The Thread of the 2010-11 NBA Season(IBTLo) [Archive]

stevew

09-14-2010, 01:54 AM

Iverson to play in China(where Starbury is apparently playing already) (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/nba/09/13/iverson.ap/index.html) Oh how the mighty have fallen. It's amazing that AI needs cash, I mean that's gotta be the only logical reason he's still playing, right?

Anyways, I'd say there's nearly a 95% chance of a lockout next summer, hence this season will be In Before the Lockout. Actually, the players union would be wise to strike before the NBA playoffs if no deal is close. I dunno if it's the owners bitching about not making enough money, or if at least a third of them are getting murdered at the box office. We'll see if Simmons and others are right with their dire projections.

4 quick predictions
NBA Finals prediction-Heat/Lakers
MVP-Durant
ROY-Blake Griffin
Cavs or Clippers-I think the Cavs will win more games than the Clippers.

Groundhog

09-14-2010, 02:00 AM

I think you nailed all the four predictions. Thing about Wall is that the play of rookie PGs over the past couple of seasons has really elevated expectations, so you kinda assume he'll average near 20pts 10asts.

RainMaker

09-14-2010, 03:01 AM

I think this is going to be a nasty lockout and wouldn't be shocked if we didn't have a 2011-2012 season. Owners want to drastically cut salaries and I don't see players giving in too easy. I'm reading 40% cut across the board in terms of salaries.

RainMaker

09-14-2010, 03:02 AM

Oh, and if I'm drafting a team from scratch right now, Kevin Durant is my first pick. Guy is unbelievable.

stevew

09-14-2010, 03:12 AM

I'd really want to draft Durant, but I think LeBron easily drops 45 on him, and reasonably contains him on defense. I don't think Durant's defense is in the same ball park.

That being said.
1a. LeBron
1b. Kobe
1c. Durant

everyone else.

RainMaker

09-14-2010, 03:48 AM

Talentwise Lebron is better. But if you're building a team, I think Durant offers up the other intangibles that Lebron doesn't have. Durant is by all accounts a great teammate, a guy who wants the ball in the clutch, and seems to really be pushed to make himself better. I just feel he's one of those guys who is going to make his teammates better.

I could be getting suckered into the positive Durant PR and maybe he really is a totally different person than we perceive. But I just don't see him as someone who would tank a crucial playoff game.

whomario

09-14-2010, 04:30 AM

actually i think that Durant has tons of potential on defense and actually allready is quite a bit above average there. Really opened my eye with that in the World Cup, too. Now i´ll easily admit that the talent level was pedestrian this time around, but you could still see that he has a great bball-IQ on defense which is worth so much, actually you can see things like that very well against FIBA competition (f.e. you could also see that Tyson Chandler sucks on defense, only thing saving him in NBA play is his ability to cover space with athleticism).

Anyway, Durant really started to play great defense last year allready, guarded the best scoring forward of the other team more and more often and even took turns guarding some SGs, like Kobe in the playoffs.

The one thing Durant absolutely has to work on is passing the ball and reacting better towards double teams. Right now his options on the drive are 1) scorer 2) get fouled 3) pitch a wild pass across the middle.

He definitely isn´t the natural ballhandler that a guy like James is, his technique doesn´t really allow for that (has a rather high/bouncy dribble and takes loooong steps) and that definitely is a concern. Good thing that Westbrook is developing very, very well and can take that responsibility from him a bit.

Actually i like that concept of World class scorer + explosive playmaker/scorer much better than World class everything + jump shooting 2nd option

RainMaker

09-14-2010, 07:40 AM

I was lucky enough to see Durant live this past year and the one thing I took away from it was how he played so well in the flow of the game. He never forced shots. It was just so natural to him. I can't fathom where he will be at 25.

fpres

09-15-2010, 07:43 PM

Yao limited to 24 minutes per game this season | NBA Basketball | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7202701.html)

I can see what the Rockets are trying to do in protecting Yao for a playoff run. I'm just not sure it was necessary to telegraph this to the world. It just makes it easier to gameplan against Houston.

stevew

09-15-2010, 09:03 PM

The Cavs did the minute limiting thing one year with Z. I'd guess he's the closest comp to Yao I can think of. Hopefully it works out for Yao like it did for Z.

whomario

09-16-2010, 05:01 AM

@ stevew : The comparison is definitely there, even had the same type of surgery. Also hope it´ll work as well.

Yao limited to 24 minutes per game this season | NBA Basketball | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7202701.html)

I can see what the Rockets are trying to do in protecting Yao for a playoff run. I'm just not sure it was necessary to telegraph this to the world. It just makes it easier to gameplan against Houston.

no one game plans for a specific team before actually playing them and even then it´s minimal due to having little practice time in-season, until the playoffs come around you just execute a team scheme and then the good defenders go over tape for their respective matchups for the following game.
If they don´t make it publiceveryone still assumes he´ll play way fewer minutes (like everyone did before this article) and after the first few games everyone will know he´s playing fewer minutes.
You think any team in November will go "hmm, what if Yao suddenly starts to play 35 minutes against us of all teams ?" ? They´d just assume he plays as much or little as before anyway.

absolute non-issue.

It´s not like Adelmann won´t keep an eye on this and make sure that 24 limit isn´t reached before the very end of the game to make sure he has him on the court then.

What will be interesting is how they will distribute those minutes. Personally i wouldn´t mind him logging most of those minutes with the 2nd unit for at least the first half of the season, that way you give those guys (Lee, Buddinger, Patterson) a focal point to work with and create space for them.
Actually him coming off the bench might be a good option, as i can´t see him playing 6 minutes at the start of a half, then sit for 12 (plus the break between quarters) and then come back. 6 in-6 out might be better to not loose rythm.

Rockets also now interested in signing either Dampier or Fesenko. I´d actually love to have them take a look at Fesenko, the guy has so much natural ability ...

stevew

09-16-2010, 08:23 AM

I'd bring Yao off the bench as well. Z basically was 100% available for the next 6 or so seasons post his recovery. You need Yao in the league so hopefully it works.

Groundhog

09-23-2010, 07:24 PM

Groundhog

09-23-2010, 07:38 PM

And Wizards going back to red/white/blue next season. That's a nice change. That gold nonsense was horrible.

whomario

09-24-2010, 03:28 AM

Nelson is out at Golden State! :D

I'm actually a bit of a Warriors fan after they acquired David Lee, and I'm very interested to see how they do with a proper coach. I wouldn't be surprised to see Biedrins bounce back in a big way now.

I´m in a similar state, also have been a sort-of-fan of them for the last couple years, especially after drafting Curry.

Next step : Trade Ellis before he can remind people how empty his stats are, so better do it before the season starts.

Biedrins is just a curious case, will be interesting what happens. Fact is that he´ll be an absolute liability offensively unless he starts hitting his FTs, which is an absolute shame because he actually has some skills offensively.
Saw him play with his NT a few times the last couple years and i´m convinced he could score 15 a game if he shot in the high 60s from the line. The problem with him is not just not hitting the FTs but as a consequence avoiding contact and not getting many touches (especially last year where Nelso basically said not to give him the ball when a defender was close)

Neon_Chaos

09-24-2010, 05:13 AM

whomario

09-24-2010, 12:43 PM

The Warriors need to hire a Filipino player. :) They could make tons of money just having him on the team, given the large Filipino population in the Bay Area, and my country's fanaticism towards basketball.

Yeah well, one at a time. They just signed Jeremy Lin, who might very well end up the most marketeable 10 MPG player in the league (plus is a nice kid with tons of character on and off the court by all accounts, so all power to him :) )

acording to that "multiple sources" guy the Nuggets are in serious talks with the Nets, Bobcats and Jazz for a 4-way trade. Reported corner-stones :

Nets get : Anthony
Nuggets : Kirilenko, Favors, multiple draft picks
Jazz : Diaw
Bobcats : Harris

jbergey22

09-24-2010, 12:49 PM

Wow next year is going to suck. No NFL football or NBA basketball.

stevew

09-24-2010, 01:04 PM

And Wizards going back to red/white/blue next season. That's a nice change. That gold nonsense was horrible.

They still have a fucking retarded nickname. I guess there is humor in that Washington is okay with a name that's probably demeaning for their pro football team, but Bullets was too much for the basketball team.

molson

09-24-2010, 01:06 PM

Wow next year is going to suck. No NFL football or NBA basketball.

Go Hartford Colonials!

Ronnie Dobbs2

09-24-2010, 01:16 PM

Great article by Larry Coon on the potential lockout, but not very reassuring.

Larry Coon: Potential lockout hangs over highly anticipated 2010-11 NBA season - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=coon_larry&page=lockout-100922)

miami_fan

09-24-2010, 05:51 PM

NBA expands guidelines on calling technical fouls; cracks down on complaining - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5609817)

So why not eliminate all communication between the players and refs? No more of those witty exchanges with Dick Bavetta.

I am sure I am in the minority on this since these things have never bothered. I am curious about this piece

Our players are more personally connected to fans than any other sports," Johnson said. "We don't have masks. ... There's nothing you can hide on the expression of an NBA players. ... People expect hockey players to be fighting. They expect baseball managers to be kicking dirt on umpires. But that's not our game. That's not what our fans want. They tell us in many many ways and I think we have to adjust to meet the needs of our league and our fans. It's a business."

Can someone please explain this bit of code to me?

RainMaker

09-24-2010, 06:06 PM

They've done it before and the new rule lasts the preseason and the first 2 weeks and then goes back to normal.

Galaril

09-25-2010, 12:35 AM

Yeah well, one at a time. They just signed Jeremy Lin, who might very well end up the most marketeable 10 MPG player in the league (plus is a nice kid with tons of character on and off the court by all accounts, so all power to him :) )

acording to that "multiple sources" guy the Nuggets are in serious talks with the Nets, Bobcats and Jazz for a 4-way trade. Reported corner-stones :

Nets get : Anthony
Nuggets : Kirilenko, Favors, multiple draft picks
Jazz : Diaw
Bobcats : Harris

That would be a great deal for the Nuggets even if they give up some one like Melo, Martin, and JR, . They would still have Lawson, Favors, Nene (PF), Kirilenko (SF/Bench), Andersen, Billups. Plus they would have two picks next draft and 2012. The picks would be the Nets and the Warriors. Chances are the Nuggets are lottery pick next season or two and if not them or the other two picks they could package picks to move up to near the top to get a top player. So, they could have a great rebuilding plan here for 2012/2013. That certainly is better option than what Cavs and Raptor fans have to look forward.

RainMaker

09-25-2010, 12:49 AM

Good deal for everyone involved. Nets get a star before moving to Brooklyn. Nuggets get a great young talent and a lot of draft picks to rebuild around. Jazz dump a big salary and guy they were going to lose anyway. And Bobcats bring in the PG that Larry Brown has been after for awhile.

Problem is, this makes zero sense for Carmelo. That Nets team will be lucky to win 40 games while he's leaving a Nuggets team that will be a contender in the West. He's also stuck in Newark for two years. I guess he wants to be near New York more than he wants to actually win and be something in this league. Maybe he's got this sense that Chris Paul will join him in a couple years, but that's a huge risk with no CBA in place.

