The NBA Thread

[NewGuyPeteD]

LeBron is absolutely getting a ring. You can't be this good and not eventually win one. They weren't too far off last year. I think he gets it this year. What, you think I want this to happen? I hate that phony.

[Gilly]

How can you say this guy doesn't have personality!

[Mr. Spacely]

I'm totally on-board this idea of the Lakers signing Gilbert Arenas. Why not? The team's going nowhere fast. Roll the dice and see if he becomes the streaking veteran shooter you need. Hell, streaking veteran shooters is how Dallas won the title last year.

Also, "The Black Mamba & Agent Zero" is the greatest 1970s Marvel Comics series that never existed.

[Gilly]

Seems like a bad idea to me. You never know what will happen this season with injuries and teams just hitting a wall. The Lakers are probably the most likely to hit a wall but I think the goal this season is just to make the playoffs and go from there and I think the Lakers are going to be a 5 seed at the worst. I just don't see the need for them to bring on a risky locker room guy who isn't even a decent player anymore.

It will be interesting to see how much they are needing to win this year and how much influence Kobe has in making that happen. An easy trade to make the team a ton better and probably a clear title contender would be sending Bynum to Phoenix for Nash and Gortat. But, that makes them terrible in 3 years maybe even 2.

[Mr. Spacely]

I feel like the West is wide open this year and there's a decent chance the Lakers could at least make the Finals if they make a few desperate moves without sacrificing Gasol and Bynum. I get the idea, obviously, of dumping them off for more, younger pieces, and beginning the rebuild, but it just doesn't seem right to pass up a shot at playing for a title in this crazy season for the mere potential to play for a title in three years.

Now, having said all that...Gasol + Picks for Nash/Gortat is a great trade. I don't care if Nash bites it in two years, I think that trade would be perfect for making a deep run now.

[Gilly]

Gasol makes more sense than Bynum. I thought he was older but he's only 31 and doesn't have a no trade clause. I figured that he had a no trade clause for sure but he only has a 15% trade kicker and Phoenix won't get much younger but they'll be able to build around him for the next 4 years at least.

[Mr. Spacely]

Gasol is also underrated as a durable guy. It's weird, because since he's a gangly Euro he'll always be seen as default "soft," but I can't think of many times where he's actually been injured and on the DL. Not to mention he played something like 4000 games between 08 and 11. Anyway, all this just means that Gasol + Phoenix's Sports Medicine Gurus = Eternal Life.

[Pregnant Pause]

Gasol makes more sense than Bynum. I thought he was older but he's only 31 and doesn't have a no trade clause. I figured that he had a no trade clause for sure but he only has a 15% trade kicker and Phoenix won't get much younger but they'll be able to build around him for the next 4 years at least.

You have to fulfill a very specific set of requirements to be eligible for no trade clauses in the NBA.  I think only Kobe and Dirk have them. 

[Gilly]

Wolves need to find somebody who can shoot 3's. Beasley to Golden State for Brandon Rush? Seems like it works for both teams since Golden State has Kwame Brown's contract falling off the books this off season and if they get Beasley they can give 12 million to a free agent this off season and be a contender next year. Wolves would probably have to take Udoh as well or get a 3rd team involved.

[jbissell]

Crazy that Beasley is actually their best percentage wise from 3 this year.

[buffcoat]

Charlotte is now officially on pace to be the worst team in the history of the league.  Go Bobcats!

[Greggulator]

I have come to terms with Linsanity.

If Lin was on a team like Milwaukee, he'd be my favorite player of all-time. The only reason why I was hating on the bandwagon is because he's on the Knicks and my natural pre-disposition to be against NY sports teams.

But the NBA is such a weird league. Despite the bluster of the strike, small-market teams have been more than capable of competing and getting national attention, ala OKC and the Spurs. If you're good, especially in this age, you'll be on TV.

The Knicks haven't been fun to watch since their weird run to the finals, and that was just a fluke. People HATED that team until they went on the run. The last time before that they were interesting was when Jeff Van Gundy was being rag dolled across a basketball court.

But now it gets interesting. Melo came to New York solely for the marketing purposes. He left a pretty good team built around him to join an average-at-best team that gutted itself to obtain him. But now, in just a matter of days, his star power has been trumped. The Knicks advertising is COMPLETELY about Lin right now. And Lin has also become a box office attraction.

It's going to be interesting to see how that plays out. I think the anticipated clash between the two over shots and style-of-play is going to have a lot more to it.

[dave from knoxville]

Been out of town. Updated this.
Ratings (through yesterday's games)
1 Miami
2 Boston
3 Chicago
4 San Antonio
5 Dallas
6 Orlando
7 Oklahoma City
8 Sacramento
9 Memphis
10 LA Clippers
11 LA Lakers
12 Denver
13 Indiana
14 Golden State
15 Houston
16 Philadelphia
17 Atlanta
18 New York
19 Minnesota
20 Phoenix
21 Milwaukee
22 Utah
23 Cleveland
24 Portland
25 New Orleans
26 Toronto
27 Washington
28 Detroit
29 New Jersey
30 Charlotte

[jbissell]

If Lin was on a team like Milwaukee, he'd be my favorite player of all-time. The only reason why I was hating on the bandwagon is because he's on the Knicks and my natural pre-disposition to be against NY sports teams.

You seemed to have a whole lot of other reasons besides him playing for the Knicks.

And since when did we start rooting for people from Harvard to succeed? Aren't they the enemy to slobs everywhere? I know he stands out because of his ethnicity but, aside from that, he's a fortunate son who fell under the AAU radar and had a great career... but it was at Harvard.

[Greggulator]

If Lin was on a team like Milwaukee, he'd be my favorite player of all-time. The only reason why I was hating on the bandwagon is because he's on the Knicks and my natural pre-disposition to be against NY sports teams.

You seemed to have a whole lot of other reasons besides him playing for the Knicks.

And since when did we start rooting for people from Harvard to succeed? Aren't they the enemy to slobs everywhere? I know he stands out because of his ethnicity but, aside from that, he's a fortunate son who fell under the AAU radar and had a great career... but it was at Harvard.

True. But he's won me over. The NYC thing was the primary part.