NBA Discussion

[mark-2007]

Just been getting back into the NBA this season after forgetting to really keep up to date with the lockout happening season. Still haven't really decided on a team. I used to be keen on Seattle back when I first got into basketball (thank to Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis on NBA Live 2005), but that's not much of an option now. Any word on them getting a team back? Heard Sacramento might be losing the Kings. As for now though, I need to settle on a team.

 

Who has everyone got marked down for taking the Lakers head coach job? Been reading rumours, not sure if Phil Jackson will return again, but it'd be cool to see Sloan back. Other names were Stan Van Gundy and Mike D'Antoni - not so sure about the latter, if his style would sit well with Kobe.

 

Also, Damian Lillard's looking great. Averaging 18 ppg and 7 apg, could be tough competition with Davis for Rookie of the Year. Just reading on nba.com about Dion Waiters too, should be good, and I reckon Harrison Barnes should be up there too.

 

 

[Funktipus]

Hot rumor is Phil Jackson will return sometime next week.

[Jonesizzle]

Mark, you can always become a Thunder fan! Seattle fans are salty about Thunder, but what else are they going to do, root for the Warriors, Clippers or worse (and a heated rival team when they had the Sonics) the Lakers? Come on, everybody likes the Durantula. Also, Stan Van Gundy being the Laker coach? I'll slam my nuts in the freezer if that happens, especially after what happened in Orlando with Dwight Howard... it's just not going to happen.

 

 

God damn you Phil Jackson, didn't you win enough rings with the Lakers? Last I heard about Mr. Phil Jackson was rumors about him wanting to coach a expansion team, more specifically if the NBA brought another team to Seattle. Seeing him team back up, with essentially the same team he coached to the finals, is frightening because now he now has arguably the best center in the NBA and the smartest and one of the most decorated point guards in the NBA (history).

 

I told my co-workers, Lakers/Heat finals match-up and if Phil comes back I'll believe in that even more.

[Funktipus]

How 'bout those 4-0 Knicks? Carmelo has continued his fine play from the Olympics, but it's Jason Kidd who's shocked me.

 

UPDATE - It's not Phil Jackson, but Mike D'Antoni to LA. Pringles signed a four-year deal.

Edited November 12, 2012 by Funktipus

[ALeonard28]

How 'bout those 4-0 Knicks? Carmelo has continued his fine play from the Olympics, but it's Jason Kidd who's shocked me.

 

UPDATE - It's not Phil Jackson, but Mike D'Antoni to LA. Pringles signed a four-year deal.

Carmelo's shooting percentage is about the same, he's just shooting more than last year lol. Knicks have looked good, though. My Suns aren't looking too horrible either. I'm hoping for somewhere around 35-40 wins.

 

And WOW, D'Antoni over Phil Jackson. Who would've thunk it. And rumor is LA didn't even call Nate McMillan or Brian Shaw. I see a trade happening soon.

[Jonesizzle]

If they are looking for defense they need to nab Josh Smith or a Joakim Noah. I see Gasol or Artest (maybe both) being traded, but we shall see how all this unfolds. I'm sure they'll try what D'Antoni has planned for with what they got, but who knows now-a-days, they fired their head coach 3 or 4 games into the season...

[Funktipus]

We'll see what the Knicks are made of, back-to-back road games in San Antonio & Memphis.

 

6-0! As a long time Knicks fan, I'm at a loss for words. Carmelo had what, seven defensive rebounds??? He's really stepped up his game, and Jason Kidd has been unbelievable. These cats have bought into Woodson's program (even a knucklehead like J.R.), and I'm loving it. Thank you Coach! After 10+ years of garbage, it's fun to be a Knicks fan again.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Funktipus

[mark-2007]

 

Mark, you can always become a Thunder fan! Seattle fans are salty about Thunder, but what else are they going to do, root for the Warriors, Clippers or worse (and a heated rival team when they had the Sonics) the Lakers? Come on, everybody likes the Durantula.