Groundhog

09-25-2010, 03:31 AM

Who starts at PG for Nets? Farmar?

Groundhog

09-25-2010, 03:34 AM

dola

But yeah, I agree. Honestly, I have NFI why Carmello wants to leave Denver. No team he goes to (unless it's Chicago for Noah) will be as good as the current team he is on.

Neon_Chaos

09-25-2010, 06:14 AM

dola

But yeah, I agree. Honestly, I have NFI why Carmello wants to leave Denver. No team he goes to (unless it's Chicago for Noah) will be as good as the current team he is on.

World Wide Wes.

stevew

09-25-2010, 12:52 PM

Sgran

09-26-2010, 07:46 AM

If i'm the Nets I'm not sure I give up Favors. By all accounts he's going to be a beast in the low block on both ends with a bit of seasoning. On the other hand, they've got Lopez, so it makes sense to go get the perimeter scorer they need. The Devin Harrises of the league are a dime a dozen, so it's actually a good move to dump his contract. Looks like a crunchtime lineup of Farmar (uggh), Morrow (lots of clean looks for a dead-eye 3pt specialist), Melo, Troy Murphy/Joe Smith (both solid vets) and Lopez. Not much D, that's for sure, but man are they gonna fill it up! I'd say that's a 35-40 win team if they add another decent guard, preferably a Ronnie Brewer type.

TroyF

09-26-2010, 09:19 AM

This would be a dream trade for the Nuggets. They get a rebuilding block (Favors) and some draft picks. I think AK is probably better suited for a more open ended system as well.

Here will be the Nuggets FA next year:

Billups, Smith, Martin, AK. That's over 50 million off the books next year. (note, Billups is a team option, but there is no way they bring him back at over 10 million a year) Nene also has a player option which could free up even more cash for the rebuilding.

Only absolutes for the following year would be Birdman, Harrington, Afflalo, Lawson, Favors.

Problem is, this is too good to be true. The Nuggets will find a way to screw this up or Melo will screw us over by not signing the extension with the Nets. I'm praying I find out this deal is true. (look, I'd rather have Melo here, but if he doesn't want to be here, he needs to get the hell out)

Chief Rum

09-26-2010, 04:05 PM

DaddyTorgo

09-26-2010, 04:36 PM

I'm pretty sure the Heat are going to out free throw everyone 40 to 20 all season. It is going to be hard to watch their games. 3/5 of the lineup are likely to get no more than 2 fouls per 40 minutes. Plus LeBron can goal tend at will. Fuck the nba.

Yep.

I realized the other day I'm pretty unexcited for this coming season. And that's coming from a city where my team has actually had a legitimate shot within the past few years, and a title to boot. I can only imagine how the fans in say Detroit or other places where they're not recent contenders are feeling.

Great for Lebron and Wade and Bosh, they took advantage of FA and can all play together and be buddies in South Beach. But pretty sucky for the rest of the league when you remove the relevance of the regular season for the rest of the fans out there on a day-to-day basis. Even for the 3-4 teams that might have a shot of beating the Heat (on paper) in a 7 game series...the regular season essentially becomes one long warm-up for the postseason.

Not that it wasn't before to a degree, but at least there were compelling arguments to be made about playoff seeding and such. Now those just all seem...I dunno...less important.

Color me unexcited.

RainMaker

09-26-2010, 09:38 PM

I'm pretty sure the Heat are going to out free throw everyone 40 to 20 all season. It is going to be hard to watch their games. 3/5 of the lineup are likely to get no more than 2 fouls per 40 minutes. Plus LeBron can goal tend at will. Fuck the nba.
Yeah, the already went out of their way to cater the schedule towards them. It will really suck if a team pushes them in the playoffs and we have to sit through a 50 FT game so that the league can get them into the Finals.

RainMaker

09-26-2010, 09:45 PM

Was wondering when we would see you comment on this one, Troy. This move would definitely be another power shifting move as well. Lot of talent and ability moving East. The pendulum finally swinging back?
I don't know about that yet. The East has consolidated some power, but the bottom half is really weak. If the Nets get Carmelo, it just creates a .500 team that maybe squeaks into the playoffs. I don't think it's going to have much impact on the balance of power.

The East also has a few top teams whos windows are closing. The Celtics maybe have a year or two left of being able to contend before they'll have to rebuild. The Magic may have hit their ceiling. The Cavs are gone and the Hawks looked like a team that was getting worse.

The West has some young teams too moving up. The Thunder should enter a top 5 NBA team in the next year or two, while the Kings and Clippers could be intriguing down the road. Plus the Hornets will have a healthy Chris Paul this year.

Passacaglia

09-27-2010, 08:00 AM

Yeah, the already went out of their way to cater the schedule towards them.

How'd they do that?

RainMaker

09-27-2010, 02:00 PM

How'd they do that?
Less back-to-backs and 4 in 5 nights than most teams. No real long road trips. Teams are much less likely to win those games in those scenarios and thus finish with a worse record.

An example of this would be the Clippers and Lakers. Play in the same city, same arena, same conference. So in reality, they should have somewhat similar schedules. The Clippers play 22 back-to-backs, the 2nd most in the league. The Lakers play the least at 15. The Clippers play 3 4-in-5 nights, the Lakers 1. The Clippers have a stretch where they play 17 of 20 on the road (almost the entire month of February) which includes 11 in a row. The Lakers longest is 7 games.

It's a little known trick the NBA has been doing for a long time. Sometimes there is only so much they can do if a team has to take a long trip for other arrangements (the Bulls circus trip for example). But configuring friendly schedules can be the difference in around 3-5 wins per team which is really important in terms of seeding.

stevew

09-27-2010, 02:07 PM

DeToxRox

09-27-2010, 02:21 PM

Yep.

I realized the other day I'm pretty unexcited for this coming season. And that's coming from a city where my team has actually had a legitimate shot within the past few years, and a title to boot. I can only imagine how the fans in say Detroit or other places where they're not recent contenders are feeling.

Great for Lebron and Wade and Bosh, they took advantage of FA and can all play together and be buddies in South Beach. But pretty sucky for the rest of the league when you remove the relevance of the regular season for the rest of the fans out there on a day-to-day basis. Even for the 3-4 teams that might have a shot of beating the Heat (on paper) in a 7 game series...the regular season essentially becomes one long warm-up for the postseason.

Not that it wasn't before to a degree, but at least there were compelling arguments to be made about playoff seeding and such. Now those just all seem...I dunno...less important.

Color me unexcited.

As a Pistons fans I could give two shits about this season. I'm going to watch to see how the kids develop but there isn't much to be excited about outside of us failing totally and Joe getting fired.

RainMaker

09-27-2010, 03:06 PM

I noticed the b2b thing with the Cavs last year. We didn't seem to have any. And the other thing is b2b when the other team has had 2 nights off before. Things like that. The Thursday prime time games are somewhat responsible too. The NBA would be better with a more MLB type schedule. Go to more 2game series and forget the notion that teams need to play each other every season.
Yeah, you guys got a much harder schedule this year. 2nd most back-to-backs and most 4-in-5 nights. Huge difference from last year.

Kind of the opposite of what the NFL does scheduling wise. Maybe that's why the NBA does so poorly in comparision.

TroyF

09-27-2010, 03:33 PM

I don't know about that yet. The East has consolidated some power, but the bottom half is really weak. If the Nets get Carmelo, it just creates a .500 team that maybe squeaks into the playoffs. I don't think it's going to have much impact on the balance of power.

The East also has a few top teams whos windows are closing. The Celtics maybe have a year or two left of being able to contend before they'll have to rebuild. The Magic may have hit their ceiling. The Cavs are gone and the Hawks looked like a team that was getting worse.

The West has some young teams too moving up. The Thunder should enter a top 5 NBA team in the next year or two, while the Kings and Clippers could be intriguing down the road. Plus the Hornets will have a healthy Chris Paul this year.

You vastly underrate Carmelo. The front line of Lopez, Murphy and Melo would be one of the best in the entire league. Guys like Ross/Outlaw/Joe Smith would give the front line depth.

The question is the PG. Morrow is solid at the 2. (not an all star by any stretch, but a good player) Farmer at the 1 with little/no backup? That's problematic. That said, the trade goes through, the Nets would be a 50 win team IMHO.

RainMaker

09-27-2010, 03:44 PM

You vastly underrate Carmelo. The front line of Lopez, Murphy and Melo would be one of the best in the entire league. Guys like Ross/Outlaw/Joe Smith would give the front line depth.

The question is the PG. Morrow is solid at the 2. (not an all star by any stretch, but a good player) Farmer at the 1 with little/no backup? That's problematic. That said, the trade goes through, the Nets would be a 50 win team IMHO.
The team won 12 games last year. It was really bad. And while they have a few decent pickups, they lose Harris too is a solid player. I just don't see Carmelo improving this team by 40 games.

They'll be able to score some points no doubt, but they'll battle Toronto for the worst defensive team in the league. There are 6 or 7 teams that are better than them in the East and you can make the case for a couple more.

TroyF

09-27-2010, 03:54 PM

RainMaker

09-27-2010, 04:03 PM

Denver won 12 games the year before Melo and 41 the year after and had less overall talent than the Nets do. Lopez averaged 19 and 9 last year with virtually no help. Now he has Murphy to split the board work with and teams will be doubling Melo. He was already developing into a stud center and now he has a shot to take that to another level.

I think they'd be over .500. Again, just my opinion.
Nuggets won 17 the year before in a much tougher conference. Camby missed most of that season and played almost a full one the following. They also added Andre Miller and Voshon Lenard (who was actually good!). So that 17 win team basically added Carmelo, Camby, Miller, and Lenard. The Nets are probably even worse than they were last year as I think Harris is more valuable than Murphy.

I'm not worried about their scoring or even rebounding. They'll just be the worst defensive team in the league and have no point guard at all. You've followed the Nuggets long enough to know how vital a PG is to the success of a team. Adding Billups to your team a few years back turned you guys into contenders.

Regardless, even if they are over .500, it won't be by much. They aren't in the top tier of the East. So at best he's looking at a 6-8 seed and a 1st round exit. My point was more that his current Nuggets team offers him a much better chance to win than what New Jersey currently has. I don't see why a 26 year old in his prime would want to rebuild a team that won 12 games last year.

Galaril

09-30-2010, 12:01 PM

For those who are Celtics fans:
Shaq, Celtics take aim at Heat target - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AltNj8Eq5OPKDneNAMix2ek5nYcB?slug=aw-celticsheat093010)

Sublime 2

09-30-2010, 01:17 PM

For those who are Celtics fans:
Shaq, Celtics take aim at Heat target - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AltNj8Eq5OPKDneNAMix2ek5nYcB?slug=aw-celticsheat093010)

In practice on Wednesday, the Celtics watched Garnett do things they hadn’t seen in two years. Once, he grabbed a rebound, fired the outlet pass and recovered to still beat every big man down the floor. No one witnessed that a year ago. Not once. He’s been fantastic for the Celtics and that can change everything. Boston can go back to guards Rajon Rondo and Delonte West pressuring the ball again because they know Garnett has the quickness to shadow the ball on the backline.

The ability of Garnett to come all the way back from his knee issues of the past two years will, Rivers says, “make or break us.”

