NFT: NBA 2014/15 Season Thread ..........

A Bulls/Cavs and a Warriors/Thunder final 4. I am thinking the Spurs will be around again. Who knows with the Thunder as injuries have messed up the last 2 postseasons. The west is going to be amazing this year. My surprise team is going to be the Jazz. Burke will take the next step. Hayward is sold. Kanter had a pretty good preseason. Burks will also improve.

Teams like the Jazz, Kings, Nuggets, TWolves all may not make the postseason but they will be really fun to watch.

East Division Winners

NYK
Cavs
Washington

Playoff Teams:

Nets
Bulls
Indiana
Milwaukee
Charlotte


West Division Winners:

Portland
Clippers
Houston

West Playoff Teams

OKC
Dallas
Memphis
Golden St
Spurs


East Finals

Cavs vs NYK


West Finals

Portland vs Houston


Finals

Houston over Cavs


Really tough to go out on a limb in the East with the Cavs and Lebron. I just dont see any team thats even close. Im a knicks fan so I have them in the finals, which is definately possible. I can really see any team in there with Cleveland. Just going to depend on the playoff draw.

I like Houston in the West. They are a tough squad. Especially at home. Not really a fan of Howard, but they are a pretty solid team.

Im just taking a shot on them beating Cleveland, although I'd favor the Cavs in a series. Lebron isnt going to win every championship.

MVP: Lebron
Rookie: Parker
Worst Team: Philly
Surpise Team Good: Charlotte. They can be washington from last year
Surprise Team Bad: Spurs. I think theyll get old at some point. Still squeak into the playoffs though.

I dont know shit. Nobody really does. So this is my picks.

Will be interesting to see how the rest of the final spots play out.

through this incredible era of success with Pop/Duncan they have never repeated

Portland is my sleeper team to get out of the West so I'll be bold and pick a Blazers-Cavs final

did you forget about Toronto?

Division winners:

Atlantic: Raptors
Central: Cavs (#1 seed)
Southeast: Wizards

Other playoff teams:

Bulls (2nd best record)
Pacers
Heat
Knicks
Hornets

In the West

Northwest: Blazers
Pacific: Warriors
Southwest: Spurs (#1 seed)

Other playoff teams

Thunder
Clippers
Rockets
Pelicans (because of the Brow)
Suns

East Finals: Cavs over Bulls
West Finals: Blazers over Spurs

NBA Finals: Cavs over Blazers

I dont know why they shouldnt be solid under a capable coach like svg. A frontcourt rotation of drummond, smith and monroe is going to be a lot for teams to deal with, especially since he knows how to stagger thrir minutes and wont make the mistake of having all 3 on the court at once (which is a terrible fit). He has already said one of smith/monroe is going to be the 6th man.

im not a brandon jennings fan and between he and josh smith their shot selection and collective basketball i.q. was staggeringly low. But stan van gundy isnt going to tolerate that shit. I really think hes going to make a big difference with their culture and help andre drummond take that next step. Dude has a beastly ceiling and i expect him to take that typical leap guys do after a summer with team u.s.a.

issues are just what you said. They have Jennings and Smith. Those players do more bad then good. That said if Drummond takes another step forward they should still be good enough to hang around the 7/8 spot.

Love will see a Bosh like decline in his production with LeBron. Except he's a much worse defender so overall he's a worse player. They're going to struggle defensively. Outside LeBron, they don't have plus defenders and they start a couple of bad ones in Irving, Verajao and Love.

In comment 11941989 chris r said:

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Love will see a Bosh like decline in his production with LeBron. Except he's a much worse defender so overall he's a worse player. They're going to struggle defensively. Outside LeBron, they don't have plus defenders and they start a couple of bad ones in Irving, Verajao and Love.

couple = trio.

too.

Still lack a second creator with Rose.

to underrated... much better that way for them in year 3 in the BK.
hard to be against the spurs

Is absolutely not a bad defender. Hes the only cavs big who has any sort of positive defensive impact. Hes just not a bigtime shotblocker

but he's far better on the boards and offensively, even compared to Toronto Bosh. Love doesn't have to develop his outside shot to stretch the floor like Bosh did. He's already an excellent perimeter shooter and has a strong post game.

Love had nearly as many 3PAs last season alone (and still shot .376 from there) as Bosh has for his career.

Hopefully he can stay healthy and move on from the "you have to put a face to the big new stadium unveil in BKN" and instead just play basketball.

Plumless's option just got picked up which was a no brainer given Lopez's perennially troublesome foot. I like Plumlee. At this point you gotta take anything from Lopez as a bonus. I think the Nets will have trouble scoring consistently without him unless Williams really does "revert to form" which looks more and more unlikely.

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I'm wary that the East will be all that interesting this year, although hope I'm wrong (much depends on Rose). The West...gonna be mesmerizing.

Bulls/Spurs in Finals. Spurs repeat. KD MVP.

I agree. Love is a much better fit than bosh offensively from day 1 both because of his spacing and passing, and immensely better on the glass. This cavs team is going to be way better on the boards than miami ever was.

Defensively he is going to be playing the 4 on this team as opposed to bosh playing the 5 in miami. Love sucks defensively but bosh was virtually always overmatched trying to defend 5s anyway himself. Love will remain in his natural position for the majority of his minutes. He is going to see a numbers hit much like bosh did because its impossib le for 3 guys on the same team to put up big numbers at modern nba pace. But his impact should be greater than boshs

people talk about miamis flawed roster over the last 4 years like they were loaded. This cavs team barring injury has a higher ceiling and is better balanced than any of those teams. Only concern is the lack of playoff experience. Defensively they wont be great, but theyll be good enough if varejao stays healthy

are my picks for the Finals with the Spurs winning in 7. I think Pop and Duncan are motivated for back to back rings which they haven't done yet. LeBron is a shoe in for MVP. Parker will by ROY. Pelicans are my dark horse team and the Knicks will win a meaningless 38 games and maybe the 8th seed.

no i didnt forget about them. but i'd like to. I had the Nets in there ahead of them. based on nothing really. i just didnt pick them

healthy. They were the Spurs toughest challenge in the West last year and they got better.

Thunder have peaked imo, Clippers can have some upside but are still too dependent on a few players.

I am excited to see the Cavs and the Bulls. I think the Cavs will be a much more fun team to watch then the Heat ever were. I expect them to play some pretty ball.

In comment 11942083 MarshallOnMontana said:

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I agree. Love is a much better fit than bosh offensively from day 1 both because of his spacing and passing, and immensely better on the glass. This cavs team is going to be way better on the boards than miami ever was. Defensively he is going to be playing the 4 on this team as opposed to bosh playing the 5 in miami. Love sucks defensively but bosh was virtually always overmatched trying to defend 5s anyway himself. Love will remain in his natural position for the majority of his minutes. He is going to see a numbers hit much like bosh did because its impossib le for 3 guys on the same team to put up big numbers at modern nba pace. But his impact should be greater than boshs people talk about miamis flawed roster over the last 4 years like they were loaded. This cavs team barring injury has a higher ceiling and is better balanced than any of those teams. Only concern is the lack of playoff experience. Defensively they wont be great, but theyll be good enough if varejao stays healthy

Not sure about the higher ceiling for the Cavs. I think the best chance for a title for them is within the next two years because at some point LeBron will decline. Gotta start wondering when all that mileage will take a toll on LeBron (4 straight finals is like playing another whole season at full intensity, plus other playoff runs in his first Cavs stint). Not sure Irving will ever be as good as Wade before Wade started declining in 2013 and 2014. Love is better than Bosh though

In comment 11942030 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Is absolutely not a bad defender. Hes the only cavs big who has any sort of positive defensive impact. Hes just not a bigtime shotblocker

He's horrible. All the advanced stats and the eye tests say that

This is LeBron's 12th season. It would be hard to see him as the best player in the league in 2016-17 entering his 14th season. He'll be one of a group of top players but age conquers all

I'm surprised he is getting no love for ROY. I think the Celtics would be fools not to play him with Rondo, and he's NBA ready on both ends of the floor.

Out West it'll be interesting to see if the Clips take the next step. Paul is still a great player, but his window is closing. They have maybe 2 more years of elite CP3. That means Blake is going to have to be peaking in those years, and they have got to grab homecourt. If they do that, they could represent the west.

The Spurs are the Spurs. OKC without Durant will be interesting. Westbrook is a great player, but how does he fare without KD for an extended period of time. Can he make the other guys on that team better?

I still don't think Portland and Houston are there yet. Portland because I want to see if Aldridge takes his game even further. Houston because I just don't like Dwight or his commitment to being great.

In the East, the Bulls and D Rose's health stand in the Cavs way. I'm not a Bulls fan but you gotta hope Rose can stay healthy and keep the explosiveness we've seen glimpses of.

I think the Cavs will mesh pretty quickly. Love and Kyrie an dynamic scorers, and while they've never played with another star before, I think they'll learn each others games fast.

Charmers > Irving, wade > waiters; Heat LeBron > Cavs LeBron; haslem/Anthony/Battier> Love; bosh = verajao

The Cavs will be much worse defensively.

Because they are way more balanced a roster than miami ever was, lebron isnt going to need to lead this team in rebounding, they are going to be leagues better than the heat on the glass. People dont have nearly enough an appreciation for how historically anomolous it was for miami to have the success they had while being so shitty on the boards. Basically never happens.

Theyre deeper, the core pieces fit together more naturally from a fit and spacing standpoint because both irving and wade have ready made 3 point range, theyre both also better passers than their miami counterparts, the ability to facilitate good looks not initiated by lebron is far higher on this cavs team. They have playmakers. Lebron had to always be miamis defacto point guard. And theyre way deeper in talent. Just look at the frontcourt rotation of love/varejao/tristan thompson, compare that to miami with bosh/haslem/birdman. Its a blood bath. They have even more shooting than miami ever did too. They have a guy like dion waiters who when disciplined is 10x more talented than any miami backcourt player sans wade, and hes a terrific catch and shoot guy who will see plenty of those chances in this offense.

Haven't followed at all since the news broke, but thought it was likely he'd return by ~December? Bummer if that's not the case.

In comment 11942166 chris r said:

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In comment 11942030 MarshallOnMontana said: Quote: Is absolutely not a bad defender. Hes the only cavs big who has any sort of positive defensive impact. Hes just not a bigtime shotblocker He's horrible. All the advanced stats and the eye tests say that

then you are reading the wrong advanced stats, and your eyes suck. He was top 25 in the entire nba last year in defensive rapm, he has made an all defense team before. Hes the best frontcourt defender lebron has ever played with and its not close.

In comment 11942200 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Because they are way more balanced a roster than miami ever was, lebron isnt going to need to lead this team in rebounding, they are going to be leagues better than the heat on the glass. People dont have nearly enough an appreciation for how historically anomolous it was for miami to have the success they had while being so shitty on the boards. Basically never happens. Theyre deeper, the core pieces fit together more naturally from a fit and spacing standpoint because both irving and wade have ready made 3 point range, theyre both also better passers than their miami counterparts, the ability to facilitate good looks not initiated by lebron is far higher on this cavs team. They have playmakers. Lebron had to always be miamis defacto point guard. And theyre way deeper in talent. Just look at the frontcourt rotation of love/varejao/tristan thompson, compare that to miami with bosh/haslem/birdman. Its a blood bath. They have even more shooting than miami ever did too. They have a guy like dion waiters who when disciplined is 10x more talented than any miami backcourt player sans wade, and hes a terrific catch and shoot guy who will see plenty of those chances in this offense.

Who is handling the ball, Irving or LeBron? How valuable is Irving if he's not playing PG. And Irving is not just a bad defender, but an atrocious defender. Love is a worse defender than Bosh (who is bad). Love's a better rebounder and offensive player but he's also an atrocious man-defender

For all of Wade's issues he was a top defender at his position

Cavs will be a better offensive team once they sort out who is handling the ball but they've got massive holes on defense. Aside from LeBron there are no great defensive players (Varejao is average)

Not irving and wade

but he's head and shoulders above in the rebounding department, and his outlet passes with Lebron will make them a very exciting team in the fast break.

maybe 3 at most because LeBron's already played 11 seasons plus the equivalent of 2 full seasons of playoff basketball. That's a ton of mileage and it was reported last year that LeBron had to manage a back issue, which was possibly the reason why he lost weight this offseason

would be nice to see a changing of the guard a bit, though a huge part of me will still root for the Spurs to do it again (if the Bulls are out of it).

obviously have serious injury concerns with Rose and Noah to start the year, but Cleveland has some serious concerns of their own (irving and varejao seemingly break down every year).

It'll also remain to be seen whether Lebron slimming down helps or hurts his durability.

Was hurt in the playoffs the majority of the time, was past his prime defensively, and was never an ideal fit next to lebron from a spacing standpoint because of his lack of range. Kyrie irving has a legit lethal shoooting stroke, just entering his prime, flashed mightily defensively this summer. Its silly to act like the book on him defensively is closed at 22 years old. The guys who are bigtime defenders at that age are the exceptions. Kyrie irvings arrow is pointing upward.

And its not very productive to solely compare big 3 vs big 3, which is what these conversations always come down to for some reason. Cleveland is way more balanced

Go Lakers, time to add another lottery player.

but at a glance, it looks like the strength of the class will be determined by how many freshman declare. There's 4 freshmen expected to go top 10, but it's very early.

I think the 3 headliners are okafor from Duke. A pure back to the basket big. Mudiay who was supposed to go to SMU is the best guard. Towns from Kentucky via Jersey is a 7 footer with a very talented skillset.

is not a bad defender. Just the opposite.

He helps his team a lot on this end. He's active and physical. When the ball goes up he's looking to clear guys out. I often see him moving the other teams best rebounder out of position while his teammate gets the rebound. He hustles. He bangs. He does not care about stats but does things to help his team.

I've always loved his defensive game. He's a winner. I'm happy he'll be on a good team this year. If he's healthy more people will notice & appreciate the things he does to win games.

The NBA would be a better league if we had more who played like him.

thanks, dudes.

In comment 11942083 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Love sucks defensively but bosh was virtually always overmatched trying to defend 5s anyway himself.

I caught a Twolves/Warriors game last year where the Warriors color commentator (the pretty excellent Jim Barnett) was arguing that Love's defensive deficiencies are exaggerated. His case: their perimeter players, particularly Martin but also Brewer, gambled so heavily and so frequently that Love would (and Pekovic) had to scramble to cover, and they didn't quite have the proper scheme/framework/coaching in place to help dictate how the two would do so.

Plays with an intensity level that is straight up uncomfortable to play against. The issue is you know he is going to get hurt. He makes derrick rose look like cal ripken jr. Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when. The cavs just need him to avoid something serious that will keep him out of playoff games

is my prediction for the 2015 Finals. Bulls in 6

In comment 11942355 Vin R said:

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is my prediction for the 2015 Finals. Bulls in 6

Thanks for the Stan curse...

Lakers have to score a top 5 pick. Otherwise we lose our pick to the Suns.

that happened to the Bulls in regards to the Gasol acquisition is the defense he brings. While not known as a defensive stalwart. He has the size/length to fit perfectly in Thibs' scheme. Besides, he is 1000x better than Boozer.

I cant wait to see Noah guard Love. Probably one of the few bigs that can guard him inside/outside without help.

Yeah I know, just figured a top ten would be more accurate now.

I'd like to see a team like the Warriors or even the Knicks win it, for a change. Hell, I'd root for the Cavs if LBJ hadn't left and returned, big fan of Kevin Love's and Kyrie's games.

Just to tie one more piece into the cavs/miami comparison.

The cavs flexibility going forward is also amazing. They will have a lottery pick coming to them next time memphis misses the playoffs, which could easily be this year in a stacked west. Memphis isnt bad, the west is just that good. Brendan haywoods jon guarenteed contract will also be a huge piece in trade talks. They should be much better next year than even this year, and not just because of the inevitable improved chemistry. They can be major players to add pieces next summer. There are already rumblings of them angling for marc gasol

In comment 11942366 UConn4523 said:

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In comment 11942355 Vin R said: Quote: is my prediction for the 2015 Finals. Bulls in 6 Thanks for the Stan curse...

haha no!!

In comment 11942368 GiantFilthy said:

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Lakers have to score a top 5 pick. Otherwise we lose our pick to the Suns.

Really hope they get the 6th pick

In comment 11942531 MookGiants said:

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In comment 11942368 GiantFilthy said: Quote: Lakers have to score a top 5 pick. Otherwise we lose our pick to the Suns. Really hope they get the 6th pick

Lol, you bastid, even after saying I'd root for NYK.

I can't wait for this season to begin. I'm honestly not sure they'll compile a better record than last year, but they've certainly got a chance to do so and they'll likely be incredibly fun to watch.

I'm thrilled that they hired Steve Kerr. His interviews alone are a breath of fresh air -- I've always found him humorous and listenable as a commentator, but as a coach he's even more so, and his casual candor makes him a great interview. I think the players will love him, albeit perhaps in a different way than they loved Mark Jackson.

I can't wait to see what Bogut does now that Kerr is determined to feature him a bit more offensively. He's a great and willing passer and nearly put up a triple double in their preseason finale.

They're much, much deeper than they were last year. They're thinking strongly about having Iggy come off the bench, not because Barnes has surpassed him by any means, but more because Iggy makes the second unit much better than Barnes does. If Kerr sticks to that idea even after Livingston is healthy enough to play, Igoudala will almost certainly be a very strong 6th Man of the Year candidate.

Gonna be a fun year.

The everything part.

Klay Thompson, whose confidence is through the roof and was getting to the rim (and even to the line!) much more decisively this preseason than he ever has.

In comment 11942547 GiantFilthy said:

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The everything part.

Agreed.

In comment 11942531 MookGiants said:

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In comment 11942368 GiantFilthy said: Quote: Lakers have to score a top 5 pick. Otherwise we lose our pick to the Suns. Really hope they get the 6th pick

lolz

In comment 11942537 JonC said:

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In comment 11942531 MookGiants said: Quote: In comment 11942368 GiantFilthy said: Quote: Lakers have to score a top 5 pick. Otherwise we lose our pick to the Suns. Really hope they get the 6th pick Lol, you bastid, even after saying I'd root for NYK.

I've been waiting for these last couple years for the Lakers for almost 15 years. I don't want to give it up quite yet, I need to watch my brother squirm some more.

is not going to be great. Don't think there will be one franchise player in the draft, unless Thon Maker reclassifies, which doesn't seem likely at this point. Thon Maker is ridiculous, youtube him if you get a chance

In comment 11942531 MookGiants said:

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In comment 11942368 GiantFilthy said: Quote: Lakers have to score a top 5 pick. Otherwise we lose our pick to the Suns. Really hope they get the 6th pick

Mook is really young Greg in LI

In comment 11942578 MookGiants said:

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is not going to be great. Don't think there will be one franchise player in the draft, unless Thon Maker reclassifies, which doesn't seem likely at this point. Thon Maker is ridiculous, youtube him if you get a chance

Thon Maker is a bit like Hakeem from watching some of the video. Good observation. I think he plays for Australia so we could see the Aussies in medal contention pretty soon at the Olympics (Patty Mills, Exum, Bairstow, who I really like, and Thon Maker are a good core of players)

ECF Finals: Cavs over Bulls in 7.

WCF Finals: Spurs over Warriors in 6.

Finals: Spurs over Cavs in 6.

25-1 to win.

I think the Cavs will be around .500 in the first 20 games or so before they start to mesh. I think this summer, playing with the rest of the stars will help Kyrie adjust quicker to playing with Lebron (I know he's a different players but great players generally have the same attention to detail, desire for perfection etc).

An underrated subplot I'm looking forward to is seeing how Wiggins is this year. Personally, I know Lebron isn't getting younger but I was in the crowd that wanted to see them keep him and maybe move Waiters to get a different big.

He is currently on pace for the 2017 draft and if he reclassifies he will be in the 2016 draft not the 2015 one

In comment 11944221 ODBeast said:

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He is currently on pace for the 2017 draft and if he reclassifies he will be in the 2016 draft not the 2015 one

You're wrong.

Mavs at spurs and rockets at lakers on the tnt doubleheader. Magic at pelicans also if you have nba league pass (and i think everyone gets a free preview first week)

Im happy to have basketball back, and i will be watching and looking forward to it all day. But by opening night standards thats not a very splashy start. Kinda meh

.

In comment 11944636 GiantFilthy said:

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.

lol

Harden or Kobe?

But the refs will send Harden to the line.

Looking forward to seeing the Cavs, they should play an exciting brand of ball. I also enjoyed watching the Raptors last year and hope they take another step.

Would love to see the Spurs repeat, but they never accomplished that feat in their prime and now it'll only be harder with the age of that roster.

TV deal isn't in effect yet right? Why doesn't TNT have a better double header to start the year? Usually TNT is stacked on opening night.

New tv deal kicks in at the start of the 2016/17 season

as for the doubleheader tonight, who knows. Spurs had to have a home game tonight as defending champs, but i wish it was a more juicy matchup than dallas. I know dallas took the spurs to 7 games last year, but the mavs are down the list when it comes to most watchable teams out west. Then again, they could have scheduled the thunder for a date at s.a. tonight and gotten burned by the durant injury. In the 2nd game, id have rather the clippers or warriors hosted that late game, but tv loves the lakers.

In comment 11944694 Andy in Halifax said:

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Looking forward to seeing the Cavs, they should play an exciting brand of ball. I also enjoyed watching the Raptors last year and hope they take another step. Would love to see the Spurs repeat, but they never accomplished that feat in their prime and now it'll only be harder with the age of that roster.

Parker is only 32. It always more about his overall health. Manu and Duncan are up there obviously but the former has been streaky for a few years now anyway (and the Spurs still win) and Duncan has adjusted his game.

Don't forget that Green and Leonard now have more experience under their belts. And they're all under the best HC in the game.

I think the Spurs are the favorites to win it if they stay healthy.

In comment 11944316 MookGiants said:

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In comment 11944221 ODBeast said: Quote: He is currently on pace for the 2017 draft and if he reclassifies he will be in the 2016 draft not the 2015 one You're wrong.

ODBeat, my apologies. I am wrong, brain cramp on my part. I was looking at his high school graduating class, and for some unknown reason thinking thats when he would be in draft. You are correct, he will be in either 16 or 17 draft, most likely 17

more of a Garnett type player. I worry about his strength. He is obviously young and will bulk up, but at what price towards his athleticism?

