The NBA thread

[Guest]

Andrew Bynum is going to be really freaking good.

 

I was happy that they didn't trade him for Jason Kidd at the deadline last year.

 

11 points and 11 boards in the first half so far tonight.

[JimSorgi]

Andrew Bynum is going to be really freaking good.

 

I was happy that they didn't trade him for Jason Kidd at the deadline last year.

 

11 points and 11 boards in the first half so far tonight.

O'Neal for Bynum?

[Warpticon]

Andrew Bynum is going to be really freaking good.

 

I was happy that they didn't trade him for Jason Kidd at the deadline last year.

 

11 points and 11 boards in the first half so far tonight.

 

So was I. I thought that trade proposal sounded terrible. Kidd is nice and all, but he's not going to help the interior defense, and he's not a shooter. And looking at what they have at the point in Farmar and Fisher right now, I'd say they're much, much better off.

[Warpticon]

addendum: Jordan Farmar is also going to be really freaking good. Farmar, Bynum, and Bryant are the most important players on the Lakers.

[Flames24Rulz]

Kobe looked real banged up tonight. Still, I doubt he misses the game on Tuesday against the Bulls.

[illiniguy]

Andrew Bynum is going to be really freaking good.

 

I was happy that they didn't trade him for Jason Kidd at the deadline last year.

 

11 points and 11 boards in the first half so far tonight.

O'Neal for Bynum?

Jermaine O'Neal for Andrew Bynum would be one of the worst trades ever if it were to happen. O'Neal's body has started to go on him. He isn't half the player he was a few years ago, been hurt way too often.

[chuckywang]

What song is this?

 

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=zxp3bPcOepA

[Guest]

Lakers beat the Bulls 103-91 and improved to 15-9 on the year and have played one of the harder schedules in the league (Hollinger has them at 4th toughest). They're also 3rd in the Hollinger Power Rankings behind only the Celtics and Pistons right now though they definitely aren't that good though I do think this team could earn the 5th seed and win a playoff series. They have wins at Phoenix, vs. Utah, vs. Detroit, vs. and at Denver, vs. Golden State and vs. San Antonio.

[Flames24Rulz]

Big win for the Bulls tonight. I didn't get a chance to watch the 2nd half, but it sounds like Deng and Gordon actually came through down the stretch. And we also got an unlikely contribution from Aaron Gray :shock:

[Jon]

Big win for the Bulls tonight. I didn't get a chance to watch the 2nd half, but it sounds like Deng and Gordon actually came through down the stretch. And we also got an unlikely contribution from Aaron Gray :shock:

Gray's play was a bit awkward at times (less so that Thomas' rookie year or Noah) and he did have a few things go his way last night, but he was certainly a nice presence. I was pleasantly surprised with his play. It was also nice to see Thomas hit a few jump shots.

[Guest]

The Lakers are about to give the game to the Cavs. There was just a bad call by the refs that should have been a no call against Fisher but oh well. The game shouldn't have come down to the wire anyway.

 

And it's over. The Lakers should be 17-8 right now and 1/2 game out of first had they not blown this game and the game against the Warriors last Friday.

[Guest]

I typed up this response in the Skiles fired thread but rather than hi-jack it I figured I would move it over here and let the Bulls fans have their fun in that thread.

 

I don't think anything's changed for the Lakers though. They've still got zero chance to go anywhere in the West. Hence Kobe will be feeling the same frustration come April/May that he's been feeling every year since Shaq left. If he's happy with that, then that's fine.

 

This is wrong. While I don't think the Lakers have a serious chance to win a title this year or make the NBA finals, they're absolutely competitive this year in the West and I will be ticked, barring injury like last year, if they don't win a playoff series. This team was 23-11 last year at one point and was doing fine for a little while even after Lamar Odom got hurt. Even when he came back he was never completely healthy. They are a much better team this year with Bynum playing more minutes (and subsequently, Kwame Brown playing less before he got hurt) and Jordan Farmar playing instead of Smush Parker.

