Nba 2011-2012

[gooDevil]

Damn, Nolan Smith, a 2nd year player out of Duke who was a former first team all American and ACC PotY, went down after an innocuous foul, he hit the padding for the backboard support then took a few steps before collapsing.

He was treated for more than 15 minutes and left in a neck brace on a stretcher. Let's hope he recovers fully, and quickly.

The 6'2" guard was having a fantastic game as well, 10-16 shots, 27 pts, 5 re, 5 ast, 2 st.

Lillard was even more impressive for Portland, this guy looks like a future star. He also had 27 pts, 5-10 from 3, 5 re, 3 ast and 2 steals.

Terrence Jones finished with 24 pts and 12 re's, 11-20 fg and 3 assists. Many will regret passing on him in the draft.

The rest of Houston's Fab 4 were also very good, Jeremy Lamb had 23pts, 6 re and 3 st, Motiejunas had 20 pts on 10-16 shooting with 12 boards, and forward Royce White had 12 boards and 8 assists, though only 3-10 from the field.

 

[MrMarcello]

Nets owner is fallowing City's management and it will take a couple years to finally assemble quality depth. Until then, he's going to spend excessively on average players to generate hype. Humphries is their Santa Cruz, Wallace is their James Milner, Johnson is their Robinho, Deron is their Silva. If they can find someone to fill the Aguero and Yaya roles watch out.

One major flaw - City does not have to operate under a salary cap system.

 

[gooDevil]

Official

 

[gooDevil]

Thank god I don't have to like or watch the Knicks anymore, back to hating them! Ah, it's like a weight off my chest!

Now we just have to get the Rockets to go back to their old jerseys from the Olajuwon days. Don't like this most recent incarnation.

 

[Neutral]

I never got carried away by Linsanity

:smug:

 

[gooDevil]

I like his game, he has a throwback style. Instead of overwhelming you with strength and speed he uses his teammates and his brain.

 

[RDCR07]

Hope we improve our bench. Lakers really need scoring even if we have signed Jamison.

 

[ha_rooney]

The common consensus amongst journalists is that Houston have overpaid for Lin.

Also it seems LA's hopes on getting Howard rest on getting a 3rd team involved to take Bynum and offer a lot of draft choices to Orlando. Houston & Cleveland have been mentioned as trade partners in the past but nothing seems to have happened with either team.

 

[adexkola]

Official

 

[gooDevil]

The Rockets made John Starks cry, I will always love them.

 

[Zen]

Turnoversanity!

 

[gooDevil]

His passing is high-risk high-reward, no doubt. The speed of defenders closing down and their ability to get steals in the NBA is a huge leap from any other level out there, it's not surprising he came out and committed a lot of them in his first 25 NBA starts.

Not to mention he was playing with teammates that didn't know him and he didn't know, the understanding between him and his teammates had little chance to develop.

He was able to beat a lot of teams with one good teammate, Chandler, and a bunch of journeymen in Fields, Novac, Jeffries and Bill Walker. I think he's going to enjoy playing with Terrence Jones, Marcus Morris, Kevin Martin and Chandler Parsons.

 

[MrMarcello]

He also had some of his best moments against the utter dross of the league and was well out of his depth against the likes of Miami, Boston, Portland, Dallas (2nd time), granted he was magnificent against the Lakers (and their defensively terrible PGs) and a couple other eventual playoff sides. His "streak" also includes a six-game losing streak in there, five against eventual playoff sides. During the initial winning streak only the Lakers would be classified as a good playoff side, and the Jazz being the other playoff side.

Lin was simply a product of NYC hype, the come from nowhere story, an Asian-American putting up those numbers like never before, etc. He may very well develop into a top class player but I have my doubts. But we all know he's going to log plenty of online all-star votes which will most likely rob a more deserving player of an appearance. He's the Tebow of the NBA, no more or less.

 

[gooDevil]

Guy who broke that Dwight opted into his last year in Orlando is reporting Howard is now willing to sign an extension with the Lakers and that the trade is being worked out, possibly with Cleveland as a 3rd party.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/222486/Dwight_Howard_Ready_To_Commit_To_Extension_With_Lakers

 

[Zen]

Like him willing to sign an extension with the Lakers was in doubt. It has ALWAYS been his preferred destination(with Nets second, he just wanted a glamour city), it just seemed as if Lakers had given up on it, so he created a circus and shit.

