NBA Discussion

[gta_player5]

Let's put it like this; Ron Artest, Metta World Peace, whatever you'd like to call him, will be the worst player in the Lakers' starting lineup.

 

/end

 

Artest and Kobe will provide the perimeter defense. Kobe isn't as quick or explosive as he was five years ago, but he is a smarter player. He has made the NBA All-Defensive first or second team 12 times. He can't guard Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant, but other than LeBron James, name someone who can. Artest will provide his strong, aggressive and irritating defense as usual.

 

Steve Nash plays no defense, I will make no bones about that, but that's not what the Lakers brought him in to do. Name a Lakers point who has played good defense in recent years. Derek Fisher sure didn't, but they still won the NBA Finals in 2009 and 2010. Steve Nash is an upgrade from Ramon Sessions because, well, he's Steve Nash. I can only think of one point guard that can be argued to be as good as Nash has been over the last 10 years.

 

The key to this team now, other than Kobe, and the reason why it will be so good is because of its four and five. No team in the NBA has a better combination there. Not Miami, not OKC, not New York or even Chicago. The Lakers front court will dominate games. Dwight Howard shoots for a better field goal percentage, averages more points (mainly because he had to), pulled down more rebounds and averaged more blocks. Howard's free throw shooting is the only thing that lets him down. Howard does, however, get to the free throw line more than Bynum and is consistently among the league leaders in free throw attempts. It is easier to guard Bynum in the post than Howard because of Howard's athleticism.

 

LA will not steamroll OKC, but the OKC bigs will get pushed around by Howard and Pau Gasol. In a series between the two teams, I would pick the Lakers in six right now.

 

Edit: Plus, the Lakers will have an improved bench. Antawn Jamison will be the sixth man and Jodie Meeks will help spread the floor and provide threes.

Edited August 13, 2012 by gta_player5

[Nah Tso Gud]

I just want to see Nash win a ring, Ive been a die hard Nash fan since the first basketball game I watched ( in the past 10ish years at the time ) back in late 06. Yes, I will feel guilty for cheering for the Lakers, yes I will feel especially bandwagony after they got Dwight.. I don't like that Nash went there, I don't like that he changed his number.. but he (sigh, yes the Lakers) and the Twolves are the only teams I will be cheering for this year. Maybe I can get some Wolves Lakers floor seats and get Nashs new jersey signed as well.. ( I got his Suns jersey signed... but the signature is upside down.. FAIL. )

 

Anyhow, how about mah Wolves? Rubio should be in tact.. Brandon Roy, Andrei Kirilenko, Budinger signed.. Love, Pekovic.. Alexey Shved just killed it in the bronze medal game.. They should be an exciting team barring injury. Weo0o! Excited!

[Troll Proof]

L.A. will only be a beast if the starters have their touches on the ball. Howard and Gasol should handle the brunt of the offense, leaving Kobe and Nash as role players and MWP as a lesser element. Even more important is their non-existant bench, since the loss of Trevor Ariza, the Lakers bench has declined in quality.

[Funktipus]

L.A. will only be a beast if the starters have their touches on the ball. Howard and Gasol should handle the brunt of the offense, leaving Kobe and Nash as role players and MWP as a lesser element. Even more important is their non-existant bench, since the loss of Trevor Ariza, the Lakers bench has declined in quality.

Gasol will flourish with a point guard like Steve Nash, who'll get him the ball in his sweet spot.

[Jonesizzle]

L.A. will only be a beast if the starters have their touches on the ball. Howard and Gasol should handle the brunt of the offense, leaving Kobe and Nash as role players and MWP as a lesser element. Even more important is their non-existant bench, since the loss of Trevor Ariza, the Lakers bench has declined in quality.

What roster are you looking at? If anything they've inclined on quality bench players.

 

Nash had his finest years under the pick and roll scheme. That would be a nasty move with Pau and Dwight.

[The__Phoenix]

Even more important is their non-existant bench, since the loss of Trevor Ariza, the Lakers bench has declined in quality.

Steve Blake,Antawn Jamison,Chris Duhon or Jordan Hill are good complementary players.

For me the Lakers are the best team.

 

Interesting;The 2013 Lakers aren't the 2004 Lakers

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers...the-2004-lakers

[Funktipus]

4 years, $48mil extension for Ibaka.

 

And as a die-hard Knicks fan, I hope Carmelo's play during the Olympics carries over to NY.

[Jonesizzle]

I'm thrilled to have a set team for years to come. All we can expect is to have a ring in a year or so.

 

I'm kinda hoping they will keep bring James Harden off the bench, it seemed very effective as he'd be running the court when Westbrook and Durant were on the bench.

[gta_player5]

I'm thrilled to have a set team for years to come. All we can expect is to have a ring in a year or so.

