2018 NBA Draft pick Alize Johnson - The Basketball Movement

Missouri State Alum Alize Johnson talks with The Basketball Movement after being selected in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The first Missouri State Bear selected in the NBA Draft since Winston Garland (1987), Alize Johnson is a versatile threat destined for professional basketball at the highest level. No stranger to The Basketball Movement, we had the opportunity to talk to him after the draft.

Fans of Missouri State basketball are very familiar with Alize's game. He is a capable scorer and is a 20-rebound threat despite his versatility as a stretch-big. With the size and quickness to guard multiple positions, he was coveted by several NBA teams.

Alize Johnson has had a very busy Summer, working out with 12 NBA teams all over the country. He said that it was a "Dream come true" being in all of those facilities and meeting the personnel.

Players or fans alike would recognize another versatile big man named Johnson that Alize got to meet recently. "Meeting Magic Johnson in LA was not normal" Alize said. "I had to act normal, but to meet someone on his level with his experience... it was definitely cool."

He has encountered players at all levels on his journey. He said of his fellow draftee, Dante DiVincenzo that he was not surprised in the least that he went 17th. He also mentioned De'Aaron Fox, who was drafted last season but is technically younger than Alize. "He has been great to defend this offseason. I've learned where I need to be in my lateral movement from his speed."

The Draft

Hearing your name selected in the NBA draft is an incredible accomplishment for basketball players from every corner of the world. In case he was not tired of answering the question already, we asked Alize what it felt like to get drafted:

“It felt like a dream. I have worked extremely hard and been through a lot with my family. It was an emotional night, but now I’m looking forward to getting to play with the best players in the world.”
— Alize Johnson

When asked what the next step is for him, Alize explained that NBA Summer League is the next big moment. "I'm learning plays and getting a feel for how they want to use me" Alize said. He aims to impress them with his ability to fill any role on the floor. He says he would be comfortable at the 3 or 4 position - whatever the team needs.

He said he is currently working on conditioning and getting back to being a knock-down three-point shooter like he was his Junior year at MSU. Speaking of putting in work...

Alize Johnson and The Basketball Movement

His time at Missouri State is what led to meeting Rob Yanders and working out at The Basketball Movement. He said that he heard this is where local guys came to get great workouts.

“Rob is a great guy - very genuine. He can explain how to work out efficiently for you specifically. He’s a great trainer but an even better dude.”
— Alize Johnson on Rob Yanders

As it is often goes with time spent at The Basketball Movement, it is easier to show you the work than to explain it in words. Check out the video below for some of the work Alize Johnson put in here at The Movement.

Asked to give advice to The Basketball Movement's up-and-comers on how to get your name called in the draft, he had a few simple tips.

Our personal favorite is "Use Rob." Alize explained that Rob has played as a professional and had players come through his doors from the highest level. Having such a resource here in the Midwest is a great way for players to get ahead.

Beyond that, Johnson spoke on the importance of character and leaning on whatever religion you may follow. He said to remain humble, but also to work extremely hard.

If working "extremely hard" doesn't scare you off of your path to the top, contact The Basketball Movement to get to work right away.

We wish our friend, Alize Johnson the best of luck in the NBA! Summer League in Vegas starts tonight with all games televised on either NBA TV, ESPN, or ESPN U, so don't forget to tune in!

Happy 4th from The Basketball Movement!

As you safely celebrate Independence Day, we thought we would bring you some highlights from Team USA.

The world may slowly be catching up, but USA basketball has been the undisputed kings of the worldwide basketball scene. From the Dream Team to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant teaming up, there have been a lot of fun moments.

The Dream Team got its name for a reason. To assemble Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Stockton & Malone, and the rest was a dream come true. Here are a few of their highlights from the '92 trip to Barcelona where they took home the gold:

They may not have gotten a cool nickname, but the 2012 team that took gold in London was pretty solid also. LeBron, Kobe, Melo, Westbrook, Harden, Durant, Paul, Love, a young Anthony Davis... gimme a break.

Here are a few of their highlights:

There are of course many other Men's Team USA players worth mentioning. We know however that you have family and fireworks to get to, so we'll leave you with this.

Men's USA basketball is certainly not the only dominant basketball team repping the United States on the global level. Below are highlights from the 2016 women's national team that took gold under Maya Moore, Britney Griner, Elena Della Donne, Tamika Catchings, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and more.

The next Olympic Summer games aren't until 2020. We will have some FIBA championships in the meantime as well as Olympic training camps.

We at The Basketball Movement hope that you have a safe and fun Fouth of July with loved ones. Take a day off if you have to, but remember to get some shots up tomorrow! USA! USA! USA!

NBA free agency season

Basketball never sleeps - especially at the pro level. The Finals are over, the draft is done, but the business is still in full swing.

