Real Deal

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38771115/ns/today-today_health

I don't see too many people saying that, actually. I think the main problem was that the Heat were a trio with a young coach and Mario Chalmers, nothing more. Things changed over time, and they brought in good role players. Granted they really don't have a stellar post game or a good post defender other than Anthony (who hasn't played starter minutes for a full season), the Heat can still do a lot of damage. People are just concerned (or, I should say skeptical) because of that, and rightfully so. I understand you guys are hyped up for the season, but if this were any other team in the league, you'd have to be pointing out the same exact flaws. What happened to other big-name trios? Injuries, for the most part. Garnett in 2009, Malone in 2004. They struck Houston's trio of Hakeem, Charles and Clyde. Barkley and Drexler hobbled to the finish line, missing a ton of games in the second half of the season. Houston won 57 and reached the WCF, fell to Utah (who was an incredible team). If injuries strike the Heat late in the season, the same thing could happen to them. I'm not sure if James' elbow injury was real or what, but it changed the way it played, or Boston just figured him out. We saw what happened with Wade a few years back. Bosh couldn't push the Raptors into the post-season in 2010 because of what happened to him to end the year. Really, LeBron has yet to suffer a major injury. People are either looking at him like he's the Utah Karl Malone, or that he's due for a big one. Chemistry really isn't the issue, I don't think, because as long as James accepts he may be scoring less, and Bosh is down with that as well, it'll work out. Wade expects his role to stay the same, so he's really saying he'll continue to lead the team. If that doesn't hurt anyone's feelings, the Heat will win 60+ games...but again, everyone knows LeBron James, and you can't rule out the possibility that he's going to feed on the hype and try taking over games, only because Cleveland's coaching staff has given him the green light for seven years, and he's sitting in his prime as we speak. I'm definitely not jealous of the Heat. I have full confidence that the Lakers are a better team. I'm just pointing out problems that I've seen in the past, and problems that I had to pray our franchise could avoid (to no avail).

Colts, Ravens and Saints. Can't really put them in any order...I have to play it safe and watch them for at least 3-4 regular season games first, haha, but based on who they are dragging into the season, I have to pick those three.

THANKS BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR IT ON GOOGLE FOR OVER AN HOUR.

Wait until February, then trade him to the worst team in the league for a second round pick.

Riley actually said he was going to play the Magic Johnson role? I didn't catch that quote, I guess. I just figured it was assumed by a couple of our members.

Well I don't see the point in asking that question, then. It's common knowledge that no player can win with a supporting cast. To me, a star isn't even an all-star. James teamed with another superstar and an all-star (not a reserve, either). So, you should've asked how many players have done it without a superstar teammate...and, well, my reply would've been the same (five just off the top of my head, of course). That's sort of like me arguing that Kobe's five rings is one of the greatest achievements of all-time, and then I ask, "How many players have more than nine rings, then?"

We have a couple of Denver fans, so you'll have to settle for us pretending like we are Nuggets fans instead. I'd be upset because Melo is still under contract, but he's already discussing teams he's interested in...and he reportedly wants to team with Amare and Paul in New York, something we've known about for a while now. This was going on during the 2010 free agency period, not during the 2010-11 season and not after the upcoming season is over with. I see that as disrespectful. Grateful for what he did, not grateful for what he's doing.

Injuries are part of the downfall. Malone was a bit too old to play through it effectively. Utah's Malone would've been just fine. The fab four in Los Angeles was a dream...until they all started falling apart. Payton was really the only player that didn't suffer an injury that season, out of the four, and actually played a few games without Shaq, Malone AND Kobe (7-8 games, actually...not very many people know that). But, I shouldn't have brought it up. Lots of pain in my chest talking about it. Sad days. Brown's crutch was that he put it all on James from the start. LeBron secured his job as coach of the Cavaliers, and I have a feeling deep in my gut that Brown was more of a spectator and a James fan than he was a head coach. He basically allowed LeBron to run the point, play off the ball, get back the ball and make the play, either scoring the ball or throwing the assist, taking the long jumper, doing whatever...and it's similar to what the other Brown (Larry Brown) did with Iverson and the Sixers. But, okay...while there was no other person capable of making plays, I feel like Jamison and Shaq didn't get enough touches to do that, and good, smart defensive teams took advantage of that by FORCING those players to do it themselves. Penetrating and kicking it out, or dunking, only takes you so far, no matter what your name is. While I'm almost confident that the Heat will go to the Finals (now that they have a bench and decent role players), if Spoelstra decides to let James do the same things he did in Miami, a team like the Celtics or Magic will chop them down before they reach the Lakeshow.

