NBA Thread - 2009-10

[Big Sexy]

Now that I have said that, I want to rant about Detroit.

I'm fucking pissed off by Detroit. I just recently watched an interview of Rip Hamilton and he said this, "We are going to try the three guard line up this season a lot with me at the 3, Ben Gordon at the 2, and Stuckey at the 1." That's great and all, it really is. My complaint is, why didn't Hamilton want to try this last season with AI? He is damn sure a better player than Ben Gordon. Why did Hamilton raise such a fuss last year when they tried a three guard line up, but he is fine with it now? That's bullshit. For that, I hope Detroit doesn't make the playoffs. His objection to the three guard last year was the reason for him coming off the bench and for AI coming off the bench. Ben Gordon is like AI. Ben Gordon is a scorer first. He may be a better shooter, but he is a scorer first like AI. If the three guard wouldn't work with AI, it isn't going to work with Ben Gordon.

Shut the fuck up with your Iverson love already. It was Iverson who didn't want to change anything last year. He wanted to be the starter and dominate the ball. When Rip is on the floor with you, you can't do that. It will work better with Gordon because he is more of a willing passer. He only tries to take over when he's hot.

Another reason the three guard thing didn't work with Iverson was because Rip is the only one of the three guards who can play the small forward position. It would have been a lot harder for him to come off the bench and go right into playing out of position. He's not a small forward and the transition is easier if he was starting at his normal spot and then moving over.

You really need to get off Iverson's dick. The majority of the problems the Pistons had last year were because of Allen Iverson. Accept it, move on, and stop blaming a guy in Rip Hamilton who has spent his whole career as an unselfish team player.

 

[SSJPhenom]

Shut the fuck up with your Iverson love already. It was Iverson who didn't want to change anything last year. He wanted to be the starter and dominate the ball. When Rip is on the floor with you, you can't do that. It will work better with Gordon because he is more of a willing passer. He only tries to take over when he's hot.

Another reason the three guard thing didn't work with Iverson was because Rip is the only one of the three guards who can play the small forward position. It would have been a lot harder for him to come off the bench and go right into playing out of position. He's not a small forward and the transition is easier if he was starting at his normal spot and then moving over.

You really need to get off Iverson's dick. The majority of the problems the Pistons had last year were because of Allen Iverson. Accept it, move on, and stop blaming a guy in Rip Hamilton who has spent his whole career as an unselfish team player.

You really need to get off of Detroits dick. Without Billups, I don't give a fuck who they get or what they do, they are not going to do a goddamn thing.

Those players could have gotten D Wade, LBJ, or Kobe last season and it still wouldn't have worked because they didn't know what the fuck to do without Billups holding their hands. So, instead, they lay the blame on two fucking people. Rasheed Wallace, which is why he left, and AI and that is totally unfair.

I don't care how much you like the Pistons or blame AI. It wasn't his fault that they sucked. Rip was just as unwilling as AI to do shit last season and you need to accept that. I've already said, numerous fucking times, that AI is a ball dominator. He has to have to the ball to play, that's who he is. Pistons tried to change that and make him play like Billups. That's not who he is and some of the blame has to go to the Pistons. Accept that and shut the fuck up.

Also, are we talking about the same Ben Gordon? You called him a willing passer? Please show me where and I don't mean passing once or twice a game. The Bulls could have beaten the Celtics last season if he wasn't taking every other fucking shot. You really think that Rip is going to be able to play with another guard that has a shoot first mentality? Get fucking real!

 

[I Will Fart In Your Mouth]

I beleive that Phoenix and Oklahoma City will be sniffing around the edges of a payoff spot.

You're definetely sniffing something if you think Phoenix is missing the playoffs again. Amare is in a contract year so get ready for him to go ape shitty on the league and the Suns will be runnin and gunnin all season. They may not win a series but I guarantee they will NOT miss the playoffs.

 

[Big Sexy]

You really need to get off of Detroits dick.

Sorry I'm a fan of my home team. My bad.

Without Billups, I don't give a fuck who they get or what they do, they are not going to do a goddamn thing.

Billups was great, but losing him isn't the only reason we struggled last year. A move had to made, but getting Iverson aka "The Chemistry Killer" obviously didn't work out.

Those players could have gotten D Wade, LBJ, or Kobe last season and it still wouldn't have worked because they didn't know what the fuck to do without Billups holding their hands.

