ZoomSlowik

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ May 1, 2014 -> 07:36 PM) I forget, which one anointed himself King before ever playing an NBA game? And which one was a high pick but has probably over achieved based on expectations when he was drafted? Um, both of them? I don't care who it is, you don't generally predict guys to win multiple MVP's (Durant will get at least one more).

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 29, 2014 -> 03:11 PM) Well its a little bit you. And Rock, And Sonix. It isnt a bad thing, i understand the difference between theater of the mind and putting it to a movie/tv show. I just dont want to be let down, you know? This show delivers on so many different levels, and me and my buddy have a lot of conversations during and after the show. I would hate for me to have to stifle that conversation because I knew something was coming. This is the part when Steve comes in and cries about me ruining the Purple Wedding on facebook. Ha! Yes, it can be difficult for me to discuss the show with people that haven't read the books. I have the restraint, but I occasionally forget exactly when something happened in the book timeline.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 29, 2014 -> 02:23 PM) Im gonna read the books after the show is over, then re watch the show to see how i feel. Right now, I just see too much disappointment in interpretation, I dont want to ruin it I hope that's not about me. I'm happy with 98% of the show and a lot of it is awesome. Some of this recent stuff is just bugging me slightly. I'm also obviously a bit concerned (that might even be too strong a word) about what happens when they pass the books.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Apr 29, 2014 -> 08:09 AM) At least a third of AFfC was almost unreadable. I would have been pretty pissed if I had been waiting years for book number 4 and then that's what came out I lean this way as well. FfC and DwD aren't awful perse, but there's a lot of lulls. It's not because there are fewer battles and less action either, it's because a lot of stuff didn't really go anywhere useful (yet). CoK isn't exactly brimming with action and battles outside of the Blackwater sequence, but I had no issues with the pacing of that one. s*** didn't really start hitting the fan until halfway through SoS either. Now obviously there was still stuff going on, but that's my point.

Spurs might have won the game on that call. Not sure I'd call that "intent" on Blair's part.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Apr 28, 2014 -> 07:11 PM) They met with Martin last year to get the details for how the story will play out. There's no chance the show doesn't pass the books. HBO owns the rights to the story now. Martin is a contributor, but has no say in how the show plays out. If you don't want to spoiled, stop watching. They'll be in WOW territory next year. Also, there won't be Coldhands. His character is just a vehicle to get Bran to Bloodraven. I doubt they move THAT fast. They still have like a third of SoS. There are SOME things that happen in FfC and DwD.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Apr 28, 2014 -> 06:22 PM) They're going to pass the books and they don't care. The show runners know what happens. I think they care given that they follow them pretty closely (with some obvious exceptions) and most of their changes are removing characters/simplifying stuff due to time constraints. George also still writes significant episodes. However, they can't wait forever obviously. I have no idea how much they know. That's obviously a consideration. If it's basically "everbody dies" or something along those lines, that's a lot of stuff to fill in.

QUOTE (scs787 @ Apr 28, 2014 -> 05:34 PM) Is it not something else to talk about? I didn't know it had to be some earthshaking news to break the fili talk. I just like giving you s*** for your fascination with bad and/or irrelevant players. There's maybe a 1-50 chance he turns into anything.

QUOTE (scs787 @ Apr 28, 2014 -> 05:13 PM) In efforts it turn this back to basketball....What's the scouting report on Nolan Smith...Sounds like he might be Thibs next reclamation project...Good move? Seriously? That's your attempt to steer it back towards basketball? Talking about a 6'2"/6'3" shooting guard that has hit about 26% of his NBA 3's?

