2014-15 NBA Pacific Division team-by-team capsules

by  Associated Press Pacific Division team-by-team capsules by The Associated Press, Associated Press - 20 October 2014 22:04-04:00 Capsules for the NBA's Pacific Division teams, listed in predicted order of divisional finish by AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski: ___ PACIFIC DIVISION LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS LAST SEASON: 57-25, lost to Oklahoma City 4-2 in second round. STARTING FIVE: G Chris Paul (19.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 10.7 apg), G J.J. Redick (15.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.2 apg), F Blake Griffin (24.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.9 apg), F Matt Barnes (9.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.0 apg), C DeAndre Jordan (10.4 pgg, 13.6 rpg, 2.5 bpg). KEY ADDITIONS: G Jordan Farmar (free agent, Lakers), F/C Spencer Hawes (free agent, Cavaliers), G Jared Cunningham (free agent, Kings), G Chris Douglas-Roberts (free agent, Hornets). KEY LOSSES: G Darren Collison (free agent, Kings), G/F Jared Dudley (trade, Bucks), F Danny Granger (free agent, Heat), G Willie Green (waivers, Magic), C Ryan Hollins (free agent, Kings). COACH: Doc Rivers, second season. EYES ON: Steve Ballmer. He could rival Mark Cuban of the Mavericks for most excitable owner in the NBA with his over-the-top enthusiasm. Hawes, a 7-footer, was a key addition to the frontcourt as a backup to Griffin and Jordan. Paul, Griffin and Jordan enter their fourth season together with expectations running high to win the franchise's first NBA title. OUTLOOK: Ballmer, the former Microsoft CEO, spent a record $2 billion to buy the team and has vowed to give Rivers and his players whatever they need to win a championship. If the Clippers don't at least advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history, their season will be considered a disappointment. ___ GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS LAST SEASON: 51-31, lost to Los Angeles Clippers 4-3 in first round. STARTING FIVE: G Stephen Curry (24.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 8.5 apg), G Klay Thompson (18.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.2 apg), F Andre Iguodala (9.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.2 apg), F David Lee (18.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 4.2 apg), C Andrew Bogut (7.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.8 bpg). KEY ADDITIONS: G Shaun Livingston (free agent, Nets), G Leandro Barbosa (free agent, Suns/Brazil), F Brandon Rush (free agent, Utah), F Jason Kapono (free agent, Greece). KEY LOSSES: C Jermaine O'Neal (retired), G Steve Blake (free agent, Blazers), G Jordan Crawford (free agent, China). COACH: Steve Kerr, first season. EYES ON: Kerr. He won three NBA titles playing for Phil Jackson in Chicago and another two for Gregg Popovich in San Antonio but has never been a coach, spending the last few years as a TNT broadcaster after serving as the Phoenix Suns' general manager. He takes over a talented team that ownership believes underachieved last season under Mark Jackson, who was fired after three years. OUTLOOK: The starting lineup might be as good as any in the NBA, the bench should be better and if they can stay healthy — a big if the past two years, especially with Bogut — the Warriors should be among the favorites in the Western Conference. ___ PHOENIX SUNS LAST SEASON: 48-34, ninth in Western Conference. STARTING FIVE: G Eric Bledsoe (17.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.5 apg), G Goran Dragic (20.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.9 apg), F P.J. Tucker (9.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.7 apg), F Anthony Tolliver (6.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.7 apg) or Markieff Morris (13.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.8 apg), C Miles Plumlee (8.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 0.5 apg). KEY ADDITIONS: G Isaiah Thomas (sign and trade, Kings), Tolliver (free agent, Hornets). KEY LOSSES: F Channing Frye (free agent, Magic). COACH: Jeff Hornacek, second season. EYES ON: The backcourt. This team is built around point guards and, with the addition of Thomas, the Suns plan to have two good ones on the court at all times. The Suns, arguably the most surprising team in the NBA a year ago, thrived when Bledsoe was healthy and teaming with Dragic. Thomas would rather start but says he's content to come off the bench as long as the minutes are about the same. OUTLOOK: Hornacek wants the Suns to play even faster than they did a year ago, when they led the NBA in fastbreak points. The team didn't do much to strengthen its frontcourt, counting on second-year center Alex Len to show improvement and Plumlee to make progress in his second full season. The Suns could be a better team than a year ago and still not make the playoffs in the tough Western Conference. ___ LOS ANGELES LAKERS LAST SEASON: 27-55, 14th in Western Conference. STARTING FIVE: G Jeremy Lin (12.