You may have heard that LeBron James has a new home. Well, technically he already had a home in L.A., but you know what I mean. The biggest deal of the Summer came and went with James signing a 4-year, $154M deal with the Lakers.

This is not the first time we have seen LeBron jump ship from Cleveland, though the circumstances are much different. Instead of leaving his hometown via hour-long TV special to create a super team, he quietly joined a young squad. He has also accomplished his goal of brining a championship to the city of Cleveland.

The pieces have likely yet to all fall into place in L.A. Look for DeMarcus Cousins or even Kawhi Leonard to head there to join James. Hilariously, Javale McGee and Lance Stephenson are headed to the Lakeshow as well, already being called the "Meme Team".

All-NBA center Deandre Jordan is headed for a new destination too. He has signed with his hometown Dallas Mavericks after verbally committing a few years back, only to stay put with the Clippers. No hard feelings, apparently.

The next biggest name to move on is Trevor Ariza taking a one-year deal with the Suns, leaving the contending Rockets. Beyond that, most of the other big names are staying put for now.

Players staying put

LeBron is on the move and Kawhi Leonard and DeMarcus Cousins are undecided. Likely the biggest star that is staying put so far is Paul George. Apparently all-in on OKC and Russell Westbrook, George somewhat surprisingly has turned down a chance to move to his hometown of L.A. to play with Bron.

Paul George made the announcement himself at Westbrook's party. (via @GabeIkard) pic.twitter.com/2sxXOK3epA

— SportsCenter(@SportsCenter) July 1, 2018

Kevin Durant and Chris Paul both signed deals to remain with their teams, though it was expected. Nikola Jokic will return to the Nuggets on a five-year, $146M contract.

Enes Kanter, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, J.J. Redick, Jerami Grant, and others have already opted to stay put also.

The landscape of the NBA has changed dramatically already with more excitement coming. With top-five-player potential, Kawhi Leonard would elevate any squad instantly, as would Cousins. Better check in again soon to stay on top of the basketball movement!

The 2018 NBA Award winners

The 2nd annual NBA Awards show was last night. Who took home the big honors?

Two years in a row now, the NBA has had an awards show well after the Playoffs have ended. It is a bit of a strange tradition, but also fun for basketball enthusiasts to tune in to. Let's dive in to some of these awards.

Coach of the Year - A bit less exciting than some of the other awards depending on who you ask. The coach of the year for the 2017-18 season was Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors. As we'd talked about here, Casey was fired for his trouble after the season, but has already found work again in Detroit.

KIA NBA Most Improved Player - Spencer Dinwiddie, Clint Capela, and Victor Oladipo all took big steps forward this season. The winner was Victor Oladipo, who's big step forward turned him from a sidekick with potential into a full-blown NBA All-Star.

KIA NBA Defensive Player of the Year - Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis were imposing rim-protectors this season, but neither were on the level of this year's winner. Rudy Gobert was the defensive anchor of a surprisingly good Utah Jazz squad this season.

KIA NBA Sixth Man - There were many solid contributors off of the bench in the NBA this year, including runners up, Fred VanVleet and Eric Gordon. As we have discussed here before though, Lou Williams was head and shoulders above the rest, nearly being selected as an All-Star in the West despite his bench role.

KIA NBA Rookie of the Year - This one was probably the tightest race of the awards. Even for Jayson Tatum and the rest of the impressive rookie class, this was between Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell. "Spida" Mitchell looked great in the Playoffs, but this is a regular season honor - one taken home by Simmons.

KIA NBA Most Valuable Player - Anthony Davis was a beast this season and LeBron James carried his team all the way to the NBA Finals. Again, this is a regular season award however. The NBA's best regular season team was the Houston Rockets, led by the 2017-18 MVP - James Harden. Makes the OKC Thunder days of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden seem surreal.

Other awards - Daryl Morey of the Houston Rockets was Executive of the Year, Kemba Walker won the Sportsmanship Award, Jamal Crawford won the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, and Oscar Robertson won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

2018 NBA Draft recap

The 2018 NBA Draft is done and a fresh crop of talent has entered the world's best basketball league.

Last season's rookie class is already looking like one of the best NBA draft classes ever. Many might have assumed that this following draft may be a bit on the weaker side, but talent was not in short supply once more.

Much of the draft played out as expected, though there were a few surprises. Deandre Ayton out of Arizona went number one overall to the Phoenix Suns as expected. The Sacramento Kings had seemed unsure about who to take at two, but went for Marvin Bagley out of Duke.

Euro superstar Luka Doncic was selected third by the Atlanta Hawks, but was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Trae Young (selected fifth) and a future first round pick. Jaren Jackson Jr. of Michigan State went fourth to Memphis.

Texas standout Mohamed "Mo" Bamba went to Orlando with the sixth pick and Wendell Carter of Duke went seventh to the Bulls.

