It's time for Basketball!
 

The NBA season starts off today - what are your thoughts and predictions?

What is it these days? Nobody is healthy. It seems like everyone gets surgery in the offseason, so the first few months of the season are all scrappy while we wait for everyone to get healthy. I don't like it at all. Hell, the Lakers are starting off the season with most of their team already limping. What the hell happened? I know injuries "happen" but this is stupid to have half your team sitting and hobbling out of the fucking gate.

Kobe, Vlad, Mihm, Kwame - thats 4/5ths of the fuckin starting lineup.

With that being said, I don't want to make a prediction on my team yet, because I have no fuckin' clue who is going to be playing. As with any team with Kobe Bryant, if they get into the playoffs, they can pull a Cardinals, but they have to get there first. Last year they lasted farther than expected, and this year wont be any different.

The teams I expect to be playing great basketball are Chicago, Orlando, LA Clippers. They wont be the top of their conference, but their play will be notable and enjoyable.

Team I wish would just die: New York. Give it a rest, not even Portland is as screwed as these guys.

I've always been a Clippers fan myself. They seem to have finally moved past that funk where they kept selling off their talent to balance the books. I like the product they put on the floor now.

Here, here on the Clippers. I've been going to their games for a long time ("hate" the Lakers). I feel like we are finally vindicated a bit. Looking forward to a great season from them.

Also, the kids should be fun to watch and see their development: Wade, LeBron, Carmelo.

Another intriguing team is the Rockets. With both Yao and McGrady healthy and the addition of Bonzi and Battier, should be a strong team now. This could be Yao's year after last year's partial breakout season.

Hal, I also noticed injuries seem to occur more often now, across all sports. I bet someone could figure it out with Excel and a stats database for the past 30 years. I think it may be because people are pushing themselves to hard, people are also getting bigger so contact sports injuries are more serious. Plus the seasons are longer too now I think. So it's natural that the increase in wear and tear would take a toll on athletes' bodies.

The talk of the town for LA is Andrew Bynum. He showed some real spark in the opener last night. The fans think he's gonna turn out really nice. If this guy can beef up a little, I look forward to some absolutely nasty Kobe/Bynum combos.

Nice game from LA and nice game from Bynum (and Odom). I thought LA looked like a cohesive unit for the first time in a long time. I'm afraid that Kobe's return is going to disrupt that harmony. Maurice Evans...he was off the bench here in Detroit last year (Smush, the year before that), and while an excellent athlete, has hands of rock and disappears in the big games. He is young though. I'd like to see him start for a while, and get his confidence up. Amare Stoudemire....it is sad what has happened to this formerly unstoppable force. Chicago looked very impressive as well. They looked like a completely different team from the last 3-4 years.

Both LA teams could be interesting to watch this year. The Clippers are going to shock someone in the playoffs. In the East I have to say that the Bulls may be the team to watch, and that is not to take away from the Heat. I also think Orlando is putting some people in place to get better. They are the next Clippers.

Damn, Lakers did well tonight under Odom, what a talent. The kids did a nice job too, all the noobs. Walton in coming along nicely. They showed real poise during the game while Golden State fell apart. The bench stepped up too tonight. I wonder if they will be able to hold it together when Kobe gets back or will they all just stand around and watch Kobe go 1 on 5?

Clipps didn;t win tonight but Shaun Livingstone got off to a shaky start. He's another kid I think will do well (at least has the potential to).

Here's to week 1!

Lakers 3-0. Let a big lead slip away, but that was mainly Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis showing their full talent to fight their way back. Once they locked down Allen, Ronny Turiaf's excellent heart and energy totally carried the team. Kobe looked flat and it was apparent with 5 turnovers, missed dunks and layups, but he made up for it with solid defense and passing skills. Oh ya, and he also scored a bunch. Odom was brilliant again, and he will continue to be throughout the year. Walton very quietly had the game of his career. Everything is looking great.

3 things have to happen for the Lakers to continue like this:
Kobe has to get his conditioning back to normal.
Bynum has to follow Kobe and get his conditioning up as well. He was exhausted after the first half.
Radmanovic has to keep finding ways to contribute despite his hand. He's been doing great so far.

I'm from Indiana...go PACERS! (but they are having struggles! I miss Reggie....)

Well,
I think the Knicks are playing with more heart..
Now if they can just get the talent :)
Man , I hope they can turn it around somehow.