That might be the single stupidest thing I've ever read. Billups is great, but you act like he was there Lebron James. Stuckey did fine last year there was just no chemistry and a lot of locker room hostility. Most of that points back to AI.

So, instead, they lay the blame on two fucking people. Rasheed Wallace, which is why he left, and AI and that is totally unfair.

Rasheed left beacuse he wanted to go to a title contender. He didn't really get blamed for anything. And the reason most of the blame went to AI is because he deserved it. You're blind if you can't see that.

I don't care how much you like the Pistons or blame AI. It wasn't his fault that they sucked. Rip was just as unwilling as AI to do shit last season and you need to accept that.

If Rip was just as unwilling then why did he agree to come off the bench? Also let me add that he did a great job in that role. Once it wasn't working Iverson said he would rather retire then come off the bench so Joe D sent him home.

I've already said, numerous fucking times, that AI is a ball dominator. He has to have to the ball to play, that's who he is. Pistons tried to change that and make him play like Billups. That's not who he is and some of the blame has to go to the Pistons. Accept that and shut the fuck up.

How stupid are you? No one was trying to make him like Billups. He wasn't even the fucking point guard, Stuckey was. They wanted Iverson to be himself, they just wanted him to do it off the bench playing with guys like Aaron Afflalo and Jason Maxiell so he wouldn't ruin the chemistry that the starters had.

Also, are we talking about the same Ben Gordon? You called him a willing passer? Please show me where and I don't mean passing once or twice a game.

Who was Ben Gordon supposed to pass to? Chicago didn't have guys that could make shots, Gordon had to score or they lost. Besides Gordon doesn't dominate the ball like Iverson. Iverson has to have the ball to create his own shot. Gordon can get open coming off screens and knock down jumpers. It's a lot easier to play with a shooter then a ball handler. Especially when Iverson is playing at shooting guard. He acts like the point guard no matter where he's being played at.

You really think that Rip is going to be able to play with another guard that has a shoot first mentality? Get fucking real!

Yes I do. Rip Hamilton played great last year when he, Stuckey, and Will Bynum were all playing at the same time. Rip even had 16 assists in one of those games. Rip and Gordon together will be great for the Pistons. Stuckey will be like a kid in the candy store having two great scorers to go to at any time.

You can't beat me arguing about basketball, especially when it comes to the Pistons. You can definitely keep trying though because I'm having a lot of fun owning you right now.

 

[SSJPhenom]

Sorry I'm a fan of my home team. My bad.

I'm an Allen Iverson fan. My bad.

Billups was great, but losing him isn't the only reason we struggled last year. A move had to made, but getting Iverson aka "The Chemistry Killer" obviously didn't work out.

Sure, AI needs some getting used to, so the chemistry isn't going to be there. However, to solely blame him is just you being blind to the fact that the Pistons were going to suck without Billups.

That might be the single stupidest thing I've ever read. Billups is great, but you act like he was there Lebron James. Stuckey did fine last year there was just no chemistry and a lot of locker room hostility. Most of that points back to AI.

Billups damn sure wasn't as good as LBJ, however, he was their locker room leader and floor general. Losing that as sudden as they did would cause problems for any team. You have to accept that. Just look at the impact that Billups has on people. I.E. Denver Nuggets.

Rasheed left beacuse he wanted to go to a title contender. He didn't really get blamed for anything. And the reason most of the blame went to AI is because he deserved it. You're blind if you can't see that.

The Pistons were a title contender and you seem to think that they still are. So you saying that Rasheed left to go to a title contending team is you shooting your favorite hometown team in the fucking dirt. Sure AI deserved some blame, but so did Michael Curry, a horrible fucking coach, and the rest of the Pistons team.

If Rip was just as unwilling then why did he agree to come off the bench? Also let me add that he did a great job in that role. Once it wasn't working Iverson said he would rather retire then come off the bench so Joe D sent him home.

Why don't you look at the stats my friend. Pistons went on their best run last year while Rip was out due to injury. I believe that it was an eight game winning streak they went on without Rip playing. Beating teams like Orlando, L.A., and Boston in that stretch. I'll post it if you want me to.

How stupid are you? No one was trying to make him like Billups. He wasn't even the fucking point guard, Stuckey was. They wanted Iverson to be himself, they just wanted him to do it off the bench playing with guys like Aaron Afflalo and Jason Maxiell so he wouldn't ruin the chemistry that the starters had.