Yeah, I don't have anything against the Thunder, although having watched Sonicsgate about the sale of the Sonics, I'm not the biggest fan of Clay Bennett, the Thunder's owner. I do love Durant and Westbrook, mind you I'd love them more if they were in green and yellow. Were you a fan of the team when they were in Seattle or are you from OKC?

 

Knicks were finally beaten by Memphis. I suppose it had to end at some point but I hope they can continue their good form and make a strong play-off run, would be nice to see them get out of the first round at least.

 

Speaking of the Thunder and the Knicks, they've got a new alternative jersey apparently, along with the Nuggets:

 

 

Love the Nuggets one, the Thunder one's a bit dull but nothing too bad. The Knicks one is... shocking, not particularly easy on the eyes!

[Jonesizzle]

are you from OKC?

 

Born and raised.

 

The knicks looked ugly against the Memphis but that was a showdown between the two best teams (record wise) and Memphis looked superb. They were a thorn in the Thunders ass last year in the playoffs, and I honestly thought this team wasn't going to be as good with the departure of OJ Mayo, but they seem to be clicking on all cylinders.

[gta_player5]

are you from OKC?

 

Born and raised.

 

The knicks looked ugly against the Memphis but that was a showdown between the two best teams (record wise) and Memphis looked superb. They were a thorn in the Thunders ass last year in the playoffs, and I honestly thought this team wasn't going to be as good with the departure of OJ Mayo, but they seem to be clicking on all cylinders.

I'm not surprised. OJ Mayo wasn't a big part of the team. He hasn't been a starter since the 2010-11 season and he lost his starting job that year, too. While Rudy Gay and Mike Conley are good, their strength is their front court. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph is one of the best front courts in the NBA. They are a very well-rounded. I wouldn't say there is a superstar on that team, but a starting five with five good players.

 

On topic of the game against the Knicks. As a Knicks fan I am biased, but the officiating got out of hand in the third quarter. Ed Malloy and the other officials were calling the Knicks for everything. The stats of the two teams were very similar, except Memphis attempted 11 more free throws and made 10 more than the Knicks. I really don't like blaming games on officiating, but when one flagrant foul and three of the four technical fouls given to the Knicks were issued in the third quarter the referees won't sit well with fans, needless to say.

 

I'm not saying the Knicks played well during the third quarter, because they didn't, but, in my opinion, they didn't play so badly that they should have been losing by 18 at the end of the third quarter. The third quarter was the difference in the game.

[Funktipus]

Playing Carmelo at the 4 against Memphis is asking for trouble. That front line is no joke - physical and nasty. I hope they meet the Clippers again in the playoffs.

[Jonesizzle]

Carmelo Anthony on Marc Gasol was just asking for trouble in my opinion.

[Hammertime12]

 

Mark, you can always become a Thunder fan! Seattle fans are salty about Thunder, but what else are they going to do, root for the Warriors, Clippers or worse (and a heated rival team when they had the Sonics) the Lakers? Come on, everybody likes the Durantula.

Yeah, I don't have anything against the Thunder, although having watched Sonicsgate about the sale of the Sonics, I'm not the biggest fan of Clay Bennett, the Thunder's owner. I do love Durant and Westbrook, mind you I'd love them more if they were in green and yellow. Were you a fan of the team when they were in Seattle or are you from OKC?

 

Knicks were finally beaten by Memphis. I suppose it had to end at some point but I hope they can continue their good form and make a strong play-off run, would be nice to see them get out of the first round at least.

 

Speaking of the Thunder and the Knicks, they've got a new alternative jersey apparently, along with the Nuggets:

 

 

Love the Nuggets one, the Thunder one's a bit dull but nothing too bad. The Knicks one is... shocking, not particularly easy on the eyes!

 

I was never a big fan of the way the Thunder logo looks. I was hoping they would do something more like this.

[Mafia Drive Gunner]

There seems to be a fair bit of chat going on about Josh Smith going to the Lakers for Pau Gasol. I don't think there is really much to it, the Hawks won't give up their Franchise player, Smith is 26, Pau is 32, and the Lakers will have to throw too much in the deal and it will almost nullify the off-season buys that they recently grabbed.

