Real Deal

Do you still consider Dirk a top five power forward in this league? In no particular order... Kevin Love Blake Griffin Pau Gasol Amare Stoudemire Chris Bosh Kevin Garnett LaMarcus Aldridge Dirk Nowitzki Do you stick him just outside of that top five list? Can you call him a top three?

How much more success do you believe the Bobcats would see if they had snagged Anthony Davis, instead of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist? Do you think getting the "jack of all trades" player (MKG) is better than raking in a defensive-minded center who isn't known for his offensive output?

This guy seems to think so. http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2011/05/21/hawks-and-josh-smith-may-have-had-enough-of-each-other

We'll keep all preseason discussion in one topic. Hope you have NBATV, lol. Here's the schedule of games: http://www.nba.com/schedule Boston vs. Fenerbahce Ulker will kick it all off on Friday, 2:00 PM ET, NBATV!

http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/10/2/3446330/haynes-adam-morrison-could-hang-it-up-if-he-gets-cut-by-blazers I will hate Portland forever if they don't sign him, and he ends up retiring. AM3 FOR LIFE.

This dude really hates D12. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/brooklyn-nets/post/_/id/6024/shaq-lopez-better-than-d-12 Shaq is so desperate for attention, I truly think he makes controversial comments just to see his name on ESPN. He didn't even know Brook's name.

Obama can't go all out in these first two debates...it would be a mistake. He has to attack Mitt slightly in the second, then go full arsenal in the final debate, so Romney doesn't have an opportunity to plan a convincing rebuttal. I almost got the feeling that Romney threw his biggest arguments on the table tonight. From this point on, his strengths will have to be repeated arguments, rather than bringing something new...and that's where Obama comes in. You're basically butting heads with one of the greatest speakers in history, despite what you feel about his first term as President...and you can't show your hand THIS early (Mitt), even if you are behind a bit. It almost made me sick to hear Romney preaching in favor of the middle class as much as he did. Whether you're for him or against him, you know for a fact that's not his focus...but tonight, he repeatedly brought them up (us up, since I'm middle class) and almost spoke to rake in voters, rather than to tell us what he will do OR what he will try to do once he's elected. I could also see that Obama was a bit ticked off that Romney continued to claim that there would be $700 billion cuts in Medicare if he was not elected...without actually explaining what those cuts were, exactly. Instead of defining them as cuts to the actual costs of services, he warped it enough to make everyone think the plan was to cut into coverage. Obama made it clear as day what he wanted to do (used to "one test instead of multiple tests + doctors" example, which would help cut costs), but it was overlooked. Ryan will probably dominate Biden. Who knows, really. However, it's going to take that PLUS an incredible three debates by Romney, and I think he may have given away his specialty punch tonight, and Obama will most definitely take advantage of that, especially when they get the green light to start slinging mud at each other...because quite frankly, it's going to be difficult to sling mud at a four-year President who has already heard it all up to this point. As much as I thought he was a nutcase who wanted us to convert back to the 70's way of living, Ron Paul would have had a better chance against him...running as a Republican and gathering a handful of votes from the Democrats (more than Romney would get). But at the end of the day, the only man alive that could contest Obama on that stage would be Bill Clinton, and he's swinging the bat from the same team + he has already served his two, so I have no clue how Obama could manage to lose this one.

By the way, the fact that this is even news is sad. They lost each others' numbers? Good. This is professional basketball, not city rec boys 6-8th grade league.

It's not that he left Boston, just that he went to Miami. There were two teams Ray should have avoided, and that was the Heat and Lakers. Not that it's some written rule, but you don't leave Boston as a champion (and one of the main contributors) for a rival, especially the Lakers. Reminds me of Rick Fox, who wasn't really THAT big of a deal in Boston...but he played 6-7 seasons there (drafted by the Celts), then moved to LA when he was nearing 30 and struggling through injuries, and he won three championships as a part of that dynasty (and he made that move once he realized Kobe and Shaq were going to be special). Ray could have went to the Thunder, Bulls, even the Clippers...and it would have been less of an issue with Boston fans. But, when you head over to one of the teams that everyone hates, and they are also a rival...well, what do you expect? Still not as bad as a move to the Lakers, though. I was on another board, reading Boston fans' comments, when there was a small rumor that he was considering the Lakers...and I thought half of those fans were going to send Ray Ray death threats.

We are DONE talking about a meaningless football league that is not sponsored/hosted by DiscussHoops. If it's not being ran on this site, yet it's causing problems ON THIS SITE, then we will no longer talk about it. Good God, I'm getting sick of these childish antics. Mods, just suspend as you see fit, doesn't matter who it is. Do whatever.

Short 3-4 minutes, but you get a taste of what is expected of the Lakers, and the big three (didn't talk about Gasol, lol), in this one... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq_89E_axTY

I thought it was for the procedure he had done, but now I'm reading this: That's from an article on ESPN, and Marc Stein pointed this out as well.

Post away! http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/527444_10152186229455341_432268289_n.jpg http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/228041_10152186238245341_312204688_n.jpg http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/482968_10151156892213643_156535578_n.jpg http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/545776_10151142482298463_245513920_n.jpg http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/02/u2uzyra7.jpg http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/383402_10151083245943741_101994756_n.jpg

I just don't see why Eli took a shot at the end zone like he did. Maybe he was thinking he'd get a third PI call against the Eagles? So funny...in a game like this, where Vick threw just one TD and limited yards, it seemed like he was HUGE out there for the simple fact that he didn't turn the ball over. Plus, damn, those bullet passes are money, for the most part. Had a couple of misreads, or routes that weren't completed, but some of those passes were beautiful.