Villanova star Mikal Bridges went tenth to Philly. He and his family were gushing about staying home, only to be traded a short while later to the Charlotte Hornets. So goes the business of the NBA. Mikal's Villanova teammate and NCAA Tournament MVP Donte DiVencenzo went 17th to the Milwaukee Bucks.

One surprise was the draft-day slide of Mizzou's Michael Porter Jr. to Denver with the 14th pick. Injuries might have scared off other teams, but he could be a real value at 14.

Friend of The Basketball Movement, Missouri State's Alize Johnson was selected in the second round by the Indiana Pacers at 50. Johnson is the first MSU player selected in the NBA draft since Winston Garland in 1987. Congrats, Alize!

A few other noteworthy picks were Grayson Allen at 21, Mortiz Wagner at 25, and Kostas Antetokounmpo (Giannis' little brother) at 60 - the last pick.

There is a lot of promise in these young guys - it will be another fun Summer and season ahead. Keep an eye out here soon, as we talk with Alize about his experiences and expectations going forward.

Congratulations to all those drafted. For those who weren't, you've got next. We'd love to help.

 

Golden State Warriors: 2018 NBA Champions

The Golden State Warriors are back-to-back NBA Champions, with Kevin Durant winning his second Finals MVP award.

There was little doubt coming into these Finals that the Golden State Warriors were a better team than the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Dubs swept the Cavs, celebrating their victory after game four in Cleveland last night.

Kevin Durant was a monster in the Finals averaging 29 points, 11 boards, 7.5 assists, and 2.3 blocks while shooting 53 percent from the field. His game three propelled his selection for the award, as he shouldered the load in the victory with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson struggling with their shots.

Former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala provided a spark off the bench in his two games back from injury. For the Playoffs, Steph Curry average 25 per game, Thompson about 20, and Durant 29. Draymond Green nearly average a Playoff triple-double with (approximately) a 11/11/8 line to go with 2 steals and 1.5 blocks.

The is Head Coach Steve Kerr's third championship coaching after winning five as a player.

The Cavaliers' side of things

In this series, LeBron James averaged 34/8.5/10 to go with a steal and a block while shooting 53 percent from the field and 84 percent from the stripe.

Interestingly, LeBron had a brace on his shooting hand in his last interview. Reports say that he injured it punching something after the frustrating game one loss. If true, this is a very disappointing move by James. Emotion cannot come before team success.

The extent of the injury is unknown, but it is tough to deny how banged up he was. The apparent hand injury, a few pokes in the eye, an ankle tweak, and the most minutes played in the NBA this season takes their toll.

Kevin Love was the only other Cavalier to average double-digit points in the series, averaging 19 and 11. The rest of the Cavs either were not used properly or just, well, stunk.

End of an interesting NBA season

It was assumed by most that the winner from the Western Conference would handle any team out of the East. The Warriors and Houston Rockets were on a different level than any other teams this year.

A fourth installment of Warriors vs. Cavaliers was not what many fans might have wished for. Really though, that just shows how spoiled we are by today's stars. The Finals gave us one of the best teams of all-time facing off against one of the best players of all-time.

This season was filled with interesting new squad compilations and a new crop of future stars. The NBA is still going very, very strong.

Now begins the offseason. The draft, free agency (that includes LeBron James), Olympics prep, and then Summer League await. Stay tuned to The Basketball Movement for all of the continued coverage!

All stats from BasketballReference.com

The NBA 2K19 cover athlete has been announced

As an athlete, there are opportunities to earn numerous awards. One unofficial accolade is making it on the cover of a video game.

Over the years, it has become difficult to deny that NBA 2K games have lapped the NBA Live series. 2K is the ultimate video game basketball experience, especially with the lack of a NCAA title, NBA Street, or NBA Jam in recent years.

Congratulations to LeBron James for being selected to grace to cover of the next game, NBA 2K19.

James has been on the cover once before - on NBA 2K14 when he was with the Miami Heat. Kevin Durant has also been on twice (2013, 2015), along with Michael Jordan (2011-2012). Allen Iverson was on the first four covers from 2000-2004.

LeBron's age 33 seasons has already proved to be one of his personal best, though his team is currently on the ropes in the NBA Finals.

The cover is different than usual, taking a lot from LeBron's personal brand and the material he often writes on his shoes before games.

When you aren't getting work in with The Basketball Movement, the 2K series is a fun distraction and way to learn about some of the best players in the world. They even have plenty of throwback teams so you can play as some of the greats.

To see the real deal, LeBron and Co. will be back in action Wednesday (6/5/18) for game 3 of the NBA Finals. The game starts at 8:00 PM (CT) on ABC.

NBA Finals game two tonight - Can the Cavaliers rally?

After an extremely tough loss in game one, Cleveland will have to dig deep to get back in these Finals.

Few individuals believed at any point that the Cleveland Cavaliers could win these NBA Finals. An electric 51/8/8 performance by LeBron James had every appearance of being enough to pull off a game one upset. It was not meant to be.

