Nitro

Tonight he had 16/6/3/1/1 on 5-9 shooting, including 4 3's in a row in the 4th quarter. He also appears to have the most explosiveness he's had in about 3 years, as seen with the video below of his dunk the other night. I really think the Pistons should give him some more playing time soon, see what he has, and maybe they can get a little value for him via trade as I am sure there will be a few playoff teams looking for his cheap services if he's still got this much game left in the tank. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx82qomlfKA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUqii7SrBfo

Nice, I'm definitely feelin' it. Can't wait for the album to drop.

Yeah, it's been like this for awhile. Ever since the early '00's when KG, Dirk, Webber, and Duncan were dominating the league, we have seen a major influx of extremely talented PF's come into the league. I feel KG and Webber really set the stage for the current crop of PF talent with their athleticism, face-up games, jumpers and overall talent. However, because of this, only a fraction of those players you mentioned actually have a back-to-the-basket game, which isn't a terrible thing but it is a little disturbing.

As someone else said, we aren't even 30 games into the season yet. They are meshing a lot better than they were to start the season, but they still have a lot of room for improvement in halfcourt sets. Besides, they are still without their 4th and 5th best players (Miller and Haslem), so we haven't even seen a glimpse of what this team will eventually be once they incorporate those players. However, the idea that the only difference between the Heat when they are 9-8 now is simply due to their new run-and-gun and "reward" system is false. Finally, the entire Big 3 are playing like how we are accustomed to seeing in the same game, and not playing like glorified role players. Wade is getting a lot more opportunities to handle the ball and makes plays for himself and teammates, LeBron is not settling for as many jumpers as he was earlier in the season, and Bosh has found exactly where his nice is in the offense and on the glass. Also, Dampier has done a great job of protecting the paint and boxing out big men for rebounds, and Chalmers is giving PG's a lot more trouble defensively than Arroyo or House do. Even though I agree they aren't currently the best team in the NBA, they have won 9 straight games by 10pts or more, including at Salt Lake City. In other words, it isn't way too far fetched to say they are playing the best basketball in the league currently.

Prokohorov is a genius!!! First Jordan Farmar and now Sasha Vujacic?!? So THAT'S his blueprint for greatness, steal the scrubs away from championship teams and build from the bottom to the top....BRILLIANT!!!

BTW here's what I got so far, it's a slimmed down 2nd draft: Yo lemme tell you of the story of the kid AsIll His life is like a movie, reminisce of past stills He was born in November, the 18th day The spirit of a saint, innocence washed away By the hand of God his parents sparked new life But his soul started rotting thought his bid was trife At the age of eight, though his life was great His mom started drinkin, then she’d come home late He sat and wait, minutes, then hours went by As the clock ticked, he screamed why then cried Mom arrived blacked out, he thought she dead When he looked in her eyes, not a word was said He’d bring her peanut butter spread out on bread Felt helpless and alone, he picked up the phone And called his dad screaming in a high pitched tone “Hey daddy, mommy’s dying, what should I do? Can I wake her up, I tried, I ain’t got no clue” Later that month dad filed for divorce And was granted full custody by the courts He told his son don’t cry baby cut your loss But hatred built up through AsIll’s veins Is mom dead, not sleepin, yeah that’s real pain They moved 3 times in 3 long years “I’m switchin schools again, what about my peers?” He was told to man up cuz life’s real hard Still he felt empty, youthful heart was scarred His dad remarried to a cold hearted [expletive] Just thinking about her face still makes him twitch And his mom was in a struggle, she almost died twice Never in her life did one drink suffice Besides family stress, why don’t you guess At school he’s picked on, always seen as less At home his family hated him, degraded him His room was in the basement, far away from them The [expletive] was too much, so he bought a dutch Broke up all the weed, and then rolled a blunt Addiction kicked in, goin outta sight Poppin e pills, lights shined so bright In 6 months he [expletive]in lost 50 pounds His head was immersed by the pounding sounds Of 2Pac spitting Death Around the Corner It became his anthem, a fandom caused tandem Every night he was tortured by demons The nightmares set in every time he was sleepin His family found out he’s just like his mom They kicked him out the house, mad [expletive] gone wrong Losing in faith in Christ, he took a knife and sliced Both of his wrists, son rolled the dice He was locked in a hospital like a caged rat The shining son had fallen and he can't turn back Ten days, post-attempt, got released in peace Didn’t cease using drugs, in fact he feast A rebel, no cause, stupid little martyr Disease accelerated, he started goin harder Blowin grams of coke, buyin stamps of dope Felt like he’s in the crosshairs of a sniper scope Overdosed on pills, facin death at will All of life’s beauty didn’t fit the bill A few months later, slipped and got arrested Probation is a [expletive] and patience is a virtue If a mirror passed he smashed the glass Shootin up dope, throwin spikes in trash He started scheming ways to make cash fast Dealin out buds, [expletive]ed up, then crashed Another arrest, a step away from jail His whole [expletive]in life was like one big fail But his views have changed, now the chemist in a lab Finding dreams can had through the mic he grabs For the first time ever he feels alive Survival of the fit, only the strong survive

