Real Deal

Stupid Heat. Game is about to be tied up, four minutes to go. EDIT: Tied.

Didn't think that three was going to go in. Dirk is just horrible, by the way. He can barely jump. Jamal Crawford blocked him last night.

Forced to root against Portland here. Sucks to have to pull for the Heat, so I'll say I'm pulling for Mario Chalmers instead.

According to opponent FG%, NBA history: 1) 1999 Spurs - 40.2% 2) 1999 Knicks - 40.3% 3) 2004 Spurs - 40.9% 4) 1998 Spurs - 41.1% 5) 1999 Heat - 41.1% 6) 2004 Rockets - 41.2% 7) 2004 Pistons - 41.3% 8) 1999 Jazz - 41.3% 9) 1999 Hawks - 41.3% 10) 2013 Pacers - 41.4% 11) 2004 Wolves - 41.4% 12) 2000 Lakers - 41.6% 13) 2001 Knicks - 41.7% 14) 1999 Blazers - 41.7% 15) 2008 Celtics - 41.9% And if you consider 1999 as a bad season to analyze offense or defense from (because it was the lockout season, and teams didn't have a true offseason or camps to practice), Pacers are top five.

I didn't hear what he said...but is he talking about the Bulls with Rose? Without him, no. Nets...no way. BUT the Pacers? I don't know. They are so good defensively, you'd have to consider them a threat out East. Take this in: among all teams in NBA history, according to opponent FG%, the Pacers are in the top ten. They not only have the best defense in the NBA this season, but one could argue they have the best defense we've seen since the 2004 Pistons.

It wasn't his offense that made the Blazers so good, as the article may suggest...but his defense. Oden's defensive numbers were similar (and at some point, were better) than Dwight Howard's (and not this year's Dwight, either). I truly think that, if he had stayed healthy, Oden would be named among some of the greatest defensive centers we've ever seen, right up there with Howard.

If the Pacers weren't one of the worst teams in the NBA scoring the ball, they would be one of the better "non-all star teams" we've seen in decades. I'd love to see this team with Rajon Rondo playing PG for this team, though. I think they could contend with him on the roster.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20130109_UTA@CHA

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20130109_ATL@CLE

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20130109_PHO@BOS

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20130109_MIL@CHI

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20130109_ORL@DEN

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20130109_MEM@GS

Gotta assume they'll change their name to the Sonics. I believe Seattle owns all of the Sonics' history, too, so that'll be interesting. Will the Kings just basically cease to exist at that point? No carry-over?

Welcome to the best. I'd say it's like night and day, the comparison between both boards...especially with the Lakers struggling. Our community here is much smaller, less content, but I'd like to think that the debates we dive into are pretty strong. I always favor a 30-team site over a single team, but LakerNation is also mine, basically (I put the forums up myself).

Pretty sweet video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGXvRqPKUKo

10/10, especially since she talks sports.

Jerry has turned into a full-blown Al Davis? Maybe not yet.

My question...is Jason Garrett the son of Jerry Jones? I'm only asking because I don't see how Jones can dump Rob Ryan...yet, look away when it comes to Garrett. I know a few aren't on board with the RR firing, but the defense did have trouble in spurts, and I know exactly how Ryan was back in Oakland. I can see why some would blame him, and why some would put that on the players...but who will get the blame for all of the offensive issues? Garrett is the guy with the sun in his eyes...and most Cowboys fans I know hate blaming Romo, so I'm not seeing the logic here.

Yeah, I've read three different things. So here's what I'm getting from this post...IF THE LAKERS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS: 1) Cleveland WILL have the Miami pick because the Heat will NOT be in the lottery. 2) That Miami pick will most definitely be furthest from the #1 pick (versus the Kings' pick), since Miami will have a far better record than Sacramento...so that pick will be swapped with the Lakers' 1st. 3) Therefore, the Lakers' pick suddenly becomes a top 3-5 (depending on where Miami finishes), and Phoenix gets it. ------------ Now, with that said...it looks to me like, in the Phoenix trade for Steve Nash, we sent them an unprotected 2013 first. Priority-wise, the Suns will have to wait to see where that pick actually lands, since the Cleveland trade happened first (I'm assuming that's how it goes). Otherwise, IF WE DON'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, the Suns get our lottery pick, and Cleveland is suddenly out of the picture (since that pick was lottery-protected against CLE). Translation: the Suns get the pick, regardless...but Cleveland could ruin it for them, by making that pick a late first, if we make the playoffs.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20130108_ATL@MIN

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20130108_PHO@MIL

More JaVale! http://25.media.tumblr.com/f407ce4e7a076d2bbfc64c84204850b5/tumblr_mfnlecw3aZ1qcmnsoo1_400.gif http://25.media.tumblr.com/8c0007ea003196499f97378d2f3d9740/tumblr_mfnlecw3aZ1qcmnsoo2_400.gif

Vasquez and Gordon had more combined assists than the entire Rockets team...almost felt like Houston stepped into this one thinking that 1) it would be an easy win, and 2) Harden needed that 25+ point game to set the record. I didn't get to see all of it, but it just seemed like it. Houston's defense wasn't actually that bad, either (it was good, but you have to consider the opponent as well)...but offensively, they just didn't seem like a team out there.

Hard to trust the Niners. They had those two weird games against the Rams, looked as if they were going to obliterate the Pats until Brady decided to play...I don't know if they have it in them to take out Rodgers in a playoff game. Green Bay by a couple of TD's.