Erick Blasco

Wade with a beautiful behind the back pass to Ilgauskas for a layup. As Wade has played better, so have the Heat.

Good timing by Bosh and Wade...Wade cuts as soon as the Knicks make their double and Bosh makes the accurate pass...next possession, Knicks don't step in and LeBron dunks.

Games are always better officiated when Steve Javie is around.

Wade is extremely active. This isn't the Wade we saw in November.

Ilgauskas dove for a loose ball and the Knicks got stuck with Stoudemire checking Wade. Miami's hustling more and it's leading to more defensive mismatches as a result. That's when their talent takes over against opponents.

Ilgauskas is so tall that Galinari can't check him when Stoudemire helps on LeBron. That's one place where the Knicks are lacking. Since they don't have a traditional power forward, they're lacking size in their front court.

Chandler hits a step-back jumper to start the game. That's one reason he's improved so much this year. He's much more dangerous with his one-on-one moves.

Dirk plays only 12 minutes, and Dallas still wins on the road by double figures holding the Thunder to 12 points in the fourth quarter. They're only seventh in rating, but the Mavs are probably playing the second best defense in the league right now. They get the Spurs on the 30th in their next big test.

No, but that sounds terrifying. Just remember the people registering the shots do it all the time and nothing bad happens to other people. You'll be fine. Try to come up with ways to distract yourself though.

This isn't the end of the world as the Lakers were throttled by the Cavs the same way last year, but man did they play a terrible game. And notice how the catcalls for Spoelstra have died down? Hmm...

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2010/12/27/1897987/san-antonio-spurs-breakdown-has-the-spurs-defense-rested

http://www.straightouttavancouver.com/2010/12/23/1894089/memphis-grizzlies-breakdown-grizzlies-still-a-year-away

Woj doesn't state that LeBron is working under league interests or is trying to actively undermine the union, just that statements like the ones he made obviously undermine everything the players union is about. Woj is one of the most credible basketball sources out there (though he does beat readers over the head with his disdain of Bron Bron). He isn't the kind of guy you dismiss as "Quite ridiculous, but entertaining nonetheless."

No problem. I should have been clearer. When I said starving fans, I think there is a fanbase in New Orleans that loves the Hornets, but they'd be slashed away. Them, Milwaukee, etc, those would be the teams gutted by contraction. He always surrounds himself with celebrity entourages, he aligns himself with elite teams/companies, he surrounds himself with power. He and his friends partner up to create a firm that panders to LeBron's every whim. He spits out food and berates the Chef in Beijing because food isn't exactly to his standard. He doesn't just go to any team to play with stars. He didn't go to Newark. He went to Miami, a luxury playground. Now these comments about contracting the weak and watered down. He's elitist through and through. I think you're a touch naive. He's loyal to Akron because he was born there. Other than that, he doesn't give a damn about Ohio. Ferry.

By default, but then, where do you draw the line. 20 teams means 10 teams cut---that's a lot of decent basketball players pushed aside, and it means 10 teams in each conference. Do you cut the playoffs to four teams? And what if these guys don't go to OKC and Chicago, but go to the Lakers and Celtics? You'd still have the same problem. Yet this has happened, despite expansion taking place within the period. I mean, you're right, the quality of play will be better just like a league of two teams with 10 superstars will be better than a team of 20 teams with 10 superstars. The quality of play will be better. But there will still be a small elite that will put together rosters that can't be touched by other teams.This doesn't guarantee more parity. This has been consistent throughout NBA history, from the three teams of the 80's, to Wilt vs Russell before. There will always be an extreme subset of haves and have-nots competing for titles. Plus, the rise of the quality of play of today has stemmed more from a better quality of player that allows himself to be coached, and doesn't simply jack up bad shot after bad shot. This also has to do with better coaching and factors outside of contraction. Agreed. On the other hand, it does limit the ability of certain players to take on larger roles and perhaps grow as players. Would you say there's any need for contraction looking at all the factors involved?

I liked the 2008 one a lot when it came out. I just don't like how they've repeated it twice now.

Because if LeBron had his way, there would be no team in New Orleans, and Chris Paul would be with the Heat, or Knicks, or Lakers. Who do you think he wants to contract? It won't be the Celtics and it won't be the Bulls. With contraction, you cut the smallest, most vulnerable markets, and since LeBron wants the league to be nothing but superstars, you liberate Chris Paul and send him to one of the league's best. Look at who LeBron roots for. If you aren't a sports elitist rooting for the Yankees and Cowboys, what are you? Combine this with all of his decisions where he makes sure to be part of the bourgeoisie. The need to be associated with stars and to disavow himself from middle and lower class places like Cleveland---it's perfectly elitist. Who put all his eggs in one basket, had no plan B, and failed to generate the kind of culture where sacrifice and hard work was championed over play time. He has the right to speak his mind just as much as everyone has the right to call him out for his ignorance.

Because there's a strong mid-level in the NBA (Especially in the West), plus a lot of bad teams are young teams and it's fun seeing them progress along. Watching the same teams all the time gets pretty boring to me. It's one of the reasons I make sure to watch and write about every team. As far as bad quality, even with fewer teams, there will always be clubs that attract the biggest stars. You'll still have the same schism with the Lakers and Knicks gobbling up the better players, only this time, Portland will become the watered down team, or Atlanta, or Phoenix. Plus nowadays, the quality of play across the board is better among the bad teams than it was early in the decade where all the league consisted of were various styles of iso-ball. I think the product is fine.

Yep. Replacement Level is essentially the level of a basic NBA player. He has, as N1AK pointed out, a baseline of 0. WARP determines how many wins a player provides his team more than the average schlum would. Last year, BP's metrics determined that Bargnani provided two more wins for the Raptors for the season than the average player would have.

Except that 1) it's financially dumb for the NBA to contract considering the revenue the majority of teams bring to the league as a whole, and 2) It would be pretty boring to have a league of the Heat, Lakers, Celtics, Magic, and everybody else stunk. Of course LeBron wants there to be only a handful of superteams. He's a clueless elitist and always will be. He's the guy who would tell starving NBA fans in cities like New Orleans and Seattle to eat cake. There are some franchises that are poorly run, but that's not usually a result of markets or a spread out talent pool. Mostly it's on GM's who don't know how to put teams together.

Bradford Doolittle at BP calls out LeBron for saying things he has no idea what he's talking about. Enjoy and Merry Christmas to all! http://basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1364

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=606

...and then Dooling and Boykins carve up the Lakers. In the long term, this is bad because both players are attacking backups, but Jennings isn't as good as advertised. He still doesn't finish as well as he needs to, and as such, his offense comes and goes, mostly from the perimeter.

I don't mean to tease him, but I knew this comment was coming and it's still funny.

Miller has much better vision and is a much better passer than Harris. He doesn't score as well, and he may be a touch worse than defense. Miller can help progress the career of Brook Lopez. He's excellent as a passer in screen/rolls and excels in the open court with young, freelance players. If Denver makes the trade, New Jersey would still need one more scorer to be dangerous, plus an athletic power forward who could defend. Stop hating on Miller. The guy is solid, and Harris is really a shooting guard in disguise. Plus, how many 55-point games does Devin Harris have!!!