Official NBA Discussion Thread

[WHarris1]

Ben Gordon has the basketball IQ of a bag of dirt.

 

Tie game, 5 seconds left. Songo doesn't have anyone with in 8 feet of him yet Ben shoots with 2 hands right in his face. Overtime.... :headshake

[Rowand44]

The last 15 seconds or so of the Nuggets-Cavs game was nuts. Bron chokes in the end and Denver wins.

[SleepyWhiteSox]

Ben Gordon has the basketball IQ of a bag of dirt.

 

Tie game, 5 seconds left.  Songo doesn't have anyone with in 8 feet of him yet Ben shoots with 2 hands right in his face. Overtime.... :headshake

 

 

Well, he certainly redeemed himself (even though I thought the celebrating was a little excessive)...

 

Anyways, the guy who really does have the b-ball IQ of a bag of dirt is tyson...the moronic fouls, stupid turnovers, cluelessness on offense, 30% free-throw shooting...It's starting to get beyond ridiculous. What the hell is wrong with him? I wasn't expecting this kind of horrible regression...

[DBAHO]

Ben Gordon has the basketball IQ of a bag of dirt.

If Gordon has the IQ of dirt, then Steve Francis has the IQ of mulch.

 

Jameer Nelson has played great since he started at PG, and Francis came off the bench today, and rightfully so. Still when Dooling comes back, Francis needs to be shipped off, so Travis Diener can continue to be a back-up.

 

Now if only Brian Hill will let Nelson and Howard play the pick and roll like Nash and Amare did last season, maybe the Magic could actually start producing some better offense. Right now it's all Nelson, Hedo and Stevenson bombing away with 20FT jumpers. No wonder we only average about 92PTS a game.

[ChWRoCk2]

Anyone hear of the whole Antonio Davis incident.

[ChWRoCk2]

Some Antonio Davis news for ya.

 

ESPN Antonio Davis

 

Davis could get eight games

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Chris Sheridan

ESPN Insider

 

The morning line on the over/under for Antonio Davis' suspension is eight games.

 

Anything less, and commissioner David Stern will be pilloried for not being tough enough on the latest player to jump the scorer's table and cross the invisible line separating paying customers and paid performers.

 

Anything more, and Stern will be accused of grossly overreacting to a post-Artest moment that never really spun out of control.

 

Eight is enough.

 

Because he went into the same section of seats as Ron Artest did during the infamous Palace brawl in 2004, there was an eerie similarity to the first few seconds of Davis' sprint out of the Knicks' huddle, over the table and into the courtside seats during overtime of Wednesday night's Knicks-Bulls game at the United Center in Chicago.

 

"I witnessed my wife being threatened by a man that I learned later to be intoxicated," Davis said in a statement issued after the game. "I saw him touch her, and I know I should not have acted the way I did, but I would have felt terrible if I didn't react. There was no time to call security. It happened too quickly."

 

Davis remained calm and walked away after security arrived, and the referees ejected him after he returned to the bench.

 

Now, it's Stern's turn to eject him for a few more games, and the question the commissioner must ponder Thursday is what the appropriate punishment should be (Davis' suspension is expected to be announced sometime during the afternoon before the Knicks' Thursday night home game against Detroit).

 

In the aftermath of the Palace brawl, Stern issued some of the harshest penalties he had ever handed down because he wanted to send the strongest possible message that players can never, ever, ever cross the line and go into the stands. No matter how benign Davis' foray ended up being, it was totally unacceptable. What would have happened if someone had tossed a beer on Davis? Or his wife?

 

Stern was actually lucky that someone as educated and affable as Davis was the first to cross the post-Artest line, but that should not be a mitigating factor when the commissioner sets Davis' penalty, nor should Davis' post as president of the players' union factor into the equation.

 

An eight-game suspension would cost Davis, who makes $13.8 million, a little over a million bucks in lost salary. It could go down in history as Davis' Million-Dollar Mistake, and if he makes a sincere public statement of contrition it'll allow everyone to put this episode behind them.

 

The last thing the commissioner needs is another extended debate tied in some way to the Palace brawl. He needs this one to go away, and the best way for that to happen is for Stern to issue a suspension that's fair.

 

In this case, eight is enough.

[greasywheels121]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2298240

 

AD got 5 games. I don't agree with it. At least the punishment was minimal.

[ChWRoCk2]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2298240

 

AD got 5 games.  I don't agree with it.  At least the punishment was minimal.