He has been out over 3 weeks with some sort of eye infection that was initially given a 3 to 5 day time table. No tiago splitter either, spurs down 2 starters

took over the Hornets twitter feed and he's been surprisingly funny.

I actually thought of this a few years ago lol
Link - ( New Window )

In comment 11945212 DanMetroMan said:

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I actually thought of this a few years ago lol Link - ( New Window )

you would think a guard would have time to get back and guard the cherry picker on every made basket.

Did a story on that kings owner a year or two ago. He has all these weird off the wall theories that he thinks could work in the nba because they worked for his daughters youth basketball team when he coached them. And hes dead ass serious. The fans love him though because he says he will keep the team there. They had a couple really close calls

putrid start to the game. Brick city. Duncan looks like he is 50 years old.

Gets in the passing lane and steals the ball at the opposing free throw line, 1 man break as he handles the ball damn near coast to coast so gracefully at that size, pulling away from the trailing defenders and ending the possession with a two handed dunk one stride inside the foul line. Dude is a monster

many people noticed this over the summer with team usa, but he has definitely been hitting the weights. He clearly looks bigger

Tyson Chandler's back

In comment 11942572 MookGiants said:

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In comment 11942537 JonC said: Quote: In comment 11942531 MookGiants said: Quote: In comment 11942368 GiantFilthy said: Quote: Lakers have to score a top 5 pick. Otherwise we lose our pick to the Suns. Really hope they get the 6th pick Lol, you bastid, even after saying I'd root for NYK. I've been waiting for these last couple years for the Lakers for almost 15 years. I don't want to give it up quite yet, I need to watch my brother squirm some more.

Isn't your brother also a 49ers fan? Wtf?

is about as deep as I've ever seen. The amount of talented teams is really incredible. A team like the Sacramento Kings would be considered a playoff contender in the East but has no chance in the West.

Spurs
Thunder
Clippers
Warriors
Grizz
Mavs
Rockets
Blazers

That would just be a ridiculous WC Playoffs. I could legitimately see the top 6 teams on that list end up with the #1 seed this year. Can't remember the last time I thought 6 teams could end up with the best record in a conference. The Rockets and Blazers are very good but I expect both to take a little step back this year, although I'd love to see Howard and Harden prove the doubters wrong. Enormous season in the careers of James Harden and Dwight Howard.

The Clippers seem to be the bandwagon everyone is jumping on. And I get it. CP3 has been the 3rd best player in the NBA over the course of the past handful of seasons. Blake Griffin was probably the 3rd best player in the NBA last season. Blake's arrow is still pointing up and CP3 just feels due for a Conference Finals or Finals appearance. They have a good cast around them and Rivers is a top coach. But when I look at their roster it just feels like they are still missing that athletic wing to throw at the top guys in the league. Matt Barnes is not the solution. If the Clips had a guy like Nic Batum, they'd be a 60+ win juggernaut title favorite. I still think they could win 57 games and challenge for a #1 seed but I just don't think they'll win it all.

I think the Warriors have the highest ceiling in the league. They ranked 12th in ORtg last year! They were also the worst passing team in the NBA last year. Read that again, the Warriors passed less than any other team in the NBA last year. That's just incredible. I blame Mark Jackson. Jackson clearly did not get the most from this offense. With Kerr's system and a breakout campaign from Klay Thompson, I expect the Warriors to be a ferocious team this year. But as always, so much of this team's hopes and dreams are tied to Andrew Bogut. They need him if they want to reach their ceiling.

I have major concerns about the Cavs. Kyrie and Love have zero playoff experience, have sucked on D, and are injury-prone. Blatt is a rookie coach and that can't be overlooked. This Cavs team might be a better rebounding team than the LeBron Heat were, but they'll never be close to the defensive team that the LeBron Heat were. The Warriors are banking on Bogut, but Bogut is an iron man compared to Anderson Varejao. And the Cavs D would be truly fucked if Varejao goes down, and he always seems to go down. That being said this Cavs team could have the GOAT offense in NBA history. The best offensive support LeBron has ever had.

But if Rose is healthy, I think the Bulls come out of the East. But that's obviously an enormous "if".

and fuck the Lakers

I wonder what kind of season he has in Dallas. Carlisle is a great coach and they have a ton of weapons on that offense. Gonna be interesting to see where Parsons fits.

Anthony Davis going to be the best player in the NBA within this next 2-3 years, maybe sooner. He has no ceiling to his game.

22/15 with 7 blocks for Davis... through 3 quarters

11 for 23 from downtown. I consider that ho hum.

Im with you 100 percent on the clips wing guys and that has always been my concern with them. Im picking them to win the west anyway but without a high degree of confidence. If you told me okc would be fully healthy by playoff time i would roll with them, but with two straight playoffs hampered by injury, now durant starting this year off hurt, doesnt inspire confidence.

I think cleveland will be better defensively than people think if they can get 60 games out of varejao, which is probably on the optimistic side, but i guess we will see. I think they can be right on the fringe of the top 10 in defensive efficiency. Theyre going to be a devastating defensive rebounding team, arguably the best in the game. Thats step 1 to ensuring a floor of "average" defensively. I think youll see both their guards take a step forward defensively this year in a situation that demands it of them, neither irving nor waiters lack the physical ability to defend an adequate level. It is mostly a matter of youth and commitment. And irving has made strides since the summer. Waiters is just a straight up competitor who flashed in preseason on the ball. Lebron himself was not a bigtime defender at those guys ages.

I think youll see lebron play his best defense in a couple seasons too as he tries to set a tone, and he will have more disposable energy to commit to defense with fewer ball handling responsibilities on the other end, less banging around with 4s too. Less coasting on defense this year. We will see soon enough

to win that game. With about 2 minutes or so, they played a slow down half court offense and was a walking turnover.

One thing as a fan that I question is why you go away from what was working. A 9 point lead with 3:00 to go and they actually lost the lead.

26 points, 17 boards and 9 blocks?

Whatever.

.

Of the Lakers game... Carlos boozer still sucks ass.

I didnt see much of the lakers this preseason, but in the little i did see combined with the early action tonight, kobe is basically all jumpshot. i havent seen him attack the rim successfully at all, and with his age and injuries its going to be harder to get into the paint than ever.

In comment 11945870 arcarsenal said:

Quote:

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Pelicans would have been better off with Scola, Odom, and Martin rather than getting Davis.

Is on the floor for the lakers?

How often you see a guy go from college to the pros and look like he shrunk over night. Randle looked so much bigger at kentucky than he does out here against nba players.

The lack of size and athleticism at the 4 and 5 is painfully obvious. Joe you're spot on noting that the difference from college to pros is alarming. Randle doesn't jump off the floor at you at this level.

solid foundation there, they should really keep this nucleus for the foreseeable future and not make any dumb decisions signing free agents

Double techs... players had to be separated. I don't blame Howard.

leg for Julius Randle it looks like. Ugh, hate to see that

They're putting his leg in an air cast. This season is going to be just glorious for the Lakers.

Cart coming out for Randle. Tough break in his first NBA game. Prayers go out to him.

Oops. he.

.

In comment 11945959 Shockeyisthebest80 said:

Quote:

Oops. he.

Haha, Joseph Randle is the Cowboys RB. Julius Randle is the Lakers rookie PF from Ole' Kentucky

if it was just the achilles they wouldn't put his entire leg in an air cast you stupid fuck

He was among a group of guys torturing one of the bikers, although he was watching. He supplied the knife.

In comment 11945963 MookGiants said:

Quote:

if it was just the achilles they wouldn't put his entire leg in an air cast you stupid fuck

Yeah, that was a pretty stupid comment

since Randle couldn't shoot the free throws.

Hes going to spend these next 2 years chucking up low percentage contested jumpshots and continually branding himself mr old school tough guy, last of a dying breed. Trying too hard as usual. Gets up in the presser and goes all "back in my day..." on everyone, bemoans the softness of players today when talking about the incident with dwight. Just shut the fuck up kobe. Go get jawed by chris childs again. The lakers come off like such a bunch of scorned bitches in this dwight thing, kobe at the head of the pack. Never ever have they looked more pathetic on every level, its embarrassing.

HOW FUCKING DARE HE?

To see dwight as soft and afraid of his superhero will and desire, which laker fans have bought into. Yea, he left because kobe is very "demanding" and dwight just cowers infront of his unparrallelled thirst for winning, it just scared him off and dwight couldnt handle it. lol. People actually do spout this shit. Including your own coach

Truth is he doesnt want to play with his broken down ass, and took less money to go to a situation where he has a better chance to win. Thats it. And he has shown to be right. Truth hurts. And the lakers as an organization have never looked more pathetic, they couldnt handle not being chosen by a star with options. And now your entire franchise identity is the team that hates dwight. Thats what its down to

and i love how kobe keeps branding himself mr old school amidst a bunch of new school pussies. Kobe has to always tell us how tough he is, just incase we forgot when he told us last week. Hes trying too hard. I think he is forever overcompensating for catching that combo from little chris childs. These next couple years are going to be hilarious. Mr poster boy for everything people supposedly hate about the 21st century athlete constantly trying to brand himself as old school. Its precious.

Quote:

To see dwight as soft and afraid of his superhero will and desire, which laker fans have bought into. Yea, he left because kobe is very "demanding" and dwight just cowers infront of his unparrallelled thirst for winning, it just scared him off and dwight couldnt handle it. lol. People actually do spout this shit. Including your own coach

People have criticized Dwight for caring more about having fun than winning championships his entire career. Scott didn't say anything new.

when he played 76 games with a fucked up back with the Lakers when most people originally thought he'd miss the first couple of months that season.

I love how Kobe only said "Try Me" to Dwight after a bunch of players and refs stepped in. What a tough guy. I also loved how Dwight hit both of his technical FTs and Kobe missed his 2nd one, you just know that irked the shit out of Kobe lol.

The Rockets played well last night but I have no idea how good they are because the Lakers looked like complete garbage.

Ariza looks like a better fit for the Rockets than Parsons. The Rockets desperately needed a wing defender like Ariza who could guard guys like Durant and LeBron. Parsons has a more diverse offensive game but Ariza's a better shooter and a far better defender.

Seems to me dwight chose the option that showed he cared more about winning. Laker fans think they were somehow that option? And we could write a book on where exactly winning ranks among kobes priorities, in fact phil jackson did write such a book. And hint: not very high. Mr. Undermine a dynasty in progress because he doesnt like being 2nd fiddle. Most 21st century move ever by mr old school

Im not going to be put into a position to defend everything dwight, i just have an issue with the messenger.

I don't care what random posts on a forum you can find say. Have you seen some of BBI's opinions?

Most Laker fans are upset at his actions (lack of?) while he had the jersey on. Best analogy I can come up with is asking how we would feel about Cruz if he refused to run an Eli-audibled route, then got upset about not having the ball thrown his way.

Another sign that Howard isn't needed.

was evident from his first presser with the Lakers...mentioning "fun" 50 times and "championship" once. It was a marriage that wasn't going to last. I'm sorry, my opinion of Dwight is that he's as physically gifted as anybody, but he doesn't have the mental toughness to win a championship. EVER. I get that he had his back issues when he was a Laker, but his refusal to embrace D'Antoni's pick and roll offense shows me that he's a bit of a coach killer, and put a huge wrench in our plans to stay competitive.

of Kobe. Hello, he penned that book in 2004. Their relationship has gotten dramatically better during Phil's 2nd go around in LA. Young guys with talent act like assholes and wisen up eventually. It's not a new thing.

The only context with which i ever bring up that book is to talk exclusively about how kobe totally undermined a dynasty in progress because he didnt want to be seen as shaqs sidekick anymore. Its all very explicitly outlined in there by a guy who had a front row seat to everything. And that doesnt change even if his relationship with jackson did.

was looking for either. He went with youth over someone just at the end of his peak.

Shaq was getting traded regardless. It was going to happen. That wasn't clear until later, but they didn't take too kindly to his raise demands. He was also nearing the point of not being worth the money as he was delaying medical procedures, showing up out of shape, and lacking his past work ethic.

What Kobe's feud did was make it so public that every team knew the Lakers were at that point desperate to get Shaq out the door, so the return was limited.

Its also the poisoinous atmosphere he created in the locker room in their last couple seasons together, his straying from the offense so he could statistically outproduce shaq, seasons that ended without titles despite the lakers being heavy favorites. He absolutely used a threat of himself leaving to leverage shaqs ouster, and forced la into going with youth in himself over shaq. The stuff years later pinning most of it on dr buss has always struck me as kobe protection, jackson had a very different story in a book that was written at the time. And trading shaq solely to avoid the luxury tax mid dynasty seems like the opposite of a laker move

when he probably legitimately didn't like Kobe. Or the word of Phil's fiance (Unlike Jim, Jeanie doesn't mute herself well) and pretty much every journalist in LA within that next year. Shaq was getting traded. Kobe's Clipper threat was an unnecessary bluff as Dr. Buss was going to wisely choose youth anyway.

If he had an issue then why not set effective picks instead of doing a half-assed job on them. He clearly did not want to do it but had not problem setting up in the post demanding the ball?

His back was a problem but he thought his post game was the answer? Is that it?

If the guy was not 100% he should have bought into what they asked him to do. Instead he wanted to impress everybody with those line drive bricks from the post.

I'm not a fan of Kobe but the grief he is getting is BS. I don't see it as other players not wanting to play with him. It's the contract and how that would restrict the team from getting solid #3/4 help.

If you were a top FA considering the Lakers the concerns are:

1. What is left with Kobe coming off the injury.
2. If you go there and Kobe is making that money then what is left for support?

That's what it came down to. Guys felt they can have a better supporting cast on other teams.

I do find it very amusing that the names of Howard and Bynum are being used as examples of guys Kobe had problems with. Bynum? Are you kidding me? Did you see that idiot on the TNT pregame talking about Kobe and Bynum?

Howard played like shit for LA. He did not buy into the things he should have done to make the team better. That isn't on Kobe. That's on Howard's severely overrating his offensive skills.

But what do you expect from a guy who thinks he has a spot on the Mt Rushmore of centers?

is that if Dwight bought into the pick and roll offense, it would have played right into his strengths. He basically acted like a moody little girl his whole time here, and he pouted his way out of town. Fuck that guy - he doesn't have the sack to play in a major media market, because he can't handle criticism like a man. That guy will never win a championship.

A huge media market itself, and the era we live in today renders market size less significant than ever. The leagues biggest star operating under the leagues biggest microscope has spent the last decade in cleveland and miami, neither a top 10 market.

You can come at howard for a variety of reasons but the notion that he was somehow ducking something in l.a. because hes some pussy is such a major stretch

the league with as much hype as Lebron. He was a household name around the country as a Junior in high school. Lebron has faced more scrutiny at a much earlier stage of his career than Dwight could ever stomach. Houston isn't a small market, in fact, it is a large city, but the media there isn't anywhere near as harsh as NY or LA.

Dwight is a national figure and would be in any market, (he was in orlando too). i dont think he chose to leave los angeles to duck some added scutiny, in 2014 it will find him wherever he chooses to go, especially since hes not a fresh face young player anymore. If they get bounced in round 1 this year again, critics will know where to find him. He and harden both. They knew how to find peyton manning playing in indianapolis too. We have evolved beyond this with our current media landscape.

Looking forward to all the games tonight. I forgot nene has to serve a 1 game suspension. Between that and the beal injury it takes a bit out of heat/wiz, the game i most wanted to see

Free on DirecTV though 11/4

I just don't think Orlando or Houston are towns where the media is circling the waters to criticize Dwight. Everything was fun and games in Orlando until he got Stan Van Gundy fired and played a season long game of chicken with Orlando in regards to FA. You can compare him to Lebron and Peyton in small markets, their respective local media treated them very well, they're both also regarded as the very best in their sports, I don't think Dwight is nearly as high up the Q Score as those two are. Dwight strikes me as someone that wants to be as highly regarded as those two, but doesn't want the scrutiny that comes with the territory as being the best in the league. He found out first hand in LA what it's like when you don't meet expectations, wasn't amenable to buying into an offense that suits his strengths, and also rebuffed Steve Nash's tips to shoot better at the FT line.

Anyone see that dunk by westbrook to beat the buzzer?

Insane first half. He is going to put up crazy numbers with durant out

lakers are hilariously bad

what a comeback win by the hornets

Is going to be so damn fun to watch this year. He is just wrecking Damian Lillard right now.

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Even when it works. If Westbrook doesn't have his shot going, the Thunder are really going to struggle unless Ibaka can hit another level as a scorer.

They look like a .500 team without Durant

tonight.

I forgot he existed for a second. They really need a secondary creator besides Westrook. Telfair has been ass tonight, Jackson is obviously much better.

Still they aren't very deep at all and I could see them as an 8/9 seed when KD returns.

agree or disagree?

Anthony Davis' ceiling > anyone in NBA history

agree or disagree?

I dont know if id go as far as to say nba history, but its tough to envision a limit to his ceiling. There has never really been a player like him, and by all appearances his work ethic is top notch. The pelicans are already now one of my 5 or 6 favorite teams to watch.

but right now Ariza looks like a clearly better fit than Parsons and Lin is just a dime a dozen PG who isn't tough to replace. And Asik played 48 games last year and didn't play well with Dwight, so he isn't a huge loss either although he was a great backup C.

But the one thing I really hate about the Rockets' off-season is that they traded Asik in the division to the Pelicans. They received a 1st round pick but they also might've handed the Pelicans exactly what they needed to. Asik is just perfect next to Davis on D, and Davis' jumper allows Asik to be a decent fit on O as well. That Asik trade could come back to haunt the Rockets not because of losing Asik but because of handing him to the Pelicans.

In comment 11948195 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

Quote:

agree or disagree? Anthony Davis' ceiling > anyone in NBA history agree or disagree?

Disagree, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Lamar Odom ceiling > Anthony Davis

on this thread I've seen that theme about Davis vs Scola, Martin, and what's-his-face. Is that a joking reference to something that was said often on last year's thread?

In comment 11948552 santacruzom said:

Quote:

on this thread I've seen that theme about Davis vs Scola, Martin, and what's-his-face. Is that a joking reference to something that was said often on last year's thread?

More like a couple years ago, when Lakers fans tried to contend that the Lakers/Hornets (Pelicans) trade was a good one for the Pelicans rather than tanking and trying to hit a home run. They acted like not only the Lakers got screwed but the Hornets did too

the Hornets also have landed a 1st round pick and Goran Dragic in that trade that was nixed?

you can't predict a team is going to get the top pick in the lotto. I actually think it was a reasonable deal, but that's not considering there's a franchise building block available.

Back then, Lakers fans probably just assumed the Cavs would wind up with the #1 pick instead of the Hornets. Sure, the Cavs would have taken Harrison Barnes #1 and the Hornets could have wound up with Anthony Davis regardless, but even that's something you can't exactly predict. Okay, the latter is a safe prediction. But you know what I'm getting at.

In comment 11948591 David in LA said:

Quote:

you can't predict a team is going to get the top pick in the lotto. I actually think it was a reasonable deal, but that's not considering there's a franchise building block available.

Of course you can't predict it. But you could predict that they had no chance to get a top pick if they did that trade. That trade did nothing for them, it would have cost them a bunch of money for a team who was owned by the NBA and trying to be sold, and would have insured mediocrity, which is the absolute worst place you could be as an NBA franchise.

You can't hit a home run unless you swing for the fences. There was zero argument to be made that the Scola trade would have been even OK for the Hornets, it would have been an unmitigated disaster, and this isn't hindsight, I said it at the time that they were better off getting nothing for Paul than they were doing that trade, and I was right.

stupid phone

they would have received Dragic, but that doesn't change it, especially when Dragic at the time was a guy averaging 7 points per game. Anyone who knew he would be a good player at that point is full of shit, he was nothing more than a throw in at the time of the trade.

Small markets like the Hornets need to hit a home run to ever have a chance to compete.

Is borderline religious experience. Sportscenter there now. This is a very tough place to play when the cavs are good. Way more imposing than miami ever was. They should be awesome at home this year. They went 39-2 one year near the end of the first lebron era when the surrounding cast wasnt 1/10 what it is now

cavs also debuting the biggest video board in the league with a 3d projection system

One scenario did unfold and we can evaluate it based on reality, and the scenario didn't unfold and we can only use our imagination to judge it.

I mean shit, for all we know, the Hornets could have acquired all of those guys, half of them could have been injured, they still could have won the lottery, and they still could have wound up with Davis. Or they wouldn't have traded for Jrue Holiday the following year and could have wound up with Nerlens Noel, and then they could have sucked again and wound up with Embiid or Wiggins or Parker.

In comment 11948747 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Is borderline religious experience. Sportscenter there now. This is a very tough place to play when the cavs are good. Way more imposing than miami ever was. They should be awesome at home this year. They went 39-2 one year near the end of the first lebron era when the surrounding cast wasnt 1/10 what it is now cavs also debuting the biggest video board in the league with a 3d projection system

I haven't seen the Cavs in years, but do they still have the worst PA announcer guy in sports?

Its the same guy it was when lebron was there the first time

I feel like they're a buddy who is getting back with the hot chick who cheated on him.

But they deserve LeBron 100x more than Miami did, and I hope he brings that long awaited title to that sad sad town.

With all that offense and all those defensive/toughness question marks, Cavs games are going to be so damn fun to watch.

LeBron and Kevin Love collide into each other at top speed and break each others' collar bones.

for the Cavs to give Varajo the 3 year 30 million dollar extension now. The guy is never healthy. He is already 32, and Marc Gasol will be available.

is miles better than anything with Miami had with LeBron. Love these Cav jerseys.

tells me that he's always been good, even with limited minutes in Houston. I'm not full of shit, but I always thought he would be a very good player.

In comment 11948942 David in LA said:

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tells me that he's always been good, even with limited minutes in Houston. I'm not full of shit, but I always thought he would be a very good player.

Well you may have thought that.... but lets not act like you arent full of shit.

his numbers over 36 minutes is always silly, because he wouldn't have been playing against backups like he was for most of the time he was in there. For 3 years and 2 different teams the coaches somehow didn't know he was good?

To be quite honest, he's only ever had one really good year, last year.

Years before that he was decent, nothing more

Before they resemble the team theyre going to be. Just like in miami. Change a whole team overnight, it takes time for roles to chrystalize and an identity to develop. I didnt see them dropping this one though. Hell of a win by the knicks. Carmelo was terrific late. Bottom 5 game lebron will play all season. Cavs looked so directionless offensively, they just need minutes together.

john wall is off to a great start this year. Wiz need to get healthy and stay healthy, but theyre going to be damn good.