Best part of the article. I think ultimate success really hinges on KG's knee.

whomario

10-01-2010, 04:59 AM

Is Etan Thomas the best character in the NBA ?

Case in point :

I wanted to write an article thanking the Oklahoma City Thunder and the entire state of Oklahoma. I had a great time there, and that organization really has something special. From top to bottom they are really a first-class organization. I have read a lot of articles since the end of the summer that questioned if what the Thunder organization accomplished last year was somewhat of a fluke or if they are the real deal.
Allow me to speak from first-hand experience, from someone who has actually seen what goes on behind closed doors and has been in the trenches with the team for an entire season… This was definitely no fluke, and here are the reasons why :

HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Etan Thomas » Thunder are the future (http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/thomas/2010/09/14/thunder-are-the-future/)

Seriously, who does that ? Such a praise for an association/team that he isn´t even part of anymore, that he played only 1 season for with little playing time and that didn´t want to resign him aparently ?

Etan Thomas will be successfull whatever he does after his career i´d say. Scout, Coach, Politician, literature professor, ambassador for Amnesty International, i don´t care.

Gary Gorski

10-01-2010, 09:25 AM

As if the Nuggets weren't dealing with enough drama

From Kenyon Martin in Denver Post

Like I said, I don’t have a problem with Al (Harrington). Al earned that money playing last year in New York. He played his butt off last year. But I feel me being here and what I’ve done for this (team)… (an offer) would have at least been extended, and it wasn’t. So who made that decision, I don’t know. If those people are no longer here, I don’t know who made that decision. But the decision was made. And I ain’t happy. They know it. Everybody knows it.

I’m not rushing, whatsoever. The day I come back is the day I come back. I’m in the last year of my deal, we all know it. Ain’t nobody in a hurry to give me one, so I’m not going to be in a hurry to come back. Think about it: Ain’t nobody in a hurry to give me a contract, so why would I be in a hurry to rush back and risk further injury. Makes all the sense in the world, right? Trust me, I’ve thought about it plenty.

The guy is 33 years old, injured, has only played 70 or more games 4 times in 10 seasons and the franchise player has decided he wants out - why on earth would Denver extend his contract? Definitely a classy move basically sitting out as long as he feels like it though to stick it to them...even though he has a contract to play basketball today.

I feel bad for George Karl - he's already fighting his own health issues and then the drama from Melo and K-Mart plus JR Smith hasn't even done anything crazy yet. Denver might as well take what they can get for Melo and blow it up now - give away KMart and JR Smith and just start putting together a new team.

bhlloy

10-01-2010, 09:31 AM

Eh... if you are the Nuggets why do you give a shit? Assuming Melo is gone at some point during this season you probably want as high a draft pick as possible, and K-Mart is a broken down shell of his former self who is a complete locker room cancer. I'd tell him to stay away as long as he wants.

I guess if you think Melo isn't 100% gone and he's buddies with K-Mart, this could hurt the team. But like you say, just blow it up and start over. Take that deal for Derrick Favors if you still can and you have 2 decent young pieces with a couple of potentially high draft picks next year.

Neon_Chaos

10-01-2010, 10:51 AM

Ah... Kenyon Martin. The number one pick in the worst draft year in NBA history.

molson

10-02-2010, 02:40 PM

What's up with Byron Scott?

http://ll-media.tmz.com/2010/10/01/1001-bryon-scott-tie.jpg

stevew

10-02-2010, 02:58 PM

Lmao. Oops

Coffee Warlord

10-03-2010, 02:49 PM

Well then.

Boozer out 8 weeks with a broken hand.

Groundhog

10-03-2010, 05:23 PM

That sucks. Still, Taj Gibson aint too shabby. Bulls shouldn't be in too bad shape by the time he gets back.

Ironhead

10-03-2010, 06:17 PM

Well then.

Boozer out 8 weeks with a broken hand.

"According to team sources, Boozer tripped over a bag in his house and fell."

Sucks for Bulls fans. They say 8 weeks but I wonder how quickly Boozer will come back. From what I can remember Jazz fans had complaints that Boozer took forever to come back from his prior injuries.

whomario

10-04-2010, 04:34 PM

"According to team sources, Boozer tripped over a bag in his house and fell."

that´s what happens if you don´t unpack right away ... Sucks for the Bulls, but then again it won´t be too hard to figur out how to work him into the lineup with his playstyle. But with hand injuries the timeline given really isn´t allways acurate, so it might be longer as well ...

Timberwolves win, Timberwolves win !!! :) ;)

Yesterday the Knicks and Nets beat up on 3rd rate european teams btw and i love how all headlines say "Nets blows out Maccabi" making it sound like sth and only later noting that it´s not actually powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv but Maccabi Haifa who really aren´t any good (It´s the team that HS dropout Jeremy Tyler sat on the bench for btw)
Yeah i know many readers of said headlines wouldn´t know the difference anyway, just saying ...;)

Timberwolves win !!! 111-92. Actually looked really, really sharp on offense. Yeah, the Lakers played with about as much effort as Phil Jackson gives in his Interviews during the game, but still unusual for a first preseason game. Darko and Love combining for 12 assists (6 each), Beasley hitting everything but turning it over a ton, he needs to cut that down and he can be a legit full-time SF instead of a tweener as his shooting is pretty decent and his athleticism should allow him to play there.

The one negative was Brewer and i´m not sure he´ll take well to being demoted in terms of PT (and maybe out of the starting lineup)

I love Luke Ridnour, the guy is just very, very fun to watch.

Kobe played only 6 minutes though

I really don´t know how many wins they´ll get, but fact is that they´ll have pretty talented players 1-12 this year.

whomario

10-05-2010, 01:08 PM

rather long article on Yao´s comeback : Rebuilding Yao Ming: Rockets Center Puts Everything Into Comeback Bid -- NBA FanHouse (http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/10/05/rebuilding-yao-ming-center-puts-everything-into-comeback-bid/)

(It is "only" Fanhouse but still a good read for those not following the story all that much)

They spend their mornings massaging and manipulating his muscles, trying to maximize this rarest of machines. In the five weeks leading up to training camp and during the preseason session itself, that meant 8:30 a.m. starts and at least six hours of meticulously-planned work every day.
that´s 3 hours before practice and those 6 hours were on top of normal practice btw, not including them.

"When he found out he was going to be out the rest of that (playoffs), there was a pretty strong look of distraught (on his face)," said Morey, whose team lost to the Lakers in seven games in what was its only second-round appearance since Yao was the No. 1 pick in 2002. "That (look) affected me, just because he works harder than anyone in the league. I know that sounds trite, but he's in that group of guys who take their career and their profession very seriously and work extraordinarily hard, and all of it had come to that moment."
"We got taped after (a team breakfast during training camp), and Yao had four people pulling on different parts of his body," [Shane] Battier said. "They were just working on his ankle while trying to strengthen his glutes and trying to make sure everything is in working shape and working order. Just to have four people manually manipulate your body like that, that's not a first-time occurrence. He's had people pouring over him, just scrutinizing the way he walks, scrutinizing the way he runs and the way he jumps.  

"Every time he falls people are scrutinizing -- training staff, the fans, coaches, teammates. After a while, I think I'd say, 'To hell with this. I'm done with it.' But I don't think Yao has ever complained. He has stayed pretty positive throughout the experience and that's the reason why he's in training camp today."
My List of things i wish would happen this year is lead by "Yao stays healthy and plays good Basketball by the Playoffs" followed by a big gap and then everything else. The guy just deserves a break, period.

RainMaker

10-07-2010, 01:46 AM

Would anyone here be interested in a fantasy basketball league? I haven't done won in a decade or so but have sort of gotten the itch to try it again. Just don't know many people who are that into the NBA that would be willing to do it.

Groundhog

10-07-2010, 02:31 AM

I'd be interested, depending on the setup.

Also, good day for the Pistons. Sheesh. Lose Jerebko likely for the entire season and rookie Terrico White also breaks his foot.

whomario

10-07-2010, 03:10 AM

Wow, that just sucks :( Jerebko was such a bright spot last year for that team, great story too ...

Timberwolves win 2 in a row :eek: Beat the Knicks 106-100 despite shooting just 40% and turning the ball over 30 times (trust me, it were even more watching the game). After struggling to rebound against the Lakers (only weak spot that game) they get 62 to the Knicks 35 yesterday.

Kevin Love is incredible in that regard, but he has to find a way to score at the basket. I don´t think there´s a starting PF/C with worse ability to finish inside. He has to get a fadeaway into his repertoire and needs to work on his offhand as well as headfakes. Right now he´s an incredible easy target for every shotblocker.

Pekovic won´t have any trouble scoring the ball in the NBA, he will have trouble defensively and staying on the floor. 18 MPG, 10 PPG, 4 RPG and 4 Fouls a game sound about right ;)

Wes Johnson can flat out shoot, very silky jumper. Webster can do more than just shoot, i´m surprised :) Brewer won´t be with the team past this season.

Anthony Randolph has atrocious shot selection, there´s no way he keeps that starting spot.

Suns get blown out 78-128, yikes ... Celtica beat down on the 76ers, Semih Erden debuts with 13/5 :)

SackAttack

10-07-2010, 03:38 AM

What's up with Byron Scott?

http://ll-media.tmz.com/2010/10/01/1001-bryon-scott-tie.jpg

You don't really even need the close-up. It stands out pretty good on its own in the first one.

And that's, uh...wow.

Groundhog

10-07-2010, 05:52 PM

Ladies and gentlemen, John Wall:

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IQLHCqSwpsE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IQLHCqSwpsE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

Also, Wade out two weeks with injury, and Lakers lose to Barcelona (will be watching that replay tonight).

stevew

10-07-2010, 06:12 PM

These Cavs are gonna be real hard to watch. A bunch of overpaid complementary role players that I hate. Mo Williams makes me ill. Jamison too.

I'm interested in seeing Andy/Sessions/JJ. I don't think Enegya will play this year. LONG season alert.

Groundhog

10-07-2010, 06:19 PM

I'm warming up to Williams, especially his comments post-LeBron, and I think Jamison will be a different guy this year with a competent head coach and offense. But yeah, to be honest, I'd rather we go 21-61 than the 41-41 we likely will go.

Saddest part is that I have some kind of sick delusion that Samardo Samuels is going to find the form that made him one of the highest rated high school recruits in his class now that he's with the Cavs.

Groundhog

10-07-2010, 06:20 PM

Also, that's two preseason games in a row that the Wizards have run with Wall-Arenas-Hinrich in the starting backcourt. Did Nelson get a gig at Washington after stepping down at Golden State?

Big Fo

10-07-2010, 06:28 PM

Ladies and gentlemen, John Wall:

Also, Wade out two weeks with injury, and Lakers lose to Barcelona (will be watching that replay tonight).

Nice layup.

I saw this from today, lovely passing by Barca.

http://i52.tinypic.com/x29kky.jpg

stevew

10-07-2010, 06:29 PM

Fuck Mo and his whiny post- Bron crying. Mo is garbage who falters in the clutch. He plays weak defense. It is no surprise that the 25 win Bucks gave him away for free.

whomario

10-07-2010, 06:31 PM

and Lakers lose to Barcelona (will be watching that replay tonight).

while playing mostly with their projected rotation no less. To be fair though, Barcelona are much further in their season-preperation as the ACB allready started last week.