Besides the aforementioned, Utah and New Orleans are playing very well. Neither is all that surprising. New Orleans played well last year, and they improved in free agency and through trades. Paul is great, a true floor general. They robbed Chicago by giving away dog-housed J.R. Smith and 37-year-old PJ Brown for Tyson Chandler. Chicago then trades Smith for some minor cap room and a couple second round picks. Chandler's impact on the game is similar to Ben Wallace. He has averaged nearly 10 boards a game the last two years playing less than 6th man minutes. Utah is finally healthy, and they are always well coached. Boozer has been beaten up in the media and the subject of a lot of trade rumors, but he is a double-double threat each night. Harpring is another Jazz player that missed a lot of time last year, but is tough nosed and a very efficient shooter from anywhere on the court.


Out of the east, Miami looks old, but they will still contend. My original hometown Hawks are a surprising 3-1, but I don’t expect the honeymoon to last. I was very disappointed when Marvin Williams broke his hand right before the opener; he killed in a summer league.

I've been under the impression that Odom is from Queens, NY.

I'm happy for Utah and NO. Sloan will go down as one of the greatest coaches to never win a championship. He just knows how to field a great team, no matter what he's got to work with.

I'm starting to get real hyped up about Andrew Bynum. People are talking him up left and right. He's got Kareem teaching him all the tricks in the book. He's even got a sky hook that he has yet to use in a game. I think the day he throws it up there in front of Staples fans, the city is gonna explode. He's a very promising talent.

Will be interesting to see if stoutamiere return makes such a big difference.

There's more Clippers fans here than I've met in my entire life.

Go Clips!!

i might be a sydney boy, but a spurs fan through and through!

they aint doin too bad either.. 4-1. dallas has shit itself this year so far.. 0-3.. geez whats the story there?

Great rebounder, but that's where it stops. He is a terrible defender, shies away from contact and is foul prone. He is nothing like Wallace.

Bynum has great potential but too many people are ready to hand him the title of "Best Center in the NBA". I heard some pretty ridiculous statements from ESPN yesterday about that.

I think the Lakes have a great squad with big upside. They just need some seasoning and hopefully a vaccine for Kobe-itis. Their rooks are great, but they are still rookies and make rookie mistakes. Bynum has only played lie 5 games so far let's not jump the gun here. Walton has been great and is coming along well, hopefully Turliaf can stay consistent with his passion and energy. Smush, Farmar, and the vics need to stay steady and Lakes are looking good.

It will be interesting to see how the lineup gets toggled when Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown come back.

Clippers, Clippers, Clippers! It's funny to see "Clipper's fans" come out now and claim they always have been. Typical LA. Bandwagoning folk they are. Everytime I try and engage someone on Clipper ball, they can't even name the starting 5. Even the Lakers fans can't even name the starting 5. That's LA for you.

Should be a great season for both LA teams though. I hope the Clips take it deep into the playoffs at least. Preferably by ousting the Lakers, hahaha.

I disagree. Saying he shies away from contact is very subjective. Personally I don't think he does. Statisitically, being foul prone would support that he doesn't shy away from contact. In addition, the rate at which he rebounds isn't just because of height or athleticism. It is the NBA, bodies bang the worst in the paint. Perhaps just saying "he doesn't make good contact, thus is foul prone", would have been a better statement.

He is not a terrible defender. For a center in the NBA, I would consider him slightly above average. He blocks shots at a good rate for the amount of minutes he plays, plus he rebounds at a high rate (defensive rebounds count for defense, which contributed to Ben Wallace winning multiple defensive MVPs). The only reason I wouldn't consider him a good defender is the fact the he is foul prone.

So I stand by what I wrote, I do think that his impact on the game is similar. What I insinuated by writing my original post, but never stated, is that the money that they already had invested in Chandler was reasonable. To go and offer even more money for a player on the back side of his prime, who doesn't do that much more (they both are poor offensive threats and the game is played one two sides of the court) when you aren't a Ben Wallace away from a championship is a very questionable move.

Ya know.. I can prove that I'm a Clippers fan. Yes, I can quote Ralph Lawler from a game I can guarantee nobody else was watching except me, back in the day. Clippers at Knicks.


Lakers started out strong, but are now struggling. Lost to Portland and Detroit. Ow. Its definitely gonna take a little while for the youngsters to get a grip.

