2012-13 NBA Regular Season Thread, Feel the Heat

[Groundhog]

Shoulda grabbed Alan Anderson. Minimum deal and the two games I've seen him play he looked like the Raptors best wing.

[korme]

Detroit should still try to move Stuckey/Bynum/Maxiell

[Groundhog]

Stuckey's stock has never been lower. I'd definitely look to move Maxiell and even experiment with a Drummond-Monroe frontcourt. In theory it would work fairly well as Monroe is a good high-post passer, and Knight/Calderon/Singler can all shoot the 3 well-enough to create some space for them.

[MrBug708]

Apparently there is talk in LA of a Pau for Love trade

[chadritt]

Kevin Love? Is there a reason Minnesota would do that?

[bhlloy]

They have the worst GM in pro sports? Love is a little overrated and his weaknesses are played down, but Pau is pretty close to being done at this point.

[MrBug708]

Love has an out in his extension, doesn't like the GM, and is gone sooner than later

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by chadritt

Kevin Love? Is there a reason Minnesota would do that?

Hopes that Kevin Love would teach Kobe how to do knuckle push ups which could help Minnesota get ahead of LA in the race for the #8 seed?

[mckerney]

Rubio says it isn't fair that the Lakers have Gasol coming off the bench, though he should also admit it isn't fair that he's starting ahead of J.J. Barea.

[stevew]

Love is signed for 2 more years after this and has a player option for the 15/16 season.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

finally an answer to the question: how would the spanish national team do in the nba?

say what you will out kahn at least he trots out interesting teams

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by korme

Scott Carefoot just tweeted that Lance Stephenson's younger brother's name is.... Lantz

That name took a lot longer to come up with than you'd think

[murrayyyyy]

I think Boston has to move someone being above the luxury tax before the 21st. Heard Celtics may try to trade for Gasol but I don't know how that is possible unless they stay over the tax. Rumors have it that Jet is the one who will be moved. Also will anyone trade for Josh Smith? The Hawks should have gotten rid of him a long time ago.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

I think Boston has to move someone being above the luxury tax before the 21st. Heard Celtics may try to trade for Gasol but I don't know how that is possible unless they stay over the tax. Rumors have it that Jet is the one who will be moved. Also will anyone trade for Josh Smith? The Hawks should have gotten rid of him a long time ago.

What does Gasol do that Garnett doesn't?

[MrBug708]

Speak Spanish

[murrayyyyy]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

What does Gasol do that Garnett doesn't?

Jared Sullinger is out for the season now with back surgery. You can move Garnett to the 5 and have Gasol play the 4. I don't think Gasol is washed up, I just think that he doesn't fit what they are trying to do in LA.

[murrayyyyy]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Speak Spanish

Sus gustos como esposa Honey Nut Cheerios!

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

Jared Sullinger is out for the season now with back surgery. You can move Garnett to the 5 and have Gasol play the 4. I don't think Gasol is washed up, I just think that he doesn't fit what they are trying to do in LA.

Gasol definitely isn't washed up. I think once he gets away from Kobe standing on his nuts, he'll be very good again.

[Groundhog]

Gasol definitely isn't washed up, he's just playing for a coach who can't adjust his gameplan to include one of the better low post scorers in the league.

[JPhillips]

The Celtics should try and trade both Pierce and Garnet. They were finished before, now they're double secret finished.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

I think Boston has to move someone being above the luxury tax before the 21st. Heard Celtics may try to trade for Gasol but I don't know how that is possible unless they stay over the tax. Rumors have it that Jet is the one who will be moved. Also will anyone trade for Josh Smith? The Hawks should have gotten rid of him a long time ago.

Really? Ugh - poor Celtics. This season is shot. Fuck it.

[stevew]

The Celts are done cause a fat reserve with a bad back has a bad back? I think they win at least one series assuming they don't do something dumb and blow it up.

[stevew]

The Celts could probably trade Lee, Melo, a protected #1 and filler and get back Speights and Boobie Gibson and would be more than playoff viable

[jbergey22]

These Lakers are well coached.

Been over a quarter of sitting in the zone now for the wolves and the Lakers look like a zone defense is something they have never seen.

I guess I can see why they are struggling this season. They played good enough in the first quarter and halfway through the 2nd to destroy this beat up wolves team by 30 yet its a single digit game going into the 4th.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Gasol definitely isn't washed up, he's just playing for a coach who can't adjust his gameplan to include one of the better low post scorers in the league.