You're awesome man, great work!! Thanks a lot!

So, I'm writing a song to the beat below, and I assumed because the video is 5min long that the beat lasted that long...nope. I realized that once I wrote over 3min of lyrics only to find out I have no more beat to record over, which I plan on doing in a week or two. So, does anyone have the experience and/or technology to, once the song reaches like 3:22, to loop it over starting at around 0:21? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9pc6Qr946g If not, I'll just have to finish writing the song and cut mad lines out (currently has 68 lines, I was planning on writing at least 30 more).

Put what I said into perspective...I said IF he had better shot selection, specifically throughout his prime, he would have had a higher peak. Like I said in my last post, he probably would have been shooting around 48-50% from the field at least, which would have increased his scoring production without increasing volume. Also, like I said in my last post, once he started losing his legs his play would have reduced to what we see now, at least when it comes to efficiency. That constitutes as a drop-off. It is marvelous that Kobe has maintained such fantastic consistency over the years, but HE ROBBED HIMSELF of being the player he could have been for a good 5-6 year span simply because he had poor shot selection. And yes, driving to the rim more would likely have resulted in more physical damage, but you can't use that to justify poor shot selection. Using that logic, it'd be fair to not criticize LeBron for taking 5+ 3's per game last season. And once Kobe started to pile up some injuries, that's when he should have adjusted his game to a style we're accustomed to seeing from him. What are you talking about? I said Kobe having better shot selection during games wouldn't have affected how his jumper eventually developed. AI is a horrible comparison because he never developed a great jumper in the first place, and he didn't have the size to be an effective SG once he lost his speed. MJ is a much better comparison because he and Kobe have virtually the same build. Jordan had terrific shot selection early in his career and during his prime, gradually adding a jumper and some post moves to the mix. After he came back and the Bulls got bounced by the Magic, he spent the summer adding muscle and developing his jumper and post game. Because those were naturally lower percentage shots than what he used to take when he had his prime athleticism, his efficiency dropped to about what you see from Kobe now (even if you factor in pace and different era's between the '80's and mid-late '90's, Jordan was still going to be a 50% scorer from the field when he had that athleticism). Only when you make some ridiculous claim regarding Kobe, specifically when someone says something that doesn't favor Kobe and you put the blame on his teammates, Phil Jackson, Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers Dancers or whoever. Sometimes you're right, like in regards to your posts in the Knicks topic about Kobe's trade demands, but other times you are wrong. And you play it off like you're a die-hard Lakers fan, yet when Gasol was playing the best basketball on the Lakers earlier this season you'd pounce on people for that assertion. When the Lakers succeed, it is all Kobe. When they don't succeed, it is Kobe's fingers and everyone else's fault.

Kobe taking 3-4 less jumpers per game (which accounts for the roughly 15% difference between he and LeBron/Wade, assuming he takes between 20-22 shot attempts) has NOTHING to do with him developing a consistent jumper through practice and hard work. If Kobe had better shot selection, in his prime he would have been at least a 48-50% shooter from the field, and his 3pt % would have likely also seen an increase because he'd be picking his spots better. As he aged and started losing his legs, he'd be the same player he has been the last 2-3 years. And not a very interesting one, lol.

Haha wow you can really turn ANYTHING that is an indisputably bad part of Kobe's game and make it positive, can't you? Kobe's shot selection has always been bad. He's a good enough shooter and shot-creator that it's allowed him to be modestly efficient throughout his career, but he's always robbed himself of being as effective as he possibly could with his shot selection, something that all the skill in the world won't fix. Are we seriously talking about Kobe's swollen hand?