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Apr 28, 2014 -> 05:00 PM) This thread is turning into fili. Stop it! Now! Seriously, we've known that Sterling is a racist douchebag for years. NOW it's news and the league has to take action? Whatever.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Apr 28, 2014 -> 04:44 PM) They're not telling the story in a linear fashion like in the books. Dany and Bran's story have both already gone into Feast and Dance territory. The writers aren't going to have a clusterf*** because they know the story. They can tell it however they see fit. It's Game of Thrones, not A Song of Ice and Fire. You obviously can't tell it EXACTLY like it is in the books because 4 and 5 are basically concurrent. However, if you've read the books, you know there are issues once they finish the SoS material. What are they going to do, start making s*** up after They signed on for two more seasons, and it's going to lose a lot of steam if we have two years of That's why I'm not sure why they're getting into FfC and DwD stuff on some of these storylines, unless they know WoW is coming out soon or already have a really good outline. I'm not one of those people that freaks out because Daario's hair isn't blue, but I want the show to keep being good and that will be tricky once they reach the tipping point. Again, this is assuming WoW isn't out anytime soon, and I tend to be pessimistic on those things.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Apr 28, 2014 -> 03:00 PM) You're crazy. That was phenomenal episode. I love the deviations. The 4th and 5th book pretty much suck. I want to get through those storylines ASAP. There's still TONS of good Storm of Swords stuff they have to get through. That kind of filler would likely be much more useful next season when they don't have as many major events to work with.

QUOTE (onedude @ Apr 27, 2014 -> 10:05 PM) Dunno what to think of the deviation of the show from the books after that episode. I like some of the changes and the filler, but some of this stuff can cause problems for characters in the future. This stuff with the remaining Night's Watch at Craster's Keep has me concerned. So far, my reaction is "WTF?"