The final sequence of regulation could not have gone much worse than it did for Cleveland. They got a good free throw shooter to the line, but he missed the second attempt. An offensive rebound by JR Smith was wasted as well as he dribbled away pointlessly, unaware of the score.

Understandably deflated, the Cavs got drubbed in overtime by the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Already underdogs, a game one victory on the road could have turned the tables in this series. Instead, the Warriors get another home game tonight, up 1-0 in the series.

Mentality will be paramount for both teams in game two

For the Warriors, it may be easy to relax a bit after stealing back the game one victory. They need to maintain a "killer" mentality and keep their feet on the gas to try and put away the Finals as quickly as possible.

They had better, because they are still playing LeBron after all.

Cleveland probably hung their heads for a while after the tough loss. If that is still going on, they had better snap out of it. A lot of that starts with their leader, LeBron James. He said that game one was one of the toughest losses of his career.

“It’s one of the toughest losses I’ve had in my career as well because of everything that kind of went on with the game and the way we played. It was a tough 24 hours not only for Hill and for myself but for our whole ballclub because we put ourselves in a great position to be successful.”
— LeBron James

James is one of the most scrutinized players of our generation, constantly being compared to the greats. For the sake of his legacy, he must rally his troops and get them into the same position they were in in game one. Maybe this time, there will be a different outcome.

The game will be nationally televised tonight at 7:00 PM (CT) on ABC. Tune in for more great basketball.

2018 NBA Finals schedule

A pair of familiar teams are set to face off with the NBA Finals schedule set.

For the fourth consecutive season, the NBA Finals will feature the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. Part IV will likely appeal to Golden State and LeBron James fans, but many would agree that a shake-up might have been nice.

The Warriors are overwhelming favorites after they dispatched the Chris Paul-less Houston Rockets in game seven to win the Western Conference Finals.

The most that fans can hope for is a competitive series. The Cavaliers will go just as far as the greatness of LeBron James can take them against Golden State's four All-Stars.

Note: 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala has been ruled out for game one with a leg contusion for Golden State. Kevin Love is doubtful for the Cavaliers with a concussion.

***Edit: Kevin Love has since been cleared to play in game one per a Cavaliers' statement.

Opinion time! I (@WilHarrington) would be very surprised to see this series go the distance. I predict that the Cavs will take game three or four at home. That means that Golden State will celebrate on their home floor after game five. We shall see!

NBA Finals schedule

Per NBA.com

Game 1: Thu, May 31: Cavaliers at Warriors, 8 p.m. CT, ABC
Game 2: Sun, June 3: Cavaliers at Warriors, 7 p.m. CT, ABC
Game 3: Wed, June 6: Warriors at Cavaliers, 8 p.m. CT, ABC
Game 4: Fri, June 8: Warriors at Cavaliers, 8 p.m. CT, ABC
*Game 5: Mon, June 11: Cavaliers at Warriors, 8 p.m. CT, ABC
*Game 6: Thu, June 14: Warriors at Cavaliers, 8 p.m. CT, ABC
*Game 7: Sun, June 17: Cavaliers at Warriors, 7 p.m. CT, ABC

* - If Necessary

The NBA Finals are the pinnacle of the greatest basketball league in the world. Stay on top of it right here at The Basketball Movement.

NBA Conference Finals will feature two game sevens

Basketball fans are in for a treat as both the Western and Eastern Conference Finals go to game seven.

The NBA regular season has 82 games and each playoff series is best of seven. There has been a lot of basketball played, but it all comes down to one game for the four remaining teams to stay alive.

Last night, the Houston Rockets held their own in Golden State through the first half despite the loss of Chris Paul to injury. The Warriors turned it on in the 3rd quarter and wound up winning easily. Chris Paul's availability for game seven in Houston has been reported as doubtful at best.

In the East, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have come to life. Turnovers by the young Boston Celtic squad and dominant performances by King James have now led to the game seven showdown in Boston.

When and what to watch for

The Cavs and Celtics face off tonight at 7:30 Central time in the Celtics gym. The Cavaliers appear to have to momentum, as Boston has not looked as sharp in the last few contests.

The defensive and offensive sets that Coach Brad Stevens and the Celtics blitzed the Cavs with early in the series are becoming more predictable. It is difficult to argue the LeBron is a great basketball mind, capable of adjusting to any strategy given a little time.

A win for Cleveland would be LeBron's eighth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. The Celtics have not made it since the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett/Ray Allen big three.

Game seven of the Western Conference Finals will be tomorrow night at 8:00 PM Central time in Houston.

The Rockets will have home court advantage, but with Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson all looking sharp in game six, it could be a tall task. If Chris Paul cannot go, it will take a herculian effort from James Harden and the Rockets to advance.

