five at times, the television-friendly playoff schedule will allow teams to actually rest a bit between games.

Teams to Beat

The Chicago Bulls finished with the NBA's best overall record and are the top seed in the playoffs. That's particularly impressive given the fact that Derrick Rose was in and out of the lineup due to a variety of injuries. But top seed status doesn't necessarily make Chicago the favorite to come out of the East... there's a team from Miami with a remarkably talented (but somewhat top-heavy) roster that will have something to say about all that... and don't discount the Boston Celtics' chances at making one more run to the Finals.

In the West, the Spurs are the top seed once again... just like last year, when they were upset in the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies. But the second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder might be the team to beat, while the Los Angeles Lakers - like the Celtics - try to make one more run.

Most Intriguing Matchups

The first-round series between the Knicks and Heat will generate a lot of buzz due to the combined star power of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. And the Knicks have been one of the league's hottest teams since Mike Woodson took over for Mike D'Antoni. But their lack of a true point guard - Jeremy Lin's injury will keep him out for another two weeks or so, and Baron Davis is a shell of his former self - will probably doom New York to another first-round exit.

The most evenly-matched series might be the four/five pairing in the West: Clippers vs. Grizzlies. The Grizzlies squeaked past the Clips in the season's final week to take over the four seed and home-court advantage; that could be big, as Memphis is excellent at home.

Series-by-Series Breakdowns

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 8. Philadelphia 76ers

Getty Images / Jonathan Daniel

The Bulls are an outstanding regular season team, partly because they play with playoff-style intensity every night. That allowed them to overcome the absence of Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah for much of last season and the injuries to Derrick Rose, Rip Hamilton and Luol Deng this year. The only question: will that laser-like intensity continue to be an advantage when everyone is in playoff mode? Can the Bulls take their play to another level? The Sixers probably don't have the talent to force that... but a conference semifinal or final opponent might.

2. Miami Heat vs. 7. New York Knicks

Getty Images Sport - Mike Ehrmann/Staff

This series has it all. Star power. History. Unfortunately, what it doesn't have is a point guard wearing a Knick uniform. If the Knicks were completely healthy, their depth and Tyson Chandler's presence in the middle might have been enough to send Miami home early.

3. Indiana Pacers vs. 6. Orlando Magic

Getty Images / Andy Lyons

Indiana is the best team that no one's talking about... but if Dwight Howard was healthy, they'd probably be the underdog in this series. Of course, Dwight Howard is far from healthy - back surgery ended his season weeks ago - and without the big man, Orlando just doesn't have the talent to compete in the postseason.

4. Boston Celtics vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

The Celtics have the higher seed, by virtue of their Atlantic Division title. But the Hawks finished the regular season with a superior record, and they'll have home court advantage in the series. That's a big deal - the Hawks are very tough at Philips Arena. Unfortunately, all-star center Al Horford apparently won't be able to return for this series.

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Utah Jazz

Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

The Spurs are the top seed in the West... just like last year. But last year, they lost in the first round to the Memphis Grizzlies, becoming just the second top seed to lose to an eight since the first round was expanded to seven games. It can't happen two years in a row... can it?

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 7. Dallas Mavericks

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

A team on the way up against a team on the way down. The defending champs are in transition, as Mark Cuban tries to clear cap space for a run at Deron Williams and Dwight Howard. But that won't help the Mavs deal with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and a very talented Oklahoma City team that could make their first of several trips to the Finals.

3. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 6. Denver Nuggets

Getty Images Sport / Ronald Martinez

The Lakers missed out on Chris Paul. They lost Lamar Odom and Phil Jackson and alienated Pau Gasol. And yet, here they are... with another Pacific Division title under their belts, ready to make one more run at the Finals. Kobe Bryant may be the oldest superstar in the game today... but he was second in the league in scoring. The Denver Nuggets are one of the most entertaining teams in the league, but it's hard to see how a frontcourt featuring JaVale McGee and Al Harrington will be able to deal with the Lakers' size.

