*NBA THREAD* Abe will be missed (3 Viewers)

[No. 16]

Agree on the defense, even Rose. My expectations of this team are rising but we will know a lot more by the time Boozer is healthy. Korver, Gibson, Noah, Deng from distance, and Asik are all better than expected. Brewer is starting to contribute and Watson looks like he belongs on the floor after a rough start. And Rose is playing like a true superstar now.

Some scoffed at the idea of Rose being in the top 3 PG discussion in this very thread, and while it is early, he is clearly showing that he belongs. The guy is turning into a superstar... What intrigues me at this point is how much better the 2nd unit gets when Taj gives way to Boozer. The 1st unit is playing great and while the 2nd unit has struggled a bit, they have made strides over the last few games.I'm with you though, my expectations were 47-50 wins... and while I still think they end up right around there, possibly in the low 50's, my interest has piqued after the stretch of recent games they have played.Should be fun to see what kind of impact Boozer makes.

The Rose of last year had no business being in the discussion of Top 3 but the Rose of this year with his improved passing and defense certainly does.

 

[SoBeDad]

Like a Bosh

What timing - Bosh had his best game in a Heat uniform - 35 pts in 31 minutes on 12 of 16 and 11 for 11 at the free throw line, along with 7 boards, 4 assists and no TOs. Of course, the Suns aren't a physical team.

 

[Mr. PadresLakers]

Like a Bosh

What timing - Bosh had his best game in a Heat uniform - 35 pts in 31 minutes on 12 of 16 and 11 for 11 at the free throw line, along with 7 boards, 4 assists and no TOs. Of course, the Suns aren't a physical team.

He really showed Hedo Turkoglu who is boss.

 

[Mr. PadresLakers]

Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden will undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee Friday and will miss the remainder of the 2010-11 season, the team announced Wednesday.

At least he will be an interesting free agent in the offseason.

 

[JMon348]

no idea if this game is live or not but cousins looks really good. i love watching these summer league games for some reason.

Cousins hit a big jump hook with 2.8 seconds left to put Sac on top by 1... and they got the win.I don't know how much this summer league action really means, but he is really playing well so far.

Was just coming in here to post about the game.Wow, he is great on the low block, reminds me exactly of Al Jefferson when he was dominating 2 years ago before his injury. Great moves and quickness.You can tell he's got a terrible attitude. Omri Casspi missed him for a wide open layup and he just looked disgusted with Casspi, ignoring a high 5, and basically shaking his head. He talked a lot of crap to the other team, and looked like he ignored his coach a couple of times. Hopefully Sacramento can keep him reigned in a bit. He needs a mentor that can talk to him, someone like Chris Webber, that he would respect.His conditioning isnt good at all, he didnt get back on D countless times. Im sure he will improve that, hopefully he wont get an attitude with the coaches when they try to push him.Great pick at 5, because he's got ROY talent. If they both play to their abilities Evans and Cousins will be a duo to remember.

I have never seen a player with a worse attitude than Cousins. Watching this Knicks/Kings game, Cousins is one of the laziest players Ive ever seen. On top of that his facial expressions and body language is the ABSOLUTE WORST Ive ever seen from a pro athlete in my lifetime. Dirty looks to teammates, shaking his head if anything goes wrong, walking away from coaches. Westphal takes him out during a timeout and all you see is Cousins throw his arms out and go to the end of the bench and sit down, while the rest of the team are still huddled up. Terrible, terrible, terrible. I feel bad for Kings fans, because this guy has just enough talent to stay and contribute on a team but he will never be great unless he goes through a drastic change. The worst Ive seen is Rasheed Wallace, but that was mainly towards officials, Cousins is doing it his own team and hes a FREAKING ROOKIE.

 

[Kev4029]

Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden will undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee Friday and will miss the remainder of the 2010-11 season, the team announced Wednesday.

At least he will be an interesting free agent in the offseason.

Thats sad to hear, Oden seems like one of the nicest players in the league and has/had so much talent.I feel sorry for the Blazers fans.

 

[Mr. PadresLakers]

Like a Bosh

What timing - Bosh had his best game in a Heat uniform - 35 pts in 31 minutes on 12 of 16 and 11 for 11 at the free throw line, along with 7 boards, 4 assists and no TOs. Of course, the Suns aren't a physical team.

