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P58-59 Sports Feature DPS
- 1. october 2013 TELESCOPE 59 Sports Feature Before the new NBA season begins this month, Sham Majid gives you a sneak peek at the manouevres that took place after the close of the last campaign. All set to Dunk WHEN? NBA Regular Season From 30 Oct Wednesday SuperSports (CH 202) The confetti streams have been cleared; the champagne has stopped flowing; and the buzzer will again be ringing incessantly come October. After their absolutely majestic 95-88 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game Seven of their NBA finals on 20 Jun, the Miami Heat captured their second straight NBA crown, winning the finals 4-3 on aggregate. With crown jewel LeBron James leading from the front, his magnificent 37 points and 12 rebounds in that game ensured that the Heat became only the sixth team to claim back-to-back NBA titles. Nevertheless, the slate will be wiped clean in October as the 2013/14 season of the NBA championships gets underway. Management Over on the managerial front, the 68th edition of the NBA season will herald a raft of changes on the touchline compared to the 2012/13 season. Perhaps one of the more sensational managerial appointments would ironically be the reappointment of Mike Brown as the Cleveland Cavaliers coach. Having spent five years as the Cavaliers coach from 2005 2010, which culminated in a NBA finals defeat to Spurs in 2007, Brown joined the Los Angeles Lakers as coach in 2011. However, he was only 18 months into his Lakers role before he was fired from his post in Nov 2012. With the Cavaliers having dispensed of coach Byron Scott in Apr 2013, Brown was rehired by his former side just days after Scotts dismissal. Having missed out on a spot in last seasons playoffs, Brown will be hoping to cajole his troops into replicating their sparkling 2007 NBA finals march. The Brooklyn Nets, who suffered a 4-3 first-round playoffs defeat to the Chicago Bulls last season, also raised eyebrows with the appointment of 10-time NBA All-Star Jason Kidd. Having revealed in May that interim head coach P J Carlesimo would not continue in that capacity, the Nets moved swiftly to poach the former New York Knicks point guard. Losing conference finalists Memphis Grizzlies, who suffered a 4-0 game whipping by the Spurs last campaign, also decided to part company with coach Lionel Hollins in June. Despite leading the Grizzlies to their maiden conference finals in their franchise history, Hollins did not survive the cull and has been replaced by assistant coach David Joerger. The Boston Celtics also underwent a shake-up of their managerial structure after nine memorable years with coach Doc Rivers. Rivers, who guided the Celtics to the 2008 NBA championship, has departed and will be replaced by Brad Stevens. The Celtics will look to fare much better this season after bowing out of the playoffs at the first round last campaign following a 4-2 games defeat to the New York Knicks. Players On the playing front, the San Antonio Spurs will be reeling from their failure to win the NBA finals last season, the first time they had been thwarted in the NBA finals in their franchise history. They were gunning to win their fifth NBA title in their fifth NBA finals foray. Having claimed Dwayne Wade Tony Parker LeBron James Manu Ginbili New Season Preview the Southwest Division last season, Spurs romped to playoff victories over the Lakers, the Golden State Warriors and the Grizzlies before finally succumbing to the Heat in an extraordinary Game Seven in the finals. Armed with their attacking triumvirate of point guard Tony Parker, power forward Tim Duncan and shooting guard Manu Gin坦bili, Spurs will once again be expected to be in the running for the division title and to launch an assault on the NBA championship. Nevertheless, the onus will be on teams to find a way to stifle the Heat. With forward James, guard Dwayne Wade, shooting guard Ray Allen and power forward Chris Bosh forming the fulcrum of the Heat machine, it will take some stopping to dent the Heats hopes of snagging third straight NBA championship. James, in particular, has surely been vindicated after his acrimonious move to the Heat from the Cavaliers in 2010. Having bagged his second straight NBA Finals MVP gong following his barnstorming display in Game Seven against Spurs, James shows no signs letting up. This is what its all about, James was quoted as saying by ESPN.com after winning the championship last season. I came here to win championships and to be able to go back-to-back, two championships in three years. So far, its the ultimate. Heat chief Erik Spoelstra was not surprised at James resurgence during the penultimate game of their NBA finals against the Spurs. It became time, Spoelstra told ESPN.com. He always rises to the occasion when it matters the most, when the competition is fiercest. The rest of the NBA have already been warned. The Heat are simply not about to hand their championship over on a platter.