 

Not really anything for the Hawks to worry about as far as I'm concerned, its just a big media beatup.

 

One of many sources.

[gta_player5]

I see Josh Smith fitting into Mike D'Antoni's offensive system better than Pau Gasol. Smith is more athletic and can run up and down the floor better. I agree with you, MDG, I don't think it's likely to happen. Like they say, however, where there's smoke there's fire.

 

Danny Ferry is the new GM of the Atlanta Hawks and has been disassembling the team since he arrived. My only idea as to why these trade rumors are persisting is because Smith is in a contract year. Atlanta might be trying to trade Smith and his expiring contract before he potentially walks during the offseason and leaves them with nothing. They did a great job of offloading contracts such as Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams, like the article you cited says, and got good returns. I think that might be the case with these trade rumors.

 

The Atlanta Hawks were a solid team, but weren't going to win any championships. That team peaked in 2009-10 and since then their record has gotten worse, players have gotten older and salaries have gone up, especially Johnson's back-loaded contract. I can see Ferry's perspective (if this is, in fact, his way of thinking), disassemble a team that has already peaked and rebuild from the ground up.

[mark-2007]

I was never a big fan of the way the Thunder logo looks. I was hoping they would do something more like this.

I don't mind the Thunder's colour scheme too much, in fact I quite like the light blue, similar to the Nuggets road jersey. It's just the Thunder's design and logo that seem a it plain and uninspiring - not as instantly recognisable like the Bulls/Knicks/Lakers/Celtics, but that recognition may come with time (and hopefully success).

 

Re: Josh Smith. I reckon the Hawks will try move him, as they stand a chance of losing him for nothing in the summer (similar to Varejao and the Cavs, I believe). One scenario I saw floated by a commentor on Hoopsworld was between the Nuggets and the Hawks as follows:

 

Hawks receive Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, Evan Fournier and a pick for Smith.

 

I suppose Denver are giving up a fair bit for the one player who may not resign with them, but Denver has one of the deepest teams in the league, and the likes of Gallinari, Corey Brewer, Kostas Kufos and McGee should mean they won't miss Chandler and Mozgov too much - although the introduction of Smith to the equation may mean a reduction in minutes for either or both of Randolph and Faried.

 

If the Nuggets can convince him to then they could become competitors in the West. I saw some people had them as dark horses for this season which I wasn't too sure of, but with Smith added to the starting line-up then they become a true force to reckon with. The Hawks, meanwhile, get a decent amount back for a player they may lose for nothing come the off-season, and can move Horford to the 4 spot where he's more natural. On top of that, they shed a fair amount of salary.

[Jonesizzle]

Scary thing is, if Denver pulls the trigger on that deal is that they look absolutely great on paper, it'd be interesting to see the lineup they would go with. Have Josh Smith at the 4, Iguodala at the 3, Lawson at the 2 and Miller at 1, but who would be the center? They'd have several different lineups they could go with, which would only help them come playoffs. I honestly think George Karl is destined to win a championship.

[Funktipus]

The original Thunder logo looks like something a college kid pasted together. Love the new one, but I'd keep the original colors. Maybe darken the blue a bit.

[InstantCClassic]

The original Thunder logo reminds me of the WNBA.

[Stripes1981]

I think the Nuggets are a pretty underrated team and are one to be reckoned with

[ALeonard28]

I think the Nuggets are a pretty underrated team and are one to be reckoned with

They're definitely underrated. Last year they were just plain scary offensively, leading the league in scoring. And even this year, above average offensively and defensively, and that's without an extended period of time in which to gain chemistry. Not to mention Wilson Chandler is still out. Kenneth Faried looks pretty good as well, putting up 12.9 points and 11.5 boards so far. I love his hustle.

 

 

But how about them Wizards, huh? Still winless and already 9 games back in the division, wow. I didn't think they'd be great, but I didn't expect 0 wins through 11 games. Obviously the loss of John Wall hurts a ton. A.J. Price isn't exactly the same caliber of a player as Wall.

