Nitro

This is just a hideous game by the Hawks. This Heat team really isn't much of a step up from the 05-10 Raptors with Bosh, and right now they are beating the Hawks by 12 in the 3rd quarter. The Heat are getting to every loose ball and making all the hustle plays while the Hawks are playing with no energy. Everything is a bad jumper off an iso. No ball movement. Just an ugly, ugly game. For the Heat, I am once again impressed by Norris Cole, Battier finally seems to be getting in a groove, and I am intrigued by the promise Harris and Pittman are showing. The Heat are LOADED on the perimeter, so I doubt Harris will make any kind of impact with this current team (also makes Mike Miller redundant...he should be traded or amnestied), but Pittman could be the big body with some talent that the Heat have been looking for the last 2 years. BTW I LOVE Barkley as a commentator as opposed to a studio analyst. [expletive]in hilarious.

Fields has been a slump since January of last season...a full year. 3 of the first 4 months last season he averaged double digit points, averaged over 7RPG, and shot over 50% from the field. His numbers have dipped every month since. As a starter he averaged less than 2PPG and 2RPG and shot 20% from the field in the playoffs against the Celtics. This year he has a TS% of .498 (awful), and he's at only 3RPG. Those are just the numbers. From the eye test, last season the one thing I loved about him was his rebounding...he was legit arguably the best rebounding SG in the game. Since the middle of last season, that's gone down and down. He never did it on athleticism, he did it with smarts and hustle. It's almost like he's given up, and that has affected how he mentally goes about the game. Offensively he is not the greatest shooter and can't create off the dribble...offensively, that simply doesn't cut it from a starter on a playoff team. Another issue is his defense. He's slow-footed and just doesn't have great instincts on that side of the ball, and in the playoffs he'll be matched up against Wade, Hamilton, Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, etc... Any of those matchups he will be murdered. Bottom line is he just doesn't have the talent necessary to be a starter on this team. His talents are much more suited for the bench, and I think without the added pressure of being a starter would benefit him mentally. He'd be more inclined to play to his strengths rather than fit in with the star-studded starting lineup.

Defense is more than just effort, although the Knicks haven't given any effort on that side of the ball this season (besides Chandler, Walker and Shumpert). When you got guys like Melo and Amare, who have been in the league nearly 10 seasons, and they have NEVER learned strong defensive principles, it takes coaching to get them up to par. They have the necessary tools to be elite, but just have no defensive awareness. Chandler has actually done his job so far this season, but so many times I've seen him give up easy plays because he looks shocked that his help hadn't made the proper rotation. Or, what I've seen so many times, is Chandler go to alter a shot, and the other team get an easy putback because Amare gave up and didn't put a body on a man for the rebound. Besides the effort, which the coach has to get out of his players, the team just doesn't look prepared defensively. And when they finally do try to clamp down, the other team is so hot from the field that they are hitting fadeaway 3's with a hand in their face. The biggest issue with this current team and D'Antoni is that they are truly a halfcourt team. The backcourt is untalented and too one-dimensional as far as starting backcourts go, Melo is strictly an iso players, Amare is strictly an iso player without a good playmaking PG, and Chandler is completely dependant on other players creating shots for him. They are 110% built to be a halfcourt team, and that is not D'Antoni's style, especially with Toney Douglas as his PG. And if they are built for that, then D'Antoni is pretty much useless offensively, and we all know he is completely useless defensively. He is simply a bad fit. As for Baron Davis, I thought before the season started that he'd be a huge factor if he can come back and be what he was last year with the Clippers. As iMan mentioned, he's dynamic, and that is something that no other backcourt player for the Knicks offers. He can score in multiple ways, can back down smaller PG's, can effectively run the PnR, run the fastbreak, and when he wants to he can make the kind of passes that Douglas and Bibby can only dream of. He'd definitely give the offense a new dimension, and could make them a lot more difficult to defend. When he's motivated and has pieces around him, he can still be a difference-maker. He won't make them championship caliber, but can bring the Knicks closer to the high expectations they had surrounding them heading into this year.

Lethargic game by the Heat for the first 3 quarters or so. They kept leaving the 3pt line open and were getting killed on the boards. Once they decided to clamp down, however, they completely stifled the Bobcats, and relied on superstar plays to win the game (and there were plenty of those in that 4th quarter). For the Heat, they just have to worry about how serious Wade's foot injury is. Oh, and Kemba Walker impressed me tonight. I was curious to see how his game would translate to the NBA, and while I don't ever see him being anything more than an explosive scoring 6th man off the bench for a good team, I still like what I see.