Since around 2001-2002 his shot selection really hasn't changed much, which is why he has maintained such insane consistency rather than noticeably dipping off statistically once he started to lose his legs. According to 82games.com, in 2002-2003 (the first season they have listed), 78% of Kobe's FGA's were jumpers, which is around his usual mark. Meanwhile, for comparison, in the last few years LeBron and Wade have been in the 60-65% range. Bottom line is Kobe's shot selection has always been poor, and it would be very scary if he realized that before his athleticism started to decline.

http://twitpic.com/3fpwfj Ouch.

WOW crazy behind the backboard shot by LeBron.

IMO this is the Celtics without a doubt, and I think that will be the case when the playoffs roll around, barring any major injuries. First off, they have an extremely well-balanced offense with a number of guys that can go off on any given night. They are efficient in halfcourt offensive sets, and if you let Rondo get out on the fastbreak they become almost unbeatable. They have a ton of quality frontcourt depth which is imperative in the postseason. Defensively, they are absolutely dominant when they decide to put the clamps on, with no major weaknesses like the Lakers or Heat. They have a deep bench, although they are a bit weak at the wing positions in that regard. They have the perfect coach for the team, they have championship experience, and they have a certain swagger and attitude that is unmatched. Spurs, Mavs and Heat are the next best at the moment, although the Lakers and Magic will find there way into that group soon enough.

He looks like Jesus...son don't need no buzz.

Stupid diss song. If you want a GREAT Joe Budden diss song, Youtube "House [expletive]a" by Inspectah Deck.

Yes, the Magic made the Finals on the back of Dwight. With Hedo Turkoglu as his 2nd best player, a guy who couldn't even flourish on a crappy Raptors team or on the Suns with Steve Nash as his PG, he got to the Finals, beating a very good Celtics team and LeBron's Cavs in the playoffs. The Lakers without Kobe, the Heat without LeBron, and the Celtics without KG are FAR better than the Magic without Dwight. If you want to dismiss stats, try and dismiss these.... In Game 7 against the Celtics, Dwight had 23pts/22reb/3blk on 9-16 shooting. In Game 4 against the Cavs, he had 27pts/14reb/4ast/3blk on 10-16 shooting. In Game 5, he had 24pts/10reb/2ast/1blk on 8-10 shooting. In Game 7, he had 40pts/14reb/4ast/1blk n 14-21 shooting. And I am not comparing Dwight's game to Shaq's, I am showing how flawed your logic is that Dwight having only 6ft of range, can't handle the ball and being a poor FT shooter means all that much. I am not arguing Melo and Dirk are better offensive players, but the difference in their production and effectiveness offensively is far slimmer than the gap between Dwight and their defense. Again, how are they more complete? What do Dirk and Melo do well when they are having an off shooting night? If you replace Dirk with a great defensive PF like KG, there is no way Wade gets into the lane at will against the Mavs in the Finals, and they probably win a championship. In fact, that's a great series to point out, because Dirk was shut down by Udonis Haslem, and without his scoring he essentially became a glorified role player. If you take away Dwight's scoring, he's still the best defensive player in the league, and an elite rebounder. If you take away those things, he can still give you 20PPG on great efficiency. Either way, no matter what you do he is still going to make a big impact on the game. If Melo and Dirk are having a poor shooting night, their impact is minimal. Also, there is a major difference between being more polished and more complete. Melo is more polished than LeBron, but LeBron is more complete. Joe Johnson is more polished than Wade, but Wade is more complete. And you'll be hard pressed to find post players that are more polished than perimeter oriented players.

I think the 3 contenders for the award so far are Dwight, KG and Noah, and I think LeBron will see some first place votes as well. In the end I think it'll come down to Dwight and KG, with Dwight winning the award. Currently, the Celtics are the best defensive team statistically in the NBA, and the Magic are 3rd. Both players have absolutely ridiculous advanced defensive stats. I do think Dwight will get it because his defense is flashier with the blocked shots, and he also cleans the defensive glass better than KG. Also, Dwight is on a less talented team defensively, and has to do a lot more heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning up his teammates' mistakes, making him the more valuable defender.

I was looking through the Knicks board on RealGM board yesterday, and apparently the Knicks will have to get rid of Chandler (with the way their current roster is) to get Melo in the offseason. So, I am curious to see how this trade would go down, and how it'd affect that situation. I think Mayo desperately needs a trade...he's rotting in Memphis. He has a very good jumper, and is pretty athletic, so he'd fit in very nicely in NY.