Im pulling for the pistons as a surprise team, two tough road losses to start the year, competed in both late

looking forward to seeing the clips tonight

breaks hand. Thunder's season in trouble.

Christmas-ish?

Westbrook has been so snakebit since the beverly play after being such an iron man before that

I hope okc still makes the playoffs but its going to be tough throwing a month away in the west. This is going to be a big hole to dig out of. They certainly wont have home court in any playoff series this season.

In the first round. They're going to be awful this next month plus. But I think they sneak in to the playoffs. Reggie Jackson and Ibaka time.

I've always been a huge John Wall fan. I still believe he has the highest ceiling of any PG in the league. But his jumper and overall halfcourt offense has been lacking. I think Paul Pierce is really going to help Wall in the halfcourt. If Wall's jumper is better this year, he could be a sleeper mvp candidate. I still need to see how legit that jumper is though.

as deep as the West is, this could be a Spurs-Duncan type year. They'll obviously get Durant back early enough to avoid a top 5 pick, but if they end up missing the playoffs and add a lottery pick alongside Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka, they could finally get over the hump.

In comment 11948858 dep026 said:

Quote:

for the Cavs to give Varajo the 3 year 30 million dollar extension now. The guy is never healthy. He is already 32, and Marc Gasol will be available.

In that case, the Cavs are almost guaranteed to do it.

he's a good player, but WTF are the Warriors thinking?
Link - ( New Window )

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to keep your guy and to keep him happy. Theyve pretty much deemed him virtually untouchable after the kevin love talks, so im not surprised theyd make this commitment.Theyre banking on him having another level to his game than previously displayed, obviously. And he might yet. Hes already one of the handful best two way sg's in the game. Also keep in mind that the cap is likely going way up when the new tv deal kicks in, so what seems excessive now will not seem as excessive soon enough.

The warriors brass do see to like him a tad more than the rest of us do though. Id have included him in talks for love

What the fuck were the Warriors thinking?

I think Thompson is a very good player, but I still kind of can't get over how they refused to trade him for Kevin Freakin Love. The future may prove me wrong and Klay may become near or equal to Love, but I strongly doubt it. Klay actually has a tendency to completely disappear in games -- or at least, he did under Mark Jackson. There are times where you just completely forget he's on the floor. Even if Love isn't performing well offensively, you'll still see him rebound the shit out of the ball and throw crazy outlet passes every game.

Nothing remotely resembling rim protection on the floor.

Dont get me wrong

cleveland is playing bully ball on the boards tonight. Cant remember the last time lebron played on a team that could win the battle on the boards so decisively against a frontcourt like chicago. Thats a big difference from miami. Still a long way to go in this one though.

Bulls / Cavs game is pretty good.

Kirk Hinrich raining 3's!!!!

last 8 Bull points

at that basket counting

good call, didn't put the ball on the floor again after the contact

with the bulls, I know Rose is out with a sprained ankle, but their best option late outside of Rose is Kirk fuckin Hinrich

.

and he's already on a minutes limit, and it's game 2. Not concerned at all.

The Bulls are figuring themselves out just as much as cleveland is. Im guessing we see all sorts of late game combinations until halfway through the season.

this is a very bittersweet game. The Bulls went toe to the toe with the other top team in the East. Gasol is such a massive upgrade over Boozer. They are shooting the ball and will shoot the ball better this year. They have 3 great bigs. But....

The Derrick Rose Era is coming to an end for the Bulls IMO. This cannot be his team anymore. He is a great player and does a lot of wonderful things. But its always gonna be an ankle, a knee, and get ready for for the soon to be hamstring (because leg injuries will eventually break down the hammys). It's a shame because he is my favorite player. But the reality is he cant go 2-3 games without an injury it seems anymore.

And if he is out, the Bulls will be very competitive, but they just wont be good enough.

it may be minor and a precaution holding him out. I'm not going to judge this team or the season after 2 games or a minor injury. Being 1-1 or 2-0 is pretty irrelevant.

In comment 11950403 UConn4523 said:

Quote:

it may be minor and a precaution holding him out. I'm not going to judge this team or the season after 2 games or a minor injury. Being 1-1 or 2-0 is pretty irrelevant.

Oh I agree about the team. This game was just entertaining to watch. But someone just said Rose hasnt gone 10 straight games without an injury since 2011. I dont know if it was precaution or not, but if it was I would have assumed he would have been back on the bench.

Gibson got his lunch handed to him by Thompson. I rather see Noah/Gasol at the end of the games.

Even dating back to the preseason in that game vs the cavs at ohio state. I wouldnt trust him to stay healthy either, but he has still retained most of his explosiveness through the injuries. Tonight was just a freak play that can and does happen to everyone at some point, rolling an ankle landing on someones foot. Sucks he couldnt finish the game though, took some air out of the end of that game. But hinrich was awesome taking over primary ballhandler responsibilities in his place.

Tristan thompson was amazing tonight. Cavs still look very unrefined in the halfcourt offensively and thats going to take a while. Offensive rebounding bailed them out tonight

Neither team is as good as they will be by new years, and tonight wasnt always the most crisp game. But watching that game tonight for stretches it was awesome to behold the level of talent on the floor. Hope they both stay healthy and do this in may

when I said that I hoped the Bulls didnt trade Butler for Kevin Love. Tonight was the reason why. There is no one even close that can slow down Lebron other than Butler. Not saying Butler would shut him down, but outside Kawhai, he may be the defender who does the best job on him.

Butler is a huge factor for this team and they need him healthy.

at box scores, the 6ers scored 7 points in the 4th quarter tonight. And somehow that's not even close to an NBA record for a quarter

46 points in 49 minutes off the bench for the suns this year. Its awesome watching that team with all that quickness at guard, even more since adding him. Suns beat the spurs

Rudy gay 40 for the kings on 13 of 19 shooting

is now dropping long range jumpers and threes with consistency?

Fuck that.

Is terrifying. I'm so amazed at his improved outside touch. He could be on the verge of one of the great offensive seasons from a PF. And if that happens the Clippers would be heavy favorites.

Durant out early could open the door for Blake to have an MVP season. I never thought Blake could improve this much.

11-12 at the line tonight.

Uh oh.

By a lot imo. He deserves to get paid.

He was fantastic in the World Cup. He's starting to create off the dribble more and that could allow him to reach not only his own potential but the true potential of the splash bros. Curry can be even more dangerous with a SG who can create off the dribble.

Kevin Martin type scorer + able to defend Chris Paul = really really good

Martin got to the line at will though, something Klay needs to improve.

I love watching Derrick Rose, but to echo what others here said, he can't stay healthy. Thankfully he said the injury isn't too serious.

which is a good move. He is on a minutes limit so any missed time just prolongs him getting back to full playing time. He is going to have to play through nagging injuries.

he is inactive.

Like I said last night, the Rose era is over. Ill still root like hell for him and hope he can remain a healthy career, but he is just not a reliable player to remain healthy. It took until the 2nd game for him to be hurt, and this just postpones/prolongs his condition and game activity.

because he stepped on a guys foot and rolled his ankle. If anyone in the NBA did what he did they would get hurt too, absolutely ridiculous to call the rose era over and then point to him getting him like that as part of the reason

Just learned tonight that when picking a team on the app their isno injury notifications.

Good thing I only did $1 tournaments

Is flashing some athleticism these last couple nights. Still inefficient as hell, but hes playing himself back physically. Crazy finish in traffic just now in g.s.

Minny blew the end of that game against the bulls. Bad defense by wiggins on the last possession leaving his feet. And he has looked horrible on the offensive end of the floor. He and parker are both off to sluggish starts

disappointed with the way detroit has come out of the gates

another monster line for anthony davis

bosh off to a great start first two games. Miami is 2-0, but beating philly almost doesnt count. And the wizards did not have nene or beal when they beat them opening night.

grizzlies 3-0 for the first time ever

Hit 7 of his last 8 after starting 3 for 12. Fun one in golden st. Mid 3rd

lakers have been much more competitove thesr last couple nights

he did the "get slim" no carb diet along with Dwill over the summer and looks as quick as he has in years.
good to get hollins a win on the road at Detroit. hollins using Teletovic well which makes me pleased- he is a weapon.
KG looks more like 2012 KG then 2013- which is a positive as well.
Lopez back next game possibly -

to colored jerseys at home? More and more I'm seeing the road team wear white, Miami in Philly last night, and NYK in Cleveland, and there are other examples. Is this in the process of changing or is it just up to the home team?

Klay scores 41 points... On 18 shots.

Sure, it was just against the Lakers, but still. That's two games where he's gone to the free throw line much more frequently than usual.

quit being dramatic. He rolled his ankle as Mook said. You are likely bailing on Rose so you can pull your patented "I told you so" post at a date to be named later. that mentality doesn't deserve having a good team to root for.

The Splash Bros are going to be one of the most watchable teams in NBA history. Not to mention a legitimate contender

I would've traded Klay for Love at the time but it's looking like more and more of a difficult decision for me after watching Klay kill it this summer. His ceiling is pretty damn high.

Classic dep. Love it.

That back court is going to be must watch TV.

Curry opens the season with two double doubles, but only one was a points and assists double double. He's an underated rebounder and unfairly criticized as a defender. He did a great job limiting Lin tonight, something the Clips didn't do so well the prior game.

James Harden is playing the best D of his Rockets tenure to start this season off. He clearly cares that he's become the butt of all jokes for his defense. And with Ariza around, Hardens job on D is much easier. Hopefully the Beard keeps it up, I'd love for him to shut up the critics.

Harden, Curry, and Irving all look like guys who have improved on D this summer. I bet the World Cup played a big reason why. What a great training ground for young players.

Has strung together back to back wins against the blazers and clippers. Cousins had 34 pts 17 rebs and 5 dimes today

There is zero reason for concern if youre the clips, but they look pretty awful this first week. Havent left their building yet, struggled to beat an injured okc team and the lakers. Lose to the kings at home

why he should have made the National Team.

Through 10 quarters he is shooting 25% from the floor. Portland was the one team I predicted could fall out of the playoff picture before the year started. The only player they added was Kaman.

Now I am not going to shit on Lillard because he is going to be an all-star player. But I am not sold on Portland this year. The West is going to be incredibly wild this year.

I think g.s. might have gotten a bit of a break on that replay overturn with 14 sec left, but they deserved this one.

This looks like it could be such a breakout year for klay thompson, another huge game tonight. He had a huge first half, looked like he was on track for another 40 point night. Quiet for most of the 2nd half until the final 3 or so minutes when he threw down all over robin lopez (i bet brook probably even felt that shit across the country) hit a huge three, then hit the game winner after the replay review that gave them the ball with 14 sec left. Finishes with 29 pts on 11/22 shooting. Warriors 3-0

at the end were very good things to witness.

I'm telling you, Curry's defense is unfairly shit upon. So he gives up points to point guards in the Western Conference who happen to be really good. He's not the liability so many people claim him to be, and he comes up with some very timely, instinctive steals.

Lol....


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Sensing a pattern yet?

In comment 11959205 dep026 said:

Quote:

Sensing a pattern yet?

Yeah - that he rolled an ankle and needs a couple games. You know who tweaks their ankles playing basketball? Everybody. Everybody tweaks their ankles playing basketball. They're resting him for an extra game because they're playing the Magic and shouldn't need him.

Seriously, if he's out for weeks at a time, or if he comes back and immediately hurts the same ankle again, then yeah, I'd be concerned. Right now? They're being cautious because they can be, not because Rose is incapable of playing. If it was a more serious injury he wouldn't be listed as probable and he wouldn't have been in the starting lineup until the last minute.

Injury.

For OKC

In comment 11959351 Audible said:

Quote:

In comment 11959205 dep026 said: Quote: Sensing a pattern yet? Yeah - that he rolled an ankle and needs a couple games. You know who tweaks their ankles playing basketball? Everybody. Everybody tweaks their ankles playing basketball. They're resting him for an extra game because they're playing the Magic and shouldn't need him. Seriously, if he's out for weeks at a time, or if he comes back and immediately hurts the same ankle again, then yeah, I'd be concerned. Right now? They're being cautious because they can be, not because Rose is incapable of playing. If it was a more serious injury he wouldn't be listed as probable and he wouldn't have been in the starting lineup until the last minute.

The more games he misses, the longer it will take him to get back into playoff game shape. He has not played a full season in 3 years. And an ankle is still an injury. I really have no faith in him finishing the year healthy.

They've ate up on trash teams to build their undefeated record, they needed a legit win like this on the road to certify the great start they've had.

Kobe's back, Wade's tryna reclaim his SG throne, Klay's coming... but right now Harden is the best SG in the NBA. Shit on his D, shit on his FTA drawing style. He gets results and he is an offensive force out there. With no Lin, Hardens taking on a bigger playmaking role and doing a great job of it. He needs to keep improving on D, which he's actually doing this season. Dwight also looks so much better in the post. He'll never be Hakeem because he lacks the shot and touch, but he's finally looking healthy.

I think Parsons will prove to be a good secondary scorer in Dallas. That offense is going to be really fun to watch, led by Dirk and Carlisle what do you expect? But I can't say enough how much of a perfect fit Ariza is looking in Houston. He's the perimeter defender they desperately needed. Just a great fit as a 3nD guy. The Rockets still need to add pieces but I'm really happy with this start. Spurs and Warriors at Home next, can't wait to see where this team really is.

The "Big 3" doesn't really know how to play with each other yet.

Youre right osi, ariza fits like a glove. He has been awesome this year. That was a fun game to watch tonight.

i like this papanikolao kid, at least what i saw tonight. He has good size, good looking stroke, looks like a terrific passer and can put the ball on the floor a little bit too. Very skilled. He could be a solid role player for you guys. dwight ate that heat frontcourt up just as youd expect, and harden was great. Houston is out of the gates fast

cavs offense was a trainwreck tonight after those first 5 minutes, its going to take them time. Lillard introduced himself to the 2015 season and shat all over kyrie irving in their head to head

Lakers are 0-5. Kobe having the exact season i expected. Hes going to compete for a scoring title on abysmal efficiency, chucking like hes never chucked before. 14 for 37 tonight, 39 points

anthony davis continuing to do his thing after a down game last night. 24 pts 13 rebs 3 blks

is a by product of what the alternatives are. None of the players on the floor are going to be commanding extra attention away from Kobe.

Thats a copout. Its rarely in the best interest of any offense for one player to be taking 37 shots. And while on/off numbers can be misleading in small samples, the lakers offense is more productive when kobe isnt on the floor this year. Hes forcing a shitload of bad shots. He wants to get his numbers, but at this stage of his career its going to take more usage to do so. And hes fine with that. Predictably so. Its not because the lakers are incapable of scoring without his chucking. He wants to score 25 plus ppg as always, and if he has to shoot 39 percent to do it, so be it

We all know you like to take your shots at Kobe whenever you can. There simply is not a better option out there. Who else is there that can relieve some pressure on the floor? It sure as hell ain't Boozer, Lin, or Wesley Johnson. The team just flat out sucks (from both a talent and depth standpoint), so Kobe has to take take tougher shots.

Has a more efficient offensive attack when kobe is on the bench than they do when he is on the floor. Thats because the ball is moving and not dominated by an inefficient post prime chucker. Theyll probably win fewer games this season with him than they did last year without him, thats a decent bet. This team would suck either way, but he is absolutely not helping matters one bit. His defense is comically bad at this point and he kills this offense by being so ball dominant to chase stats. Crap on the surrounding talent all you want. When the ball moves good things happen, the whole of an offense can be greater than the sum of individual parts. You create higher percentage looks, not countless contested fadeaways from 18 feet out. The ball is not moving when he is on the floor. Kobe bryant has zero business being this ball dominant at this point in his career

not to miller the thread, but it's ashame there are no political threads because I'd love your take on last night. I know in the past you said the GOP has demographic issues which I agree with, but it didn't show last night. I think a factor through is the left is far more likely to vote in presidential elections. Also, it's interesting how a lot of democrats did not want President Obama campaigning for them. It seems Bill Clinton is the head of the party again.

In comment 11959573 Sean said:

Quote:

not to miller the thread, but it's ashame there are no political threads because I'd love your take on last night. I know in the past you said the GOP has demographic issues which I agree with, but it didn't show last night. I think a factor through is the left is far more likely to vote in presidential elections. Also, it's interesting how a lot of democrats did not want President Obama campaigning for them. It seems Bill Clinton is the head of the party again.

Really? FOH with that nonsense.

one would assume when he is off the court... the other teams bench is in... or its a blowout... so it makes sense a team would be more efficient.
there are things outside the stats that exist.

If he is the best, it's because it's by far the weakest position in the game. And again... Harden has a lot to prove come playoff time. He isn't going to get bailed out by the refs come playoffs.

The same thing holds true for every teams top option, and the bigger the sample you wont see a truly elite offensive player holding his offense back. And just because a 2nd unit is on the floor doesnt mean a defensive downgrade, some teams (in fact many teams) have better defensive talent on the bench than in their starting 5

kobe is not helping any offense taking damn near a shot a minute snd shooting 39-40%. If you cant see that i dont know what to tell you. I dont give a shit how many points he averages, the trap a casual fan falls into

Is so bad its a joke. Hes making the worst of james harden look like toney allen. Kobe bryant is not helping l.a. one bit and anyone actually watching the games can see that. This team will be worse with him this year than they were without him last year

against the view that taking that many shots is not a good route for a team to go offensively.
but you are clearly on a kobe crusade. emboldened by the 0-5 start and him being forced to chuck to try and keep games close... because their defense sux too and they cant do some grind it out efficient offense + solid defense plan.
my point is you can crap on kobe for several things... but his performance and decisions to start this season are not that.... it just reflects bias.
somehow a new team and new system only allows for excuses with 1 franchise player in the nba.

He wants to contend for a scoring title and put up his usual numbers. His tact is a selfish pursuit. I dont give a damn who youre playing with. Theres other nba players on the floor capable of hitting open looks that tend to come when the ball moves. Certainly at a higher clip than kobe contested fadeaways go down. Its the biggest copout ever to act like he should have a steady green light just because the team is weak. Or that his insane chucking stems from the fact that its the lakers best chance. Its a selfish guy playing selfish basketball and anyone who cant see it isnt watching

Kobe is being instrumental this year.

He is showing Nick Young on how to become the ultimate chucker.

Kobe is surrounded by a bunch of crap. Kobe's instinctive response when he's surrounded by crap? Shoot more! For the FO, it's the outcome they want - they keep their pick if it lands in the top 5, they keep the books clean for down the road, Kobe gets to chase a scoring title by shooting 35 times a game. Sucks for everyone else on the team, and for anyone who has to actually watch these games, but as long as the lottery structure remains as-is, mediocre teams will try to bottom out - the only question is whether they do it openly or try to maintain plausible deniability.

Of course, if the team is -this- bad, Byron Scott may not make it to the All-Star break, tank job or no.

Or they could be like 0-13

at grizzlies, at pelicans, spurs, warriors, at hawks, at rockets, at mavericks

weird that they come so far east for only one game when they play the hawks. This is going to be the worst los angeles laker team ever in all likelihood. Worse than last years team. They would undoubtedly suck with or without kobe, but all im saying is i think he actively makes them even worse right now.

are better off losing a ton of games. The team will suck this year either way and they owe their 1st to PHX but it's top 5 protected. The Lakers have to be happy that lottery reform didn't pass.

No doubt. And it could very well be a stealth tank job as audible said. Theyre definitely going to have a bottom 5 record and figure to have a top 5 pick unless they catch a bad lotto break. But for a franchise as consistent and prideful as the lakers are, it still has to hurt if they go on to some historically awful season. At least id like to think that for schadenfreude purposes. Im sure it hurts kobe. With the depth in that conference would anyone be shocked if they went like 15-67?

and I even know it.... less now? Hmmm. But anyway, the question I'm referring to is this:

Why did the Kings trade Isaiah Thomas?

It was a trade by technicality only. A sign and trade like many free agent moves are, just so the kings could get a little something. Technically cleveland "traded" lebron to miami too. Thomas was a restricted free agent. Suns made him a nice offer, kings didnt find it worth matching. He was sort of on the outs there and neither side had an interest in continuing the relationship. Suns are really fun to watch with all that quickness on the floor

and the Kings wanted someone who was more pass first then shoot first.

Cousins is on his way to being a top 10 player in the NBA. He's already top 10 in guys I would want to build my team around, especially if his post team USA maturity is real.

If you want to go with just guards, Harden's top 3 at the moment. CP3, Curry, and no one else right now. Maybe Westbrook and Rose when they get healthy have an argument, but even that's debatable at this point. Harden is just an awesome player that simply gets shit on way too much. People focus on the negatives with him more than they do with other stars, yet he's just an offensive beast out there and has actually looked above-average on D this year.

He needs to play better in the playoffs, no question. But I don't think it has that much to do with his game. Look at Carmelo, he has the complete opposite of Harden's game yet he also struggles in the playoffs. Harden was just missing open shots in that Portland series, that had a lot more to do with his struggles than his style not translating.

He's a great player and it's awesome to see him ascending to another level this year. Being the leader of Team USA was so important for him. He just looks better this year, and he hasn't even shot the ball that well yet.

MoM, Papa has been a surprisingly good rookie for the Rockets. He has a great feel for the game and actually defends well for a Euro. The impressive thing about him is that he can make an impact even when his shot isn't falling. He was a very good shooter in Europe, if he can be more consistent with his shot he's going to be a really valuable bench player and one of the best rookies.

1. Rockets only the 2nd team ever to start 5-0 with all wins by double digits

2. Last night by kobe was just the 3rd time in 25 years where a player took 37 or more shots with 1 or fewer assists. Kobe has done it 2 of those 3 times

a bunch of intriguing games tonight leading up to an awesome night cap on national tv with the clippers and warriors in that developing rivalry.

about this current rendition of the Warriors: I'm so looking forward to tonight's game that I can almost completely forget about the Giants' current state of affairs.

is probably the best matchup in the league right now.

santa, what do you think about Barnes? He just doesn't seem to be improving at all and is a weird fit on that team. I wouldn't be surprised if he was traded this year for a more reliable vet. Unless he finally blows up like we've been waiting since his Frosh year at UNC.