4. Memphis Grizzlies vs. 5. Los Angeles Clippers

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Chris Paul makes the Clippers a very dangerous team... but the Grizzlies have an outstanding frontcourt, home court advantage, and the opportunity to build on last year's impressive showing.

View the original article here

Injuries and Team USA

USA Basketball released a preliminary 20-man roster for this year's Olympic men's basketball team back in January. They planned to cut the list down to 12 in time for Team USA's training camp in July, but injuries have done much of the work for them. Four players from the initial list - including center Dwight Howard and guard Derrick Rose - have sustained injuries that will make it impossible for them to play in London this summer. Howard's absence, in particular, could make life difficult for USA Basketball. His injury leaves Tyson Chandler as the only true center on the initial roster. That won't be a problem against most of the teams in the Olympic tournament, but Team Spain should have both Gasol brothers and Serge Ibaka in their frontcourt, and that trio will present major problems. On the other hand, Team USA is crazy-deep in the backcourt (Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade) and on the wing (LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay) which could make it a lot easier to get by with, say, Chris Bosh or Kevin Love manning the middle.

View the original article here

NBA Defensive Player

Jrue Holiday #11 of the Philadelphia 76ers lays up a shot past Tyson Chandler #6 of the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center on March 21, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Knicks won 82-79.

Drew Hallowell / Getty Images

Updated May 02, 2012

The highlight shows tend to focus on the offensive end, but there will always be a place in the NBA for elite defenders. The best is honored every year with the Defensive Player of the Year award, an honor which, if there was any justice in the world, would be named for Celtic great Bill Russell, who dominated the paint before this award - and many statistical measures of great defense - even existed. (Russell's name is on the Finals MVP trophy.)

2012 Defensive Player of the Year: Tyson Chandler

It would be easy to dismiss Tyson Chandler's win as simple voter fatigue... NBA awards voters do seem to get bored with selecting the same player over and over again, and Dwight Howard had won three straight times. But Howard had a down year, while Chandler arrived in New York and helped the Knicks jump from 22nd overall in defensive efficiency to 5th.

Chandler is the first Knick to be honored as Defensive Player of the Year.

The Selection Process

The winner is selected by a panel of media members representing every NBA city, as well as a number of national broadcasters and writers.

The vote takes place immediately after the regular season; playoff performance doesn't factor in.

Defensive Player of the Year Trivia

• Shot-blockers and rebounders have dominated the voting in recent years. Since 1989, the only guards to win defensive player honors are Seattle's Gary "The Glove" Payton (1996) and Indiana swingman Ron Artest (2004).
• But big men didn't dominate the voting at the outset: five of the first six defensive player awards went to guards. Milwaukee's Sidney Moncrief won the first two.
• Michael Jordan, David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon are the only players to win Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards. Olajuwon won both -- and was named Finals MVP -- in the same year.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year

2010-11 : Tyson Chandler - New York
2010-11 : Dwight Howard - Orlando
2009-10 : Dwight Howard - Orlando
2008-09 : Dwight Howard - Orlando
2007-08 : Kevin Garnett - Boston
2006-07 : Marcus Camby - Denver
2005-06 : Ben Wallace - Detroit
2004-05 : Ben Wallace - Detroit
2003-04 : Ron Artest - Indiana
2002-03 : Ben Wallace - Detroit
2001-02 : Ben Wallace - Detroit
2000-01 : Dikembe Mutombo - Philadelphia-Atlanta
1999-00 : Alonzo Mourning - Miami
1998-99 : Alonzo Mourning - Miami
1997-98 : Dikembe Mutombo - Atlanta
1996-97 : Dikembe Mutombo - Atlanta
1995-96 : Gary Payton - Seattle
1994-95 : Dikembe Mutombo - Denver
1993-94 : Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston
1992-93 : Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston
1991-92 : David Robinson - San Antonio
1990-91 : Dennis Rodman - Detroit
1989-90 : Dennis Rodman - Detroit
1988-89 : Mark Eaton - Utah
1987-88 : Michael Jordan - Chicago
1986-87 : Michael Cooper - Los Angeles Lakers
1985-86 : Alvin Robertson - San Antonio
1984-85 : Mark Eaton - Utah
1983-84 : Sidney Moncrief - Milwaukee
1982-83 : Sidney Moncrief - Milwaukee

View the original article here

Amar'e Stoudemire Punches Fire Extinguisher, Out for Playoffs

The Knicks are in an 0-2 hole after dropping game two of their Eastern Conference playoff series with Miami last night by a score 0f 104-94. But right now, that loss - and their 12-game postseason losing streak - are an afterthought.