He started out on that team as the point guard, look it up. You are dead wrong if you think he didn't.

Who was Ben Gordon supposed to pass to? Chicago didn't have guys that could make shots, Gordon had to score or they lost. Besides Gordon doesn't dominate the ball like Iverson. Iverson has to have the ball to create his own shot. Gordon can get open coming off screens and knock down jumpers. It's a lot easier to play with a shooter then a ball handler. Especially when Iverson is playing at shooting guard. He acts like the point guard no matter where he's being played at.

I'll give you this, but Gordon has always been a scorer first. He isn't going to change his mentality over night.

Yes I do. Rip Hamilton played great last year when he, Stuckey, and Will Bynum were all playing at the same time. Rip even had 16 assists in one of those games. Rip and Gordon together will be great for the Pistons. Stuckey will be like a kid in the candy store having two great scorers to go to at any time.

Neither Stuckey nor Bynum are shoot first guys. You just killed yourself by saying that Rip played great with them.

You can't beat me arguing about basketball, especially when it comes to the Pistons. You can definitely keep trying though because I'm having a lot of fun owning you right now.

Ok.....Sure.....

You're owning me? I laugh at the thought.

 

[Big Sexy]

Sure, AI needs some getting used to, so the chemistry isn't going to be there. However, to solely blame him is just you being blind to the fact that the Pistons were going to suck without Billups.

No they weren't. Rodney Stuckey is very talented. He's no Chauncey Billups but if Iverson would have come in and just accepted the role where he would be the most productive then they would have been fine. If the Pistons kept Billups then they would have been back to the East Finals and then most likely lost like they had the previous three years. A change had to be made.

Billups damn sure wasn't as good as LBJ, however, he was their locker room leader and floor general. Losing that as sudden as they did would cause problems for any team. You have to accept that. Just look at the impact that Billups has on people. I.E. Denver Nuggets.

Again a change had to be made. The Pistons had lost one of their leaders before in Ben Wallace and managed to be fine. They still had other leaders in Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun. Losing any of those guys would have hurt. The reason they traded Billups was because he had the best back up. Stuckey is a legitimate starting point guard in this league.

The Pistons were a title contender and you seem to think that they still are. So you saying that Rasheed left to go to a title contending team is you shooting your favorite hometown team in the fucking dirt. Sure AI deserved some blame, but so did Michael Curry, a horrible fucking coach, and the rest of the Pistons team.

Last year they still had the potential to be if Iverson wasn't an idiot. This year they are one piece away. Sheed had been here for nearly 6 years and had run his course with the team. Instead of being on a team that might contend he went to a team that everyone knows will contend.

Why don't you look at the stats my friend. Pistons went on their best run last year while Rip was out due to injury. I believe that it was an eight game winning streak they went on without Rip playing. Beating teams like Orlando, L.A., and Boston in that stretch. I'll post it if you want me to.

Lol. You're the one who needs to look at the stats. First, it was a seven game win streak. Second, Rip played in the first two games of the streak. Third, the teams they played are as follows: Chicago, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Orlando, New Jersey, Sacramento, and the Clippers. Only one good team in that bunch and the Pistons ALWAYS beat Orlando. They've won like 17 of the last 20 regular season match ups and knocked them out of the playoffs a couple times. Iverson was the leading scorer in only 2 of those games. Rodney Stuckey is the one who dominated during that stretch with games of 40, 38, and 24.

The Pistons most impressive streak in my opinion was when they won 4 straight over Orlando, Boston, Denver, and Golden State. Rip led the team in scoring in 3 out of those 4 games and Iverson played in none of them.

He started out on that team as the point guard, look it up. You are dead wrong if you think he didn't.

Yes, and that lasted about two weeks. Part of the reason was also because Stuckey had a nagging injury. They still weren't trying to make him into Billups. There's a difference between telling someone to share the ball a little and telling them to be a pass first point guard. When the Pistons realized he couldn't play well unless he was always dominating the ball then they tried to get him to come off the bench and we all know where that led.

I'll give you this, but Gordon has always been a scorer first. He isn't going to change his mentality over night.

He doesn't have to. You can have two scorers play together, just not when one of them is going to be dominating the ball all the time.

Neither Stuckey nor Bynum are shoot first guys. You just killed yourself by saying that Rip played great with them.

