Real Deal

If you're a Cavalier fan, or pretending you are for a moment...how does it make you feel to hear LeBron answer the free agency question by saying, "We'll see," instead of adding that he wants to stay in Cleveland? Does it make you feel uneasy, angry, disappointed? Most big-name free agents have always stated that they would like to stay in the city they are in, despite it being the truth or not (ex. you're seeing that with Amare right now). When your franchise player...let alone the Ohio resident and the one that put Cleveland sports back on the map...is saying things like this, smiling about it, even after a big win, how does that make you feel?

Not Rafer, after what he said about payback.

http://thefreshxpress.com/freshxp/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/allen_iverson_his_rookie_year030308122059gif.jpg

Called this one. He's getting traded, or he's just going to have limited minutes (meaning, hardly any). Cleveland should make a strong, strong push for Michael Redd, who should be on the block now that Brandon Jennings has ripped his jersey from the walls of Milwaukee. Even Richard Hamilton is available. Go after him. Not saying I want them to, though...haha...but those guys would thrive in the Cleveland offense, playing with both LeBron and Shaq (who are willing passers, especially to long-range shooters). It could be the difference between a second-round exit against Boston or Orlando, or a Finals appearance, and a ticket to keep LeBron in Cleveland.

There isn't a bookie system for IPB 3. In fact, I think it took forever for a developer to come out with one for the older version. Most all modifications come from non-IPB developers (unofficial devs, registered IPB owners such as myself, in other words). Same with vBulletin and phpBB. It would be sick to have one, placing bets on games...but I'm not that advanced to create one myself, and I haven't found one for the new board yet.

Good luck. Watch me say this, and he lights Nelson up for 30.

I wasn't exactly defending Kobe's abilities...I'm just saying, when a player defends a superstar that well for one game, you can't bank on it happening all the time. Kobe was getting a feel for Wright in that game, and he started to put up the points, but the Heat started doubling him before he got hot, and over the last two seasons, Kobe hasn't been able to split doubles like he used to be able to in 2004 or 2005, so it hurt him even more. Just as Kobe would, LeBron would find a way to adjust. People say that Shane Battier defends Kobe better than anyone...but do they really watch the games? All I ever see is Kobe draining shots with Battier's hand in his face, and Kobe's misses come because of Houston's zone. He lit up Battier, lit up Artest, dominated LeBron, and eventually, he would've done the same to Wright. Kobe, James, Wade...those guys adjust very well, which is why they are the three best offensive players in the NBA. At the end of the day, I don't think there's a single guy that can defend any of them consistently. Miami will need to double LeBron all game...even if it's with Wright and someone else, or Richardson and another...they have to keep the ball moving and out of LeBron's hands. Otherwise, they will see him get 30-40 each game against them, and that won't boil over well if they meet in the playoffs.

Well, he said it was his second choice because his second favorite player (Julius Erving) wore number six. Just putting that out there.

Over/under: 3,000 people at the game? Consider all of the female Korver fans...

Twenty-point loss in the making?

That's probably the main reason why you'll lose, really. I think Atlanta can hang with them if they were at home. But even with that considered, I can't write them off just yet, because the Hawks have been playing good basketball so far, and Boston did lose to a running Phoenix squad. If the Hawks would just RUN the damn ball, they would find more success against teams like this.

There's no way he spends all of that time in the post. Gasol and Bynum will be in the five, so Kobe will go back to perimeter play until Bynum comes out for Odom. You'll still see him going to work down there, though...but it won't be for the 40 minutes he's posting up right now (because I rarely see Bryant do anything else with Gasol out). This is the most I've seen a guard post up by the way....and I mean most ever. I'm really not used to that. Jordan did his share of it, but even he had mixed in perimeter play with Longley and Rodman on the floor in that second three-peat. Honestly, this might be my favorite year for Kobe, as an individual (not in team success). I did love 2005-06, though.

They just ended a six-game road trip, so I'm sure they are excited to be back in Denver. The Lakers did get some rest in last night's game, though...so even with it being a back-to-back, we shouldn't be too exhausted. I just hate the plane trip, the fact that they lose an hour...so the Lakers get there at a weird time, don't get much sleep, and have to gear up for a road game against a playoff team. It would be nice to have Pau for this one. Probably not going to happen, though.

Shoutbox = train wreck. It was mainly for talking trash on other people and promoting topics you just posted.

It's even worse that all five of Cutler's interceptions he threw were to five different players. How ugly does that sound? I watched this game for a little bit, then decided I didn't want to pass out on the couch.

Hate the Chiefs, never want to defend them...but having watched every [expletive] Chiefs game because of my girlfriend, Johnson got to where he thought he was Jerome Bettis, decided he was going to break everyone's bones on the opposition, and believed he could take out the wall of defensive lineman waiting for him. I rarely saw him follow blockers in Kansas City since he got his big contract, and unless Johnson is Barry Sanders, there's absolutely no way he'll make a career of doing that, doesn't matter where he's at.

Dorell's length bothered Bryant, but you wouldn't see that in consecutive games. Kobe would've adjusted if it were a playoff series, like he does with every new defender thrown at him. So that's the problem: Wright's length, put up against LeBron's physicality. It wouldn't have mattered. LeBron is like a beefed-up Grant Hill on the offensive end (pre-injury Grant, by the way). Teams are going to have trouble containing him because he can rely on another aspect of his game, heavily, if one isn't going his way. LeBron takes jumpers, Wright contests for a quarter. James will adjust, drive to the rim and get 15 foul shots. There's no difference between what Wright and Richardson would've done against LeBron, it's just that Richardson is not a man-to-man defensive player, but a help defender. The Heat needed to double LBJ to keep the ball out of his hands within 18 feet, not wait until he get it and drives. Big mistake. It seems like a lot of teams forgot how to do this out of that pick and roll situation. Let Anderson Varejao score 30 to beat you, on those rolls and jumpers he takes. There's a better chance of that not happening.

Well, I'm sure people are going to figure that in with the free agency period. There has been that talk about LeBron going to Miami, right? Well, I'm definitely not saying he will...but for the sake of discussion, what if he's changing his number BECAUSE he'll have to? I told Jessica (my girlfriend) that he was changing his number, and that's the first thing she said. She was like, "What teams in the NBA have #23 retired?" Presented an interesting topic to discuss, really. Hawks - Lou Hudson Celtics - Frank Ramsey Bulls - Michael Jordan Rockets - Calvin Murphy Heat - Michael Jordan Nets - John Williamson

He spoke about it after the game tonight against the Heat, said he was changing it to six next season, because he doesn't believe anyone in the league should wear Jordan's number. What do you think?

No Gasol Artest with 5 points Odom with 8 points We still blow out the 8-1 Suns by 19 points. :o

MAN, Shannon Brown can jump.

What was he doing? Glasses? Bynum is just too big for Phoenix, and Kobe is pissing everyone off on the Phoenix roster. He's been playing like the Lakers are down 40.

Wow, didn't expect this. Amare is 2-15 from the field, Richardson 2-9, and the Suns have no answer for anyone on the floor, including Josh Powell. I think Richardson and Amare are just getting frustrated, because neither of them can handle Kobe and Bynum in the post. Both are getting dominated, and they are having trouble back on offense because of that, and also because both Kobe and Bynum are playing good defense, as is Ron Artest (again). We had 42 points in the paint in the first half. No Gasol. I love this team.

Contenders, not champions.

I was told that the Lakers aren't contenders without Gasol.