Nitro

Before they won the World Series in 2009, MANY Yankee fans and the media would always rip him apart. Even if he had a historical season, if he didn't play like God in the post-season and the Yankees didn't win the championship, they'd kill him. That'd be the kind of treatment LeBron would have received immediately had he gone to the Knicks, but Amare will be held to a similar standard as the years go by.

That'd be a steal for the Grizzlies. Even though Harris hasn't played that well the last 2 years (for what he's capable of), Mayo has been straight awful this season. Right now Mayo's value is at an all-time low due to his poor play and attitude, so I think he could be had for less than Harris... maybe a first rounder they receive from the Nets, along with a role player. Harris can be better used as a trade-chip than for Mayo.

Damn, that was quick, it happened like only 30min ago Anyway, yeah, it was pretty sick. That whole 4-5min stretch Rose was on a complete tear. He's gotten a LOT better at sensing when his team needs him to take over the game, and he's delivering.

Here's the thing Amare has to understand about the NY sports world: They all love you at first, especially when you get your team off to such a great start at the start of your tenure. But, as the months and years go by and you hsve no deep post-season runs or championships (which won't happen with Melo and/or CP3) to show for it, they will start to turn on you. Then the media will get more and more vicious. Then the pressure will keep mounting and mounting. Amare had the luxory of initially coming in with no superstar teammate, and there weren't sky-high expectations for this team this season. But after years of suckage and tanking for that 2010 FA, his leash won't be too long because the fans and media are hungry for a championship-caliber Knicks team. And if he seriously has this attitude, and a Melo or CP3 deal doesn't go through, then he better be ready for the wrath of the media and Knicks fanbase 2-3 years down the line.

Eh, I'd say they are about equally suited this season. Iggy is a slightly better slasher, playmaker, rebounder and clearly a better defender, but Jackson is better at moving off-ball and hitting the spot-up jumper. He also has experience in playing on some good playoff teams (including a championship in his third season with the Spurs), while Iggy is relatively unproven in meaningful games. With that said, it all comes down to the asking price of each.

Tyson Chandler says hi. Not to speak for Swish, but as I said in my last post, the one concern I have about Iggy on the Mavs is his ability to play off-ball. With a guy like Kidd running the offense, he will need to find ways to score moving off-ball, and with his sketchy jumper I don't know if his all-around offensive play will be utilized as well as it can. With that said, I do think his athleticism, ability to run the floor, and defense alone would be a nice addition, and his halfcourt offense does have some potential in that system.

Honestly, it all depends on what the asking price is for each player. I am not sure what each of their contracts look like, but Jackson is 32 while Iguodala is only 25, so that is a big difference. Iguodala is slightly better in pretty much all facets of the game (except maybe scoring, but the difference is minimal), but either would be a fine replacement for Butler; Jackson for the short-term, Iguodala for the long-term. I am a little skeptical about Iguodala's ability to play off-ball, which he would have to develop playing alongside Kidd, but I do think his athleticism, defense and all-around ability would be a nice fit.

Or maybe it was the same stubborn love-affair with Anthony that cost the Heat earlier in the season...maybe? I don't care if he was making KG-like defensive rotations, locking down Marcus Camby and setting unbelievable screens (none happened BTW); if your C can't grab a single rebound in 28min while your team is getting crushed on the offensive glass, then he needs to be benched. As I said, the Heat shot 15% better than the Blazers, and the only thing that was keeping the Blazers so close was their advantages on the glass. Dampier is the team's best rebounder at the C position (literally the only one who consistently boxes out his man), the best defensive C, and he sets the best screens...yet he got a DNP. That was a horrible decision on Spo's part, just like it was in the last game the Heat lost. And half those advanced stats show HOW THE TEAM PEFORMS WITH EACH CENTER ON THE FLOOR! With Anthony on the floor the team has actually performed worse, while the opposite is true for Dampier and Z. That's just tangible evidence. I've seen every single Heat game since the middle of their 12-game win streak, and I saw the majority of their games earlier this season, so I'm not just talking out of my [expletive]. I was saying it early in the season when the team was struggling, I was saying it in the middle of their recent resurgence, and I'm saying it now....Anthony is a situational player, the worst C of the three, and against teams with any kind of size the Heat will have huge problems with Anthony seeing any more than 5-10 minutes. Portland qualifies as a team with size, as does Dallas. Both times Anthony got major minutes, was exposed, and all the while Dampier didn't see a second of action.

