Nitro

The NBA is not a Batman movie. Stop with the analogy. When Kobe averaged 29/6/5 in the Lakers' 2nd of the 3 straight titles, I'd clearly call him a star. When Shaq left, after 1 season of injuries, he was a 35PPG scorer, led his D-league team to the playoffs and very well could have won MVP. That's no role player. That's a star. Gasol led his team to 50+ wins in Memphis and is largely considered the league's best PF. He's not a role player. He's a star that happens to only be the 2nd best player on his championship squad next to arguably the best player in the league. The 2008 Celtics' best player was KG, but their offensive leader was Pierce. One was an MVP 4 years earlier, averaged 22/13/4 the year prior to joining the Celtics and won DPOY with the Celtics. The other averaged 25/6/4 the year before the Big 3 was formed, made 6 consecutive ASG's and won a Finals MVP that first year of the Big 3. Both were star players, neither role players. Both would have been franchise players for around 80% of the league. The fact that they happened to be on the same team shouldn't mean one or the other was simply a role player. I could go on and on and on...

Eh...it'll raise his stock, but just because he'll have beaten a few better teams than Jordan ever faced in the Finals doesn't make him a better/greater player. There really isn't one stat, both in the regular and post-season, that sways in Kobe's favor. Pretty much all major awards as an individual sway in Jordan's favor. Most of Kobe's advantages over Jordan never really translated to him being the more effective player, just insanely consistent over as long/a longer period of time (which is what is truly the most amazing thing about Kobe IMO). But that's just my opinion and it's been argued to death time and time and time and time again so let's not go there. Anyway, yeah Kobe's records are truly mind-blowing. It all comes down to, as I said before, his mind-numbing longetivity. He's the only player I've ever seen stay constant in pretty much every area of the game so long. As his athleticism has declined he's slowly added new skills every summer to counteract that, and as a result he's never taken a significant hit in points, FG%, assists, rebounding, etc... The only thing that's really taken a hit has been his man-to-man defense.

So, Kobe during the 3-peat was just a role player?

Really?

What I was trying to say was that it was awesome that they actually did have a chance, but this game was kinda crushing because they had a significant lead than the Spurs totally dominated the rest of the way. It was also crushing when in 2004 the Nets ALMOST beat the Pistons in Game 6 (a game I attended), but Rip hit the GW and then stomped the crap out of the Nets in Game 7. And yeah I'm a Nets fan, but I consider myself more neutral than anything. I'm only a Nets fan because I grew up going to a ton of their games and watching them on TV all the time on YES. I've always been more of a fan of individual players than teams (first it was Jordan, then T-Mac, then D-Wade).

You got an athletic scoring machine at PF in Bosh (who is also an exceptional rebounder), you got a hustle guy and all-around great role player in Haslem backing him up, got a 7'3" Center who has a midrange game and is a good rebounder/post defender in Z, a hustle/shot-blocking athletic Center in Anthony, and then you could possibly have a veteran Center who is an exceptional rebounder and has size in Dampier. Not to mention Juwan Howard who can fill in either role. For what the team could offer in terms of salary, that is GREAT depth and pretty damn decent versatility. I know it's hard to put it into perspective considering all the amazing things Riley has done this offseason, and not every move can be a perfect fit, but Dampier would really help solve some of the team's questions in the frontcourt.

Dampier is bigger than Anthony, a much better rebounder and is a seasoned veteran. He offers a different look than Anthony.

Somewhere in the 2004-2005 timeframe I believe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ-o1E3r7PE Old, but 50 got murdered on this track. One of my favorite diss songs of all-time. Some classic lines... "Yeah, you got a felony, but you ain't a predicate Never the King of New York, you live in Connecticut" "This is a true fact Since when has it become cool to get shot and not shoot back" "Block is just fine, homie, the D's straight Most likely your new CD is a weed plate Bunch of love songs, 100% pure garbage Just somethin' to break up buds on You should just sell clothes and sneakers Cause outta your whole camp your flow's the weakest" "You had to get shot 9 times to be rich"

Ib4LBJjokes Well, ideally the perfect role player is someone that hustles his [expletive] off, is proficient in at least 2 skillsets (tends to usually be defense and 3pt shooting for perimeter players, and defense and rebounding for big men), and will not cause a stir if he isn't getting utilized in a way that he feels he should be. He should also be smart and not making careless plays too often. The problem with identifying that player in today's league is that many of the elite teams are STACKED, with players that could be #1-2 options on other teams being #3-5 options. However, if I had to pick one player who everyone would agree is a role player, it'd be Udonis Haslem. He never worries about shot attempts, loves his city and team, never tries to go outside of what he does well, will always hustle his brains out, and is proficient at rebounding/defense/midrange jumpers.