He really showed Hedo Turkoglu who is boss.

Bump to add Bosh's post game quoteBosh on Coach Spoelstra "He wants to work, we wanna chill. I hope he can meet us halfway"

 

[tommyGunZ]

That seals it for Oden. Can't imagine he'll have anything left in the knees after another surgery. If you don't feel bad for the kid, you don't have a heart. Just horrible luck.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Came in here to say I'm pretty sad for Greg Oden. He has to be pretty depressed. Not to sound morbid, but they really should keep an eye on him.

Didnt the suns beat on the lakers? Why are laker fans talking trash on the heats dominant win tonight?

 

[Greg Oden's Knee]

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Wow.

 

[Mr. PadresLakers]

Came in here to say I'm pretty sad for Greg Oden. He has to be pretty depressed. Not to sound morbid, but they really should keep an eye on him. Didnt the suns beat on the lakers? Why are laker fans talking trash on the heats dominant win tonight?

Because Bosh chose to weakest front line in the league to have his breakout party and in the afterglow of his greatness told his coach he wanted to chill instead of work?

 

[otello]

Wow.

 

[Bobcat10]

Like a Bosh

What timing - Bosh had his best game in a Heat uniform - 35 pts in 31 minutes on 12 of 16 and 11 for 11 at the free throw line, along with 7 boards, 4 assists and no TOs. Of course, the Suns aren't a physical team.

He really showed Hedo Turkoglu who is boss.

Bump to add Bosh's post game quoteBosh on Coach Spoelstra "He wants to work, we wanna chill. I hope he can meet us halfway"

Serioulsy? Wow, that's great! Keep the good news coming out of Miami!

 

[boubucarow]

Agree on the defense, even Rose. My expectations of this team are rising but we will know a lot more by the time Boozer is healthy. Korver, Gibson, Noah, Deng from distance, and Asik are all better than expected. Brewer is starting to contribute and Watson looks like he belongs on the floor after a rough start. And Rose is playing like a true superstar now.

Some scoffed at the idea of Rose being in the top 3 PG discussion in this very thread, and while it is early, he is clearly showing that he belongs. The guy is turning into a superstar... What intrigues me at this point is how much better the 2nd unit gets when Taj gives way to Boozer. The 1st unit is playing great and while the 2nd unit has struggled a bit, they have made strides over the last few games.I'm with you though, my expectations were 47-50 wins... and while I still think they end up right around there, possibly in the low 50's, my interest has piqued after the stretch of recent games they have played.Should be fun to see what kind of impact Boozer makes.

The Rose of last year had no business being in the discussion of Top 3 but the Rose of this year with his improved passing and defense certainly does.

Healthy Rose last year in the second half of the year was an improved player over what was seen in the first couple months (injuries) and he has merely continued his improvement over the summer. His "improved" passing is merely a function of Thib's offense moving his teammates into positions to score and players like Bogans, Deng, Noah, Gibson, Korver, etc... converting more of his passes into assists. His shooting range has been creeping out to the three point line since his rookie year and is almost there right now (but not quite). Now his defense, you got me. His effort is increasing on that end.I agree he wasn't top 3 then and he is in the discussion now. However some of the "weaknesses" in his game were dramatically overstated to imply he could never be one the best PGs in the league.

 

[Bob Lee Swagger]

Agree on the defense, even Rose. My expectations of this team are rising but we will know a lot more by the time Boozer is healthy. Korver, Gibson, Noah, Deng from distance, and Asik are all better than expected. Brewer is starting to contribute and Watson looks like he belongs on the floor after a rough start. And Rose is playing like a true superstar now.

Some scoffed at the idea of Rose being in the top 3 PG discussion in this very thread, and while it is early, he is clearly showing that he belongs. The guy is turning into a superstar... What intrigues me at this point is how much better the 2nd unit gets when Taj gives way to Boozer. The 1st unit is playing great and while the 2nd unit has struggled a bit, they have made strides over the last few games.I'm with you though, my expectations were 47-50 wins... and while I still think they end up right around there, possibly in the low 50's, my interest has piqued after the stretch of recent games they have played.Should be fun to see what kind of impact Boozer makes.

The Rose of last year had no business being in the discussion of Top 3 but the Rose of this year with his improved passing and defense certainly does.