 

I'm kinda hoping they will keep bring James Harden off the bench, it seemed very effective as he'd be running the court when Westbrook and Durant were on the bench.

Not to mention the Thunder's incredible luck in drafting Perry Jones III. Scouts say he has knee issues and that he will only last three or four years in the NBA, but I don't buy into it that much. Will he be the next Kevin Durant? No, probably not. He is, however, a versatile and athletic player who will learn from Durant. That selection was the steal of the draft, IMO.

[Jonesizzle]

He has been getting banged up in the summer league, but we will see how he transitions into the NBA. A year or two ago he was predicted to be a lottery pick and we ended up getting him at the end of the 1st round. I thought we would focus on trying to get another big man, but I'm not disappointed with the outcome so far.

[The__Phoenix]

4 years, $48mil extension for Ibaka.

 

And as a die-hard Knicks fan, I hope Carmelo's play during the Olympics carries over to NY.

Ibaka worth it by $10 million per year. 23 years old and obsessed with the perfection of his game, this guy only can be better.

OKC don´t need more, I mean, Ibaka is the perfect rol player, sacrified for the team and very conscious of what their paper in the machine.

 

The man that OKC really needs is a center better than perkins, because if not, I can´t see them reaching the ring.

How? Imo, sacrificing to Harden by Zach Randolph,Al Jefferson or Javale Mcgee.

 

Considering the crap that the magic received by Howard, maybe if OKC would have offered a transfer Harden-Howard things would be very different now.

[Funktipus]

Yeah, Perkins against Howard will be a problem. Maybe OKC should have made an offer to Hibbert, but then they wouldn't have had the loot for Serge.

 

It's going to be a interesting chess match when LA & OKC meet. I haven't been this juiced up for an NBA season since the Knicks were championship contenders.

[Jonesizzle]

I'm 99% sure that Howard wasn't considering OKC as a option to play for. He wants the big market and the spotlight shined on him, which was why he wanted the Brooklyn (Formerly New Jersey), New York, Dallas, Atlanta or Los Angeles.

 

I'd be really nice to see Cole Aldrich develop into a decent center for us, Mohammed and Collison are getting a little older but still have the good wisdom to be good court players. As far as putting someone on Howard, there isn't that many men in the league who can physically stop the man anyways so OKC can't be too worried about stopping him... just slowing him down slightly.

[Jimmy_Leppard]

Bulls, Lakers and OKC are my teams and this season is no different. Good luck to you

[Funktipus]

Looking forward to seeing the new, 'improved' Amar'e Stoudemire. He and Carmelo have been talking a good game - let's see them do it against Miami, Boston & Chicago.

[Nah Tso Gud]

Looking forward to seeing the new, 'improved' Amar'e Stoudemire. He and Carmelo have been talking a good game - let's see them do it against Miami, Boston & Chicago.

Yeah, apparently he went to Hakeem to improve his game, certainly a good idea for any player, no matter the position

 

I used to be a fan of Amare... then he left the Suns.... Used to be a Suns fan... then Nash left.

[The__Phoenix]

Looking forward to seeing the new, 'improved' Amar'e Stoudemire. He and Carmelo have been talking a good game - let's see them do it against Miami, Boston & Chicago.

Yeah, apparently he went to Hakeem to improve his game, certainly a good idea for any player, no matter the position

 

I used to be a fan of Amare... then he left the Suns.... Used to be a Suns fan... then Nash left.

yep,and he paid Hakeem Olajuwon $100,000 for two weeks of tutelage. Really cheap, I´m thinking to hire Hakeem for one week.

 

 

[uJhatafart00]

Lakers ftw next year! 1 more ring for Mr.Kobe is coming. Go,Go,Go!

[InstantCClassic]

Lakers ftw next year! 1 more ring for Mr.Kobe is coming. Go,Go,Go!

Not if Derrick Rose and the Bulls stop him.

[Jonesizzle]

I think this Laker team will be the one to reckon with. It took Bostons "Big Three" a single season to capture a ring, I find it will be no different for these Lakers. Lakers vs. Heat will be very interesting match up, but the good 'ol Thunders will be the road block for Lakers this season.

[gta_player5]

I think this Laker team will be the one to reckon with. It took Bostons "Big Three" a single season to capture a ring, I find it will be no different for these Lakers. Lakers vs. Heat will be very interesting match up, but the good 'ol Thunders will be the road block for Lakers this season.

Despite the ball stopping ability of Kobe Bryant, I think the Lakers will be winning games, but struggling to find the chemistry. They still have Kobe, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest, but this is a totaly different lineup. Gone is Ramon Sessions and the talented but lazy Andrew Bynum. They will have to work to find the balance between Steve Nash's facilitating and Kobe's ball-hogging, for lack of a better term. It will take some time, but they are definitely my pick for the Western Conference. I still believe in my prediction that the Los Angeles Lakers will take the WCF in six games over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

 

I'm really looking forward to NBA season. The Knicks have added, shall I say, veteran experience to the roster. I hope the additions of Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby encourage the more immature players to take command of the team. Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire have done good things during the offseason. Amar'e, as we all know, worked out for two weeks Hakeem Olajuwon and Carmelo just stayed in shape — the Olympics helped that happen. I hope playing on the Olympic team with other superstar players will motivate Melo to really become the leader he needs to be for this Knicks team.