They did try it last year...however, this year's team is a lot more athletic. Instead of Bibby/Arroyo with Chalmers backing them it's Chalmers with Cole backing him up, and at C instead of Dampier/Ilgauskas they are playing Anthony and then Bosh/Haslem. Speaking of Haslem, he was out much of last year, so guys like Howard got a lot more minutes last season. I am LOVING this new offensive system, though. Less set play calls, just a system built on principles, much like the Princeton/Triangle offense. And now that they got a year of chemistry under their belts and LeBron is more willing to work in the post/midrange, it is really devastating.

Awesome post, agree 100%. Although, I do think you can teach a guy like Nash to be a good defender. He may not have great lateral quickness, but he is above average in the height department at PG, he's not painfully slow, and has good instincts on the basketball court. However, with Don Nelson and Mike D'Antoni as his coaches the majority of his career, I don't feel he was ever taught certain fundementals that could help him overcome his slow lateral quickness. Learning angles, proper rotations as a help defender, and studying game film extensively to know exactly what his opponents weaknesses are could go a LONG way into making him an effective defender (though never close to elite).

Billups is only 6'3'' and he's slow. It's not one of those situations where you can just stick him on the worst perimeter player every night and be effective because you do not want guys like Kobe and Wade being defended by CP3. And even if he is defending an easier assignment, if that player is 4-5 inches taller than Billups like I expect, that will still be a big mismatch. And offensively, if he was just a spot-up shooter I'd have no problem. The issue is that despite having CP3 (and Blake and Caron), the ball sticks in his hands on offense, and that kills the flow. The other night he led the team in FGA's and took 10 3's (6-19FG, 3-10 from 3)...that should NEVER happen. I'm willing to give Mike Woodson a chance as defensive coach before completely writing off D'Antoni. I do not think you need an amazing PG to run the offense, they were fine last season with Felton and Billups, and neither of them are great playmakers despite whatever their stats indicate. I'd say Davis, who averaged 7APG last year with the Clippers in under 30 minutes, is the best playmaker of the bunch. I really wanna see what he can do in an open system with those weapons around him.

He's averaged 28/8/7 for his career in the post-season. He's led 2 teams to the Finals, dominating the ECF both times to get his team to that point. The other time he went to the ECF he averaged 38/8/8 in the series, and had 2 hugely clutch performance against that Magic team, but his team simply wasn't good enough. Basically, yes, last year's Finals hurt his career, as did Game 5 against Boston the year before, but overall he's still been an amazing post-season performer for his career. When comparing him to all-time greats, yes, those series' will be held against him....but against today's NBA players? No. Kobe is a shell of his former self (still a terrific 25/5/5 player), Rose put up a dud last year in the playoffs and is relatively inefficient and an average defender, Durant has only been out of the first round once and still has holes in his games (specifically ballhandling/passing), Dwight's post-game is still a question (specifically his TO's and how he doesn't pass well out of the post), Paul doesn't take the initiative to dominate often enough to warrant him being called the better player, and Wade is just a hair below LeBron due to a worse jumper and sloppier ballhandling. LeBron is without a doubt the best player in the league. Now that he has some semblence of a post-game, he really doesn't have any major weaknesses. No one is as well-rounded as LeBron, 'nor as dominant.