In comment 11960271 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

Quote:

If you want to go with just guards, Harden's top 3 at the moment. CP3, Curry, and no one else right now. Maybe Westbrook and Rose when they get healthy have an argument, but even that's debatable at this point. Harden is just an awesome player that simply gets shit on way too much. People focus on the negatives with him more than they do with other stars, yet he's just an offensive beast out there and has actually looked above-average on D this year. He needs to play better in the playoffs, no question. But I don't think it has that much to do with his game. Look at Carmelo, he has the complete opposite of Harden's game yet he also struggles in the playoffs. Harden was just missing open shots in that Portland series, that had a lot more to do with his struggles than his style not translating. He's a great player and it's awesome to see him ascending to another level this year. Being the leader of Team USA was so important for him. He just looks better this year, and he hasn't even shot the ball that well yet. MoM, Papa has been a surprisingly good rookie for the Rockets. He has a great feel for the game and actually defends well for a Euro. The impressive thing about him is that he can make an impact even when his shot isn't falling. He was a very good shooter in Europe, if he can be more consistent with his shot he's going to be a really valuable bench player and one of the best rookies.

He's shooting under 40% from the floor through the first 5 games... lets not go bat crazy. He does a remarkable job creating and getting to the line. But that stuff usually gets neutralized during the playoffs. This is the year he needs to take that next step. He's averaging going to the line over 12 times a game so far, which is just crazy.

but that's what makes it so much more impressive how well he's playing right now. Even with a shot that isn't falling he is still an offensive juggernaut through 5 games. The amount of open looks he has created for Ariza has been comical. That more than anything is why Ariza is the leading 3pt shooter in the league right now. Harden looks so much better as a playmaker and a defender this year, it's really awesome to see him play like this. The FG% will come up.

FTA's are called less in the playoffs, but it's not like the difference is night and day.

Harden has a .548 FTrate in the Reg Season
Harden has a .540 FTrate in the Playoffs

He didn't get to the line as much against Portland but if you saw that series his shot was just off. He was bricking open 3s. He needs to play better in the playoffs this year and I think he will.

Dude is just balling right now, never looked better.

Making only 14 of them is.



37 shots is a problem.

Is a textbook case on why fg% is a really flawed gauge of efficiency. When you shoot over 6 threes a game as hes doing right now, your fg% is going to automatically be lowered. Even for the best of them, thats a 40 percent proposition. But hes hitting over 40 percent from downtown, which is the equivalent of 60 percent from two, given the difference in value of the shot. If a guy takes 10 threes and makes 4 of them, he gets 12 points. If a guy takes 10 twos and makes 6 of them, he gets the same 12 points.

Stats like true shooting percentage (ts%), account for this, as well as accounting for his insane ability to get to the ft line and convert at a high rate. His ts% this year is 62%. Thats real efficient for a volume scorer. Fg% in and of itself doesnt tell the whole story

Shocker. I'd want nothing to do with that.

good to see. Wonder how restricted he will be or minutes limit. He has to start recruiting Jabari now. Anthony Davis will be next.

Of Barnes...

...as part of a trade.

about him being a weird fit. I just don't think he'd be a consistently contributing component to a ball-movement-oriented offense.

A lot of GS fans like to think he's some athletic freak on the verge of becoming a young Vince Carter, but I just don't see it. Aside from his ability to jump in such a way as to very occasionally result in a dunk, he doesn't seem to be all that quick.

Draymond Green has easily surpassed him in terms of being a valuable asset on the court, and he should be kept at the expense of Barnes in my opinion.

he's always flashed some serious potential as a scorer, but he's never been able to sustain it.

He didn't improve at UNC, his frosh season was better than his soph season. It doesn't look like he's improving at Golden State, his rookie year was probably better than his 2nd year. It's his 3rd year now and he looks the same as he did last year.

If he ever gets it, Golden State's offense could be historic. But I think I'm ready to give up on Barnes ever developing into an impact player. I'd personally try and trade him for a more reliable 3nD type veteran wing player.

These early struggles are nothing to panic over, but they also shouldn't get a free pass for it.

The Cavs desperately need to add a talented two-way wing. Shawn Marion? Really? This teams backcourt depth is pathetic. And if Varejao doesn't stay healthy, the same could be said about the frontcourt.

There are a ton of questions about their roster.

It makes all that "LeBron took the easy way out and joined a stacked powerhouse!" Talk even funnier in retrospect than it was at the time of his announcement.

This whole "Blake Griffin now has an outside shot" thing.

Has ESPN switched to this game yet? If not, y'all are missing out.

Is killing it.

To tie it with 3 sec left. Crazy game

.

As a team. The only reason they were even in this game is because lebron and kyrie irving took turns playing elite level 1 on 1 basketball while the rest of the team stood around

They have no idea how they want to attack offensively yet. They havent even settled on a starting 5 yet. They need time together to play this out and let roles emerge. its going to be an up and down first 20 or so games for them. The shitty cleveland team lebron left the first time around had a better record than the heat team he joined a month into that first season. We know how that turned out. Miami wasnt immune to it and nor will cleveland be. It takes time.

Is that this is a blowout and he may not play in the 4th if it doesnt tighten. He looks amazing. Kings off to an awesome start this year

They need to play as a team.

Golden State looks like the best team in the NBA, by far

Was about as win/win as it gets. Toronto and derozan have took off since toronto shipped gay out, and gay is playing the best ball of his career since becoming a king. I dont know how sustainable this is, but the kings look awesome early this season. Cousins and Gay look like a dynamite 1/2 punch. Cousins is just a monster. He has become a way better pro than i expected

Is freaking deep now. Certainly couldn't say that last year.

Had 24 points, 8 boards and 5 assists tonight, and played pretty great D.

I think we may never see Harrison Barnes pull off a game like that.

And utah is a "bad" team. Wont be anywhere near the playoffs, probably wont win 30 games. But you look at their roster and see guys like gordon hayward, trey burke, derrick favors, alec burks, kanter and his developing 3 point range. Dante exum coming along. This league is so loaded right now even all the bad teams have several players, save philadelphia. It has never been stronger top to bottom. Only expanding by 1 team over the last 20 years and becoming a global league in that span has pushed the quality of talent to insane levels. Bad teams are way better than theyve ever been, and are only bad relatively speaking. Go watch a detroit, or orlando, or milwaukee game, all these teams have players. Several of them. Boston is no pushover either with rondo healthy flirting with triple doubles every night. Look at minnesota last night in brooklyn and damn near beating the bulls

This league is loaded

is really the only issue with the league right now. But it's a hard issue to ignore. There are 13 teams in the West who could challenge for a Top 4 seed in the East. It's just a joke how a 48 win team missed the playoffs in the West last year when that would've been good enough for the 3rd seed in the East.

The East actually looks better than last year, but it's still so far below the West. Just feels a bit unfair, but the East has sucked for decades on decades now. I wonder why EC franchises struggle to build teams more than WC franchises.

But I agree 1000% about the overall talent level and quality of play in the league. It's amazing how deep the league is. People usually shit on the NBA by saying the regular season doesn't matter, and I get that to a degree. But as a fan of a WC team, the regular season fucking matters! Every single win is important for seeding purposes. Homecourt matters.

BTW, LeBron and Kyrie had a "talk" last night after the loss. I'm guessing about Kyrie being such a chucker. Kyrie's supposed to be a PG but in the last 6 quarters he has 36 FGA and 0 assists. Everybody wants to love Kyrie so badly because he's got a gorgeous game when it's on, but he has so many question marks that he hasn't answered yet as a player.

says Lebron back to Cavs reminds him of Pujols to the angels and the drop off he had...

REALLY???? its 4 freakin games...Lebron is not my favorite player in the world but give me a break...

Mike Golic this morning ripped Simmons apart saying he is just doing this for headlines like he always does...

going on about LeBron. With the lost weight and new HGH policy.

I think it's obvious that's where Simmons was going with that comment.

I'll wait until after New Year's before I proclaim that the King is Dead.

but holy shit, what a black eye on the league that would be. Joe probably has 8 paragraphs lined up for this one in case it becomes a big topic.

In comment 11962477 GiantFilthy said:

Quote:

Quote: Kobe already asking out of LA.. arcarsenal : 11/5/2014 7:09 pm : link : reply Shocker. I'd want nothing to do with that.

There are rumblings that Kobe is going to go to the Lakers and ask for a trade quietly but all they are are rumors right now...publicly he is saying he wants to stay with the Lkers but if they continue to lose is he really going to want to spend the next 2 years there??

A lot of media are spculatng its the Knicks that would trade for him obviously because of the connection he has with Phil and Fish....

The package would be something like Stat and THJR for Kobe...lakers get out of his contract and a young SG to build with their young PF and then get their top 5 pick...

The trade also helps them tank even more because if they are outside the top 5 they lose the pick...

but it wouldn't be nearly as bad as Bonds/Arod and MLB. MLB's problems are amplified because: 1) they pump up the "sacredness" of the records like no other, 2) the (perceived) direct link between PEDs and HRs.

Guys learning how to play together, breaking bad habits by career losers. Talented as they may be, most of this core has never won shit and still has a lot to learn about the possession to possession focus it takes to win in this league on both ends of the floor. They throw away so many possessions with terrible shot selection or defensive mistakes that stem from a lack of focus as much as anything. Guys need to learn how to win

My biggest concern with them would be lebron does not look quite as explosive to me. But this has been a trend in the first month or so of the season for him the last couple years, then he usually gets his legs under him around christmas. He is about to turn 30 though and has a ridiculous amount of mileage on him. Its possible he peaked. Most guys do peak before 30. He will still remain a great player for a handful of years, contending for mvps, but its possible we have seen his best

id love to see the rockets take it to the spurs tonight. I never complain about refs but san antonio got so many calls at the end of that game vs atlanta. Hawks got screwed

In comment 11962481 David in LA said:

Quote:

but holy shit, what a black eye on the league that would be. Joe probably has 8 paragraphs lined up for this one in case it becomes a big topic.

Haha, I laughed at that.

Which wasn't a rumor when he started talking about it, but the rest of LA turned it into one. Now it's starting to spread and garner web hits.

He first brought that up before the preseason even started. Now that they are 0-5, writers see it as a good opportunity I guess.

In comment 11962487 nygiants16 said:

Quote:

In comment 11962477 GiantFilthy said: Quote: Quote: Kobe already asking out of LA.. arcarsenal : 11/5/2014 7:09 pm : link : reply Shocker. I'd want nothing to do with that. There are rumblings that Kobe is going to go to the Lakers and ask for a trade quietly but all they are are rumors right now...publicly he is saying he wants to stay with the Lkers but if they continue to lose is he really going to want to spend the next 2 years there?? A lot of media are spculatng its the Knicks that would trade for him obviously because of the connection he has with Phil and Fish.... The package would be something like Stat and THJR for Kobe...lakers get out of his contract and a young SG to build with their young PF and then get their top 5 pick... The trade also helps them tank even more because if they are outside the top 5 they lose the pick...

What do the Knicks get out of the deal?

Lakers could rebuild quick with a top 5 pick and a full recovery by Randle.

In comment 11962498 GiantFilthy said:

Quote:

Which wasn't a rumor when he started talking about it, but the rest of LA turned it into one. Now it's starting to spread and garner web hits. He first brought that up before the preseason even started. Now that they are 0-5, writers see it as a good opportunity I guess.

Yeah its all speculation and the Knicks are in the middle of it because of Phil and Fish....

But if they continue to lose which they probably will its just going to get louder and louder...

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving exchanged words following Wednesday's loss to the Jazz, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

James and Irving had a healthy but contentious discussion on the way to the locker room after the Cavs' loss, which led to Irving leaving quickly without speaking to the media, according to multiple sources. "There's a lot of bad habits, a lot of bad habits been built up the past couple years," James said to the media after a game in which the Cavs had just six assists. "When you play that style of basketball, it takes a lot to get it up out of you." While the sky may be falling in Cleveland, we're still only four games into the regular season and there's too much talent on the Cavs for this to continue.




As much as I want to see Lebron fail in Cle, I gotta figure that Irving is difficult here.

I dont know or care if anyone is using hgh, but to make a statement like that off 4 games is ridiculous. And this whole weight loss thing is the most overblown thing ever, he barely looks any different.

Seems like about 80 percent of the league has dropped weight this offseason

.

in the next two years. He knew what he was doing with his contract. I think he also knows how to max out his post-career brand, that being play for the Lakers for 20 years.

Lebron is letting the cavs fail on purpose to bring the players to play his way...
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In comment 11962513 MarshallOnMontana said:

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I dont know or care if anyone is using hgh, but to make a statement like that off 4 games is ridiculous. And this whole weight loss thing is the most overblown thing ever, he barely looks any different. Seems like about 80 percent of the league has dropped weight this offseason

Not that I give a s***, but I wouldn't be surprised if 80% of the league was on HGH (or similar) a la the NFL.

If simmons point is that lebron may have played his best basketball, hes probably right. Most guys do before age 30. Hell most guys are distinctly post prime when they hit the minutes level lebron has hit in the playoffs and regular season. He has played over a decade, he has played into the finals 5 times, past round 1 in 9 straight years. Three tours of duty with USA basketball. Thats a ton of basketball. And those who watch close enough know he has been gradually slipping athletically for about 3 or 4 years

but hes not in for some pujols decline. He has at least another mvp in him. Probably a handful of top 5 finishes

Regular season and playoffs

when michael jordan hit the 40k mark, he was a washington wizard. Playing since age 18, not retiring twice, playing deep into the postseason every single year, it adds up.

Jordan reached 40,155 career minutes during his 1998 season.

2014 LeBron has had as much mileage as 1998 Jordan, just think about that. And considering how LeBron didn't take a 1.5 year vacation in middle of his career, you could argue that today's LeBron has even more mileage than '98 Jordan.

IMO, LeBron = 2nd 3peat Jordan stage of his career

Still the best player in the game but no longer on another level from his peers due to physical decline.

And the next step of that comparison would be... The Brow = Young Shaq.

Jordan didn't play long enough to see Shaq surpass him as an overall player, although Shaq was getting awfully close by '98. I think Davis is going to surpass LeBron within these next 24 months or so and it's going to be yet another thing that keeps LeBron from matching the Invincible legacy of Jordan.

Agree with all that. Great post. He is 2nd 3peat mj phase, inching downward from his peak but still an mvp contender

my math may be off but i think by the time the playoffs roll around lebrons minutes will be comparable to m.j. at the start of his wizard career

In comment 11962636 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

Quote:

Jordan reached 40,155 career minutes during his 1998 season. 2014 LeBron has had as much mileage as 1998 Jordan, just think about that. And considering how LeBron didn't take a 1.5 year vacation in middle of his career, you could argue that today's LeBron has even more mileage than '98 Jordan. IMO, LeBron = 2nd 3peat Jordan stage of his career Still the best player in the game but no longer on another level from his peers due to physical decline. And the next step of that comparison would be... The Brow = Young Shaq. Jordan didn't play long enough to see Shaq surpass him as an overall player, although Shaq was getting awfully close by '98. I think Davis is going to surpass LeBron within these next 24 months or so and it's going to be yet another thing that keeps LeBron from matching the Invincible legacy of Jordan.

The Bulls never had an Anthony Davis type player. I am going to be really excited when he goes back home in 2017-2018. The Bulls will have NO one on the hook then. A team of Derrick, AD, a trade for Jabari and other Chicagoian will be something to look forward too. woo hoo!

In comment 11962649 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Agree with all that. Great post. He is 2nd 3peat mj phase, inching downward from his peak but still an mvp contender my math may be off but i think by the time the playoffs roll around lebrons minutes will be comparable to m.j. at the start of his wizard career

And dont forget MJ basically his whole 2nd season as well.

I think LeBron is in the beginning stages of the "2nd 3peat MJ" phase of his career due to simply being younger since he came out of HS. He still has another 3-5 MVP caliber years left imo.

The two seasons where LeBron had his highest dunk totals?

2013 and 2014

I do believe he's slowly declining physically, his quickness just isn't what it used to be and his back is becoming a regular issue for him. But he's still a freak level athlete right now and the fact that he's still dunking with absolute ease is a good sign.

In comment 11962449 nygiants16 said:

Quote:

Mike Golic this morning ripped Simmons apart saying he is just doing this for headlines like he always does...

Well that's pretty dumb, considering that the only headlines you get when you Google "Simmons Pujols Lebron" all refer to Golic's comments.

So you admit that you were wrong on Davis? : )

I see you clamoring for Davis to return home to Chicago all the time now haha.

In comment 11962682 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

Quote:

So you admit that you were wrong on Davis? : ) I see you clamoring for Davis to return home to Chicago all the time now haha.

I dont remember being an anti-Davis guy, but if I was I most certainly was wrong. I dont know if he will turn into a Shaq/Hakeem type player.... but I can see him being a tad better than say a Kevin Garnett. I would love for him to be in Chicago. Can you imagine Thibs with him.... Thats a match made in heaven.

and it was just utter domination.

The Pelicans really went all in with the way they built this team around Davis. Evans, Gordon, Holliday, etc. They traded away future assets for veteran talent. They want to win and win now. But they don't have much roster flexibility going forward. Could come back to haunt them down the line.

At the rockets.

In comment 11963003 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

At the rockets.

After the first 4 minutes, Becky Hammon can play for the Spurs. Yikes.

is fucking brutal.

He looks great. Kawhi leonard having another poor game so far, he has played like shit since coming back after 3 weeks out

if the rockets win its battle of unbeatens saturday when they play golden state

I've thought the Warriors had the highest ceiling in the league for a while now. If Bogut stays healthy, Thompson proves he's for real, and Kerrs offensive system of passing is able to work... The Warriors will be a monster of a team.

I don't think the Rockets are on the Warriors or full strength Spurs or peak Clippers level quite yet, but I love the way they've started this year after everyone was killing them this offseason. Dwight and Harden gonna long way but the supporting cast has been surprisingly good.

level athleticism wise.

LeBron is still arguably the best size/athleticism combo in the league. MJ was not.

Second 3peat MJ developed a killer mid range post game and had elite footwork.

LeBron hasn't developed that go to, non athleticism dependent game.

And youre wrong all the time. Lebron was the most efficient post up player in the entire nba last year, you dont do that solely on athleticism. Lebron has become a clearly above average 3 point shooter, again something that doesnt happen solely on athleticism. His all time elite passing ability has nothing to do with athleticism

the way you always paint him as some genetic lotto winner with mediocre skill level is laughable. It shows that you dont know what youre watching and displays a fundamental lack of understanding for the game. As if you can attain the heights lebron has just on athletic ability alone, which is beyond ludicrous.

Lebron is currently more athletic than 2nd 3 peat mj, but that wasnt the point of the comparison. More that he has entered a phase of his career where we have probably already seen his best, and is inching downward from his peak but still remaining an mvp caliber player because he was that far ahead of the field at his best

3rd missed game in a week for a "mild" sprained ankle.

Probably even sit him for general maintenance at times too when hes perfectly fine. You just cross your fingers that he makes it through the marathon. He has looked pretty good when he has been out there. Night and day from last year

this team is so much better than the previous two teams without rose though.

In comment 11964644 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Probably even sit him for general maintenance at times too when hes perfectly fine. You just cross your fingers that he makes it through the marathon. He has looked pretty good when he has been out there. Night and day from last year this team is so much better than the previous two teams without rose though.

The difference is Pau. He is literally worlds better than Boozer was and Mirotic keeps showing he has really good potential.

Also, Jimmy Butler has been insanely good this year. He maybe a top 2 wing defender in all of the NBA, and his jumper has been much better this year. If Rose can stay healthy, they are going to make a run. But they have to limit Noah's minutes to keep him fresh, along with Pau. And with Rose? Just pray he survives and can go full throttle in the playoffs.

Damon stoudamird ers with that big dinosaur on the front. Up 19-6 on the wiz early

sean mentioned this earlier in the thread but there is a growing trend with teams not wearing white at home. Its been inching this way for a few years now, but early this season its really noticeable. For many teams its like a 50/50 proposition on what color theyll be wearing home.

Not whatever the hell that was i typed

grizz vs. thunder.

Cleveland fucking romps now?

is a good start

should be booted for that. He may not have meant for that outcome, but his action was just stupid.

Could have been much worse, waiters is lucky he didnt hurt something breaking his fall. A bruised tailbone isnt pleasant either, but thats best case scenario

All things considered a 2-2 road trip for the cavs isnt the worst thing in the world if they get this tonight. Very road heavy start

great game between the hornets and hawks tonight with lance stephenson hitting a buzzer beater in double o.t. al jefferson stays beasting. So massively underrated.

Kings tied late at phoenix. If they ever get this one holy shit what s start

Double ot in phoenix, cousins fouled out, gay couldnt throw it in the ocean most of the night, they pull it out. Ben mclemore played some awesome defense in this game tonight

kings are 5-1 with legitimate quality wins

the NBA is by far the best league with throwback uniforms. There is no BS like the NFL, you want to wear a 90's throwback? Go ahead.

I'll say this though, the Lakers in black? Not good.

.

til Warriors/Rockets.

I don't think I've ever looked forward to a first-half-of-November basketball game like this.

:)

But should be a great game. I think the Warriors are better but the games in Houston. No Bev hurts since he's by far our best PG defender. Bigtime game, the Rockets need to keep that defensive intensity up.

.
Link - ( New Window )

Thats nuts

No Howard tonight. Rockets are pretty depleted for this game.

That sucks.

He Warriors still need to learn how to take care of the ball and how to get calls.

For the Warriors so far. Lots of turnovers, fouls on defense, fouls when rebounding, fouls when passing, fouls when shooting... It's all very familiar.

Let's see how they persevere through the bullshit and mistakes.

For the Rockets?

Cmon now.

He is taking it to another level this year.

Bulls almost made a crazy comeback but lose at home to the celtics without rondo

pelicans have the spurs on the ropes here up 4 on the road with a minute left. Hope the spurs dont do somd typical spur shit and pull one out of their ass

Driving layup with 6 sec left to give the pelicans the lead again after they had blown a double digit 4th quarter lead. Finishes with 27 pts 11 rebs on 10/17 shooting

Still has blurred vision in one eye from that eye infection that kept him out of preseason, and the spurs cannt guarantee that it will clear up any time soon. Weird situation

maybe this is the year the spurs just fall off. They already owe a debt to father time. Theyve made back to back finals run and the added miles that come with that. Its impossible to replicate the motivational edge they carried with them last season, they are human. Now throw in this leonard stuff.......
Link - ( New Window )

Incredible game from lebron tonight with 32/12/10 on 9/17 fg. Kyrie irving was awesome in the 2nd half. Kevin love looked more in rythm shooting the ball then he has all year, 6 for 9 from downtown. Still a ways to go on defense though for them. Real fun game between cleveland and new orleans tonight. Anthony davis beasting as usual, ryan anderson going off for 23 in a half. New orleans led most of the night but cleveland took control late in the 3rd

hope the clips can hang another L on the spurs tonight

man NY sports is pretty bleak right now.