Play of the day : http://i52.tinypic.com/x29kky.gif

talk about sharing that ball :)

edit : Big Fo beat me to it, still keeping it up as it´s great enough to deserve being up twice ;)

Groundhog

10-07-2010, 06:39 PM

Nice layup.

I saw this from today, lovely passing by Barca.

http://i52.tinypic.com/x29kky.jpg

LOL @ Odom. Just standing there, like WTF just happened?

BishopMVP

10-07-2010, 07:10 PM

Celtics beat down on the 76ers, Semih Erden debuts with 13/5 :)Screw that... Stephane Lasme with 12 and 4 in 7 minutes, including 2 alley-oops. :)

DaddyTorgo

10-07-2010, 07:58 PM

Erden!! WOO!

Groundhog

10-07-2010, 10:19 PM

Blake Griffin has 18 points and 13 rebounds. At half time. In 18 minutes.

MikeVic

10-07-2010, 10:37 PM

while playing mostly with their projected rotation no less. To be fair though, Barcelona are much further in their season-preperation as the ACB allready started last week.

Play of the day : http://i52.tinypic.com/x29kky.gif

talk about sharing that ball :)

edit : Big Fo beat me to it, still keeping it up as it´s great enough to deserve being up twice ;)

Terence Morris and Pete Mickeal... holy crap.

Can someone tell me why we don't have some sort of World Championship with clubs from different countries?

Groundhog

10-07-2010, 10:52 PM

Terence Morris and Pete Mickeal... holy crap.

Can someone tell me why we don't have some sort of World Championship with clubs from different countries?

They sorta kinda used to:

McDonald's Championship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald's_Championship)

Good news is that it's sorta back in a different format this year, and starting next year FIBA will invite the NBA champs too:

FIBA World Club Championship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIBA_World_Club_Championship)

whomario

10-08-2010, 01:45 AM

The Heat are in Kansas City to play the Thunder in a preseason game on Friday and LeBron James was scheduled to have a party at The Midland, a theater in downtown Kansas City, on Thursday night.
Durant received an invitation, but declined the offer.
"I don't go out to parties the day before a game," Durant said. "I really don't go out too much during the season."

Read more: RealGM: Basketball Wiretap Archives: Durant Declines Invitation To LeBron Party In Kansas City (http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/69459/20101007/durant_declines_invitation_to_lebron_party_in_kansas_city/#ixzz11kN9na9l)

:)

Dallas with a very unconvincing preseason game. I don´t know, but having to play Nowitzki 35 minutes and score 30 to beat the Boozer-less Bulls seems strange for a preseason game (37 minutes and 22 by Butler)

Yao with a much better showing in the 2nd game, couldn´t by a basket but at least was agressive looking for his shot (even a 75% Yao will be an excellent scoring option as the season goes on) and rebounded the ball very well, went into traffic with no hesitation and played good defense. 7 boards and 3 blocks in 13 minutes.

Chief Rum

10-08-2010, 01:53 AM

Blake Griffin has 18 points and 13 rebounds. At half time. In 18 minutes.

Awesome. He had a fairly pedestrian first preseason game, although I don't think he played major minutes, maybe 20-24.

Big Fo

10-08-2010, 02:16 AM

Here's a video (around 8 minutes long) of Dwight Howard working with Hakeem Olajuwon to improve his offensive repertoire:

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mArHU1ewSog?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mArHU1ewSog?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

Hopefully he and the Magic benefit from this. He's the league's best center but there is certainly room for improvement.

Groundhog

10-08-2010, 03:38 AM

Olajuwon looks like he could still go out there and average 15-10.

RainMaker

10-08-2010, 05:09 AM

I'll be at the United Center tomorrow night to welcome Kirk Hinrich back to town. Yes, my Friday night is going to be spent watching preseason basketball.

whomario

10-08-2010, 06:45 PM

Aaron Brooks with gets the scooping layup and kinda tackles 3 spurs to the floor all at once :

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NVbLBaZ0YbU?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NVbLBaZ0YbU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

:D

MrBug708

10-08-2010, 07:11 PM

while playing mostly with their projected rotation no less. To be fair though, Barcelona are much further in their season-preperation as the ACB allready started last week.

Play of the day : http://i52.tinypic.com/x29kky.gif

talk about sharing that ball :)

edit : Big Fo beat me to it, still keeping it up as it´s great enough to deserve being up twice ;)

Yes it is there projected lineup, but if the Lakers actually cared about winning that game, they probably would have won by 30 :)

whomario

10-09-2010, 03:56 AM

Yes it is there projected lineup, but if the Lakers actually cared about winning that game, they probably would have won by 30 :)

Have you seen the game ? They did want to win that game, there´s little doubt about that. They couldn´t mostly due to the fact that Bryant is out of shape and rusty and because Barcelona is 4 weeks further along in their preperation, but the Lakers definitely wanted to win that game.

whomario

10-09-2010, 08:26 PM

Chase Budinger is awesome :) Look for him on youtube tomorrow :D

EDIT : That was fast :

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/e1ksYg-LwME?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/e1ksYg-LwME?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

Rockets with a very fun game against the Pacers. Yao is looking better by the minute and with his best stint yet (and will propably go closer to 24 minutes when they play in China), 10/4 with 2 blocks in 12 minutes (4-5 shooting), Aaron Brooks actually looks like a PG at times, Scola is in mid-season form, Martin looks very good and Budinger/Lee is a formidable backup duo on the wing positions.
And that rookie PG Ishmael Smith looks fine, be interesting if they sign him or keep the roster spot open for another big man.

Oh, and watching Shane Battier in games like this is really interesting. He gives a perfect "well, it´s not like you need me to do anything" performance doing basically only things that don´t show up in any stat sheet, just cause.

29 assist and 6 TOs in a preseason game, nice.

Good to see Hansbrough healthy for the Pacers, that´s about all on positives for them i´d guess.

Evan Turner with his first good NBA game, summer league included.

RainMaker

10-09-2010, 08:55 PM

Got to see John Wall last night. He was impressive. Very quick and has a knack for the game. He's going to be a great PG in the league. Gilbert also looked pretty good and we forget that he is still a big time scorer in this league. Their problem is going to be defense. The Bulls scored at will most of the game and Rose abused Wall pretty bad a few times. Should be an interesting team though and I wouldn't be surprised if they slipped into the playoffs.

As for the Bulls, Korver looked great again. It's nice to have a shooter on this team again and Bogans looks like he's regained his 3-point touch. Asik looks like he can cause some havoc inside and be a Joakim Noah-lite for 10-15 minutes a night. The defense was a bit shaky although I'm hoping that's just preseason.

Here is a picture from my seats this year.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3194702/bullsgame.jpg

MrBug708

10-09-2010, 09:01 PM

Have you seen the game ? They did want to win that game, there´s little doubt about that. They couldn´t mostly due to the fact that Bryant is out of shape and rusty and because Barcelona is 4 weeks further along in their preperation, but the Lakers definitely wanted to win that game.

lol

No, they didnt care in the slightest

Groundhog

10-09-2010, 10:59 PM

I think they did. Pau in particular was pretty fired up.

Neon_Chaos

10-15-2010, 06:32 AM

I couldn't help but chuckle...

Gilbert Arenas fakes an injury to give Nick Young a start - Ball Don't Lie - NBA* - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Gilbert-Arenas-fakes-an-injury-to-give-Nick-Youn?urn=nba-276636)

Wizards' Arenas ready to play after faking injury - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AuhOYxAiZra8VuFHbmrr3F6hPKB4?slug=ap-wizards-arenas)

Arenas has real injury, leaves after 3 minutes - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AvZ8AfxbT8ZdUcjqEUsouaK8vLYF?slug=ap-bucks-wizards)

whomario

10-15-2010, 10:27 AM

http://www.elephantjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/282687986_be84af106a.jpg

meanwhile, Blake Griffin is tons of fun and on the stats side of things :
28 MPG, 17.5 PPG, 12 RPG, 63% shooting.

Demarcus Cousins also looked way more controlled and efficient than in the summer league, absolute beast inside anyway with that body, athleticism, footwork and great hands. Heck, he´s even hit a 3 point shot in each of the last 3 preseason games :eek: (3-4 , so not chucking them)

some other rookie notes :

- Jordan Crawford (27th pick) has gotten a ton of minutes (29,46 and 47) and averages 21/4/5 on 48% shooting

- Evan Turner will have trouble scoring, but i still think he´ll be solid from the go because he really plays hard and controlled.

- Favors looks lost. I really don´t think he´ll be effective next to Lopez, hope the Nets make the smart choice and start Murphy once healthy and give Favors extended minutes off the bench and mainly playing next to Murphy.

- Paul George also looks ways from being an NBA player from what i´ve seen.

Chief Rum

10-15-2010, 12:05 PM

meanwhile, Blake Griffin is tons of fun and on the stats side of things : 28 MPG, 17.5 PPG, 12 RPG, 63% shooting.

I got to watch the Clips last night for the first time this year, and he's the truth. Mark it down, he's not going to be a star down the road, he's a star now. He was pretty dominant last night against the Nuggets, very quick laterally, in forward motion and even up. Aggressive, powerful moves to the hole. No hesitation or lack of confidence at all in his game. Doesn't seem bothered at all that a veteran team will still be depending on him so much.

He and Kaman are going to cause matchup issues for many teams on the inside.

Of course, if Butler and Foye shoot 15% on 20-25 shots every night, the Clips will still lose (as they did last night, despite good games from Griffin, Kaman, Gordon and even fairly solid from the usually inconsistent Baron Davis).

P.S. Carmelo may want out, but he still looks dominating on the floor. Looks like he'll come to play regardless of where he is. I was very surprised about how well Afflalo looked last night. He actually outplayed TroyF's fanboy crush ( ;) ) Ty Lawson (Billups had the night off).

bhlloy

10-15-2010, 01:11 PM

Watched most of the game last night. Foye looked absolutely horrible - not a big fan of this signing at all.

Chief Rum

10-15-2010, 01:19 PM

Watched most of the game last night. Foye looked absolutely horrible - not a big fan of this signing at all.

I liked the Foye signing from afar, just looking at his stats and as a competent backup to BD and EG.

But, yeah, last night he was brutal. If last night is the player we got, that's a poor signing. If he settles down and becomes just the first guard off the bench at about 15-20 mins per night with a performance close to last year's, I'll be okay with him. But that doesn't usually happen with the Clippers.

JonInMiddleGA

10-15-2010, 02:00 PM

- Favors looks lost.

One of the least surprising statements I've heard in a while.

Plenty of potential there, but he's nowhere near ready to be a quality NBA contributor based on what I saw of him at GT.

whomario

10-15-2010, 02:27 PM

One of the least surprising statements I've heard in a while.

Plenty of potential there, but he's nowhere near ready to be a quality NBA contributor based on what I saw of him at GT.

and especially not next to a low post scorer in Lopez and the system building around him. Just doesn´t make any sense to draft a guy (at that pick at least) that will likely allways need space to be effective offensively when your far and away best player is Brook Lopez who needs clear-outs in the Post to be effective and is propably awake at night praying for someone that would please make a jumpshot so other teams will stop to double and trap the heck out of him.