That isnt too bad, its hard to judge how much time a player should get off, theres one thing to throw a fight and turn the game into a wrestling match but when a man sees someone makin a move towards his wife I think most people would be a bit upset, Davis overall is a good player on and off the court this was just one incident. Im sure he knew that right when he went into the stands he was getting a suspension. In my opinion you cant predict how anyone would react after the whole Artest incident the next time a player decides to "take a visit" into the audience, and therefore the NBA gave him a 5 game suspension which is understandable.

Edited January 20, 2006 by ChWRoCk2

[Balta1701]

Can someone out there please tell me why exactly Kobe Bryant is allowed to touch the basketball without an immediate double team? Especially in the latter part of the 4th quarter?

[Jordan4life_2007]

Can someone out there please tell me why exactly Kobe Bryant is allowed to touch the basketball without an immediate double team?  Especially in the latter part of the 4th quarter?

 

Well, the triangle has a little somethin to do with that. It's a lot harder to double when everybody is movin. But yeah, it seems teams are content with Kobe getting 40+ and shutting everybody else down.

[Balta1701]

Well,  the triangle has a little somethin to do with that.  It's a lot harder to double when everybody is movin.  But yeah,  it seems teams are content with Kobe getting 40+ and shutting everybody else down.

That makes sense for 3 quarters, but in quarter 4...if the game is close, everyone else is just going to shut themselves down and give the ball to Kobe anyway, so why worry about stopping them when they do half the work for you by staring at Kobe?

[WilliamTell]

Yeah, it's not like Kobe is going to pass the ball, might as well double team him.

[hammerhead johnson]

So, what are the 5 teams that have surprised you the most?

 

1. Charlotte/Oklahoma City

19-19 Overall, and 7-2 thus far in the month of January. Who in their right mind saw this coming? Chris Paul is a stud PG as a rookie, David West is one of the frontrunners for "Most Improved Player In The NBA", etc. I figured that Byron Scott would be one of the last guys capable of righting this ship, but he has done a tremendous job so far. If only they had some more beef down low. In retrospect, what a sissy move by Jamal Magloire to demand a trade.

 

2. Memphis

23-14? You have got to be s***ting me. They lost three of their four best defenders (Watson, Posey, Swift), they lost Bonzi Wells and White Chocolate, they have a big stiff at the C slot in Lorenzen Wright, their big FA acquisition was that bozo Mighty Mouse, and Eddie Jones is starting for them???? 23-14 on the strength of what? Battier is the real deal, though. He gets s***ted on all the time, but I would love to have that guy on my squad. Boy, does he work hard. Gasol is amazing, of course.

 

3. LA Lakers

Okay, this team just flat out sucks, and somehow, they are 21-18? I'll take Bryant and Odom, and you can have the rest. Those guys are both a couple of clowns in the team chemistry department anyway. Kwame Brown for Caron Butler???? Yikes. Phil Jackson is indeed a magician.

 

4. LA Clippers

Brand is Brand. He has been peaking for a few years now. Really, this season has been the Sam Cassell show, and once he hits the IL, I think that they'll drop out of the playoff picture. It doesn't help that Maggette will be injured for the next 6+ weeks either. Livingston is a personal favorite of mine if we're talking about tools, but he still has a long way to go. This is one of the most talented teams in the league, so I can't say that I'm too surprised.

 

5. NY Knicks

13-25? They're supposed to be about 8-30. Kudos to that supreme flake Larry Brown for f***ing with our draft pick. Maybe Isiah Thomas should only be scouting college players, because they have rookies in Frye, Lee, and that midget Nate Robinson who have been playing hard and putting up nice numbers. They also have a young guy with plenty of defensive upside in Trevor Ariza.

Edited January 20, 2006 by hammerhead johnson

[Jordan4life_2007]

So, what are the 5 teams that have surprised you the most?

 

1. Charlotte/Oklahoma City

19-19 Overall, and 7-2 thus far in the month of January.  Who in their right mind saw this coming?  Chris Paul is a stud PG as a rookie, David West is one of the frontrunners for "Most Improved Player In The NBA", etc.  I figured that Byron Scott would be one of the last guys capable of righting this ship, but he has done a tremendous job so far.  If only they had some more beef down low.  In retrospect, what a sissy move by Jamal Magloire to demand a trade.