I'm not shocked that they have LA over the Thunder. It's not just that the Lakers threw a bunch of pieces together: these guys compliment each other VERY well in an offense that is similar to the triangle (same principles and such), and they have every spot on the floor covered on the offensive end, with an improved bench and what will be much better defense (including the P&R defense, which has been our main defensive struggle for years).

So just answer this one question: is Kevin Love a better basketball player than Kobe Bryant? Simple yes or no.

I just never looked into bringing it back because I didn't see the need to try and edit the code to fit our board (didn't think there was a compatible one once we upgraded, anyway), but I couldn't figure out what we could use it for, either. I distinctly remember people liking it, and we had six teams created...but there was nothing to do.

If a player's role isn't going to make much of a difference, why should their team success matter? You're penalizing Deron Williams because the Nets were a bad team, basically...but you and I both know Westbrook is no D-Will. When Williams had legitimate teammates that WERE NOT superstars (like Durant), he was able to lead Utah to the WCF. There is most definitely an excuse as to why Williams' TS% dropped. He didn't have a supporting cast, period. Do you expect Andrew Bynum to be more efficient in Philadelphia? What happened to Odom's efficiency, and overall play, when he was in a Lakers jersey? Williams was shooting more threes than ever (I believe highest of his career), and he was playing more like a scoring PG with little passing abilities, and that's very easy to defend unless you're someone like Rose or Westbrook (and both of them have teammates who can take the load off of them at any given time, especially Russ). Rose is also ahead of Westbrook...so unless you're giving him a kick down to the very bottom half of that ten because of injuries, I can't agree with Russ over him, either. In the NBA, you have to prove yourself to be somebody. Westbrook has proven he can be a viable second option on a legitimate contender, possible championship team (and that's just an assumption, as they lost to Miami). Rose is a former MVP and a primary scoring option that also ran the offense in a 60-win Chicago team. D-Will had a similar role with his Utah teams, although he had a bit more help on offense than Rose (and I don't like saying Boozer was the man, because Williams did a lot of spoon-feeding and creating). I won't even dip into the Kobe/Westbrook debate. It will be me repeating what I said above, and while Kobe has indeed lost a step, he's still the better overall player. Westbrook can't hold his jock right now. I'll put it this way: you eliminate Perkins and the P&R from the equation, stick Kobe on Westbrook...and suddenly, Russ is shut down. Thank God for Durant, though...and that's the difference between a superstar and an all-star caliber second option (similar to the difference between an all-star in Westbrook, and a sixth-man and borderline all-star in Harden). A big difference. The Thunder would not be able to function for a full 82 games and postseason if their roles were reversed. In 1999-2000, Kobe was more Westbrook than Durant (alongside Shaq). Eventually, he became a superstar, and it led to a nasty run of games where he completely dominated when Shaq would struggle, sit the bench in foul trouble, or when O'Neal was out there with him...didn't matter. He would rack up his nine-consecutive 40+ point games, 7-2 record (Shaq in just two of those games), 13-consecutive 35+ point games, etc. It all started in 2001, second championship run. We have yet to see Westbrook turn himself into a superstar...and it can be done with Durant as his teammate, too. Even if you want to argue that Durant could be holding him back, there's still no proof that Westbrook can do what Rose, Williams or Kobe have been able to (even today) as a primary option, and that's a big reason why he's not going to reach that plateau in my rankings. It's also the same reason why Andrew Bynum isn't in my top ten. He's the second best big man in the NBA, but because he was a second option in LA, I have no reason to put him over most of the primary options and true, legitimate franchise players. --------- EDIT: I also know you don't think Love is a better player than Kobe. Come on. Love was inefficient for a big man, plays very little defense, struggled greatly without Rubio, and is a poor man's Dirk (but a better rebounder). No way. Having a career year doesn't mean you give them an extra boost on the list, or else you would have ranked Drew higher.

Kobe is still in the five. Can't put Rose in there. And Love can't be over Wade or Williams, and Westbrook can't be over D-Will, either. I don't get how primary options can be tossed aside like that. Westbrook has yet to prove he can lead a team to anything, anywhere, as a primary scorer...so as an all-star and NOT a legitimate superstar OR a proven franchise player, why does he fall in front of Williams?

I know a few of you remember those. If I were to find one compatible with our board, how could we use the modification, exactly? If I recall correctly, a few of you wanted it back. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, it allowed for the community (all of you) to create "teams" (or groups) that you can add/subtract members from. We just never found a way to use it effectively, and it became outdated.

Of course they don't, but it's also usually not that obvious, especially when the intended receiver (I guess I should say the guy who ends up catching the ball) is the one pushing the opponent in the back and to the ground right before the catch, and out of the pile a bit (which is what made it obvious). It didn't help that the referees had two other horrible games on Sunday (at least), and that they have been calling PI very questionably to begin with. I definitely don't agree with all of these players tweeting these things (maybe being pissed off, but not tweeting how the NFL is shit), and Clay posting Goodell's number, but taking everything into consideration, I can see why they'd be mad. I think my biggest problem was the fact that they went to replay, and still didn't get it right. That's huge.

I think Tate had his left hand on the ball the entire time, actually...but Jennings caught the ball with both hands, tucked it near his chest as he was coming down, and Tate's other hand came in after he was pulling on Jennings' right arm during the catch. That's an interception. But, even before that, there was the offensive PI that wasn't called, and also, I believe there was a block in the back near the line of scrimmage that also went unnoticed. When you put those three missed calls together, all on one hail mary play in the final seconds of the game...holy shit.

I'm going to manage the Twitter page for a while. I'll ask questions on there, try and get others to RT and answer, things like that. I don't know. And yes, we'll go back to Tapatalk. I completely forgot about it, once I changed the URL.