I'd go with Kobe standing on his nuts as the primary reason considering the track record without Phil Jackson

[nol]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

I guess I can see why they are struggling this season. They played good enough in the first quarter and halfway through the 2nd to destroy this beat up wolves team by 30 yet its a single digit game going into the 4th.

This is why I could never take the Lakers that seriously as title contenders, even when they got Howard and Nash. They have absolutely no bench. Usually, the preseason doesn't matter that much because of how much time the backups get, but I didn't get why people just glossed over the fact that the Lakers went oh-fer as their backups were destroyed for eight consecutive games. Their four stars aren't at the point of their careers where they were going to play 40+ minutes over 82 games to carry the Lakers to a top seed while still having enough gas left for the playoffs, and that was even assuming that they would at least somewhat complement each other's skills.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

What does Gasol do that Garnett doesn't?

(As a Celtic fan) Play in the post. Love KG on defense, but whether it's due to personal preference or the idea that it's better for his body long-term, he doesn't go in the post on offense (at least in the regular season). There are times it can work where it's designed to get the bigs mid-range shots (and why Brandon Bass fits in), but it's really unique, and I'd much rather have a big man who would draw defenders underneath and open up space conventionally.

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

I think Boston has to move someone being above the luxury tax before the 21st. Heard Celtics may try to trade for Gasol but I don't know how that is possible unless they stay over the tax. Rumors have it that Jet is the one who will be moved. Also will anyone trade for Josh Smith? The Hawks should have gotten rid of him a long time ago.

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

Jared Sullinger is out for the season now with back surgery. You can move Garnett to the 5 and have Gasol play the 4. I don't think Gasol is washed up, I just think that he doesn't fit what they are trying to do in LA.

Haven't heard much talk about the luxury tax around here... off a quick check at worst we owe a mil and wouldn't hit it next year and garner repeater penalties anyway. Gasol makes a ton of sense basketball-wise, but his contract precludes a bottoming out and would almost certainly require us to trade Pierce - and while I don't think Pierce is (or should be) untouchable, I do think Ainge won't trade him unless it brings back someone who will/could be an all-star in 3 years... whether that's a high-lottery pick or a Klay Thompson/Harrison Barnes. He's not moving for a Gasol/Rudy Gay/Josh Smith/Kyle Lowry.

Really, really, disappointed that Sullinger got injured now instead of a month from now just because I wanted to see if this team played as well sans-Rondo as I thought. Still chalked up another blowout win vs. a lottery team tonight and held them to low-80's, but that kills even our puncher's chance in the playoffs. We'll see how it goes when the C's play a couple better teams soon... I won't be surprised if we win, and the #1 reason will be Avery Bradley and the 5-6 seconds he disrupts every team before they get into their offensive sets.

[murrayyyyy]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

(As a Celtic fan) Play in the post. Love KG on defense, but whether it's due to personal preference or the idea that it's better for his body long-term, he doesn't go in the post on offense (at least in the regular season). There are times it can work where it's designed to get the bigs mid-range shots (and why Brandon Bass fits in), but it's really unique, and I'd much rather have a big man who would draw defenders underneath and open up space conventionally.Haven't heard much talk about the luxury tax around here... off a quick check at worst we owe a mil and wouldn't hit it next year and garner repeater penalties anyway. Gasol makes a ton of sense basketball-wise, but his contract precludes a bottoming out and would almost certainly require us to trade Pierce - and while I don't think Pierce is (or should be) untouchable, I do think Ainge won't trade him unless it brings back someone who will/could be an all-star in 3 years... whether that's a high-lottery pick or a Klay Thompson/Harrison Barnes. He's not moving for a Gasol/Rudy Gay/Josh Smith/Kyle Lowry.

Really, really, disappointed that Sullinger got injured now instead of a month from now just because I wanted to see if this team played as well sans-Rondo as I thought. Still chalked up another blowout win vs. a lottery team tonight and held them to low-80's, but that kills even our puncher's chance in the playoffs. We'll see how it goes when the C's play a couple better teams soon... I won't be surprised if we win, and the #1 reason will be Avery Bradley and the 5-6 seconds he disrupts every team before they get into their offensive sets.