Bynum is most definitely a score first guy. He was always looking to drive or pull up and shoot. If it wasn't there then he would pass. He isn't as much of a scorer as Gordon, but Rip was fine with dishing it out to other guys. Hamilton led the Pistons in assists in 8 of their last 21 games which is amazing for a shooting guard. He had games with 16, 14, and 12 assists and he also led the team in scoring in two of those career high assist games.

Ok.....Sure.....

You're owning me? I laugh at the thought.

Yes, yes I am owning you.

 

[Hip2bsquare]

Detroit is an interesting team this year for me. If it all clicks I think they could climb as high as the 4th seed in the East, if the opposite happens I could see them missing out all together.

They have talent but I do think there are some serious holes. Billups was the one traded as the Pistons thought that they could give Stuckey the keys to the team and he was ready to go. Stuckey, whilst a very talented and good young player, showed to me that perhaps he wasnt as ready as Dumars thought to take control. I dont even know if Stuckey is really a PG but rather a SG that the Pistons are trying to make into a point, but of course judging after one season in control is a bit early. After that laughable. Bynum can score I guess but dont rate him, Atkins? Hahahah. PLus I hear Gordon may play some point. Yeah good player, shooter but not a PG and it wont work. So to me the Pistons have the control of their team all in the Stuckey basket and they would be hoping he breaks out or else there is a weakness at the point.

The wing positions are the strength of the Pistons. With Rip, Prince and Gordon are arguably the best 3 players on the Roster. Will be interesting to see how they share the minutes between the 3. I cant see Gordon playing anywhere else but SG, and Rip doesnt really work at SF as SG his his best spot. But Im sure they can make it work between the three of them.

Frontcourt is the real weakness of the Pistons. Always been a fan of Wilcox for some reason, but he has never fufilled his potential to me but will be a good energy guy off the bench. Maxiell I like as well, but he is undersized and just an energy guy. Kwame Brown? Laughable.. Ben Wallace finished. Charlie V is an interesting one. Can score, rebounding numbers for a guy his size are disappointing, allergic to paint, soft, no defensive presence but yeah can score. He might be a good fit alongside Wallace or Brown as they may provide a better presence. But that front court leaves a lot to be desired and as Big Sexy says they need a quality big man, but how do they get one?

So to me holes at the Point (could be solved by a Stuckey break out) and at PF and Centre. But the team does have talent so to me anywhere from 4th to 10th wouldnt surprise me.

 

[Hip2bsquare]

You're definetely sniffing something if you think Phoenix is missing the playoffs again. Amare is in a contract year so get ready for him to go ape shitty on the league and the Suns will be runnin and gunnin all season. They may not win a series but I guarantee they will NOT miss the playoffs.

A gurantee hey? I dont think the Suns are guranteed to make the playoffs.

So they dont make the playoffs last year, replace Shaq with Channing Frye, have another year in the legs of Hill and Nash? Still dont have a backup for Nash, wish Robin Lopez was his brother.

Yes Amare is in a contract year, but he avergaes 62 games a season. If he misses significant games then the Suns are screwed they have nothing behind him/

They can run and run all they want but they cant stop anyone, will rely on old players and are far from a lock. Plus many other teams out West with more talent. Not saying they cant or wont make it, just that to say they are a lock is crazy.

 

[jmt225]

So, with only two games in the season so far, I am so ready to predict a Denver Nuggets vs. Boston Celtics Finals right now.

Man... Carmelo looks AWESOME. He's leaner and more focused than I ever seen him. I really think he's going to win the MVP this year. He'll lead the league in points, and perhaps also lead the Nuggets to the best regular season record in the West; definitely the 2nd, at least.

And the Celtics... I said when they acquired Rasheed Wallace it was going to be a huge upgrade, and I was indeed correct. However, the acquisition of Marquis Daniels might be ever bigger. While he was rotting away in Indiana, I forgot just how good he was. Boston is by far and large the most stacked team in the NBA.

So yeah.... with Carmelo unstoppable (plus Lawson living up to the hype) and the Celtics having that unbelievable roster (plus with the great coaching from Doc Rivers), if both teams stay healthy, I just don't see either of them being defeated in the playoffs by anyone.

 

[Big Sexy]

So, with only two games in the season so far, I am so ready to predict a Denver Nuggets vs. Boston Celtics Finals right now.

