Re: General NBA Thread

[mul21]

16 pts, 5 rebounds and 5 assists is not good? Kukoc was a good PF and is a player most people know of. What you didn't have is rebounding. Will Perdue and Luc Longley blew chunks and while Kukoc was very good he wasn't a rebounder. Again it seems very doubtful to me that the Bulls decided to not sign anyone to replace Grant because of Jordan retiring a full year before. They still tried to win when Jordan was out which is why they made the playoffs. It seems much more likely they thought they had a replacement already in house and after two years of no rebounding, the second with Jordan back and dominating in the playoffs, they realized that to win they need a strong rebounder. They found the perfect one in Rodman because he was the best at rebounding and didn't care to score allowing Jordan, Pippen and Kukoc to handle it.

 

I'm late to the party here, but do you remember the term they used to use when the Bulls would pressure the other team full court? Unleashing the dobermans. Could Toni Kukoc play defense? Not a chance. I think even bigger than the loss of rebounding was the loss of the ability those teams with Grant had to play pressure defense and just shut people down because they were so athletic at the 2, 3, and 4 spots. Plus, he was the toughness down low on that team. Cartwright, Perdue, Longley, Wennington, Stacey King, and whoever else they sent out there just didn't bring the same energy or toughness as Grant.

 

And regardless of your argument, Jordan was not the same guy while he was wearing 45 as he was when he came back after having an off season to get ready for the 95-96 season. That wasn't why they lost, but he wasn't his old self until the next season.

[illiniguy]

16 pts, 5 rebounds and 5 assists is not good? Kukoc was a good PF and is a player most people know of. What you didn't have is rebounding. Will Perdue and Luc Longley blew chunks and while Kukoc was very good he wasn't a rebounder. Again it seems very doubtful to me that the Bulls decided to not sign anyone to replace Grant because of Jordan retiring a full year before. They still tried to win when Jordan was out which is why they made the playoffs. It seems much more likely they thought they had a replacement already in house and after two years of no rebounding, the second with Jordan back and dominating in the playoffs, they realized that to win they need a strong rebounder. They found the perfect one in Rodman because he was the best at rebounding and didn't care to score allowing Jordan, Pippen and Kukoc to handle it.

 

I'm late to the party here, but do you remember the term they used to use when the Bulls would pressure the other team full court? Unleashing the dobermans. Could Toni Kukoc play defense? Not a chance. I think even bigger than the loss of rebounding was the loss of the ability those teams with Grant had to play pressure defense and just shut people down because they were so athletic at the 2, 3, and 4 spots. Plus, he was the toughness down low on that team. Cartwright, Perdue, Longley, Wennington, Stacey King, and whoever else they sent out there just didn't bring the same energy or toughness as Grant.

 

And regardless of your argument, Jordan was not the same guy while he was wearing 45 as he was when he came back after having an off season to get ready for the 95-96 season. That wasn't why they lost, but he wasn't his old self until the next season.

Yeah pretty much anyone who isn't a Rocket fan knows they need an * next to their titles. Good for them though, someone had to win it while Michael was suspen..retired.

[nick23]

Am I the only one thinking Zach Randolph should get some MVP votes?

[SouthSideRyan]

Am I the only one thinking Zach Randolph should get some MVP votes?

 

You're seriously the last remaining person who thinks Randolph is a good player.

[illiniguy]

Am I the only one thinking Zach Randolph should get some MVP votes?

 

You're seriously the last remaining person who thinks Randolph is a good player.

Including his relatives.

[nick23]

Am I the only one thinking Zach Randolph should get some MVP votes?

 

You're seriously the last remaining person who thinks Randolph is a good player.

Including his relatives.

I'm pretty sure his relatives still think he can play. You have to admit he's legitimized the Grizzlies this season. They basically brought back the same players from a 24 win team plus him. As of right now they're 25-19 and Randolphs putting up 21 and 12 while shooting 50% from the field. He's playing really really good. You owe him an apology.