Game sevens are as good as it gets for sports fans. These will both be must-see games, so make sure that you do not miss the action!

 

Luka Doncic leads team to Euroleague title

The Euroleague is considered by many to be the second-best basketball league in the world. Draft prospect Luka Doncic just owned it.

Luka Doncic is 19 years old, but has been a Euroleague pro since 2014. Doncic just led Real Madrid to a Euroleague title, winning Final Four MVP honors along the way. He is also locked in as an early first round NBA draft pick.

Even though he is only the age of a one-and-done NCAA star, Doncic enters the draft as one of the most decorated European stars the NBA has had in a long time.

At around 6'6", Luka Doncic plays his game a lot like the Philidelphia 76ers star, Ben Simmons. He is an excellent ball-handler and distributor. He is however a more willing shooter than Rookie of the Year hopeful Simmons.

Scouts do not believe that Doncic will ever be the fastest or strongest player on the court, but his basketball I.Q. and workable athleticism should be more than enough to develop him into a team-leader.

How high will Doncic be selected?

An argument could be made that the Phoenix Suns will take Luka with the first overall pick. The Suns recently hired Igor Kokoskov as their head coach, who coached Doncic on the Slovenian national team in the Olympics.

If the Suns opt instead for big man Deandre Ayton, as many assume they will, he will likely fall to Sacremento, who selects second. Interestingly, it has been reported that if the Kings do not select him, the next two teams would pass also, as they are eyeing different needs.

If he falls to the team picking fifth, which is Dallas, the Mavericks would probably be very pleased. They currently have the greatest European player of all time on their roster, so Doncic would be quite the consolation prize.

Doncic has had a statement or two recently about a wait-and-see type of approach to playing next year in Europe. That has likely startled some teams around the NBA that were planning to use an early pick to get him.

We will see what the future holds for Luka Doncic. He is an exciting prospect that seems destined to make a splash no-matter what happens.

For more on the draft, keep checking in with The Basketball Movement. For more on our own Robert Yanders' journey as a pro in Europe, click here.

Finalists for NBA season awards are set

Now already a few games into the Conference Finals, the NBA has revealed the finalists for their regular season awards.

Who will be named the 2017-18 NBA MVP? Rookie of the year? There are some fresh faces on these short lists for the NBA's prestigious accolades.

Below are the top-3 players in each category as selected by the NBA:

Kia NBA Most Valuable Player

  • Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
  • James Harden, Houston Rockets
  • LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Kia NBA Rookie of the Year

  • Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
  • Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
  • Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Kia NBA Sixth Man Award

  • Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
  • Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
  • Lou Williams, LA Clippers

Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year

  • Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
  • Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
  • Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

Kia NBA Most Improved Player

  • Clint Capela, Houston Rockets
  • Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets
  • Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers

NBA Coach of the Year

  • Dwane Casey, Toronto Raptors
  • Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz
  • Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics

Predicting winners - A few opinions

James Harden is the favorite to win MVP and has been all season. Stepping back, LeBron James is likely the only reason his team made the playoffs. Houston might have gotten in without Harden. Tough call, but Harden was the best player on the best team this season.

 This seems like a good year to split Rookie of the Year honors. Mitchell and Simmons have both been spectacular. Really, the whole rookie class has been great.

Lou Williams has sixth man sown up. Shoutout though to former Missouri Valley Conference player, Fred VanVleet - the unofficial captain off the bench for the best second unit in the league.

The Jazz had a surprisingly good year. That is because of their defense, which was centered around Rudy Gobert, your DPY. Most improved is tough between Oladipo and Capela. Another toss up, but Oladipo will likely win.

For coach of the year, it certainly seems like Brad Stevens should take it, though all those listed were great. Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra, and Brett Brown deserve shoutouts as well.

Winners will be announced Monday, June 25. Did the NBA leave anyone off? Who do you think will win the awards? Let us know in the comments below!

 

NBA 2018 draft lottery order revealed

The Phoenix Suns are set to select first in the 2018 draft. Who will they take?

In the NBA draft, the first 14 picks are determined by their lottery system. Phoenix had about a 25 percent chance to come away with the top pick in this year's draft. The odds held true for them, while there were a couple of variances in the order.

Statistically, Memphis had an excellent chance at picking second or at least third. It was the Sacramento Kings that lucked into the second spot, however. The Atlanta Hawks also moved up, sliding into third by luck of the draw.

Memphis joins Dallas as the two "losers" of the lottery that were bumped down further than expected, though both retain top-5 selections. The draft order is below:

1: Phoenix Suns
2: Sacramento Kings
3: Atlanta Hawks
4: Memphis Grizzlies
5: Dallas Mavericks
6: Orlando Magic
7: Chicago Bulls
8: Cleveland Cavaliers (via Brooklyn Nets)
9: New York Knicks
10: Philadelphia 76ers (via L.A. Lakers)
11: Charlotte Hornets
12: L.A. Clippers (via Detroit Pistons)
13: L.A. Clippers
14: Denver Nuggets

Top basketball prospects in the world will be selected

This year's draft class looks strong, though it will have a tough act to follow after the dominant display by last year's crop of rookies.