Cant speak for the hockey teams

deron williams playing his best ball since the 2nd half of the 2013 season.

not me, I actually like seeing them do well. I really do enjoy the Barclays Center as well.

Watching josh smith chuck up jumpers. He is killing them down the stretch of this game with detroit in position to steal one at chicago

pau is having another very good night. Amazing pickup for the bulls, he still has plenty left.

.

have no expectations. This is an evaluation year for Phil and then he goes into free agency with money to spend and can go get his players...

Plus they have their own pick this year so if they dont make the playoffs they have a 1st round pick at least..

Its going to get worse before it gets better team is still trying to learn how to make the triangle work...you saw last night 4 minutes left they went back and just dumped it to Melo and cleared out...

A lot of bad habits to break with this group of players...

Lebron 24
Jordan 15
Magic 12
Bird 10
Barkley 6
Kidd 6
Drexler 5
Kobe 4
westbrook 4

link - ( New Window )

Quote:

@MySportsLegion Kevin Love will reportedly give heavy consideration to opting out this summer and joining the Lakers. (@SamSmithHoops)

All the stars want to put on that Lakers jersey now that the franchise is back to winning.

I honestly believe there is a zero percent chance of him bouncing, but we are going to see this story pop up all year long because news about team lebron and news about the lakers always generates hits, and here is a storyline that can marry both

the cavs are the better basketball situation. The cavs can offer the most money. Plus he has already put himself on record saying he is committed long term, id have to imagine he also made promises off the record with cavs management as a stipulation of the trade. The only thing the lakers can offer is more shots. I think the "home" angle is overplayed too, because unless im mistaken he has no ties to los angeles outside of going to ucla, he didnt grow up there

i hope for his sake and for the sake of my favorite player that he both stays and stays healthy. There is some talk that his knees are a quiet issue looking long term

so the Love to LA rumors can finally end. What is this, three years now of it?

That's great. He is a very rich man about to be richer. He can live the rest of his life there. Unless he has some dream of playing for the franchise there is no reason for him to make that move.

In comment 11972115 nygiants16 said:

Quote:

have no expectations. This is an evaluation year for Phil and then he goes into free agency with money to spend and can go get his players... Plus they have their own pick this year so if they dont make the playoffs they have a 1st round pick at least.. Its going to get worse before it gets better team is still trying to learn how to make the triangle work...you saw last night 4 minutes left they went back and just dumped it to Melo and cleared out... A lot of bad habits to break with this group of players...

Yup. They're going to lose a lot of games, especially early in the season. There are some things I don't like that aren't a direct result of the roster construction - way, WAY too many midrange jumpers, albeit a lot of open ones, and too many turnovers - but there are a lot of things that make the team watchable.

The team's understanding of the triangle is still very basic - you can see that the team is most comfortable when they get that initial ball reversal to the weak side where they can run two-man actions within the triangle framework, which is why the Wizards completely destroyed the Knicks offense by denying that ball reversal - but outside of crunch-time they're clearly trying to execute the offense, move the ball, etc. Playing all those games in quick succession and then two straight against the Hawks really didn't help things, because Fish and the coaching staff haven't had much of an opportunity to teach the team how to effectively counter when the defense focuses on denying those pet options. But they'll figure it out.

I like that Fish has a quick hook for most guys - he goes way out of his way to praise his team in public and have everyone's back, and lets his rotations speak for themselves. It's important that the players like and respect him, because this is going to continue to be a painful process for a while.

I like watching Early - I don't know what he's going to turn into, but he plays his ass off. I'm hoping he can settle in as a good backup 3 in the triangle, because he should be good (not great, but good) on catch-and-shoot, should be a good rebounder, should be able to defend his position, should be an intelligent cutter, etc.

I think getting Calderon back is going to be a huge boost.

Will Duncan, Ginobli, and/or Parker retire already? I'm tired of this dominance thing of theirs.

Road wins on back to back nights at the clippers and golden state.

Congrats to kobe on setting an nba record for most missed shot attempts in a career.

congrats to dirk for passing hakeem olajuwon for 9th place on the all time scoring list

raptors off to a franchise best 7-1 start

bucks finally snap an nba record streak for most games without back to back wins. Jason kidd has them competing

tough loss for the hornets in portland tonight, they led virtually all game

Can't even sleep due to the excitement. It's been a long wait for this Boozer v Davis matchup tonight but it's finally here!

In comment 11972303 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

I honestly believe there is a zero percent chance of him bouncing, but we are going to see this story pop up all year long because news about team lebron and news about the lakers always generates hits, and here is a storyline that can marry both the cavs are the better basketball situation. The cavs can offer the most money. Plus he has already put himself on record saying he is committed long term, id have to imagine he also made promises off the record with cavs management as a stipulation of the trade. The only thing the lakers can offer is more shots. I think the "home" angle is overplayed too, because unless im mistaken he has no ties to los angeles outside of going to ucla, he didnt grow up there i hope for his sake and for the sake of my favorite player that he both stays and stays healthy. There is some talk that his knees are a quiet issue looking long term

With the way the NBA works now....I wouldnt be shocked for it to happen and then for his old UCLA buddy and very close friend, Russell Westbrook to soon join him after the 2016 season. They will have RW/Love and Kobe off the books.

for the first time last night. He had a pretty nice game. You could see the potential. Just a super athlete, his length is impressive. Still raw as an offensive player especially when it comes to creating for himself. 0.9 APG and 2.6 FTA per game for Wiggins so far, he needs to up those numbers.

Wiggins: 10/3/1 + .487 TS%
Parker: 10/6/1 + .441 TS%

Dissapointing start to the rookie season for both players, especially Parker. I think most people expected a 17/8 type of season from Parker this year, his "readiness" was one of the most impressive things about him. Right now he's struggling to get adjusted to the NBA talent level. Wiggins' struggles aren't as much of a surprise but you'd still like to see the #1 pick flash a little more in their rookie season.

Bojan Bogdanovic and Kostas Papanikolaou are probably the top candidates for ROY through the 1st 10th of the season. Pretty amazing considering how talented this rookie class is supposed to be.

has been as advertised and a bit more feisty/physical than the usual European. Thankfully Hollins has given him every opportunity to play, and he hasn't disappointed

Because hes shitting all over the league right now. Its absolutely getting scary

PER of 35 (which isnt sustainable as it would be the GOAT season). Leads the league in rebounding, 6.7 blks+stl per game, he might be a bit overrated defensively by his splash play stats at this stage, but thats still incredible. Averaging 25 pts a game on 55% shooting. When he is on the floor, the pelicans are +8 points per 100 possessions vs the opposition. When he is off the floor, the pelicans are -19 points per 100 possessions, a 27 point per 100 possession swing. He is knocking down mid range jumpers now at a pretty elite clip early this season, adding another layer to his offensive attack. He is killing it

In comment 11975948 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Because hes shitting all over the league right now. Its absolutely getting scary PER of 35 (which isnt sustainable as it would be the GOAT season). Leads the league in rebounding, 6.7 blks+stl per game, he might be a bit overrated defensively by his splash play stats at this stage, but thats still incredible. Averaging 25 pts a game on 55% shooting. When he is on the floor, the pelicans are +8 points per 100 possessions vs the opposition. When he is off the floor, the pelicans are -19 points per 100 possessions, a 27 point per 100 possession swing. He is knocking down mid range jumpers now at a pretty elite clip early this season, adding another layer to his offensive attack. He is killing it

Cant wait to see him Chicago! I watched the game last night. He really didnt have to work hard for his numbers. The Lakers are god awful and he did anything he wanted.

This still in... Carlos Boozer is still really bad.

I was watching more of other games. The lakers didnt play the pick and roll well at all, and he got 3 or 4 more chippys just by beating laker bigs down the floor. They are so bad defensively. Even worse than under dantoni.

Miami got beat 53 to 28 on the boards last night vs indy. Every time chris bosh sees the pacers he shrinks. Great start to the year, laughably atrocious last night. Heat are off to a decent start at 5-3, but wont play two straight games on the road until december, which is crazy. Forget even a real road trip, they never play 2 straight. It all evens out though. I dont think this team wins a playoff series. Wade is suddenly available even on back to backs now. Not having lebron is forcing them to really push him, tough to see him lasting

TD, Dirk, and KG have all had insane longevity in this league and I don't think it's fair to expect Davis to replicate it. But in terms of peak impact, I think Davis is going to trump anything Duncan or KG did. His offensive impact will exceed Duncan or KG's imo and his defensive impact will far exceed Dirk's.

With Duncan, KG, and Dirk we may have witnessed the 3 greatest Power Forwards in NBA history playing in the same time period. And I think Davis' potential trumps all 3. He's going to be a legendary player if health permits.

In comment 11975982 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

Quote:

TD, Dirk, and KG have all had insane longevity in this league and I don't think it's fair to expect Davis to replicate it. But in terms of peak impact, I think Davis is going to trump anything Duncan or KG did. His offensive impact will exceed Duncan or KG's imo and his defensive impact will far exceed Dirk's. With Duncan, KG, and Dirk we may have witnessed the 3 greatest Power Forwards in NBA history playing in the same time period. And I think Davis' potential trumps all 3. He's going to be a legendary player if health permits.

I agree. He is going to flourish even more with a crippled Rose! Woo hoo!

And just think how much better Jabari will be with Rose and Davis. Insane potential!

I think he'll earn a spot on the All-Star team this year.

Davis, Griffin, Love, Aldridge, Bosh (though out of position) duncan (even though hes really a center and always has been especially since robinson retired) Pau gasol and dirk are still playing on an all star caliber level. All of these guys are playing at a high level and all are in the hall or will be in the hall if they continue down this path of theirs. Its a stacked time for the pf spot

In comment 11976000 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

Quote:

I think he'll earn a spot on the All-Star team this year.

If he stays healthy, I think so too. I hope he makes the 2016 Olympic team. Injury cost him the gold in 2012 and with a loaded PG position... paul, westbrook, irving, wall, lillard.... he will have to be special to make it.

God bless colangelo and coach K to pick 12 players in 2012. He better pray people back out.... haha.

In comment 11976033 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Davis, Griffin, Love, Aldridge, Bosh (though out of position) duncan (even though hes really a center and always has been especially since robinson retired) Pau gasol and dirk are still playing on an all star caliber level. All of these guys are playing at a high level and all are in the hall or will be in the hall if they continue down this path of theirs. Its a stacked time for the pf spot

And Z-Bo. Z-BOOOOOOOOOOO.

Bigs:
Howard, Love, Griffin, Davis, Aldridge, Bosh, Cousins.

Wings:
Lebron, George, KD, Melo, Thompson, Harden, Curry, Gay, Derozen, Leonard

Point Guards:
Paul, Rose, Wesbtrook, Wall, Lillard, Irving

And I am sure am forgetting another 5-10 playes easy.

The list could go on and on, its so deep at the 4. I had to cut it somewhere. Its crazy how deep the position is right now.

Funny to see zbos grizzlies and the raptors atop each conference in their 20th season, expansion brothers playing their best ball yet. Looking forward to raps bulls tonight

...

In comment 11976059 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

The list could go on and on, its so deep at the 4. I had to cut it somewhere. Its crazy how deep the position is right now. Funny to see zbos grizzlies and the raptors atop each conference in their 20th season, expansion brothers playing their best ball yet. Looking forward to raps bulls tonight

Nah, I figured you didn't want to have to list half the freakin' league. Ibaka too. And that's completely discounting all the awesome guys who aren't strictly 4's but can play a lot of 4 (and might be better as 4's) depending on the lineup. Looking at you two, Melo and LeBron.

Love Z-Bo though. I wish there was a decent-resolution clip out there of his disaster crossover -> airball from Knicks-Raps back in the day. It's not hard to find but the footage is all grainy.

While I'm on the topic of best worst plays... this is and always will be the best worst play of all time.

I'd never seen that play before. Hilarious!

did Maggette forget what team he was on there? It just occurred to me that he may have, since he used to play for the Clippers.

And mistook the fronting post defender for a teammate with good post position, and just instinctively made an entry pass.

Kings jumped out up 27 at memphis but its already down to 13 mid 2nd

76ers 10

philly is a joke. Its absolutely embarrassing. I hope this shit never pays off for them

pau having another big night for the bulls

shooting 3s, he would have yet another very good game. But he is insistent that he is a good 3 point shooter. 6 threes in a game is just way too much.

possibly another knee injury to rose.

How do you trust your own body at this point

One of the craziest endings ever just now in memphis between the grizz and kings. Memphis wins at the buzzer on a replay review and the kings got screwed. 0.3 left on the clock, memphis inbounding down 1, Inbounds pass was tipped and the clock should have started which would have ended the game, but it didnt start and memphis wins on a lob. Kings broadcast team is distraught

but I predicted that once Rose hurt his ankle, that the next thing to go would be his hamstrings.

Left tonights game, with a hamstring injury. Its just going to be a pattern all year.

then expected (playing next to legit bigs for the first time in a while doesn't hurt) and Butler looking like a legit offensive option, if Rose can stay healthy the Bulls could be really good this year. IF IF IF.

The could use another wing though. MDjr is solid, but McDermott looks lost right now and Snell is not good.

In comment 11976759 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Kings broadcast team is distraught

I used to listen to Grant Napier's (one of their broadcasters) radio show all the time when I went to Davis. He's a huge Giants fan as well... I actually called in on the show to commiserate when the Giants lost to the 9'ers opening night in 2002. It was the first and probably last time I'd ever call into a sports show, so I went out pretty well.

In comment 11976513 santacruzom said:

Quote:

did Maggette forget what team he was on there? It just occurred to me that he may have, since he used to play for the Clippers.

Doesn't matter why. Best worst play of all time. It's the GOAT. I'm not sure how many times I've watched that video... 50? 100? It basically demands a Vine loop.

Best worst goaltending of all time. Bonus points if you can guess who it is before watching the video.
Guess who? - ( New Window )

Javale McGee

In comment 11976860 MookGiants said:

Quote:

Javale McGee

Ding ding ding!

Covered several times now on various shows. And each time the kings are getting killed for the way they played it. But never is it even mentioned that they tipped the inbounds pass and got screwed. The kings telecast had a great angle on it that is getting no play anywhere else, just weird. Tough to see maybe with the naked eye, but that basket shouldnt have counted

Has really picked up his play of late. He's not exactly putting up huge numbers yet, but you can just tell his confidence and aggression have improved. He's also playing well defensively and on the boards.

Averaging 119.3 pts scored during the streak. Lebron during this stretch......

31.8 ppg
8.5 ast
7.0 rebs
56.1% fg
43% 3pfg

he is still dealing with a bit of a lower back issue, but he is rounding into form and looks awesome

greg from l.i.'s boy joe harris is turning into a sneaky nice find as a role player. Lebron has been talking up the rook in the press a ton, and there is thought being given to possibly starting him at 2 guard. He can shoot it, high basketball i.q., not a ball stopper, makes the right play, cavs like him.

Frank vogel is a hell of a coach. Paul george injury, stephenson departure. David west hasnt even played yet. George hill and stuckey hurt. They have next to nothing out there right now but they still are a pain in the ass to play. Road wins at miami and at chicago in the same week, very impressive given the current talent level

Demarcus cousins is simply unguardable on the low block right now. If jot for foul trouble and a cut above the eye surpressing his minutes he probably gives the spurs 40 last night

bradley beal should return for the wiz late in this upcoming week

They just got Globetrottered by the Warriors.

This was like a loss by fifty.

That was incredible to watch. They were literally laughing at them on the floor. It was totally like a globetrotter/general game. You guys would have scored 150 if the starters played the 4th, and steph probably has a 40/20 game in the process.

Lakers are just dreadful. Kobe was in supreme chucker mode tonight. Got himself 44 without playing in the 4th quarter. 15/34 from the floor which is a great night for him nowadays, came in shooting 36.7%

chris bosh shoots 2 for 17 tonight and the heat lose at home to the bucks. Fall to 5-5 on the year. Brandon knight hit 3 massive threes in the final 2-3 minutes of that game. Bucks are playing well

Among many other issues, but their defense is way beyond pathetic. Everyone blamed dantoni. Magic johnson was tweeting celabratory tweets in poor taste when dantoni got fired. Everyone in laker nation figured if nothing else this team would improve on that end........ nope. Theyve gotten worse. This team may not win 15 games.

In comment 11979614 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

greg from l.i.'s boy joe harris is turning into a sneaky nice find as a role player. Lebron has been talking up the rook in the press a ton, and there is thought being given to possibly starting him at 2 guard. He can shoot it, high basketball i.q., not a ball stopper, makes the right play, cavs like him.

It's been awesome to see. What an incredible 12 months for him, between the magical season we had last year to playing with Lebron. The situation he ended up in for Cleveland was perfect for him. After the game the other night, Lebron, Kyrie and Dave Blatt all gushed about him without prompting which was very cool.

If nothing else, it gives me something to enjoy about the NBA.

In comment 11983045 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Among many other issues, but their defense is way beyond pathetic. Everyone blamed dantoni. Magic johnson was tweeting celabratory tweets in poor taste when dantoni got fired. Everyone in laker nation figured if nothing else this team would improve on that end........ nope. Theyve gotten worse. This team may not win 15 games.

And Kobe has never been worse. He's shooting 38% and has the same PER as the immortal Jordan Hill. He's taking 24 shots per game and the next closest guys are Hill and Boozer at 11. He makes faces at his teammates when he doesn't get the ball and bitches and moans every chance he gets.

The Lakers would be wise to trade him for whatever they can get. Just not to the Knicks.

Jimmy Butler is becoming a star.

In comment 11983820 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

Jimmy Butler is becoming a star.

Two things:
1. Everyone laughed when I said I wouldnt trade him for Kevin Love. You dont trade a premiere wing defender when he is the only on your team. His offense though, very unexpected.
2. Everyone laughed at me when I said I preferred Butler over Deng. While Deng was solid, Butler is just a better player at this point.

Was going after byron scott at halftime of yesterdays game on the laker telecast, telling him he needs to do something to get kobe in check because this chucking is just a joke. He took 34 shots and 16 ft in 31 minutes last night. He started 10 for 27 and then hit 5 of his last 7 in extended garbage time to close a somewhat more respectable 15 for 34

this type of chucking not only kills their offense but bleeds over into the defensive end. Guys arent touching the ball, feeling frozen out, that can certainly effect focus, concentration and effort. The lakers are a must watch at this point because they are such a trainwreck

But watching some of the Lakers-Spurs game was like watching Kentucky tuning up against Grand Canyon University.

In comment 11983854 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Was going after byron scott at halftime of yesterdays game on the laker telecast, telling him he needs to do something to get kobe in check because this chucking is just a joke. He took 34 shots and 16 ft in 31 minutes last night. He started 10 for 27 and then hit 5 of his last 7 in extended garbage time to close a somewhat more respectable 15 for 34 this type of chucking not only kills their offense but bleeds over into the defensive end. Guys arent touching the ball, feeling frozen out, that can certainly effect focus, concentration and effort. The lakers are a must watch at this point because they are such a trainwreck

I watched the first three quarters. My lord. I bet out of his first 30 shots, 25 of them were either contested or long 3s. I think at one point he took 7 consecutive contested fade away jumpers.

Especially the smaller the sample, here are kobes on/off numbers this year. Ive never seen numbers this awful.

Kobe on the floor (348 minutes) = Lakers minus 18.4 pts per 100 possessions (opponents 122.1 lakers 103.7)

Kobe off the floor (132 minutes)= Lakers plus 8.9 pts per 100 possessions (lakers 113.2 opponents 104.3)

an overall net of a minus 27.4. Never seen numbers that bad. Hes actively making the lakers a worse basketball team by his presence. Now again, on/off numbers can be misleading. See last nights 4th quarter for an example of how. But when there is a disparity that large, its worth noting.

largely effected by a drastic increase in the playing time of backups?

In comment 11983934 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Especially the smaller the sample, here are kobes on/off numbers this year. Ive never seen numbers this awful. Kobe on the floor (348 minutes) = Lakers minus 18.4 pts per 100 possessions (opponents 122.1 lakers 103.7) Kobe off the floor (132 minutes)= Lakers plus 8.9 pts per 100 possessions (lakers 113.2 opponents 104.3) an overall net of a minus 27.4. Never seen numbers that bad. Hes actively making the lakers a worse basketball team by his presence. Now again, on/off numbers can be misleading. See last nights 4th quarter for an example of how. But when there is a disparity that large, its worth noting.

Does Byron Scott not have access to this information?

There is rarely a time in an nba game outside of garbage time when there are 10 backups on the floor, making for true 2nd unit on 2nd unit action. Virtually never happens. On/off numbers can be misleading for a variety of reasons, but when there is a large disparity one way or the other its worth taking note. Thats really the only time i care. Right now, its tough to argue kobe isnt actively making the lakers worse than they even otherwise would be with the way hes playing

Im sure he does. But byron scott is a caveman. Guys not named kobe dont even have the green light to shoot threes on this team. Thats how old school he is. Like its 1985. He still views the three pointer in a light similar to how it was viewed when it first came in

In comment 11983864 Greg from LI said:

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But watching some of the Lakers-Spurs game was like watching Kentucky tuning up against Grand Canyon University.

Yeah, the Dubs/Lakers game also had a vibe very much like that.

MOM wasn't kidding -- some people on the Warriors were literally laughing during the game. I don't know if they were laughing AT the Lakers per se, but there was one awesome sequence in which Curry went behind the back, tossed a pass to Speights down the lane, witnessed the ensuing slam dunk, and just busted up. It seemed well beyond the, "We're having so much fun right now!" reaction, though I'm sure they were having so much fun.

It's tough to make much out of last night but the Warriors' depth... oh man. Where did the recent incarnation of Marrese Speights come from? He's an instant spark every time he hits the floor. And if I'm not mistaken, Bogut had 11 points in the first quarter. He's been awesome, one of the West's best centers for sure.