The other night the Rockets trapped him 3 times on 3 possessions and got the ball twice (bail out call for Brook once), didn´t use it that relentless again (it´s pre-season, no need to show your all your tricks) but that stretch must have made every Nets fan go "uh, oh ... Hopefully Murphy comes back soon ..."
Anthony Morrow is a poor guy right now as well, teams will key on him like crazy and then you have guys like Harris or Terrence Williams forced to take long range shots .

This just isn´t a good situation for a guy like Favors, imo.

Then again he turned 19 a couple months ago ...

TroyF

10-15-2010, 02:47 PM

I got to watch the Clips last night for the first time this year, and he's the truth. Mark it down, he's not going to be a star down the road, he's a star now. He was pretty dominant last night against the Nuggets, very quick laterally, in forward motion and even up. Aggressive, powerful moves to the hole. No hesitation or lack of confidence at all in his game. Doesn't seem bothered at all that a veteran team will still be depending on him so much.

He and Kaman are going to cause matchup issues for many teams on the inside.

Of course, if Butler and Foye shoot 15% on 20-25 shots every night, the Clips will still lose (as they did last night, despite good games from Griffin, Kaman, Gordon and even fairly solid from the usually inconsistent Baron Davis).

P.S. Carmelo may want out, but he still looks dominating on the floor. Looks like he'll come to play regardless of where he is. I was very surprised about how well Afflalo looked last night. He actually outplayed TroyF's fanboy crush ( ;) ) Ty Lawson (Billups had the night off).

1) Griffin is going to be a stud from day one. . . but there is no question the Nuggets front line made him look good. Melvin Ely, Balkman and George all saw minutes at the 4 last night for Denver Shelden Williams saw the most time at the 4. Blake is a superior player to all of those three.

2) Carmelo is playing his ass off in preseason. Some in the Nuggets FO still think they can sign him long term. I still don't buy it. I'd love for them to be right, but I still think he's a Knick next year. We'll see what happens.

3) Afflalo has been the star of the preseaon for the Nuggets. He's scored 65 points in three games and hit 9-17 shots from three point land.

4) Lawson had his worst game of the preseason last night. He's now at 5.3 assists and 11 points a game through three games. (11-24 from the floor) I still think he'll be a stud.Learning from Chauncey will help him out a ton.

TroyF

10-15-2010, 02:49 PM

Oh, and one more thing. Please, for the love of God, do not let Anthony Carter play this year Nuggets. Please, just keep his ass on the bench where it belongs.I have no idea why this team keeps putting me through watching him. I've dealt with 11 win seasons, no playoffs for a decade, Melo probably leaving town. . . the least you can do is not play Anthony Freaking Carter.

k

thx.

DaddyTorgo

10-15-2010, 03:21 PM

Interesting factoid that I never knew in a story about the Celtics Turkish bigman Semih Erdan who looks set to stick with the team:

The great "what if" international story in Celtics history centers on the 1998 draft. Rick Pitino had gone over to Europe to work out a German teen named Dirk Nowitzki. He came away understandably smitten by the 7-footer and thought he had the inside track on Nowitzki. The Celtics held the 10th pick that year and Nowitzki was still on the board at No. 9. But Dallas engineered a deal with Milwaukee and the Bucks took Nowitzki at No. 9, then traded him to Dallas.

The consolation prize: Paul Pierce, who went No. 10. He was a Californian.

whomario

10-17-2010, 01:52 PM

Actually good old Rick was in Italy allready on a holiday trip when he got a call about Nowitzki and had him flown there to work him out ;)

Nowitzki also almost went to Kentucky (but after Pitinon left, still i suppose he might have been in contact still), had he not had that great performance in the hoop summit he might have played NCAA ball for a couple seasons.

The Suns look really, really bad in preseason so far. Now i know it only preseason and they looked crap there before, but i´m still just a little worried. Unless Nash has another great season they could be in for a rude awakening. I don´t think they can rest him as much as they could last year ...

The Magic on the other hand look ridiculously good so far.

Yao looks better each game :) If he stays healthy, gets in gameshape and they stay with the 24 minute limit i think that after all star break he could post some really healthy per36 numbers, him not having to worry about foul trouble and keeping his 300 pound body with enough oxygen for a full game will kind of help there.
Other big guys better get ready for that unique experience of playing him again. There was a funny scene against the Pacers where Hansbrough tried to bump into Yao and score on him and when Yao simply didn´t move ended up not even getting that ball to rim level.

Still wondering how the rotation will look, i really don´t think you can go with theese 6 minute stints at the start of quarters for ever, at some point you have to start thinking about playing him in the clutch as well. Then again he played 18 and 19 minutes against the nets in china leaving for good early in the 4th, so there´s room for those last 5,6 minutes at the end.

Brad Miller also played his first Preseason game yesterday and looked pretty good :)

And Shane Battier looked spring also (he was injured a ton last year and it showed)

Groundhog

10-19-2010, 06:58 PM

I think Blake Griffin's knee is feeling better.

<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LNL-94UgK4A?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LNL-94UgK4A?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object>

spleen1015

10-19-2010, 07:09 PM

You what is sad about that video? The Clippers are playing a home game against the Jazz and the Lakers colors and logo are on the floor.

That is so fucked up.

Groundhog

10-19-2010, 07:15 PM

LOL! I didn't even notice that. Wow.

whomario

10-20-2010, 03:57 AM

just FYI, league pass broadband is running a free preview until Nov 1st

TroyF

10-21-2010, 12:38 PM

Really, really good article on Melo, Kobe, Durant, Kevin Martin, Wade and Bron.

hxxt://www.roundballminingcompany.com

Top article.

stevew

10-21-2010, 02:04 PM

TroyF

10-21-2010, 02:23 PM

Brian Windhorst has no credibility as a journalist now. It is amazing he can type pro-Bron articles with one hand on the keyboard and the other massaging James' nuts. He should at least get access to Gloria's holes if he is gonna evolve into a hype man.

Is he the guy who wrote the ESPN article? That was comical. Bron shares a handful of his horrible tweets and acts like it's a majority of people doing this. Martyr Bron.

Poor baby.

RainMaker

10-21-2010, 02:28 PM

Windhorst is just part of Lebron's marketing team.

Ronnie Dobbs2

10-21-2010, 02:29 PM

LeBron is surely the first person to have an anonymous internet attack. Certainly the first racially motivated one.

stevew

10-21-2010, 03:47 PM

I wish Mo Williams would post his negative tweets. I thought I had a few good ones

Groundhog

10-21-2010, 09:13 PM

I'm fairly sure Marcus Thornton has been murdered and replaced by a doppleganger. He has been AWFUL this pre-season, after what I thought was a stupendously impressive first year. Tonight he is 1-5 from the FT (shot 80%+ last year) and 1-10 from the floor. Maybe he just forgot to touch a basketball over the offseason?

whomario

10-21-2010, 09:27 PM

read a couple reports that he has not responded well at all when Bellinelli became the starter, maybe got spoiled by last years burn/numbers ...

DJ Mbenga starting at Center for the Hornets tonight :) How long is Okafor still out ?

I personally think the Hornets will crash big time, don´t see them coming close to the playoffs ...

On another little note Kevin Durant has had 8 assists with 0 Turnovers in that game :)

Also, Keith Smart has been abducted and replaced by Don Nelson again. Because otherwise i can´t explain why Radmanovic started on a team that is allready super bad defensively and is playing with it´s RS rotation tonight.

stevew

10-21-2010, 10:33 PM

Is he the guy who wrote the ESPN article? That was comical. Bron shares a handful of his horrible tweets and acts like it's a majority of people doing this. Martyr Bron.

Poor baby.

Yeah. And a fresh one that LeBron tells us we should "get over it". Leave, whatever, but I'll never forget how he acted like a cunt.

I guess Windhorst has always been LeBron's mouthpiece but it seems way more transparent now.

TroyF

10-22-2010, 09:05 AM

Yeah. And a fresh one that LeBron tells us we should "get over it". Leave, whatever, but I'll never forget how he acted like a cunt.

I guess Windhorst has always been LeBron's mouthpiece but it seems way more transparent now.

I knew this would happen actually. Bron cares so much about his image. It's everything to him. There is going to be a massive and I mean massive campaign from everyone involved with the NBA to paint Bron as a misunderstood guy.

By the middle of the season, 75% of the public will forget the fact that Bron tanked it in his final two games as a Cav. They'll think "The Decision" was actually rigged by his possee and poor Bron didn't have anything to do with it.

It's why I so badly hope he fails in the playoffs. I will never cheer for Lebron James again after watching what he did in those two games.

molson

10-22-2010, 03:24 PM

So did any of our Boston contingent get down to Harvard Square to get a picture with Shaq (who posed as statute for an hour just for the hell of it)?

Shaquille O'Neal, in statue form, sits in Harvard Square - Ball Don't Lie - NBA* - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Shaquille-O-Neal-in-statue-form-sits-in-Harvar?urn=nba-279180)

Ronnie Dobbs2

10-22-2010, 03:28 PM

It was right outside my office. Saw the man but the crowd got huge fast.

whomario

10-24-2010, 04:21 PM

2 more days till opening day :)

Since it was raining all the time here i´ve actually watched large parts of half a dozen preseason games from friday. Yeah, i know ...

The Nuggets scored 144 against the Suns. Without Anthony, Billups, Nene, Harrington, Martin, Birdman (when is he back ?). Shelden Williams scored 27 and Anthony Carter scored 20 for the last time in his career.

If the Suns reach the playoffs it will be on offense alone and even their i´d say : If they come even close to being the best offensive team in the league than Nash would rise to god-like status in my eyes.
It´s just preseason but i really don´t see starting a season with 2 big men (Lopez + Frye and Warrick countin as half each) being a good idea.

Arron Afflalo has looked great all preseason, significantly outplaying JR Smith with an immensely expanded offensive game. 20+ PPG (and very consistent as well) on 49% shooting, 40% 3s and 5 FTA a game.
Against the Suns he had 10 assists as well.

New York will not reach the Playoffs, that roster just isn´t that good and Amare just isn´t the type of guy that makes up for that. There will be a lot of 25 points, 3 boards and 6 TO nights this year. Plus Felton really isn´t all that good, not if you cound on him being the main backcourt guy in a system that needs the PG to make sound decicions and shoot consistently ...

The Timberwolves with a 6-2 preseason. They will definitely improve and win back some sympathy this season, very hard working bunch of talented players with quite a bit of depth and a clear plan of how they want to play on both ends.
Well, on defense they aren´t really good but they make an effort and play very physichal on that end (resulting in relatively many FTs against them).