OJ Mayo. At this point he's more well-rounded, more skilled in a variety of areas, has a bit of a size advantage over Gordon and has more potential. I'd really, really like to see Mayo get more aggressive and have a bigger role in the Grizzlies' offense because he really is extremely polished and capable for a 3rd year player. I just think he's passive to a fault and is not utilized as an impact player.

For the Heat, adding depth to the frontcourt positions would be a HUGE addition. Dampier has the kind of size and defensive/rebounding abilities that will help the team big time if and when they run into the Lakers, Magic and Celtics. He is not the perfect Center, but for the veteran's minimum he can be a real asset come the post-season. Even if he doesn't get a ton of minutes and is hit with a few DNP's, he will still be valuable.

I disagree. He's a relatively decent leader vocally, and way too many times I've seen him take over and dominate games when his team has needed him. He's done it time and time again over the last few years (which was what pushed him from 2003-2006 LeBron to the next level that you've seen in 2007-2010...early on he just didn't show up in the clutch). One series against Boston, one of the toughest defensive teams in NBA history with more talent top to bottom than the Cavs, isn't enough for me to erase all the amazing things he's done in his career. Same with Kobe and his Game 7 against Phoenix in 2006. And I stand by the opinion that if LeBron can put up such a monster triple double against Boston while quitting, then that speaks volumes to how big a gap there is between he and Durant as pure basketball players. That's just about the worst game I've seen from LeBron since he entered the realm of superstardom. The confidence went out the window, not so much in himself but his team, and it clearly showed. However, for the one time he just kind of went with the flow as opposed to taking over, he's done the exact opposite many times before in equally pressured situations. His Game 5 against Detroit in 2007 is a prime example, as is his entire series against the Magic in 2009, which was one of the most dominant series' I have EVER seen from an individual player. Averaging 38/8/8 against a top 5 defense in the league? That's beyond impressive. More leadership and consistency? Until we see a lot more of Durant leading his team, especially in the post-season in a similar fashion that LeBron has since 2006, I can't say he's anymore of a leader than LeBron. And consistency? MAYBE he's more consistent as a scorer, but that's it. LeBron is a consistent near-triple double machine who has shown more on the defensive end as well as being the FAR superior clutch player (at least on the NBA stage). And yes, he's young. So was LeBron when he was averaging 31/7/6 as a 21 year old and leading his team to nearly upsetting the defending Eastern Conference champion Pistons. Let's not promote him to the possible GOAT discussion like we did LeBron until he PROVES it.

Ugh...bad memories. The Nets gave up a big lead that game and actually had an outside chance of winning it all that series (as opposed to the 2002 Finals where the Lakers brought the brooms out). Oh well. Still a great game.

They released him to get under the luxory tax, which is a difference of millions. It isn't like they would have gotten much value in return, anyway...

I know he wasn't spiking the ball. To me it looks like he was using it to break his fall. As I said, stupid mistake, but the fact of the matter is he had clear control of the ball while he was up in the air, on his 2 feet, and throughout the motion of the fall before the ball touched the ground. If his feet never touched the ground I'd be inclined to agree with the interpretation. But the fact that he had 2 feet down and fell while still maintaining control is where I think it's a bad call.

My issue with this is that he didn't land directly on his hip. He had clear possession, landed with 2 feet on the ground, tumbled to his hip still with possession, then he let the ball break the rest of the fall. It was a mistake, but he CLEARLY had control of the ball.

Correct answer is 6. Eh...got to RealGM, there's actually quite a few of them lol. It's kinda ridiculous, people overrate Gasol far too much.

