Nitro

The league is different than it was 2 years ago. OKC gave the Lakers all they could handle that year, Utah was a bad matchup, that Phoenix team had many flaws, and they got lucky being matched with an equally slow, aging team in Boston. Miami, Chicago and this year's OKC team are much different animals, and all 3 would beat that Lakers squad in a 7 game series IMO. Dallas made a defensive stand, but they also tore up the Miami defense the last few games of the series with PnR's from multiple players which created penetration, and then knock-down 3pt shooters. Kidd's versatility allowed the Mavs to play a 2 PG lineup much of the series, with both backcourt players being very effective PnR players. As much as they were containing Miami through the first 4 games, Miami was doing the same to them. What opened up the series was penetration from the PnR, and it allowed the Kidd/Terry/Barea combo to shoot 10-15 from 3 in Game 5, and 7-13 from 3 in Game 6. That was the difference in the series. What also made it effective was they were running that PnR with Dirk and Chandler, two of the most dangerous PnR big men in the entire league. Boston, without Rondo and with Gasol, wouldn't have those same advantages. Bradley, Allen and Pierce can't attack the rim off PnR's, neither Gasol or KG have 3pt range, and neither of them are serious threats actually rolling to the basket. If you don't have that threat in the PnR, and if none of your perimeter players can get to the rim off iso situations/on the fastbreak, then you will have a pretty ugly offense. Woah...just a few weeks ago you were saying it didn't matter if Bynum was playing, that Gasol won't get in the post no matter who he's playing with, or whatever his coach tells him. Which is it? And I think you are severely underestimating the impact of perimeter players who can attack the paint, either in the halfcourt of fastbreak. The top teams in the league are explosive, young and athletic, and most of those teams are capable of adequately defending a Pau Gasol or KG, and two of those teams (Chicago and Miami) have strong defensive SF's who can throw Boston's only serious perimeter iso threat out of his comfort zone. Boston needs that extra perimeter threat to open up the offense. A Rondo for Gasol swap doesn't make them significantly better than they are now, and they'd still be major underdogs against Chicago or Miami unless they made a few other big trades. And if they give up Rondo, who IS a top 5 PG currently with a lot of potential, they have NO young prospects to build around or trade in the near-future. This Gasol experiment could leave them only a half-year window to succeed, with KG and Allen being free agents in the summer (and continuing to decline), and Pierce also aging and not getting any better. And there is no one out there who would give Boston a series shot at winning the title with Gasol, so trading their only young player with value would make no sense whatsoever.

I agree. On that play where he made the bad pass, he was being defended by Kobe nearly 30ft out, with I believe Durant coming over to trap. He made the wrong choice, but shooting a fadeaway 30ft jumper wouldn't have been much better. I have a bigger issue with him being the in-bounds guy on the very last play.

I'm team-rep only for the Nets.

But Bradley doesn't offer any decent skills offensively, and won't give them the shot of athleticism/speed that this squad lacks even WITH Rondo. OKC and Miami run laps around them, and even the Bulls to an extent. Rondo is the one who gives them some explosiveness on offense, helps get them easy shots for himself and for trailers on the fastbreak, is the only guy who can consistently attack the rim from the perimeter, and offers versatility when it comes to rebounding and defense. Gasol will help them on the boards and in the post, but they'd have the same issue the Lakers have right now, which is lack of perimeter players who can get out on the fastbreak as well as attack the rim in the halfcourt set.

Fisher played in one of the few offenses that truly doesn't need a PG, and had at least 3 other players (4 when Bynum was healthy) who could create their own shot as well as shots for others...including arguably the best player in the league. At this point, KG is pretty much strictly a spot-up jumpshooter, Allen can't create off the dribble like he used to, and neither can Paul Pierce (who, against their primary competition, Miami, gets forced out of the high-post by LeBron, which is the only area Pierce can create from nowadays). Also, while Fisher is awful offensively, he was still a pretty consistent 3pt shooter and helped spacing. Bradley can't create offense and he's an awful jumpshooter who provides just as little spacing as Rondo does. Also, the NBA is continuing to be a PG driven league, even more than just 2-3 seasons ago. Guys like CP3, Deron and Nash are still doing their thing, Westbrook and Rose have made massive strides and are now in the superstar realm (Rondo is right there too), and we have a new wave of talented PG's like Lawson, Lowry, Lin, Rubio, Wall, Holliday, Conely, Teague, Chalmers, etc... Even though he no longer is elite, Kidd's versatility allowed the Mavs to successfully get away with playing dangerous 2 PG lineups in the Finals that ended up burning the Heat defense, especially in the last few games of the series when the 3's started falling. If this was the Celtics of 2008 where the Big 3 were in their primes, and they had a bunch of very good veterans/young players who filled their roles perfectly, I'd say you can maybe get away with Bradley starting and playing a bunch of minutes. Now? I don't think so.

