The NBA Thread

[jbissell]

You make a valid point about Channing Frye. The Knicks really never gave him a chance to succeed.

Regarding your second point, I don't necessarily agree with the assertion that the Jennings non-selection is the first bad decision of the post-Isiah era. The Jordan Hill pick looks bad now, but by the end of the season, it may not be so egregious. I think it's too early to make any type of definitive judgment on Hill because he has barely played. Moreover, when he has seen playing time, he has been decent. He doesn't have the ceiling of a Brandon Jennings, but he definitely has the potential to be a good NBA player.

I don't really know enough about to Hill to say that he'll be a bust, I was just thinking more along the lines that with D'Antoni's system it's much more important to have a good uptempo PG and I don't think Duhon or Robinson really qualifies.

I don't know, Jordan Hill might not be bad, but players that are never given the opportunity turn into role players at best in most cases. It's way too early, but it says something that the worst team in the league isn't giving him much of a chance yet. NBA teams need to start using the D-League for players like Hill. When you draft a player knowing he needs to develop, why not play him in the "developmental league" instead of letting him waste away on the bench? It happens all the time because teams are afraid to send their 1st round picks to the D-League. Or, the league should make a rule like the NHL where you can draft a players rights and allow him to stay in college (even though NHL teams don't really want their players to stay in college but that's only because they have established minor league systems).

I agree, it seems like they've slowly been trying to improve on this the last few years but obviously there is a long way to go.  Instead of letting them play in college, I think it would make sense for them to play in Europe for a year or two (until the NBA does better with the D-League).  If you look over the D-League rosters it's mostly a lot of undrafted guys or Mateen Cleeves-types.  Every year there are a handful of big men drafted in the first round that are just projects and these guys sit on the bench for a few years before being labeled busts.

[dnk]

I don't know, Jordan Hill might not be bad, but players that are never given the opportunity turn into role players at best in most cases. It's way too early, but it says something that the worst team in the league isn't giving him much of a chance yet. NBA teams need to start using the D-League for players like Hill. When you draft a player knowing he needs to develop, why not play him in the "developmental league" instead of letting him waste away on the bench? It happens all the time because teams are afraid to send their 1st round picks to the D-League. Or, the league should make a rule like the NHL where you can draft a players rights and allow him to stay in college (even though NHL teams don't really want their players to stay in college but that's only because they have established minor league systems).

Even though I wish the Wizards utilized the D-League a lot more (both in terms of sending down players and calling up standouts (how Will Conroy can't stick on an NBA team is beyond me)), there are plenty of arguments for not sending down players that rack up DNP-CDs:

-Some D-League affiliates don't run the same offense as the NBA team
-They can practice against real, honest-to-goodness pros day and night, rather than being fairly dominant like they probably were from wherever they were drafted (college or overseas)
-They can work with the NBA coaches on what the NBA coaches want them to work on
-Team camaraderie

Obviously the last is pretty bad, but the first three are pretty decent arguments.

Hopefully the Wizards turn it around tonight. First game with the team's best seven players (Arenas, Jamison, Butler, Haywood, Miller, Blatche, and Foye). The Cavs are coming off a back to back and are missing Shaq, Delonte, Varejao, and possibly Moon. And the Wizards have got to win sometime. Here we go!

[jbissell]

I don't know, Jordan Hill might not be bad, but players that are never given the opportunity turn into role players at best in most cases. It's way too early, but it says something that the worst team in the league isn't giving him much of a chance yet. NBA teams need to start using the D-League for players like Hill. When you draft a player knowing he needs to develop, why not play him in the "developmental league" instead of letting him waste away on the bench? It happens all the time because teams are afraid to send their 1st round picks to the D-League. Or, the league should make a rule like the NHL where you can draft a players rights and allow him to stay in college (even though NHL teams don't really want their players to stay in college but that's only because they have established minor league systems).

Even though I wish the Wizards utilized the D-League a lot more (both in terms of sending down players and calling up standouts (how Will Conroy can't stick on an NBA team is beyond me)), there are plenty of arguments for not sending down players that rack up DNP-CDs:

-Some D-League affiliates don't run the same offense as the NBA team
-They can practice against real, honest-to-goodness pros day and night, rather than being fairly dominant like they probably were from wherever they were drafted (college or overseas)
-They can work with the NBA coaches on what the NBA coaches want them to work on
-Team camaraderie

Those are all true with the current D-League, but if it were to be more of a true minor league system those issues probably wouldn't be as big.