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.1 apg), G Kobe Bryant (13.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.3 apg), F Wesley Johnson (9.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.6 apg), F Carlos Boozer (13.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.6 apg), C Jordan Hill (9.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.9 bpg). KEY ADDITIONS: Lin (trade, Rockets), Boozer (amnesty waivers, Bulls), F Ed Davis (free agent, Grizzlies), F Julius Randle (draft, Kentucky), G Ronnie Price (free agent, Magic). KEY LOSSES: C Pau Gasol (free agent, Bulls), G Jodie Meeks (free agent, Pistons), G Jordan Farmar (free agent, Clippers), G Kendall Marshall (waivers, Bucks), G Kent Bazemore (free agent, Hawks). COACH: Byron Scott, first season. EYES ON: Bryant. The 36-year-old superstar is back for his 19th season with the Lakers after playing in just six games last year. He appears fully healthy after two major injuries, but Bryant's notoriously thin patience will be tested by this patchwork lineup of castoffs, backups and Plan B's. If the Lakers struggle as much as expected, look out for the fireworks. OUTLOOK: It hasn't been this bleak in Lakerland in decades. It's tough to say Los Angeles has improved last season's 27-win team, and the injury problems that crippled last year's lineup have already sprouted again in the preseason with Nick Young's long-term absence. If Bryant and Steve Nash are a healthy semblance of their old selves, the Lakers have a chance to contend for a postseason berth. If not, they'll almost certainly miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1976. ___ SACRAMENTO KINGS LAST SEASON: 28-54, 13th in Western Conference. STARTING FIVE: G Darren Collison (11.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.7 apg), G Ben McLemore (8.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.0 apg), F Rudy Gay (20.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.1 apg), F Reggie Evans (5.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 0.7 apg), C DeMarcus Cousins (22.7 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 2.9 apg). KEY ADDITIONS: Collison (free agent, Clippers), G Ramon Sessions (free agent, Bucks), F Omri Casspi (free agent, Houston), G Nik Stauskas (draft, Michigan). KEY LOSSES: G Isaiah Thomas (trade, Suns), F Quincy Acy (trade, Knicks), C Aaron Gray (free agent, Bulls). COACH: Michael Malone, second season. EYES ON: Cousins. He's among the best centers in the NBA, but also the most unpredictable. Cousins has led the league in technical fouls the past two seasons and earned several fines and suspensions for his behavior. He also can be an unstoppable force on the court when he controls his emotions, and he played a big role in helping the U.S. win gold at the FIBA World Cup this summer. OUTLOOK: Sacramento made strides late last season behind Cousins and Gay, who showed they could score with any of the NBA's best duos. Whether Malone can get the Kings to play team defense remains a major question. Sacramento also is stuck in a difficult division and a deep conference, so even if they improve the Kings will likely end up in the same spot they've finished the last eight seasons: in the draft lottery. News Topics: Sports, Sports trading, Athlete injuries, Sports transactions, 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, FIBA Basketball World Cup, NBA basketball, International basketball, Free agency, Men's basketball, Sports business, Athlete health, Events, Professional basketball, Basketball, Men's sports People, Places and Companies: Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Blake Griffin, Matt Barnes, DeAndre Jordan, Jordan Farmar, Spencer Hawes, Jared Cunningham, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Darren Collison, Jared Dudley, Danny Granger, Willie Green, Ryan Hollins, Doc Rivers, Steve Ballmer, Mark Cuban, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, David Lee, Andrew Bogut, Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa, Brandon Rush, Jason Kapono, Jermaine O'Neal, Steve Blake, Jordan Crawford, Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Mark Jackson, Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, P.J. Tucker, Anthony Tolliver, Markieff Morris, Miles Plumlee, Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, Jeff Hornacek, Alex Len, Jeremy Lin, Kobe Bryant, Wesley Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Jordan Hill, Ed Davis, Julius Randle, Ronnie Price, Pau Gasol, Jodie Meeks, Kendall Marshall, Kent Bazemore, Byron Scott, Nick Young, Steve Nash, Ben McLemore, Rudy Gay, Reggie Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Ramon Sessions, Omri Casspi, Nik Stauskas, Quincy Acy, Aaron Gray, Los Angeles, Sacramento, California, United States, North America Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Cyprus Problem? Here We Go Again!