I think the thing people forget is hidden cap additions. It's what had Memphis in trouble. Threee players will hit incentives which increases their salary next year. I think Z-Bo got his for the AS team. I think Conley and Gasol have bonuses due on performances. I'm wondering if Rondo and KG had bonuses in their contracts like the ones Memphis had attached to their contracts. Found it... wasn't Gasol.

(Multiple league sources say all three of Randolph, Speights, and Mike Conley are on pace to hit various incentives that would have jacked up their cap numbers for next season; Randolph already nailed one such benchmark by making the All-Star team. The exact collective payroll increase at this point is unclear, but it could end up somewhere in the $1.25 million range and factored into Memphis taking an ultra-frugal route here.)

This is the reason Memphis gave up Speights and the pick in the Cleveland trade.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

so i was talking today about kobe vs jordan and how everyone remembers the role players from the jordan era. kerr, paxson, grant, cartwright will fucking perdue, etc. but how many role players do you remember from the kobe era? dfish... that's about it. there's a reason for that and it's the same reason the lakers stink now. because it's kobe and a bunch of players capitulating to kobe.

if you've ever played with a gunner in a pickup game you know how not-fun it is. zod help you if you miss you first couple shots you'll never see the ball again. no wonder world peace just chucks it

[MrBug708]

Most of the Laker role players also sucked. Slava Medvedenko, Devean George, Smush Parker, Samaki Walker..

[Danny]

Don't mind him, he just likes to bash Kobe. I don't actually like Kobe off the court, but I always find the critique of him on the court to be quite humorous. He's not as good as Jordan, but he is at the top of that next tier.

[Danny]

And Gasol is a very good player, but he is weak and a cry baby, he should be kissing kobe's ass for bringing him two titles.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

oh, i def hate him. but it's because he's a fraud and a gunner. he'd have never won without the triangle forcing ball movement and he'll never win without phil

only a narcissist bordering on sociopathy would declare himself the teams new pg when you have a fucking all time top 5 pg on the team. he has to dominate the ball. has to.

i guarantee everyone secretly hates him. but he makes 27 mil has a personal seat at the buss dinner table and sells a shitload of jerseys.

[BishopMVP]

I personally detest Kobe, but idk why you're going ham on him a week after he had back to back 14 assist games. It's also pretty obvious that that he's not the reason Gasol is played out of position.

[whomario]

I´m sure you recall this Robert Horry fella as well

the reason the role players from the recent years are not well remembered is also (like MrBug said) because they weren´t very good, often actually playing better as Lakers than before or after if you look at things.

Originally Posted by NorvTurnerOverdrive

he'd have never won without the triangle forcing ball movement and he'll never win without phil

Who now ? Bryant or Jordan ?



I like to criticise Bryant as well, but fact of the matter is that he won 5 titles. Considering he often is portrayed as doing everything wrong and Jordan as doing everything right (revisionist History is a nice thing ) that´s not such a bad pull ...

[murrayyyyy]

Has anyone actually watched Jordan play pre-Washington? He and Pip are said to be great defenders but they took full-court hand checking to a different level. I don't care what anyone claims, it is much easier to steal the ball when hand checking is allowed.

Harper, Shaw, Horry, Grant, Fisher,... and Mark Madsen (I just remember that horrible dance after every title)

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

Has anyone actually watched Jordan play pre-Washington? He and Pip are said to be great defenders but they took full-court hand checking to a different level. I don't care what anyone claims, it is much easier to steal the ball when hand checking is allowed.

The outlawing of hand checking is the biggest change to the game since those days. That's why we have so many amazing pgs today.

[nol]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

The outlawing of hand checking is the biggest change to the game since those days. That's why we have so many amazing pgs today.

Exactly. Jordan and Pippen were able to have a much bigger impact on the game defensively than any SG-SF combo would in today's game. Nowadays it's almost mandatory to have a mobile and athletic big guy to protect the paint.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by whomario

I´m sure you recall this Robert Horry fella as well

the reason the role players from the recent years are not well remembered is also (like MrBug said) because they weren´t very good, often actually playing better as Lakers than before or after if you look at things.



Who now ? Bryant or Jordan ?



I like to criticise Bryant as well, but fact of the matter is that he won 5 titles. Considering he often is portrayed as doing everything wrong and Jordan as doing everything right (revisionist History is a nice thing ) that´s not such a bad pull ...

Jordan never had Shaquille. It's not close.

[Groundhog]

The other thing you notice when watching early 90s Bulls games is that, man, there were a LOT of slow white dudes still in the NBA. The quick guys aren't a whole lot quicker now than they were then, but the mean foot speed is a lot higher.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

Has anyone actually watched Jordan play pre-Washington?