Kobe vs LeBron finally gonna happen it seems, except now you are probably gonna have like 3 of the other top 10 players in the league playing too. Crazy how Lakers just always get shit so easy, they are probably gonna end up keeping Gasol and no bad contracts to take on. NBA honest to god needs a hard cap, or whats the point?

 

[Neutral]

He also had some of his best moments against the utter dross of the league and was well out of his depth against the likes of Miami, Boston, Portland, Dallas (2nd time), granted he was magnificent against the Lakers (and they're defensively terrible PGs) and a couple other eventual playoff sides. His "streak" also includes a six-game losing streak in there, five against eventual playoff sides. During the initial winning streak only the Lakers would be classified as a good playoff side, and the Jazz being the other playoff side.

Lin was simply a product of NYC hype, the come from nowhere story, an Asian-American putting up those numbers like never before, etc. He may very well develop into a top class player but I have my doubts. But we all know he's going to log plenty of online all-star votes which will most likely rob a more deserving player of an appearance. He's the Tebow of the NBA, no more or less.

Lin is the perfect PG for a crap team...when you can't win, you might as well entertain. He'll do that...and not much else.

Oh and sell jerseys.

 

[gooDevil]

Like him willing to sign an extension with the Lakers was in doubt. It has ALWAYS been his preferred destination(with Nets second, he just wanted a glamour city), it just seemed as if Lakers had given up on it, so he created a circus and shit.

Kobe vs LeBron finally gonna happen it seems, except now you are probably gonna have like 3 of the other top 10 players in the league playing too. Crazy how Lakers just always get shit so easy, they are probably gonna end up keeping Gasol and no bad contracts to take on. NBA honest to god needs a hard cap, or whats the point?

For all the talk of super teams with multiple all-stars/legends, they'll never come close to the Showtime Lakers or Bird's Celtics.

So don't be too quick think things are getting worse in that arena, it's always been a very few teams with any real shot at the title, even if those teams change over the years.


1985-86 Celtics

Bird (lead THAT team in rebounds as a SF)
25.8 ppg, 9.8 re, 6.8 ast, 2.0 st, 0.6 blk, .496 fg%
McHale
21.3 ppg, 8.1 re, 2.7 ast, 0.4 st, 2.0 blk, .574 fg%
Parish
16.1 ppg, 9.5 re, 1.8 ast, 0.8 st, 2.3 blk, .549 fg%
Dennis Johnson
15.6 ppg, 3.4 re, 5.8 ast, 1.4 st, 0.4 blk, .455 fg%
Danny Ainge
10.7 ppg, 2.9 re, 5.1 ast, 1.2 st, 0.1 blk, .504 fg%

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1986.html


1986-87 Lakers

Magic
23.9 ppg, 6.3 re, 12.2 ast, 1.7 st, 0.5 blk, .522 fg%
Worthy
19.4 ppg, 5.7 re, 2.8 ast, 1.3 st, 1.0 blk, .539 fg%
Abdul-Jabbar (age 39)
17.5 ppg, 6.7 re, 2.6 ast, 0.6 st, 1.2 blk, .564 fg%
Byron Scott
17.0 ppg, 3.5 re, 3.5 ast, 1.5 st, 0.2 blk, .489 fg%
A.C. Green
10.8 ppg, 7.8 re, 1.1 ast, 0.9 st, 1.0 blk, 538 fg%
Michael Cooper
10.5 ppg, 3.1 re, 4.5 ast, 1.0 st, 0.5 blk, .438 fg%

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/1987.html

 

[ha_rooney]

I have no doubt Howard will sign an extension but I'm not sure I can trust him given how he has behaved with Orlando.

This deal will happen, only issue now seems to be who the 3rd team is that will be willing to take Bynum.

 

[MrMarcello]

1986-87 Magic

Hey goodevil, don't think the Magic were around in 1986-87.

 

[MrMarcello]

Have no idea why Bynum would be interested in Cleveland over Houston or Orlando. Orlando is in Florida (beaches nearby, no state tax, lots of hunnies), and despite Houston being a shithole, Cleveland is like the black hole of the states. It's a depressing city full of strange people.

 

[ha_rooney]

USA demolish team GB in a warm up game held in Manchester. Melo was very good.

 

[gooDevil]

Hey goodevil, don't think the Magic were around in 1986-87.