 

They've been the surprise team of the year. Paul should easily win the ROY. West has been a surprise. Another guy, who I feel is one of the most underrated players in the game, has been a godsend for them. That guy is Speedy Claxton. I've always loved him.

 

 

2. Memphis

23-14?  You have got to be s***ting me.  They lost three of their four best defenders (Watson, Posey, Swift), they lost Bonzi Wells and White Chocolate, they have a big stiff at the C slot in Lorenzen Wright, their big FA acquisition was that bozo Mighty Mouse, and Eddie Jones is starting for them????  23-14 on the strength of what?  Battier is the real deal, though.  He gets s***ted on all the time, but I would love to have that guy on my squad.  Boy, does he work hard.  Gasol is amazing, of course.

 

Mike Fratello is a very underrated coach. I don't know how this guy is always in and out of coaching. He took some HORRIBLE Cavs teams in the mid 90's to the playoffs. He's a definite coach of the year canidate.

 

 

3. LA Lakers

Okay, this team just flat out sucks, and somehow, they are 21-18?  I'll take Bryant and Odom, and you can have the rest.  Those guys are both a couple of clowns in the team chemistry department anyway.  Kwame Brown for Caron Butler????  Yikes.  Phil Jackson is indeed a magician.

 

 

I think they're overachieving right now. Like you said, outside of Kobe and Odom this is an nbdl type roster. Kobe's not gonna keep up this current pace he's on. However, I'll give them credit for what they've been able to accomplish to this point.

 

 

4. LA Clippers

Brand is Brand.  He has been peaking for a few years now.  Really, this season has been the Sam Cassell show, and once he hits the IL, I think that they'll drop out of the playoff picture.  It doesn't help that Maggette will be injured for the next 6+ weeks either.  Livingston is a personal favorite of mine if we're talking about tools, but he still has a long way to go.  This is one of the most talented teams in the league, so I can't say that I'm too surprised.

 

They've been pretty average since that 14-5 start. They definitely miss Maggette. To bad it looks like they won't be getting Artest. That would make them a top 4 team in the west.

 

 

 

5. NY Knicks

13-25? They're supposed to be about 8-30. Kudos to that supreme flake Larry Brown for f***ing with our draft pick. Maybe Isiah Thomas should only be scouting college players, because they have rookies in Frye, Lee, and that midget Nate Robinson who have been playing hard and putting up nice numbers. They also have a young guy with plenty of defensive upside in Trevor Ariza.

 

I still pick Larry Brown for "idiot" of the year. The Pistons make him look dumber every week.

Edited January 21, 2006 by Jordan4life_2006

[Balta1701]

I think they're overachieving right now.  Like you said,  outside of Kobe and Odom this is an nbdl type roster.  Kobe's not gonna keep up this current pace he's on.  However,  I'll give them credit for what they've been able to accomplish to this point.

 

I still pick Larry Brown for "idiot" of the year.  The Pistons make him look dumber every week.

The Lakers were actually doing all right last year too..until Kobe got hurt in January and missed a couple weeks. By the time he was back, Rudy T was gone, and the team was in shambles and had basically quit.

 

With that $10 million a year deal Brown signed...I doubt he cares if you think he's an idiot. Get enough popularity with that opinion...and he'll buy you off.

[DBAHO]

With Memphis it's simply a case of less is more. Get rid of the bad apples like Stromile Swift, and they've thrived ever since. They'll get Chucky Atkins very soon as well to help replace Mighty Mouse Stoudemire.

 

The Hornets have easily been the suprise of the season for mine. Chris Paul is already a top 5 PG in this league. And David West would be fighting it out with Boris Diaw for most improved player in the league. To take the next step they need upgrades at SF and C though.

 

The Clippers have mainly improved from the steps Chris Kaman and Elton Brand have taken in their game. A lot of people were probably laughing at the Clips when they took Kaman a few years ago in that loaded stiff, bringing back the white stiff memories. They're not laughing now.

 

One team that I think is in an interesting situation is Charlotte. They're pretty much the worst team in the NBA right now, and that's down to injuries. Tonight against the Magic they're missing Okafor, Sean May and Melvin Ely. Hence Dwight Howard almost has a double - double midway thru the 2nd quarter. But if they get a real high pick, they can pick Adam Morrison to fill their SG hole, and they've got a pretty good starting 5 in Knight / Felton, Morrison, Wallace, Okafor and Brezec.