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Apr 23, 2014 -> 10:32 PM) Lamarcus Aldridge continues to absolutely destroy the Rockets. I don't know what Houston's doing by not putting Howard or Asik on him constantly. He just destroys anyone else.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Apr 23, 2014 -> 08:05 PM) Good work@zoom with the salary cap stuff. NBA salary cap confuses the hell out of me, especially with all the exceptions. Anyway, I don't believe for a second Carmelo will sign here. I just hope the Bulls get with the modern nba program and add some floor spacers to combat these advanced defenses. Larry Coon's FAQ is by far the best site I know of to find answers. The FAQ's at the top help a ton. Yes, the cap is far too complicated and I admittedly forget at least one random wrinkle in every salary cap post I make. Honestly, my best trick is editing stuff I screwed up later to make myself look smart. Rose obviously helps a ton if he's close to his old self just by drawing defenders, but they've needed another option for several years. The pipedream is someone like Melo or Love, but I try not to get too hopeful for that. Mirotic can definitely stroke the 3, but I'm a little worried that Thibs will only give him like 20 MPG because DEFENSE. Hopefully he's at least a 13-8 type like Ersan Ilysova when he's right (Yes, I know Ersan sucked this year), that would help the Bulls a lot. Not only would drawing bigs out of the paint be a huge help, they'd have a pretty nasty offense/defense platoon with Taj. I'd love to see a setup where Noah gets more like 32 a game in the regular season, those two both get in the high-20's and they find a token large banger for the few times they need a 2nd center. That can be a damn good frontcourt. The real trick is finding a legit wing that can go for 20+ when he's on but not taking 18 shots to get there (lookin' at you Luol). I don't know where that comes from. They'll have shots with the two firsts, but I don't expect to get that kind of upside at those spots. I think I'd take Young personally because I think he has the most raw talent, but Stauskas would be the better fit for what they have now. I guess PJ Hairston or Rodney Hood would work too, but they're less exciting to me. It doesn't help that Butler had a terrible year offensively, I was hoping for better. He gets to the line at a nice rate, but if he's shooting 40% that doesn't help. If he can get to 45% from the field, that'd help a ton. I also think you need 3 PG's on the roster next year with Rose's recent history, or at least 2 and a combo guard. One of them can be a Nate/DJ type, but the other one has to be better than freakin' Hinrich. I think Gary Harris would be a great fit off the bench, but he's unlikely to make it to 16. Zach Lavine would be an interesting fit too, but I'm not sure they can afford to take a project.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Apr 23, 2014 -> 05:22 PM) The hard part is moving Gibson truly hurts the team long term. We have very little bigs and can't bring Mirotic over. Sign and trade seems like best possible option but again, we might have to clear the cuboards to do it. The key really is if Melo will sign for 17-18M per year. In which case, Bulls might have flexibility to make something happen without decimating the team. The problem is that math above is already for a bare-bones roster. Look at the lack of depth up front and at PG in the math I did. A $5 million paycut for Melo wouldn't drastically change the math as that would still only leave about $3 million in cap space to fill multiple holes (and the two picks, but they'll be mid-round rookies). You still have to do it because a Rose/Melo/Noah core is something to work with, but the rest of the roster would be pretty weak. If we're talking sign and trade, then yeah, MUCH more room to work with. Right now they're projected to be almost $14 million under the tax line. That doesn't factor in picks/cap holds, but they also have to send out a ton of salary to make the trade work, so it'll even out. It'll cost assets, but they'd also have room for both Melo and Mirotic. It'd cost them most of their picks most likely, but adding those two would be worth it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 23, 2014 -> 04:05 PM) So doing that math puts the Bulls at ~ $50.5 in cap holds. If the cap is $65 and they dump Gibson's $8 million for nothing, that leaves them ~$22.5 available. First off, the cap is not going to be $65 million. It's projected to be $63.2 million. That already means you're short of Melo's "max". Here's another way to look at the math. Rose+Noah is $31 million. That leaves you about $32 million for 10 more players. Melo's first year max salary on the deal is $22.46 million. I'll round to $22.5 for easier math. In that hypothetical situation, you would have $9.5 million for another 9 roster spots. Subtract Butler at roughly $2 million. You're now down to $7.5 million and you need 8 more players. Snell is at $1.47 million, round it to $1.5 for easier math. $6 million for 7 more players. Oh, Dunleavy is still on your payroll. He's making about $3.3 million. That takes you down to $2.7 million and you still need 6 more players. Now you have those two first round picks. They're #16 and $19, which according to RealGM means $1.42 mil and $1.22 million. Now you're down to .06 million left under the cap and you still need 4 more players. So for those last 4 roster spots, you have a cap hold at the rookie minimum. I just looked it up and that number is slightly over 500k for 2014-15. That means four roster spots=$2 million in cap holds. To sum up all that stupid math, the Bulls would be about $2 million over the cap in order to pay Melo his max salary, and that already assumes that we can find someone to absorb Taj's $8 million salary in its entirety. So to sum it up, the absolute best the Bulls can do is about $2 million per year less than the Knicks, and they can give him larger annual raises and a fifth year. That's also under ideal situations and doesn't account for other signings/holds I am forgetting. Not quite the $18 million I said before I looked up exact numbers, but still a decent paycut. It's a lot easier if New York will do a sign and trade. Edit- Tweaked the numbers slightly since I had the wrong pick for one of the first rounders and I looked up Melo's max first year salary.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 23, 2014 -> 03:46 PM) Wait, I've never seen "cap holds" for remaining roster spots in the NBA? I've seen it for the draft picks, but that's only about $2.5 million give or take. And the top 6 add up to $46.6 in the Hoopshype numbers, is there a performance bonus they're not counting? Sham actually has a little under $46 total for Rose, Noah. Gibson, Dunleavy, Butler and Snell. I don't know why they're different, but I usually trust Sham. I just posted the draft picks in an edit, it will be more than $2.5 mil. This explains what counts in the team salary. If you look at the 3rd to last bullet point, you have holds at the rookie minimum up to 12 roster spots (I was wrong on the number). I'm too lazy to find the rookie minimum salary, but it's at least 400k. I think it's actually higher than that.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 23, 2014 -> 03:37 PM) How do you get to $18 million? using the Hoopshype numbers and zeroing out Boozer, I've got the Bulls at $46.6. Add in what, less than $3 million for 2 first round picks outside the lottery and then farther back, and the Bulls are still under $49. If the cap is in the range fo $65 mil, that's $16 million right there? First off, they're estimating about $63 million for the salary cap. Second, there are cap holds for the remaining roster spots. They'll have cap holds for the remaining spots they currently don't have on their roster. I believe the cap hold is around 400k and you need 13 players, so it would be another $3 million or so deducted from the cap total. Third, two first rounders will be at least $3 million. I'm too lazy to look at the exact numbers, but Snell made $1.4 million this year and their picks are higher. Edit- Also, Sham Sports is usually better than Hoops Hype. They have nearly $48 mil for the 6 non-Boozer players they'd have under contract.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 23, 2014 -> 03:29 PM) Something I don't know for sure...if the Bulls say have $15 million to play with under the cap after cutting Boozer, could they do a Gibson for Anthony trade while giving Anthony the near-max of $15 million + Gibson's salary? Only asking because clearly Gibson would be a more valuable player than Boozer so I could see NY actually taking him. The alternative could be dumping Gibson on another team for a 2nd round pick if they have cap space, that would make it work without question if the Bulls were in the $15 million range. The math won't really work out that cleanly. They'd be at $48 million for 6 players without Boozer. Yes, that's about $15 million, but you have to subtract cap holds for the remaining roster spots and their two draft picks. They would probably have $10-12 million in space. If you send them Taj and Dunleavy you can get close, but he can still take more from New York.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Apr 23, 2014 -> 03:13 PM) With the cap increasing, if Melo tells NY he'd take a small paycut to be with the Bulls, or the Bulls can clear the space to sign him outright, the Knicks almost have to listen to Booz + Picks. And if you have Rose-Butler-Melo-Taj-Noah-Mirotic as your Top 6, you're in a damn good place, especially in the East. And that's with current Melo. He buys into Thibs' system? Lawdy we'd have a show to behold. He's going to have to take more than a "small" paycut to sign with the Bulls outright. Even with Boozer gone and Taj dumped with no salary coming back (not necessarily easy), they'd only be able to give him around $18 million as a starting salary. He can start around $23 million for the Knicks. Those numbers will vary slightly depending on where the cap actually sits and the amounts of the cap-holds and such, but the point is it won't be a small cut. The odds of that seem incredibly small to me, and even if it somehow does happen, the depth will suffer significantly the first year. Now the increased luxury tax gives them quite a bit of flexibility in a sign and trade, so that's there best bet. That would obviously require New York cooperating though. Obviously you have to do it if you can, but I'm not holding my breath. Things have to fall perfectly for the Bulls, which has only happened once in my time following the Bulls (the 1.3% miracle).

Happy Birthday! Thanks for the countless hours we've all wasted on your site!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 22, 2014 -> 12:55 PM) I don't get how what Pop did this year with the Spurs is more impressive than what Thibs did with the Bulls. The Spurs have Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. The Bulls lost their #1 star 6 games into the season, and their #2 star was traded away. The Bulls were a freaking lottery team under about any other coach. Even if their record was reversed at 34-48, that would have been impressive with the complete lack of talent they have. This part is ridiculous. Have you looked at the East recently? Charlotte has less talent than the Bulls IMO and they won 43 games this year. They really only have two guys that you look at and say "that's a guy that can be in a rotation for a good team". The Bulls have issues at PG, but they still have three good frontcourt players and two useful wings. Now Thibs is obviously a good coach, but to me it's REALLY hard to call it an injustice that someone in the East this year wasn't COY. As I implied earlier, I'd say Clifford has as good a case with what he did defensively with that group.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Apr 21, 2014 -> 08:48 PM) Also, anyone else a little upset that Stannis left off last season being alerted that the Wall was under attack and all gungho about it but now that seemingly has been completely dropped off? It seems a bit too obvious that they jumped the gun on that storyline and now have a bunch of filler (the Iron Bank part was a good write in but for the most part those scenes are straight filler of Stannis being indecisive). I definitely think they jumped the gun on a couple of plot lines (Theon jumps out to me. They're going to have to keep torturing him for quite a while). They're already bringing in a bunch of tidbits from Feast and Storm, so I'll be curious to see what the hell they do with some of this stuff in future seasons. It also doesn't help that a lot of the material from those books isn't particularly TV-friendly (ie lots of setup/background info).

I didn't realize Tacos Erendira has been there that long. I go there regularly. Pretty solid option. Pretty sure Chicago Shrimp House is gone. Too bad, loved that place. Lawrence is a good alternative. One of my other usuals is Maxwell Street Depot on 31st. It's just a stand, but it's cheap, quick and decent. Reading this stupid thread is making me want a Ricobene's breaded steak now.