Overpaid, underproductive and unmotivated. At points in the 2011-12 season, all three of these words have been used to describe both Pau Gasol and Carlos Boozer.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Who agreed to pay them this much?

Rajon Rondo goes for a triple double to help Celtics win.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Celtics are going to need more than Rondo to beat Heat.

In less than a month, the NBA's "real season" will begin.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: Watching the playoff picture develop over the end of the seasonis impossible to beat.

Currently, the Lakers are in possession of the Western Conference's eighth seed by one game over the Utah Jazz.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: If the Lakers don't make it, they have at least five legitimate reasons why they failed.

Firing of Mike Brown, Hiring of Mike D'Antoni, Not Hiring Phil Jackson

After five games, the Lakers brass fired Mike Brown. But before he got fired, they forced him to employ the "Princeton Offense," an offense that never got properly instituted because of injuries to nearly every key player in the preseason.  Brown was out, but who would replace him? For several days, Phil Jackson was going to be re-hired, it looked like a foregone conclusion. But under the cover of night, late on a Sunday evening, the Lakers announced they would hire D'Antoni instead. As the season has now almost completely played itself out, they couldn't have been any worse if they would've just retained Bernie Bickerstaff for the entire season, who won four of his five games as head coach.

Injuries

Every significant player on the team was injured at some point this season. Steve Nash, Kobe, Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol- and those are just the starters. The bench was equally ravaged. Robert Sacre, Devin Ebanks, Jordan Hill, Steve Blake; and that's the short list. No wonder they haven't had any chemistry all year.

Lack Of Pau Gasol

Gasol's head wasn't right all season. And yours wouldn't have been either if your name was Pau Gasol. No one has taken more of a beating for being "soft". But if he was soft, Gasol wouldn't have two rings and a slew of all-star appearances. So what does he get for his trouble? He gets benched for Earl Clark by D'Antoni, who was trying to assert his power to "motivate" Gasol. That was a "bass-akward" thing to do. To make it worse, D'Antoni did it when the Lakers rotation was being held together with duct tape. If he was healthy, the Lakers should've squeezed every last second out of him.

Where Was "Ron Ron" All Year?

I get that "Ron Ron" has decided to completely give up on scoring. I get that he fancies himself a lockdown one on one defender. But for a guy who has scored over 20+ ppg in his career, for him to not be more involved offensively (and I don't mean hoisting up three's from the corner, which has become his signature offensive move), I mean getting involved and productive when the team needed him. He didn't, so Kobe had to carry the squad, and still is, like always.

Dwight Howard Saga

I don't care what Howard's numbers are, or if Andrew Bynum missed the entire season- Howard killed the Lakers with his endless, me first drama. It started before he got traded to LA, then continued once he arrived because of "injuries" and a bunch of other excuses. Dwight Howard is a drama queen and softer than Pau Gasol- FACT.

For more news, info and updates, follow us on Twitter @hoopsvibe

The NBA's "real season" begins soon, as playoff time is finally almost upon us.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: Upsets used to be the exception, now they are the rule.

The following five match-ups all feature an eighth seed upsetting a number one seed, a feat that has only happened five times in NBA history. Of the five times, three of those upsets ocurred in the last six years.

Golden State Warriors Upset Dallas Mavericks - 2007

At the time, the Dallas Mavericks were considered one of the biggest favorite one seeds ever, coming off of a 67-15 regular season record which was the only since legitimate claim to challenge the Bulls 72-10 all-time best NBA season. The Mavericks were also coming off of losing in the Finals to the Heat the previous season, a series many people felt like they should’ve won; expectations were high and facing Golden State in the first round they had every reason to be. The Warriors were a franchise at the time, much like now, that was mired in mediocrity with no real reason to be optimistic. After squeaking into the playoffs at 42-40, they were a complete after-thought. The Warriors qualified for the playoffs that year for the first time since 1994 with the 13 year drought between appearances being the second longest in NBA history. The Warriors beat the Mavs in six games, and this Baron Davis dunk over AK-47 (even though it took place in the following playoff series) shows you the level he and the Warriors were playing at:

Denver Nuggets Upset Seattle Supersonics - 1994

The year was 1994. Charles Barkley signature “Air Max” shoes, selling for $150 a pair, were king. The world was shocked by the unexpected death of Kurt Cobain. And Seattle Supersonics fans the world over were reeling from a first round playoff loss to the eighth seed Denver Nuggets. The Sonics had blown through the regular season going 63-19 which was a franchise record for wins and were the number one seed heading into the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs to face a Denver Nuggets team that no one had expected anything from. And with good reason; to that point in NBA history no eighth seed had ever beaten a number one seed. And no one expected a 42-40 Denver team to pose a legitimate threat, especially after losing the first two games in what was at the time a best of five game first round series. Game five was an epic back and forth game where the intensity never waned and every possession felt like the most important in the game. Kendall Gill’s layup with a half second left on the clock sent the game into overtime. But the Nuggets maintained the momentum throughout the extra frame and escaped with a 98-94 victory, winning the series.