The Phoenix Suns are expected to take Deandre Ayton from Arizona to fill there need for a reliable big man. However, their hiring of head coach Igor Kokoskov could suggest that they take European standout Luka Doncic. Kokoskov coached Doncic for the Slovenian national team.

Ayton's size and skill versus Doncic's savvy and athleticism will be an interesting comparison in this draft and likely years to come. The Kings will likely be thrilled to select the whichever player Phoenix leaves on the board.

Potential abounds for all of the remaining teams in the form of Duke's Marvin Bagley, Texas' Mo Bamba, OU's Trae Young, and more.

The draft is scheduled for June 21st. The Basketball Movement will continue to track the draft and it's prospects, so keep it locked right here.

Highs and lows of coaching on display in the NBA

It has been an interesting few weeks for coaches in the NBA - Some shouldering blame and others receiving high praise.

Toronto Raptors Head Coach, Dwane Casey just received the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award as voted on by head coaches around the league. A day or two later, he was fired. Wait, what?

Casey's Raptors had the second-best record in the league this season (ahead of the Warriors) and the number one seed in the East. However, for the third consecutive season, they were knocked out by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Yes, LeBron is one of the premier athletes in the world and one of the greatest basketball players of all-time. Still, a clean sweep did not look good for the Raps. Toronto needed some kind of shake-up to try and get over this LeBron-shaped hump that seems to keep them from reaching their potential.

Still, a pretty wild end to Dwane Casey's 7-year tenure with the Raptors. His dismissal after sustained success in Toronto exemplifies the volatility of the head coach position. Unfortunately it seems to serve as a scapegoat for many organizations year after year.

The highs of coaching - Brad Stevens

Coaches may receive a lot of the blame when things go wrong, as Dwane Casey did. Unfortunately they do not always get the praise when things are finally going right, because that is simply their expectation.

Furthering the example of volatility in coaching - Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics is receiving very high praise for what his young squad is accomplishing.

To start the Celtics season, they lost Gordon Hayward (Stevens' old player in his Butler days) to a gruesome ankle injury in their first game. They made the playoffs anyway, but lost All-Star Kyrie Irving to an injury before they started.

“As a coach I think that’s one of the things we have to exude: the ability to move on regardless of the result.”
— Brad Stevens

Despite all this, they have moved on to the Eastern Conference finals, with their coach receiving much of the credit for guiding their very young team. Steven is deserving, but too often coaches are treated as lesser parts of their teams. It is always good to see good coaches recognized.

Around the league

The good news for Dwane Casey is that he will have a long list of teams that will be interested in his services. Other top coaches this year such as Stevens, Gregg Popovich, and Mike D'Antoni will be recognized and given the opportunity to stay with their squads.

76ers coach Brett Brown has garnered a lot of recognition for finally having a successful year after many organized seasons of tanking. Upon losing to the Celtics in the playoffs, he said a few days later that he believed the team needed help. ESPN jumped on him like crazy for making such a comment even though they agreed.

Life as a coach is tough.

David Fizdale has been named the head coach of the New York Knicks, Sixers assistant Lloyd Peirce was named as coach of the Atlanta Hawks, and the New Orleans Hornets hired Spurs assistant James Borrego.

Job security is a fickle thing at the pro level, but hey, the paychecks are pretty nice. A lot of these highs and lows of coaching apply all the way down to coaching kids. It can be very rewarding but also pretty tough. Coaches, hang in there. Players and parents, take it easy on 'em. They are doing a tough job the best they can.

2018 NBA Conference Finals are set

Four teams remain as the NBA playoffs second round concludes, giving way to the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.

Many NBA fans will tell you that the second round matchups ended predictably. In the West, the 1 seed Houston Rockets knocked off a tough young Utah Jazz squad 4-1. The Golden State Warriors, now fully healthy with the return of Steph Curry, defeated Anthony Davis' New Orleans Pelicans 4-1 as well.

In the Eastern Conference side of things, one constant has remained predictable over the last decade; LeBron James own the East until further notice.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have bumped the Toronto Raptors from the playoffs for three straight years. They made a clean 4-0 sweep of them this year despite a franchise best 59 wins and a 1 seed for the Raps. The Boston Celtics bounced the Philadelphia 76ers last night in a thriller (4-1) despite losing Kyrie Irving to surgery before the playoffs.

This was a relatively quick second round, considering the seven-game-series format for all four matchups. One sweep and three 4-1 victories means a little break and then to the Conference Finals.

