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On Tuesday, "First Take" debated the proper people to blame for the mess that is the Orlando Magic. Skip Bayless thinks the Magic got rid of their primary problem in coach Stan Van Gundy, while Stephen A. Smith places the blame above Van Gundy's pay grade. What's your take?
Usually, when Kobe Bryant drops 42 points on an opposing team, it results in a solid, decisive win. That's what happened on Monday night, except this time, the Thunder were the ones running away with it. The Lakers looked slow and and out of sorts throughout the series, with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum coming under fire more than once for lackluster play. Kobe still seems to have his killer instinct, but do the Lakers need a major overhaul if he's going to get another ring?
Gasol or Bynum?
The Lakers have big decisions to make regarding the dual futures of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.
Is Bynum essential?
Andrew Bynum showed his stuff in several games this season, looking like the best player on the court for extended periods of time.
Kobe's mileage?
Kobe Bryant isn't getting any younger, and some additional minutes at the London Olympics may make him that much more tired next season.
Brown's future?
Mike Brown came under some criticism this season, but still led his team into the second round of the playoffs.
The Jeremy Lin phenomenon captivated Knicks fans this season, but his agent is telling fans that it's no guarantee that Lin will be back in New York. Lin is a restricted free agent this summer, and while New York gave him the shot that made him a household name, he could potentially use his star status to land in a more appealing situation. Knicks coach Mike Woodson said that Lin would "definitely" be back with the Knicks, but is the coach's confidence in Lin's return misplaced?
Lin's future?
Lin could see where his marketability would take him. Teams are always looking for talented point guards to run their offenses.
Where would Lin thrive?
That being said, Lin could have something special with the Knicks -- if he ends up meshing well with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, the Knicks could be championship contenders.
Would Lin have made a difference?
This year, the Knicks were definitely not championship contenders. They managed to win onyl one game against an (apparently) beatable Heat team despite several close misses. Tellingly, Lin was out with an injury the entire time.
On Monday, "First Take" debated LeBron James' legacy and his chances of winning a title this season. LeBron's lack of a ring has been a sore spot in assessing his legacy, one that Skip Bayless has brought up time and time again. With James' performance in Game 4, Stephen A. Smith doesn't think he can blame LeBron if the Heat don't end up winning it all. Does LeBron need to hoist the trophy over his head this season in order to cement his status as an all-time great? What's your take?
The Clippers are out of the running, which is normally a sentence one would say sometime around December. This season, however, they made it all the way to the conference semifinals, taking care of a tough Grizzlies team in seven games before falling to the aging but still effective Spurs juggernaut. Seriously, 18 straight wins since mid-April? That's somewhat notable, don't you think? Anyway, the Clippers clearly must be pleased with how their season turned out overall, but there are questions about their long-term future, as neither Blake Griffin nor Chris Paul has signed a long-term contract extension. Will both reside in Lob City for the long haul?
Paul's and Griffin's futures?
Blake Griffin is eligible to sign an extension this summer, while Chris Paul is under contract for only one more year.
Championship potential?
Paul and Griffin meshed well in their first season, but it'll take more than a barrage of alley-oops to win a championship.
Are the Spurs favorites?
The Spurs have been written off as done before, but they're looking like the mid-2000s team of old in these playoffs.
On Friday, "First Take" discussed the amount of blame LeBron James deserves for the Heat's Game 3 loss against the Pacers. Much of the fault seems to lie at the feet of Dwyane Wade, who scored only five points in the contest, but whenever the Heat lose, it's inevitable that LeBron will draw some fire. Skip Bayless thinks LeBron deserves the majority of the blame, but Stephen A. Smith gives him only about 20 percent. What's your take?
Nothing seems to go according to script for the Heat in the playoffs. If you believe LeBron James' prediction in their infamous introductory press conference, they should be well on their way to their second title by now. Instead, they're teetering on the brink of falling in a deep hole in their series against the Pacers. It's gotten so bad that the normally unflappable Dwyane Wade is scoring in the single digits and arguing with his coach. Whatever's wrong with Wade and the Heat, they'll have to turn it around quickly.