[Cotton]

Being on the other side of the country and knowing their attendance numbers, it PAINS me to think how much the Sixers' front office is considering bringing Iverson back to the team.

[Andy]

“Seattle may be a good city, but there’s one thing that they don’t have, and that’s a basketball team.”
—David Thompson, Greater
Oklahoma City Chamber chairman and president of the OPUBCO Communications Group, speaking at the chamber’s annual meeting Jan. 7 at the Cox Business Services Convention Center

[chuck from cedar rapids]

“Seattle may be a good city, but there’s one thing that they don’t have, and that’s a basketball team.”
—David Thompson, Greater
Oklahoma City Chamber chairman and president of the OPUBCO Communications Group, speaking at the chamber’s annual meeting Jan. 7 at the Cox Business Services Convention Center

I have taken a page out of Bill Simmons' playbook and refer to OKC's team as the Zombie Sonics.

Also, tough break for Blake Griffin! I feel bad for the Clips.

[Chris L]

Not sure why the NRA (not NBA) haven't thrown a massive support campaign behind Gilbert Arenas, especially since they're now saying he owns hundereds of guns.  Like some of their members haven't pulled their share of firearms-related practical jokes ("define 'lethal'").

[Andy]

The best nickname for the OKC Thunder:  The Der.

[Pregnant Pause]

The Western Conference Playoffs are going to be so good, I wish they started next week instead of March Madness.

My dream first round:
Lakers – Spurs
Portland – Utah
Denver – OKC (Carmelo dueling Durant would be fantastic)
Phoenix – Dallas

I might as well just live at the bars for the May and June.   

[senorcorazon]

The Western Conference Playoffs are going to be so good, I wish they started next week instead of March Madness.

My dream first round:
Lakers – Spurs
Portland – Utah
Denver – OKC (Carmelo dueling Durant would be fantastic)
Phoenix – Dallas

I might as well just live at the bars for the May and June.   

Don't worry, the playoffs go up for approximately 85 weeks.

[Gilly]

It would be cool to see Phil Jackson go back to Chicago now that Del Negro was canned. I'd love to see how great of a coach he is since he's always had one of the greatest players ever to lead his team and if he could take a borderline playoff team to a championship without major additions. But, you gotta think that if he goes, wherever he goes, he's bringing Lebron with him.

[jbissell]

It would be cool to see Phil Jackson go back to Chicago now that Del Negro was canned. I'd love to see how great of a coach he is since he's always had one of the greatest players ever to lead his team and if he could take a borderline playoff team to a championship without major additions. But, you gotta think that if he goes, wherever he goes, he's bringing Lebron with him.

I just can't see him coming back to the Bulls, even though I'd love it. None of the early rumored candidates excite me at all - right now it's a handful of guys with minimal experience + Byron Scott and Lawrence Frank (I think I like him?). If there's anything to be learned from the Del Negro experience, it's never hire a guy who has absolutely zero coaching experience. Didn't make sense at the time, and despite making the playoffs two straight years, still doesn't make sense. Watching that Bucks/Hawks series, I couldn't help but think that Skiles would've been a good coach for Rose and Noah, two guys who give a shit. Instead he got stuck with Tyrus Thomas.

[Gilly]

Yeah, it's crazy that the top league in the world has teams hiring coaches who haven't coached even at the college level. That has to be frustrating for guys who have put their time in.

I think there's a good chance Chicago could be the winner of the 2010 free agent bonanza. They have the ability to sign two max contracts and if Phil Jackson comes back I think they'll be Lebron and Chris Bosh... and that would be one of the best teams ever with Rose, Lebron, Bosh, Noah and Deng with Hinrich as a 6th man. Or trading Hinrich to bring in specialty players.

[jbissell]

I'm not going to allow myself to get sucked into the rumors that Lebron is coming to Chicago with Calipari. Mostly because the thought of that scumbag as the Bulls coach makes me sick.

Boy were those last 2 Lebron performances disappointing.

[JohnU]

I think he'll be in New York with Chris Bosh (who has his same agent).

If New Jersey gets John Wall with the number one pick, he might pick the Nets to play for Jay-Z and that Russian dude. Brook Lopez!

I would bet money on one of those two options.