Typos, the funniest thing in the word.

 

[RDCR07]

Hey GD, with all these basketball stats, are you turning into Damien too?

 

[gooDevil]

Sorry, I'm only vaguely aware there's a poster named Damien. But basketball is easily expressed in numbers.

And let's not forget they had a real three point line back then, not this sissy version of today.

 

[Zen]

For all the talk of super teams with multiple all-stars/legends, they'll never come close to the Showtime Lakers or Bird's Celtics.

So don't be too quick think things are getting worse in that arena, it's always been a very few teams with any real shot at the title, even if those teams change over the years.


1985-86 Celtics

Bird (lead THAT team in rebounds as a SF)
25.8 ppg, 9.8 re, 6.8 ast, 2.0 st, 0.6 blk, .496 fg%
McHale
21.3 ppg, 8.1 re, 2.7 ast, 0.4 st, 2.0 blk, .574 fg%
Parish
16.1 ppg, 9.5 re, 1.8 ast, 0.8 st, 2.3 blk, .549 fg%
Dennis Johnson
15.6 ppg, 3.4 re, 5.8 ast, 1.4 st, 0.4 blk, .455 fg%
Danny Ainge
10.7 ppg, 2.9 re, 5.1 ast, 1.2 st, 0.1 blk, .504 fg%

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1986.html


1986-87 Lakers

Magic
23.9 ppg, 6.3 re, 12.2 ast, 1.7 st, 0.5 blk, .522 fg%
Worthy
19.4 ppg, 5.7 re, 2.8 ast, 1.3 st, 1.0 blk, .539 fg%
Abdul-Jabbar (age 39)
17.5 ppg, 6.7 re, 2.6 ast, 0.6 st, 1.2 blk, .564 fg%
Byron Scott
17.0 ppg, 3.5 re, 3.5 ast, 1.5 st, 0.2 blk, .489 fg%
A.C. Green
10.8 ppg, 7.8 re, 1.1 ast, 0.9 st, 1.0 blk, 538 fg%
Michael Cooper
10.5 ppg, 3.1 re, 4.5 ast, 1.0 st, 0.5 blk, .438 fg%

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/1987.html

They are getting worse though, the 80's, despite the over selling of the Bird-Magic stuff was essentially a 2 team decade, with only 5 teams even making the finals. 90's was maybe only a 1 team decade really, but at least you had 5 different winners and 12 different finalists. 00's had 11 finalists and 5 winners.

10's already have 5 different finalists and 3 different winners in 6 spots. It was living up to being a pretty competitive time, but Lakers(should they Howard for ridiculously cheap i.e only have to give up Bynum and more pointless picks) and Heat have gone over the top, on paper at least.....heres hoping shit blows up quickly or something.

 

[MrMarcello]

There were four winners in the 80s (LAL, Boston, Philly, Detroit) though, not much different than any other recent decade.

 

[Zen]

Didn't I just cover that......5 to 12,11 and already 5 different finalists already proves theres a difference. A 20% increase in winners just further proves it, you are always going to get dynasties that take up a nice chunk, so 6 is probably the most different winners you could get in a decade, and the 10's did have the potential to make a run for that.

 

[MrMarcello]

You didn't mention winners in the 80s just finalists.

And there were only four winners in the 90s (Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Spurs).

 

[gooDevil]

47-49
Winners: (3) Warriors, Bullets, Lakers
Finalists: (5) 3+ Stags, Capitols

50s
Winners: (6) Lakers [4], Celtics [2], Royals, Nationals, Warriors, Hawks
Finalists: (8) 6+ Knicks, Pistons

60s
Winners: (2) Celtics [9], Sixers
Finalists: (5) 2+ Hawks, Lakers, Warriors

70s
Winners: (8) Knicks [2], Celtics [2], Bucks, Lakers, Warriors, Blazers, Bullets, Sonics
Finalists: (10) 8+ Suns, Sixers

80s
Winners: (4) Lakers [5], Celtics [3], Sixers, Pistons
Finalists: (5) 4+ Rockets

90s
Winners: (4) Bulls [6], Rockets [2], Pistons, Spurs
Finalists: (11) 4+ Blazers, Lakers, Suns, Knicks, Magic, Sonics, Jazz

00s
Winners: (5) Lakers [4], Spurs [3], Pistons, Heat, Celtics
Finalists: (11) 5+ Pacers, Sixers, Nets, Mavs, Cavs, Magic

10-12
Winners: (3) Lakers, Mavs, Heat
Finalists: (6) 3+ Celtics, Heat, Thunder

 

[Sir Matt]

Dwight won't sign an extension.