This season, I'd take Nene. Brook has been AWFUL this season, with embarassing rebounding numbers (6.1 in 35MPG) and scoring efficiency (45% from the field). Brook has a ton of talent, but he's painfully soft. He kind of reminds me of a poor-man's Pau before the trade to the Lakers...good size, impressive post moves and touch, but can be man-handled in the paint. I understand he had a tough offseason bout with mono, but his play so far has been inexcusable. When you lose 15-20 pounds due to sickness, you should at least come into the season with the mindset that you should be more aggressive to counter the loss of bulk. Instead, his mindset is weak, which has caused him to play soft and fold. Nene is a really solid player who doesn't go far out of his comfort zones, but he gets the job done well for a C. He scores very, very efficiently and rebounds well; two very important traits a C should have that Brook does not

Depends entirely on who they get back in the Melo trade, and if they decide to flip Devin Harris off. Half their team after this deal will probably be brand new, so it's probably a safe bet that they won't.

Then why the hell is he playing 28min against the Blazers when the Heat were getting crushed on the boards? The Heat shot something like 15% better from the field for the game than the Blazers...it was offensive rebounding that, JUST LIKE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WHEN JOEL WAS STARTING, killed the Heat. Give me a break. Dampier is the best screen-setter on the Heat, has better hands than Joel, has the size to actually alter a big man's shot around the rim, and can REBOUND!!! And even though he's not as fast as Joel and can't make as fast rotations, he still does a very adequate job and doesn't get burned like Z does. There is a reason that Joel has by far the worst advanced stats of any Center on the team. On/Off court stats (where he is an amazing -2.4, while Z and Dampier are over +3), Drtg (Z and Dampier are below 100, Anthony is at 101), TRB% (over 4% worse than Dampier and Z), Win % while on the court (Z and Dampier both spank Anthony), team net points (offense/defense) per 48min..... Basically, pretty much every advanced stat, both those that include box score production and how the team plays with each Center on the floor, shows Z and Dampier are the best Centers on the team. It all comes down to something very simple...Joel is too short, too thin, can't rebound, can't defend bigger players around the rim (I'm not talking about weakside blocks), and provides little to no offense. Out of your Center, you need size. It's nice to give him situational minutes, but if Spo continues to make the same STUPID mistake that he made last night and in the Heat's last loss (against Dallas, where Joel played major minutes and Dampier once again got a DNP), then the Heat are not going to win against a team like Boston. Wade and James can bail you out a lot of times, but against the truly elite teams that's playing with fire...making a simple decision to cut Anthony's minutes in half and giving Dampier more burn can help eliminate that situation entirely.

Well, to be fair, that is basically what the Showtime Lakers did...not saying this Spurs team should be mentioned in the same breath as those Lakers, but it's a similar principle. I do kind of agree with you about Duncan in the sense that he should be a little more involved throughout the game. Although, one of the most effective systems is one based around speed, 3pt shooting and an efficient, low-post threat. Duncan simply isn't capable of carrying a team anymore, and since this particular roster is tailor-made for a faster system, I think Pop made the right adjustments to the offense. Defensively is where I don't have much confidence in the Spurs. Duncan, while still very effective, is not the same defensive player he once was, they still haven't replaced Bowen on the perimeter, and in the faster-paced system they are bound to give up points they wouldn't have given up in the past.