 

Also Nate McMillan is starting to bring Portland around. They've won 4 straight, albeit all at home, but they're looking better. Getting Telfair out of the lineup and putting Steve Blake in was a good start.

[Jordan4life_2007]

The Lakers were actually doing all right last year too..until Kobe got hurt in January and missed a couple weeks.  By the time he was back, Rudy T was gone, and the team was in shambles and had basically quit.

 

That's true to an extent. But even with Kobe and Rudy, their longest winning streak of the year was 3 games. And they only did that once. They totally fell apart the last 6 weeks when their schedule got tough.

 

 

With that $10 million a year deal Brown signed...I doubt he cares if you think he's an idiot.  Get enough popularity with that opinion...and he'll buy you off.

 

I don't care if he cares. I think it was a dumb move. It wasn't about money. He pulls the same s*** every 2-3 years. The guy is a walking soap opera. In two years, he'll get bored and want to go somewhere else.

Edited January 21, 2006 by Jordan4life_2006

[Balta1701]

That's true to an extent.  But even with Kobe and Rudy,  their longest winning streak of the year was 3 games.  And they only did that once.  They totally fell apart the last 6 weeks when their schedule got tough.

I don't care if he cares.  I think it was a dumb move.  It wasn't about money.  He pulls the same s*** every 2-3 years.  The guy is a walking soap opera.  In two years,  he'll get bored and want to go somewhere else.

Eventually Brown will just be too damn old, and the soap opera will have to end.

 

Living in LA, I watched the Lakers a fair amount last year, and they were actually not terrible the first half of the season, much like this year. When Kobe Bryant has teammates that he moves the ball to with success, that team works. But if they lose Kobe, even for a short period, they have nothing.

 

In recent NBA history, it's very rare for players to go full seasons without Nagging injuries if they're not in Detroit. Shaq, Wade, AI, Kobe, KG, Duncan...they all find themselves hurting. When and if Kobe really takes a hit that slows him down, that team will totally crumble, just like last year.

[SleepyWhiteSox]

Paul should easily win the ROY. 

 

He's been ROY since probably about the second week...

[Jordan4life_2007]

Is there any doubt that Steve Nash is the MVP of the league? The difference in the overall play of the team when he's out of the game compared to when he's in the game is incredible. They lose Joe Johnson, Q. Richardson and have been without Amare all year, yet here they are at 26-13 and starting to distance themselves from everybody in the Pacific division. Nash has got my vote.

Edited January 21, 2006 by Jordan4life_2006

[DBAHO]

Is there any doubt that Steve Nash is the MVP of the league?  The difference in the overall play of the team when he's out of the game compared to when he's in the game is incredible.  They lose Joe Johnson,  Q. Richardson and have been without Amare all year,  yet here they are at 26-13 and starting to distance themselves from everybody in the Pacific division.  Nash has got my vote.

That whole team is really quite amazing. They lose JJ, easy just replace him with Boris Diaw. You lose Q Rich, ok we'll just get Raja Bell to replace him.

 

And if anything, the players they've brought in, even though they're not as well known, are better defensively, they're tougher, and there's a lot more movement on offense.

 

They're my pick for the title IF and this is the key, they can stay healthy.

[Rowand44]

Is there any doubt that Steve Nash is the MVP of the league? 

Chauncey.

[greasywheels121]

Chauncey.

 

BbBBBbBBbBillups!

[Chisoxfn]

The Lakers were actually doing all right last year too..until Kobe got hurt in January and missed a couple weeks.  By the time he was back, Rudy T was gone, and the team was in shambles and had basically quit.

 

With that $10 million a year deal Brown signed...I doubt he cares if you think he's an idiot.  Get enough popularity with that opinion...and he'll buy you off.

Actually (well at the beginning of the week), the Lakers record this year was worse than their record last year (at this stage of the season) by something like 2 or 3 games. Rudy T was doing a great job but without Kobe they are probably one of the 3 worse teams in the NBA.

[hammerhead johnson]

BbBBBbBBbBillups!

 

That's exactly right.

 

Nash is a strong candidate too, but his Assist-To-Turnover ratio was only like 2.70 last I checked. He leads the league in turnovers. Chauncey has a 5-To-1 Assist To Turnover Ratio, which is good enough for #1 in the NBA. It's all the more impressive when you consider that he is one of their primary scoring options. He is also as clutch as they come in the 4th Quarter.

 

I used to underrate Chauncey. Not any more.