For right now, while Hawes is out, I think they should move Brand to center, and Young to starting PF. They are deep enough and explosive in the 2nd unit to where they can afford moving Young to the starting lineup, and I think Brand is strong enough to play against most centers (I saw him shit on Demarcus Cousins in person defensively). Without Hawes, Philly is desperately lacking talent at the 5, and instead of sticking with a traditional lineup, I think they should make a roster move that will cater to their best talent. I saw it with Miami last year...everyone (including myself) thought it was necessary to have a big-bodied center start, even if that center lacked athleticism and talent. Everyone was wrong. It's better to play your best talents, and adjust the system accordingly.

Lowry and it isn't even close. You can argue Jameer being the better scorer, but Lowry is lightyears better in every other aspect of the game.

This is one of the worst decisions I have ever seen. Pau Gasol...really? I love his game, but Boston would have another 1-2 deals besides trading Rondo to have a shot at beating Chicago, Miami or OKC in a 7-game series. And even then, KG and Allen are likely gone this summer, and Pierce is only getting older. It'd be a huge gamble that won't immediately make them a true contender, and long-term it will completely cripple the franchise. Boston has NO young, impactful talent besides Rondo, who is already a top 5 PG in the NBA and his biggest weakness, jumpshooting, is one of the easiest things for a young player to correct. I LOVE Avery Bradley's defense, but he is absolutely putrid offensively. That is not the starting PG of a championship team, and is not a player you can build around in the future. People really underrate Rondo because of his lack of jumpshot. Yes, he's benefited from having a HoF trio by his side, but he is an unbelievable ballhandler, playmaker, rebounder, defender and finisher at the rim. There are nights where he is by far the best player on the floor, and he's still so young and on a GREAT contract. Trading him would be so [expletive]ing stupid.

The ability to change speeds and tempo. This is what seperates, say, Derrick Rose from John Wall. Rose knows when to take it slow, play within the offense, and not force things, and when he does decide to turn on the jets it makes his explosion that much more effective and deceiving. Wall, meanwhile, doesn't change his tempo or speed that often, and it makes him easier to defend, and often times makes him out of control. Dwyane Wade is another guy who knows how to mix his tempo so that, despite not being quite as quick as he once was, he still can blow by almost any defender, and even cut through a set zone defense. Another thing that's underrated is the ability of a shotblocker to swat shots to his teammates. Guys like Bill Russel and Tim Duncan were/are amazing at this, and earned their teams a lot more possessions that shot-blockers who go for the highlight-reel blocks.

Eh I guess I'll do it again.

If they had to use the TPE on top of the 1st round pick (which I'm assuming they had to do since I believe the Lakers are well over the cap), then it was a smart move. Until they decide to move either Gasol or Bynum, they have to save the TPE because who knows what holes the team will have after that trade. And Beasley isn't one of those players you can easily fit into any system or roster and assume he'll be effective. If they got a good PG or athletic SF who can hit the 3 and preferably defend, it'd be one thing, but Beasley is a whole 'nother issue.

Kobe. Besides him, the Lakers have the worst lineup of PG/SG/SF's in the entire league. He is their only serious perimeter threat.

This is [expletive]ed up and an example of why this franchise has always been a joke. He should have taken the job offer Mark Cuban gave him.

In terms of talent, Dream Team wins this. However, this team is pretty much the Redeem Team, which basically had 3 years to develop and had an actual defensive system implemented. As a team, they were a lot more prepared by 2008, and most likely now, than the Dream Team was in an actual competitive game. Therefor, I think this current team could definitely give the '92 squad a run for their money, if not beat them. Though, if you give the Dream Team the same time this squad has had to develop chemistry and an actual system, then I'd bet my money on them in a game/series.

It's hard to tell, but the writing style actually looks quite similar... http://s3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/W1yq8GutJ4-aECO4VnRBHw/l.jpg But for 50 cents, I'd assume they're fakes.

