SB Nation Atlanta: All Posts by Scott Coleman

The Braves are ready to make their move

2013-05-17T16:38:43Z

The past month has been pretty tough on the Braves.

Fortunately, brighter days are ahead. Much, much brighter.

As we noted a few weeks back, Major League Baseball dealt the Braves a shit hand to begin the season. Only 14 of their first 40 games came at Turner Field, including eight of their last 34. The team has already had two road trips of 10+ days.

By win-loss percentage, the Braves have played the ninth-toughest schedule in baseball thus far. No team from the NL East is in the top-15.

Yet, somehow, Atlanta still features a 22-18 record, which is good for a half-game lead over the Nationals.

Jason Heyward has been out for nearly a month. He comes back Friday. When he's playing, Atlanta is 13-5. They went 9-13 when he was on the disabled list.

Brian McCann is healthy and absolutely pounded the ball his first week back. B.J. Upton will hopefully break out of his funk sooner rather than later. Brandon Beachy will be ready to go within a month's time. If the club needs to make a trade, they have about $8 million saved from the offseason to spend.

The combined record of the Braves' next 10 opponents is 182-207. That bodes really well for a team that's finally getting healthy. And it could mean that the team is about to go on another tear, putting distance between themselves and the rest of the lackluster division.

NBA Draft 2013: Shabazz Muhammad could be in danger of dropping from lottery

2013-05-17T14:40:30Z

This time one year ago, many experts felt Shabazz Muhammad could be the No. 1 overall pick at the 2013 NBA Draft. With the draft now a little more than a month away, there is talk that he could fall out of the lottery.

As Muhammad and the rest of the 2013 Draft hopefuls began interviews, workouts and scrimmages at the combine on Thursday, questions were raised about UCLA's freshman forward. There's no denying he can score the basketball, although he did not do much else during his time in Westwood.

One executive said, on the matter of Muhammad dropping in the draft, "I'm not saying it happens. But I wouldn't be surprised."

Another front office member said it was possible he fell out of the lottery.

In addition to having a reputation of being a chucker with the ball in his hands, there are other reasons to be concerned about Muhammad. For one, he's not a very good teammate. Or at least there's video evidence to suggest he isn't. Every player in the league wants to shoot the ball; if Muhammad is unwilling to distribute the ball on the offensive end, he isn't going to see much time in the floor.

There is also the issue of him lying about his age. While he led most to believe he was 19 years old, it was discovered he's actually 20. This may not seem like a huge deal, but considering he was more physically mature than most of the players he dominated in high school, questions about his true ability against equal competition have to be raised.

Muhammad still has more than a month to get his stock trending in the right direction, but as of now it seems the nation's former top high school recruit could be in for a long draft night.

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• Ziller: 8 thoughts on the Kings staying

• J.R. Smith had a dream

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NBA Draft 2013: Questions abound after combine measurements

2013-05-17T13:06:10Z

Thursday marked the beginning of the 2013 NBA Draft Combine, and with every participant being weighed, measured and interviewed, it made for a very busy day in Chicago. Here's a look at how some of the future draftees checked in, courtesy of Chad Ford on Twitter.

Nerlens Noel, who many project as the No. 1 overall pick despite tearing his ACL just three months ago, checked in at 6'10 in socks and 6'11.5 in shoes. Compared to last year's top pick, Anthony Davis, Noel stands about an inch taller. Noel's wingspan was recorded at 7' 3.75" .

Visit our 2013 NBA Draft section for more coverage

While his length measurements were impressive, one potential red flag was raised: his weight. Noel weighed in at just 206 pounds, which is astonishingly low compared to other NBA centers. Davis was recorded at 222 pounds last summer and bulked up before the regular season began. Dwight Howard is listed at 265 pounds. Tyson Chandler plays at 240 pounds, while Joakim Noah weighs in the neighborhood of 230 pounds.

Noel is still only 19 years old and will continue to add weight as he develops physically, but he'll play at least his first professional season much lighter than other post players in the league. That could be an issue moving forward.

Kansas' Ben McLemore was measured at 6'3.5 in socks and 6'4.75 in shoes with a 6'7.75 wingspan. Victor Oladipo of Indiana was measured at 6'3.25 without shoes and 6'4.25 with shoes. He has even longer arms than McLemore, spanning 6'9.25. Oladipo is a freak athlete and can really defend, which has led many to believe he will be a top-five pick this summer.

