Real Deal

Injuries define a pick for being a bust, not the player. Oden was playing very well. As a player, he was showing his true potential out there this season, manipulating shots, grabbing boards and blocking layups in the minutes he was given. A true bust doesn't perform as expected when on the floor. His abilities don't translate to the pros, or he's shattered by the professional style of life, and it shows in his game. Injuries have nothing to do with Greg Oden's basketball abilities. Danny Manning played very solid basketball for the Clippers before he suffered his eventual career-ending injury...didn't make him a bust. If Oden is a bust, so is Jay Williams, who never played a single game because of his motorcycle accident...and that's ridiculous to say.

He either has a crush on Pau Gasol, or he thought Gasol hit the game-winning three because of the drugs he's on.

Makes the Iverson signing much, much more valuable.

Carter. He had success in the playoffs, leading a team past the first. I can't say the same for McGrady...and really, that's all it comes down to for me, because with the two playing at nearly the same level in their primes (and neither playing defense, by the way), it comes down to who has the most success.

Well, Williams isn't a true point. He's a scoring two, but he's got a bit of Lamar Odom in him the way he can run an offense...not exactly like a CP3 or Nash, but he's no scrub either. Sort of hard to compare him to anyone currently. If I took some guys from past Sixers teams, maybe Sedale Threatt (played for the Lakers also, that's when I saw him play). I wonder if any Sixers fans here have ever heard of Eric Money...similar guard.

That sounds about right. I love the way Pau has improved as a defender, plays better defense than Dirk...but Dirk is a true leader, while Gasol is an excellent second option. Now, I don't think Dirk is a better first option than Gasol is a second (does that make sense?), but that's really beside the point. Gasol's post play puts him up there, but Dirk's range, primacy and overall scoring ability gives him the edge.

Nah, it wasn't directed at them as in...LeBron standing there mocking them in their face. The commentators just saw it as disrespecting their opponent (especially Hubie Brown, who basically called it unprofessional). Yeah, that's just it...it is similar to that, and DeShawn Stevenson's Cena gesture, and many others. I didn't care much for Kobe's taunting, to be honest. But, this happened frequently throughout the second half, mostly in the fourth, when the game was a blowout. I think it got bad when LeBron decided to dance after that foul, because he did it in front of the visiting crowd, and it was on the court...which would've pissed me off as a fan, a player, a commentator, a coach and maybe even as a teammate.

Haha, yeah...that's what I was thinking, also. LeBron will battle Wade and Durant for that spot someday. He'll get to battle and old and brittle Kobe soon as well. Kobe isn't old and brittle yet, so we kind of have a problem, I guess. And it doesn't have anything to do with rings. Kobe has many, many, many more ways of scoring the ball (still), his offensive game is one of the most polished in NBA history...and defensively, he's far superior than LeBron, even right now. All LeBron has on Kobe would be his rebounding and dunking, which comes because of his size and strength. You stick Bryant outside of the triangle offense (where all five players need to handle and pass the ball), and Kobe averages 7-8 assists, also. He threw six a game without the triangle, back when he had just Lamar and scrubs. Old, old argument that should never be up for debate until LeBron completes his game (if he does). Mid-range, he's got miles to travel. Post game? Miles to travel. Foot work? Forever winding roads. Man-to-man defense? Doesn't touch Bryant's. Guys, when it's time to start asking what weaknesses LeBron has in his game, where I literally have to think about it longer than three seconds, let me know and we'll continue our discussion.

LMAO. I don't know, don't really have a preference yet. They were up big, Chicago was talking a little trash (Brad Miller, actually), but at the same time, LeBron just looked like an idiot. He overdid it, quite a bit. He's one of my guys, but it was hard for me to laugh after the third time he danced.

I doubt Philly would go for that, especially after re-signing Iverson. You start AI, maybe start Williams as well...and Miller ends up on the bench? Or you Start Iverson at the two with Miller at the point? I don't think that's a good idea with Iverson defending two-guards.

LOL, that's him in this picture. I'm not even sure he knew where Kobe was, or if Bryant even hit a game-winner. http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/1e/fullj.0f7f9b5b0694a3f76fbf2d5bf426124a/0f7f9b5b0694a3f76fbf2d5bf426124a-getty-90041154ng041_heat_lakers.jpg EDIT: Why is that dude on the Heat bench holding his package? Hahahaha.