Healthy Rose last year in the second half of the year was an improved player over what was seen in the first couple months (injuries) and he has merely continued his improvement over the summer. His "improved" passing is merely a function of Thib's offense moving his teammates into positions to score and players like Bogans, Deng, Noah, Gibson, Korver, etc... converting more of his passes into assists. His shooting range has been creeping out to the three point line since his rookie year and is almost there right now (but not quite). Now his defense, you got me. His effort is increasing on that end.I agree he wasn't top 3 then and he is in the discussion now. However some of the "weaknesses" in his game were dramatically overstated to imply he could never be one the best PGs in the league.

Don't forget that Rose is playing with turf toe right now.

 

[Kev4029]

Awesome.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Going to start up the Sonny Weems bandwagon here if thats alright. The kid has been playing great ball lately averaging 18PPG in his last 5, shooting 60% and even knocking down some 3's (5/10). We've got a future all-star here folks. Get on the wagon while there is still room.

 

[Kev4029]

Going to start up the Sonny Weems bandwagon here if thats alright. The kid has been playing great ball lately averaging 18PPG in his last 5, shooting 60% and even knocking down some 3's (5/10). We've got a future all-star here folks. Get on the wagon while there is still room.

I was sad when the Nuggets got rid of him. He's got top notch athleticism too, I think he is developing into what the Raptors had hoped DeRozan could, an athletic defender with some scoring chops.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Came in here to say I'm pretty sad for Greg Oden. He has to be pretty depressed. Not to sound morbid, but they really should keep an eye on him. Didnt the suns beat on the lakers? Why are laker fans talking trash on the heats dominant win tonight?

Because Bosh chose to weakest front line in the league to have his breakout party and in the afterglow of his greatness told his coach he wanted to chill instead of work?

Why didn't Gasol beat on them and the Lakers destroy the Suns?Did you hear Bosh's quote, or just read it? He's just a funny laid back guy. They were talking about how practice the last 3 days was back to training camp etc.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Going to start up the Sonny Weems bandwagon here if thats alright. The kid has been playing great ball lately averaging 18PPG in his last 5, shooting 60% and even knocking down some 3's (5/10). We've got a future all-star here folks. Get on the wagon while there is still room.

I was sad when the Nuggets got rid of him. He's got top notch athleticism too, I think he is developing into what the Raptors had hoped DeRozan could, an athletic defender with some scoring chops.

He's got the jumper and the muscle that Derozan does not currently have.

 

[Mr. PadresLakers]

Came in here to say I'm pretty sad for Greg Oden. He has to be pretty depressed. Not to sound morbid, but they really should keep an eye on him.

Didnt the suns beat on the lakers? Why are laker fans talking trash on the heats dominant win tonight?

Because Bosh chose to weakest front line in the league to have his breakout party and in the afterglow of his greatness told his coach he wanted to chill instead of work?

Why didn't Gasol beat on them and the Lakers destroy the Suns?Did you hear Bosh's quote, or just read it? He's just a funny laid back guy. They were talking about how practice the last 3 days was back to training camp etc.

Who said he didn't? He had 28 points and 17 rebounds. More importantly hes shown up nearly every game. The Lakers lost to the Suns because they allowed the Suns to make 22 three pointers at a 55% clip. I watched it.

 

[Abraham]

That seals it for Oden. Can't imagine he'll have anything left in the knees after another surgery. If you don't feel bad for the kid, you don't have a heart. Just horrible luck.

I don't really feel bad for him, mostly because I'm not sure what he ever did to deserve all the good fortune that came his way. Yes, he seems like a nice person, which is great. But there are a lot of nice people in the world that don't make 20 million dollars on the back of the potential they showed when they were 16 or 17. Oden is rich because he was a 7' tall 16 year old and had hand eye coordination that most people that tall don't develop til a later age. He literally has not been healthy enough to play basketball for a long duration of time since he was 17 1/2 years old.

 

[Gr00vus]

How have the Pistons won 4 games? Was last night an aberration? I haven't seen a team that listless since the EC semi-finals last year.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

That seals it for Oden. Can't imagine he'll have anything left in the knees after another surgery. If you don't feel bad for the kid, you don't have a heart. Just horrible luck.