Man... Carmelo looks AWESOME. He's leaner and more focused than I ever seen him. I really think he's going to win the MVP this year. He'll lead the league in points, and perhaps also lead the Nuggets to the best regular season record in the West; definitely the 2nd, at least.

And the Celtics... I said when they acquired Rasheed Wallace it was going to be a huge upgrade, and I was indeed correct. However, the acquisition of Marquis Daniels might be ever bigger. While he was rotting away in Indiana, I forgot just how good he was. Boston is by far and large the most stacked team in the NBA.

So yeah.... with Carmelo unstoppable (plus Lawson living up to the hype) and the Celtics having that unbelievable roster (plus with the great coaching from Doc Rivers), if both teams stay healthy, I just don't see either of them being defeated in the playoffs by anyone.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves too much. We're only 2 games into the season. Boston has been impressive but look at who they've faced. Cleveland is good but they've played like shit thus far, just ask the Raptors. Then their second win came over the Bobcats. I know they held them to 59 points, but look at that starting lineup: Raymond Felton, Stephen Graham, Gerald Wallace, Boris Diaw, and Tyson Chandler. It's a line up of role players and 1 borderline all star in Gerald Wallace.

Orlando is still the defending East Champs and they have definitely improved with the additions of Vince Carter and Brandon Bass. They also have Jameer Nelson back and healthy. I also think Cleveland will get a lot better as the season goes on. They added a lot of new pieces so it will take a while for them to gel together.

Denver has probably been the most impressive team thus far. They actually beat two good teams in Utah and Portland. Carmelo has looked fantastic. He's my choice to win the MVP award this year.

However, looking at the West you still have to watch out for the Lakers. Denver is pretty much the same team. They added Ty Lawson and replaced Dahntay Jones with Aaron Afflalo, but they didn't do anything major. The Lakers made a big upgrade with Ron Artest over Trevor Ariza and the rest of the championship team is back. The West Finals will most likely be a repeat of last year. Also don't sleep on San Antono. They have some new parts coming in with Richard Jefferson and Dejuan Blair. I see them a little like Cleveland. They need some time to gel.

While Denver and Boston could very well be the finals match up this year, it's a little too early to speculate.

 

[X]

Not sure I'd pick Denver for the Finals this year, simply because I just don't see them getting past the Lakers in the playoffs, especially if LA has home court advantage. Call me a homer, but I see the Celtics making another Finals appearance this year, so long as we stay healthy. Yep, another LA-Boston finals, which is either going to make you excited as hell, or groan.

I firmly believe the only reason the Celtics didn't face LA in the finals last year was because of KG's injury, with the additions of Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels, our team has only gotten better. Knowing the Celtics they'll make a few pickups midway through the season as well, add a few veterans, they usually do.

Great game tonight on ESPN between Boston and the Bulls, definitely looking forward to that one. It'll probably be the only break from horror films I watch in the next 72 hours.

 

[Nev]

I know I'm late but I'm just going to say things are looking good for Boston this year after watching the season opener.

Though a clear evident problem with the Celtics is that they love to hand over leads. After they play solid and had a dominant lead into the Cavs game, it looks as if they were going to give their traditional "since I'm ahead by 15+ points, lets force up 3 pointers for no reason" as it played out most recently during Boston-Chicago series last year. They're lucky the Cavs (with the exception of LBJ) had no gunslinger mentality that night. Also smart on Doc Rivers calling the timeout when they had the lead, when the Celtics almost looked to collapse even though they were ahead by 10. Not a lot of coaches have that awareness as most would call it after the lead is gone and the crowd gets into the game. Very wise.

Boston also had a dominating defensive performance the other night. They are clearly the Eastern Conference Champions if they keep up their play like this.

While the high-scoring Magic can light it up on mediocre teams, their defense didn't look all that great against the 76ers. They can't shoot that many 3's in a game, it gives too much of an oppurtunity for the other opponent seeing how they miss over 50% of their 3 shots most of the time.

Cleveland remains to have an identity crisis. As if they are playing two different offenses. Laughable really. Hopefully things come around for them.

As for me, I'm a Knicks fan.The only thing optimistic I can think about is that we are going through these rough, re-building years so that one day karma gives us a dynasty. I can only hope (sigh).