[Funktipus]

According to the NY Daily News, Brain-Dead Dolan wants to bring his buddy Isiah 'Train-wreck' Thomas back to the Knicks as a paid consultant....oy vay. Isiah ran the Knicks into the ground, but Dolan still doesn't get it. It ticks me off that Isiah will always be connected to my team, because Dolan thinks he's a genius. I'd like to know what Isiah has on Dolan - probably nude pictures. I've said it for years - Knicks ain't winning s**t with this idiot in charge.

 

In college hoops, legendary UConn coach Jim Calhoun will announce his retirement later today.

Edited September 13, 2012 by Funktipus

[gta_player5]

Jim Dolan and Isiah Thomas are good friends. Dolan did not want to fire Thomas, that decision was made by Donnie Walsh after he became the president of basketball operations in 2008. Thomas actually was not fired, but rather "reassigned." Whatever that's supposed to mean. Since he was fired from the Knicks there have always been rumors that Dolan wants to bring him back as a consultant. There were rumors that he was going to be hired by the Knicks as a consultant a couple of years ago, but that was while he was the head coach of the FIU basketball team. Thankfully, according to the NBA, being employed by a professional and college team would pose a conflict of interest. He's since been fired from FIU. Let that sink in for a second. Unfortunately, he can now be hired as a consultant or any other position within the Knicks organization. I doubt, however, Grunwald would be happy about that.

[The__Phoenix]

According to the NY Daily News, Brain-Dead Dolan wants to bring his buddy Isiah 'Train-wreck' Thomas back to the Knicks as a paid consultant....oy vay. Isiah ran the Knicks into the ground, but Dolan still doesn't get it. It ticks me off that Isiah will always be connected to my team, because Dolan thinks he's a genius. I'd like to know what Isiah has on Dolan - probably nude pictures. I've said it for years - Knicks ain't winning s**t with this idiot in charge.

 

 

I can't believe it. Thomas left the knicks in ruins,Does he deserve another chance? Please no

Definitely I can´t understand why Dolan thinks that Isiah can do good things for this team.

Thomas will ruin the knicks again if finally he returns to NYC.

[Funktipus]

Remember, Dolan had to be forced by David Stern to hire Donnie Walsh, who undid Isiah's bad contracts, got us under the cap, and made the Knicks somewhat respectable. His reward was getting pushed out by Dolan because he wouldn't accept a pay cut and reduction in his power(plus he felt the Knicks gave up too much for Anthony. Walsh was willing to play chicken with Denver - Dolan got impatient and overruled Walsh). That shows you the kind of brainpower Dolan has.

 

So how are the Knicks going to be what they were during the 90s with a tool like Dolan in charge? Bottom line - they're not. Bad owners ruin franchises.

[InstantCClassic]

God I hate my team's front office. All the owner cares about is the baseball team....ugh.

[tubbs51]

well it looks like Seattle is getting a new arena that'll be built near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field. Bout time it got though the politics. it'll cost $460 million but the cost is guaranteed by the guy behind the new arena (he'll cover the city's losses if it doesnt make enough money and will buy the stadium back if the area never gets another pro franchise or if that franchise gets moved again).

 

Now the sh*tty part is that the Mariners front office is running a campaign to get it stopped lol

[gta_player5]

Currently, the only hope Seattle has at getting another NBA franchise is for the Sacramento Kings to move. I don't see any other franchise moving. There has been a fair amount of movement in recent years, but the Kings are the only team rumored to want to move right now. They have talked about relocating for a couple of years now and they don't have an agreement for a new arena. The only issue, regarding Seattle, is that if the Kings were to relocate, all signs point towards going to Anaheim.

 

I hate to see how Seattle lost their team. Clay Bennett was determined to get them to Oklahoma at seemingly any cost.

[neo92boi]

Just made this as a new alternate for the Knicks

 

fav team

 

 

 

Here are the real ones

 

[gta_player5]

Here are the real ones

 

[/img]http://beermugsports.com/storage/KNICKS_NEW_UNIFORMS.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1345705992930[/img]

The only thing I don't like about the new retro style Knicks uniforms is the waistband. I don't like how it is a different color on both the home and away uniforms. I don't know why, but when I saw the unveiling press conference I just didn't like it. Hopefully they play better with these new unis. By the end of the 2014, everything will be different. New uniforms and a completely renovated Garden. Hopefully, they will be a contender before then, too.