Haha, yes, I assume some people here saw him play on the Bulls.

[whomario]

great game by Irving ! If he ever gets help. things will look up for the Cavs

hope Duncan´s injury is indeed only a sprain ...

I also want to take a minute to praise the leagues oldest rookie: Pablo Prigioni has been great and a huge help for the knicks. Steady presence on offense and sneaky good defensively. Rotates extremely well and despite all logic is terrific at preventing penetration. Also very active hands on that end.
Obviously i was a big fan of his anyway, still nice to see him play a good role now.

Also, Amare has looked better each game. Actually looks explosive but also more comfortable in the post.

i also just randomly noticed that Eric Bledsoe averages over 1.4 Blocks per 36 minutes. What now ? (also over 3 steals)

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Haha, yes, I assume some people here saw him play on the Bulls.

I saw his 63 PT game against the Celtics. I remember being amazed that one guy could single handledly keep a team in the game.

Never felt that way about Kobe. The only other time I've felt that way was watching Lebron in Game 6 last year.

[murrayyyyy]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Haha, yes, I assume some people here saw him play on the Bulls.

I say it only in jest but there is a little part of reality mixed in...

Players are always bigger and stronger in our memory. It's part of the argument that I had with people about dream team versus this last Olympic team. I think the current one would give that teams problems. Magic was back from a season off. Bird couldn't sit on the bench because of his back issues. Kevin Durant weighs as much as Karl Malone or David Robinson did. Think about that, skinny ass KD weighs the same as 2 of the biggest "power" players of their era. But players are always bigger and strong and better in our mind the father we get away from the games.

I think a lot of people romanticize Jordan because of the rings, because of his legacy, because of the shoes, because of the 63 game (WHICH HE LOST)...

Don't get me wrong, Jordan was a great player but he scored 63 on Ainge, Carlile and Danny Schayes. 3 white guys who weighed 170 lbs soaking wet.

[murrayyyyy]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Jordan never had Shaquille. It's not close.

And Jordan never won without Pippen... Bryant did without Shaq... twice.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

And Jordan never won without Pippen... Bryant did without Shaq... twice.

Jordan never had Bynum and Gasol

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

I saw his 63 PT game against the Celtics. I remember being amazed that one guy could single handledly keep a team in the game.

Never felt that way about Kobe. The only other time I've felt that way was watching Lebron in Game 6 last year.

I dont think for a full game, but there have been plenty of games where Kobe has closed the gap for the Lakers.

I mean, they win a lot of games, Kobe gets no credit for dishing the ball, thus Kobe is the reason they are in the game

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Jordan never had Bynum and Gasol

To be fair, the Lakers never really had Bynum either.

You can't win unless you have two superstars or a team laden with top 7 players at every position.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

I say it only in jest but there is a little part of reality mixed in...

Players are always bigger and stronger in our memory. It's part of the argument that I had with people about dream team versus this last Olympic team. I think the current one would give that teams problems. Magic was back from a season off. Bird couldn't sit on the bench because of his back issues. Kevin Durant weighs as much as Karl Malone or David Robinson did. Think about that, skinny ass KD weighs the same as 2 of the biggest "power" players of their era. But players are always bigger and strong and better in our mind the father we get away from the games.

I think a lot of people romanticize Jordan because of the rings, because of his legacy, because of the shoes, because of the 63 game (WHICH HE LOST)...

Don't get me wrong, Jordan was a great player but he scored 63 on Ainge, Carlile and Danny Schayes. 3 white guys who weighed 170 lbs soaking wet.

Jordan played when the NBA was fun to watch and players cared about winning a lot more. There may have been a lot more skinny and white players playing when Jordan was running things in the NBA but the shooting was also A LOT better and the talent wasnt so watered down with so many teams.

As far as comparing players over different eras, its kind of silly. Babe Ruth would probably not be able to touch a lot of the pitchers in todays game with his long swing and lack of conditioning. Doesnt mean we should take away from his accomplishments of when he actually did play.

[mckerney]

I saw Jordan's 44 point game against the Monsters. I remember being amazed one guy could single handledly keep a planet in the game.

Never felt that way about Kobe. The only other time I've felt that way was watching Hoopz Barkley against B.L.O.O.D.M.O.S.E.S in 2053.