And on offense their version of the triangle is actually quite a pleasure to watch. Darko and Love both do a really good job moving the ball, although it shifts towards Milicic more freeing Love up to move into good spots off the ball.
Maybe i´ll get burned again, but i´m pretty convinced Milicic will be very solid this year. He looks really good in that role and has even had his offensive repertoire rear it´s head at times (which is important to make sure he isn´t just played for the pass) and has played great defense. Looks almost as slim as during his stint in Orlando (where he got by playing minutes at the 4 even), propably at least 15-20 pounds lighter than at the end of last season and maybe it´s just me but putting in that much work after signing a contract seems kind of like a clear signal that he didn´t "play for a contract" last year.
Heck, he had the most athletic play i´ve seen from him in years against the Bucks, throwing down an alley oop from quite a bit above the rim (but darko being darko he ended up swinging off the rim and getting a technical while landing flat on his back ;) But there´s no way he would have laughed this off at any point in his career, seems really at peace with himself in a way)

Wayne Ellington is also kind of good, very suprised with his ability to shoot and create off the drible.

Magette shot 20 FTs in under 14 minutes, yikes :eek: Will be interesting how the Bucks rotation looks after a couple games, pretty deep at the 2-4 spots (especially considering that a guy like Dooling isn´t really a PG and the backup Cs are more PFs than Cs ...)

Chief Rum

10-25-2010, 11:24 AM

Prediction Time!

EAST

Atlantic

2. Boston
8. New York
New Jersey
Philadelphia
Toronto

Central

4. Cleveland
5. Milwaukee
7. Chicago
Detroit
Indiana

Southeast

1. Miami
3. Orlando
6. Atlanta
Washington
Charlotte

WEST

Southwest

2. Dallas
4. San Antonio
5. Houston
Memphis
New Orleans

Northwest

3. Oklahoma City
6. Portland
7. Utah
Denver
Minnesota

Pacific

1. LA Lakers
8. Phoenix
LA Clippers
Sacramento
Golden State

CONF QUARTERS

Miami over NY
Boston over Chicago
Orlando over Atlanta
Cleveland over Milwaukee

LA Lakers over Phoenix
Dallas over Utah
Oklahoma City over Portland
Houston over San Antonio

CONF SEMIS

Miami over Cleveland
Orlando over Boston

LA Lakers over Houston
Oklahoma City over Dallas

CONF FINALS

Miami over Orlando
LA Lakers over Oklahoma City

NBA FINALS

LA Lakers OVER Miami

Gary Gorski

10-25-2010, 11:39 AM

Central

4. Cleveland
5. Milwaukee
7. Chicago
Detroit
Indiana

You do know that that James guy doesn't play for Cleveland anymore, right? :D

Chief Rum

10-25-2010, 11:54 AM

You do know that that James guy doesn't play for Cleveland anymore, right? :D

Heh, heh, yup, that's one of my "reaches". I think they'll be better than people think, although note, I still have Orlando as the #3 seed.

That said, I think if Chicago and Milwaukee weren't trying to work in so many new players and if Boozer wasn't out for a month and change, or if Bogut was pain free, either of them might have been my pick to finish ahead of Cleveland. They're going to take time to work through those issues, though, IMO, so Cleveland can get off to a better start and then hold them off. Plus, Cleveland will have incentive and Byron Scott usually has a positive effect at the start of his tenures.

I think the Central Dvision race is going to be one of the tightest in the NBA this season, although I am not sure any of them will break 50 wins.

TroyF

10-25-2010, 12:18 PM

Chief Rum

10-25-2010, 12:53 PM

Whomario,

How could you not mention the Nuggets star in that Phoenix game? It was the Ty Lawson show. 9/11 from the floor, 4/5 from three, 4 assists, 1 turnover and a 23 point quarter.

Sigh. . . Lawson 9/11 and AC 8/10. . . were the Suns PG's even trying?

You are dead on about Afflalo. He's destroyed JR in every category and will jump form a 25 minute a night guy to a 30+ minute a night guy.

Look for a Melo deal by December 15th at the latest.

Hi Troy,

You know, pegging down Denver was probably the most difficult prediction I had to make above. I decided I had to make a judgment call on the Nuggets moving Anthony or not, becuase they essentially have the same roster as last year (a playoff team), only now they have Harrington. On talent/ability/past results alone, this would seem to again to be a likely contender for the Northwest title and a contender for first round home court advantage.

In the end, I decided this is going to be a mess of a season for Denver, what with the Anthony situation, KMart's injury issues, the aging of Chauncey and the fact that Harrington never seems to be a winner wherever he goes; all on top of George Karl's health.

Denver is really the most volatile team in the West right now, IMO. Depending on how things go, they could be #2 in the West or out of it by the All Star break.

Gary Gorski

10-25-2010, 01:00 PM

You are dead on about Afflalo. He's destroyed JR in every category and will jump form a 25 minute a night guy to a 30+ minute a night guy.

Sigh...Troy knows my feelings here. WTG Joe D! At least we got back....oh yeah, NOTHING for giving away Afflalo. Oh well at least the cap space we got for giving up Chauncey turned into....oh yeah, two backups making a combined $18m this year.

Man I miss the Pistons being competitive :(

TroyF

10-25-2010, 01:18 PM

Just be happy that at one time they were competitive.

There are only two ways I'll ever get the Nuggets to win a title:

1) NBA2K11 on the lowest setting with Jordan. (damn that game is hard)

2) Your game.

But at least us Nuggets fans can thank Mr. Dumars. Getting Chauncey for a selfish PG gave us our best success ever. And getting Afflalo for zilcho will help the rebuilding with Anthony not there.

The Nuggets main problem this year will be everyone playing for themselves. Melo wants out. Nene can opt out. JR, Chauncey, and Kenyon will be out. (or with greatly reduced salaries) That's 5 of the top 9 rotation players who know the end is near. (Lawson, Afflalo, Birdman, Harrington are all signed beyond this year)

What Denver gets back for Melo will be huge. It also wouldn't shock me at all to see Chauncey or Nene dealt if the Nuggets see a player they like for the future and a team is willing to deal.

Chief Rum

10-25-2010, 01:29 PM

So Troy...how long is AC signed for? :devil:

TroyF

10-25-2010, 01:34 PM

So Troy...how long is AC signed for? :devil:

Yet another one year deal, which will probably continue for all time.

The guy can't inbound a basketball, but still gets contracts AND spent most of the end of last season playing over Ty Lawson. Dantley is such and idiot.

Groundhog

10-25-2010, 05:15 PM

Patty Mills sticks with the Blazers! Woo-hoo! 3 Aussies in the NBA again, and I think David Andersen will see more time in Toronto than he did in Houston.

stevew

10-25-2010, 06:15 PM

Rum is just trying to curse the Cavs like he's done the Clippers

MrBug708

10-25-2010, 06:19 PM

Im glad to see Afflalo doing well in Denver

BishopMVP

10-25-2010, 10:14 PM

Whomario,

How could you not mention the Nuggets star in that Phoenix game? It was the Ty Lawson show. 9/11 from the floor, 4/5 from three, 4 assists, 1 turnover and a 23 point quarter.

Sigh. . . Lawson 9/11 and AC 8/10. . . were the Suns PG's even trying?No Gary Forbes love? :) He could play selfishly/out of control at times at UMass, but there's no question he can fill it up when he's on. His destiny always seemed to be best player on a bad team (Panamanian National Team, mid-level overseas club) but I'm impressed that he's managed to stick at least for one season.

whomario

10-26-2010, 07:26 AM

Whomario,

How could you not mention the Nuggets star in that Phoenix game? It was the Ty Lawson show. 9/11 from the floor, 4/5 from three, 4 assists, 1 turnover and a 23 point quarter.

I only mentioned the guys that really shouldn´t be getting anywhere close to those numbers, by not mentioning Lawson i kind of gave him a compliment ;) :)

Chief Rum

10-26-2010, 07:53 AM

I only mentioned the guys that really shouldn´t be getting anywhere close to those numbers, by not mentioning Lawson i kind of gave him a compliment ;) :)

Nice save. ;)

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 07:58 AM

Chief Rum

10-26-2010, 08:06 AM

Chief Rum, am I wrong in thinking Griffin is going to be an absolute beast? Not sure if he can play like that for 82 games, but that guy has a motor. Lot of people have him pegged as Rookie of the Year, I think he's going to be an All-Star this year.

I am torn between cautious optimism tempered by the Clippers' awful history and the evidence of my own eyes--which is, indeed, that he is an absolute beast.

Put him in any other NBA uni, and he's the prohibitive favorite for ROY, and John Wall is the one trying to catch up (or Cousins or Turner or Splitter, etc.). I think a lot of people are like me right now, "waiting for the other shoe to drop".

And, yes, right now, on the court, it seems like he's non-stop activity all the time. It will be interesting to see if he can keep it up. I saw one article (from a legit site, like Yahoo sports or something like that) suggest Griffin could be one of top 2-3 PFs in the league by the end of the year--that's quite the bold statement.

whomario

10-26-2010, 08:27 AM

samifan24

10-26-2010, 08:41 AM

I'm excited for the NBA for the first time in a long time. I'm not a big fan but will definitely enjoy cheering for Kevin Durant and against LeBron and the Heat all season.

whomario

10-26-2010, 08:47 AM

Icy

10-26-2010, 10:23 AM

Really looking forward for the new season.

While i don't root for a single team right now, i have some fav teams and players to follow.

I'll be following all the Spanish players and their teams, the Gasol bros, Rudy and Calderon but for any reason, lately i'm having a lot of sympathy for the Kings.

I think they have a really young team with good future (unless contraction happens as it's being talked about). Evans, Cousins, Thompson, Landry, Casspi, Greene and even Whiteside look to have a bright future, with a player that while not being an start at least can manage the team as PG on Udrih and adding a vet like Dalembert, they could surprise some and end in the playoffs. They have also a lot of cap space for the future.

The Kings are slowly finding a place in my heart (For any reason i feel mainly attracted by rebuilding franchises in all USA sports and not by winning ones, i guess that is why i'm also a Dolphins and Marlins fan).

Chief Rum

10-26-2010, 11:48 AM

Kaman and Griffin also complement each other quite nicely from what i´ve seen and what their skillsets would suggest.

They also have got to be the most energetic/over-eager Frontcourt in NBA history and i mean that as a good thing :)

Griffin will have to adjust now that teams will pay more attention and get their regular rotations in tune, especially help defense is a totally different thing in preseason compared to the regular season imo.

You can bet that guys will make it a habit to make sure to bump him around before he gets going/airbourne, there will be more hard fouls and more little tricks pulled on him (like grabbing his shirt when he come off a screen or sticking out a hip) and simple adjustments like allways going under screens when he is involved.

Not saying he won´t be really good, but i honestly don´t see him playing or producing any better than he did in preseason which would be great and ROY material but likely not near an all star selection (rookies don´t get the benefit of the doubt here yet, if in question the coaches reward a veteran).

Oh yeah, the skillset match was obvious to me the first time I saw them play. Griffin likes to dance in and out of the key, always active, always moving. He can score outside, but he prefers to take it to the hole and get in close.

Kaman on the other hand, while still very effective on the low block, has really sorta of evolved into a more measured offensive performer, very comfortable shooting out to 15' and does it well. He's also become a better passer and decision maker on offense.

I do agree that Griffin is going to get introduced to the NBA pretty quick here. But I see that as a complement. The ball will then be in his court to amke the adjustment. I agree it would be very presumptious to make him an All Star so soon--we're going to have to see how he does when the lights officially come in.