 

[jmt225]

Well, the Cavs are lucky with the schedule they ended up with. They really, really needed two easy teams after their first two losses to get their confidence back up. Sure, they beat terrible teams, but 2-2 is much better than 1-3 or 0-4. Next they have Washington and Chicago, and it'll be interesting to see how they hang against those guys. Both teams are on the verge of being really good (I mean, Chicago convincingly defeats San Antonio and then gets killed by Boston, and Washington easily beat Dallas, only to lose to Atlanta), and I'm very interested to see how Cleveland plays against them.

Speaking of Atlanta... they looked great in their first two games against Indiana and Washington. Their real test comes tomorrow, however, against the LA Lakers, and I'm looking more forward to that game than anything else this Sunday, including the NFL games (granted, the Saints don't play, but still). That should be a very fun up and down game, and I think it'll show just how much Atlanta has improved, as they have had some terrible games against the Lakers these past couple of years.

Speaking of the Lakers.... they looked awful against Dallas, while Dallas looked much better than they did a couple of nights before against Washington. Dallas has always been an inconsistent team, but if they can ever get some chemistry down on that squad and become more consistent... then man, you have to put them up there with the Lakers, Nuggets, and Spurts as the contenders of the West. But also, going back to the Lakers, with Pau Gasol's absence, it's showing just how vital he is to that team. I think people highly underestimate just how good he is and how much the Lakers need him.

The Hornets suck right now. Poor Chris Paul. He's by far the best Point Guard in the league, and it's such a shame to see him play with such a worthless team. Peja just can't stay healthy to save his life, and nobody on the team will step up. I think the Hornets need to start making a couple of trades and liven up that squad a bit. Also, Marcus Thornton should get some more playing time, as he could end up being one of the best scorers in the league off the bench (think of Ben Gordon when he was in Chicago).

And lastly... how 'bout them Celtics? What'd you think about that game against Chicago, BS? That's a good team, and the Celtics destroyed them. Did anyone see the box score? Man, if the Celtics play like that all year.... they will be pretty much impossible to defeat.

 

[BooCocky]

Allen Iverson is one game into his season and he is already bitching about playing time. He's saying he isn't a sixth man. Well you fucking tool, go out there and earn your starting spot. Which isn't going to happen when Mayo is better and years younger than you. Allen Iverson is a fucking tool, and nothing about him is going to change. I said signing him was a bad idea and one game in to the season it looks like I am going to be right....

 

[X]

So the Celtics have looked fantastic so far to start the season off, 4-0 and we've defeated every one of our opponents relatively easily. We're going to be one hell of a tough team to beat this year if we stay healthy. Resigning Rondo was wonderful news, he's quickly emerged as one of the best point guards in the game and he's still extremely young, and now under team control for the next 5 years. Great move there.

I heard Chris Paul whining about Rondo talking some trash to him on the court. I love CP3, but come the fuck on dude, grow a set of balls, this is basketball, trash talk is a part of the game, you should have heard the shit guys like MJ or Magic used to say.

Gonna be a fun season this year.

 

[jmt225]

So the Celtics have looked fantastic so far to start the season off, 4-0 and we've defeated every one of our opponents relatively easily. We're going to be one hell of a tough team to beat this year if we stay healthy.

I completely agree. They're currently beating Philly by double digits, and that's no easy task. Like I said earlier... Boston is the most stacked team in the NBA, and could perhaps be the most stacked team we've seen since Chicago in the mid-to-late nineties. They're that good, imo.

Resigning Rondo was wonderful news, he's quickly emerged as one of the best point guards in the game and he's still extremely young, and now under team control for the next 5 years. Great move there.

Definitely a good move, but honestly... Boston is so strong right now, that if they would have lost Rondo, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal. Marquis Daniels is a phenomenal basketball players and brings everything to the table Rondo has to bring, AND he's a much better scorer.

But still... resigning Rondo was great insurance, so to speak.

I heard Chris Paul whining about Rondo talking some trash to him on the court. I love CP3, but come the fuck on dude, grow a set of balls, this is basketball, trash talk is a part of the game, you should have heard the shit guys like MJ or Magic used to say.

He didn't whine, he just wanted to confront him, lol. It's not like he went crying to reporters about the situation; he just felt disrespected and it leaked that after the game he wanted to see Rondo, IF that is true to begin with.

But I think CP3 is just frustrated about everything. He's the best point in the league, on one sorry ass team.

The Hornets need to start making some moves. It's just too risky to wait for the off-season to come and pray you're able to sign a couple of big names.