Otto Porter's stock seems to be on the rise and an impressive physical showing on Thursday may help him even more. He checked in at 6'8.5 with shoes on, and his wingspan was recorded at 7'1.5. Porter fits the mold of a prototypical wing and is expected to be a top-three pick depending on how the lottery shakes out.

Shabazz Muhammad was recorded at 6'4.75 in socks and 6'6.25 in shoes. His wingspan is 6'11. There is no denying Muhammad has talent, although he will need to prove to NBA folks that he's more than just a shooter on the floor.

Some analysts once felt Cody Zeller could be a top-five pick. His game was exposed a bit this past season, often disappearing for stretches when Indiana needed him most. Zeller was an impressive 7'0.25 in shoes on Thursday, although his wingspan was just 6'10.75 and his standing reach was 8'10. It's still likely he ends up being a lottery pick, but there's no guarantee of a top-10 selection anymore.

Trey Burke, the National Player of the Year, helped his stock a bit after checking in at 6'1.25 in shoes with a 6'5.5 wingspan. The main knock on Burke is that he struggled with bigger defenders and/or zone defenses this past season, and his bigger-than-expected measurements should help improve his chances of being a top-five pick.

CJ McCollum is arguably the best shooter available in this year's class and some mock drafts have him going as high as No. 4 overall. McCollum broke his foot during the season and was out for the better part of three months, although he's reportedly back to 100 percent. He checked in at 6'2.25 in socks, 6'3.25 in shoes and has a 6'6.25 wingspan.

Rudy Gobert is one of the big wild cards in this year's draft. The Frenchman checked in at an astounding 7'2 in shoes with a 7'8.5 wingspan and 9'7 standing reach. That basically means he can dunk without jumping. Gobert is going to take time to develop, but he could become a force around the rim with his size and length.

Maryland big man Alex Len measured at 6'10.75 in socks, 7'0 in shoes and had a 9'1.5 standing reach.

The 2013 NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 27.

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Jerry Sloan rebuffs Bucks coaching job

2013-05-17T12:33:37Z

As the Milwaukee Bucks continue the search for their next head coach, they can rule one Hall of Famer out. According to a report from David Aldridge of NBA.com, Jerry Sloan has decided he is not interested in coaching the Bucks next season.

"Jerry probably is a lot like Scott, in that the working conditions and where the team is (contender-wise) are important," agent (Keith) Glass said. "For Jerry to go to a place that's going to take years to build — and I'm not talking about Milwaukee, I'm talking about anywhere — that's just not right for him. They have to be able to compete. Jerry is a competitor, and he wants to compete and teach."

The decision to turn down the Bucks job is not a real surprise. As Glass mentioned, Sloan is likely looking to only take a win-now job, which is not the case with Milwaukee. Sloan turned 71 in March.

Sloan, who was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2009, abruptly resigned as Utah's head coach in February 2011 after coaching the team since 1988. He has not coached since, although he was considered to be a serious candidate for the vacancy in Milwaukee by management until Thursday evening.

Over the course of his career, Sloan posted an impressive record of 1221-803 with the Bulls and Jazz, reaching the playoffs in all but four seasons. He has never won an NBA championship, although he did appear in back-to-back Finals in 1997 and 1998.

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• Sacramento's new owners will completely change Kings

• Chris Copeland sparks Knicks' win | Longform: Copeland's story

• German NBA prospect Dennis Schroeder impresses

• Flannery: What's next for OKC Thunder?

• GIFs: Knicks survive, Spurs move on

• Watch Kevin Durant's sad Charlie Brown walk

Harrison Barnes injury: Warriors rookie leaves after scary fall

2013-05-17T03:52:00Z

Update: Barnes started the second half and played the entire third quarter for Golden State before exiting the game indefinitely at the third quarter due to headaches.

Golden State Warriors rookie forward Harrison Barnes was injured during Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals, landing on his hip while attempting to block Boris Diaw's shot attempt late in the second quarter.

Barnes remained down on the floor in serious pain before being helped off by the training staff and teammates. He immediately headed back to the locker room with a limp and a bandage near his head. As seen in the GIF below, Barnes hit the floor hard, sending Oracle Arena into silence.

Barnes has been a revelation for Golden State throughout the series, averaging 19 points and eight rebounds a game. At the half, Barnes had eight points for the Warriors. If he's unable to play in the second half, Stephen Curry and the rest of his teammates will really have to pick up the slack as they aim to stave off elimination and force Game 7.