That was awesome. He was getting heckled badly all game, and even though LeBron is perceived as a guy who hates pressure, he almost ALWAYS thrives in those kind of environments. People hate him, his image is ruined...him embracing it and going ape-[expletive] like he did against Portland is the best possible result for the NBA. I been looking around and as much as everyone hates him and the superstar trio, they all pretty much are liking this side of LeBron. Now, if they'd get rid of their stupid player intro they currently have in Miami and go to the NWO theme, THEN we'd be in business

I think it's that, along with the fact that teams are studying tape of Pop's new system and planning accordingly. I think they took everyone by surprise to start the season, and probably played above their normal capabilities. Mix the 'coming down to Earth' with better gameplanning, and they won't be the best team in the league.

Some [expletive] I just wrote to the beat of "Who Shot Ya." It's a very rough first draft, and not close to done...

Naturally, I started this topic with Joel Anthony in mind. Here's tonight's gem... 28 minutes, 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 1 turnover @ Poe & Spo So, what's the worst statlines you've ever seen?

Oh, and the equally spectacular Joel Anthony statline: 28min, 0pts, 0reb, 0ast, 0stl, 0blk, 1to That's seriously as bad as it gets. WOW!

I knew they were killing it when I was watching the game, but I just looked at the box score and it's jaw-dropping... Wade & James: 78pts, 21reb, 11ast, 32-48 FG

I was semi-watching this game on TV, while fully watching the Heat/Blazers game on my computer, but it seemed like I saw the same things every time I would take a glance at the TV: -Amare missing shot...after shot...after shot. -Bynum abusing Amare down low. -Kobe missing shot...after shot...after shot. -Artest's usual suckage. -Someone getting into it, whether it be with an opposing player or ref. Overall, from the little I saw of it and what the box scores says, it was a helluva ugly game.

LMAO is anyone watching the Portland broadcast? After LeBron hit that dagger 3 and taunted the crowd, the announcer goes, "No wonder why people like him so much!" LeBron was a killer in the last few minutes of the 4th and OT. For one of the first times all season, he looked like the absolutely dominant LeBron we've seen the last 2 years. He was unbelievable (as was Wade). On the Blazers side, Aldridge was terrific. He's been on fire the last few weeks, and he continued it tonight by playing some tough basketball. He was scrapping for rebounds, killing Bosh in the post, and making some great passes out of double teams. Mills was really, really good in the 4th, and Batum was solid all night. Overall, a very noble effort by the Blazers, and if they had a healthy Roy they would have probably won this game. Oh, and one more thing... Dear Spo and Poe, TONIGHT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY JOEL ANTHONY IS A SITUATIONAL PLAYER AND NOTHING MORE!!!! I get it...he hustles his [expletive] off and does a few good things on defense. But, he's a MIDGET WHO CAN'T REBOUND!!! Tonight the Heat were getting crushed on the offensive boards, and instead of giving the team's best rebounder, Erick Dampier, EVEN A SECOND OF PLAYING TIME, Spo gave Joel by far the most minutes of any Heat Center. That is unacceptable. Joel is fine against teams like the Knicks, Suns and Warriors, but against teams with BIG MEN that can REBOUND, anything postive he offers with his sharp rotations is completely negated by how badly he gets absued around the rim. GIVE DAMPIER MINUTES. Sincerely, Nitro

WOW...if this is true, then they deserve for Melo to leave with nothing. They are literally getting the very best deal anyone is going to offer them, and if they keep stalling and the Nets drop out of the race, they are going to be left with very little.

...which I acknowledged. Let me rephrase: In neither game did the Bulls have both Boozer and Noah.

SOURCE I'm sure that's unrelated to anything, but I'm sure some will take it as some sign of the apocalypse.

Yep. It'll also do wonders for her post-mortum career of having her head be a bowling ball...she's only got two holes to go!!! I'm going to hell... <_<

Just so everyone is aware, I'm calling dibs on Cleveland's Finest's tears when the Cavs end up with the worst record in the league, proceed to fail to get the first pick in the lottery, and LeBron wins a championship. It may happen this year, or it may happen some other time in the next 5 years, but when it happens I want to collect his tears in a pimp cup and mix it with my vodka....mmm it's gonna taste SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!!!!!!!!!