Greek Cypriots rejected the Annan Plan's 2004 referendums to which Turkish Cypriots had agreed, and recently, it was again the Greek Cypriot ...

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Inaugural Greek Poetry Recital Competition held

A successful first Greek Poetry Recital Competition was hosted recently at the Pontian Hall, in Brunswick, by the Modern Greek Teachers' Association ...

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Turkey’s Dying Greek Press

Turkey’s once-significant Greek population now sits on the verge of extinction, thanks to repressive state policies that forced or compelled them to leave the country during the 20th century. Lacking a large readership to support it, Apoyevmatini is also in danger of folding.

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Tuesday, October 28

by  Associated Press Tuesday, October 28 by The Associated Press, Associated Press - 20 October 2014 19:14-04:00 Today is Tuesday, October 28, the 301st day of 2014. There are 64 days left in the year. Highlights in history on this date: 1492 - Christopher Columbus discovers Cuba on his first voyage to New World. 1636 - Harvard College is founded in Massachusetts. 1708 - Sweden's King Charles XII takes Mohilev, Russia, and invades Ukraine. 1793 - U.S. inventor Eli Whitney applies for a patent for the cotton gin, used to separate green seeds from staple-cotton. 1836 - Federation of Peru and Bolivia is proclaimed. 1886 - The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, is dedicated in New York Harbor by U.S. President Grover Cleveland. 1890 - The German East Africa Company cedes its territorial rights to Germany. 1916 - Australian voters reject conscription for World War I by narrow margin. 1919 - Congress enacts the Volstead Act, which provides for enforcement of Prohibition, the ban on alcoholic beverages, over U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's veto. 1922 - Fascism comes to Italy as Benito Mussolini takes control of the government. 1940 - Italy invades Greece during World War II. 1956 - Israeli troops invade Sinai Peninsula, later to be joined by British and French forces, following Egypt's seizure of the Suez Canal from European control. 1958 - The Roman Catholic patriarch of Venice, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, is elected pope, taking the name John XXIII. 1962 - Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev announces he has ordered the withdrawal of Soviet missiles from Cuba. 1965 - Pope Paul VI issues a decree absolving Jews of collective guilt for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 1971 - House of Commons votes in favor of Britain's entry into European Common Market. 1974 - Arab heads of state, including Jordan's King Hussein, issue declaration calling for creation of independent Palestinian state. 1977 - U.N. General Assembly censures Israel for establishing settlements in occupied Arab territories, calling action illegal and damaging to peace efforts. 1983 - The U.N. General Assembly approves a resolution calling on Vietnam to withdraw its occupation forces from Cambodia. 1989 - More than 10,000 rally in protest of the government on the 71st anniversary of Czechoslovakia's independence; scores are beaten or detained. 1990 - A coalition of noncommunist pro-independence parties wins the elections in Georgia, the last of the 15 Soviet constituent republics to hold such elections in 1990. 1993 - Georgian rebels repel an attack on their last stronghold of Zugdidi, then drive back government troops and recapture the town of Khobi in a powerful counteroffensive. 1994 - For the first time since violence erupted 25 years earlier, representatives of the Irish Republican Army meet with leaders from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to discuss peace talks. 1995 - At least 289 people are killed and hundreds injured in a subway fire in Baku, the Azerbaijani capital. 1997 - Forces loyal to Zambian president Frederick Chiluba quash a coup by disgruntled military officers, arresting nine men including the captain who said an angel told him to overthrow the government. 1998 - Hurricane Mitch pauses over Honduras with 205 kph (120 mph) winds, sweeping away bridges, flooding neighborhoods and killing hundreds of people. 