 

[Big Sexy]

My Pistons won their first game, but an injury to Rip Hamilton hurt them and they dropped their next two. When you add a lot of new pieces like they did it's important to have everyone healthy for chemistry purposes. An injury doesn't help at all, especially when the injury is to your best player.

With all that said the Pistons looked great tonight even without Rip and Tayshaun Prince (who had a 496 consecutive games streak end). Without arguably their two best players Detroit defeated the defending East Champion Orlando Magic. At one point the Pistons had a line up on the floor that consisted of Chucky Atkins, Will Bynum, Austin Daye, Chris Wilcox, and Kwame Brown. Once Rip and Tayshaun come back healthy I expect the Pistons to really take off. As long as everyone accepts their roles Detroit should be able to compete for a spot in the 4-6 seed range for the playoffs.

Btw Ben Wallace is looking great in Detroit. He's averaging 10.3 boards, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. He was bad in Chicago and Cleveland, but now that he is back home in the D he seems rejuvenated.

 

[SSJPhenom]

I just don't get the Pistons. They have been losing to garbage teams this season and without Prince and Hamilton, they beat Orlando?

They always beat Orlando though. They just have Orlando's number I guess.

I got to see my man AI perform and above me here there is a guy who says that AI is bitching about his playing time. I would like proof of this. Yes I read the article on NBA.com, but what I gathered from it was, that Iverson is saying it is only a big deal because the media makes it so and that he intends on competeing for the starting role. Conley said himself that he is more focused than ever with Iverson over his shoulder. I think things look good. From what I seen out of him on the court and while he was on the bench (Took OJ Mayo and Conley aside and gave them pointers) he seemed ok. Not to mention the 11 points he put up in a matter of minutes. To be honest, I hope he continues to come off the bench. I guarantee you all that if he does come off the bench for the entire season, he will be sixth man of the year.

Suns are back to form aren't they? They have looked great since returning to running and gunning. Who says Nash can't do it anymore? 20 asissts in one game and the unbelievable scoring that he has been doing.

I'm just going to say this again, for the record, Celtics stay healthy=NBA Championship.

Is it just me or does it look like Melo is on a damn mission? He is averaging nearly 40 a game right now. I know that we are only a week in, but man. He has definitely made that jump into the elite players of the league proving that Wade, Bryant, and LBJ are not in a class by themselves. Melo will be a MVP candidate this year. All I can say, it's about time.

 

[Hip2bsquare]

On the AI situation I was just going to say a leopard never changes its spots. But it has only been one game since he has been back so I may leave it a while and see how it goes for Iverson in Memphis. Perhaps he gets more minutes off the bench as he returns from his injury.

I read that article to Undertaker. While yes he does mention that its the media mentions it a lot he also says:

"If I'm a reserve, yeah I'll be disappointed," Iverson said. "I'm not a reserve basketball player. I've never been a reserve all my life and I'm not going to start looking at myself as a reserve

But to answer your question, no, I'm not a bench player. I'm not a sixth man. Go look at my resume and that'll show you that I'm not a sixth man."

Now there is no question that AI has been a great player and could still start in the NBA and do a good job. However currently his best rol in Memphis is coming off the bench behind Conley and Mayo. As well as adding scoring punch to the second team. If AI can accept his role on the team he will be a good asset. But can he accept that role? Thats the big question. Coming out like this after one game is not a good sign.

If AI does come off the bench and accepts his role he would be a good candidate for the 6th man. However he will have some competition from guys like Manu, Odom (when Gasol comes back) Terry etc.

I agree, it may only be a week into the season, but if the Celtics stay fit its very hard to see them not winning or at least making it to the finals. However we must remember Gasol must still come back for the Lakers which will improve their team incredibly.

After the first game I have been impressed with the Mavericks. Especially as they are missing Josh Howard. Dirk went crazy in the last quarter today helping them pull out the win.

 

[Big Sexy]

I just don't get the Pistons. They have been losing to garbage teams this season and without Prince and Hamilton, they beat Orlando?

It's hard to be consistent when you added as many new pieces as the Pistons did. The injury to Rip in the opening game didn't help chemistry wise.

To be honest, I hope he continues to come off the bench. I guarantee you all that if he does come off the bench for the entire season, he will be sixth man of the year.

I guarantee he will not win the 6th man award. Manu Ginobili, Ben Gordon, Lamar Odom, Rasheed Wallace, Leandro Barbosa, and Jason Terry all have a better shot.

