NEU » They have a pretty good team with solid players

Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant. Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.Players synonymous with their cities and their franchises are now gone in a summer of upheaval the NBA has rarely seen before, and the teams left behind begin their searches for new identities after saying the hardest of goodbyes.You never wouldve been able to convince me a couple years back that Wade wouldnt finish his career in Miami or Durant would have moved on in his prime from that great Oklahoma City team, or Rose after his MVP year, four years later hes not in Chicago anymore, ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy said. It just shows you. Its a hard league. Its hard to keep your group together. And when it is able to stay together, stay relevant, stay competitive, youre very, very fortunate.Count the San Antonio Spurs among the chosen few. Duncan fell in their lap when the Spurs won the draft lottery in 1997, and coach Gregg Popovich has long credited that bit of luck for the franchises unprecedented run of success.Five championships, two MVPs for Duncan, the most enduring success story in American sports.Leadership can come from many different areas, but when your best player is the best leader, its amazing how everybody else falls in line, said Timberwolves GM Scott Layden, who was an assistant GM with the Spurs for the previous four seasons. The other thing is how hes done it with such humility and modesty. Not looking for any attention and accolades. Its more of what is good for the team. ... Both on and off the court, he set the tone day-in and day-out.Bryant beat Duncan out of the door by a couple of months, ending 20 colorful seasons with the Lakers with a 60-point outburst in his final game. The consistency wasnt the same as Duncans, but the Lakers captured five titles as well during Bryants time and vaulted back into the leagues hierarchy.Wade left the Heat for his hometown Bulls after 13 brilliant seasons and is perhaps the biggest sports hero in Miami history, having delivered three championships to South Beach and serving as an ambassador for the glitzy city by the bay.Moments like this, it sucks, Wade said on Saturday after taking a two-year, $47 million deal from the Bulls over Miamis offer of two years and $40 million. The business side of the sport, sometimes it just sucks. Thats what were dealing with.Durant stunned the NBA by leaving his beloved Oklahoma City for the juggernaut in Golden State, ending a nine-year love affair between the low-key superstar and a city he and Russell Westbrook put on the basketball map.Kevin was a part of the renaissance, Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett told ESPN last week. This city has come so far, so fast, probably further, faster than any city in American history. Kevin was right there along with us. Theres a slight sense of panic.And finally, the Bulls traded Rose, a former MVP and one of the citys favorite sons, to the New York Knicks. Noah followed his friend to the Big Apple in free agency, meaning two of the players who embodied the franchises grit and determination are now elsewhere.The departures came under different circumstances and by different means, but they have served to upend the NBA. Player movement is one of the leagues hallmarks, but Dwyane Wade in a Bulls jersey?All players see their careers end eventually. But Kobe and Timmy in the same summer?Injuries to Rose and Noah no doubt forced Chicagos hand. But both of the proud fighters wearing blue and orange?It will take some getting used to for everyone involved, and it stands to have a major impact on the playoff chases in both conferences.Duncan may not have been the force of nature he was for the Spurs in his earlier days, and he may have passed the torch to Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge last season. But his loss in the locker room, and in the paint, will be hard for the Spurs to overcome.With Leonard, Aldridge, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and now Pau Gasol in the fold, the Spurs should still be able to hang near the top of the Western Conference. Without No. 21 in the middle to keep things calm, it wont be easy.I think it goes way beyond the championships and the winning, said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, a longtime Spurs assistant. I think the culture that really, hes kind of the pillar its been built around. It is almost impossible to quantify.In some ways, things have only gotten easier for the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, who have met in the NBA Finals the last two seasons.Durants move to Golden State gutted the Warriors chief rival in the West and assembled perhaps the most potent starting lineup in league history in the Bay Area.Wades move to Chicago weakened a challenger to LeBron in the East.Maybe the only question left to answer going into next season is not who will be there in the end, but how each of these proud franchises will handle their new beginnings. Fake Vapormax For Sale . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. Cheap Air Max Plus . 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TORONTO -- One by one, the Canadian players strolled into the media room at Air Canada Centre on Thursday afternoon for an off-day availability at the World Cup of Hockey.The teams semifinal opponent had yet to be decided so questions and answers were broad in nature. There was talk about the process, doing the little things right, and sticking to what has worked in three straight round-robin victories.The Canadians have been playing so well, it really seems as if it is up to the opposition -- it ended up being Russia in the semifinals -- to figure out a way to beat them rather than the opposite.That went unsaid Thursday, but the numbers speak for themselves.Canada (3-0-0) is the only team with a perfect record. It has allowed just three goals overall, controlled the play for extended stretches and is averaging almost five goals and over 43 shots a game.The Russians were in control of their own destiny entering play against Finland on Thursday. A 3-0 victory assured them of second place in Group B and eliminated North America, the speedy squad of players age 23-and-under from Canada and the United States.There are several reasons why the reigning Olympic and World Cup champions are favored to win again. Canadas goaltending has been strong, the team rolls four strong lines and the defense is tight.The Russians, meanwhile, have a solid netminder in Sergei Bobrovsky and are anchored up front by forwards Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. There will be no shortage of motivation on Saturday night for a team eager to eliminate Canada on home ice.The opportunity is huge, Ovechkin said. They have a pretty good team with solid players. We just have to match it.The Canada-Russia semifinal offers a renewal of a classic hockkey rivalry, though fans will likely be disappointed they wont get to see the Canadians take on the highly skilled young guns on North America.ddddddddddddIt made no difference to Team Canada.Were more focused on playing our game, our system, Canadian forward Brad Marchand said. You might have to tweak a couple things here and there but for the most part, were more concerned about how we play. Our style, how our effort is. Just working hard and normally when you do that, good things can happen.Head coach Mike Babcock said his lineup will be announced after practice Friday. Ryan Getzlaf, Shea Weber and Carey Price are good bets to return after getting a rest Wednesday night in a 4-1 win over Team Europe.Canadas offensive depth has been on display throughout the tournament.The top line of captain Sidney Crosby, Marchand and Patrice Bergeron shone in a 6-0 rout of the Czech Republic last Saturday. The fourth line of Joe Thornton, Matt Duchene and Ryan OReilly was strong in a 4-2 win over the United States a few days later.Assistant captain Jonathan Toews took a turn in the spotlight with a three-point night against Team Europe. The offense has been in top form even though star forwards Steven Stamkos, John Tavares and Getzlaf are still looking for their first goals of the tournament.Russia finished round-robin play with a 2-1 record, scoring eight goals while giving up five against.Its going to be a great, great challenge and we accept it, Russian forward Evgeny Kuznetsov said.Team Europe will play Sweden in the other semifinal Sunday. The best-of-three final series begins Tuesday night. ' ' '