And more... http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/8a/fullj.c02663dff63f5a4cae6d78ab1ef8f761/c02663dff63f5a4cae6d78ab1ef8f761-getty-90041154ng045_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/73/fullj.49e68b4343251769bad82d71c57943c3/49e68b4343251769bad82d71c57943c3-getty-90041154ng044_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/70/fullj.b91a7f6a04a3dd987a47e6c6ff21efac/b91a7f6a04a3dd987a47e6c6ff21efac-getty-90041154ng046_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/09/fullj.f5876b662e6ba5d9fc4d78246b436bb5/f5876b662e6ba5d9fc4d78246b436bb5-getty-90041154ng043_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/38/fullj.d3a569b299b0dc9f9f92e0a30e9c9212/d3a569b299b0dc9f9f92e0a30e9c9212-getty-90041154ng050_heat_lakers.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/3009uz7.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/93/fullj.fb79a2379b0db745b9062afe8c84bb2c/fb79a2379b0db745b9062afe8c84bb2c-getty-90041154ng038_heat_lakers.jpg http://i49.tinypic.com/2zs7fy1.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/0d/fullj.3d30510c0fb927ea6f58254ae70b76a7/3d30510c0fb927ea6f58254ae70b76a7-getty-90041154jg006_miami_heat_v_.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/7b/fullj.c28f9adfa8049f986825291a71940979/c28f9adfa8049f986825291a71940979-getty-90041154ng039_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/80/fullj.298c6c203b72cd310551f3fdcf6c6761/298c6c203b72cd310551f3fdcf6c6761-getty-90041154ng040_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/1e/fullj.0f7f9b5b0694a3f76fbf2d5bf426124a/0f7f9b5b0694a3f76fbf2d5bf426124a-getty-90041154ng041_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/e5/fullj.110439e3b486f4a370913238926d33e4/110439e3b486f4a370913238926d33e4-getty-90041154jg007_miami_heat_v_.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/16/fullj.0f0091e609a3137e7cc18583ce971973/0f0091e609a3137e7cc18583ce971973-getty-90041154ng042_heat_lakers.jpg

Haha, I know you were. I just have to clarify things sometimes, so I don't have to hear about it later.

Yeah, I don't know if anyone can do that reverse 360 windmill...but the arm in the rim? I'm sure LeBron, Shannon and a few others can accomplish that. I've seen about 3-4 other guys do it on Youtube, and my friend's brother can do it on the courts out at the park.

I actually don't rub in victories. I'm more concerned about the Heat screening Kobe off Wade every play down the stretch, and Fisher not doing anything about it. I'm starting to think that, even though Derek hit that big shot, he's about ready for the bench. He wouldn't have had to hit a big three if he had at least tried to follow Wade out of that screen.

Does Shannon Brown (potential) and Adam Morrison (contract) ring a bell? Nearly the same, as the Lakers had to dip into the luxury tax to pay Morrison's $5 million or whatever (actually costing Buss $10 mill).

He wasn't the only Cavalier to do it, but he was the one doing it the most, five times more than anyone else. Would you say that it's unprofessional to be dancing on the sidelines and on the court, like he did against the Bulls tonight, when the game is a blowout? Joakim Noah was so upset, he was actually mouthing off to LeBron as James was shooting a free throw...and Noah was sitting the bench at the time, and LBJ made the first free and walked over to confront Noah.

I think Kobe has 28 or 29 total, Jordan with 26, including the frees. Without frees, Bryant has 24 or 25, and Jordan has 20.

That Kobe list you posted doesn't include free throws, but Jordan's list does. If frees are included, Kobe surpassed Michael already. If not, you gotta recount MJ's list, and he ends up with only 20, Kobe with 23 or 24.

Yeah, I wasn't a big fan of what LeBron was doing. Just not right.

Chris Paul: 16 points, 15 assists, 8 steals, 6 rebounds. Bet that sucked for Minny.

Utah was actually up 22-3 to start the game, rallied a bit and then were outscored by the Pacers by nine points for the other 36 minutes of the game. Turned out to be a good one.

508 posts today, guys...and post count total resets to the next day at 12:00 AM EST. That means only a page and a half of the Lakers/Heat topic counted towards that 500. Great job once again. Things are only getting better.

Yeah, Thad or Williams would have to be included in the deal. I doubt a team would take anyone else with Brand (and Iggy won't be included, so that's out of the question). Gonna be hard to deal him.