In comment 11983854 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

this type of chucking not only kills their offense but bleeds over into the defensive end. Guys arent touching the ball, feeling frozen out, that can certainly effect focus, concentration and effort. The lakers are a must watch at this point because they are such a trainwreck

But do Lakes fans even care? It's almost as if there's no such thing as a Lakers fan anymore, because they've all become Kobe fans instead. Every time a shot goes in, they're reacting almost the same way as if he'd just given them a 15 point lead.

In comment 11983971 MarshallOnMontana said:

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There is rarely a time in an nba game outside of garbage time when there are 10 backups on the floor,

But last night's game featured nearly an entire quarter in which all 10 backups were on the floor! And not so surprisingly, the Lakers' backups outscored the Warriors' backups by around 20 in the quarter and made the margin of victory deceptively less embarrassing.

Yep, up 36 entering the 4th would qualify as garbage time. Outside of those instances you rarely ever see a true battle of the benches. I was upset the score wasnt closer because i wanted to see what steph curry could have done with another quarter. I also thought it would have been entertaining/funny/fitting to see kobe chuck his way to the least efficient 60 point game in nba history. We were robbed of that

�Obviously I�d rather get guys involved early, but if a purse gets stolen in front of you, how many blocks are you going to let the guy run?� he asked.

�You going to chase him down and keep him in sight yourself or just wait for the authorities to get there, or decide to let him run and wait for the authorities to get there? It�s a tough thing.�

Quote:

santacruzom : 12:07 pm : link : reply But do Lakes fans even care? It's almost as if there's no such thing as a Lakers fan anymore, because they've all become Kobe fans instead. Every time a shot goes in, they're reacting almost the same way as if he'd just given them a 15 point lead.

Don't mistake the snooty celebrities in the stands in LA to the actual fans of the organization elsewhere. The fans you can see on camera in the lower seats, most can't even name the bench players.

About the memphis game. Finally this is getting play. I dont know how so many overlooked it. Ive never seen a successful protest in any sport, but if ever one was to succeed it should be this one, with sacramento given a win
link - ( New Window )

He slapped himself comming off of pick and flopped to the ground to draw the foul and it worked..absolute joke what kind of flopper this guy has become...
Link - ( New Window )

In comment 11984282 MarshallOnMontana said:

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About the memphis game. Finally this is getting play. I dont know how so many overlooked it. Ive never seen a successful protest in any sport, but if ever one was to succeed it should be this one, with sacramento given a win link - ( New Window )

I really can't imagine the league overturning the entire outcome of that game. Has that ever happened?

In comment 11983971 MarshallOnMontana said:

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There is rarely a time in an nba game outside of garbage time when there are 10 backups on the floor, making for true 2nd unit on 2nd unit action. Virtually never happens. On/off numbers can be misleading for a variety of reasons, but when there is a large disparity one way or the other its worth taking note. Thats really the only time i care. Right now, its tough to argue kobe isnt actively making the lakers worse than they even otherwise would be with the way hes playing

Yeah I get that. Wasn't defending Kobe either, but if he sat out for 5 games in a row, i'm guessing they would blow even more. I could be completely wrong, of course. I'd be curious to know how much of their current roster can't stand him.

Ive never seen it. But there must be some sort of mechanism to do it or else whats the point of a protest? I dont expect them to overturn the game result, but if there ever was a case its this one, especially since it was the last play of the game. The kings got totally screwed. Their local broadcast had clear camera angles showing they tipped the inbounds pass, which should have ended the game given there was .3 left.

uconn, its hard to be worse than they are right now. They would suck either way, but i think with the way kobe is gunning right now a case could be made that he makes them less competitive. Weve never seen a season where someone shot this often and this poorly in conjunction, ever, and his defense is just laughable right now. Watching their games there also does appear to be a higher energy level in general from the lakers when he is not out there, playing with someone who is so obnoxiously a ballhog can be draining. He needs to take on a reduced role and not be such a ball stopper, but he cares too much about competing for scoring titles. And its going to take a ton of shots for him to do that at this stage. I dont mind it though as a basketball fan. I love watching the lakers right now. They are awesome tv. They are a lot more fun and interesting to watch this way, even though it will cost them wins

K.C. Johnson ‏@KCJHoop 43s43 seconds ago
Rose is out vs. Clippers.

In comment 11984449 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Weve never seen a season where someone shot this often and this poorly in conjunction, ever, and his defense is just laughable right now.

There was one play in which Stephen Curry basically dribble around Kobe... I mean, he almost literally did a lap around him before taking the ball to the hoop and laid it in. Curry will make a lot of defenders look silly, but that level of silliness won't often be seen.

In comment 11984474 nygiants16 said:

Quote:

K.C. Johnson ‏@KCJHoop 43s43 seconds ago Rose is out vs. Clippers.

Lol, its to the point where they should just sit him until the ASB. I dont care what people say, missing all these games now is not good for the long term.

But new orleans has controlled play all night on the road at portland, up 13 mid 3rd. Anthony davis on his way to another huge game. What theyre doing this season feels sustainable and not like some early season hot streak. If we're going to throw them into the mix now as well as an improving kings team, the west gets all the more crowded

Watching okc try and play catch up on all these teams to try and nab a playoff spot once they get healthy is going to be something. Its absolutely no lock that they get in.

"I could see where people would think that's an attractive site," Bosh told CBSSports.com, speaking of Houston, where half the NBA expected him to land back in July. "They were trying to win right away. And I was really happy to be touted that I possibly could've been out there. But you know, that doesn't guarantee anything, and I know that. All that guarantees is a bunch of pressure."

[�]

Man that comes off weak. It basically sounds as if he said he didnt want to go to the better team because hed rather live a stress free basketball life, on a team that isnt expected to win a title

by the way kobe was great last night. Let the game come to him for once, his best effort this year.

for those of you who don't know, this is a weekly spot and it is a very good all around the NBA spot.

In comment 11988481 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

"I could see where people would think that's an attractive site," Bosh told CBSSports.com, speaking of Houston, where half the NBA expected him to land back in July. "They were trying to win right away. And I was really happy to be touted that I possibly could've been out there. But you know, that doesn't guarantee anything, and I know that. All that guarantees is a bunch of pressure." [�] Man that comes off weak. It basically sounds as if he said he didnt want to go to the better team because hed rather live a stress free basketball life, on a team that isnt expected to win a title by the way kobe was great last night. Let the game come to him for once, his best effort this year.

that does come across as weak, and I may be wrong, but he has said in the past that last season wasn't fun for him because of the pressure.

Swaggy P
Lakers Without: 1-9
Lakers With: 1-0

I mean, I guess I'm cool with 73-9 this year. I just wanted to go into the playoffs as the underdog.

contract the Heat just gave him?

in the NBA and its his last big contract, I wouldn't feel pressure in that situation either. He's already got rings too. The guy probably wants to just chill and cash checks.

heading for a good finish.

I usually keep the officials out of it but this is pretty rough tonight

.

In comment 11989320 MarshallOnMontana said:

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I usually keep the officials out of it but this is pretty rough tonight

Of course they are, they're the Spurs.

awful last play to end an awful game for him.

Toronto vs. Memphis is a hell of an early season game. Marc Gasol is a bad motherfucker and Mike Conley is the most underrated player in the game. And Kyle Lowry and the Canadians are pretty damn mean too. Should be a good finish.

They couldnt get a call all night long, it was obnoxious. they were sloppy offensively, still had their chances. The turnover by lebron at the end trying to go full court, Thats the 2nd time this year that blatt left them without timeouts prematurely, you always would love to bank one there. Theyre still weeks away from clicking.

.

they're a dominant offense that needs to pray Anderson Varejao stays healthy over the course of the season to remain a Top 5 team in the league.

The awful depth, the shit D, the inexperienced coach, the workload on LeBron... this Cavs team just scares me.

I have no doubt they'll develop into an amazing offense at some point this year. But it really is a poor roster in a lot of ways beyond the Big 3, Love/Kyrie's lack of D also plays a role here.

Poor brandon knight. Add this to the kyrie crossover on him and the deandre dunk. He is the king of the viral fail. You will see this a million times. Hes having an excellent year too

Final 5 seconds of ot, knight steals the ball and has an uncontested open court ahead of him for a game winning layup. Misses at the buzzer. Going to double ot

In comment 11989320 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

I usually keep the officials out of it but this is pretty rough tonight

I didn't watch the whole game but a few calls stood out..

1. LeBron calling for a kickball was wrong. It was not a kick ball.
2. Manu got fouled by harris for what should have been a 3 point play.
3. Tim Duncan had all ball on kyrie that gave the Cavs 2 points.

Now there may have been missed calls because I was back and forth. But the last minute the Cavs benefitted from two really bad calls. And don't forget if not for instant replay.... the Cavs would have gotten another call on the out of bounds call.

Brandon Knight ain't gonna sleep for a week.

112-112.

terrible last second shot from JJ. Not even close.

I typed my post before any of those plays even happened. Im talking about all night in general the contact at the rim the spurs were allowed to get away with. I never make the game about the officials and im not making this one about them either, but the cavs definitely got the short end of the whistle tonight.

multiple possessions and the Lakers win at Houston. D12 didn't play.

I can't stress enough how angry I get just at the mere sight of Joey Crawford.

I'm assuming that's Kobe calling Howard 'soft'?

Nice win for the Spurs last night. Cleveland is off to a rough start, but I still think they'll get it together & win 50 plus. That '10-'11 Heat team got off to a tough start too that year; I think they were 9-8 before they turned it around.

A bigger dick in nba history than jordan.... but kobe finally beat him in something. Kobe Bryant needs to know he is irrelevant now.

or maybe his hand hurts from beating his kid.

In any case, who's kobe calling soft?

This is a new team with a brand new coach, and the lebron/kyrie/love trio played a grand total of like 30 minutes together in preseason because of injuries to the latter two. Its going to take time. We have seen flashes, they just came off a 4 game stretch offensively that was better than any 4 game stretch the heat ever had. I agree with jvg that they need some sort of rim protector desperately. But They do have assets to make a deal without even giving up a rotation player

im very worried about okc at this point. By the time kd and rw get back, theyre going to be like 10 or 12 games behind a playoff spot, and all the teams theyre chasing are good. Theyre already 6 back. They might have to play the best basketball theyve ever played in okc just to make it in this year.

SA sans Robinson mode and tank. Grab a "Duncan" in next years draft to add to KD/RW.

Now, there's about a 0.001% chance they get a player of Duncan's caliber, but even a solid starter level player greatly improves their chances.

You dont know how many durant years youre gonna get, you want to milk every guaranteed moment you have

its going to be the most fascinating storyline in the nba when they return. I cant ever remember a situation like this. A legit title contender losing 2 superstars to start a season and then having to play catchup over the last 50 to 60 games just to make it in. Its going to make for some crazy jockeying for positioning at the top too as teams avoid getting matched up witn them.

50 wins in the West to make the postseason (current 8th seed is playing .600 ball). Let's say they're out another 9 games and OKC goes 3-6 over that time. That makes them 6-16 with 60 games to go. They'd have to go 44-16 (.733) the rest of the way to hit 50 wins!

If you told me they'd both be back in 9 games and not be rusty I'd be somewhat confident they can hit the 50 win mark. But if they're out closer to 15-20 games and then take a week or 2 to shake off the rust, I'm not liking their odds.

1) Kidd is in a great situation there I see why he would leave--- young team eager to learn that is long and athletic as hell
2) Bojan Bogdonovic is an excellent player- 25 yr old rookie can shoot, move without the ball, play D- I think he will be in ROTY contention all season, and he has a lot of upside as they phase into more ball movement and less iso
3) on the last point... the nets play great on offense for much of the game... moving the ball, everyone getting touches. then down the stretch they go straight iso... and all of OT... simply doesn't work in the 4th quarter with tired legs- very frustrating.

5 game losing streak is pretty pathetic considering several games were not against top teams.

no Dwight hurt bigtime. Still should've beat the fucking Lakers.

Someone should compile Kobe's worst shot attempts of the season into a clip later this year. It's just gross watching him chuck across America.

and he wrote a nice article on Derek Jeter's site.

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/jason-collins-retires/

FIRST OPENLY GAY PRO SPORTS ATHLETE IN AMERICA RETIRES... and it's been ignored for the most part.

That's actually awesome in many ways that it's being ignored, but he still deserves a ton of credit for being an important figure in the gay rights movement. Not gonna make a thread about it but it's definitely deserving of a shout out on the NBA thread, plus it's a pretty good read.

wait for an openly gay or suspected gay athlete who is still in his prime at a position of need in either football or basketball. The entertainment value of watching the reactions will be priceless because the odds are that Kerry Rhodes (sp?) might still be in the league if he was a cornerback or pass-rushing linebacker

The obama exchange was funny.

Clips putting on a show tonight in miami. Record setting worst 1st quarter in the history of heat basketball, fell behind by 24. Down 18 at half

No rose or pau tonight for the bulls. That means thibs is forced to play mirotic some no matter how much he hates his defense. Seeing him get extended action the other night against the clips his skill level just jumped off the screen at you. If he was in a different situation getting starters minutes he would probably be the most productive rook this year.

will be good IMO. He's much more athletic than people expect a 6'11" Euro (except he cant jump for shit). He can hit the three, handle, has midrange game and can play in the post.

My one concern is he's got a pretty long and low release on his three point shot.

Were all better than what i was expecting watching him play extended minutes for the first time. He has a great feel for the game too.

Someone put together a nice little 90 second video of his highlights from the other night. You see it all. Knockdown shooter. Can beat guys off the dribble at his size. Advanced footwork in the post. Good feel as a passer. Very advanced offensively
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just dreadful.

the Tim Donaghy issue and the secrecy around the lottery that really makes me question the integrity of the league.

But more generally, the overbearing and generally under professional role officials have in the game is a huge negative for the sport.

2-0

easily the worst process in sports. Just wreaks of tampering and really is just flat out stupid.

You arent a basketball fan, so its hard to take your complaints seriously

anyone who openly roots for a lockout to cancel a season 3 years ago as you did, fully serious, solely because you wanted lebron james to stay ringless as long as possible (even though your "favorite team" was serious contenders entering the season), is either not really a basketball fan, or is a special kind of miserable human being. Im not sure which, but either does seem to work as an explanation for posts like you just made

And comes to the conclusion that the league is pulling strings for the best outcomes for business is absolutely clueless. Just look at it over time, if theyre doing it theyre doing a shitty job

thats now 8 missed games out of 13.

In comment 11991995 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

You arent a basketball fan, so its hard to take your complaints seriously anyone who openly roots for a lockout to cancel a season 3 years ago as you did, fully serious, solely because you wanted lebron james to stay ringless as long as possible (even though your "favorite team" was serious contenders entering the season), is either not really a basketball fan, or is a special kind of miserable human being. Im not sure which, but either does seem to work as an explanation for posts like you just made

I'm not sure what that means. In the sports I follow, I root for my team to win and for guys I dislike not to win. Given the low probability of a Bulls win, I would have settled on LeBron being assured of not winning. I don't know how that makes me not a basketball fan.

I suppose I could be the kind of fan who like you just watches basketball for the beauty of the game and hopes everyone wins, but that's not really what competitive sports is about.

In comment 11992147 dep026 said:

Quote:

thats now 8 missed games out of 13.

is embarrassing. They have guys on their team who miss uncontested layups.

has to be one of the worst players in the NBA. My lord, he is turrible.

You rooted for a damn season to be canceled because you dont like lebron james. Your hatred of him is apparently stronger than your desire to see the sport even exist. This either makes you a pathetic excuse for a basketball fan, or someone who should really see a shrink. Or both.

Fall to 5-6. Theyre making progress on the defensive end though. Washington and toronto are going to be 50 win teams barring injury. The top 4 teams in the conference are pretty clear even though cleveland isnt playing like it quite yet

Kobe is 5 for 21 through the 3rd quarter tonight

okc is just getting beat up way too much during this stretch. Only making things tougher when guys get back. About to drop another one barring a comeback down 5 with a minute left, worst record in the west.

looking at the box scores tonight, all but 2 games have been blowouts. Only 1 game out of 12 decided by less than 5 points. 7 out of 12 if the late games hold decided by 20+ points. Average margin of victory of 20 points.

I haven't watched much this year but always check the box scores, and it seems like this year there are more blowouts than ever before.

.
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makes someone a miserable human being?

Personally I thought the potential for a lockout would have been hysterical. Guess I'm miserable too. I knew it would never happen but that small chance would have been amazing in this day and age.

more pathetic.....
Mr. Irrelevant - ( New Window )

In comment 11992513 UConn4523 said:

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makes someone a miserable human being? Personally I thought the potential for a lockout would have been hysterical. Guess I'm miserable too. I knew it would never happen but that small chance would have been amazing in this day and age.

What is hysterical about a season of the NBA being cancelled? Bulls fans are really an obnoxious bunch.

In comment 11992542 Sgrcts said:

Quote:

In comment 11992513 UConn4523 said: Quote: makes someone a miserable human being? Personally I thought the potential for a lockout would have been hysterical. Guess I'm miserable too. I knew it would never happen but that small chance would have been amazing in this day and age. What is hysterical about a season of the NBA being cancelled? Bulls fans are really an obnoxious bunch.

Hey I maybe obnoxious, but I didnt root for that.

If someone claims to love basketball, yet their hatred for someone theyve never met outweighs the desire for something they claim to like to even exist, then yes they must be pretty miserable

and if you thought a missed season would be hysterical than that makes you a pathetic basketball fan too. No surprise though. For someone who is not much into the nba, you keep a big presence here

Is entering 2012 the bulls had the 2nd best betting odds to win a title in the league. Yet we have a couple "bulls fans" rooting for that season to be canceled, either because they haye lebron james or becsuse theyd find it somehow funny

dont claim to be an nba fan or a bulls fan

I saw that play live, it was awesome. Lakers broad asters spe ulated he lost track of the shot clock. As bad as the lakers are right now they are right there with the cavs and warriors as my favorite 3 to watch in the league. They are a trainwreck you cant turn away from and kobe is going down with guns blazing. All this "jordan watch" crap is getting pretty annoying though, they mention it every few minutes on the laker telecasts. I hope he hurries up and passes him already on the all time scoring list so this story is behind everyone. Few more weeks of it. We all know hes not mj. It is an accomplishment though

just my opinion. Still watch my bulls passionately but have nowhere near the connection with them that I do UConn.

Save the gospel talk for someone else. You defend the NBA to hell and back which is equally pathetic as me thinking a cancelled season would be funny, I guess.

Those poor millionaires!

In comment 11992747 UConn4523 said:

Quote:

just my opinion. Still watch my bulls passionately but have nowhere near the connection with them that I do UConn. Save the gospel talk for someone else. You defend the NBA to hell and back which is equally pathetic as me thinking a cancelled season would be funny, I guess. Those poor millionaires!

I think you suck, realistically. Its a disgrace what you are saying. What is "funny" about a cancelled season? While he might be a bit over zealous on being a fan, how is supporting something more pathetic then being a negative loser?

Yet when they have their best team on paper since jordan you root for the season to be canceled because that would just be hilarious! Dont call yourself a bulls fan.

And youre entitled to feel however you want about the nba, but when i think something sucks i dont devote energy to discussing it on a near daily basis, which is kind of weird.

I ned mental help...

the talks about it, everyone freaking out about it, etc. it was never going to happen but the threat of it was more intriguing than the actual regular season.

Call it what you want. Yu are all bigger fans of the NBA than I al and I'm perfectly fine with that. I follow the Bulls and always will whether we win 10 games or 60.

who do like to come out of the east as it stands today? Personally I think the Cavs will get going and soon. They are making progress.

Wizards
Bulls in that order for me...

the Warriors managed to hire Steve Kerr. The fact that he's excelling so early is less of a surprise -- you always could tell how sharp and introspective he is. It's just that I was terrified they'd follow Mark Jackson's tenure with a serious downgrade and destroy all positive momentum, as has often been their custom.

Im just saying it sounds downright bizarre to call yourself a fan at all when youre rooting for canceled seasons and think the league sucks. But whatever, i cant begin to understand it and wont try to

Sean, i picked the cavs in preseason and its way too early to stray from that despite their struggles. The bulls are the most well rounded and deepest team if everyone is healthy and if they can go a prolonged period with a fixed lineup to truly gel, but that looks unlikely. I like washington a bit more than toronto but both teams are very good.

Cavs-Raptors and Rockets-Mavs in tight games.

Hit a couple threes to start. Not hitting his foul shouts though 2-5, and has had many passes deflected or stolen. This is why he needs burn, as much as possible. Lot of kinks to get out.

Jimmy Butler will be an all-star, 1st team all-defense, and possibly DPOY.

Maybe the most underrated player in the NBA thsi year.

already has DPOY locked up

In comment 12000188 GIANTSr01 said:

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already has DPOY locked up

I have no qualms saying Davis is a great defensive player, but for him to lock it up already is just false. Butler is that good defensively, he actually may be better than Davis. I dont think its far fetched to say either him or Kawhi are the best wing defenders in the league.

And the Rockets are 3rd in the league in defensive efficiency. Harden should def be in the mix for DPOY too.

Seriously though, Ariza before Harden on D no question but I'm so proud of Harden for shutting up all the haters by playing quality D this year. His defense hasn't just been "acceptable", it's been legitimately good and he's having a positive impact on both sides of the floor. James Harden is finally a two way player and I love it.

brilliant play so far this season has offset the Gmen's disappointing performance. Valanciunas is playing consistently which frees things up for DeMar and Kyle and Lou Williams has been a terrific addition.

he is not supporting him in the media, he just glares at him all game. 10 out of his last 13 shots have been 3 pointers. He fucking blows at them, but still shoots them.

Rose left tonight's game with yet another injury.

I saw thibs quotes after the game last night, he does seem frustrated with him at this point.

Is everyone ready to make it official with steph curry as the best pg in the league? Are we there now as a consensus? I think i am. Ive been hesitant to pry that crown from cp3 but i think it might be time. Dude is incredible, there has never been anyone quite like him. He was in one of those special grooves tonight.

And fuck me for ever buying into detroit as a surprise playoff team. What a bunch of worthless fucks.

In comment 12001667 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Is everyone ready to make it official with steph curry as the best pg in the league? Are we there now as a consensus? I think i am. Ive been hesitant to pry that crown from cp3 but i think it might be time. Dude is incredible, there has never been anyone quite like him. He was in one of those special grooves tonight.

At the very least, a lot of people should definitely admit that they overstated his defensive liabilities. He's actually an asset defensively.