If he goes anywhere that isn't a contender, it will be in Phoenix IMO. He has built his legacy there, the excellent training staff has helped keep his body in tip-top shape as he nears 40, and he seems to love the franchise and its fanbase. I don't think him being buddies with Colangelo and the simple fact that he's Candien will hold much weight when he decides on his future, and I certainly don't see him pulling out of what he built for a fairly lateral move as far as team success is concerned (don't get me wrong, Toronto would have plenty more upside than Phoenix, but not enough to make a splash in the playoffs). And winning a championship is the ultimate goal for an NBA player, especially a guy like Nash who has racked up pretty much every individual accolade there is. He is not a broken down, former star that can only grab the vet minimum on a contender. He is still playing at an All-Star level, and you can still argue he is the best offensive PG in the game. Wherever he goes he will make a big impact. Reggie Miller was on a fringe contender up until the day he retired, and he even tried to get on the Celtics during the year they won the title. For every John Stockton, there is about 20 Gary Payton's. I just don't see it as a possibility unless Toronto offers something that no other team will, which is a massive contract. And if Toronto did that, they'd be complete idiots. PS- When I talk about him playing for a "contender", I don't just mean teams like Miami or LA. Teams like Atlanta, Porltand and Indiana would be STELLAR fits for him, and he'd possibly be the best player on each of those teams. With him, any of those teams could make a serious title push, especially Portland.

It has very little to do with the city of Toronto, and more to do with the franchise of the Raptors. He is 38 years old and has done everything...MVP's to leading his team to the WCF multiple times...the only thing he hasn't done in this league is win a ring. Why the hell would he sign with a team that, even with his signing, would be a huge step below Miami, Chicago and probably NY, and MAYBE be in the same tier as Philly/Indiana/Atlanta? And with that massive of a contract, they'd be hard-pressed to find any additional, quality talent to plug alongside him. He's buddy-buddy with Colangelo and is a Candien native...those are the only ties to him and Toronto. At this paritcular point in his career, especially with him still being so effective, do you REALLY see him going for nostalgia over making one last realistic push at NBA immortality? The ONLY way I see it happening is if Toronto offers him an insane amount of money.

Dwight's at least a full notch below those first 3 guys. Mourning is a good comparison. Similar defensive impact, with Zo having a more well-rounded offensive game, and Howard being the considerably better rebounder. I also think he'd be on the same level as Ewing. He's a big step up from Deke and Smits.

The issue is that giving Nash $20M per year handicaps the team financially to make multiple, high-impact, long-term deals elsewhere on the roster. If you give him MLE money (or even a little more), then sure, it makes more sense for the Raptors. But giving him one of (if not THE) biggest contracts in the NBA is plain stupid. The Raptors, with smart management, could get really good value for that money they'd be giving Nash...probably no star level players, but they could get a lot of quality for that kind of money. And if they throw the $5-10M offer at Nash, I think he will just laugh in their face and head over to a contender...only if the Raptors throw an insane deal that no one would ever dare offer will Nash even consider Toronto as his new home.