2001 - U.S. President George W. Bush announces creation of a Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force to find and deport foreigners who are in the United States illegally. 2004 - At least two people die and 21 are wounded when a bomb explodes in a border town in Thailand's troubled Narathiwat province, where about 100 Muslims earlier gathered for the mass burial of 22 unidentified men killed in military custody after a violent protest. 2005 - Russia issues a scathing response to a U.N. report documenting massive corruption in the oil-for-food program, contending that documents indicting Russian companies are fake. 2006 - An overcrowded bus plunges off a mountain road in western Nepal, leaving at least 42 people dead and dozens injured. 2007 - First lady Cristina Fernandez claims victory in Argentina's presidential election to become the first woman elected to the post. 2008 - Former political prisoner Mohamed Nasheed defeats President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Asia's longest-serving ruler, in the Maldives' first democratic presidential election. 2009 - Terrified U.N. workers in Afghanistan scramble over the roof or leap from windows to escape choking smoke and gunfire after being awakened at dawn when Taliban militants wearing police uniforms stormed a residential hotel packed with foreigners. 2010 - Two volcanoes erupt on Russia's far-eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, tossing massive ash clouds miles (kilometers) into the air, forcing flights to divert and blanketing one town with thick, heavy ash. 2011 - The Commonwealth countries agree to change centuries-old rules of succession that put sons on the British throne ahead of any older sisters. So any hypothetical daughter of Prince William and Kate Middleton — now known as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge — would have a prime place in history: the first princess to beat out any younger brothers and accede to the throne. 2012 - Syria's air force fires missiles and drops barrel bombs on rebel strongholds while opposition fighters attack regime positions, flouting a U.N.-backed cease-fire that was supposed to quiet fighting over a long holiday weekend but never took hold. 2013 — A savage coastal storm powered by hurricane-force gusts slashes its way through Britain and western Europe, felling trees, flooding lowlands and snarling traffic in the air, at sea and on land. At least 13 people are reported killed. Today's Birthdays: Evelyn Waugh, British novelist (1903-1966); Ivan Turgenev, Russian writer (1818-1883); Auguste Escoffier, French chef par excellence (1846-1935); Francis Bacon, British painter (1909-1992); Dr. Jonas Salk, U.S. doctor, developer of first polio vaccine (1914-1995); Bill Gates, U.S. chairman of Microsoft (1955--); Julia Roberts, U.S. actress (1967--); Ben Harper, U.S. rock singer (1969--). Thought for Today: Life is easier to take than you'd think; all that is necessary is to accept the impossible, do without the indispensable and bear the intolerable — Kathleen Norris, American author (1880-1960). News Topics: General news, Presidential elections, War and unrest, Royalty, Weather, Floods, Government and politics, Accidents and disasters, Peace process, National elections, Elections, Celebrity, Entertainment, Arts and entertainment, Diplomacy, International relations People, Places and Companies: Frederick Chiluba, George W. Bush, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Mohamed Nasheed, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Evelyn Waugh, Francis Bacon, Bill Gates, Julia Roberts, Ben Harper, United Kingdom, Georgia, United States, Italy, Russia, Maldives, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South Asia, Asia Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Mythbusters: Greek life edition

Organizations across North America have been using Greek letters to identify themselves since 1776. We would all like to think that Greeks got their ...

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Greek flag football postseason soon to begin

As the fraternity flag-football regular season comes to an end, several teams have managed to stay atop of the standings and keep their winning ...

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