But the talent is about as obvious in a player I have seen on the court since Durant came into the league. It reminds me of something I was telling my bro the other week: Evans, Curry, Jennings, Blair, Harden, a bunch of others, last year turned out to be a pretty strong and productive rookie class. And to a man, every scout and GM and coach talked to before last season, said Griffin was heads and tails better than everyone in that class.

TroyF

10-26-2010, 01:43 PM

I have a bad feeling as far as the Thunder are concerned. Kind of think that not doing anything substantial to improve the Roster might backfire at them plus they really had good luck regarding injuries last year.
Not that i won´t rout for them (Rockets, Timberwolves, Thunder are my routing interests out west plus a few teams i like to watch because of a player or 2 like the Suns and Nash), but i just don´t see how people can just assume they´ll make a big jump.

Getting to 50 wins and a 5-8 finish again would be a really good season, imo.

I agree with a lot of this. Jumping from 23 to 50 wins is actually easier than jumping from 50 to 58 wins.

They had the money to get involved in FA and they chose not to. They have a starting player who happens to be best friends with the star player who should NOT be playing the minutes he is or the position he is. Jeff Green may turn into a decent SF someday, but he's not a PF, he's a worthless rebounder and he gets abused by bigger 4's. He's simply not good enough to be a 37+ minute a game player in this league at the 4.

To improve this year, they need a huge cocktail of things to go right:

1) as whomario already stated, they have the same injury luck. Last year 4 of their starting 5 averaged over 28 minutes a game and played in ALL 82 games. Another 5 players played over 73 games. That type of luck just doesn't happen often in this league. (ask the Heat, Bulls, or Nuggets. . . who will have lost as many games from starters in the first 3 weeks of this season than the Thunder did all of last year)

2) You need someone to take a leap. Who is the guy who will do that? The two most likely candidates are Harden and Ibaka, but neither are a sure thing to make that jump.

3) Westbrook needs to step it up even more. I hear the comparisons to Rondo, but people are missing something there. Rondo shoots 50%. Yes, he's garbage from outside, but he's good enough of the dribble to score and shoot it at a decent clip. Westbrook is shooting it over 14 times a game, he can't continue shooting it that much while hovering around the 40% mark.

4) This goes up with my Harden comment above, but it bares pointing out. . . this team needs more outside shooting. They start Krstic, Green, Durant, Sefolosha and Westbrook. Only Durant is a decent three point shooter. It's nice to have Sefolosha, Westbrook and Green playing hard on defense. . . but all three are below average outside shooters. You can't surround a great scorer like Durant with that kind of shooting.

I think the likely scenario is that they take a step back this year. Then it's going to be time to pay the piper. They need to use some of that cap money next year with either a trade or a signing to push them over the top.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 01:47 PM

I agree with a lot of this. Jumping from 23 to 50 wins is actually easier than jumping from 50 to 58 wins.

They had the money to get involved in FA and they chose not to. They have a starting player who happens to be best friends with the star player who should NOT be playing the minutes he is or the position he is. Jeff Green may turn into a decent SF someday, but he's not a PF, he's a worthless rebounder and he gets abused by bigger 4's. He's simply not good enough to be a 37+ minute a game player in this league at the 4.

To improve this year, they need a huge cocktail of things to go right:

1) as whomario already stated, they have the same injury luck. Last year 4 of their starting 5 averaged over 28 minutes a game and played in ALL 82 games. Another 5 players played over 73 games. That type of luck just doesn't happen often in this league. (ask the Heat, Bulls, or Nuggets. . . who will have lost as many games from starters in the first 3 weeks of this season than the Thunder did all of last year)

2) You need someone to take a leap. Who is the guy who will do that? The two most likely candidates are Harden and Ibaka, but neither are a sure thing to make that jump.

3) Westbrook needs to step it up even more. I hear the comparisons to Rondo, but people are missing something there. Rondo shoots 50%. Yes, he's garbage from outside, but he's good enough of the dribble to score and shoot it at a decent clip. Westbrook is shooting it over 14 times a game, he can't continue shooting it that much while hovering around the 40% mark.

4) This goes up with my Harden comment above, but it bares pointing out. . . this team needs more outside shooting. They start Krstic, Green, Durant, Sefolosha and Westbrook. Only Durant is a decent three point shooter. It's nice to have Sefolosha, Westbrook and Green playing hard on defense. . . but all three are below average outside shooters. You can't surround a great scorer like Durant with that kind of shooting.

I think the likely scenario is that they take a step back this year. Then it's going to be time to pay the piper. They need to use some of that cap money next year with either a trade or a signing to push them over the top.

Rondo's flashed a little improvement in his 3pt. game...

Chief Rum

10-26-2010, 01:50 PM

Rondo's flashed a little improvement in his 3pt. game...

Hope you're right--he's my primary PG on one of my fantasy teams, and I can use better three-point shooting and scoring all around.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 01:59 PM

Hope you're right--he's my primary PG on one of my fantasy teams, and I can use better three-point shooting and scoring all around.

Not saying he's turning into Ray Allen, but I saw him hit a couple from out there in preseason and he looked....comfortable. Now, those might be the only 2 he hits all year...who knows, but he at least didn't look so herky-jerk on them.

And man - I figure playing with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce (but especially Allen) ought to rub off on the kid at some point!!

Chief Rum

10-26-2010, 03:09 PM

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AvEZVFvYpZYyhwpMRYcd1oY5nYcB?slug=aw-knicksdraft102610

Things that make you go hmmm...

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 04:27 PM

throw the book at them!

Chief Rum

10-26-2010, 04:35 PM

The most interesting thing to me is that Rush likely would have stayed in that 2007 draft if he didn't hurt his knee in that workout.

If Rush goes pro, does Kansas reach the 2008 NCAA Finals and become champ? Probably not. And Memphis being led by a PG (Rose) who it turns out should have been ineligible means they would be out, too.

If those teams aren't in the Final Four and presuming the teams that were in their place were worse, then we're looking at a UCLA (Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook) vs North Carolina (Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson) final.

Passacaglia

10-26-2010, 04:48 PM

How would Rush not hurting his knee get Memphis out?

Chief Rum

10-26-2010, 04:58 PM

How would Rush not hurting his knee get Memphis out?

Rush has nothing to do with Memphis, I never said he did.

The Derrick Rose SAT and likely ineligibility would have removed Memphis.

Do a search for Derrick Rose and SAT.

whomario

10-26-2010, 04:58 PM

for good luck ... Plus it´s simply a kick ass photo, more from the photographer : Flickr: Keith Allison's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3196/3048986979_e34b19818e_b.jpg

Passacaglia

10-26-2010, 05:01 PM

Rush has nothing to do with Memphis, I never said he did.

The Derrick Rose SAT and likely ineligibility would have removed Memphis.

Do a search for Derrick Rose and SAT.

I know the story, I guess I'm just not following under which conditions Memphis would have been removed. I mean, Rose *was* ineligible, but they weren't removed. Are you just saying, "if they had known the full extent of it ahead of time, Memphis would have been removed"?

Chief Rum

10-26-2010, 05:05 PM

I know the story, I guess I'm just not following under which conditions Memphis would have been removed. I mean, Rose *was* ineligible, but they weren't removed. Are you just saying, "if they had known the full extent of it ahead of time, Memphis would have been removed"?

I'm not saying there is some huge mechanic to make it happen. This is just a hypothetical whatif. Doesn't have to be as difficult as you're making it.

I am just saying, hey, remove the team led by the guy who would have been a pro and the other team led by the inelgible game, you get interesting "what if" scenario. Shrug and move on, no real need for hyper-intensive analysis.

Passacaglia

10-26-2010, 05:16 PM

Got it.

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 06:42 PM

They're definitely pounding it inside to Shaq.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 06:49 PM

LOL - Shaqachusetts

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 06:50 PM

I can't see it here at work, but the way they described the Shaq fast break was funny.. would you want to get in the way of 350 pound Shaq barrelling down the lane?

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 06:54 PM

I can't see it here at work, but the way they described the Shaq fast break was funny.. would you want to get in the way of 350 pound Shaq barrelling down the lane?

LOL - it was amusing. And he did the lil rim-hang at the end...you almost thought he was gonna pull the whole hoop down for a second.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 06:58 PM

OFFENSIVE FOUL...LEDOUCHE

**This charge brought to you by Glen Davis**

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 07:00 PM

16-9.

Where Amazing Happens.

wade moore

10-26-2010, 07:02 PM

That was an interesting Lebron commercial..

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:04 PM

That was an interesting Lebron commercial..

if by interesting you mean "stupid"

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:06 PM

How do you complain about that call?? Wade took like 45 steps!!!

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 07:08 PM

The Roof would have come off if Nate Robinson had hit that.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:08 PM

Marquise Daniels really = Jar Jar doesn't he??

Jeezus...it's uncanny.

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 07:09 PM

Big Baby is really playing some great D on Bosh.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:14 PM

Big Baby is really playing some great D on Bosh.

Especially considering Bosh has a height + mobility (less weight) advantage on him!!

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 07:14 PM

apparently we're getting bad Nate tonight.

wade moore

10-26-2010, 07:14 PM

Marquise Daniels really = Jar Jar doesn't he??

Jeezus...it's uncanny.
Hadn't heard that before, but wow.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:15 PM

apparently we're getting bad Nate tonight.

disagree.

he was just out of control on that play, amped after the scramble for the ball

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:17 PM

see - that was beautiful nate!!

and he's had a couple great passes to Jar Jar

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 07:19 PM

15 Points in 17:27. Just wow.

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 07:21 PM

And there we go. The Heat are awake. Good Timeout by Doc.

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 07:21 PM

Scary thing is that they are still in the game. Boston should be up 20 right now.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:26 PM

Scary thing is that they are still in the game. Boston should be up 20 right now.

Would you settle for 15? LOL

errr...make that 18

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 07:27 PM

No. Don't settle for anything less than 18. :)

RAY RAY BOOM!

spleen1015

10-26-2010, 07:27 PM

This is the NBA. Teams are up by 18 and end up losing all of the time.

larrymcg421

10-26-2010, 07:27 PM

Is that Shaq out there playing good defense?

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:28 PM

This is the NBA. Teams are up by 18 and end up losing all of the time.

Nobody's saying it's over.

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 07:28 PM

It's funny. These guys ran around with camera crews and had TV specials and did all the media crap for attention. Now they all look like they haven't picked up a basketball all offseason. I mean Bosh looks like utter shit out there.

The team will be great when they are in basketball shape, but I didn't realize how little they put into their game this offseason.

Sublime 2

10-26-2010, 07:28 PM

This is making me extremely giddy.

After last year's second half collapses, I'm not counting on anything yet...with that said I am liking the craptastic Miami play so far.

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 07:29 PM

Sean grandy on the Boston Radio Feed.

"LeBron has the same look on his face (tonight) that he did in Game 5"

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:30 PM

Point to the TNT announcer though who was pointing out that a polished, relatively intact team like the C's has a huge advantage this early in the season versus a team still trying to gel

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:32 PM

How does the shit-ref have any idea if he touched it - the ball is coming and he's looking into the fucking stands

Lathum

10-26-2010, 07:32 PM

All the Heat haters better get your kicks and licks in now, going to be a different story next April.