What to watch for in the ECF and WCF

Games resume this Sunday, May 13th with the Cavs in Boston for game one. The Celtics are lacking their biggest stars in Irving and Gordon Hayward due to injuries, but have been as tough as anyone. The scrappyness of Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, and rookie Jayson Tatum paired with the steadying hand of veteran Al Horford has made for a lethal combination.

For the Cavs, this is likely the weakest squad LeBron has had in years. That hasn't slowed him down though, as a he personally sliced through a tough Raptors squad like butter. The winner in the East will have a brief celebration as they enter the NBA Finals as severe underdogs.

Many pundits agree that the winner of the Rockets/Warriors series will with the NBA Finals as well. Both teams, especially at full strength, are offensive juggernauts with improved defenses to boot.

The Western Conference Championship will be must-see-basketball. The reigining champion Warriors return the same four All-Stars that led them last year. The Rockets sport two unproven (in the playoffs) All-Stars in James Harden and Chris Paul. This is Paul's first WCF despite his successes with the Clippers previously.

Don't forget to tune in to these matchups and stay up to date with all the NBA movement by keeping it right here with us! 

Let's talk about LeBron James

One of the greatest basketball players of all time, LeBron James just keeps doing his thing.

James came into the league out of high school, bringing a ridiculous amount of hype with him. The expectations for LeBron were through the roof, yet somehow, he delivered. Great things were anticipated, but going down as one of the top players of all-time is never a reasonable expectation for any individual.

A one-of-a-kind physical specimen, the league had not seen anything like him since Magic Johnson. For all Johnson's skill, not even he had James' speed and strength.

The ball-handling, passing, athleticism, leadership, defense, basketball I.Q., and improved shooting in a 6-8, 250lb man; his place among the best of all-time is not really up for debate. Where exactly he falls may be, but not his overall basketball greatness.

He isn't done yet

LeBron James entered in the league in 2003, so it feels like he has been around forever. This year is his 15th season. That totals 1,143 regular season games, not to mention 225 playoff contests. How is there still tread on his basketball tires?

The sustained greatness is certainly one of the things that propels the "greatness" conversation. His Cleveland Cavaliers had an up-and-down season, yet are still hanging around in the playoffs. If they go all the way, it will be LeBron's 8th consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

LeBron has owned the Eastern Conference for almost a decade.

Last night, his Cavs, fresh off a seven game series with Indy, beat the 1 seed Raptors in Toronto. It took overtime to do it; 46 minutes and a triple-double from James.

Can he keep it up?

Even with a less-familiar host of teammates than in recent seasons, LeBron is finding a way to get it done. In his age-33 season, he played all 82 games for the first time in his career.

Getting to the Finals will be tougher this year than in any of the previous seven seasons. Once the Eastern team gets there, they will likely earn a date with the Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors. Maybe not as fun when you think of it that way.

Regardless of how it all shakes out, one thing is certain: LeBron James is a constant, dependable force in the NBA.

He won't be going anywhere for a few years (well, aside from his pending free agency). Appreciate his basketball mastery while you can. He is physically gifted, but there are parts of his game that any player can work to emulate.

Keep a close eye on King James and stay involved with The Basketball Movement to get the most out of your hoops experience.

First round of NBA Playoffs nears its conclusion

The first round of the NBA Playoffs are almost over, save for a pair of exciting game sevens.

All of the first round matchups in the NBA have been decided but two, which will make for some must-see TV. The Western Conference is ready to go, while the matches in the East have yet to be determined. That will change in about 24 hours.

In the West, the 1 and 2 seed teams predictably handled their competition. The Houston Rockets beat the Timberwolves 4-1 and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Spurs 4-0. The rest of the West, who all finished with similar records, had a couple of upsets.

The 4 seeded OKC Thunder fell to the 5 seed Jazz last night to lose the series 4-2. The 6 seed Pelicans had a much more surprising start to their playoffs, sweeping the 3 seed Trailblazers. The New Orleans Pelicans could be an interesting foe for the potentially Steph Curry-less Warriors in the second round.

The beasts of the East

The 1 seed Raptors handled the Wizards 4-2 and the young 3 seed Philly team defeated the Heat 4-1. The other matchups are yet to be decided, coming down to one of the best parts of playoff ball: game sevens.

Tonight, the 2-seed Celtics will try to remain near the top of the food chain despite losing Kyrie Irving to injury. They will face of with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks at 7:00 PM central on TNT.

LeBron James is looking for his (ridiculous) 8th consecutive Finals appearance. That is in jeopardy as his Cavaliers have been pushed to game 7 by potential Most Improved Player, Victor Oladipo and the Pacers. That game will be on tomorrow at noon central on ABC.

Sit back and enjoy the show.

The Celtics/Bucks game tonight should be a lot of fun. The second round actually tips off tonight as well as Anthony Davis and the Pelicans open their series with the Warriors.