Man,

I can't beleive Brandon Roy is still hurt.
I hope he heals soon, He would may a great ROY

As a Bulls fan, I used to cringe watching him inside. To think we gave away Elton Brand to get him still makes me want to cry. He is foul prone because he has a tendency to play defense with his hands, because he's not willing to do the hard work you need to when you're an interior defender - he'd rather try to swat the ball away than make his man work for his shot. Of course, when he's in foul trouble he can't do that anymore, so he just gets scored on. And while he may block some shots, it's usually not the shots of the man he is defending (as is in fact the case for most blocked shots). Good 'off-the-ball' defending, terrible 'on-the-ball.'

He is a great rebounder, just don't ask him to stop his man scoring.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...clown/1234.jpg

10 months ago.
Seems like 10 years ago...

You are correct! :o I was thinking of Greg Oden.....my 10 year old future NBA player son (:D ;) ) clued me in. Sorry!
In the next few years...watch for this guy.....



from CHN College basketball website.....

"The fans attending the Reebok ABCD Camp in Hackensack NJ. last week had to wait until Saturday night in order to get their monies worth when 6’9 forward Derrick Caracter from St. Patrick’s High (N.J.) squared off against 7’0 center Greg Oden from Lawrence North High (Ind.). It was a match up of arguably the top two players of 2006. Even the hype of Oden being possibly the best of the best couldn’t keep Character from bringing it to the big man and slightly tarnishing the Superman cape that has been put on Odem since his performance at last year’s Nike camp vaulted him as the top prospect and according to some recruiters the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NBA draft.



But Oden sees things differently regarding his possible emergence from high school straight to the NBA. “A lot of high school players didn’t go to college and develop their skills,” says Odem. “I have no offensive game, and if I go to college I can develop that. Without an offensive game, you’re really nothing in the NBA.”



With the combination of his outside game raining 3-pointers from beyond the arc and inside play, Character seemingly scored at will against the bigger Oden. Character’s patented spin move from the baseline frustrated Oden, who at times looked awkward trying to defend against him. “I just wanted to play my hardest and do my best,” said Character. “I didn’t have anything to prove. I knew he was tall and tough. I just wanted to go out there and make him work.”



Even with his lackluster performance Oden still managed to swat away almost anything that came his way on the defensive end and even energized the crowd with his thunderous dunks and ball handling skills on offense.



Oden still cemented his fate as the top prospect of 2006 averaging 11.5 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks per game and shooting lights out with an impressive 70% form the field throughout the week. Oden was rewarded for his impressive performance by being selected to the all-star game for underclassmen but was forced to sit out with an ankle injury from earlier in the day.



Both Caracter and Oden were named MVP’s of the camp, but most importantly left Hackensack, N.J. as the top two prospects in the Class of 2006."

To the City of Chicago:

What have you done to Ben Wallace? Are you poisoning his meals? Are you putting valium in his gatorade? Why are you not allowing him access to his PowerFro? Everbody knows that The 'Fro was his secret weapon in Detroit for the last 4 years...where's it been?

In all seriousness, I think Ben's hurt. He'll come around. In the meantime, Chicago needs to learn how to take better shots and put the ball in the hole.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I also would like to sign powerclown's above note :)

Especially because I have Big Ben on my fantasy team.

Okafor might win DPOY this year if he keeps blocking shots like he is

Ben will come around. Give it 20-30 games, once HeadbandGate is forgotten. And good thing you don't have Brad Miller.

Okafor has been playing like an allstar. Hopefully he can stay healthy. His teammate Morrison could also be ROY if he keeps scoring like he's been - 27 the other night.

PLAYOFFS
EAST
1. Detroit
2. Miami
3. Cleveland
4. Orlando
5. New Jersey
6. Indiana
7. Chicago
8. Charlotte

WEST
1. Dallas
2. Utah
3. San Antonio
4. Houston
5. Phoenix
6. LAC
7. LAL
8. Seattle

FINAL: Detroit over Dallas in 7

Current funnest to watch teams:
LA Lakers
Houston Rockets
Phoenix Suns
NY Knicks

Current least favorite/most boring to watch teams:
Detroit Pistons
Boston Celtics
OK Hornets
Milwaukee Bucks
Philedelphia 76ers
Charlotte Bobcats
Cleveland Cavaliers
New Jersey Nets
Memphis Grizzlies
GS Warriors
Minnesota Timberwolves
Indiana Pacers
Miami Heat
Chicago Bulls


Not the NBA's best year ever.