I'm just going to say this again, for the record, Celtics stay healthy=NBA Championship.

The Lakers and Nuggets may have something to say about that.

 

[Southwind]

I'm a huge Nuggets fan and have been since I was 11, but I'm not guaranteeing the Finals this year. Yes Melo' looks great MVP like, but the Lakers aren't going anywhere that's the team that scares me.

For some reason I see San Antonio as past it's prime they don't look like a top tier team anymore but Popovich is a great coach and the Spurs will still be heard from.

I really don't think Denver needed to go out and get anybody this team is improving from within as a unit. Ty Lawson has been a huge plus the speed on this kid is crazy he can shoot and pass exceptionally well, a solid sixth man.

It's too early to make any finals predictions and guarantees but my Nuggets have been impressive so far. George Karl needs to keep this team focused, on defense I don't want the old Nuggets back. Defense will be the difference between a championship caliber team and a Western Conference playoff flame-out.

The scary part is the Nuggs don't even have J.R. Smith back yet, and when that cat finds his stroke he can knock down threes like nobody I have ever seen before so keep that in mind.

 

[SSJPhenom]

I guarantee he will not win the 6th man award. Manu Ginobili, Ben Gordon, Lamar Odom, Rasheed Wallace, Leandro Barbosa, and Jason Terry all have a better shot.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I just want to point out that you left J.R. Smith off of this list. Smith is far and away better than Barbosa, Wallace, and Gordon as a sixth man, IMO. He finished second in the voting last season. You can't forget about this sniper at all when talking about the 6th man. Scary thing is, Denver is whipping ass without him. Imagine when the man returns and gets his rythm back. Smith, Lawson, and Anderson is a hell of a bench for any team to have.

About AI and the sixth man of the year. I was bold in saying that I guarantee for this to happen, but if he remains on the bench and buys in on the role, he has a hell of a chance for this award. Did you see how easily he was scoring in his first game back? Imagine when he fully recovers from his injury. He will definitely have the points and assists to be a contender for 6th man of the year. Not even you can deny that.

 

[Big Sexy]

Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I just want to point out that you left J.R. Smith off of this list. Smith is far and away better than Barbosa, Wallace, and Gordon as a sixth man, IMO. He finished second in the voting last season. You can't forget about this sniper at all when talking about the 6th man. Scary thing is, Denver is whipping ass without him. Imagine when the man returns and gets his rythm back. Smith, Lawson, and Anderson is a hell of a bench for any team to have.

JR Smith is most likely going to start at shooting guard which is why I didn't mention him. He also needs to stay healthy.

About AI and the sixth man of the year. I was bold in saying that I guarantee for this to happen, but if he remains on the bench and buys in on the role, he has a hell of a chance for this award. Did you see how easily he was scoring in his first game back? Imagine when he fully recovers from his injury. He will definitely have the points and assists to be a contender for 6th man of the year. Not even you can deny that.

He scored those points easily partly because they were facing a horrible defensive team in Sacramento. I also don't think Iverson's overall stats will be good enough. He might score double digit points off the bench, but that's all he gives you. And there is always the chance that he throws another tantrum and complains about his role.

 

[SSJPhenom]

JR Smith is most likely going to start at shooting guard which is why I didn't mention him. He also needs to stay healthy.

George Carl as said that he doesn't know what his line up is going to be but he is pretty sure that Smith is going to continue coming off of the bench because he plays better in that role.

He scored those points easily partly because they were facing a horrible defensive team in Sacramento. I also don't think Iverson's overall stats will be good enough. He might score double digit points off the bench, but that's all he gives you. And there is always the chance that he throws another tantrum and complains about his role.

He will give you assists as well. He always does. If he puts up the same numbers as he did in Detroit he would be sixth man of the year.

About his tantrums. That's why I said, if he bought into the role. He isn't going to buy into it right away, but who knows? He might just suprise you.

 

[gd]

I watched some of the Thunder/Lakers last night, it was awesome. Durant didn't play very well, Russel Westbrook isn't a point guard, and OKC is undersized, but they still took the Lakers to the brink. If it wasn't for Kobe (who Sefalosha did a great job on) they Thunder would've won by double digits.

After watching that game, the Thunder are my team now. The crowd was really into it and despite mistakes they made, guys like Jeff Green and others were laying it all out for their team. It may be another year or two, but this is going to be a playoff team and contender in the near future.