*NBA THREAD* Abe will be missed (4 Viewers)

[lumpy19]

I guess. And I should give credit for how they completely worked over Korver while he was out there. Then again that was just bad defensive decisions by whoever was on LeBron. No way you leave LeBron for Bibby, even if it means Bibby has a clear jumper. Still the Heat offense seems to basically boil down to Wade or James directing the teammate nearest them to try to set a pick (which those guys don't seem to be able to execute very well), and then Wade or James "does something."

I tried to tell people Boozer isn't a great guy to have once you hit the big time in the playoffs. When he's matched up against top level 4's he's easy to exploit and struggles on the offensive end. He's probably the worst of the starting 4's left in the playoffs. That's right, I'm saying I think I like Ibaka better than him, though I'm not 100% on that.

He's been terrible in the playoffs this year....but he's been good in the past boozer in the playoffs

 

[JMon348]

Kareem pitching another hissy fit. He's always been a delicate flower psychologically. Whine some more Kareem! Great times to be a Laker fan. <_<

You kill me sometimes.

 

[Gr00vus]

Kareem pitching another hissy fit. He's always been a delicate flower psychologically. Whine some more Kareem! Great times to be a Laker fan. <_<

He's right, though. All of those statues in front of Staples, and his isn't one of them? That is pretty bad.

Right now there are only two Lakers (Magic & West) and Chick Hearn. It's not like they put him behind Disco Donny Ford or something. He's next, relax Cap.

 

[Gr00vus]

I guess. And I should give credit for how they completely worked over Korver while he was out there. Then again that was just bad defensive decisions by whoever was on LeBron. No way you leave LeBron for Bibby, even if it means Bibby has a clear jumper. Still the Heat offense seems to basically boil down to Wade or James directing the teammate nearest them to try to set a pick (which those guys don't seem to be able to execute very well), and then Wade or James "does something."

I tried to tell people Boozer isn't a great guy to have once you hit the big time in the playoffs. When he's matched up against top level 4's he's easy to exploit and struggles on the offensive end. He's probably the worst of the starting 4's left in the playoffs. That's right, I'm saying I think I like Ibaka better than him, though I'm not 100% on that.

He's been terrible in the playoffs this year....but he's been good in the past boozer in the playoffs

Yep he put up solid numbers against Chuck Hayes, Matt Barnes? (GS didn't really run out a starting 4 that year), Fabio Oberto, Luis Scola, a beat up Kenyon Martin.Two out of three years he got domniated by Pau Gasol, played him a little less than even in the 3rd.

That's what I'm saying - does well against average competition, comes up short against the elites.

 

[Mr. PadresLakers]

Kareem pitching another hissy fit. He's always been a delicate flower psychologically. Whine some more Kareem! Great times to be a Laker fan. <_<

I'm guessing he was expecting a phone call about the vacant head coaching position.

 

[Dan Gladden's Mustache]

Kareem pitching another hissy fit. He's always been a delicate flower psychologically. Whine some more Kareem! Great times to be a Laker fan. <_<

He's right, though. All of those statues in front of Staples, and his isn't one of them? That is pretty bad.

Right now there are only two Lakers (Magic & West) and Chick Hearn. It's not like they put him behind Disco Donny Ford or something. He's next, relax Cap.

I think he said on Mike and Mike yesterday that he's been told he's not next now.

 

[Popinski]

Kareem pitching another hissy fit. He's always been a delicate flower psychologically. Whine some more Kareem! Great times to be a Laker fan. <_<

He's right, though. All of those statues in front of Staples, and his isn't one of them? That is pretty bad.

Right now there are only two Lakers (Magic & West) and Chick Hearn. It's not like they put him behind Disco Donny Ford or something. He's next, relax Cap.

I think he said on Mike and Mike yesterday that he's been told he's not next now.

I saw portions of his segment on Mike and Mike, and he really came off as immature. He complained about how he had to take a salary cut (not sure what his exact title is with the Lakers), when they are giving the head coach $10-12 million. He also was upset about a time he was given an uncomfortable seat on an airplane, away from the seats the coaches get.

 

[Kev4029]

if the Cavs want Irving and Kanter they can probably stay at 4. The hypothetical above is about them trading for #2 to get Irving and Williams, so Beasley wouldn't make sense.

You're right, I have no idea what I was thinking.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Williams apparently told everyone who would listen today that he's a 3, not a 4.

Wolves also in talks to ship the #2 to the Pacerz.

 

[Abraham]

Williams apparently told everyone who would listen today that he's a 3, not a 4. Wolves also in talks to ship the #2 to the Pacerz.

The pacers don't need a 3. I guess they are hoping Irving "falls" to #2?

 

[saintfool]

That's what I'm saying - does well against average competition, comes up short against the elites.

i'd take ibaka now over him. i'd take serge over him in 3 years too.

 

[saintfool]

speaking of the draft, i see draftexpress has G Nolan Smith falling all the way to the end of R1. I would be pretty happy if the Spurs grabbed him. He might be a lot like George Hill in the final analysis but I think he has really good potential to fit on the Spurs.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Here's my SOD. Write this down!

Spoiler

Josh Selby.

 

[LHUCKS]

Williams apparently told everyone who would listen today that he's a 3, not a 4.

I have no idea where this 4 talk is coming from...it's rather bizarre. I think NBA guys want him to be a 4 because it's a harder position to fill, but the kid is much more of a 3...and he's going to be a damn good one too.

 

[cvnpoka]

Cavs have a huge hole at SF which is why Williams/Knight or Williams/Walker is a real possibility. Keep reading that Cavs have loved Irving for a long time though. I keep bouncing back and forth on Irving or Williams at 1. ETA: Although I've seen some columnists mention the Cavs could try to use their huge trade exception and the 4th pick to get 2nd pick and take Irving & Williams.

cavs have a huge hole at every position. not any player currently on their team is capable of being a significant factor on a contender. if you are "bouncing back and forth" on who you believe should go no1 then i understand. but i can state unequivocally that there is 0% chance the cavs take williams, save an injury/accident to irving.im not sure what the cavs think about walker or knight, but i cant imagine they have better upside than all of the foreign bigs, kanter, valanciuns, biyombo, donatos, vesely.worst case is the cavs get irving and valanciuns/biyombo/donatos/vesely whoever they prefer. best case they get irving and then dwill or kanter drops. thats such a better risk reward scenario than williams/knight or walker.

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

I think Tobias said this series has 3 of the top 5 players on the floor, not on the Heat. I would take that to mean Lebron, Wade, and Rose.

I don't think Bosh cracks anyone's top 10, unless we're talking about players who look like dinosaurs.

 

[cvnpoka]

The Wolves are gonna shop the heck out of that pick around the league....but I don't think the Cavs are going to be able to wow them. Actually, the Wolves probably don't have to do much shopping at all, their phones gotta be ringing. The best shot the Cavs have is to get a 3rd team involved in some fashion. Cavs have assets and the willingness to take on an unreasonable contract.

if the cavs want it they could get it for varejao+4th. thats way overpaying and i doubt cavs are that aggressive. maybe varejao alone, but i still think thats a bad deal for the cavs. the only other potential asset the cavs have is jj hickson but minnesota (and utah) have no interest in another 4.minnesota is gonna evaluate dwill as a true 4 and take kanter at 2. utah will look at their stockpile of 4s with millsap, al jeff, kirilenko and esp the young favors and take brandan knight.dwill droppin to 4 for the cavs #believeland

 

[cvnpoka]

Williams apparently told everyone who would listen today that he's a 3, not a 4.

I have no idea where this 4 talk is coming from...it's rather bizarre. I think NBA guys want him to be a 4 because it's a harder position to fill, but the kid is much more of a 3...and he's going to be a damn good one too.

its bc he played strictly as a 4 in college. nba guys most certainly want him to be a 3. but they question his handles, lateral quickness, penetrating abilities and outside game.

 

[LHUCKS]

Williams apparently told everyone who would listen today that he's a 3, not a 4.

I have no idea where this 4 talk is coming from...it's rather bizarre. I think NBA guys want him to be a 4 because it's a harder position to fill, but the kid is much more of a 3...and he's going to be a damn good one too.

its bc he played strictly as a 4 in college. nba guys most certainly want him to be a 3. but they question his handles, lateral quickness, penetrating abilities and outside game.

You're talking to somebody that watched every minute of his college career. He also played some 3 and a lot of 5 in college. For example, Versus Kansas he played the 5 vs. Morris because our other bigs couldn't handle him.In terms of the attributes you listed:His handles are legendary. His lateral quickness and offensive penetration are good for an NBA 3, amazing for an NBA 4. His outside shooting is legendary...he shot 60% from 3 point range as a Sophomore...that's not a typo. If I were to criticize him I would say he doesn't have the ball handling ability or speed of Lebron James. His lateral quickness/penetration ability is probably about average for a starting NBA3 at this point, but he's so athletic I don't see it being a long term issue. The release on his shot could be quicker and the elevation on his jump shot will need to improve for the NBA(but that's just about every collegiate sophomore)His strengths are his a) strength (Barkley repeatedly said during the NCAA commentary "Derrick Williams is a MAN"b) athleticism (go to youtube, some ferocious/soaring dunks) his ability to finish breaks is elitec) length (Lute Olson calls him a taller/stronger Iguodola, Iquodola known for his length)d) shooting prowess (I challenge you to find a NCAA #4 with his 3 point shooting stats)e) efficiency - he lead the NCAA in offensive efficiencyf) smarts - we're not talking about a thug with a low IQ. Smart kid, well liked by his teammates, came from a good home.g) unselfish - loves to pass the ball, very much in the mold of Iquodola, Miller had to get on him to shoot the ball more, he felt bad because he knew his other teammates wanted the ball more.h) shot blocking - his length and athleticism make him a beast in this respect, wont be as prevalent in the NBA thoughThis kid is a sure thing. The only other player I've labeled that coming out UofA is Richard Jefferson, and Williams makes Jefferson look like CBA IMHO.

 

[cvnpoka]

His outside shooting is legendary...he shot 60% from 3 point range as a Sophomore...that's not a typo.

well i guess the college stats sights have a typo then bc its .568 from 3. and on low volume, 1.9 attempts per game. and certainly a case of running hot since he shot 25% last year.hes most likely a good shooter with the ability to develop even better. but no, hes not a "legendary" shooter lol. if he was, he would shoot a ton more.http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/w/willide16.htmleta link

 

[LHUCKS]

hes most likely a good shooter with the ability to develop even better. but no, hes not a "legendary" shooter lol. if he was, he would shoot a ton more.

legendary for somebody at his positiongo ahead and list another NCAA #4 that has matched that as a SophomoreHe was above 60% before the postseason, it must have dipped a few percentage points.

 

[cvnpoka]

hes most likely a good shooter with the ability to develop even better. but no, hes not a "legendary" shooter lol. if he was, he would shoot a ton more.

legendary for somebody at his positiongo ahead and list another NCAA #4 that has matched that as a SophomoreHe was above 60% before the postseason, it must have dipped a few percentage points.

how about this, we make a wager on what his 3pt % will be in the pros and what sort of volume he puts in?

 

[LHUCKS]

hes most likely a good shooter

A "good" shooter?56% from 3 from a NCAA Sophomore PF.Okay.

 

[cvnpoka]

just saw your edit. shocking that small sample size will have high volatility and influenced by a 3 games.

 

[LHUCKS]

how about this, we make a wager on what his 3pt % will be in the pros and what sort of volume he puts in?

there's no way of knowing volume...way too many variables.he's strong enough so his range is no problem. his percentage will be good though, hard to say how good

 

[LHUCKS]

just saw your edit. shocking that small sample size will have high volatility and influenced by a 3 games.

3 games? don't forget the Pac10 tourney.It dipped 4%...have a party.

 

[cvnpoka]

how about this, we make a wager on what his 3pt % will be in the pros and what sort of volume he puts in?

there's no way of knowing volume...way too many variables.he's strong enough so his range is no problem. his percentage will be good though, hard to say how good

cmon man, this is a legendary shooter we are talking about. surely you will have a large edge with some mortal-like numbers. say 40%? 200 attempts for the season?

 

[LHUCKS]

how about this, we make a wager on what his 3pt % will be in the pros and what sort of volume he puts in?

there's no way of knowing volume...way too many variables.he's strong enough so his range is no problem. his percentage will be good though, hard to say how good

cmon man, this is a legendary shooter we are talking about. surely you will have a large edge with some mortal-like numbers. say 40%? 200 attempts for the season?

 

[derek245583]

"His handles are legendary"

 

[BRONG]

If the Lakers are slow playing, it's time to hit the switch.

Nahh. It's not necessary yet. When they get down by 20 tommorow with around 6 minutes left in the game, THEN it'll be time. Until then it's just a big yawner.

Nice to see you two bandwagon homers still blind as bats.

How do you want to pay me? I'll PM you my address so that you can send me a check

Just put your money on Dallas so you can break even; as I said, they will sweep. I can't believe you guys don't know your "team" better than this. There are towels all over Staples, if you looked closely.

Time to pay the piper, Timmy.

 

[scoobus]

legendary

 

[Bobcat10]

Are the Pac-10 baseball threads down or something?

 

[Abraham]

Does anyone know anything about the Euros in this draft? It looks like there are 3 or 4 that could go top10 -all with various skil sets.

Also, Rockets board has a link to multiple scouts saying that Kemba Walker is going to measure under 6' and that is going to make him slide.... we shall see.

 

[Bobcat10]

The Wolves are gonna shop the heck out of that pick around the league....but I don't think the Cavs are going to be able to wow them. Actually, the Wolves probably don't have to do much shopping at all, their phones gotta be ringing. The best shot the Cavs have is to get a 3rd team involved in some fashion. Cavs have assets and the willingness to take on an unreasonable contract.

if the cavs want it they could get it for varejao+4th. thats way overpaying and i doubt cavs are that aggressive. maybe varejao alone, but i still think thats a bad deal for the cavs. the only other potential asset the cavs have is jj hickson but minnesota (and utah) have no interest in another 4.minnesota is gonna evaluate dwill as a true 4 and take kanter at 2. utah will look at their stockpile of 4s with millsap, al jeff, kirilenko and esp the young favors and take brandan knight.dwill droppin to 4 for the cavs #believeland

Why would Varejao alone for #2 be too much to give up for the Cavs when two posts above you said:"not any player currently on their team is capable of being a significant factor on a contender."Now I know I'm nitpicking with your words...but I don't see why in the world the Cavs wouldn't ship out Andy for DWilliams if they could. People are already saying having 1 and 4 speeds up the process by about 2 years and that's assuming DWill is gone at #2.

 

[Gr00vus]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

 

[JMon348]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

 

[Gr00vus]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

Do tell - any more info on this supposed amnesty rule? I can think of a few guys who should be hitting the street off the Lakers' roster if they can just flat out release people.Am I crazy thinking Sessions would be a nice upgrade over Fisher and Blake? Not sure how they'd make it happen, but maybe the price won't be too steep.

 

[thecatch]

Williams apparently told everyone who would listen today that he's a 3, not a 4.

I have no idea where this 4 talk is coming from...it's rather bizarre. I think NBA guys want him to be a 4 because it's a harder position to fill, but the kid is much more of a 3...and he's going to be a damn good one too.

its bc he played strictly as a 4 in college. nba guys most certainly want him to be a 3. but they question his handles, lateral quickness, penetrating abilities and outside game.

David Thorpe (ESPN NBA Scout/trainer) thinks his best position in the NBA will be the 4.

 

[thecatch]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

Do tell - any more info on this supposed amnesty rule? I can think of a few guys who should be hitting the street off the Lakers' roster if they can just flat out release people.Am I crazy thinking Sessions would be a nice upgrade over Fisher and Blake? Not sure how they'd make it happen, but maybe the price won't be too steep.

I don't think Sessions is a guy you want standing around taking spot up 3's in the triangle, he needs to be active with the ball. Depends on what kind of offense LAL will be running next year.

 

[Bobcat10]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

Do tell - any more info on this supposed amnesty rule? I can think of a few guys who should be hitting the street off the Lakers' roster if they can just flat out release people.Am I crazy thinking Sessions would be a nice upgrade over Fisher and Blake? Not sure how they'd make it happen, but maybe the price won't be too steep.

You would certainly think that would be an upgrade although he may be better suited for that 6th man spark plug type player.He drew interest last season around the league and that was in the first year of his contract...which is very affordable. I'm not sure about the amnesty rule rumors either...but if that doesn't happen Baron isn't going anywhere for a year and a half.

 

[Gr00vus]

I'm not sure about the amnesty rule rumors either...but if that doesn't happen Baron isn't going anywhere for a year and a half.

So Davis would ride the pine? That seems less than ideal from a team chemistry perspective.

 

[JMon348]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

Do tell - any more info on this supposed amnesty rule? I can think of a few guys who should be hitting the street off the Lakers' roster if they can just flat out release people.Am I crazy thinking Sessions would be a nice upgrade over Fisher and Blake? Not sure how they'd make it happen, but maybe the price won't be too steep.

It would be like the Allan Houston rule from the last CBA.Interestingly enough, the Knicks did not use the Allan Houston rule on Allan Houston, they used it on Jerome Williams. The Lakers used theirs on Brian Grant. A few other teams used it too.

 

[Gr00vus]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

Do tell - any more info on this supposed amnesty rule? I can think of a few guys who should be hitting the street off the Lakers' roster if they can just flat out release people.Am I crazy thinking Sessions would be a nice upgrade over Fisher and Blake? Not sure how they'd make it happen, but maybe the price won't be too steep.

It would be like the Allan Houston rule from the last CBA.Interestingly enough, the Knicks did not use the Allan Houston rule on Allan Houston, they used it on Jerome Williams. The Lakers used theirs on Brian Grant. A few other teams used it too.

So, that'd be the end of Luke Walton, right?

 

[Kev4029]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

Do tell - any more info on this supposed amnesty rule? I can think of a few guys who should be hitting the street off the Lakers' roster if they can just flat out release people.Am I crazy thinking Sessions would be a nice upgrade over Fisher and Blake? Not sure how they'd make it happen, but maybe the price won't be too steep.

I don't think Sessions is a guy you want standing around taking spot up 3's in the triangle, he needs to be active with the ball. Depends on what kind of offense LAL will be running next year.

Yeah he was an absolute mess in the triangle in Minnesota a year ago. Hes a borderline starting talent at PG but in the triangle he'd be pretty worthless.

 

[Gr00vus]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

Do tell - any more info on this supposed amnesty rule? I can think of a few guys who should be hitting the street off the Lakers' roster if they can just flat out release people.Am I crazy thinking Sessions would be a nice upgrade over Fisher and Blake? Not sure how they'd make it happen, but maybe the price won't be too steep.

I don't think Sessions is a guy you want standing around taking spot up 3's in the triangle, he needs to be active with the ball. Depends on what kind of offense LAL will be running next year.

Yeah he was an absolute mess in the triangle in Minnesota a year ago. Hes a borderline starting talent at PG but in the triangle he'd be pretty worthless.

That's o.k., the Lakers don't run the triangle anymore anyway, haven't you been watching? He's got to be better on D than Fisher/Blake.

 

[JMon348]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

Do tell - any more info on this supposed amnesty rule? I can think of a few guys who should be hitting the street off the Lakers' roster if they can just flat out release people.Am I crazy thinking Sessions would be a nice upgrade over Fisher and Blake? Not sure how they'd make it happen, but maybe the price won't be too steep.

It would be like the Allan Houston rule from the last CBA.Interestingly enough, the Knicks did not use the Allan Houston rule on Allan Houston, they used it on Jerome Williams. The Lakers used theirs on Brian Grant. A few other teams used it too.

So, that'd be the end of Luke Walton, right?

Artest is more money and an extra year. I assume it would be him.

 

[Gr00vus]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

Do tell - any more info on this supposed amnesty rule? I can think of a few guys who should be hitting the street off the Lakers' roster if they can just flat out release people.Am I crazy thinking Sessions would be a nice upgrade over Fisher and Blake? Not sure how they'd make it happen, but maybe the price won't be too steep.

It would be like the Allan Houston rule from the last CBA.Interestingly enough, the Knicks did not use the Allan Houston rule on Allan Houston, they used it on Jerome Williams. The Lakers used theirs on Brian Grant. A few other teams used it too.

So, that'd be the end of Luke Walton, right?

Artest is more money and an extra year. I assume it would be him.

That was my other thought, but he's still a somewhat useful player - can't see Buss biting off that contract for nothing. With Walton, you're pretty much getting zero for your money either way, so you may as well get the luxury tax relief.

 

[Kev4029]

So Irving is a PG - right? Cle takes him and still has Davis and Sessions on the roster. One of those guys gets moved, if not both, right?

If the rumored amnesty rule comes with the new CBA, Davis will get cut.

Do tell - any more info on this supposed amnesty rule? I can think of a few guys who should be hitting the street off the Lakers' roster if they can just flat out release people.Am I crazy thinking Sessions would be a nice upgrade over Fisher and Blake? Not sure how they'd make it happen, but maybe the price won't be too steep.

It would be like the Allan Houston rule from the last CBA.Interestingly enough, the Knicks did not use the Allan Houston rule on Allan Houston, they used it on Jerome Williams. The Lakers used theirs on Brian Grant. A few other teams used it too.

So, that'd be the end of Luke Walton, right?

Artest is more money and an extra year. I assume it would be him.

Artest is an NBA player though, Walton is pretty terrible. They would have to shell out money to somebody to replace Artest's role, they could pay you in Kobe toenail clippings to replace what Walton brings.

 

[Bobcat10]

I'm not sure about the amnesty rule rumors either...but if that doesn't happen Baron isn't going anywhere for a year and a half.

So Davis would ride the pine? That seems less than ideal from a team chemistry perspective.

Who is going to take him off the Cavs hands with the money that is owed? The Clippers broke down right before the deadline and included an unprotected 1st to get rid of him...which, according to local beaters, the Cavs had demanded of them for a long time in their long pursuit of Baron.I think Baron is the starting PG this Fall, assuming there is basketball, and at some point will move to the bench. Scott isn't shy about playing two "PGs" together in his system either. But I agree there is not enough minutes for the three of them, and Gibson. It's only a matter of time before Baron gets dinged and Irving takes over.

 

[JMon348]

OH MY DURANT!!!!!!!!!!!

Best dunk of his career, never seen a play like that from Kevin.

If he starts being aggressive at the rim like that, look out Lebron, he's coming for your spot.