Will Wade turn it around?
Dwyane Wade's performance in Game 3 was eminently forgettable -- a mere five points and five turnovers in 37 minutes.
Wade vs. Spoelstra?
Dwyane Wade and coach Erik Spoelstra had to be separated after a heated argument.
Pacers' standout?
The Pacers have been splitting scoring duties almost evenly among their five starters, and it's been working out well so far.
A trade in the future?
There's been talk of splitting up the Big Three if the Heat don't win this season, possibly with the intention of acquiring Dwight Howard.
The Lakers are in dire straits against the Thunder, as they've fallen into an 0-2 hole after a 77-75 loss on Wednesday night. Los Angeles actually had a pretty good chance to win late -- if Steve Blake's open 3-pointer had been an inch or two shorter, we might be talking about how the Lakers' savvy veterans managed to bring some dignity to a series that looked like it was devolving into farce. Instead, the Thunder are in command, and things are getting desperate for the Lakers.
Did the Lakers lose it?
The Thunder were down by seven with two minutes remaining in Game 2, but the Lakers were unable to stop their comeback.
Wrong decision?
Kobe Bryant is clearly the Lakers' best player, but did you take issue with Metta World Peace deciding to give the last shot to the open man?
Game 3 winners?
If there's any place in which the Lakers can turn this series around, it's their home court, the Staples Center -- they're 26-7 at home this season.
Derrick Rose's ACL surgery apparently went well, but his doctor says he may be out anywhere from eight to 12 months as a matter of recovery. If Rose misses next season, are the Bulls' playoff chances over?
- bajaz1021: "Bulls should make a run at Nash, and once Rose returns, we'll have two solid PG's running the offense. Rose isn't going to be back to his true self once he comes back for while anyway, and having a guy like Nash would be perfect for this team while Rose gets back to 100%. "
- dconroy22: "Take the year off Derrick, become a student to the game and watch hours of tape on other great players and point guards, then come back and dominate the league like nobody has since Jordan. "
- cameronbromen: "I bet the bulls tank next season to get a better draft pick and come out guns blazing in 2 years. I don't like it, but that's what I would do if I was the GM."
- farwellfred: "In my opinion, The Bulls should get rid off everyone except Osik, Gibson, and Noha. We will not make the playoffs next year and that will land us 2 lottery picks in the summer of 2013. We will have our lottery pick for not making the playoffs and we will have the Bobcats lottery pick and our draft pick that is playing overseas. "
- andiannorthington: "Torn ACL aren't a dramatic career ender like they used to be thanks to the evolution of science but it's still a major injury and it's going too be a long process to recovery."
- abcesr: "He'll never be the same. He will still be good, but no longer great, a la Grant Hill."
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Yeah, yeah, we know; in the win-loss column, "losing" and "almost winning" count for exactly the same thing. Emotionally, however, Heat fans would probably feel a lot different about Tuesday night's 78-75 loss to the Pacers. LeBron James' clutchness has often been called into question, and he didn't help his cause by missing two free throws in the final minute last night. LeBron was likely the main reason the Heat were in the game in the first place, however; he scored 28 points with nine rebounds and five assists, even adding six steals to his ledger. If LeBron scores five fewer points, we might not even be having this conversation. Sports are weird sometimes.
LeBron's role?
LeBron James' predicament reminds us somewhat of Alex Rodriguez's playoff issues, at least up until 2009, where Rodriguez won a World Series and hit six home runs in the playoffs.
Bigger miss?
Both LeBron and Dwyane Wade had chances to drastically alter the tone of the game in the final minute, but neither was able to capitalize.
Bosh's absence?
Chris Bosh is often derided as not truly worthy of being the third member of the Big Three, but his defensive chops could have made the difference on Tuesday night.
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