 

This team has a win at Phoenix (by 21 points), vs. Utah, at Houston, vs. Detroit, at Indiana (by 20 points), home and road wins vs Denver, a win vs. Golden State, and a win vs. San Antonio (albeit without Duncan but it's still a win). They're 17-10 while playing one of the tougher schedules in the league. They also have the third best point differential in the West at +5.0 (behind Phoenix at +5.2 and San Antonio at +6.7). Only Detroit at +9.1 and Boston at +13.9 have better differentials in the East. Hollinger has them at No. 3 overall behind Boston and Detroit (which I'll admit is a higher than they should be) and Sagarin has them at No. 7 overall and No. 4 in the West (behind Phoenix, SA, and Dallas).

 

Right now the Lakers are tied for the No. 5 seed in the West and would face either Dallas or Denver in the first round. I know they would be Denver in a 7 game series and think they could beat Dallas as well. I also think they could give Phoenix a tough series and definitely could win it if they play their best. San Antonio, not so much as long as they have Duncan healthy. If they don't have Duncan, that becomes a series the Lakers can win.

 

I really believe that the Lakers, if healthy, are the third best team in the West.

[Warpticon]

I typed up this response in the Skiles fired thread but rather than hi-jack it I figured I would move it over here and let the Bulls fans have their fun in that thread.

 

I don't think anything's changed for the Lakers though. They've still got zero chance to go anywhere in the West. Hence Kobe will be feeling the same frustration come April/May that he's been feeling every year since Shaq left. If he's happy with that, then that's fine.

 

This is wrong. While I don't think the Lakers have a serious chance to win a title this year or make the NBA finals, they're absolutely competitive this year in the West and I will be ticked, barring injury like last year, if they don't win a playoff series. This team was 23-11 last year at one point and was doing fine for a little while even after Lamar Odom got hurt. Even when he came back he was never completely healthy. They are a much better team this year with Bynum playing more minutes (and subsequently, Kwame Brown playing less before he got hurt) and Jordan Farmar playing instead of Smush Parker.

 

This team has a win at Phoenix (by 21 points), vs. Utah, at Houston, vs. Detroit, at Indiana (by 20 points), home and road wins vs Denver, a win vs. Golden State, and a win vs. San Antonio (albeit without Duncan but it's still a win). They're 17-10 while playing one of the tougher schedules in the league. They also have the third best point differential in the West at +5.0 (behind Phoenix at +5.2 and San Antonio at +6.7). Only Detroit at +9.1 and Boston at +13.9 have better differentials in the East. Hollinger has them at No. 3 overall behind Boston and Detroit (which I'll admit is a higher than they should be) and Sagarin has them at No. 7 overall and No. 4 in the West (behind Phoenix, SA, and Dallas).

 

Right now the Lakers are tied for the No. 5 seed in the West and would face either Dallas or Denver in the first round. I know they would be Denver in a 7 game series and think they could beat Dallas as well. I also think they could give Phoenix a tough series and definitely could win it if they play their best. San Antonio, not so much as long as they have Duncan healthy. If they don't have Duncan, that becomes a series the Lakers can win.

 

I really believe that the Lakers, if healthy, are the third best team in the West.

 

Yeah, I read that and was blown away by how wrong it was. To say they have no chance is to have ignored everything they've done this year through 1/3 of the season. And the only trade talk I'm hearing around the Lakers now is possibly packaging Farmar, a second player, and pick(s) for Jason Kidd. In any case, the Lakers a) were already a much better team than their record from last year showed, and b) are aleady significantly improved just from the development of Bynum and Farmar and the absence of Smush Parker. As for Kobe's attitude toward the team, I think he really likes hs team as it stands, but he's still perturbed toward management for essentially deceiving him. Continued winning will make a huge difference to that end, and with the schedule for this week (Phoenix, Utah, Boston) they'll certainly be tested.

 

The only teams in the West I would say are probably better than the Lakers are San Antonio, Phoenix, and possibly Dallas. LA has pretty much played right with Houston and Utah the last two seasons, and they're better now than they've been since then. They're better than Denver and close to New Orleans. Portland may be the X-factor. In any case, I could easily see the Lakers finishing with a 3/4 seed, but also with a 6/7 seed.

[Guest]

They're good enough to where if everything goes right and Bynum and Farmar continue to progress, that they could hypothetically beat out Phoenix and win the Division. On the other hand, if things don't go right, the West has enough solid teams that they could be stuck with a 7/8 seed and get San Antonio or Phoenix in the first round. They could even miss the playoffs altogether.