I don't really feel bad for him, mostly because I'm not sure what he ever did to deserve all the good fortune that came his way. Yes, he seems like a nice person, which is great. But there are a lot of nice people in the world that don't make 20 million dollars on the back of the potential they showed when they were 16 or 17. Oden is rich because he was a 7' tall 16 year old and had hand eye coordination that most people that tall don't develop til a later age. He literally has not been healthy enough to play basketball for a long duration of time since he was 17 1/2 years old.

That's pretty cold.

 

[Abraham]

That seals it for Oden. Can't imagine he'll have anything left in the knees after another surgery. If you don't feel bad for the kid, you don't have a heart. Just horrible luck.

I don't really feel bad for him, mostly because I'm not sure what he ever did to deserve all the good fortune that came his way. Yes, he seems like a nice person, which is great. But there are a lot of nice people in the world that don't make 20 million dollars on the back of the potential they showed when they were 16 or 17. Oden is rich because he was a 7' tall 16 year old and had hand eye coordination that most people that tall don't develop til a later age. He literally has not been healthy enough to play basketball for a long duration of time since he was 17 1/2 years old.

That's pretty cold.

How so? 20 MILLION DOLLARS on potential alone. This isn't Bo Jackson blowing out his hip in his prime.

 

[Kev4029]

That seals it for Oden. Can't imagine he'll have anything left in the knees after another surgery. If you don't feel bad for the kid, you don't have a heart. Just horrible luck.

I don't really feel bad for him, mostly because I'm not sure what he ever did to deserve all the good fortune that came his way. Yes, he seems like a nice person, which is great. But there are a lot of nice people in the world that don't make 20 million dollars on the back of the potential they showed when they were 16 or 17. Oden is rich because he was a 7' tall 16 year old and had hand eye coordination that most people that tall don't develop til a later age. He literally has not been healthy enough to play basketball for a long duration of time since he was 17 1/2 years old.

That's pretty cold.

How so? 20 MILLION DOLLARS on potential alone. This isn't Bo Jackson blowing out his hip in his prime.

Just because he made some money he deserves no sympathy? There are a lot of guys I wouldn't feel sorry for in the world of sports, but Oden seemed like a nice, hard working dude that has had nothing but bad luck after being drafted. Money doesn't make him feel good about being a enormous bust at this point of his career.

 

[hxperson]

Going to start up the Sonny Weems bandwagon here if thats alright. The kid has been playing great ball lately averaging 18PPG in his last 5, shooting 60% and even knocking down some 3's (5/10). We've got a future all-star here folks. Get on the wagon while there is still room.

I was sad when the Nuggets got rid of him. He's got top notch athleticism too, I think he is developing into what the Raptors had hoped DeRozan could, an athletic defender with some scoring chops.

He's got the jumper and the muscle that Derozan does not currently have.

Actually I've been fairly impressed with Derozan's improvement this year. He doesn't yet have the consistency that Sonny has, but his offensive game has the potential to be more versatile. When I watched him at USC, it was quite apparent to me that he would be a slow developer in the NBA, and that's pretty much how it has played out. This year he's been more aggressive attacking the basket, and with his improved strength, has been able to finish much better. His jump shot still needs a lot of work though. I think both Weems and Derozan will end up being above average players. BTW, do you know what the latest is on Ed davis? is this season a wash for him?

 

[Abraham]

That seals it for Oden. Can't imagine he'll have anything left in the knees after another surgery. If you don't feel bad for the kid, you don't have a heart. Just horrible luck.

I don't really feel bad for him, mostly because I'm not sure what he ever did to deserve all the good fortune that came his way. Yes, he seems like a nice person, which is great. But there are a lot of nice people in the world that don't make 20 million dollars on the back of the potential they showed when they were 16 or 17. Oden is rich because he was a 7' tall 16 year old and had hand eye coordination that most people that tall don't develop til a later age. He literally has not been healthy enough to play basketball for a long duration of time since he was 17 1/2 years old.

That's pretty cold.

How so? 20 MILLION DOLLARS on potential alone. This isn't Bo Jackson blowing out his hip in his prime.

Just because he made some money he deserves no sympathy? There are a lot of guys I wouldn't feel sorry for in the world of sports, but Oden seemed like a nice, hard working dude that has had nothing but bad luck after being drafted. Money doesn't make him feel good about being a enormous bust at this point of his career.

I realize I'm sounding cold about this, and I'm sorry for coming off as a mean spirited person. I'm not (I don't think). I just don't see why we should feel sorry for a person who, by all accounts, has avoided many/most of the struggles that many people go through all because he was born tall. Is it sad for him that he won't play basketball? I guess. But it's not like he's terminally ill or something.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Going to start up the Sonny Weems bandwagon here if thats alright. The kid has been playing great ball lately averaging 18PPG in his last 5, shooting 60% and even knocking down some 3's (5/10). We've got a future all-star here folks. Get on the wagon while there is still room.

I was sad when the Nuggets got rid of him. He's got top notch athleticism too, I think he is developing into what the Raptors had hoped DeRozan could, an athletic defender with some scoring chops.

He's got the jumper and the muscle that Derozan does not currently have.

Actually I've been fairly impressed with Derozan's improvement this year. He doesn't yet have the consistency that Sonny has, but his offensive game has the potential to be more versatile. When I watched him at USC, it was quite apparent to me that he would be a slow developer in the NBA, and that's pretty much how it has played out. This year he's been more aggressive attacking the basket, and with his improved strength, has been able to finish much better. His jump shot still needs a lot of work though. I think both Weems and Derozan will end up being above average players. BTW, do you know what the latest is on Ed davis? is this season a wash for him?

Derozan has definitely improved. His body control when he goes to the rim is amazing, rarely is he out of control. His jumper still needs a ton of work and the consistency you mentioned; just seems to disappear in some games (Like last night). Him and Weems at the 2/3 in the coming years should be great to watch... provided the Raptors can re-sign Weems after this season. I believe Davis is starting to do some light drills in practice but is still probably a month away. I think they plan on sending him to the d-league for a few games once he is recovered to let him get in shape. Hopefully they can send Anderson packing once Davis is in the lineup. Heck, he shouldn't be playing in front of Dorsey as it is.ETA:From Doug Smith's blog re: Davis

Solomon Alabi and Ed Davis are with the team today but not for long, I’m told.I think you’ll see Alabi assigned to Erie of the D League the first of the week so he can go down there and get some practice and game work with the Bayhawks.And I’m told Davis may get some time down in the minors in the next little while (maybe a week or so away) to get some game work in as he comes back from knee surgery.I guess both moves make sense, although I do think each of the young bigs would benefit almost as much from practicing against NBA guys than playing in a guard-oriented minor league, but as long as they’re not gone long, there’s no big problem.The Davis move is the one I’m sure you’re most interested in, given the daily questions I get about his return.Glancing at the Erie schedule, they play at home the 19th and 20th and then away the 26th and 28th so you’re logically looking at Davis getting back with the Raptors sometime after the 28th and – maybe – being in an NBA uniform for the Dec. 1 home game against the Wizards.That’s if there are no setbacks, of course.

 

[hxperson]

Going to start up the Sonny Weems bandwagon here if thats alright. The kid has been playing great ball lately averaging 18PPG in his last 5, shooting 60% and even knocking down some 3's (5/10). We've got a future all-star here folks. Get on the wagon while there is still room.

I was sad when the Nuggets got rid of him. He's got top notch athleticism too, I think he is developing into what the Raptors had hoped DeRozan could, an athletic defender with some scoring chops.

He's got the jumper and the muscle that Derozan does not currently have.

Actually I've been fairly impressed with Derozan's improvement this year. He doesn't yet have the consistency that Sonny has, but his offensive game has the potential to be more versatile. When I watched him at USC, it was quite apparent to me that he would be a slow developer in the NBA, and that's pretty much how it has played out. This year he's been more aggressive attacking the basket, and with his improved strength, has been able to finish much better. His jump shot still needs a lot of work though. I think both Weems and Derozan will end up being above average players. BTW, do you know what the latest is on Ed davis? is this season a wash for him?

Derozan has definitely improved. His body control when he goes to the rim is amazing, rarely is he out of control. His jumper still needs a ton of work and the consistency you mentioned; just seems to disappear in some games (Like last night). Him and Weems at the 2/3 in the coming years should be great to watch... provided the Raptors can re-sign Weems after this season. I believe Davis is starting to do some light drills in practice but is still probably a month away. I think they plan on sending him to the d-league for a few games once he is recovered to let him get in shape. Hopefully they can send Anderson packing once Davis is in the lineup. Heck, he shouldn't be playing in front of Dorsey as it is.

Ha- I flew down to Miami this weekend with some buddies to catch the Heat/Raps game and boo Rupaul... the lineup the Raps put out there was embarassing at one point in the game. I think it was Anderson, Dorsey, Calderon, Weems, and Amir Johnson.

 

[Kev4029]

I realize I'm sounding cold about this, and I'm sorry for coming off as a mean spirited person. I'm not (I don't think). I just don't see why we should feel sorry for a person who, by all accounts, has avoided many/most of the struggles that many people go through all because he was born tall. Is it sad for him that he won't play basketball? I guess. But it's not like he's terminally ill or something.

Here is a good quote from John Hollinger off his daily ESPN column:But for me, this gets back to Oden. It's hard to call somebody a "victim" when they've made $20 million and mostly been an observer, but as has often been said over the past few years, none of this could have happened to a nicer guy. Moreover, he's a very self-aware one -- which many pro athletes aren't -- and that's made this worse for him than it would be for virtually anyone else.

 

[tommyGunZ]

That seals it for Oden. Can't imagine he'll have anything left in the knees after another surgery. If you don't feel bad for the kid, you don't have a heart. Just horrible luck.

I don't really feel bad for him, mostly because I'm not sure what he ever did to deserve all the good fortune that came his way. Yes, he seems like a nice person, which is great. But there are a lot of nice people in the world that don't make 20 million dollars on the back of the potential they showed when they were 16 or 17. Oden is rich because he was a 7' tall 16 year old and had hand eye coordination that most people that tall don't develop til a later age. He literally has not been healthy enough to play basketball for a long duration of time since he was 17 1/2 years old.

That's pretty cold.

How so? 20 MILLION DOLLARS on potential alone. This isn't Bo Jackson blowing out his hip in his prime.

It's worse. Oden never even got to his prime, and the 20M is about 1/8 of what he'd have made had he been able to remain relatively healthy. The guy has worked hard. Everyone says he's a great teammate. This guy had all time great potential and a great head on his shoulders.

 

[Moe.]

I don't really feel bad for him, mostly because I'm not sure what he ever did to deserve all the good fortune that came his way. Yes, he seems like a nice person, which is great. But there are a lot of nice people in the world that don't make 20 million dollars on the back of the potential they showed when they were 16 or 17. Oden is rich because he was a 7' tall 16 year old and had hand eye coordination that most people that tall don't develop til a later age. He literally has not been healthy enough to play basketball for a long duration of time since he was 17 1/2 years old.

That's pretty cold.

How so? 20 MILLION DOLLARS on potential alone. This isn't Bo Jackson blowing out his hip in his prime.

Just because he made some money he deserves no sympathy? There are a lot of guys I wouldn't feel sorry for in the world of sports, but Oden seemed like a nice, hard working dude that has had nothing but bad luck after being drafted. Money doesn't make him feel good about being a enormous bust at this point of his career.

I realize I'm sounding cold about this, and I'm sorry for coming off as a mean spirited person. I'm not (I don't think). I just don't see why we should feel sorry for a person who, by all accounts, has avoided many/most of the struggles that many people go through all because he was born tall. Is it sad for him that he won't play basketball? I guess. But it's not like he's terminally ill or something.

Compared to every other person in the world I guess you're right, but we're talking about relative sympathy. Given the situation, you don't feel bad for him?

 

[GOB]

The problem with the Magic is twofold:1) SVG needs to settle on a rotation. You can't start Ryan Anderson one night and then not play him the next. You can't let Pietrus go two games without playing him a minute, and then have him make the inbound pass on a critical play with 3 seconds left. It's insane. 2) We need Pacino to row Rashard Lewis out to a lake and shoot him already. The past 3 years he was ridiculously overpaid, but at least productive. Now he's one of the worst starters in basketball, and worse, he looks scared ####less out there. When is SVG going to realize Jameer-Carter-Dwight-Bass-Pietrus is his best lineup?

I heard the announcers talking about it the other day, and one (I forget who) said that he liked Howard and Gortat on the floor together. Thoughts?

Gortat is really not a good offensive player. I'd much prefer finding a way to get Bass as the primary 4. He can still space the floor.

Orlando has all these parts but I don't even think SVG knows how to use them properly let. They are going to win a lot of games, finish anywhere from 1-4 in the East. I think #3, but we will see. I really hope they make some sort of move to get another impact player instead of having this deep team. I know its very unlikely to happen but I can hope.

 

[Kev4029]

I love watching Andre Miller. Hes the most unique player in the NBA, he's an average athlete, poorly conditioned and is getting old yet some how he is deceptively quick and has more moves around the basket than any player I have ever seen. He makes me feel like anybody could succeed in the NBA with enough work on their game. On top of that, I miss Richard Pryor and he fills that void.

 

[JMon348]

I love watching Andre Miller. Hes the most unique player in the NBA, he's an average athlete, poorly conditioned and is getting old yet some how he is deceptively quick and has more moves around the basket than any player I have ever seen. He makes me feel like anybody could succeed in the NBA with enough work on their game. On top of that, I miss Richard Pryor and he fills that void.

Never watched Olajuwon, McHale, Duncan, or Gasol?

 

[Kev4029]

I love watching Andre Miller. Hes the most unique player in the NBA, he's an average athlete, poorly conditioned and is getting old yet some how he is deceptively quick and has more moves around the basket than any player I have ever seen. He makes me feel like anybody could succeed in the NBA with enough work on their game. On top of that, I miss Richard Pryor and he fills that void.

Never watched Olajuwon, McHale, Duncan, or Gasol?

Did you just compare Gasol to Olajuwon, McHale and Duncan?Clearly Miller doesn't have the dominating post moves of 4 HOF big men, but he has more little tricks in the post than anybody I've ever seen.

Last night over a short stretch he had a nice up and under, a fade away on the block, a spin/side step, a strong drive from down low and at least one face up jumper. They don't always go in, but its amazing how he gets in a position to make shots.

ETA: Here is a link with some of his post moves, along with some from Billups.

 

[scoobygang]

Clearly Miller doesn't have the dominating post moves of 4 HOF big men, but he has more little tricks in the post than anybody I've ever seen.

Last night over a short stretch he had a nice up and under, a fade away on the block, a spin/side step, a strong drive from down low and at least one face up jumper. They don't always go in, but its amazing how he gets in a position to make shots.

ETA: Here is a link with some of his post moves, along with some from Billups.

The king of this type of game was Adrian Dantley. Dantley wasn't a post-up guy per se. He got the ball on the wing and then went into the paint, but he's still the best "guile" scorer I've ever seen.

 

[Kev4029]

Clearly Miller doesn't have the dominating post moves of 4 HOF big men, but he has more little tricks in the post than anybody I've ever seen.

Last night over a short stretch he had a nice up and under, a fade away on the block, a spin/side step, a strong drive from down low and at least one face up jumper. They don't always go in, but its amazing how he gets in a position to make shots.

ETA: Here is a link with some of his post moves, along with some from Billups.

The king of this type of game was Adrian Dantley. Dantley wasn't a post-up guy per se. He got the ball on the wing and then went into the paint, but he's still the best "guile" scorer I've ever seen.

Unfortunately, I'm too young to have seen Dantley play, but I think he did do wonders on Melo's post game as an assistant on the Nuggets staff.

 

[saintfool]

I love watching Andre Miller. Hes the most unique player in the NBA, he's an average athlete, poorly conditioned and is getting old yet some how he is deceptively quick and has more moves around the basket than any player I have ever seen. He makes me feel like anybody could succeed in the NBA with enough work on their game. On top of that, I miss Richard Pryor and he fills that void.

a better miller?"big man" miller

miller is not to be trifled with

smooooooth like butter

 

[Major]

Clearly Miller doesn't have the dominating post moves of 4 HOF big men, but he has more little tricks in the post than anybody I've ever seen.

Last night over a short stretch he had a nice up and under, a fade away on the block, a spin/side step, a strong drive from down low and at least one face up jumper. They don't always go in, but its amazing how he gets in a position to make shots.

ETA: Here is a link with some of his post moves, along with some from Billups.

The king of this type of game was Adrian Dantley. Dantley wasn't a post-up guy per se. He got the ball on the wing and then went into the paint, but he's still the best "guile" scorer I've ever seen.

Dantley was a beast back in the day. Ballin' on the reg.

 

[whitem0nkey]

the refs need to start calling fouls when rose gets hacked. he gets beat up so much while attacking the rim and does not get the calls. he is going to the line just about 5 times a games.

 

[Juxtatarot]

the refs need to start calling fouls when rose gets hacked. he gets beat up so much while attacking the rim and does not get the calls. he is going to the line just about 5 times a games.

Rose has mentioned that he grew up learning to avoid fouls since they wouldn't be called at the playground. He's also so strong that he doesn't show a reaction to being hit like many other guards. I don't think he's being treated unfairly these days. I would have agreed you during his rookie year, however.

 

[Steelfan7]

So have Knick fans given up on trading for Melo this year? Chandler is playing the same as always (other than a HUGE uptick in blocks, which is weird), Gallinari has lost his stroke, Randolph is showing that he is never going to amount to anything, the only young guy playing well is Fields. I haven't looked into the Knicks cap situation until today, they are on the hook for about 42.5 million next year plus a $3.1 million dollar qualifying offer for Wilson Chandler. To get Melo in free agency, assuming the CBA stays similar to what it is now, they would have to start giving players away again. Unless Melo wants to take less than the Max, his only options as of right now (cap wise) are stay in Denver, go to NJ, Indiana, Memphis, Minnesota, OKC or Sacramento.

Gallo has found his stroke. AR is not going to be a franchise type player like some Knicks fans were hyping him to be, but the season is young and he's coming off an ankle injury. He can become an energy type of guy who can defend and rebound. I believe the Knicks will have cap room to sign Melo. Felton is a young guy and is playing very well.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Chase Budinger single handedly blew the game for the Rockets last night. Wow was he horrible. It was almost like he had $$$ on the Raptors. 0-6 on wide open shots, 2 TOs and got completely abused by Kleiza who I'm pretty sure was 5 for 5 in the post against. Might not sound like too much but it was clearly the difference in the game. Out of the league once his contract is up? I'm guessing so.

 

[Balco]

So Raptors fans, if Jarret Jack gets traded to the Hornets, as has been reported, does Calderon see 30 + minutes a night?

 

[Cliff Clavin]

So Raptors fans, if Jarret Jack gets traded to the Hornets, as has been reported, does Calderon see 30 + minutes a night?

Definitely. Marcus Banks is the only other PG on the roster.ETA: Just saw the proposed deal. So they would have Calderon and Bayless as their only two PGs... and Bayless isn't very good.

 

[Balco]

So Raptors fans, if Jarret Jack gets traded to the Hornets, as has been reported, does Calderon see 30 + minutes a night?

Definitely. Marcus Banks is the only other PG on the roster.

Do you think Bayless would keep Calderon from getting those minutes?I am assuming they are getting rid of Jack to save money going forward. Stojacovic's contract comes off the books next season.It's crazy, the Raptors looked to be in horrible cap shape, and compounded matters with the horrible deal for Turkaglu. Now it looks they are getting out of it in short order. Kudos to management.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

So Raptors fans, if Jarret Jack gets traded to the Hornets, as has been reported, does Calderon see 30 + minutes a night?

Definitely. Marcus Banks is the only other PG on the roster.

Do you think Bayless would keep Calderon from getting those minutes?I am assuming they are getting rid of Jack to save money going forward. Stojacovic's contract comes off the books next season.It's crazy, the Raptors looked to be in horrible cap shape, and compounded matters with the horrible deal for Turkaglu. Now it looks they are getting out of it in short order. Kudos to management.

I highly doubt it. Calderon is outplaying Jack this year. The stats might not show it but it is pretty clear from watching them play. Jack might be the starter, but Calderon is the PG they have on the floor in crunch-time. One of them had to go. The only way Bayless will steal minutes is if he is a great on-ball defender (I have no idea if he is or not). Calderon gets abused by quick guards and was often pulled from games in favor of Jack in those situations. Great trade for the Raptors if this happens. Clears up the PG situation. Gets rid of a 'big-man' in Anderson as Davis is only a couple weeks away from playing and Banks was just a bench warmer.