New York Knicks Upset Miami Heat - 1999

The Pat Riley led Heat were the number one seed after posting a 33-17 record during the strike shortened season and the Knicks stumbled to 27-23, barely qualifying as the eighth seed. Both teams had dominant big men from Georgetown University; Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing. Both had flashy offensive weapons that could make plays, Tim Hardaway for the Heat and a still dominant Latrell Sprewell. Down by one with 19.9 seconds left in the deciding game five, the Knicks did everything they could to screw up the possession and struggled to get a shot off. Ultimately after an inbound with 4.4 seconds, Allan Houston launched a running floater from the top of the lane that bounced off the rim and backboard before falling through the hoop securing a one point victory and the series for the Knicks.

Philadelphia 76ers Upset Chicago Bulls - 2012

Game one of the series, the Bulls are coasting right along, up by 12 with 81 seconds left. Then, this happens:

Series over, Philly wins four games to two. That's pretty much it.

Memphis Grizzlies Upset San Antonio Spurs - 2011

I remember at the time watching this series, particularly how slow and old the Spurs looked and thinking, "Man they had a great run, but they are definitely over the hill." Wrong again! The Spurs, essentially with the same core of players, will be the #2 seed in the West this year. The Spurs came into the 2011 playoffs as the #1 seed, with the second-best record in basketball and home court advantage against any Western Conference opponent and were dropped in the first round. Zach Randolph played out of his mind and Marc Gasol wore down Tim Duncan on both ends of the floor.

In this year's playoffs, if the Bucks were to beat the Heat, or the Lakers were able to vanquish the Thunder, would either be a bigger upset than any of the previous upsets on this list?

For more news, info and updates, follow us on Twitter @hoopsvibe

Image Credit: Creative Commons

Each year, the NBA playoffs produce memorable moments.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: When the stakes were highest, "Zeke" and "MJ" answered the bell- who was better?

Just in time for the playoffs, Jordan Brand is making a fashion statement for some of the best players in the game.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: Pay attention "Sneakerheads" or you might miss something!

A report from the Daily Thunder confirmed Friday that Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  This is an extremely tough break for the Thunder who are poised to make a championship run.

Joakim Noah brings out the haters, even in a state where people should love him.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: The woman in the now famous picture has quite a sordid past.

18 years ago today, Mario Elie and the Houston Rockets capped off a ridiculous comeback.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: Phoenix dominated the regular season for two years, only to be eliminated in the playoffs by the streaking Rockets both times.

From NBA.com:

Houston’s Mario Elie sank a three-pointer from the corner with 7.1 seconds left in the game, lifting the visiting Rockets to a 115-114 win over Phoenix in Game 7 of their Western Conference Semifinal Round series at America West Arena. With the win, the Rockets became the first NBA team in 13 years (since the ‘82 Sixers against Boston) to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-7 playoff series. Houston’s victory also broke a string of 20 consecutive wins by the home team in the deciding Game 7 of a playoff series. Just 24 hours later, Indiana repeated that feat by the road team after downing host New York 97-95 in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Round series.

Check out the video here:

For Elie, it was the beginning of what would be a pivotal role during the Rockets run to the 1995 NBA title. After being a bench player all season, Elie was inserted into the starting lineup for the Finals and played the best basketball of his career. Elie averaged 16.3 points per game, almost double his regular season average, while shooting a 64% from the field. He was also 8 for 14 (.571) from the three-point line, hitting 7 of 10 three-pointers in Games 3 and 4.

The Rockets were already a ridiculously deep squad, so when Elie stepped up and started producing, the Orlando Magic had no answer as the Rockets romped to a 4-0 series sweep.

The shot Elie hit to seal the series victory over the Suns was particularly deflating to Suns fans. Not only because it ended their '95 season, but the previous year in the playoffs the Rockets also defeated the Suns in a seven game series after the Suns opened up a 3-1 series lead.