So, since I haven't been here in a minute (lots going on in my life), I figured I'd let my thoughts out regarding everything NBA since the lockout ended. And instead of digging around to find a bunch of topics, I'll just create one thread. With that said... -I really, really like the new-look Clippers, but I have one issue with them....Chauncey Billups. From the moment I heard he'd be starting at SG I hated the fit defensively because he is too small for the Kobe/Joe Johnson's of the league, and too slow for the Wade/Ellis'. However, equally as alarming, and what was showcased against the Warriors, is how the ball sticks in his hands. Besides DeAndre Jordan, Billups is the last person in the starting lineup who should be put in one-on-one situations, or who should be jacking up shots in great volume. Yet, last night he was letting it fly like it was nothing, and too often the offense stalled with the ball in his hands. IMO, he really shouldn't be used as anything but a spot-up shooter except in the occasional PnR scenario. Besides Billups and the team's backup frontcourt players, I really love this team. The pieces, on paper, fit extremely well together, and if it doesn't translate on the court it should cost Vinny Del Negro his job. There is no reason they shouldn't be a dangerous team come playoff time. -I like what the Knicks have done, though their success will rest on Baron Davis' shoulders. Their offense needs to have more than Melo/Amare iso's, and Davis is the only PG they have who could really make the pieces around Melo/Amare effective. Forgetting the Bulls and Celtics for a second, if they faced the Heat, Davis would be a big mismatch against Chalmers/Cole in the post, and could make a huge difference in that potential series. Tyson Chandler will give them the strong defensive presence they have been missing for many, many years, but he alone won't make them a great defensive team. I am also not sold on Landry Fields being good enough to start on a contending team. Overall, they are still another 1-2 signficant moves away from being a serious threat in the East. -Love the Rip Hamilton signing for the Bulls. However, I really think they should put a package around Boozer/Noah together and make a move for Dwight Howard. Honestly, on this team, I like Taj Gibson better than Carlos Boozer, and Omar Asik hasn't been a huge dropoff drom Joakim Noah when he's been in games the last 2 seasons. They still need a guy who can operate for easy buckets around the rim, and while Boozer is capable of that, he just hasn't been a great fit for this team. I question, even with Rip, if they can beat the Heat in a 7 games series. The Bulls have insanely good depth, but in the playoffs their top 8 still doesn't quite matchup with the Heat. With their frontcourt depth and talent, they can package a number of those players for Howard while not coming out of the trade depleted in any way. I could be wrong, though, and this team may be good enough to win the championship. -Speaking of the Heat, looks like LeBron finally got a post-game. He looked far more comfortable operating in and around the paint than I've ever seen. In the past, he's rushed looks in the post, whereas yesterday he looked meticulous and comfortable. Norris Cole looked good, and he's the first PG the Big 3 have had with actual talent. Chalmers worked over Bibby and Arroyo last year not because of his spot-up shooting, but because he has true NBA PG speed, and could do things with it that those other PG's couldn't. I think Cole could be another step up talent-wise. He looks comfortable on dribble-drives, has vision and the ability necessary to make passed Chalmers never could, and at least yesterday his 3pt shot seemed to be decent. Even if his shot ends up being inconsistent and his defense gets exposed, I think he'll be an upgrade from those other PG's the Heat had last season. Shane Battier was a nice signing, although it has created a cluster at the wing positions. It kind of makes Mike Miller redundent, and therefor it may be smart to dangle him out there as trade bait, or amnesty him. The Heat could still use a true Center (which I was really surprised they didn't make a strong push for Samuel Dalembert). -What in the [expletive] were the Lakers thinking in trading Lamar Odom for a bag of peanuts to their bitter rival, defending champion Mavericks?!? I know he demanded a trade after the Lakers got screwed out of Chris Paul, but he's the defending 6th man of the year, and they are still contended...to literally trade him for nothing, and to their rivals, is just awful. The Lakers got no shot at a championship this year without some big moves. And, actually, I think the same can be said for Dallas...last year was an abberation with how amazing Dirk played in the post-season, and now that they lost a bunch of big pieces, I don't think they can beat the Thunder/Grizzlies in a 7 game series. -The Nets....Brook Lopez....*sigh*. -T-Mac signed with a playoff team...woohoo!!! -If healthy, the David West signing will be huge for the Pacers. He's a talented PF with offensive range, and will definitely give them some needed firepower. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave whoever they face in the first round a major scare. I'm tired, that's it for now.

I agree with this list. You can maybe slide Kobe or Dirk in there ahead of Durant/CP3, but that's about right. There is no question with who the top 3 players are IMO.

:glasses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4tzI7yuY64 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF7nZJFFj_0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USsp_WghJhY Still, without a doubt, one of the illest in the game, and one of my favorites.