While leaving the court, Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire punched at a glass-encased fire extinguisher out of frustration. The glass shattered, leaving Stoudemire with what has been described as a "severe" laceration that required several stitches to close. He left the arena with his left (non-shooting) hand heavily bandaged and in a sling.

Why is Stoudemire so frustrated? The Knicks' loss was almost certainly part of the problem, as are the mounting injuries that have prevented him from playing at an all-star level. But the biggest problem might be his role on the Knicks - a role that seems to be diminishing on a daily basis.

Stoudemire signed with the Knicks after the 2010 season, intent on becoming the building block that would lead the team back into contention. But his "alpha dog" status came into question with the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony. Both players are excellent on offense but suspect on defense, but Anthony is much better at creating his own shots - Stoudemire is most effective playing a two-man game with a point guard like Steve Nash or Raymond Felton.

Stoudemire is highly unlikely to play again in this series... and with New York in a 0-2 hole and missing three starters - Iman Shumpert tore his ACL in Game One, and Jeremy Lin is still recovering from March knee surgery - this series will almost certainly end their season.

What's Next for Stoudemire and the Knicks?

There are quite a few parallels between Stoudemire's situation and that of A.J. Burnett, the ex-Yankee pitcher. Both were signed to enormous contracts. Both struggled to live up to expectations. And now, both have suffered self-inflicted hand injuries stemming from encounters with inanimate objects.

The Yankees were eventually able to cut their losses, trading Burnett to the Pittsburgh Pirates. New York will continue to pay a very substantial portion of Burnett's salary... but they're the Yankees, that's what they do.

The Knicks could decide to take a similar action with Stoudemire... but they'll have a much harder time doing so. Stoudemire's contract has three years and over $60 million remaining, and due to his long history of injuries, that contract is uninsured. Can Glen Grunwald find a taker for that deal? Anything is possible... but it certainly won't be easy.

• NY Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire punches glass case holding fire extinguisher, cuts left hand and leaves with arm in sling after Game 2 loss to Heat - NY Daily News.

View the original article here

2012 Defensive Player of the Year: Tyson Chandler

Knicks fans received some good news for the first time in about a week when Tyson Chandler was named the NBA's 2012 Defensive Player of the Year.

Chandler doesn't have the gaudy rebound or block totals we've come to expect from the DPOY winner. His impact is much better measured at the team level. In 2010-11, before his arrival, the Knicks ranked 22nd in the NBA in defensive efficiency. This season, that rank jumped to fifth overall. That's particularly impressive considering the fact that most of New York's other top players - Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak especially - are considerably below-average on defense.

Chandler is the first Knick to be honored as the league's top defender.

Serge Ibaka placed second in the voting, followed by three-time defensive player of the year Dwight Howard in third place and LeBron James in fourth.

• Defensive Player of the Year
• 2012 NBA Awards

View the original article here

Insult and Injury: Knicks Crushed in Miami, Lose Shumpert

The Miami Heat dismantled the Knicks, 100-67, in game one of their first round playoff series on Saturday.

Miami's swarming defense had New York's scorers settling for jump shots for much of the game, as evidenced by the massive (33-11) disparity in free-throw attempts. LeBron James probably won himself a few defensive player of the year votes with his work on Carmelo Anthony; 'Melo managed just 11 points on 3-15 shooting in the game. James also led all scorers with 32 points, as Miami built up a big second quarter lead and coasted through the second half.

New York also lost guard Iman Shumpert to a knee injury in the third quarter; unconfirmed reports suggest Shumpert has a torn ACL.

• Heat 100, Knicks 67: Rapid Recap
• Heat vs. Knicks - Series Schedule and Results

View the original article here