[illiniguy]

Am I the only one thinking Zach Randolph should get some MVP votes?

 

You're seriously the last remaining person who thinks Randolph is a good player.

Including his relatives.

I'm pretty sure his relatives still think he can play. You have to admit he's legitimized the Grizzlies this season. They basically brought back the same players from a 24 win team plus him. As of right now they're 25-19 and Randolphs putting up 21 and 12 while shooting 50% from the field. He's playing really really good. You owe him an apology.

I would like to give him one, but still know deep down he's still the cancer that will hurt that team when it matters. It's what he's always done.

[SouthSideRyan]

Am I the only one thinking Zach Randolph should get some MVP votes?

 

You're seriously the last remaining person who thinks Randolph is a good player.

Including his relatives.

I'm pretty sure his relatives still think he can play. You have to admit he's legitimized the Grizzlies this season. They basically brought back the same players from a 24 win team plus him. As of right now they're 25-19 and Randolphs putting up 21 and 12 while shooting 50% from the field. He's playing really really good. You owe him an apology.

 

How's his defense?

[nick23]

Not wonderful. But he's trying.

[SpongeWorthy]

Zach Randolph has been indisputably good this year. He's a monster on the offensive glass, has a legit post game, and he isn't jacking up lots of bad 3s any more. His defense is pretty bad though.

 

Memphis is pretty damn good if you haven't noticed this year. They're solid everywhere except at point guard...too bad they drafted Thabeet over Evans, Flynn, Curry, Jennings, etc.

[Formerly Snayke]

I thought I read where the Grizzlies are encouraged by Thabeet.

 

Evans is a really nice player, better than I thought he'd be, but not much of a point guard. If I were the Kings I'd start tanking to get a better shot at John Wall.

[nick23]

I thought I read where the Grizzlies are encouraged by Thabeet.

 

Evans is a really nice player, better than I thought he'd be, but not much of a point guard. If I were the Kings I'd start tanking to get a better shot at John Wall.

Thabeet's improving but that's really not saying much. I thought he'd be further along by now. If the Grizz don't make the playoffs it will definitely be because of the weak bench. There's some nice young players there but pretty much zero scoring punch. Iverson was supposed to provide that but he's a huge douche and couldn't come to terms with him not being a starter anymore.

[SpongeWorthy]

This is the funniest NBA column I've read in a long, long time. I can't tell if this is real or satire or what.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Whitlock-Oden-pics-make-it-hard-to-measure-up-12810

 

Jason Whitlock spends an entire column about how Oden and other NBA players makes NBA beat writers insecure about the size of their dicks.

[imb]

oh my god whitlock [expletive] rules

 

A bitter ex-girlfriend disseminated on the Internet cellf-portraits of Oden -- an all-Big Ten performer in 2007 -- that graphically illustrate the often-injured Trail Blazers center belonged in the Big 12

 

Yes, Greg Oden has rivals in NFL locker rooms. Last season, TV cameras inadvertantly revealed Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe's unfrozen rope.

 

come on, that's hilarious

[CubbieBum]

The Grizz have perhaps the best big men in the league. Marc Gasol is really good and quickly becoming one of the best centers. Then you got Randolph who is one of the best offensive PF's in the game when he wants to be (which is now). Thabeet is doing well in the minutes he gets. Once he figures out how to stop fouling he will be dominant defensively. He is averaging 1.2 blocks in just 11 minutes. Equate his minutes to a 36 minute per game average and you get 4 blocks a game to go with 10.2 rebounds.

 

In addition to the bigs they Gay and Mayo. They are a young team that is set to be great which is weird to say about Memphis. A good role player or two off the bench and they are great.

[CubbieBum]

The Grizz have perhaps the best big men in the league. Marc Gasol is really good and quickly becoming one of the best centers. Then you got Randolph who is one of the best offensive PF's in the game when he wants to be (which is now). Thabeet is doing well in the minutes he gets. Once he figures out how to stop fouling he will be dominant defensively. He is averaging 1.2 blocks in just 11 minutes. Equate his minutes to a 36 minute per game average and you get 4 blocks a game to go with 10.2 rebounds.