Tomorrow's tilt between the Cavs and Pacers should also be very entertaining as one of the greatest players ever will attempt to build on his legacy. That will conclude the first round of the 2017-18 NBA Playoffs.

A shake-up is always nice, but it also seems a little silly to bet against LeBron James. Enjoy the show and as always, check out the rest of The Basketball Movement blog while you're here!

 

The 2017-18 NBA rookie class was dominant

Though the 2017-18 regular season is over, we are still seeing plenty of rookie prowess with the postseason underway.

Even though the Rookie of the Year honor is essentially a two-man race, it is worth stopping to admire the work put in by this season's entire rookie class. So many of them came in to play large roles on their teams. Some rebuilding, and some legitimate playoff contenders.

An argument could be made that at least seven or eight of these guys could have beat out Malcolm Brogdon for ROY honors last year if they had entered the league. Brogdon represented a bit of a down rookie year, but still. The stark comparison between last year and this one is noteworthy.

A couple of fun, unorthodox rookies were Milos Teodosic and Andre Ingram. Teodosic came over from Europe at the age of 30 and started slinging flashy passes for the Clippers, though his season was marred by injury. Andre Ingram at 32 had spent his entire career in the G-League, but was to finally called up by the Lakers for their last two games. LA loves the old fellas.

Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell

The aforementioned two-man race is between Ben Simmons of the Sixers and Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz. Both teams are still in the thick of the playoffs, led by their star rookies.

Simmons is likely the front-runner; a Magic Johnson-esque 6-10 point guard that puts up well-rounded lines without needing an outside shot. Once he develops as a perimeter threat and more efficient free throw shooter, he will be one of the best in the game.

Donovan Mitchell is the offensive focal point of the defense-heavy Utah Jazz squad. He leads rookies in scoring as the only one to average over 20 per contest. The sky is the limit as he improves his efficiency and ball-distribution.

The other guys/studs

Any other season, Kyle Kuzma, Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markkanan, and Dennis Smith Jr. would be legit ROY contenders. Tatum had a great year shooting the ball and doing everything asked of him for an already established Celtic squad. The others listed above stood out due to necessity on weaker teams, but had fantastic years.

You could even argue that Josh Jackson, De'Aaron Fox, Bogdon Bogdonovic, and Lonzo Ball could have been in contention on down-years like in 2016-17. All of the above players so-far averaged double-digit scoring. Ball spent much of the year hurt, however. Bogdonovic won MVP of the rookie-sophomore game that probably featured many future All-Stars.

All this and we barely got to see anything out of number one draft pick, Markelle Fultz due to a shoulder injury. He is now coming of the bench for the playoff Sixers though. A couple of other rookies that had solid seasons that we'll see more of in the future are John Collins, Jarrett Allen, Bam Adebayo, and Mike James.

A couple of rookies that saw plenty of time, but will hope to produce more in the future were Frank Ntilikina and Malik Monk.

The Basketball Movement looks forward to monitoring the progress of all of these players and getting to work with more and more NBA talent moving forward. Great season, everyone!

Any statistics used from Basketball Reference

Perspective: Erin Popovich passes away at 67

Greg Popovich's wife, Erin passed away Wednesday after battling an illness for a long time according to ESPN.

The head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Greg Popovich has been a key figure in the NBA for a long time. The news of the passing of his wife, Erin is a tough blow to the basketball community. Gregg and Erin Popovich had been married for over 40 years, had two children, and two grandchildren. The couple met while Coach Pop was an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy. 

As devastating as it must be to the Popovich family, it also serves a reminder of what it truly important.

The game seems insignificant in the face of such real-life tragedy. However, the fraternity created by basketball can be a tremendous source of support and family. Stars such as Kevin Durant and LeBron James both used the term "family" when presented with the news of Erin's passing.

This is not enjoyable news to deliver, but we hope that it brings about feelings of appreciation for the people and things that we have. Gregg Popovich has been a polarizing figure of late, becoming more bold with political statements and always firing off sarcasm and wit. No-matter your stance on him, this is a tragedy that must be respected. 

ESPN staff writer, Michael C. Wright reported the following quote from the Spurs General Manager.

“We’re all suffering a profound loss to a really important member of our family and our team. Erin and Gregg were best friends who were together for 40 years, and Erin’s impact and influence on our organization, on our families, on our players and their families will be felt for years to come. I spoke to Pop this morning. He’s overwhelmed by the support. He’s very appreciative of the love that’s been shared with our group, and with him and his family and Erin’s family. As you’d expect from Pop, he wants our focus to be about the game today, about this series, and that’s what today will be about. We’ll miss Erin a lot, and the focus of our team will be on supporting Pop. But we’ve got basketball to get back to”
— Spus G.M., R.C. Buford

The Basketball Movement's thoughts are with the Popovich family and the Spurs organization in this difficult time. Coach Pop will of course miss game 3 of the first round series with the Golden State Warriors (GSW leads 2-0).