Ouch.

 It's been a good week for quotes. Up to now, we've been fortunate enough to hear Joakim Noah tell anyone listening how much he thinks Cleveland sucks. Now we get to hear an owner talk about his intense dislike for an in-state rival. 

The success the Bulls had this season is a quick study in turning a franchise completely around in one season. For all the hype that suddenly accumulated, you would’ve thought Chicago had been a championship contender for years, as evidenced by all four in studio TNT analysts picking them to beat the Heat and win the Eastern Conference. But, that has not been the case.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wbur/4058298605/

Just when I think I'm out, this story pulls me back in. After reading that LeBron's injury situation was more serious than reported, King James blew up in game three and temporarily put those rumours to rest. Game four saw a slight drop-off for the Akron Hammer (I'm still rooting for that nickname), but there was nothing in his near-triple-double performance to suggest severe damage to his shooting arm.

In volume five of Out of Bounds, Marija Kero discusses the current state of the playoffs, Gilbert Arenas' release from jail, Antoine Walker's comeback efforts and much more.

If someone were to rank celebrity body parts by media attention, LeBron's right elbow would currently fall somewhere between Kim Kardashian's ass and Megan Fox's stumpy thumbs. Unlike those other famous anatomical anomalies, however, the state of 'Bron-'Bron's 'bow is shrouded in secrecy. While the reports and MRI results suggest that it's more a boo-boo (well, a sprained elbow and bone bruise) than a fully-fledged injury, there are whispers that the situation is a little more serious for the Akron Hammer (it'll catch on) and his shooting arm.

In today's edition of Out of Bounds, Marija discusses grown men bitching, sub-par officiating and why Darko Milicic should zip his lip.

"I'm not looking to say anything to get myself in trouble with the league, but I just don't see other star players getting called for fouls the way I get them," Howard wrote. "No star player in the league is outta games the way I am."

As the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls rage war in the first round of the playoffs, ABC decided to air a segment at halftime called, “The Chase down Block.”

"The last two home playoff losses and the manner in which we lost these games does not come close to being anywhere near the high expectations all of us have of our organization. Our fans and supporters deserve more." 

link

After a thoroughly unpleasant evening of basketball, Carlos Boozer must have been fairly keen to climb into his ride and get home quickly. Sadly, that wasn't an option for him last night after his Jazz were eliminated from the playoffs by the Lakers in a sweep. Before he could make it to the parking lot from his post-game obligations, this tweet from the LAL media guy showed up:

 And the driver of the media bus just backed into one of the Jazz's Escalades... doin' damage on our way out of SLC!! - @tynowell

Shortly thereafter, this tweet followed:

 And.... it's Carlos Boozer's Escalade. That's an even more unfortunate ending to his evening. - @tynowell

Ugh. Sorry, Carlos.

The 7-foot-1, 325-pound O’Neal missed about seven weeks with thumb surgery. His first game was Game 1 against the Bulls. 

link

Those treatments have included electric stimulation, ice and elevation. Not acupuncture, magnets or prayer, as some have e-mailed the Cavs to suggest.

 link

“That’s fine,” James said. “I know a lot of those guys have injuries, too, so I’ll be fine.” 

link

The Celtics are aging and irritable, and that means they're almost guaranteed to take a shot at LeBron somewhere along the line. If you haven't noticed, though, LeBron isn't exactly the type to get bullied. It's going to be a tough, ugly series to play in, but an awful lot of fun to watch. Fans of '80s-style hoops are really going to love this one. - CYE

"I'm not proud of my inability over the last 10 years to have an impact like I want to have, so I kind of feel like I owe fans an apology, but that's just the way this business goes, but congratulations to the Spurs." 

link

Cubes can't be pleased his franchise has flamed out in the first round yet again. If you're keeping score at home, the Mavericks were the first one seed ever to lose to an eight in a best-of-seven series, and yesterday they became the first two seed ever to lose to a seven over a full series. Still, there's always next season. - CYE

But in a moment of level-headed reflection amid the disappointment, Nowitzki added: "Everything's too fresh right now. I've got some time to think about some stuff." 

link

Worry not, Dallas fans: Dirk's just butt-hurt after another disappointing series. Mark Cuban will do everything he can to remind Dirk that he's a Mav at heart, and the seven-footer will be back in Dallas next season. - CYE

Said Carlisle: "It starts with winning Game 5 [on Tuesday night]. That's the starting point." 

link