Erick Blasco

This is good stuff, do you have the blazers edge link?

Some people say owned, I say refuted. Snake just got refuted.

Here goes... From what I know of Aldrich, he's a solid individual defender and rebounder with no lateral quickness and limited offensive skills. What GM would take him the top 5 if there were more talented players around him? He'd need to bump out other big men picked ahead of him, but Greg Monroe has terrific footwork and athleticism and should be able to create his own shot, Cousins knows how to use his body to score and rebound, and Favors looks like a versatile, talented player. It's a stretch to think a lottery team would value Aldrich over those players when they all project to have better offensive games. The writer compares Aldrich to Oden, but Oden had a dependable right hook, was as strong as a bear, and had great shot-blocking instincts. He still has the raw talent to be the best big man of the draft (though he has to rank below Gasol, Noah, and Horford as of now). Hansbrough also is what he is---a motor guy who works hard and can't create his own offense. Paul Millsap and DeJuan Blair were second round picks, Udonis Haslem went undrafted, Glen Davis was a second round pick, Ronnie Turiaf was a second round pick. Jeff Foster was actually a 21st pick (ahead of all of those guys). Joel Pryzbilla was picked 9th. They suck and would have went a lot lower IMO if they were black. That's just how it is.

They aren't all necessarily blogs but http://www.sbnation.com/nba http://bballbreakdown.com/ http://www.hardwoodparoxysm.com/ http://www.basketballprospectus.com/ http://nbaplaybook.com/ http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop

I think the best part is when someone asks what he's wearing and he says a Hawks jersey.

Would Greg Ostertag be one of the top players in the game if he were black?

The refs are to blame 1000%. Players are taught to give themselves as much of a competitive edge as possible. That includes flopping to sell calls they wouldn't receive otherwise. It's up to the refs to know what is happening and not get suckered by a flopper, giving out a bogus call.

There's a really good BR article about this by Andrew Ungvari. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/379057-uncontested-shots-who-are-the-nbas-best-and-worst-general-managers

He doesn't really look like an athlete, but I'm sure he'll be another productive system forward. They have so many of those guys though in Miles, Matthews, and Kirilenko.

BFT, that's nothing. I'm starting to work on my 2007 Draft review, and the 22nd pick of the 2nd round was protected for 10 years after it was traded in the deal that brought Chris Dudley to the Knicks in 1997. That's crazy!

My biggest qualm with the proposal isn't even that they're giving up on AJ. I think most people have come to the conclusion that Jefferson and Love can't work together, especially on defense. I'd like the Wolves to go after a more athletic center who can defend screens and block shots for example---not Zach Randolph who is in many, many ways an older version of Jefferson, except with range. Why trade a 25 year old for an older version of the same player, when your goal is to improve for the future? There are very few angles you can take where Jefferson for Randolph makes sense. Even from Memphis' perspective, why would Memphis make the trade when Z-Bo's attitude shift helped the Grizzlies almost make the postseason? Their own biggest problem is defense, but they're a dangerous offensive team. What would trading for Jefferson accomplish?

:rofl: :rofl:

The main problem with Pritchard is that, according to reports, he's an arrogant blowhard who toots his own horn. The Blazers had enough and sent multiple warnings to him. He never changed. They were thinking of firing him months ago, but waited until after the season.

Not really. When the Pistons needed easy offense from 2005-2009, Wallace refused to play hard in the post, settling for turnaround jumpers and three-pointers when Detroit needed him to be the post player he was in 2004. It's probably the main reason Detroit lost in the conference finals three straight seasons. His defense was always terrific though.

Two years ago on some halftime show, Jalen Rose said that it was a guarantee that Bosh and LeBron would come to New York. I hope somebody remembers that and punches him in the face if he's wrong. Not because of any animosity for Bosh/Bron coming to the Big Apple, but for Rose making a completely baseless guarantee. Of all the smart basketball minds out there, Rose is employed by ESPN.

But the Magic just had a great time figuring out what to do on defense with their last defensive liability. Boston simply looked at whoever VC was guarding and milked that player. Arenas would go stretches ignoring Dwight Howard, and unlike Carter who will pass (he just isn't good at it), Arenas would jack up bad shot and miss open teammates. Why trade one problem for another variation of the same problem?

You're right. Splitter's Euroleague team has no chance of winning a title now.

A system player who couldn't really create his own shot too well with the Jazz. They've always had system players, I can't remember them with a real iso player at the wing.

All this is true but how did Jamison prove he actually did belong with the big boys? He was pulverized by The Celtics in the 2nd round.

Probably the only physicality he's shown since coming to the NBA...

Because if he wants to be a centerpiece, he'd resign in Toronto where he'd be the centerpiece forever. Of course he loves the free agent attention surrounding him but what leverage does he have for his cockiness? If he wants to win a ring, he'd say, I'm going wherever LeBron or Wade are going.

I want Pop to retire and join ABC just to hear him and JVG call games. They're the two funniest people in basketball to me.

I have no idea how I found this but it's funny stuff, or at least cool or candid. It's outdated but still funny. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=70569

How tall is Parker, 6-4? She's fairly quick, but would she be quicker than say, Deron Williams? And does she have the muscle mass to take the beatings the NBA offers? Every coach does post Barrea if they have a guard comfortable in the post. Do you remember this year's Denver-Utah series? 80% of the time Williams would just come down, make a trigger pass, UCLA cut to the post and destroy Ty Lawson on the block. His shooting % with Lawson guarding him must've been about 75%. Lawson makes up for it by being super quick on offense. Are Taurasi and crew faster and shiftier than Lawson? I'm not trying to hate either. Should the woman come along who is such an athletic and physical freak with the mentality to survive some of the abuse she'd take in the league she should absolutely be allowed to compete in the NBA. From what I've seen, that woman doesn't exist yet. If she did, she'd probably average LeBro-plus type numbers in the WNBA.

If Hinrich, Blake, and Felton want to start, or want to make more money than the MLE, then what else is out there? I'm not thrilled with Farmar and Brown, but they're both okay for what they are, cheap, above-average backups. I don't know who is and isn't a free agent besides the guys I mentioned, but you don't want to give big minutes to a rookie, and you don't want to be stuck with someone like Sebastian Telfair.