 

[gooDevil]

He won't?

In other news:

Commissioner David Stern said the league is looking to add possibly $100 million in revenue by permitting small advertising patches on uniforms starting in the 2013-14 season.

"The view is, that the teams would need a significant time; one, to sell the patch; and number two, for Adidas to manufacture the uniforms, because the patch that would be on the players' uniforms would also appear on the jerseys at retail," said Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, who is handling the uniform change.

Silver said there are revenue projections from European soccer teams that the NBA could use.

I know I can't wait to see a McDonald's logo over LeBron's heart.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/bask...ard-of-governors-nba-rule-changes/56348938/1?

 

[gooDevil]

Yeah, Howard's agent says he'll play out his last year, wherever, then enter free agency. This is likely being done to allow Howard to sign a bigger contact.

 

[gooDevil]

Portland's first draft pick, 6'3" point guard Damian Lillard from Weber State, who wasn't even in the first round of early draft predictions, looks like a really special talent.

It's only the summer league, but he looks like a veteran out there, supremely composed with a deadly jumper and tremendous ability to get to the rim.

He went for 31 pts and 7 assists last night on 50% shooting, to go with previous games of 27 and 25 points, while shooting a very respectable 38% from 3.

He'll have a learning curve I'm sure, but I expect he's going to be something special.

 

[hungrywing]

...His "streak" also includes a six-game losing streak in there, five against eventual playoff sides....

For some NBA stat fun, check out the +/-s from not just those six games but the several games either side of that period. Which is when you-know-who returned from injury.

The largest factor in the jury being still out on Lin is that the "teams are going to start to figure him out" period happened to overlap so darn perfectly with the return of Carmelo Anthony. We thus never got a chance to see if Lin was for really real.

 

[gooDevil]

Having watched all the games of his with the Knicks I would say that teams definitely started to figure him out and his performances dipped a bit, but we never really saw if Lin could respond because Anthony came back and took over.

Lin was going to be wasted in NYC anyway, with the ball in Melo's hands all the time Lin's pick and roll game isn't that useful. Lin was at his best when he had the ball in his hands as the first offensive option, the best part of his game was his ability to find the open man when the help defense came, as well as finding the bigs in the lane in traffic.

I think if he had stayed in NYC as the 3rd of 4th option his popularity would have suffered greatly, so i think he's made a smart move. the Knicks aren't going to win a title with Amare anyway, so it's not like he's leaving behind a quality franchise.

 

[hungrywing]

Having watched all the games of his with the Knicks I would say that teams definitely started to figure him out and his performances dipped a bit, but we never really saw if Lin could respond because Anthony came back and took over....

Exactly.

I'm surprised three out of four NBA caftards are so bearish on Lin. Then again, people have warped visions of "25-10" PGs. Another product of the numbers/image culture.

 

[ha_rooney]

Some guy said a few days ago that Howard would make more money if he re-signed with the Lakers after becoming a free agent rather than signing an extension this year. He also said that the Lakers would be in a position to offer more money to Howard than any other team should he become a free-agent and this made them favorites to get him on a long-term deal.

I don't understand the economics of the NBA so can someone tell me if this is actually correct?

 

[MrMarcello]

I heard the same for why Chris Paul hasn't extended with the Clippers and why Deron waited out his contract rather than extending (granted some really think Deron wanted to go to Dallas but I believe he got his real desire - biggest contract possible).

 

[jveezy]

Some guy said a few days ago that Howard would make more money if he re-signed with the Lakers after becoming a free agent rather than signing an extension this year. He also said that the Lakers would be in a position to offer more money to Howard than any other team should he become a free-agent and this made them favorites to get him on a long-term deal.

I don't understand the economics of the NBA so can someone tell me if this is actually correct?

I think they're still well over the luxury tax, but if they want to foot the bill, they'll have his Bird rights, so they can offer him one more year than any other team can. This would be true for any other team that has him on the roster, but the Lakers would probably be the best equipped to handle the financial penalties that result.

 

[sidsutton]

I thought Howard could sign for more $ if he extends with whichever team he ends up on rather than free agency due to having his Bird rights.