Welcome to another edition of NBA Nation Australia’s Roundtable! This week we’ll be tackling more hot topics from around the league including George Karl, the MVP award, the free agent debate in LA, most improved teams, Derrick Rose and Kobe’s mum (only because it’s Mother’s Day). We also welcome back podcaster and blogger Jabari Davis from The OpinioNation (theopnation.com), Brent Veale formerly of That Basketball Show and Tom Read from the #BelieveTheHype podcast!
Derrick Rose warming up by throwing down a dunk before tonights Bulls @ Thunder game. How long before we see him back ?
Welcome to another week and another NBA Nation Australia Roundtable! This week we welcome yet another special guest, this time from Los Angeles, California. Jabari Davis is an avid Lakers and NBA fan, co-founder of TheOpinioNation.com and regular writer for famed and well-renowned Lakers blog LakersNation.com. Recently, Jabari was also a guest on fellow Aussie blog/Podcast #BelieveTheHype with Tom Read and Benyam Kidane. We thank you, Jabari for taking the time to answer a few questions and be a part of our Roundtable.
Enjoy folks!
1. With the impending sale of the Sacramento Kings to Seattle where they will likely be renamed the Sonics, what effect do you believe the move will have on both cities and the NBA as a whole? Also, should the league have thought further about whether or not to relocate the Sonics to Oklahoma City in the first place?
Jabari: The sale, in my humble opinion, will signify the renaissance of one city (Seattle) and the unfortunate end of an era in Sacramento. Sacramento, while as small-town as they come, has remained one of the more rabid fan-bases over the past couple decades. Louder than many arenas on a given night, when the Kings were at their finest (C-Webb era) the only current home court environment that would be comparable is that of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coincidentally, those very Thunder were stolen away from “Emerald City” basketball fans back in 2008. While I completely understood the league’s desire to capitalize on the new found market in OKC given the successful trial period of the Hornets/Pelicans (post-Katrina), I never quite understood the decision to make it at the expense of a very loyal and dedicated Seattle fan base. Barring any last-minute changes, it will be phenomenal to see the game return to the area. I doubt the same thing ever happens in Sacramento.
Following the horrific, season ending knee injury to the Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, there was much anguish over when the MVP guard would play again. For fans of the NBA, it was a bitter loss of one of the games most talented players but for Bulls fans, it was even worse. Rose’s injury essentially spelled the end for a team in desperate need of it’s star.
However this morning, Adidas (Rose’s major sponsor) released a video that may suggest this young star may not be as far away from returning to the game as once thought. It is evident that through hard work and vigorous strength and condition training, D-Rose has pushed himself to a point where he may be back before we know it. We can only hope, but things are looking up.
You can watch the advert below:
Opening day of the 2012 NBA Playoffs was not only an exciting day full of great match-ups but was also a heartbreaking, season-ending day for 2 players.