They are two totally different players. If you replace Durant with LeBron on the Cavs from the last few seasons they wouldn't have won so many games or made it as far in the post-season. Why? Because there is no way Durant could lead a team with virtually no true PG. LeBron got his 30PPG but his team also needed him to throw in 7-8 assists as well for them to win. Durant can't do that. On the NBA level? No, it doesn't. If that was the case Melo would have been considered a better player than LeBron after the 2006 WC's, and both LeBron/Wade would have been considered much better player than Kobe after the 2008 Olympics despite Kobe's strong 4th quarter in the Gold medal game. Hell, Rajon Rondo was widely considered the best PG on Team USA's roster before this summer began yet he couldn't even find time on the court once the exhibitions rolled around. http://www.82games.com/0910/CSORT11.HTM Look at that and tell me who has the better scoring touch at the end of games. LeBron nearly doubled Durant in clutch scoring last season and shot 13% better. If you want to be totally blown away, look at how Bron averages nearly double the rebounds, 4x the assists, the same amount of turnovers, 3x the amount of blocks and 3x the amount of steals as Durant in those situations. Give me a break. Huh? LeBron had 1 really bad playoff game. His next game, which he supposedly threw in the towel, he had 27/19/10. That kind of statline, despite the iffy shooting percentages, would have cracked Durant's top 5 all-time games. For LeBron, it's looked at unfavorably. Durant has proven NOTHING in the post-season yet, and his one appearance was underwhelming. LeBron's career post-season averages are 29.3PPG/8.4RPG/7.3APG/45.9% shooting. He has been to the ECF twice and the Finals once. http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/koolaid.jpg

C'mon now. Melo in 2006 lit up the WC's in a similar way Durant did. Not as dominant, but he still averaged 20PPG on 51% shooting in under 24MPG. The WC's are not a way to gauge an NBA players' value, let alone the rest of the league playing his position. Durant is locked up for a few more years after his extension and is content in OKC for the time being. Melo is going to without a doubt be gone from the Nuggets by the time next summer rolls around, and despite his attitude and the fact that he's a playoff novice he's still a top 8 player in the league (with Kobe/LeBron/Wade/Paul/Howard/Durant/Williams all better or on the same level).

LeBron averaged 31/7/6 in his 3rd season and led his (garbage) team to within one game of the ECF. Point is that even though he certainly has room for imrpovement and is only 21-22, don't expect his stats to ever go way up from what we saw last year, and just because he's had a fast progression to be so good at so young doesn't mean he has a realistic chance of being the GOAT. With that said, Durant is an amazing talent. If he wants to really take his game to the next level, he needs to become a better ballhandler. I noticed during the WC's that he actually isn't a bad passer and does indeed have that ability, but his ballhandling is underwhelming for a perimeter player. Right now he isn't a guy that you can give the ball to at the top of the key every possession and expect him to make a play for himself or his teammates. That is the thing that really separates him from LeBron/Kobe/Wade/Paul (I throw Paul in there because I believe he's the 4th best player in the league and can score at volume). If he becomes a better ballhandler his clutch ability (besides simply taking the shot) will increase so much and he will be more equipped to truly carry a team.

Bill Laimbeer. He was the baddest of the Bad Boy Pistons, and was hated for the things he did on the court. I can see why people would say Kobe, but I don't think a player who has generally been the NBA's most popular player over the last few seasons could be considered the all-time most hated. Also, the hatred was always for his off-court stuff rather than what he did on the court (I consider jealousy unjustifiable hate). Also, the Lakers fanbase is so gigantic that it kind of protected him from being as hated as he could have been if he played in a town like Detroit. The Pistons fans loved Laimbeer, but everyone else hated him, and the Pistons fanbase is much smaller than the Lakers'.

How is Shaq a more skilled player than Davis? Davis has a midrange jumper and athleticism; one of which Shaq never had, and the other is something Shaq hasn't had in a few years. He's also a better defender than Shaq is, especially at this point in their respective careers. He also provides the team with energy and spark, something Shaq doesn't. And Davis averaged 16/6 in the 2009 post-season when KG was hurt, and played very well at times last post-season. I get that he probably won't be getting more minutes than JO/KG/Shaq/Perkins, but at the same time he's not going to be a bench-warmer either. I can't Doc cutting into his 2009-2010 average of 17MPG too much. He offers the kind of energy and different style that none of those bigs possess. The issue is that the proper lineup adjustment to maximize the team's potential may not be in line with what Shaq feels is correct. It''s happened when he was unstoppable and taking over 20FGA per game, and it happened last year as a 37y.o starter playing nearly 24MPG. The fact that he's not going to get the same minutes he did last year, especially when Perkins comes back, is a red flag. The fact that he probably will even have less of an offensive role is another major red flag. The fact that he's going to be 38 and won't make the Celtics better if he's a featured player makes the situation a potentially toxic one.

Yeah I'm pretty pumped, although right now is the time of year where the rest of the sports world is so good that it settles my basketball craving. Football just started which is always fun, and the baseball season is winding down with the playoffs are right around the corner. Still, I am beyond pumped for this upcoming season. A lot of teams are drastically different from last season, and the Miami sideshow will be extremely intriguing all season long. After all these months, we're almost there :glasses: