NBA Thread - 2010-2011

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

Knicks have Won another game which makes that 11 of 12 and 6 in a row. During this 6 game winning streak Amare has 6 30+ point games. Tonight they beat the Raptors 113-110 led by 34 from Amare 28 from Felton and 20 from Gallo. Felton hit a Game winning 3 with about 3 Seconds left. Knicks are playing Great Basketball, Felton is playing Great and so is Amare. I have been Very Impressed with this team and I hope they can keep it up.

 

[Big Sexy]

I said at the beginning of the year that the Knicks were a team that I really liked and could be that number 5 or 6 team in the conference. I also said that Raymond Felton was an underrated acquisition and he would have a break out year in D'Antonio's offense. So far both have proven to be true and I see nothing but improvement from this team as the year goes on. They are the Phoenix Suns of the East and I would not be surprised to see them pull off a first round upset in the playoffs this year.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

Yea the Knicks have looked sharp as of late, Amare is playing like a man possessed, and Feltons play is starting to get him mentioned with the great PG's in the league, guys like Rondo, Paul, Williams, Steve Nash, and Russell Westbrook. If they do end up getting Carmelo next year, that team will be a contender in the East, that's for damn sure.

Another team that will be a contender in the East in a few years are the 76ers. They of course have AI, who's stats have dropped, but is still a monster. Then they have a bunch of younger cats who's game's are still developing. I firmly believe that J'Rue Holiday will be an elite PG in the NBA as early as next year, and Evan Turner will be a stud as well, he just needs to work out a few minor kinks in his game and he'll be fine. Fucking Louis Williams has been playing well also, I remember 4 or 5 years back I really thought he should've gone to college, and I was probably right, but now he's about as old as a college senior, and looks to have matured into a fine player. He's averaging around 12 points and has a phenomanal stroke from long range. Spencer Hawes, Thaddeus Young, and Jodi Meeks round out the top players of what will be an exciting team this year, and a contending team in years to come. Hell, I think they even have Craig Brackins, if he's anywhere near as good as he was in college, he'll be yet another fine young player on that team.

And boy, how 'bout those Miami Heat? They're gelling just like I thought (and they promised) they would, and I do think they'll end up winning the ECF. Can you say dynasty?

 

[Big Sexy]

Another team that will be a contender in the East in a few years are the 76ers.

I disagree with this. First off, there's a good chance that AI will be traded this season meaning he is out of the equation. Secondly, they don't have that one really great player needed to contend. Evan Turner was drafted to be that guy but I've never been a fan of his. I know it's early but he just hasn't been impressive at all this season. I do agree with you on Jrue Holiday though. He has a chance to be very good in this league.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

Yea, I've been hearing AI trade rumors, but who knows what they'll get out of that deal. And yes, my prediction for the 6'rs hinges on Turner becoming a great player, which I do believe will happen. A great backcourt can win plenty of games, and I think Holiday and Turner (plus all those great reserves) will be a great backcourt at some point. They do need to add a few bigs to the lineup though, Tony Battie is their tallest player, he rarely plays, and Craig Brackins is project. Elton Brand certainly can't compete with the outstanding bigs the east has to offer.

Who knows, the 6'rs could even make the playoffs this year, as the 8th team in the putrid east. And even though they'll probably get swept out of the first round, that playoff experience could be valuable.

 

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

Knicks win two more against the Wizards and Nuggets. Knicks have now won 8 in a row. Amare scored 36 in the Wizards game and 30 more against the Nuggets today he now holds the NYK record for most consecutive games with 30+ points at 8. Amare is serious contender for MVP if he continues to play this well. The next two games for the Knicks will be very tough, Wednesday against the Dolphins and the Heat on Friday. I'm interested to see how they play against Two of the Best Teams in the East.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

Holy shit, did anyone see the over the backboard shot by 'Bron? Check it out on nba.com if you haven't, one of the most absurd things I've seen all year. The Heat extend that streak to 9, by the way.

 

[Khalifa]

I actually think the shot Bron did wasn't as good as people are making it out to be. He has done a better one in the past. I also did bring that Jrue Holiday thing up earlier in the thread! But more on Elton Brand. He is averaging 15 and 8 and has put up some good numbers. He is definately having a solid season and dont think he was a complete waste.

Lakers are doing shit. Not playing there style and jsut think they can cruise into any match. But please Ron, make a fucking basket! Kobe is should be passing it and not be taking a million shots a game.

How about them Spurs and Celtics though! Best records in the NBA!!

 

[Big Sexy]

There was a three way trade in the NBA. The Lakers sent Sasha Vujacic and their 2011 first round pick to the Nets. The Nets in turn sent Joe Smith to the Lakers and Terrence Williams to the Rockets. Houston sent there lottery protected first round pick in 2012 to the Nets. Let's look at the trade from all three teams perspective.

Lakers- LA has a very deep back court with Kobe, Fisher, Steve Blake, and Shannon Brown so Vujacic wasn't playing much anyway and isn't a big loss. They did, however, need a big man. Bynum is still injured and Theo Ratliff has been battling injuries as well. The only healthy guys they have inside are Gasol, Odom, and rookie Derrick Character. Joe Smith is a veteran who can still play and adds some needed depth to the Lakers front court.

Rockets- Houston needed to get more athletic and they lacked small forward depth. Chase Budinger is the only back up to Shane Battier. Terrence Williams is still very young at 23 and he has huge upside. If he can get motivated and continue to improve his game then he can be a full time starter in Houston. He also has the ability to play some two guard.

Nets- Williams wasn't getting much time in New Jersey and they already have Travis Outlaw so he wasn't really needed. Joe Smith had only appeared in 4 games and was basically rotting away on the bench. Basically the Nets got rid of two guys they didn't need for two first round picks and a solid player in Sasha Vujacic. Vujacic will become the primary back up to Anthony Morrow at the two and the Nets now have 5 first round picks to work with over the next two years.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

I could be wrong, but I don't see Smith playing very much at all, he'll maybe come in during a blowout or to use up some fouls, but that's about it. I don't see why a aging Laker team would agree to give up a precious first round pick, but whatever, I don't like the Lakers anyway.

I really like Terrence Williams, he's got loads of potential and is a freak athlete, he could easily turn into something special.

But I think the Nets got the most out of this trade, their definitely in a rebuilding stage, and getting young prospects is certainly the key to rebuilding a team. Maybe by the time they get settled in Brooklyn they'll have a halfway decent team.

 

[Big Sexy]

With the injuries to Bynum and Ratliff, Smith may play more then you think. The only completely healthy bigs they have are Gasol, Odom, and the rookie Derrick Caracter. Ratliff is out about a month and Bynum just came back but will play limited minutes. Once everyone come back completely healthy he won't play much but it's still nice to have some veteran depth in the front court.

By trading Vujacic they also get out of paying his over 5 million dollar salary for this season. A first rounder may seem like a bit much but it's going to be a very low pick and the Lakers are going to have 3 second round picks in this upcoming draft so it isn't too big of a deal.

 

[X]

That Boston-New York game last night is easily the NBA game of the year thus far in my eyes. Hell of a fuckin' game, had me on the edge of my seat through out it's entirety. Nothing is quite as sweet as when you see your team make a game-winning shot in the 4th quarter, nothing. Of course I then promptly shit my pants when it looked like Amare got that 3 off, but thank the lord it was late.

Knicks proved they're for real though, they're a team to look out for. Amare is having an insane year, he's got to be considered one of the frontrunners for MVP thus far.

 

[CH David]

Knicks proved they're for real though, they're a team to look out for. Amare is having an insane year, he's got to be considered one of the frontrunners for MVP thus far.

Throw D-Rose in the mix as well. Without him being either the scorer or the distributor the Bulls are nowhere near 16-8 nor would they have this 7 game winning streak. He has been the one to take over the team while Boozer was out, and will continue to be the go-to guy while Noah is out after thumb surgery today. He has taken that leap to becoming one of the elite players and I think he can be considered one in a few years time. But what he has meant to this Bulls team has to rank up there with Amare and he should be considered in the MVP race as of now.

 

[Big Sexy]

A big reason the Knicks are doing so well as a team is the play of Raymond Felton at the point. You knew Amare was going to get his being back with D'Antoni but Felton is what makes this team as a whole go. He is having a career year averaging close to 19 points, 9 assists, 3.5 boards, and 2 steals per game. He's also shooting 46% from the field. Amare is the Knicks best player and MVP candidate but Felton is a big reason why they are looking like a legit threat.

As far as other MVP candidates go, Kevin Durant is once again leading the league in scoring at 27.5 points per game. He is also getting 7 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block per game. His teammate Russel Westbrook is up there as well putting up numbers that are on par with Derek Rose. However, Deron Williams has probably been the most impressive point guard thus far. He is averaging 23 points per game, which is slightly less then Rose and Westbrook but he is also averaging 10 assists per game which is over one more then Rose and Westbrook. His 48% shooting from the field is also ridiculous. He is THE reason the Jazz are 18-8 right now

 

[Goliath Uterus]

My thoughts on the Heat/Knicks game last night - Wow. LeBron James and co. put on a absolute basketball clinic, and I think they really proved how far they've come since the beginning of the season. Each of the Big 3 has 25+ points and Bron had a triple double.

Joell Anthony also played pretty solid defense of Amare, a lot of people were saying the Heat "shut him down" last night, but that's bullshit, he still had 24 points, 2 blocks, and 14 rebounds, wish he would've gotten 30 again, that would've been impressive.

 

[Unsold Bacon]

The Orlando Magic decided not to stand pat on Saturday, blowing up a team with championship aspirations that had been in first place in the Southeast Division for most of the first month of the season. On the same day that the team sent Rashard Lewis to Washington for Gilbert Arenas, Orlando agreed to jettison forwards Vince Carter and Mickael Pietrus, center Marcin Gortat, a future first-round pick and cash to Phoenix for veteran forward Hedo Turkoglu, guard Jason Richardson and second-year center Earl Clark.

All-pro center Dwight Howard is on board with all of the deals the Magic made, according to a source, feeling that Orlando did not have the same energy this season that it had had in the last couple of years.

 

[Khalifa]

The more I think about it the more the deal makes sense, Kind of. They are down a back up centre now and they are ever more stacked at the point guard spot. However I think J-Rich is a better replacement that Carter who hasn't been himself since 07. Getting rid of Lewis's huge contract was a great thing for the Magic. But I am kind of disappointed they got rid of Pietrus but I guess if Hedo can get back to is old self (which I doubt) then it's not so bad. I don't know whats going to happen for Arenas. Might come of the bench, but then what about Duhon and Williams? Another trade will be happening soon.

 

[Big Sexy]

Arenas is going to be playing at the two spot with the Magic. Right now it looks as if Turkoglu will be coming off the bench so it will be a starting 5 of Jameer, Arenas, J Rich, Brandon Bass, and Dwight. Then they will have a bench core of Duhon, JJ Redick, Q Richardson, Turkoglu, and Ryan Anderson. Jason Williams doesn't really need playing time and is just the third point guard still. At some point I wouldn't be surprised to see Turkoglu at the 4 in the starting lineup and Bass coming off the bench. I also see The Magic picking up a veteran center at some point to back up Howard.

 

[Khalifa]

Jesus, Lakers lose again! To the Bucks! Well actually they didn't lose they got thumped. Kobe Bryant being ejected just showed the frustration in the Lakers team. The thing that has let us down in almost all of our games is our 3pt shooting. We are top 5 in hte league ( well were a couple of days ago) but thats because we take a million shots a game. Tonight we were 2-15! Playing Kobe for 31 minutes a game is not helping either. Come on Lakers.

 

[People's Champ]

Jesus, Lakers lose again! To the Bucks! Well actually they didn't lose they got thumped. Kobe Bryant being ejected just showed the frustration in the Lakers team. The thing that has let us down in almost all of our games is our 3pt shooting. We are top 5 in hte league ( well were a couple of days ago) but thats because we take a million shots a game. Tonight we were 2-15! Playing Kobe for 31 minutes a game is not helping either. Come on Lakers.

I think that 7 game road trip plus the fact that the next game is against the Heat may have had something to do with it. I know they wouldn't say that, but I can't help but feel like that was a big reason why. The Lakers are well known to turn it on and off when they want. And with a big showdown coming up on Christmas, I think they really let this go. The Bucks shot well and the Lakers just didn't. Not a big deal.

 

[jmt225]

Yeah, I think the Lakers were just looking forward to the Heat. I guess they thought facing a Brandon Jenningsless Bucks team was going to be easy pickins.... they were obviously wrong about that. And good for them, too; I can't fucking stand the Lakers.

Anyways, I watched pretty much the entire Orlando/Dallas game last night, and I have to say... I was REALLY impressed with how quickly the new tandem in Orlando meshed together last night. I mean, it was like Hedo never left, Arenas had all the confidence in the World, and J-Rich was basically their go-to-guy at the end of the game, even though he really struggled throughout the first 3 quarters.

Orlando ended up losing, but holy shit was it a valiant effort, against an incredible Dallas Mavericks team at that. I really see this trade doing big things for Orlando in the future. I was skeptical at first, but last night I became a believer.

And Tyson Chandler has really brought toughness to that Dallas team; it's showing each and every night they play. Also, Jason Kidd learning how to shoot threes, and Caron Butler finally coming around... if Dallas can keep it up, I truly think they'll be able to take the West over from the Lakers. But then again, we've seen Dallas look this awesome in the regular season before, only to lose in the first round to the Warriors. You never know though... right now, these guys are looking legit.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

Anyways, I watched pretty much the entire Orlando/Dallas game last night, and I have to say... I was REALLY impressed with how quickly the new tandem in Orlando meshed together last night. I mean, it was like Hedo never left, Arenas had all the confidence in the World, and J-Rich was basically their go-to-guy at the end of the game, even though he really struggled throughout the first 3 quarters.

Did Arenas even start? He only played 17 minutes, and only had 2 points. J.J Reddick had nearly 2x as many minutes as Gilbert last night, (and also played one hell of a game) I thought that was odd.

Orlando ended up losing, but holy shit was it a valiant effort, against an incredible Dallas Mavericks team at that. I really see this trade doing big things for Orlando in the future. I was skeptical at first, but last night I became a believer.

Oh yea, they weren't going anywhere with Lewis and Carter, they were too old and too far past their primes. Like you said, J-Rich is a go-to-guy, Hedo just needs to pull himself out of this funk, and if Arenas can regain his former scoring prowess, than this Magic team will be a serious contender.

 

[People's Champ]

So Larry Brown is out as head coach of the Bobcats. Its said he resigned after a 9-19 start. Not a really surprising decision. Brown never stays in one spot for too long, and the Bobcats are really playing bad with no promise in sight. An article on SI a few days ago talked about how its time to blow up the roster, as its just not happening. It will interesting to see who they decide to after to coach this team, of course after the end of this season. As for Brown, I'm not sure what's next for him. I'd like to think this is it for him as far as coaching goes, but who the hell knows?

 

[gd]

Yeah, I think that Magic trade was definitely a great move for them. I'm not sure if it is going to work out, but with the exact same team they had last year there was no way they were beating either the Celtics or the Heat. It just wasn't going to happen.

The riskiest part about the whole thing was Arenas. Sure, he has the potential to be great, but if he doesn't deliver, that is a bad contract that they're going to be stuck with. They also are pretty thin up front with the loss of Gortat and definitely have to make another deal before the end of the seaosn.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

After last nights game, I'm really convinced this Magic team is among the elite clubs in the league. They absolutely smoked the Spurs, and they really showed how balanced a team they are. They had 7 guys in double figures, and the new acquisitions look to have gelled marvelously. GD is right when he says they need more help on the front line though, I don't think Ryan Anderson and Daniel Orton can provide enough help off the bench when big Dwight isn't on the floor.

Also, has anyone else noticed how ridiculously uptight the league is this year? Too many technicals, too many ejections, shit is just ridiculous. The other night DeMarcus Cousins was fined and benched for this:

[YOUTUBE]YCY3sz3HwAM[/YOUTUBE]

Are you fucking kidding me? Dikembe Mutumbo would taunt someone after every block, and he was never fined, plenty of guys in years past have done things "worse" than this and no one batted an eye. Another incident that sticks out is Jameer Nelson getting ejected for talking shit at the Miami bench, I can only imagine how many times guys like Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Reggie Miller and Charles Oakley would get ejected.

Does anyone else think the league was been way too far up the players asses this year? Or am I just being way too critical?