Real Deal

So Beasley is now ruined because he was traded to a team where he can actually play more minutes, and have more freedom on offense? Alright.

LeBron will dominate a healthy Artest, Wade will dominate a healthy Kobe, Gasol can't do anything against Bosh (because Bosh will somehow be better defensively), Steve Blake doesn't even matter in this equation because the Heat have Chalmers, and [insert name here] will hold Bynum with ease. Odom? Doesn't matter. [insert name here] will hold him, too. Fisher? Please. [insert name here] has him locked up. And I don't think anyone will be able to contain [insert name here] off the Heat's bench. Be real, guys. Defense wins championships and is more important than offense, until 2011. Then it isn't.

I'm going to be honest when I say this: I'm sort of glad we didn't trade Bynum and Odom for Bosh. Although I think it makes our team better (mainly because Bynum's health sucks), I can't stand Bosh anymore...and I would rather risk losing Bynum to an injury again, because if he doesn't get injured, we are a much better team.

I read somewhere last week that LeBron actually told Gilbert that he was going to stay, that there really was no way he could leave his hometown, and that he had unfinished business.

Yes, he was so limited as to what he could do on the court. Never got the ball, you know?

STUPID WOLVES. I'm sure the picks are protected, but still...that's stupid.

Just a second-rounder.

Yeah, but Mike Miller wouldn't accept the full MLE for five years. Why would he accept anything less?

Whoa, so...the three DIDN'T take less money, or...?

@STEIN_LINE_HQ

Diabetes SUCKS...but that's no reason to kill yourself, man. I went blind in both eyes for two months, been blind in one eye for over two years because of it...never thought about killing myself, not once. Just gotta push through it. I don't have much sympathy for those who do kill themselves, though. I think it takes balls to do it, but it's still the easiest way out. Either way, RIP.

And Mike Brown is a disciple of Gregg Pop. That doesn't mean much to me. Pierce and Allen were averaging 25-26 PPG before they played together. Garnett was at 24 PPG just a few seasons before the trade. And Garnett was considered an elite defensive player. He was All-Defensive 1st Team six times, 2nd Team twice, before coming to Boston.

Whoa...funny, unprofessional, unexpected...tons of things come to mind.

Nets and Knicks. I would say Chicago, but they are a playoff team with the addition of Boozer (and they were anyway). Amare doesn't make the Knicks a playoff team, and they cleared their roster for LeBron...traded away a TON of picks over the last few years, also. New Jersey came out with nothing. Of course.

Bosh says so. He refuses to play the five, and if he has to, that will be a major issue down the road.

Rondo, Pierce, Garnett, Perkins, Sheed, Davis...all guys that can grab boards. Just discussing how well players crash the glass...it's irrelevant. There isn't going to be a single player on the Heat that can contain Drew or Gasol. Not Bosh, and not Shaq...and that's a massive problem right now. Thing is, while I don't think Ron can stop LeBron, I do believe Kobe has his number...he proved it twice the last two games he defended him...and if not James, it'll be Wade that Kobe is assigned to, and I doubt Wade goes off on him. It's a super trio. It's not going to be a super team. The Kobe/Shaq duo was a super duo...not part of a super team. Don't mean to make it sound so Kindergarten-ish, but basically, that's what you're looking at. And at the end of the day, I trust in the super team more than anything else, especially when it contains the greatest coach in NBA history, arguably the best overall player in the history of the game, and a top three power forward in the league. If Drew is healthy, he's arguably the second best center in the NBA (not sure if Yao will ever play as good as he did a few years ago, sadly, but I HOPE he does). Everyone was convinced LA was going to lose against the Celtics. In fact, a lot of people here were convinced that the Magic would end up taking the Lakers to seven games, if not beating them, two seasons ago. They set themselves up for disappointment. Maybe I'm not as worried as some Lakers fans, because I know, deep down, some are. I'm honestly not. I would be more concerned about a Heat or Knicks team that had two superstars and very, very good free agent pick-ups (multiple signings), and a solid trade to bring in a couple of defensive-minded guards and forwards. A team built to defeat us, like the 2008 Celtics and the 2004 Pistons. I just can't say I'm too worried tonight. I'll reserve my concerns once we make our way into the playoffs.

Basketball topic, not baseball. Please keep it that way.

No denying that they will be good, I just don't think they'll have the defense at the end of the season...both because of lack of defensive talent AND the fatigue. Keep in mind...Boston's defense was among the best in the last two decades. Same could be said of the 2004 Pistons. Those are the two teams that toppled Kobe Bryant. In 20-30 years, I have yet to see an offensively-injected team win a championship without playing defense...with the exception of the 2000-01 Lakers. In other words, the James/Wade/Bosh trio better play as good as the 2001 Kobe and Shaq duo, with the role players to cover for what those Lakers had, if they want to win it all. I don't think anyone is touching a healthy Lakers team out West. Can a well-built team out East knock off Miami? Probably not, unless the Celtics or Magic find a way to turn LeBron or Wade into a selfish, struggling, self-destructive juggernaut...because if that happens, or one of them suffers an injury, their season is done.

Funny thing is, he didn't have to. If I were him, I would've kept my number. The #23 is retired in Miami. LeBron would've had to select another.

Well, we don't know just yet...because we don't know how much those three are going to be making. Once they sign their deals, we'll know. Just saying that all three will be taking less...that's talk. If they really do, then yes...Joe Johnson will be making more money.

It's true. We won two titles with a limping Bynum in both Finals series. He barely played this past season, didn't get much burn in 2009, either. Kobe and Gasol are both missing the World Championships. Bynum is finally getting that knee surgery he should've gotten earlier. Ron will be healed of his plantar fasciitis. We have Steve Blake now (closing our biggest weakness, defense at the point). I'm very content with what we're working with (five "w" words in a row...cool).

That shouldn't be the concern. I think you're probably already there (welcome, by the way). Shaq is even older. Every year he ages, he gets exposed more and more in pick and roll situations. I think this is a terrible move, especially because outside of Wade and James, the Heat may not have much defense to fall back on.

http://i29.tinypic.com/1y5paa.jpg Before anyone asks why he's deleted...