The Late Shift Blog - Opening Night! Cavs Roll, Spurs Spank Warriors

The Late Shift Blog is daily recap of all things NBA

by Rodney Fisher

We are back!

The 2016-17 NBA Season opened just as the season ended...with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tonight was the city of Cleveland's biggest sports night in history. The Cavs raise a championship banner while the Indians start the World Series a few blocks away.

LeBron James celebrates his third ring with a triple-double performance (19 points, 11 boards, 14 assists) as the Cavs rout the New York Knicks 117-88.

Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 29 points.

For the Knicks, the trio of Kristaps Porzingis, Carmelo Anthony, and Derrick Rose were the only players in double digits for points. Joakim Noah played 19 minutes with 0 points and 0 blocks. So much for the new and improved...

Nothing is for Certain

So, the Golden State Warriors open the season with a 29 point LOSS to the San Antonio Spurs. Kevin Durant and Steph Curry had 27 and 26, but my sleeper pick for MVP Kawhi Leonard had a career-high 35 points.

LaMarcus Aldridge 26 and 14. Jonathon Simmons came off the bench to hit 20, including not missing a shot the first three quarters. He also had a chase-down block on Curry in the third quarter.

There is no doubt the Warriors will be a great team, but having the best starting 4 in the game today does nothing to replace the rebounding and defense you lost with Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes. The seven new players in the Bay will need more time to get it together.

The young Spurs have established themselves as THE team to beat in the West...Early.

Portland beat the Utah 113-104.

The Late Shift Podcast is available fresh every Monday here on NTXGame.com

One For The 'Land

Lebron James makes good on his promise to Northeast Ohio and delivers an NBA Championship to Cleveland. The Cavaliers come back from 3-1 to win Game 7 on the road. James is named MVP.

82 Points: Watch Kyrie Irving and Lebron James Make History

In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Lebron James and Kyrie Irving make history by becoming the first duo to both score 40+ points in the same Finals game. They both went for 41 each to take the series back to Cleveland 3-2.

Could Buzzer-Beater Lead To Series Loss?

LeBron James steals Game 4 in Chicago to even series 2-2. Photo credit: SI

By now, if you don't live under a rock, you know that LeBron James tied the Cavs-Bulls series 2-2l with a buzzer-beater shot at the end of regulation. Sure it was a magnificent performance by one of the great players of our time, but will this cost the Cavs the series?
Let me explain..

by +Rodney Fisher 

Why James Harden is the NBA's MVP

Harden a strong candidate for MVP. Photo Credit: Troy Taormina/USA Today Sports

This year has been a great year for the NBA in terms of MVP candidates. There are so many players to choose from Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and James Harden. All have had a spectacular season so far, but Harden stands above the rest.

By: Niqko Marshall ( @NDMHoops )

NBA Nitecap Blog: Guess Who Is Leading the League?

Remember me? I'm Chris Bosh and we are tied for first place. Photo credit: NBA

For tonight's edition of the NBA Nitecap Blog, we take a look at some not-so-obvious statistics and other obvious ones.

+Rodney Fisher

NBA Nitecap Blog: The Nerve of New York

Spike Lee tells the Cavs fans what to do. Photo Credit: Clevelander

Another big night in the NBA and another late night of writing...But hey, it could be worse.

by +Rodney Fisher

NBA: Lebron James 3.0

The new version of Lebron James could be the best.
Photo credit Cleveland Cavaliers

Lebron James decided this summer to "come home" after spending four years with the Miami Heat and getting two championship rings in the process. Now back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, we take a look at this new King James as he transitions into his 3.0 stage of his career.

by +Rodney Fisher

Miami Heat: Against All Odds

Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are still a threat in the East. Photo credit: NBA 

If we learned anything from the NBA Finals we learned that having LeBron James on your squad does not guarantee anything. The Miami Heat, without him, will get the chance to prove that now. For Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh the have the chance to get back to playing the type of basketball that made them stars.

by +Rodney Fisher

NBA: Why Cavs Say Wiggins Trade Will Not Happen

Andrew Wiggins will remain a Cleveland Cavalier for good reason. Photo credit: NBA 

Cleveland Cavaliers have told #1 NBA draft pick Andrew Wiggins that he will not be traded for anyone, including Kevin Love. The Cavs have a great reason why.

+Rodney Fisher

LeBron Coming Home: More Than Basketball, It's Business

LeBron James coming home to Cleveland. Photo credit: NBA 

There are some lessons to learn from LeBron James return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. His decision was more than just basketball related, it was a great business move.

by +Rodney Fisher

NBA: Melo Weighing Options, LeBron Stirs the Pot, Dirk Done

LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dirk Nowitzki headline today's
NBA free agency talk. Photo credit: NBA 

Another day of NBA Free Agency madness brings us closer to nothing. As Carmelo Anthony weighs his options, Dirk Nowitzki gets a deal done, and LeBron James starts looking at options.

by +Rodney Fisher

TheLateShift Podcast: LeBron and Melo Opt-out, World Cup Fever, NBA Mock Draft Talk

In case you missed it...Listen to the latest Late Shift podcast

NBA Finals Live Blog: Spurs Party

Manu Ginobili celebrates another NBA Championship. Photo credit: Rodney Fisher

I hate to say I told you so, but I did have the Spurs in 5...Either way it was great to experience another championship celebration. They say pictures are a thousand words...

by +Rodney Fisher

NBA Finals Live Blog: Day 5, Return of Cool

LeBron James. Photo credit: NBA 

Day 5 of my blog covering the 2014 NBA Finals. As the cool air returns to the building, the "coolest" player returns to the building also. 

by +Rodney Fisher

NBA: Eastern Conference Finals Preview - Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers

To preview the rematch of the Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers for the chance to go to The Finals, here is a quick look back at their battles from the regular season and prediction.

by Rodney Fisher

NBA: 2014 All-Star Rosters

by J.T.

Thursday night the All-Star reserves were released. Their were some snubs, but that's for another article. Now that the All-Star rosters are set let's see who we will be watching on All Star weekend February 16th.

NBA: Christmas Day Video Recap

LeBron James soars on Christmas Day. Photo credit NBA 

by +Rodney Fisher
It was another epic day in the NBA for Christmas. Aside from the new uniforms, all five games had their entertainment qualities.

Here is a video recap of all the action:

LeBron James, Kevin Durant Lead NBA All-Star Voting

by +Rodney Fisher 

LeBron James leads with Kevin Durant a close second in votes for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game. Photo credit NBA 

The first ballot returns are back for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game. LeBron James leads in votes for the Eastern Conference, while Kevin Durant leads for the Western Conference.

The All-Star game will be held in New Orleans on Februray 16th and voting will end on Janurary 20th. Here is the full list from the first ballot return:

NBA: Heat Need To Stay Hot

by +Rodney Fisher 

LeBron James and the Miami Heat need the top seed in the
playoffs. Photo credit NBA 

We are not even a third of the way through the NBA season and I'm already bashing the Heat. At least most of our loyal readers with think so. With a 9-3 record, the Miami Heat should have seemingly nothing to be concerned about. The will make the playoffs and have a chance to three-peat as champions, LeBron James will be a strong MVP candidate once again, and the new bench pieces are fitting in okay. 

Hindsight, however, is 20-20 as they say. The Heat took possessive control of the Eastern Conference last year to solidify the #1 seed when the playoffs rolled around. The closest competition, New York Knicks, were 12 games behind them. The truth is 9-3 is only good for second place currently, and the team is first does not want to give up their spot or lose home court advantage.