Shaq had 6ft of range, couldn't handle the ball and was a horrible FT shooter...what did that mean? Not too much. When you have as much of a physical advantage over your opposition as Shaq did and Dwight does, it makes whatever polished skill they develop a luxury as opposed to necessity. Dwight has really developed his post game and can score in more ways than he's given credit for, but his raw ability around the rim makes him a 20PPG scorer on amazing efficiency from the field, and forces teams to foul him 11x per game, which absolutely destroys teams with shallow front lines. And how does Dwight's poor FT shooting negate his great efficiency from the field? He takes 13 shots to get 22PPG...that's insanely efficient. His true shooting percentage (FG% + FT%) is still over 5% higher than Melo's, and equal to Dirk's usual TS% (although this year he's been WAYYYY more efficient than he ever has, but I expect that to balance out by season's end). Is Amare and Durant's scoring negated by the fact that they turn it over just as much/more than Dwight? No, that's silly, and unlike with bringing up their scoring in relation to turnovers, Dwight's rebounding has NO CORRELATION with his turnovers. I could also flip the script and say Melo's low shooting percentages negate his scoring volume, and Durant's inability to show up in clutch situations make his scoring production hollow. However, unlike Dwight, if you take away their scoring production, they don't make a big impact on any other area of the game. With Dwight, even if you take away his defense and rebounding, which are a lot more consistent than Durant/Melo's scoring, he's still giving you 20PPG on strong efficiency. If you play him straight-up with no double teams, that number increases. If you double team him, you risk getting rained on by all the Magic's 3pt shooters. If you match Dwight with a guy that can create his own shot effectively, the Magic are right there with the Heat/Lakers/Celtics as true championship contenders. He's the easiest player in the NBA to build a championship team around IMO.

It's not a surprise, and yes they do have some shooters, but the entire offense is based around Dwight's ability to suck defenses in. Even if he's not getting the assist, he is still opening things up for players and making them better. That is why, despite playing below the league average in pace, they broke records for 3's and were a top 10 offense without an elite #1 scoring option (Kobe, Wade, LeBron, Melo, Durant, etc..). Who can get it done by themselves? When you play teams like Boston and LA, the last 2 teams to eliminate the Magic in the post-season, you will get exposed. LeBron averaged 38/8/8 against the Magic in the 2009 ECF and the Cavs lost in 6. Wade averaged 35/6/5 against the Celtics in the first round last season and the Heat lost in 5. Bottom line is against good teams, you need that 2nd guy who can score without having plays made for him. Carter was supposed to do that after Hedo left (who made a LOT of money because of Dwight), but he's past his prime and just can't carry that load. If Kobe didn't have Gasol for those situations, he'd have only 3 rings. If Shaq didn't have Kobe for those situations, he'd have 1 ring. If the Celtics didn't have 3 guys to be that 2nd option, they'd have no rings. I can keep going on and on. How in the hell are Melo and Dirk more complete players? Because they have a more polished offensive arsenal? For the few extra points they are able to score, and for being better #1 guys in clutch situations, the difference in rebounding and defense is astronomical. If Melo and Dirk aren't scoring, for the most part they are doing nothing. If they are having an off shooting night, they are reduced to average role players. Meanwhile, if Dwight isn't scoring, he is still altering every single shot that comes near the rim, making up for defensive miscues by his teammates, and cleaning the glass. And when he does score, it is very efficiently. As for Duncan, he is past his prime and not capable of doing the heavy lifting Dwight does on either end. Gasol never won a single playoff game on the Grizzlies, and he choked in the post-season when he was looked at as a #1 option. He is certainly more polished than Dwight, and a better overall offensive player, but the difference in their offensive games is a lot slimmer than the difference in their defensive games. Deron, you can make a case for. Wallace's prime was too short to be in the HoF, and his offensive game was literally non-existent...literally. I believe his career high in points was like 19, which isn't even Dwight's season average. Stop making Dwight out to be like he's useless offensively...he averages over 20PPG on ridiculous efficiency. He has a great spin move, a decent hook with either hand, has developed a 10ft bank shot, and near the rim he's impossible to stop.

During this time of the year in the northeast it starts to get dark around 4:15-4:30, and is completely dark by 5.

Not true. The experienced teams that are contenders won't be killed by the Heat on the boards like the Warriors and Kings, and they won't play to the Heat's strengths by jacking up bad, quick shots...both factors will force the Heat to slow the tempo down.

Yeah, that injury does suck for Kobe, but he's at the point in his career where the injuries are never going to go away. He'll have some days where he feels better than others, but over the course of an 82 game season they will hinder him and bring his level of play down a small notch from what we're accustomed to seeing. He really, really should have gotten that finger fixed a long time ago.