This stat i just saw is pretty mindblowing. He now has more games with 5+3pfg/5+ast than anyone in nba history after last night. And he has only played 349 games, or basically the equivalent of roughly 4 years when you account for his injuries.

There has never been someone quite like him. You can already argue him as the GOAT shooter at this stage of his career because what he continues to do from three is pretty much unprecedented from a volume and efficiency standpoint. We are talking about a guy taking over 6 threes a game career and still knocking down 44%. And among the great shooters, he has more ways to get his shot off than any of them. This is not a guy solely running around screens off the ball playing catch and shoot. He shoots off the dribble, creates his own space with his handle.� He can get his shot off anytime he wants.

He will never be the floor general a guy like chris paul is, and he is indeed somewhat of a combo guard. But he has a skillset we have never really seen

The dude is an alien. I think thats 13 of his last 15

Bosh had a 25 PER the season before joining Miami. On Miami he had a 19.3 PER. This season he's back up to 22.7

Love last year had a PER of 26.9. This year he's at 17.1.

There is only one basketball and its impossible for 3 guys on the same team to put up superstar numbers. Not much more complicated than that. Bosh isnt putting up a 25 per if he played 3rd fiddle to any other 1/2 tandem ever either.

The only thing lebron seems to impact negatively is teams when he leaves them. Remember when people gave a damn about miami heat basketball? From perennial finals squad, the heatles phenomenon and the traveling circus, to fringe playoff team off the radar in one transaction. Even when they replace him with an above average replacement player in deng.

Bosh talked a good deal about how frustrating it was at times to sacrifice and play that 3rd fiddle role. Well now you dont have to sacrifice anymore. Have fun. Its like being in toronto all over again, only its warmer

its a product of efficient scoring, rebounding, passing and other stats. You'd think the best players in the world would make his wingmen more efficient given the defensive attention he draws but apparently not.

Miami won a ring without LeBron.

to watch chris r talk about anything involving LeBron.

Absolutely has an impact on per. And your rant just shows a fundamental lack of understanding about elementary facts of basketball. There is one ball. There is a finite number of possesions. If you didnt know well ahead of time that loves stats were going to take a hit this year you arent paying attention. There isnt many opportunities left over for love when lebron and kyrie are the top scoring tandem in the league.

And the whole nonsense about lebrons presence leading to declining efficiency by his teammates is kind of refuted by the fact that the 13 miami heat and 14 miami heat were the two most efficient offenses in nba history by effective fg%. Offenses he spearheaded, with the latter team only seeing wade play fewer than 50 percent of the teams total minutes

as usual, you dont know what youre talking about

More recently than winning a ring without lebron, miami was collectively sub .500 over 4 seasons before lebron came, with no playoff series victories and half empty arenas.

I think chris is just of the opinion that if you created a team made up of 12 current 20-ppg scorers that they would average 240+ppg as a team, and everyone should reach their stats because things like usage have no impact. apparently you can just plug their normal stats into all situations. Sadly though basketball doesnt work that way

speaks. Everyone laughs at his stupidity.

This is nothing new.

at the end of the third quarter so frequently that their starters sit huge minutes every game. If not for that fact, I think Curry would be leading the league in scoring and assists.

13-2 to start. Home heavy schedule to be sure (heaviest in the league) and that has helped. But theyre playing well everywhere. Blitzed the cavs the other night on the road after falling down 18 early and won going away, just dominated every facet of that game after the first 5 minutes. Got a quality one in atlanta tonight too. Their point differential this season is crazy

I dont think they can win the east as presently constituted, but theyre going to win a bunch of games. And they have the flexibility to add something mid season with a ton of expiring contracts to dangle.

SVG comes back to the sidelines and his Pistons are 3-12, yikes! Jason Kidd has done a nice job with the Bucks.

Last night very well could have been the best win of the year for the Cavs.

wtf happened in the 4th quarter of your team tonight. I was following it and 1 point through 8 minutes? One of those nights? haha

Was the westbrook injury, because i wanted to see what kind of crazy level he could play on with durant out of the lineup. He came back last night, first game back he becomes the first player in nba history to have 32+pts and 8+ast in 24 or fewer minutes, barely played because they ripped the knicks a new asshole. Im happy hes back, cant wait till durant follows suit, watching them play catchup now is one of the best plot lines of the season

zach lavine had the best game of probably any rookie this year last night

indiana is somehow remaining very competitive after a slow start despite the fact that 4 of last years starters are either injured all year so far or left via free agency, and the last one standing (hibbert) has been out recently as well. Vogel is a hell of a coach. They could definitely make the playoffs, which would be amazing. They still defend at a very high level, and theyre going to start to get some bodies back soon with west and george hill returning, hibbert should be back any day now

If not, it seems within the week.

Miami got blown away by washington last night to fall to 9-8. We all remember the last time they were 9-8. But being 9-8 in miami is no longer a storyline of national relevance. And this team is pretty fortunate to be 9-8 because of their easy opening schedule, which gets tougher fast. It wasnt until last night that miami played 2 consecutive games on the road for the first time this season, and we are over a month in. They have one of the tougher league schedules between now and the all star break, going to be tough to get out of this .500ish cycle.

The most noticeable absence on the jersey is the lack of conference identifier. The league has had "East" and "West" on its All-Star Game jerseys since the 1960s.

Players from the Eastern Conference will wear white, while players for the Western Conference will wear black. Accessories that the players wear -- including arm bands, headbands and shooting sleeves -- will be in the traditional colors (blue for the East, red for the West).

Another change is found on the back of the uniform where the players first and last names will be sewn above and below the number, respectively.

The jersey will feature five unique stars filled with icons from each of New York City's five boroughs: Unisphere (Queens), Waves (Staten Island), Checkered Taxi Pattern (Manhattan), Vinyl Record (Bronx) and Brownstone Bricks (Brooklyn).
Link - ( New Window )

Were in that period around the turn of the century when there were no all star unis, they just let the players wear their normal uniforms, one conference wearing home and one wearing road. I like those uniforms above though, ive always felt the simpler the better when it comes to unis. Those are pretty simple

Btw didnt mention it the other night, and if im going to point out when he shoots 3 for 20 its only fair to mention how awesome kobe was sunday night against the raptors

and we are all enjoying the show. Still criminally underrated and has been just as valuable to his team than anyone else in the NBA.

89-



2003

Was just named euroleague player of the month for the month of november, the youngest player ever to win that award. The euroleague is considered hands down the 2nd best basketball league on earth (clearly higher level of play than ncaa d1) and hes over there beasting at this young age. He is coming over next year, and with embiid also coming back from injury plus their 2015 pick that is 3 huge young pieces philly will throw into the mix in one offseason.

Its pathetic this year though. Total joke. I hope they get the worst lotto luck possible and pick 4th

are team building the way I did in video games. They are in on EVERY bad contract (with picks/assets included).

In comment 12013235 dep026 said:

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and we are all enjoying the show. Still criminally underrated and has been just as valuable to his team than anyone else in the NBA.

With him rejecting the 4/40 extension, I wonder if we can/will retain him. I think our cap is fine starting in 2016, but i'm sure he's looking for a deal that's 50% bigger or so...

In comment 12013281 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Was just named euroleague player of the month for the month of november, the youngest player ever to win that award. The euroleague is considered hands down the 2nd best basketball league on earth (clearly higher level of play than ncaa d1) and hes over there beasting at this young age. He is coming over next year, and with embiid also coming back from injury plus their 2015 pick that is 3 huge young pieces philly will throw into the mix in one offseason. Its pathetic this year though. Total joke. I hope they get the worst lotto luck possible and pick 4th

they're competing, a lot of their losses are close.

In comment 12013310 UConn4523 said:

Quote:

In comment 12013235 dep026 said: Quote: and we are all enjoying the show. Still criminally underrated and has been just as valuable to his team than anyone else in the NBA. With him rejecting the 4/40 extension, I wonder if we can/will retain him. I think our cap is fine starting in 2016, but i'm sure he's looking for a deal that's 50% bigger or so...

The Bulls will have a tough decision to make. If they are looking to the future at a guy like Anthony Davis, they may not be able to afford him.

I really love what the Bulls are doing this year. I am PRAYING Rose stays healthy and plays at 75-80% of his MVP level. He doesnt need to be all world for this team. He just needs to get the ball to the basket and draw fouls. Gasol has been a beast. Butler has been all-star worthy. Dunleavy has shot the ball well. Noah is getting healthy. And Mirotic? Hes been awesome lately.

I really hope they stay healthy, cause at this point they are the best team in the East. Cleveland will get better, but I like the Bulls more than Cleveland right now.

Can the bar be set any lower? Theyve had some close losses, great for them. Thats the least that should be expected. Theyre 0-17 with a point differential of minus 14.4 per. They are like 4-50something dating back to last year. The spurs took pity on them last night with that lineup they put out there.

the issue has never been that the players dont play hard, but what theyve done organizationally is field a team that is notches below the next worst team in the nba.

I cant wait for the 76ers to land the number 1 pick. Okafor will be the clear choice and with them having Noel/Embiid, it will be another wasted pick. They might even be forced to trade out of the number 1 spot...

In comment 12013391 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Can the bar be set any lower? Theyve had some close losses, great for them. Thats the least that should be expected. Theyre 0-17 with a point differential of minus 14.4 per. They are like 4-50something dating back to last year. The spurs took pity on them last night with that lineup they put out there. the issue has never been that the players dont play hard, but what theyve done organizationally is field a team that is notches below the next worst team in the nba.

they are taking a hit now in order to compete for a title down the road. I don't have an issue with it, they are going to win a couple games and are accumulating assets to put themselves in a position to WIN A TITLE down the road. With all that said, the Knicks only have 4 more wins, so I don't think it is bad. Let them do what they need to do to put themselves in position to win and the fans have bought in.

Its being historically pathetic and willfully so. This is not a normal tank. It might work out for them. But theres just as good a chance that the only thing this does is brand the franchise as the biggest punchline in professional sports to an entire generation of sports fans. In fact that probably has a better chance of happening than them winning a title. Its not just some no lose situation.

In comment 12013673 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Its being historically pathetic and willfully so. This is not a normal tank. It might work out for them. But theres just as good a chance that the only thing this does is brand the franchise as the biggest punchline in professional sports to an entire generation of sports fans. In fact that probably has a better chance of happening than them winning a title. Its not just some no lose situation.

What's the difference between winning 10 or 20 games? Why should Sixers sign some mid-level guys to get those extra wins? How does it benefit the Sixers?

If the NBA doesn't like it, they should change the rules regarding how draft picks are handed out. They took a vote and couldn't change it, so the system is what it is.

I doubt we'll see too many teams try to copy the Sixers and sentence their fanbase to a half-decade of planned futility.

In comment 12005379 dep026 said:

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wtf happened in the 4th quarter of your team tonight. I was following it and 1 point through 8 minutes? One of those nights? haha

When Dwight Howard is not playing, the Rockets become the most 3-ball dependent team of all-time. It's crazy how many 3PA they shoot all the time, but when Dwight is out that number jumps to absurd heights. Makes for a very hot-n-cold offense. Still, that was a pathetic stretch of offense by them.

BTW, Marc fucking Gasol is just killing it this year. I've always been a huge fan but I never thought he'd get his name into the MVP mix. Best Center in the game imo, even when Dwight's healthy. He just does it all. I hope he stays healthy and gets paid.

I'd still take the Warriors over the Grizzlies as the best team in the league. I've felt since Day 1 that GS has the highest ceiling in this league and they're flashing it early on.

Curry vs. Paul is a tough one. I feel like Paul is one of the most ruthlessly efficient players in any sport that I've ever seen. Paul's ability to run an offense is special. I'd still consider Paul the best PG in the NBA overall because he's just been doing it for so long. But through the first 15 or so games of this season, Steph Curry has not only been the best PG but the MVP of the league imo.

Because theres a fine line between being bad and being a historical joke. The team philadelphia puts on the floor right now is a mockery. There is something to be said for not being unforgettably bad. They are slowly rebranding a once proud organization as the biggest punchline in pro sports. And i cant imagine what its doing to their culture and poisonous habits being developed in this situation by young guys currently on the team. This is uniquely awful

In comment 12013714 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

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Curry vs. Paul is a tough one. I feel like Paul is one of the most ruthlessly efficient players in any sport that I've ever seen. Paul's ability to run an offense is special. I'd still consider Paul the best PG in the NBA overall because he's just been doing it for so long. But through the first 15 or so games of this season, Steph Curry has not only been the best PG but the MVP of the league imo.

Hi haters!

(I know you're not a Brow hater... just have to post this.)
You the real MVP, Brow! - ( New Window )

someone is a Brow hater they likely don't know the game very well.

In comment 12014448 DanMetroMan said:

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someone is a Brow hater they likely don't know the game very well.

Oh of course. I don't think anyone on this thread hates the Brow. He's unbelievable.

I think in order for him to win MVP the Pellies probably have to make the playoffs, which is going to be really difficult given that New Orleans is 7-8 in a division where the 4th place team is 13-5 (just stop and think about how ridiculous the Southwest division is this year), 11th in the West with Oklahoma City an almost certain bet to pass them at some point if KD and Russ can stay healthy. I think Brow is the best player in the league right now - not that there aren't a handful of other players for whom you could make that case - but if New Orleans wins 44 games and misses the playoffs, there's a good chance Monty Williams isn't coaching that team the following season, It's really hard to say that the NBA MVP is on a lottery team whose coach might get fired.

Damn have i missed he and russ this year. League pass just got that much better. They keep saying this bone durant broke in his foot is highly prone to reoccurance. Its the same bone apparently that brook lopez broke 42 times so far. Fingers crossed for him, nba needs this man hes a legend in the making

but like you said, tough to win MVP when your team might not even finish .500 and will almost certainly miss the playoffs. If there was a pure PLAYER OF THE YEAR award, Davis is probably the frontrunner at the moment. He's still an MVP candidate but his historic (and then some) pace probably won't hold all year. I think at some point soon LeBron reasserts himself as the best in the world, maybe even this month.

OKC is 5-12 with 65 games left

Last year the 8th seed Mavs had 49 wins. This year I'm guessing 47 wins gets you the 8th seed out West, but lets stick with last year's 49.

For OKC to go 49-33, they'd need to go 44-21 in there remaining 65 games. As long as KD and Westbrook are healthy, I think they should be able to reach that mark. But their goal should be higher than the 8th seed.

against Atlanta.

GOTY candidate. Rose banks a 3 at buzzer to force double OT.

In comment 12014657 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

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For OKC to go 49-33, they'd need to go 44-21 in there remaining 65 games. As long as KD and Westbrook are healthy, I think they should be able to reach that mark. But their goal should be higher than the 8th seed.

44-21 is the equivalent of a 55-win pace, which is certainly good basketball but something OKC has managed for four years running. That being said, I wouldn't expect them to do better than a 60 win pace given how ridiculous the West is, so their ceiling is likely in the 52, 53 win range. Last year that's a six seed.

The first round in the West is going to be must-see TV.

.

and tell him he isnt a 3 point shooter. 11 three point attempts tonight on 20 shot attempts. 4 free throws.

There is no way in hell Rose should be shooting 6 threes a game. Either play your game of driving or become a true PG. Him shooting this many threes is just bad basketball. Tough loss for the Bulls. Doesnt help that Kirk Hinrich is a moron.

he overplays his key guys way too much. There's no excuse for Pau getting 40 minutes tonight in regulation with Mirotic playing as well as he is.

Same with Butler, can't play him 40 minutes per night with his new found offensive role and expect him to be the same defensive stopper he has been.

Just a dumb play by the bulls at the end of regulation which seems like ages ago now. If you are going to foul, do it immediately, do not even leave it remotely in question as to wether or not you get a shooter in the act. Mavs had to inbound there full court with no timeouts, you just cant let that happen

anyway, great game. The bulls are absolutely loaded talent wise but theyre still feeling their way through things. Havent had their starting 5 much this year and now once they do gibson is hurt which messes with their frontcourt rotation. Going to be tough traveling on a back to back tomorrow at charlotte after the minutes the bulls starters logged, even with the hornets struggles

cavs have won 4 in a row now

hawks come back from 23 down to beat boston

with basketball. Knicks are now 4-15 and no one seems to care and they will continue to take a back seat to both NFL teams which will have very crucial offseasons with a lot of changes. In a way that helps the Knicks keep the attention off them.

Trailed by 9 with 4 min left. Steph curry hit a game winning three with 2.2 left. 10 straight wins, 15-2 this season

MSG?

You know, to give us Knicks fans something to look forward to with our only draft pick.

.

Butler is having an all star caliber year but thats a real stretch. Lebron, even in a down month for him, clearly outperformed butler thusfar. Kyle lowry has a better case too (2nd in the east in per behind lebron and the team success to back it up with the best start in raptor history). Cavs have been mediocre (though they are only a game behind the bulls), if you dont want to give it to the best player because his team has been 'meh', thats understandable. Anthony davis was the best player in the west this month and didnt get it either. But give it to kyle lowry then. Nothing against butler but this is a stretch

Joakim noah just turned his ankle nastily. In all sorts of visible pain.

Joakim noah just turned his ankle nastily. In all sorts of visible pain.

In comment 12015113 Anakim said:

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You know, to give us Knicks fans something to look forward to with our only draft pick.

Yes please. Make this a thread of hope. I need some hope with this fucking team. Be it the draft and/or FA.

Cody zeller just threw down a crazy two hand facial on pau gasol just now. There had to be some sort of a crime committed in the act of that. He just shat on pau's soul. Look out for that one tonight

theres so many empty seats in miami tonight as they host the hawks. I dont care what they list the attendance as, the place looks 60% full tops

In comment 12016781 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Joakim noah just turned his ankle nastily. In all sorts of visible pain.

Bulls will just never be healthy. They just have too many guys that are always banged up.

watch the 76ers-Twolves game. Its so bad, you cant turn it off. I counted 8 airballs on layups alone that quarter.

In comment 12016842 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

Cody zeller just threw down a crazy two hand facial on pau gasol just now. There had to be some sort of a crime committed in the act of that. He just shat on pau's soul. Look out for that one tonight

And afterward, he looked like a high school nerd who just found out he'd aced his computer science exam.

I don't think I've ever seen such a combination of dorky monstrosity in sports.

of the season against the spurs here.
when they move the basketball they are a good basketball team. they just have too many ball stoppers despite a flex system.
up 12 on SA in the late 3rd

Brook rebounded the ball, Deron was running, attacking and setting up the offense. Would be nice if they could all keep that up.

I really like watching the hawks play. Now that theyre healthy and have a year in budenholzers syztem, this is a good team. Theyre basically a poor mans spurs, they run the same offense which budenholzer took with him. Lots of off the ball movement, they share the rock, they have shooters and space the floor well, its a fun little group. The league is so deep at point guard that no one spends much time talking about jeff teague, but hes really having a big year, another nice game today. And the schroder kid backing him up is really coming along nicely.

Miami is 9-9 now. With a home heavy schedule to boot. They now have 6 home losses, something they did not do last season until march 14th. Now they get ready to go on the road. Its not getting better any time soon. This team looks destined to hover around .500 all year

Winning a back to back and the Spurs after blowing a big lead
Very impressed- love me some Mirza and bogs

Brook Lopez had two huge rebounds late in this one. It was a bizarre game.

baby!

Against minnesota without kevin martin, rubio, or pekovic. Avoid tying the record for winless streak to start a year. Good for those kids

.

In comment 12017046 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Against minnesota without kevin martin, rubio, or pekovic. Avoid tying the record for winless streak to start a year. Good for those kids

Dammit, I was hoping for 0-82. Knew in the back of my head that it wouldn't happen - the point differential is awful but you'd probably have to make it something like -20 or -25 instead of -15 for a winless season to be a real possibility - but I was hoping. One, because that level of embarrassment would probably force the NBA to make major lottery reforms this offseason, which would be interesting in and of itself. Two, because we may never see a team this bad again, and if this is a once-in-a-lifetime level of ineptitude, I'd prefer gloriously awful to, say, a team that wins eight games, which is pitiful but not something you tell your grandkids about.

Oh well. 1-81 is still in play. Really I'm rooting for five wins or fewer, I guess. That, or for the Sixers to figure something out and be good enough to finish with a better record than the Lakers.

may not even finish the year with the fewest wins, which will make all this rending of clothing especially ludicrous, just like last year...

It's better to have 1 win so far with a bunch of 20 year old kids than 3 or 4 wins with a bunch of vets and a maxed out cap...

In comment 12017072 Chris in Philly said:

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It's better to have 1 win so far with a bunch of 20 year old kids than 3 or 4 wins with a bunch of vets and a maxed out cap...

It's cool, yo. Just a few more months and Bargnani, Dalembert and Amare will be off the books...and we'll get a shitload of cap room.


Few more months...And probably in a few weeks, JR Smith will get traded for a bag of groceries.

In comment 12017083 Anakim said:

Quote:

In comment 12017072 Chris in Philly said: Quote: It's better to have 1 win so far with a bunch of 20 year old kids than 3 or 4 wins with a bunch of vets and a maxed out cap... It's cool, yo. Just a few more months and Bargnani, Dalembert and Amare will be off the books...and we'll get a shitload of cap room. Few more months...And probably in a few weeks, JR Smith will get traded for a bag of groceries.

I'm talking about a bunch of teams...

There is a significant talent gap between them and the next worst team. They finally notched one against a bad minnesota team without arguably their 3 best players, but they wont have many more nights where the playing field is this equal

and lets not dismiss being historically bad as if thats something that hasnt already happened, chris. Entering tonight this team was mired in the worst 50 game stretch ever dating back to last year. They tied the longest losing streak in history with a 26 gamer within the last calendar year, then opened this season 0-17. They are already unforgettably bad. We'll see if they break the record for fewest wins in an 82 game season, its going to be close

How did they play?

And one of the wins was a glorified exhibition in game 82 last year in miami where the heat sat lebron and company because the game didnt matter

When they beat a bottom 5 wolves team missing their starting back court and center

Miami now has 6 home losses, and received their 6th home loss last night on december 2nd. During the lebron era, these were the following dates at which miami lost their 6th regular season home game

2011= march 3rd
2012= did not lose 6 home games
2013= did not lose 6 home games
2014= march 14th

Philly is going to care that they were historically bad for the past 2-3 years if they are loaded with young studs and cap space next year.