 

The Grizzlies have been pleasantly surprising as well. The best frontcourt in the NBA (in my opinion) is averaging 51.8 points and 26.3 boards per game. With Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies are never an easy out. 5th defensively, and 7th offensively, watch out for this Grizz team.

[Mafia Drive Gunner]

The Nuggets are great, they've got a chance to fly under the OKC radar and go deep in the playoffs.

 

If anyone missed it, Kobe dropped 40 with flu symptoms last night, and hit a game tying 3 with just 24 seconds on the clock. They had the chance to win the game but missed 4 free throws in a row, with Dwight missing 2 in a row and Metta getting fouled rebounding the second, earned two more, and missed them both. Awful stuff.

 

Rajon Rondo ended his 10 assist/game streak on 37 I think it was, he got ejected late in the 2nd after he objected to a foul by Kris Humphries on KG. Was pretty stupid really, I mean, KG got slapped in the face but it pretty much cost them the game. The Nets had two players ejected on that play also but Rondo is pretty much the Celtics key guy at the moment. I'm thinking he'll probably miss more games once the league sanctions his actions.

[Funktipus]

Somebody pinch me - did the Knicks just stomp Miami without Carmelo????????

[Jonesizzle]

Don't be to surprised, this is the same Heat team that got beat by the Wizards without John Wall...

[mark-2007]

Been reading that the New Orleans Hornets will be becoming the New Orleans Pelicans sometime in the next few years. Charlotte would then possibly reclaim the Hornets name, as I recall Jordan saying that he'd grab the chance to do so if it ever arose. Thoughts?

 

 

 

It's grown on me a bit. Apparently some of the other names up for consideration were the Krewe (not a typo - to do with Mardi Gras apparently, but still sounds sh*t) and the Brass, which I actually quite liked. Makes me think of some other teams whose names suck (the Wizards and Raptors in particular, and the Grizzlies, Magic and Bobcats also suck).

Edited December 8, 2012 by mark-2007

[Funktipus]

Don't be to surprised, this is the same Heat team that got beat by the Wizards without John Wall...

Following the long playoff run during the Ewing era, we've had ten years of sh***y basketball in NYC (Scott Layden, Isiah Thomas, Eddy Curry, Isiah Thomas, Stephon Marbury, Anucha Brown-Sanders, you know the story. The franchise was a laughing-stock). For them to be 14-4, leading the East and blowing out Miami TWICE??? Knick fans are like, is this for real?

 

Big week for the Knicks - Chicago & Denver back-to-back, Brooklyn on Tuesday, then LA on Thursday. Should be fun.

[Jonesizzle]

Oh yeah, I'm not knocking the Knicks.. they are playing lights out this year, thus far. But the Heat aren't running on the top gear right now, and I honestly think they will start picking up around or after the All-Star break. Like I said, Heat got beat by the Wall'less Wizards, even with LBJ's triple double.

[Funktipus]

Oh yeah, I'm not knocking the Knicks.. they are playing lights out this year, thus far. But the Heat aren't running on the top gear right now, and I honestly think they will start picking up around or after the All-Star break. Like I said, Heat got beat by the Wall'less Wizards, even with LBJ's triple double.

Of course. It's a long season, and every team goes through lulls. Heat will get their defensive swagger eventually. I worry about the Knicks relying too much on the 3. You're not getting those open looks come May & June.

[Jonesizzle]

Knicks were stone cold in the fourth quarter against the Lakers. They are rolling right now, and dare I say they are a better team than the Heat at this point.

[Funktipus]

Knicks were stone cold in the fourth quarter against the Lakers. They are rolling right now, and dare I say they are a better team than the Heat at this point.

I don't know about that, man. I can't get too excited yet. We got a long way to go. But I like our chances once we get Shump & Amar'e back healthy(hopefully Amar'e buys into Woody's program).

 

Carmelo's not playing tonight against Cleveland. He's day-to-day.