The way I see things... Dwight to LA is a media creation, much like LeBron going to NY. People see his personality and match it with the glitz and glamour of LA, the Shaq trade, and automatically place them as a lead candidate to grab Dwight. From everything I have read, Dwight doesn't want to go to LA, and Orlando isn't too high on Bynum. Kobe is 16 years into his career, and with his massive contract on the books for a few more years, there really won't be too much wiggle room to really improve their roster the next few years. And if LA has to throw in Gasol, and take back a bad contract like Hedo, it makes the situation even grimmer. From the looks of things, Howard is dead-set on playing with Deron, and that will be in either Brooklyn or Dallas. That leaves the Lakers with an aging, but still top 5 player in Kobe, an aging, but still elite PF in Gasol, a young but injury prone All-Star center in Bynum, and a bunch of spare parts. I've been saying it since last year, and especially this season...the Lakers completely lack athleticism (and talent) at the 2 positions which are really defining the league right now; PG and SF. Kobe is still athletic but not above average, Gasol is slow for a PF, and Bynum isn't particularly quick (although for his size he's athletic). I don't care how skilled these 3 guys are, this era is being defined by freak athleticism, and the Lakers simply can't make up for it with their current roster. Unfortunately, with Kobe not going anywhere, the Lakers not having much talent from their 4th-12th guys, and cap issues, all the Lakers have to fill out their roster is trade pieces in Gasol, Bynum and the TPE from the Odom trade. IMO with the triangle being a thing of the past, and PG being the most talent-rich position in the league, the Lakers key focus should be PG. Gasol would ideally be the one to go because of his age, but that is where trading him will be an issue...he's 31 years old and has regressed the last few seasons, and isn't on an exactly cheap contract. IMO it is a pipe dream to assume he'd be able to net a guy as young and impactful as a guy like Rajon Rondo (and I don't even believe Bynum would get that deal done). You'd probably be able to fetch a deal with a guy like Kyle Lowry as the centerpiece, but do you really believe a Lowry/Kobe/Bynum core will give them a better shot at winning a championship? I don't believe so...throwing Scola in without giving up anything else substantial makes it a lot better for the Lakers, though. I just don't see why Houston would do that trade, though. So, what is a trade that could really help the Lakers down the road? Looking up and down the league, one team I feel that could really benefit the Lakers in a trade is GS. They desperately lack a center, and with the Ellis/Curry backcourt a question mark as to whether it can be successful, I feel it is a perfect match for both teams. I feel trading Bynum for Eliis OR Curry, and a guy like Dorrel Wright would do wonders for both teams. Doing a trade like this would solve LA's PG problem, move Gasol to his natural position of C, and would give LA a very good 3pt shooter in Dorrel Wright, who is an athletic upgrade over Barnes and World Peace. For GS, they get a franchise center and defensive anchor to put alongside David Lee. It also puts to bed the question of the Ellis/Curry backcourt. I am not sure if the contracts matchup, but that basic framework of a deal is just about the best, realistic scenario the Lakers can go for. Then the Lakers can use the TPE to fill in the void at PF.

$20M per year contract for 2 years, and a 3rd year at his discrection? For a [currently] 38 year old PG? On a young, rebuilding team with no hopes of being anything more than a fringe to mid-level playoff team in the immediate future? That'd be suicide for the Raptors, and even with all that money, would be suicide for Nash's career if he has any hopes of being involved in any more deep playoff runs.

That's interesting...maybe he did it for the Blazers to get his big contract off the books? As for him returning, I'd like to see it. Last season it was really hard to watch him play, and while he had that special playoff game, he was unbelievably bad the rest of that series. From my understanding his knees won't get much better, so I really can't see him making too big of an impact anywhere he goes. However, he is very smart, well-rounded and skilled, so even without the athleticism he can still be a good role player on a bunch of teams, but I wouldn't expect much.

Sadly, I see Kidd retiring. He is not the same player he once was, and while he is still an extremely smart, savvy and versatile player, he just doesn't have the speed to keep up with the insanely athletic new breed of PG's that keep pouring into the league. If he still didn't have a ring, I could see him playing another year or two, but now that he has accomplished just about everything he could want, I think he'll retire. Ray Allen is still incredibly effective, is in good health and can be an important piece to a number of contenders. Nash the same. As long as the Spurs don't go into full-on rebuilding mode, he ain't going nowhere. KG is interesting. He's a shell of the player he once was, and the league is full of effective PF's, but he is still one of the best defensive players in the league, is well-rounded and smart enough on offense to make an impact as a 3rd or 4th option, and still can give you 8-9RPG in 30+ minutes of work. With his competitive fire, and continued effectiveness, I think he'll stick around. I could definitely see him going to the Lakers/Nets, whichever one gets Dwight, as whichever team will likely need a PF and he'd be damn near perfect next to Dwight. Or, he might take a big paycut to stay with the Celtics, who should have plenty of capspace this offseason and some assets they could trade to get back into serious contention. One player you didn't mention is T-Mac...I *think* he's only on a one-year deal, and I could see him hanging it up. He has been pretty effective this year, but the Hakws haven't had a whole lot of use for him so far. At this point, he isn't aggressive scoring the ball, and his main asset is his ballhandling/playmaking, but the Hawks currently aren't in much need of that ability of his. I think he'd be a nice fit on the 2nd unit of the Lakers or Bulls, and he'd definitely come dirt-cheap so he might be a nice fit at one of those places.

5am club bitches! Nothing really to be proud of, lol. Though tonight was pretty productive, I beat my dick like it was... http://www.celebrities-with-diseases.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/rking.jpg

I heard last night he was held out of interviews due to a headache, which is why they did the CT scan. It wouldn't surprise me if someone jumped the gun on the concussion thing (I couldn't believe that hit would cause a concussion when I heard that), but it also wouldn't surprise me if the Lakers and Kobe were covering it up so he could play tomorrow.