Neon_Chaos

10-26-2010, 07:34 PM

I am loving this 100%. :D

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:34 PM

All the Heat haters better get your kicks and licks in now, going to be a different story next April.

I dunno - they're still undersized vs. elite teams, they have no depth, and have no true PF who can bang with any of the bigger PF's in the league.

Sure they'll score a lot and win a lot if they can get in transition and get a running game going...but I'm not crowning them yet.

Neon_Chaos

10-26-2010, 07:35 PM

All the Heat haters better get your kicks and licks in now, going to be a different story next April.

I know! We might never have the chance to do so again!

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:35 PM

Shaq's got a better FT percentage in this game then Lebron

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:37 PM

too many turnovers for the C's...yes

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 07:43 PM

The C's have had a bleh first half offensively.. and still up by 15. Wow.

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 07:47 PM

Stat of the Half (other than 27% shooting for Miami)

Assists:

Rondo 8
Heat 5

Passacaglia

10-26-2010, 07:50 PM

You know what? I guess you guys have all just been spoiled.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 07:51 PM

Hmm?

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 07:54 PM

Lebron James is going to average a triple double.

Neon_Chaos

10-26-2010, 08:03 PM

You have Wade and Lebron on the floor. Chris Bosh posting up against KG is stupid. :)

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 08:05 PM

Not a good start for the Celtics in the 2nd half.

Noop

10-26-2010, 08:07 PM

They just need time to gel and a decent big man.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 08:11 PM

They just need time to gel and a decent big man.

They have no money for a decent big man...

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 08:12 PM

They just need time to gel and a decent big man.
Yeah, having 3 of the top 5 most efficient players in the league is just not enough. :lol:

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 08:13 PM

To be fair, D-Wade's only played 3 minutes of pre-season and is not 100%

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 08:14 PM

And speaking of D-Wade.. I think he just had his life flash before his eyes as he tried to get out of the way of the Diesel.

Noop

10-26-2010, 08:14 PM

They have no money for a decent big man...

Next season they will be able to afford one.

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 08:15 PM

They have 40 points halfway through the 3rd with a healthy Lebron James and Chris Bosh.

Sorry, just not buying the excuses. Boston brought in the Big 3 and had a historically good start.

Noop

10-26-2010, 08:15 PM

Yeah, having 3 of the top 5 most efficient players in the league is just not enough. :lol:

Seriously we get it you hate them.

Lathum

10-26-2010, 08:18 PM

They have 40 points halfway through the 3rd with a healthy Lebron James and Chris Bosh.

Sorry, just not buying the excuses. Boston brought in the Big 3 and had a historically good start.

You really have no concept of team sports if you can't figure out why they are having some struggles.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 08:18 PM

Next season they will be able to afford one.

howso?

my knowledge of the nba cap situation is not that great, but how will they have any more $$ to devote to a bigman (without weakening other areas)

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 08:18 PM

Seriously we get it you hate them.
No, I hate excuses. They have 3 of the best players in the league in their prime. Something we have never seen in modern NBA history. Whining that they "don't have a big man" is just laughable when you have Lebron, Wade, and Bosh on the same team. You need those guys to play better, not get a big man.

This team will be very good and it would be a collasal disaster if they don't win the Championship. As I said, no team has ever had those kind of stars in their prime at the same time.

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 08:20 PM

howso?

my knowledge of the nba cap situation is not that great, but how will they have any more $$ to devote to a bigman (without weakening other areas)
Mid-Level Exemption, although who knows with the new CBA.

Noop

10-26-2010, 08:21 PM

No, I hate excuses. They have 3 of the best players in the league in their prime. Something we have never seen in modern NBA history. Whining that they "don't have a big man" is just laughable when you have Lebron, Wade, and Bosh on the same team. You need those guys to play better, not get a big man.

This team will be very good and it would be a collasal disaster if they don't win the Championship. As I said, no team has ever had those kind of stars in their prime at the same time.

Seriously shut the fuck up you pretentious twat. Who the fuck is making excuses? I made an observation that the Heat need a decent big man no where did I say that was the reason why they were losing.

Sorry for cussing

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 08:21 PM

Mid-Level Exemption, although who knows with the new CBA.

Doubtful they can get a big who can make the impact they need with the MLE I'd say...

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 08:22 PM

horrible call

Noop

10-26-2010, 08:23 PM

Wade needs to let LeBron be the man because he is playing like crap right now.

cmp

10-26-2010, 08:24 PM

Not quite sure how a call like that can even be missed.

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 08:25 PM

Seriously shut the fuck up you pretentious twat. Who the fuck is making excuses? I made an observation that the Heat need a decent big man no where did I say that was the reason why they were losing.

Sorry for cussing
That big man is going to stop all those turnovers and make Wade and Bosh shoot better. The missing link! They have some decent big men that no their role. Haslem and Anthony will give them boards and play defense. If you're expecting an All-Star Center, you're not going to get it.

Maybe you can start the elbow excuses up now too so they aren't out of the blue in April and May.

SirFozzie

10-26-2010, 08:26 PM

LeBron is awake.. danger..

Passacaglia

10-26-2010, 08:26 PM

That big man is going to stop all those turnovers and make Wade and Bosh shoot better. The missing link!

Maybe you can start the elbow excuses up now too so they aren't out of the blue in April and May.

I don't get it. Do you think these players are good, or don't you?

Noop

10-26-2010, 08:27 PM

That big man is going to stop all those turnovers and make Wade and Bosh shoot better. The missing link! They have some decent big men that no their role. Haslem and Anthony will give them boards and play defense. If you're expecting an All-Star Center, you're not going to get it.

Maybe you can start the elbow excuses up now too so they aren't out of the blue in April and May.

RainMaker I like you when you're not talking about the Heat but seriously man I get it you hate them. 81 games to go.

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 08:28 PM

Doubtful they can get a big who can make the impact they need with the MLE I'd say...
Can get a solid veteran maybe. Not sure what names are going to be out there, but I'm sure the lure of playing for a ring would be appealing.

It's all up in the air though with the CBA. We could see similar rules or we could see a hard cap that makes it tough. It's going to be a messy lockout.

jbergey22

10-26-2010, 08:30 PM

What am I reading? We arent even going to give the Heat more than a game this year before counting them out?

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 08:31 PM

I don't get it. Do you think these players are good, or don't you?
They are great players. They are the most talented starting 5 in the league by far. I think Lebron is the best player in the league by a wide margin. I think Wade is a top 5 player. I think Bosh when he tries is perhaps the best PF in the game.

I just hate people making excuses for them. When they play shitty, they play shitty. Don't blame it on the team not having an All-Star Center. It's like Yankee fans who whine they don't have a good guy off the bench.

jbergey22

10-26-2010, 08:32 PM

The problems I am seeing with the heat right now is that the role players are afraid to shoot. Celtics are packing it in and leaving open shots to role players that arent taking them.

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 08:32 PM

What am I reading? We arent even going to give the Heat more than a game this year before counting them out?
They are going to win the Championship. Maybe even this game. I think they will be the best team in the league by a wide margin.

Noop

10-26-2010, 08:33 PM

Boston is going to make a deep run this season no doubt about it.

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 08:34 PM

shit quarter by the Celtics

jbergey22

10-26-2010, 08:34 PM

They are going to win the Championship. Maybe even this game. I think they will be the best team in the league by a wide margin.

So whats the issue then?

Noop

10-26-2010, 08:35 PM

Quick question when you think of Michael Jordan what is the first thing that pops in your mind?

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 08:36 PM

shit quarter by the Celtics
What's worse is that Lebron realized that he needs to take over and is.

stevew

10-26-2010, 08:36 PM

Next season they will be able to afford one.there's not going to be a season next year.

Noop

10-26-2010, 08:39 PM

there's not going to be a season next year.

Possible. I hope the lockout isn't too long.

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 08:39 PM

Is it me or does Ilgauskas look a lot slimmer and more athletic this year?

jbergey22

10-26-2010, 08:39 PM

Quick question when you think of Michael Jordan what is the first thing that pops in your mind?

Toughest competitor in the history of sports.

Noop

10-26-2010, 08:46 PM

Toughest competitor in the history of sports.

I think of the Jordan symbol

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 08:49 PM

PAWLLLLLL PEEEYAHHHHCEE

Scoobz0202

10-26-2010, 09:08 PM

Quick question when you think of Michael Jordan what is the first thing that pops in your mind?

Chrome Dome

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 09:08 PM

Grrrr.

C'mon Celtics...wtf

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 09:09 PM

RAY RAY IS CLUTCH!!!!

DaddyTorgo

10-26-2010, 09:12 PM

silly wade...why are you fouling then??

he ought to know better

Noop

10-26-2010, 09:16 PM

Wade needs to get it together because we need him to be better in order to win these games. His defense was suspect all night.

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 09:20 PM

That scoring line looked a lot like a Cleveland one.

Noop

10-26-2010, 09:23 PM

That scoring line looked a lot like a Cleveland one.

Just said the same thing to myself except with Cleveland no one else would have looked to score except LeBron.

Desnudo

10-26-2010, 09:40 PM

Good sign for the Heat that they can play like garbage for the most part and still be relatively close at the end.

The question is how long to gel and will the Celtics be out in front by that time.

jbergey22

10-26-2010, 09:42 PM

Where does Kobe rank in your top NBA players of all time?

TroyF

10-26-2010, 09:59 PM

Quick question when you think of Michael Jordan what is the first thing that pops in your mind?

As someone else said, the greatest competitor ever. A guy who didn't just hate losing, he couldn't tolerate losing.

larrymcg421

10-26-2010, 10:01 PM

Where does Kobe rank in your top NBA players of all time?

He's definitely in the top 10 and probably the #2 SG of all time. I'd put him behind Magic, Bird, and Jordan for sure. But after that, I wouldn't argue against him being put anywhere from 4-10. And I say this as a Kobe hater.

TroyF

10-26-2010, 10:02 PM

Where does Kobe rank in your top NBA players of all time?

Hard for me to say at this point. Simmons ranked him as the 15th best ever in his book, before last years title. I don't think he's quite cracked the top ten, but he's damned close. No matter how much I hate him.

larrymcg421

10-26-2010, 10:04 PM

To me, it's Michael, Magic/Larry as the clear top 3. After that, there are a bunch of other peple who also played basketball.

stevew

10-26-2010, 10:17 PM

Neuqua

10-26-2010, 10:27 PM

Are the Rockets wearing glow in the dark jerseys or is it just my tv?

RainMaker

10-26-2010, 10:52 PM

Lebron James. 43 mins, 0 fouls
Wade and Bosh-3 fouls each
Three combined shoot 20 free throws.
Free throw differential of 0

Boston has a lot of respect from the refs. If the Heat play the Bobcats they will shoot about 15 more free throws.

The Heat have at least a 10 point cushion from the line in more than 80% of their games this year.
Lebron also got away with 2-3 charges in the game. But that's not a Heat thing, it's an NBA superstar thing.

I love how the NBA spent the preseason talking about how they were going to give technicals. Then didn't call one on a player in the Heat-Celtics game despite a lot of arguing. Then call one on Kevin Martin for practically nothing.

The new rule just gives the superstars a bigger advantage since they will never get called for technicals on arguing but regular players will.