By losing this season, the players will have lost far more money over the course of this CBA than if they took this current deal, not to mention the extreme damage the league will receive by losing an entire season, and to the current players in their prime or past it who will never get a chance to make that back up. There were clearly flaws in the old CBA, from the completely guaranteed contracts, length of contracts, unfair BRI split, and weak luxory tax penalties. The owners are the reason for this lockout, but even with the dibandment of the union, the owners still have the leverage in these negotiations. They still have far less to lose than the players because they are wealthier and, for many owners, this is their 2nd or 3rd most important business venture. They have been a lot stronger and united in these negotiations, and have dominated the media battle. By not taking this deal now, which appeared to be relatively fair from things I've read, the players are [expletive]ing the current crop of players up, and there's a great chance that as this progresses the owners' offer will get worse and worse. The owners went from wanting 56% of the BRI to 53%, then 50%. They went from absolutely wanting a hard cap at around $50M to a soft cap with stricter luxory tax penalties (which won't stop the rich owners from spending, and the cheap owners will still be cheap), went from wanting no MLE to putting that back on the table, etc... The players have stubbornly budged less on their intial plans (which was basically the current, broken CBA) than the owners have, which was also unfair. Both sides have been extremely greedy, but the owners have all the leverage and surprisingly have given up a lot more in these negotiations than they needed to. The players are STUPID for not taking this deal.

The difference is Mac actually has pretty strong raw talent as an MC. Drake is average to below-average in that regard. Mac has a better flow, better wordplay, better metaphores, and overall is just more skilled when it comes to rapping. I hate how everyone cares about appearence so much in rap. I don't really care about swag, what they wear, how much coke they sold or how much money they have. That image may sell CD's, but doesn't make you a great rapper. Some of the greatest rappers ever use that style, but they reached that legendary status because of their ability, not image. Anyway, I'll check this album out in the next few days and I'll writeup a quick review. From the few songs off this that I've heard on the radio, I think it'll probably end up being a bit better than Thank Me Later.

People keep eating the "judgement day" and "nuclear option" bullshit Stern and writers like Wojo keep hyping up. The 1998-1999 lockout didn't end until January of that season...not having a deal this week won't mean no season, and not having a deal this time next month probably won't mean a full season will be lost, either. They are too close in their negotiations (in terms of percentages and system issues) to risk losing all 82 games + a postseason. They would be losing more money than the difference in each side's offer, not to mention the massive hit the league would take in terms of popularity and credibility. There will be games played this season.

Too late for this now. By the time it is voted on and everything gets settled in court, the players will have lost more money from these cancelled games than if they simply accept the current offer from the owners with the 50/50 split.

Oviously he's trying to sell the book, but I believe most of those quotes, although I think certain things are a tad skewed, which is to be expected since he was directly involved in these situations. It's very hard to be completely objective in a book like this. I don't care about the Kobe stuff...that's been analyzed for so many years that it's sickening. The Heat stuff is a little intriguing, as is the LeBron stuff, and what he thought of his time with the Magic/Celtics.

Hahaha that was my first thought. Not the visuals, but the audio is hilarious.

Yes. Just because he's Dwight Howard doesn't mean he's the most athletic big man in the league in every single aspect. Same with LeBron...LeBron's a freak athletically, but he's a little slow-footed laterally and there are multiple SF's with quicker lateral speed (not saying Dwight is slow-footed, but I think Noah gets the edge there).

Weak...no. Sick...absolutely. I'll catch it sometime, though there's a bunch of 30 for 30's that I've missed that I'd watch before this one.

Dwight has a wingspan that is about 4" longer than Noah's (which is what allows guys like Wade to play SG as opposed to PG), is much stronger and heavier than Noah, and does his defensive damage with his threat of shotblocking. Noah is quicker laterally than Howard and is better in PnR situations, so why put Howard in situations where he is not as comfortable in, and takes him further away from the basket which would take away his defensive strengths (which would happen since most PF's in the league have a 15-18ft jumper). Also, on offense Dwight does all his damage near the rim, while Noah can stretch the defense more. In other words, it makes no sense to play Noah at C over Dwight.

Umm...what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2oZWpqtNi4

Gibson is an excellent defender himself, won't clog up the paint as you said, and won't have the kind of big contract that comes with keeping Noah. Noah would also bring in more value for the Bulls to bring in players that could aid them in areas of concern.

Personally, I'd start Gibson at PF (I love what he brings, and he's a true PF), and pawn Noah off for a legit SG. Anyway, I doubt they use the amnesty clause this season. If they realize next summer, after another run with this roster, that they have a shot at Dwight and will need a player like that to propel them to a championship, that's when I'd use it.