I dont disagree, but im not a philly fan. I find what theyre doing a mockery, and i dont see how thats not understandable. Im not saying its a bad strategy. But i absolutely hope they dont get rewarded for it

and there is no solution for the nba to deal with this. Everything on the table is flawed in one way or another, all the cures seem worse than the disease. The dynamics in basketball are too unique to ever get around the fact that one or two players can drastically change a franchise. Teams have been tanking for a long time but there was always at least a semblance of dignity upheld by teams going through it. They led sportscenter last night, they are a national punchline

In comment 12017344 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

I dont disagree, but im not a philly fan. I find what theyre doing a mockery, and i dont see how thats not understandable. Im not saying its a bad strategy. But i absolutely hope they dont get rewarded for it and there is no solution for the nba to deal with this. Everything on the table is flawed in one way or another, all the cures seem worse than the disease. The dynamics in basketball are too unique to ever get around the fact that one or two players can drastically change a franchise. Teams have been tanking for a long time but there was always at least a semblance of dignity upheld by teams going through it. They led sportscenter last night, they are a national punchline

You can't cure tanking in basketball, in the sense that there will probably always be an incentive for a mediocre team with a low ceiling to blow it up and start over. But you can eliminate what the Sixers are doing. The wins after elimination proposal I've mentioned previously on this thread accomplishes that (by providing an incentive for bad teams to try and be competitive, and shifting the "sweet spot" for a high draft pick far enough to make winning 20 or 25 games more rewarding than winning 10 or 15). I don't see a reason why this isn't clearly better than the lottery we have now.

Part of the reason I want to see Philly be historically awful is to see how the NBA will respond to it.

I was mainly referring to the draft wheel and the idea of getting rid of any system whatsoever (ie the nfl route). The wins after elimination idea is interesting, but i honestly have not spent enough thought on it to assess potential pitfalls. Right off the bat one that initially comes to mind is the conference imbalance. Teams of equal quality will stay mathematically alive much longer in the east, giving bad west teams an advantage and only serving to continue the cycle by pumping more talent into that conference. I cant say i hate the idea because i could envision some really fun situations springing from that setup from an entertainment perspective

The lakers, kings and pelicans would have gotten the top 3 picks. Just looked into it. So it does appear it would really favor the bad west teams and continue this cycle

So says Pop.

I've been down on the team, but they unquestionably have some things going for them. "Monster" is clearly overstating it, but they could make things interesting in a bad conference. They play the Hawks next then Lebron at Barclays.

Pop blows smoke up every opponents ass though. I threw up listening to him talk about philly the other day

In comment 12017965 MarshallOnMontana said:

Quote:

The lakers, kings and pelicans would have gotten the top 3 picks. Just looked into it. So it does appear it would really favor the bad west teams and continue this cycle

That's certainly the case if the NBA sticks with eight seeds per conference - the bad teams in the better conference get eliminated earlier and therefore have more time to accrue wins after elimination. If you just take the best 16 teams (or go to some hybrid model where each conference is guaranteed some minimum # of berths, e.g. the top four teams in each conference are guaranteed to be the top eight seeds and then the eight best remaining teams are seeded 9-16), you eliminate that strength-of-conference artifact because the elimination threshold is the same for everyone.

You still end up with a scenario where generic bad teams will frequently pick ahead of historically awful teams, but that's kind of the point - to reward teams that are making an effort to remain competitive and establish a floor beyond which it's no longer helpful to actively make your team worse.

Im fine with the 16 best teams, but if you are going to do that you should balance the schedule. Which means something like playing everyone about 3 times rather than a conference rival 4x and the other conference 2x as we largely have now. But that is also prone to issues because playing someone an odd number of times will lead to unfair home/road splits in head to heads. But im fine with that. No system is going to be perfect

in any event for the wins after elimination proposal only seems feasible if you drastically alter the current playoff setup too. Im fine with the lotto setup the way it is, not that i love it or anything but it seems like the most straightforward way possible shy of just having an nfl like system on pure record, which would be a disaster

which I wouldn't call crazy - IMHO it's more ridiculous that the Suns missed the playoffs last year - here's an actual crazy idea.

Seed the top four teams from each conference, 1-8 by record. Tiebreakers are head-to-head, then strength of conference.

Pool the eight remaining teams with the best record as teams 9-16... then let the seeded teams (starting with #1) pick which team from that pool they want to play in the first round. Not randomly - I mean you have a selection show on ESPN or something, where the top-seeded team picks which opponent they want to play in the first round, then the second-seeded team picks, etc.

Tell me you wouldn't watch that.

stick with the 8 teams per conference. I also think the NBA's TV rights holders would prefer that as well as games amongst east coast teams tend to do better than west coast teams.

Shifting to a straight 16-team system would eliminate the classic Bulls/Pistons, Knicks-Bulls, Knicks-Pacers, Knicks-Heat type of rivalries that developed. I realize that we're going to end up with some bad teams in the playoffs and some good teams left out but I like geographical balance in the playoffs.

reform. I think wins after elimination would just keep too much power in the west. I actually really liked the proposal that got voted down. The bad teams would've still had the best odds but it would've eliminated some of the benefit from outright Sixers style tanking.

In comment 12018010 Metnut said:

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stick with the 8 teams per conference. I also think the NBA's TV rights holders would prefer that as well as games amongst east coast teams tend to do better than west coast teams. Shifting to a straight 16-team system would eliminate the classic Bulls/Pistons, Knicks-Bulls, Knicks-Pacers, Knicks-Heat type of rivalries that developed. I realize that we're going to end up with some bad teams in the playoffs and some good teams left out but I like geographical balance in the playoffs.

You can do something that is functionally "best 16 teams" but preserves at least part of the conference split. If you guarantee the top 4 teams in each conference and seed those teams on each side of the bracket, you increase the likelihood that your second and third rounds are going to be between teams from the same conference. You can be more aggressive than that, too - there are ways the seeding can be set up that create a pool of the top 16 teams but still maximize the number of same-conference matchups.

And while I don't doubt that the NBA's TV rights holders have a preference for the major markets on the east coast, I also don't doubt that they'd prefer to see 48-win teams in the playoffs instead of 38-win teams. It's better television and it's better basketball.

of Curry's game beyond his three-point shooting
block, then fake behind back pass, then real behind back pass - ( New Window )

He is not left-handed.

Lebron is top 5 in the nba in assists this year and is averaging over 10 a game during the streak. Really freeing up kyrie irving to do what he does best as he was never a pure point, and hes playing the best ball of his career right now this season.

Their defense has also been terrific of late and theyre creeping into that territory i expected them to be in, right in that 10 to 12 range in defensive efficiency. Kevin love is also finding his niche having a few monster games during the run

They should really be shopping dion waiters right now because hes simply just a terrible fit.

Tim duncan had a triple double last night, 2nd oldest player to do so.

In comment 12020297 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Lebron is top 5 in the nba in assists this year and is averaging over 10 a game during the streak. Really freeing up kyrie irving to do what he does best as he was never a pure point, and hes playing the best ball of his career right now this season. Their defense has also been terrific of late and theyre creeping into that territory i expected them to be in, right in that 10 to 12 range in defensive efficiency. Kevin love is also finding his niche having a few monster games during the run They should really be shopping dion waiters right now because hes simply just a terrible fit. Tim duncan had a triple double last night, 2nd oldest player to do so.

Nice to see the Cavs playing well, I'm pulling for them this year. I know you have talked up the Pistons, WTF is going on with them, 3-16? I liked the SVG hire and thought they could be a playoff team as well. I'm surprised they are -9 tonight against Philly.

Because i overestimated svg and the development of andre drummond. I thought they could play for an 8 seed even with the fit flaws and low bbiq players like jennings and smith. Its very disappointing that drummond has not taken a step forward this year coming off the team usa experience. Hes a very frustrating prospect, look at his recent game logs linked below to see why. Here are his last 4 games as a microcosm

26pts 20 reb 12 for 19
2 pts 7 rebs 1 for 8
8 pts 13 rebs 3 for 9
27 pts 14 rebs 12 for 18

Hes still very young but its a bit discouraging that he has shown no leap from his 20 to 21 year old seasons, especially after a summer with team usa

link - ( New Window )

On the road against the Bulls.

What I wouldn't give for a Warriors-like transformation for the Giants.

In comment 12020752 santacruzom said:

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On the road against the Bulls. What I wouldn't give for a Warriors-like transformation for the Giants.

Early my friend. Rose was dominant in the first quarter which is always nice to see.

In comment 12020752 santacruzom said:

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On the road against the Bulls. What I wouldn't give for a Warriors-like transformation for the Giants.

A little premature don't you think?

because Kirk Hinrich is fucking pathetic. He doesnt even know how to find Klay Thompson.

Be interesting to see how they incorporate david lee when he gets back. I wont go as far as to say theyre better without him but you have to really like the current mix, and they won their only playoff series of this era with lee injured too. Theyre just a better defensive team without him and his offense isnt as necessary. Sometimes team building isnt solely about the collection of talent. Id be a little worried about making lee a core player again.

In comment 12020767 chris r said:

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In comment 12020752 santacruzom said: Quote: On the road against the Bulls. What I wouldn't give for a Warriors-like transformation for the Giants. A little premature don't you think?

Not really.

I mean, it's not like I was saying they won the game in the first quarter.

In comment 12020789 dep026 said:

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because Kirk Hinrich is fucking pathetic. He doesnt even know how to find Klay Thompson.

They need another SF more. Jimmy is playing like a top 5 SG this season. He's best when he can bully other SGs inside. At SF he's undersized.

In comment 12020848 santacruzom said:

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In comment 12020767 chris r said: Quote: In comment 12020752 santacruzom said: Quote: On the road against the Bulls. What I wouldn't give for a Warriors-like transformation for the Giants. A little premature don't you think? Not really. I mean, it's not like I was saying they won the game in the first quarter.

So they had a good first quarter of the game and a good first quarter of the season. Hopefully the Giants have higher expectations than that.

Green is a good rebounder, but he's not the rebounder Lee is and the Warriors could certainly stand to improve there. He's also their best inside scoring option.

They probably won't start him, but their bench with Lee and Iguodala would be quite the second unit.

In comment 12020853 chris r said:

Quote:

In comment 12020848 santacruzom said: Quote: In comment 12020767 chris r said: Quote: In comment 12020752 santacruzom said: Quote: On the road against the Bulls. What I wouldn't give for a Warriors-like transformation for the Giants. A little premature don't you think? Not really. I mean, it's not like I was saying they won the game in the first quarter. So they had a good first quarter of the game and a good first quarter of the season. Hopefully the Giants have higher expectations than that.

Rofl

Bulls are going nowhere. His game is fucking awful right now. After coming back from injury, he has shot it 83 times....44 of those shots from the three point line.

This is where Thibs has to sit him down and tell he is not a three point shooter, and if he doesnt want to listen, then you sit him.

The thing i like about this lineup minus lee in addition to superior defense is that you have 4 guys on the floor with 3 point range and that leads to some awesome spacing and really stretches defenses out. Plus Even without lee, theyre top 5 in rebounding percentage too. He can be a welcome addition depending on how they use him, but i dont think a 30 min role is in the teams best interest

In comment 12020866 santacruzom said:

Quote:

In comment 12020853 chris r said: Quote: In comment 12020848 santacruzom said: Quote: In comment 12020767 chris r said: Quote: In comment 12020752 santacruzom said: Quote: On the road against the Bulls. What I wouldn't give for a Warriors-like transformation for the Giants. A little premature don't you think? Not really. I mean, it's not like I was saying they won the game in the first quarter. So they had a good first quarter of the game and a good first quarter of the season. Hopefully the Giants have higher expectations than that. Rofl

Been hitting the booze since that first quarter?

In comment 12020882 MarshallOnMontana said:

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The thing i like about this lineup minus lee in addition to superior defense is that you have 4 guys on the floor with 3 point range and that leads to some awesome spacing and really stretches defenses out. Plus Even without lee, theyre top 5 in rebounding percentage too. He can be a welcome addition depending on how they use him, but i dont think a 30 min role is in the teams best interest

The Warriors have a ton of team stats that are kind if erroneous because of how many blowouts they've dished out this far. There's been a lot of garbage time, and I've seen their rebounds improve in fourth quarters when no starters are on the floor for either team.

They're not a bad rebounding team by any means, but add Lee and I think they become elite or close to it in that category.

The other thing though is that Speights has been playing great, and you don't really want to decrease his minutes.

I hate these jerseys. Worst part of the Warriors season by far to this point.

In this game... That call on Hinrich is strange considering what other stuff they've let slide.

take rose the fuck out of the game.

Have been much better recently about keeping the right players, but I don't see how they can afford Draymond Green's next contract.

With a win at detroit. Man the pistons are a bunch of dogs. I watched a good deal of that game tonight, more than i should have given the options. Another no show night for drummond after early foul trouble. He is way too feast or famine night to night.

In Warriors history.

On Draymond Green. Every sports team would love to have a guy like that.

Is getting pretty alarming now. He has been out 3 weeks with a knee issue and last night mchale said that he "wont be back any time soon". They didnt make this sound like a big deal when he first went out

That miami is one big dumpster fire

4 game losing streak now with losses by an average of 18 ppg. Theyre 9-11 on the season playing some of the worst defense in franchise history, and in the bottom half of the league offensively the season after setting the efg% record.

When asked about life in the post lebron era

"It gives you an appreciation for what you had when you had it. We're not used to losing and we're losing now."

Dudes are getting sentimental and its not even christmas yet.

�I think if you go back to the preseason transcripts, I said that this is the type of season that we�re going to have,� Dwyane Wade said. �This is the team that we have. We don�t have that team that can win 27 in a row right now. I�m not the kind of guy to dream that big."

he talked a big game this preseason about the heat prospects. As did bosh, and riley said he expected them to remain title contenders after the deng signing. We are one week into december and the 4 time consevutive east champs are resigning themselves to their playoff fringe fate. Reality hits quick.

Talk about a straight up loser mindset coming out of that locker room already with these quotes though. Superteam this and big 3 that my ass. People spent the last 4 years overrating the hell out of that supporting cast based on name recognition. Lebrons versatility and overall greatness covered up a lot of glaring flaws that plague that team today. The issues that plague miami are not new. They just used to plow through it

Should be a good atmosphere with William and Kate I the house...
No Lopez for nets

Zach Levine is just ridiculously freaking fast.

1) OBJ there... met him in the vault fan area, very nice kid... got to shake his hand and wish him luck
2) royal couple at the game... its one thing to be in the arena with celebrity... it was entirely different feeling in front of royalty. It was like the game stopped. Very amazing experience.

and the nets lost by 30.... lebron and waiters put on a show

To beat the suns 121-120, scored 45 on the night

Better than mavs/bulls. Griffin and bledsoe were both incredible

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine 54s54 seconds ago
Story going online now co-scribed with @NotoriousOHM: ESPN sources say Nets have made D-Will, Brook Lopez & Joe Johnson available via trade

And whats the point of stripping down when you dont even have the rights to your picks until 2019. They might as well just ride that treadmill and try to be the best mediocre version of themselves they can be. Its such a brutal situation.

Kerr doing so well after the media lambasted the Warriors for firing Jackson. I've never been impressed by Jackson as either a commentator or coach and it was pathetic how the media predictably came to the defense of their own. I understand that it remains to be seen how things work out with GS, but it's hard not to be impressed by their start.

Also, looks like another guy who the media had a grand ole time insulting (Jason Kidd) has turned out to at least be a competant NBA coach. Zach Lowe had a great article today on Grantland about what Milwaukee is doing long term and the type of defensive system Kidd is instilling in the team right now.

Havent seen jerry in d.c. post in months. Hope all is well with him and miss him on these threads

I don't know if he actually seriously considered the Knicks job, but that certainly worked out nicely for him.

the Nets are taking back other awful contracts, no one is giving them anything for Deron and probably not Joe Johnson either. They couldn't give Deron away for free at this point. Brook might have a little value but who knows with the injury issues

In comment 12026019 Metnut said:

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Kerr doing so well after the media lambasted the Warriors for firing Jackson. I've never been impressed by Jackson as either a commentator or coach and it was pathetic how the media predictably came to the defense of their own. I understand that it remains to be seen how things work out with GS, but it's hard not to be impressed by their start. Also, looks like another guy who the media had a grand ole time insulting (Jason Kidd) has turned out to at least be a competant NBA coach. Zach Lowe had a great article today on Grantland about what Milwaukee is doing long term and the type of defensive system Kidd is instilling in the team right now.

um, do you think the media was wrong in killing Kidd (who has a long track record of poor behavior) for what he pulled last summer?

In comment 12026040 Greg from LI said:

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I don't know if he actually seriously considered the Knicks job, but that certainly worked out nicely for him.

I'm sure he was was very serious about the Knick job until the Warriors came along offering more money, a better roster, and a location close to his kids.

In comment 12026223 Enzo said:

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In comment 12026019 Metnut said: Quote: um, do you think the media was wrong in killing Kidd (who has a long track record of poor behavior) for what he pulled last summer?

Considering how incompetant Nets management has proven to be, can you blame him for wanting out and can you trust anything coming out of that camp?

In comment 12026296 Metnut said:

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In comment 12026223 Enzo said: Quote: In comment 12026019 Metnut said: Quote: um, do you think the media was wrong in killing Kidd (who has a long track record of poor behavior) for what he pulled last summer? Considering how incompetant Nets management has proven to be, can you blame him for wanting out and can you trust anything coming out of that camp?

yes, you can blame him for wanting out one year into his deal, trying to get his GM fired, and then making a play for Larry Drew's job. Kidd was killed everywhere by everyone for all of this.

Nets have been better off with a new GM? King has ruined the franchise for the long-term and it's amazing he still is employed as an NBA GM.

has to learn that you cannot run the same play in the last 6:00 of a game. All he did was iso Lowry every single possession and he couldnt do shit. Toronto with horrific offense in the 4th that will cost them the game.

In comment 12026374 Metnut said:

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Nets have been better off with a new GM? King has ruined the franchise for the long-term and it's amazing he still is employed as an NBA GM.

that may be true, but that has nothing to do with Kidd's conduct.

Yee-IKES


I hope Okafor or Mudiay or the STANIMAL are worth it...

Thats 8 in a row now for cleveland, already easily the longest win streak anyone on that team has ever been a part of outside of lebron and the guys who had previously played with lebron. Theyre really starting to put it together defensively, and though lack of a rim protector will always give them a ceiling shy of elite, they were never going to be this brutal defensive squad many painted them out to be, and the way they looked early in the season. They are building a culture there day by day

but above all last night i noticed a bounce that lebron has been lacking athletically this year. That reverse dunk on the breakaway was nice to see, because his lift just hasnt been there this year. His dunk totals are way down. He has been finishing below the rim a ton, his speed and quickness look unaltered but he has clearly not had the same bounce that he has in past years, and you wonder if hes hiding an injury. But he looked as spry as he has this year yesterday

In comment 11961339 santacruzom said:

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about him being a weird fit. I just don't think he'd be a consistently contributing component to a ball-movement-oriented offense. A lot of GS fans like to think he's some athletic freak on the verge of becoming a young Vince Carter, but I just don't see it. Aside from his ability to jump in such a way as to very occasionally result in a dunk, he doesn't seem to be all that quick. Draymond Green has easily surpassed him in terms of being a valuable asset on the court, and he should be kept at the expense of Barnes in my opinion.

I owe you an apology Harrison.

If the Bulls somehow disappoint with a 1st-2nd round exit, dont be shocked if Thibs is fired. He already has gotten on Rose on more than one occasion (deservedly so...) and now he is getting into a media battle with Taj Gibson on why their defense has been awful this year. This is coming after Rip Hamilton said Thibs pushes his players too much and practices are too hard.

For a coach that has a lot of credibility, it seems as though he is in constant battles with players/front office. I know it may seem absurd, but the Bulls may be ready to move on from him.

What a douche. HE is their biggest problem right now. Its a joke that hes the one pointing fingers. They were better when he was gone last year. Theyre way better with him off the floor than on it this year (some of the worst on/off numbers ive ever seen). Hes playing a selfish brand of basketball in the interest of chasing the most hollow stats ever produced on a basketball court while simultaneously killing his team. And that doesnt even get into the fact that his defense is beyond a joke and the contract is horrible

the lakers would be a better team right now if he went fishing

In comment 12030820 MarshallOnMontana said:

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What a douche. HE is their biggest problem right now. Its a joke that hes the one pointing fingers. They were better when he was gone last year. Theyre way better with him off the floor than on it this year (some of the worst on/off numbers ive ever seen). Hes playing a selfish brand of basketball in the interest of chasing the most hollow stats ever produced on a basketball court while simultaneously killing his team. And that doesnt even get into the fact that his defense is beyond a joke and the contract is horrible the lakers would be a better team right now if he went fishing

Nick Young said no one in the league can guard him 1 on 1 that day too....haha

And Kobe ripped Kupshak for playing with a bunch of guys who are basically scrubs and dont practice hard. If I were Mitch, I'd say.... well if your overrated ass wasnt making 30 million a year, Id get better players.

Which he hasnt done in a month because hes breaking down

i love how he separates himself from the situation as if its "poor kobe, he has no help". The team blows but kobe is a huge reason why. He literally makes them a worse basketball team than they even otherwise would be. Leading the league in shot attempts while shooting 39% and being a joke defensively is not an asset to any team. They are leagues better when hes off the court

Their team defense with kobe on the floor is literally worst in nba history bad

Per 100 possessions:

Kobe on the court (779 min)
Lakers 105.5 opponents 118.5 (lakers -13.0)

Kobe off the court (288 min)
Lakers 109.1 opponents 103.3 (lakers +5.8)

Literally the worst numbers ive ever seen. He is thoroughly killing his team this year chasing the most hollow stats the nba has ever seen. And some are actually verbally fellating him for leading the league in scoring this year.

In comment 12030892 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Their team defense with kobe on the floor is literally worst in nba history bad Per 100 possessions: Kobe on the court (779 min) Lakers 105.5 opponents 118.5 (lakers -13.0) Kobe off the court (288 min) Lakers 109.1 opponents 103.3 (lakers +5.8) Literally the worst numbers ive ever seen. He is thoroughly killing his team this year chasing the most hollow stats the nba has ever seen. And some are actually verbally fellating him for leading the league in scoring this year.

I'm no Kobe fan by any means, but can't statistics like that be erroneous because it doesn't account for things like garbage time, when Kobe is liable to be off the court, or the strength of other teams' second units in general?