The KNICKS? Oi. What's your definition of fun?

I'm gonna go ahead and say that all of the top teams in the west are fun to watch. Everyone is playing faster basketball than they used to a few years ago. Even the Spurs. Its funny how Cleveland leads the East, though, and they play the slowest, most agonizing basketball on the planet.

My Lakers are doing so well lately. Tonight will be a test. After making it through San Antonio, they have to face Dallas right away. If we come away from tonight with a win, I'm gonna declare the Lakers as NBA champions this year.

Marbury is actually playing very well lately...I like that he's getting the chance to redeem himself and he's doing it. Crawford, Curry and Lee are playing well too. They're playing bad defense, but the games are fast paced and they've been scoring over 100 points fairly consistently. I have a feeling the Knicks are going to win their division. The Cavs plain suck. And thats saying something with Basketball God himself playing for them. No way they stay on top for much longer.

Lakers as NBA champions???
I'll wait on Odom and Brown before going that far.
It is a revelation to see Kobe playing team ball though.

lakers would be smarter to trade kwame because he was playing well, before he can come back and start playing his normal terrible. they could get a draft pick from a team lacking a big man for him.



anyways

my suns are tearing the leauge apart again. Did u see them destroy the Cavs, it was fun to watch

Surprised Kobe is playing team ball? Kwame isn't playing well as a fluke. Oh man, you guys have the wrong idea about the Lakers.

All you need to know is they run a system that benefits certain kinds of players in certain roles. Kwame fits into the system at center very well. He's also grown defensively. Kobe knows the system like the back of his hand and his teammates are really starting to understand where they fit into the offense. There's nothing surprising or flukey about it. For those who know what the Lakers are about, this was simply a matter of time.

kwame is still over rated they are better off giving bynum more minutes and lettinghim learn since, and lets face facts, he will play more than kwame next year. Better to get him experienced this year.

and it doesn't matter lakers are still gonna get torched by the suns, dallas, spurs, and nuggets in the playoffs :p

Not surprised...more like shocked.
You honestly expected Kobe to be playing like this?
It's great that he's playing teamball and making his teammates better, but who expected 26-14 and going strong in january?

--

The nuggets need a point guard to even get into the playoffs.
For some reason, they let go of the only ones they had.

--

I like Webber's hands.
Real nice!

blake is a good point guard

pac, Lakers beat the Spurs and lost to Dallas on the second game of a back to back. Tonight's loss was a lesson in matchups that highlighted a big hole where Odom and Kwame used to be. I have no fear for the playoffs, assuming we're healthy.

You're showing your lack of Laker knowledge when you say Bynum should get more minutes than Kwame. Phil Jackson doesn't play that way. Sure, the kid is doing great, but Kwame does better and will retain his starting role once he is healthy.

powerclown, I expected it. I don't know what it is with people outside of LA, but somehow the media has failed to communicate the drive that Kobe has for winning. Its not a reckless "I am the best and I can just will this to happen" mentality.. no way. Kobe is humbled in that sense... he's intense, but he listens when people talk. He now shows that he doesn't need to pour in 40 points every night to be the best player on the planet. Its great to watch and cheer for. Cause he still makes shots that nobody else on the planet can.

I think you're missing the point here.
I'm not saying Kobe isn't the best player in the world.
I think he is the best player in the world.
I'm saying nobody expected him to give up taking 30 shots a game and pass the ball.
I'm saying nobody thought he would get his teammates involved in the offense.
I'm saying nobody thought the Lakers could win unless Kobe scored 40 every night.
I'm saying nobody thought he could be a real leader to his young teammates.
Wasn't that the knock on him a year or 2 ago? Selfish, ball hog, too hard on his teammates, felt he had to carry the team every single night, etc.

pacaveli: I guess it depends on the your definition of "good".
Blake is a career 3.1/6.1 apg/ppg guy with no playoff experience.
They should never have gotten rid of Miller (7.6/14.1) imo.
Iverson is trouble.

Well, the Pacers just made a big trade...I guess it will stop everyone from ragging awhile for losing so much....don't expect much more out of it than some time bought though...... I guess it's just about the west this year. :(

Thorntown Elementary has a SUPER-HOT 5th grade team though! :p :D Man, I love to watch the hot shot little hoosier boys play B-ball like their lives are depending on it. :thumbsup:

are we allowed to upload links to full Nba games or clips????

Blake is by no means excellent, and not in the same league as andre miller, but he's decent. his assist will pick up because his scoring is going to drop off. Denver loves to run so he'll get more chances to get those assists. That being said, he's averaging a little under 5 on this year, and i've never been a career stat guy, unless his career is over. Right now is what interests me durring the season

he had 12 assists tonight :p

Good point...now that everyone's back, we'll see if this team is for real.
Melo taking most of the shots so far is a good sign for the team.
Now is the time for Blake to play (assist) his ass off.

Pacers got the better deal in the trade imo.
Diogu has serious talent, just needs experience.
He alone made the trade worthwhile.
Harrington and Jackson...speak for themselves.
A lot of titty bars in SanFran.

hahah agreed, diogu impressed me last year, and has been played good this year. pacers did get the better end of that deal.

suns had their streak extended with a very poor performace against the bucks, but then again, half the bucks team is injuried, and half the suns team could play in the allstar game :o


Okafor continues to lead the pack for Defensive player of the year for me at least.
Mello scored 37 tonight, AI played well as well, Blake played well too
spurs strugelling at home, which is weird
Lakers lost to the bobcat, wasn't televised, probably wouldn't of watched if it was.


uhhh nothing else that big
gasol wants to be traded, garnet should be, and gilberts still amazing

Okafor unconscious tonight against the Lakers. 20pt-18reb-5blk. No argument here for him as DPOY. Actually a good, close game...Kobe hit a sick 3 at the buzzer to force OT. Charlotte has a really talented roster if you ask me. Flip Saunders is destroying (destroyed?) the Pistons. Billups nails three 3's in a row at the end of the game, but he has Wallace taking 3's, down 1, Wizards no fouls to give. Its so messed up. Wizards played an outstanding game though...gonna be watching them to see if they're for real. The Suns are in another dimension right now.

Q: Who is the better center: Amare Stoudamire or Emeka Okafor?

all around i'd rather have stoudamire
but for defense okafor

In the grind it out format of the playoffs... I think the Pistons will beat any west team. Prediction: Pistons over Spurs in 6.

don't even think the pistons will make it to the finals

and the spurs are playing pretty bad at home of late, so the grind of a 7 game series would kill them...

and the west is a complete toss up between mavs, suns, spurs, jazz, and (i hate to say it) lakers


any one of those teams could make it to the finals.
and im taking miam in the east, they will get their shit together by the playoffs

so suns over miami in 6



suns lost tonight :( kg dropped 44 in a simply amazing game, stating once again, if u get that man some fuckin help he can make your team a threat

I doubt Shaq will drop the weight and the rest of the team other than Wade hasn't brought anything. I don't think the Piston's have ANY competition in the East.

I just think the Pistons and the Spurs are the two teams who can turn it up a notch in the Playoffs.

pistons can turn that notch up yet

in the east i would say nets but without kristic and RJ i don't think they have anything big there

toronto is playing well, and if the cavs ever get their stuff together they could do things int he playoffs, and i never count out the heat beacause IF shaq gets to a good level of play it makes everything easier for EVERYONE else on the team

This surprised me: Detroit has the 4th best road record in the league. More I watch CWebb, the more I like him...real good passer, real nice touch with the ball. This surprised too: the Cavs are 8-2 *without* LeBron this year. LeBron should maybe try playing point guard for a few games?...many of his secondary strengths could serve him well there, might make his teammates better that way. More Magic Johnson, less Jordan.

The Nets were disappointing vs the Pistons last night...Carter never got it going, while Detroit shot something like 60%. The Krstic injury was real bad news for them, they were almost there as a dominant team no doubt. No, never count out any team with Shaq & Wade. They just have to be sure they make it to the playoffs haha.

Toronto is 10-4 in their last 14. Not too shabby.

I had tivo'd that suns/wolves game but my power went out and I lost it.

whoa, just read that Iverson in, Melo out of the allstar game. So Denver is Melo's team, Iverson is his new teammate, but Melo is left out. I thought Melo, LeBron and Wade were the top 3 guys in the league??

It's fan voting, thats why Shaq can get voted in despite only playing six games. Top 3 players by points per game are Melo, GILBERT! and and AI.

watch them wiz-kids get back to rolling once jamison gets back

Good point. It's gotta bother Melo, though. And Shaq starting in the allstar game is ridiculous.
Bad luck for Jamison. I saw it happen, didn't look like anything. They're saying 3-6 weeks, which should give him at worst a solid month of play before the playoffs start. Good ballclub in DC.

suns got a big win over the spurs tonight, Amare was insane, nash and marion both had double doubles to go along with Amares 24 pts and 23 boards. Barbosa chipped in with 25 points. Raja bell didn't play the second half with a sore and swollen knee. ginobli played good for the spurs along with duncan and paker. Suns finally got that u can't beat an elite team off their back. They got out slow and picked it up to beat the spurs by 10ish.

Real good win for the suns, making them winners in 19 of their last 18

Good god what a ballgame in the PHX, eh? Does it get any better? Is Ginobli a clean player?
The Suns are playing exactly like the Pistons did until they hit the 2nd round of the playoffs last year. TEAMBALL.
Everbody is a weapon, and everything they do is so fluid and in sync...it's a joy to watch.

Amare Stoudamire is a bad, bad man.
24/23 is inhuman.
How can they be stopped? :eek:

a knee to the groin tends to stop play for a little while

owwie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEDufh4Mmzs

Wow...thats ridiculous. And Stoudamire is the one getting the technical. Ginobili must be the new Dwyane Wade of fouls....always the other guys fault.

Unless the other guy is Kobe.....

Any thoughts on what the next big trade will be? I would like to see Orlando move Grant Hill's contract before the end of the year. Maybe to a team like the Sonics or Memphis.

i doubt memphis or sonics would want him :/
i think gasol may get moved, and i hope garnet does, he's jsut too good to be kept in a place that has no desire to win

Isn't Hill injured again? Big contract too.
I'd like to see David Lee in Seattle. They desperately need some D. Sonics could be a real good team with just a few more pieces.
Orlando needs help bad. Maybe a good vet, PJ Brown, Sam Casell? They're sinking fast.
Poor (rich) KG....

The Magic have stated they are not looking to trade Grant Hill. Teams often bullshit about these things, but I believe the Magic, mainly due to Hill being an integral part of what will be a playoff team.

If I had to make a bet one way or another, I think Gasol will be traded. I have read Chicago has made the best offer, but time will tell. Maggette and AK47 have been discussed in trade rumors, but I doubt either of those guys gets moved.

dunk contest might be decent this year

nate robinson (ew)
Dwight howard (wtf?)
tyrese thomas (2nd place)
Gerald green(my pick to win it, come on celtics gotta do something decent this year)

My husband and son are going to see the Pacers play the Supersonics this evening. My husband is so jacked up about the Colts Superbowl win that he now talks about the Pacers "going all the way" :D with this "they can do it" and "you gotta believe" attitude. :p My son gives him some pretty hilarious looks :rolleyes: of the "dad, you're crazy" variety.......

yea unless the pacers put something magnificant together i don't think i have them coming out of the east

What do you guys think about coaches? Do the players need to adapt to the coach....or vice versa?
Larry Bird seems to love Rick Carlise....but they seem to keep looking for "the right combination" of players. Is that what a championship team really is....just the right group? Or can you work up to top calibre.....New York's coach doesn't seem to be helping them....
Excuse me if I'm asking dumb questions! :o I'm trying to understand team dynamics better, on all levels of play.

Groan! 2 more Pacers get in fight at a club last night....sheesh! :grumpy:

Agree...complete mess in Indy. They just keep bringing in bad player after bad player. Carlisle had 50+ wins the 2 years he was here, 60+ wins in Indy his first year. On paper, Marquis Daniels should be an excellent 6th, 7th man. Bird is wasting Jermaine O'Neal by surrounding him with thugs. Maybe its post-Reggie depression.

Yeah, Jamaal Tinsley...another night, another fight. Bad for business.

pacers need to dish like 9 players and just start over. Program gone wrong in there

the knicks are doing so much better than they were last year, i even have david lee on my fantasy team :o so i think isiah is doing a decent job there for now.

celtics can't get a break with anything, peirce was scheduled to come back soon, but he was sent home to meet with team doctors because he's got swelling in his damn elbow, gimme a break!

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding! ;)

The knicks while they are doing better this year, it is hard not to do better this year when your in the east. The east this season is just pathetic.

Boston did not get a "bad break" -its obvious they are tanking the season to get Bogut.

Indiana is now officially worse than Portland. If I were a fan, I'd be very very sad.

Knicks are fuckin' surprising and I hate that. I want them to burn in hell, but they wont go away. They beat both of my LA teams.

Clippers have recovered from a shitty first half and suddenly they are in the playoff race. Yipee. So much for trading Corey. Nevermind their 3 games losing streak suddenly.

Lakers are having trouble getting back their momentum after Lamar Odom's return and Luke Walton's injury in the same game. If you nix the few games leading up to the one where he got injured, Walton was showing signs of being the second coming of Rick Fox. Now all he's gotta do is deck Doug Christie a couple times.

Does Doug Christie even play anymore or did his wife tell him he couldn't play until he cleaned her entire shoe collection with his tongue?

What's up with Denver? They got a great team suddenly, but they cant put it together.

It really makes me sad that Miami is suddenly in the playoff race. However I guess I coulda seen it coming. 5 straight wins in the East can launch you from 13th to 8th.

i agree with most everything except boston
half their team is injuried, and they would be trying to get Oden either way (Bogut is soooooo 2 years ago :crazy: )

toronto is playing good around Chrish bosh you just did a +41 for my fantasy squad putting me up 7-2 on some scrub (yay)

i too hate the knicks, maybe reggie needs to get back to put them in their place

i like the clips more than the lakers for the fact that Kaman is a zombie (He got a hair cut too whats up with that?)

uhhh micheal reds comingback soon, bucks make a late season playoff run in that pathetic east?

I apologize.. Oden. I don't pay attention to the rookie class anymore.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...rclown/LA2.jpgExtraordinary game from Kobe...is he injured? One of those nights for the Lakers, couldn't throw a rock into the ocean. They need thier injured guys back asap. Also surprising was detroit played good D. They're in the process of learning how to play with Chris Webber, who has an incredible amount of natural basketball talent. The game comes so easy to this guy...he gets double doubles nightly without breaking a sweat. Chicago playing like crap and losing to a terrible Sacramento. Chicago are pretenders for this year anyway, too young, too inconsistent, not enough firepower.

what does dice mean?

Antonio McDyess (mick-dice)

I'm glad Okur made the all-star team. I think his stats have been affected by playing on a good team.

Okur is a stud.

A stud who happened to play for Detroit during our championship year, coming off the bench. He had the same great touch and shot, and I would say he was defintely an integral part of why the Pistons won it all in 04. He was clutch, a reliable scorer. And he always had this sour look on his face while playing for Detroit. But he was always popular here because everyone knew he had real skill. Now in Utah he has the eye of a killer...it's a remarkable visual change in his demeanor. Where before he had the demeanor of a 6th man, a lesser part, now he looks like a starter on a good team. So we took Darko over Melo, Wade, LeBron or CB4, and then we let Okur go to Utah, and then we gave up on Darko and traded him. Its amazing we haven't turned into the Boston Celtics.

Biggest shock of the week imo: Seattle mauling Phoenix.
Is it time to give Nash his 3rd MVP yet?
IMO, they should give it to him at the allstar game because its a foregone conclusion.

recap of the dunk contest
first off
My pick won (his first dunk was amazing entire head above the rim)

after that, dwight howard got robbed, he should of been in the finals with green.
nate robinson did good, but he got sympathy points for being tiny
thomas had no chance from the begining(his first dunk mess up was sabotaging himself)

Great weekend of BBall. Props pacaveli...I was going with Robinson in the SDC. I thought he would try to pull off something crazy. Green's stuff was pretty impressive, didn't know he could jump so freaking high. Liked the judges too, that was a cool touch. The famous dunks of the past feature...that was awesome. Shawn Kemp!

anyone see what happened to clippers rising star Shaun livingston?


can u say ouch with a capital EVERYTHING

torn acl, mcl, pcl, lateral meniscus, dislocated patella, and dislocated tibia femoral

folks thats about as bad as u can do it without needing amputation, he's out for possible the entire next season

It's real sad. He got the grand slam of knee injuries!

Here's the clip:


Watch at your own risk

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.ao...ngston-425.jpg
The kneecap dislocated SIDEWAYS.
Awful injury.
There's been a disproportionate amount of injuries this year.
Wade is out possibly for the year, Livingston, Nash, Boozer, Nocioni, Yao, Krstic, RJ, Kwame, Walton, Jamison...crazy.
Perhaps god punished him for so far miserably failing to live up to his enormous potential.

serisouly don't watch that if u hate sports injuries, it's that bad to watch

Holy shit, I wish I had listened to you.

Holy shit......

What the hell got into the Golden state warriors?

they dominated the mavs like it was a NBA vs JV highschool game

Lil Baron Davis is what got back into the GS Warriors. 6-2 since he came back I believe. Lucky them...prolly into the playoffs now due to return of BD. Luh-Key...

And god, thank you for the gift that keeps on giving - this year, for all 82 games no less - the voice of pistons play by play action, and international sporting legend Mr. George Blaha. Can we get a round of applause for Mr. Blaha, please?
.............................. :wave:


:car:

if the warriors sneak into the 8th spot they get to play the.....ding ding ding MAVS!

the warriors are undefeated against the conference leaders by the way(det., dal.). We just suck against the portlands of the nba.

ps ill be at the second to last game of the season for the warriors v. THE MAVS! woohoo

pps lets not forget though, they are the warriors. If anyone can collapse at the last second to miss the playoffs, its them. We havent been since '94 :no:

Kobe fuckin' Bryant.

Only the second player in history to score 50+ in 4 straight games.

I worry about the effect on the rest of the team, but one thing is for sure with the Lakers: When their starting 5 are on the floor together, they absolutely own.

I think if the lakers make it out of the first round of the playoffs they will not make it past the 2nd

Kobe is amazing. With everyone on the Lakers getting healthy... I wouldn't be surprised if they knock off one of the big 3 in the West.

The real question is if the second unit can figure out how to play basketball.

i would be
they're entire second unit is prety march garbage. you need more than 5 good players to win in a 7 game series

What's funny is the fact that they were playing great at the beginning of the season. As soon as the injuries set in, their second unit forgot how to play. Kinda confusing and sad. Still, I'm enjoying seeing Kobe beat teams all by himself. Yes Luke Walton is the key to this team playing together, but that doesn't mean they'd be anywhere without Kobe.

luke walton is key because he's basically the only person on the team capabale of finding the open man. Kobe can do it, but he's in super scoring mode right now. Rigth now if the playoffs started i think the lakers would end up playing the spurs, which is a good series, but i don't see the lakers coming out of that one alive

(or ginobli either KOBE!)

Yup. Interesting hijinks lately from the killer in gold. Outstanding athletic achievements for the ages.

Oh, and any love for a Sheed 65 footer at the buzzer to force Overtime (...and then win the game.)?? :D

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And I forgot to TIVO it....lol

As Sheed would say "It was just another shot". Ain't no big deal.

I'm a Piston's fan and biased... but man, I really have a good feeling about them this year. Dice is just going crazy lately (7 for 7 last night) and Maxiell is bringing so much energy.

suns v mavs is on now

i gotta go to work in 45 minutes though :(

Will the Wizards still make the playoffs? Will they be able to do anything without Arenas and Butler? They have six more games. I wouldn't be shocked if they lose 5 or 6 of those.

For a WiZARDS fan, this recent occurrence of events must reside in the dictionary under the word: :cold: :oogle: PAIN. :no: :sad:

condolences.

and never mind the pistons. unless somethins up, which I doubt. theyll be lucky to get past miami in the ecf, lucky to even get there. cant decide between san antonio or dallas for teh win. ultimately ill go with san antonio...dallas has the makings of what looks to be a legacy of brutally painful and dissapointingly early exits from the playoffs. their defense just aint as good as the spurs is.

Miami's lucky that they won't have to play the Bobcats in the playoffs. As a Piston's fan, the Heat don't concern me nearly as much as the Bulls or the Cavs. I wouldn't be surprised if the heat are bounced out in the first round.

Agreed...Chicago is looking good down the stretch. Miami always has the Wade Factor going for them, as Wade will go to the line if he looks into the lane. And Detroit owns Cleveland...not worried about Damon Jones or Donyell Marshall lol.