[Warpticon]

Exactly. The West is 10 deep in good teams; somebody's getting screwed. I just think it's less and less likely right now.

 

You heard any of the Kidd trade rumors?

[Guest]

All I've heard is that Farmar would likely be the centerpiece and then some contracts would be added in to make the money work - I've heard Kwame Brown and Radmonivic mentioned - but that's about it.

[Warpticon]

Same as I've heard, aside from the fact that the Nets aren't so hot on Radman.

 

I'd hate to lose Farmar, but Kidd could make a large immediate impact. I'd do the deal as currently constructed. The presence of Javaris Crittenden makes it a lot easier to say yes to it, though.

[Guest]

I typed up this response in the Skiles fired thread but rather than hi-jack it I figured I would move it over here and let the Bulls fans have their fun in that thread.

 

I don't think anything's changed for the Lakers though. They've still got zero chance to go anywhere in the West. Hence Kobe will be feeling the same frustration come April/May that he's been feeling every year since Shaq left. If he's happy with that, then that's fine.

 

This is wrong. While I don't think the Lakers have a serious chance to win a title this year or make the NBA finals, they're absolutely competitive this year in the West and I will be ticked, barring injury like last year, if they don't win a playoff series. This team was 23-11 last year at one point and was doing fine for a little while even after Lamar Odom got hurt. Even when he came back he was never completely healthy. They are a much better team this year with Bynum playing more minutes (and subsequently, Kwame Brown playing less before he got hurt) and Jordan Farmar playing instead of Smush Parker.

 

This team has a win at Phoenix (by 21 points), vs. Utah, at Houston, vs. Detroit, at Indiana (by 20 points), home and road wins vs Denver, a win vs. Golden State, and a win vs. San Antonio (albeit without Duncan but it's still a win). They're 17-10 while playing one of the tougher schedules in the league. They also have the third best point differential in the West at +5.0 (behind Phoenix at +5.2 and San Antonio at +6.7). Only Detroit at +9.1 and Boston at +13.9 have better differentials in the East. Hollinger has them at No. 3 overall behind Boston and Detroit (which I'll admit is a higher than they should be) and Sagarin has them at No. 7 overall and No. 4 in the West (behind Phoenix, SA, and Dallas).

 

Right now the Lakers are tied for the No. 5 seed in the West and would face either Dallas or Denver in the first round. I know they would be Denver in a 7 game series and think they could beat Dallas as well. I also think they could give Phoenix a tough series and definitely could win it if they play their best. San Antonio, not so much as long as they have Duncan healthy. If they don't have Duncan, that becomes a series the Lakers can win.

 

I really believe that the Lakers, if healthy, are the third best team in the West.

 

I'd like to add that everything makes it seem like Kobe is way happier now (winning cures all?).

[Warpticon]

Looks like the Kidd to LA rumors are falling through, and the Nuggets are the most likely target, with Camby, picks, and who knows what else going the other way.

[Mark_R]

Looks like the Kidd to LA rumors are falling through, and the Nuggets are the most likely target, with Camby, picks, and who knows what else going the other way.

 

So they trade the one guy that plays defense for an aging point guard who can't shoot AT ALL from the perimeter? Sounds like a terrible match.

[Warpticon]

Yeah, it's an odd move for sure. Who would play center in Camby's absence?

[Soul]

I typed up this response in the Skiles fired thread but rather than hi-jack it I figured I would move it over here and let the Bulls fans have their fun in that thread.

 

I don't think anything's changed for the Lakers though. They've still got zero chance to go anywhere in the West. Hence Kobe will be feeling the same frustration come April/May that he's been feeling every year since Shaq left. If he's happy with that, then that's fine.

 

This is wrong. While I don't think the Lakers have a serious chance to win a title this year or make the NBA finals, they're absolutely competitive this year in the West and I will be ticked, barring injury like last year, if they don't win a playoff series. This team was 23-11 last year at one point and was doing fine for a little while even after Lamar Odom got hurt. Even when he came back he was never completely healthy. They are a much better team this year with Bynum playing more minutes (and subsequently, Kwame Brown playing less before he got hurt) and Jordan Farmar playing instead of Smush Parker.