Whether they do it now, in February, or a sign-and-trade in July...doesn't matter as long as they get him. Thing is, the earlier the better. No reason to give teams a chance to evaluate their rosters and set up some big-time offers in February, and no point in waiting until he's a free agent, because he could lead them on just as James did a couple of teams.

Welcome back to the best. The Thunder team forum skin will be up next, just in case you're curious.

Star as in...another superstar? Kobe, Wade, Duncan, Hakeem, Jordan.

Well, for what it's worth, Kobe's best assist average came when the Lakers were a 34-win team, and he was playing alongside Caron, Odom, Atkins, and Mihm in the starting five.

LMAO, April Fools? He doesn't deserve to be in the league. I'm glad the Lakers didn't trade for him.

The team itself was great. That includes LeBron. You surround a player like him (slashing passer) with shooters and defensive-minded players, you more than likely win 50+ games. See Iverson's Sixers. Cleveland had excellent role players. Championship-caliber teams aren't always the most stacked. I think we've all witnessed the downfall of stacked teams over and over again, which included the 2004 Lakers.

Yeah, you could just smell the difference. I'm sure Toronto fans loved that comment. I go to Miami and just smell how different it is. Just don't want to be there, you know? Just smelling it makes me want to come to Kansas. And I'll let the Raptors fans comment more on that and find the quote where he grabbed the front office by the throat.

Riley, Wade...they don't deserve hate for going out and trying to recruit guys to play for this team. Wade won his ring, he proved he is the man in Miami, and even today...well, it's still his team. And Riley just did his job. James is a punk. I've went over this too many times. Self-explanatory. Bosh did bad-mouth Toronto, the city, and put the organization down as well. The Raptors fans have all of the quotes...I really don't care enough about Chris Bosh to go hunting for them at this time. A post search in the Raptors forum will find them, also. My opinion has never changed about Chalmers, Miller, Arroyo, even Haslem (despite his latest incident)...but LeBron and Bosh (mostly LBJ) has ruined any love I will ever show the Miami Heat.

If they weren't so cocky about the entire situation, I would love to see them in the Finals against the Lakers. But really, how everything went down, the cockiness (not a lot from Wade, but he's gotten there), the showboating as if they already won...I HOPE it lasts until the playoffs, just like Cleveland's act did. I would love to see these guys lose in the first round, even Wade at this point (never thought I'd say that again after Shaq left the Heat, but here I am). And I'm also rooting for the Knicks to put together a trio with Melo, Paul and Amare, and hopefully, they will be a bit more humble. It would be nice for LeBron to read my posts, by the way. I want him to add me to his list of people he's keeping tabs on.

Why didn't you say that in the negative topics about James? You were arguing your opinion instead. It all revolves around how he acted. It was wrong. Going to Miami, that's probably the right move for him because it's Wade's team, and James is going to be his Pippen. Probably resulting in titles. But how he did it was wrong, and running from a challenge at such a young age wasn't exactly wrong, just cowardly.

Jordan, Larry, Magic, Pippen, Charles, Malone and Rodman all disagree...so Earl is wrong.

Then you have no problem with the Sixers taking him and starting him in the five.

I've stated plenty of times that wrestling is the worst it has ever been. From time to time, I pass it running through the channels, and I'll watch 5-10 minutes. Can't stand it. Later, I'll go back and watch the last 10 minutes of the show...and it's just garbage. I haven't watched wrestling, religiously, in nearly a decade. I'm sure it's still entertaining to a lot of viewers, but nothing touches what the WWF and WCW had a decade or two ago.

Don't like the Clips' changes. It looks like the franchise wants to make the team name less noticeable. I understand how bad they've been over time, but that's an extreme measure, in my opinion.

That mediocre offensive team he was on had a ton of shooters, and James was basically the primary ball-handler. Really...the only ball-handler.

Not much is being said about it in the US...but it's pretty damn bad, I guess. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38711745/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia