Real Deal

LeBron James let up 50% EFG to his counterpart at the SF position. Ron Artest let up 49% EFG allowed. Gerald Wallace? 52% EFG allowed. Steve Nash? 47% EFG allowed...lol. Durant? 48% EFG allowed (better than Artest, LeBron and Wallace). You really want to use those stats? They are pretty irrelevant...good way to tell how well a player's five-man unit defends on the court, because it doesn't account for all the times players are screened off their man, or how many times they don't defend their position (but we've been over this before). And I never said Roy was having MVP seasons. I'm not interested in comparing his stats to Bryant's 35 PPG season. My entire point is, a player that is more complete than another should be considered a superstar if the other (Durant) is considered an MVP candidate, with one 50-win season and a first-round playoff loss where he played like utter crap. I gave you that, and you had the excuse for it, and completely turned the discussion into, "Does Brandon Roy average 30 or throw 10 assists?" Suddenly, Roy is required to do that, or have a more dominating performance than 27/5/3 against those Rockets in the playoffs. Your mind is made up...that's your criteria. Roy has won 50 games (twice), put up an impressive performance against two dominating defenders at once, plays better defense than you give him credit for, puts up starting all-star statistics with efficiency (which is what you're always praising), and has claims from both Bryant and Artest that he's the toughest player to play against in the league. He would average 25+ if he wanted the ball in his hands at all times (not like he can't take over games and drop 40-50 points). Stick a scoring point guard in that starting role (instead of Miller and Blake), and Roy starts producing those scoring numbers. You say Dirk is a superstar because he has had multiple 50-win seasons and went to the Finals? Well, today, Karl Malone is a superstar for the same reason. Last season, I didn't see Dirk leading the league in scoring (two years ago, he was putting up around 23 PPG, actually), and I'm pretty sure he gave a similar performance to Roy's in the playoffs. Your criteria, I guess.

Brockman? He's a fouling machine. His defensive numbers weren't that impressive when you consider the fact he was defending bench players and playing just 12 minutes a game (because he couldn't stop anyone without fouling them). In fact, they weren't that impressive, anyway...even if he was defending starters. Not that great of a help defender, either...not that he fouls anyone, he doesn't get to the slasher in time. Very good work on the glass, though...but I'm not going to call him a good defensive player, or else I'd be calling Danny Fortson one. He'd average probably eight or nine boards a game if he were playing starter minutes, and fighting for boards against guys like Odom and Gasol, but he can't stay on the floor long enough, or produce against all-stars the way he can vs. deep bench players. I distinctly remember Millsap's game against the Kings last season, where he completely OBLITERATED Brockman. He put up 32/14/7 and Brockman picked up five fouls in 12 minutes, didn't score a point, didn't do much of anything but get embarrassed, and they made fun of him on SportsCenter while showing how bad Millsap raped the Kings. In 52 games, he played 20 or more minutes just nine times, 30+ just twice (and all he did was rebound in both games, go 2-9 shooting in one). In those nine games, he had under four fouls in just two of them. If he contributes enough to be noticed, I'll eat crow...but I'm pretty sure I won't need to.

Ariza is a 3rd or 4th option scorer, top-notch defensive player. The more you ask him to score, the worse his defense gets throughout the season, and his shooting percentages will dip. Spot-up shooter that can defend the perimeter...that's Ariza. Nothing more. That's why he's a champion on the Lakers, and on two other teams since 2008.

...it was a joke. But I think many should've been saying that to themselves when they decided to tell us all they would win seven consecutive titles before one summer league game, but I digress.

I'd like to know how many times he passed the ball in these first two games, compared to how many times (on average) he passed the ball last season for the Cavaliers. Not assists, but passes in general.

Miami will play like the 2009 Cavs when they play teams like Boston. Then they'll revert back to the 2009 Heat when they play someone like the Sixers. I figured them out after two games.

My problem is that you're dismissing what he does defensively, and you're asking him to score 30 a game or throw 10 assists. Yet, you consider Howard a superstar. I just don't agree with superstars being incredibly bad on the defensive end. Nash is. Dirk is probably an underrated defender because people say he's just as bad as Nash, but he's still a poor defender. The consensus was out about Durant being a 30 PPG scorer that rebounded well, and did everything else average or poor...no defense, no passing or playmaking ability...yet, he's an MVP candidate because his team won 50 games? I don't buy that. Durant is a superstar, though, and Roy is a better overall player. Roy should be considered a superstar. Give him a Gasol, and he's in the WCF, and people start calling him a superstar (for some reason). 23 PPG, 5 RPG, 5 APG, 48% FG and 38% 3PT, 1.9 TO and only 1.6 PF, 54 wins, with 27/5/3 on 46% FG against Artest and Battier in the playoffs...if that's not a superstar's numbers, I don't know what is. Everyone makes a big deal about what players do against great defensive teams in the postseason, and Houston was 3rd or 4th ranked, defensively, with a healthy Yao as well (and Mutombo off the bench). Roy should've been shut down, but he wasn't. A healthy Roy beats the Suns in the first round last April, and I doubt we'd be talking about this right now...and if that's what it would take to change your opinion on him, well, I just don't get it, because his 2008-09 season should've already done it.

Do I have to elaborate? Good job, everyone. Let's sustain it as long as we can.

Probably? You can't ever consider him a superstar, because he never got out of the first round, unless I'm missing something here. I just remember you saying how McGrady was in the same boat as Kobe, at one point...and this is a Kobe that missed the playoffs in 2005 and had first-round exits in 2006 and 2007. In his last two seasons, despite injuries, he has led his team to a couple of 50+ win seasons. How is Durant a superstar, if he has one 50-win season and a first-round exit, and poor stats in that first round against none other than Ron Artest, the same guy Roy lit up?

That'll be the issue they'll carry with them throughout the season, really. Battier and Martin looked like they played good defense on Bryant last night, but that's only because Kobe started 1-5, and he's barely getting lift on his jumpers. Tonight, a healthy backcourt duo dropped 71 on Houston's backcourt. It's concerning, even with Yao out. I doubt Lowry would've done much more to stop Curry or Ellis.

Game over.

The Rockets have more problems than just missing Yao and Lowry.

Monta is playing like the 2005 Kobe right now. And some of those fouls, lol...come on. That last foul on Monta made me laugh.

Wow, that was one of the quickest fastbreaks I've seen in a long time.

Garbage title, and if they try and replace Ledger's Joker, they will fail.

Top three in the league.

True, except you made a mistake bringing up what Williams did against Denver, because as you noted earlier, Roy dominated the Rockets, who also had Yao Ming (who you consider a superstar), Shane Battier and Ron Artest (two of the best perimeter defenders in the league at that time), Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola and Carl Landry. Oden racked up 27 fouls in those six games, wasn't even pulling down boards, so I don't consider him much of an asset in that series. Outlaw was absolute trash...and it's not like those two were making up for it with their defense, either. Even Fernandez was bad on the offensive end, and we know he doesn't play defense.

You would think the Warriors could make the playoffs this season, even without playing defense.

Martin and Brooks are still in Los Angeles.

I can't put Roy and Johnson in the same sentence, never. Roy shoots 47-48% from the floor, can put up over 20 PPG, 5 APG and 4-5 RPG, and Bryant acknowledges that he's the absolute toughest player to defend in the league...and Ron Artest said the same exact thing two years back (and after Roy averaged 27 against him, it makes sense). I'm inclined to believe that if Roy had better players than just Aldridge (you know, like Boozer, a load of talented defenders, and a big center that can shoot and give you 17 PPG), he would've gotten out of the first as well. In Deron's first season, Boozer and Okur were tearing up opposing teams, and Kirilenko was a top defender in the NBA. I'm not going to say Roy is a better offensive player, but if you stick the pieces around him, he would accomplish almost as much as Deron Williams has with his team. In a few years, I think Roy will prove to be the better player, but that's really not the discussion right now, and that's strictly based on potential.

Haha, yeah, I saw enough of him in college. Hated the Sooners, but I went to watch him quite a bit just because I've been high on the dude since he started playing his senior year in HS.

Offensively, but on defense, he's still lost out there. That game last night was bad...couldn't tell you how many times he lost track of Lamar. That may be the biggest reason why the Rockets will need Yao for longer than 24 minutes a night. His presence alone changes shots in the paint.

I'm not sure if Rambis is right for this team. One game, yeah, but these guys aren't going to run that triangle offense. They ditched it numerous times. If this were Kobe and Shaq, it would be different...but the less success and more confusion, the less likely they'll be dedicated to the offense, and the more losses they'll rack up.

Brandon Roy belongs on that list, in my opinion, if you add Williams. Roy is easily the third best two-guard in the NBA, and it's only because Kobe and Wade are on that list, and I would take Roy over Williams right now, if I'm being asked to build a franchise. I'm not so sure about Nash. If you're adding him due to his impact on the offensive end, you have to stick Garnett on that list due to his impact on the defensive end (and because Howard is on that list as well). Other than that, I agree.

...and the dude can pass.