 

This team has a win at Phoenix (by 21 points), vs. Utah, at Houston, vs. Detroit, at Indiana (by 20 points), home and road wins vs Denver, a win vs. Golden State, and a win vs. San Antonio (albeit without Duncan but it's still a win). They're 17-10 while playing one of the tougher schedules in the league. They also have the third best point differential in the West at +5.0 (behind Phoenix at +5.2 and San Antonio at +6.7). Only Detroit at +9.1 and Boston at +13.9 have better differentials in the East. Hollinger has them at No. 3 overall behind Boston and Detroit (which I'll admit is a higher than they should be) and Sagarin has them at No. 7 overall and No. 4 in the West (behind Phoenix, SA, and Dallas).

 

Right now the Lakers are tied for the No. 5 seed in the West and would face either Dallas or Denver in the first round. I know they would be Denver in a 7 game series and think they could beat Dallas as well. I also think they could give Phoenix a tough series and definitely could win it if they play their best. San Antonio, not so much as long as they have Duncan healthy. If they don't have Duncan, that becomes a series the Lakers can win.

 

I really believe that the Lakers, if healthy, are the third best team in the West.

 

Yeah, I read that and was blown away by how wrong it was. To say they have no chance is to have ignored everything they've done this year through 1/3 of the season. And the only trade talk I'm hearing around the Lakers now is possibly packaging Farmar, a second player, and pick(s) for Jason Kidd. In any case, the Lakers a) were already a much better team than their record from last year showed, and b) are aleady significantly improved just from the development of Bynum and Farmar and the absence of Smush Parker. As for Kobe's attitude toward the team, I think he really likes hs team as it stands, but he's still perturbed toward management for essentially deceiving him. Continued winning will make a huge difference to that end, and with the schedule for this week (Phoenix, Utah, Boston) they'll certainly be tested.

 

The only teams in the West I would say are probably better than the Lakers are San Antonio, Phoenix, and possibly Dallas. LA has pretty much played right with Houston and Utah the last two seasons, and they're better now than they've been since then. They're better than Denver and close to New Orleans. Portland may be the X-factor. In any case, I could easily see the Lakers finishing with a 3/4 seed, but also with a 6/7 seed.

 

3 teams better than the Lakers = no chance for them in the West. Sure they're playing better now, but that doesn't really say much about what will happen in the Spring.

 

We'll see. I wasn't saying they aren't playing well now. We can touch base in May and see if they were real challengers or not. I don't think they will be, regardless of their obviously better early season performance.

 

As far as beating teams like Phoenix and SA in the early part of the season, this also means little as veteran contending teams often conserve energy for the 2nd half/playoffs.

[Guest]

As far as beating teams like Phoenix and SA in the early part of the season, this also means little as veteran contending teams often conserve energy for the 2nd half/playoffs.

 

I know what you're saying and the San Antonio win, I'll give you especially because Duncan was hurt. But the first Phoenix win the Lakers won by 21 in Phoenix and the Suns were healthy. And it was the Suns' home-opener. That's not a fluke. That's not one team being on cruise control. That's one team giving the other team a beat down on the opponent's home floor and that's completely different from the Lakers beating San Antonio earlier in the year.

 

And the Lakers just beat the Suns again. This team is a contender and they will be around in May.

[Warpticon]

Trevor Ariza should start every game at SF.

 

And honestly, I'd probably put the Lakers ahead of the Mavericks and Suns RIGHT NOW. But yeah, there's still a lot to prove. LA's February schedule is a freaking joke. 14 of 17 on the road.

[Guest]

Trevor Ariza should start every game at SF.

 

And honestly, I'd probably put the Lakers ahead of the Mavericks and Suns RIGHT NOW. But yeah, there's still a lot to prove. LA's February schedule is a freaking joke. 14 of 17 on the road.

 

The only good thing about that road trip or the whole month in general is that it doesn't feature many good teams.

 

There's one for sure very good team (Phoenix) and one likely very good team (Orlando - who I'm not sold on after they started hot last year and stunk the rest of the season and only ended up with the No. 8 seed). After that you've got at Toronto (15-14), at Washington (13-13), at New Jersey (12-15), home & away vs. Atlanta (14-12), home & away vs. Miami (8-20), at Charlotte (10-15), at Minnesota (4-22), at LA Clippers (9-17), at Seattle (8-20) and a home & away vs. Portland (16-12). Portland is decent but after them, Orlando and Phoenix you've got a bunch of marginal and crappy teams.