 

In addition to the bigs they Gay and Mayo. They are a young team that is set to be great which is weird to say about Memphis. A good role player or two off the bench and they are great.

[JonJayCutler]

An 18-point win for Orlando tonight against a red-hot Atlanta team. Talk about a statement game. Howard was a beast, 31 points, 19 boards.

[Keener98]

An 18-point win for Orlando tonight against a red-hot Atlanta team. Talk about a statement game. Howard was a beast, 31 points, 19 boards.

 

While Atlanta may be red hot, Im not sure how much of a statement is made with Atlanta being on the backend of a back to back after a hard fought game with the Celtics last night.

 

A good win sure, but I don't think any statement was made.

[SpongeWorthy]

The top 4 in the East is weird. Cleveland clearly looks like the best team right now but I don't think anyone is sold on them coming out of the East. Orlando is a nightmare for Cleveland, Boston could probably beat Orlando and Cleveland yet Atlanta handles them but can't beat the Magic.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The top 4 in the East is weird. Cleveland clearly looks like the best team right now but I don't think anyone is sold on them coming out of the East. Orlando is a nightmare for Cleveland, Boston could probably beat Orlando and Cleveland yet Atlanta handles them but can't beat the Magic.

 

I don't think Orlando is quite the nightmare for Cleveland like they were last year. The addition of Shaq and Parker/Moon and the subtraction of Turkeyglue remove a lot of the matchup problems between the teams. They've only played in the first week so far, but the Cavs torched them in Orlando. I think a healthy Boston is the only team really challenging Cleveland for the East, and the Cavs are well on their way to home court(especially over Boston).

[17 Seconds]

Not wonderful. But he's trying.

 

i don't think trying is accounted for in the mvp voting

[JonJayCutler]

An 18-point win for Orlando tonight against a red-hot Atlanta team. Talk about a statement game. Howard was a beast, 31 points, 19 boards.

 

While Atlanta may be red hot, Im not sure how much of a statement is made with Atlanta being on the backend of a back to back after a hard fought game with the Celtics last night.

 

A good win sure, but I don't think any statement was made.

 

It was an extremely convincing victory to re-claim the division lead. They dominated the game in every way you can dominate a game. I'm sure you're right about Atlanta's game with Boston having something to do with it, but an 18-point victory is an 18-point victory.

[JonJayCutler]

The top 4 in the East is weird. Cleveland clearly looks like the best team right now but I don't think anyone is sold on them coming out of the East. Orlando is a nightmare for Cleveland, Boston could probably beat Orlando and Cleveland yet Atlanta handles them but can't beat the Magic.

 

I don't think Orlando is quite the nightmare for Cleveland like they were last year. The addition of Shaq and Parker/Moon and the subtraction of Turkeyglue remove a lot of the matchup problems between the teams. They've only played in the first week so far, but the Cavs torched them in Orlando. I think a healthy Boston is the only team really challenging Cleveland for the East, and the Cavs are well on their way to home court(especially over Boston).

 

Other than losing a clutch shooter, not having Turkoglu doesn't really hurt them too much, although VC has been so bad lately that I suppose one could argue that it does. That said, I don't see Cleveland just rolling over Orlando in a playoff series. They've gotten two nice additions this year in Barnes and Anderson, and Redick has stepped it up as well.

[Sosa21MVP]

This might be the worst Pacers team since the 80's. Last season I thought they finished really well and showed some good signs of turning around but this season has just been a disaster.

 

When Jim O'Brien decides that playing Troy Murphy at center against Andrew Bynum and Shaq is a fine idea, that is when I have to concede he has lost his damn mind.

 

I'd like to see them move Murphy and try and focus on running more offense through Roy Hibbert because he has shown a lot of promise at times.

 

Need a real starting point guard too.

[hawkeyecub]

Time to start playing for John Wall.