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• 3 reasons the Thunder have gone fishin'

• Watch Kevin Durant's sad Charlie Brown walk

• Sacramento's wide open future

• Ziller: 8 thoughts on the Kings staying

• J.R. Smith had a dream

• Flannery: The Pacers are happening

Nerlens Noel targeting Christmas return from ACL injury

2013-05-17T00:54:08Z

Nerlens Noel, the projected top pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, will not be ready for opening night of his rookie season. Instead, he is aiming for a return around Christmas.

Noel tore his ACL back in February during a standout season with the Kentucky Wildcats. He underwent surgery and has spent the past few weeks rehabbing. He has yet to suffer any kind of setback in his recovery.

Some wondered if Noel would return to Kentucky after having his freshman campaign cut short, but after evaluating his draft stock, he determined he would continue his career in the NBA next season. Here is what he told Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com at the NBA Draft Combine on Thursday.

"Ever since the surgery, everything is going great," Noel said. "I'm 100 percent confident, not just getting back to what I was, but stronger. Going through this time not playing basketball, I'll just be working on things I need to polish. It will improve me in the long run."

Even with Noel not expecting to play the first two months of the regular season, it still seems likely whichever team lands the No. 1 pick this summer will take the lanky big man. This year's class lacks star power, according to most draft experts, but Noel's upside could make him a defensive stalwart in the league for many years to come.

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• 3 reasons the Thunder have gone fishin'

• Watch Kevin Durant's sad Charlie Brown walk

• Sacramento's wide open future

• Ziller: 8 thoughts on the Kings staying

• J.R. Smith had a dream

• Flannery: The Pacers are happening

Andrelton Simmons' Defense Is Amazing

2013-05-09T20:46:18Z

Andrelton Simmons is very, very good at what he does on the baseball diamond.

Years before he made his debut in Atlanta, scouts said he could be a starter at the Major League level right then because of his defensive abilities. It's hard to really know just how impressive a guy is when there's so little video access to the Minor League games, but when scouts are at a consensus about something, they're usually right.

Since coming to the bigs in 2012, Simmons has played 680 innings in the field. In that time, he's saved 30 runs. You can read more on Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) here.

Only one shortstop in baseball, Brendan Ryan, has saved more runs in that span (31). Ryan has played 1,383 innings in the field. ESPN's Mark Simon had a full writeup on Simmons earlier today and created this chart.

Most Defensive Runs Saved
SS since 2012

		Innings
Brendan Ryan	31	1,382 2/3
Andrelton Simmons	30	680
J.J. Hardy	19	1,733
Elvis Andrus	15	1,604 1/3
Clint Barmes	15	1,380
Brandon Crawford	15	1,386 1/3
Mike Aviles	15	1,154 2/3
>> Through Tuesday's Games

So for those of you not strong in math -- I just pulled a calculator out -- Ryan has played slightly more than double the innings Simmons has since last year, yet he's only one defensive run better than the Braves' 23-year-old shortstop.

That means Andrelton is not only the best defensive shortstop in the league right now, but is on pace to becoming one of the greatest of all time. The next few years are going to be fun.

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Heat vs. Bulls: Game 2 gets chippy, physical with 51 fouls

2013-05-09T14:00:07Z

The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls played an old school brand of basketball on Wednesday night.

No, they didn't bring back eight-inch shorts or take the three-point arc off the floor at American Airlines Arena.

Game 2 was as physical of a basketball game as fans have seen in decades. No layup was without contact, no loose ball was without an elbow or shove -- intentional or not -- and no whistles were spared by the officiating crew.

The two teams combined to commit 51 personal fouls. Nine technical fouls were called, including six against the Bulls. Most of them came from players barking at officials for a call -- or no-call. Chris Andersen was assessed a flagarant one foul after blatantly shoving Marco Belinelli into the bench midway through the second quarter.

As the TNT analysts described it at halftime, the chippiness and physicality reminded them of a playoff game from the 1970s. That brand of basketball may not be popular anymore, but it's a welcome change for a playoffs that has lacked standout moments.

And while both teams gave out their fair share of hard fouls, all of the rough play seemed to bother Chicago a bit more. Not only did they shoot just 36 percent from the floor, but their defense was totally overmatched on the other end. It led to the worst margin of defeat in franchise history as they fell, 115-78.

Even with the loss, the Bulls head home with confidence after splitting the first two in Miami. No one really gave them much of a chance without Derrick Rose, and Game 1 proved they can hang with the defending champs. Look for plenty of whistles to be blown yet again as the series shifts to Chicago for Games 3 and 4.