NBA Thread 2013-2014

[southsider2k5]

Time to start up the new and bury the old.

 

Starting this year off, what does it say for this draft when basically Jo Noah is going to be the #1 pick possibly?

[Buehrle>Wood]

LeBron isnt half the player MJ was.

[Steve9347]

Zoom will be live-blogging the NBA Draft tonight.

 

Flapship's 2013 NBA Draft Live Blog

 

Chances are I will add some comments, too.

[Jenksismyhero]

Bill Russell is totally underrated.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Jenksismybitch

[Steve9347]

 

As someone whose life was seriously about 20 percent worse without Derrick Rose in it, I originally chose "Nemanja Nedovic-European Derrick Rose" purely for comedy's sake. Yep, I'm sure this 6-foot-3 Serbian guy is just like Derrick Rose. Then I started watching.

 

The carnage begins at about the 42-second mark, when Nedovic takes a midcourt steal all the way to the rim and puts down a nasty LeBron-style, ball-cocked-behind-the-head tomahawk. There is no sarcasm here. This guy puts it down. And the quick scream-and-flex celebration is pretty on message.

 

This may just be a coincidence, but this is the second highlight video I've watched on YouTube today that featured a Skillet song. Apparently, Skillet is a Christian metal band, and its strong YouTube presence is only further proof that in 2013 the playing of nu-metal is limited to highlight videos, our nation's various Houses of Blues, and MMA events. Since what Nemanja Nedovic is performing on the rim at least borders on a martial art, I'm going to say it fits here.

 

Next, we get Nedovic putting it down on an opposing big man. Because this part of the video was apparently filmed with the Talkboy from Home Alone 2, it's tough to tell how tall this dude actually is, but it's safe to say that he's too tall to be getting done like this. We get to see the dunk three times over, and ya know what? It's still not enough.

 

All that really matters, though, is the dunk that comes at 1:42. An important factor in how I judge prospect dunks is how the bench reacts. Are they excited? Do they like this guy? Well, after Nemanja finishes over a dude here on the break, everyone on the floor reacts like KG after the Frederic Weis dunk. His coach, played by Danny DeVito playing the Penguin, fist-pumps so hard that he almost falls over. These guys only want what's best for Nemanja. That stuff counts.

 

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/942658...r-nba-prospects

[Steve9347]

The hilarity of the music choices in some of these videos is unrivaled. The Jeff Withey to Bangarang is money in the bank.

[Jake]

Jimmy Butler is fast becoming the most overrated player in the NBA (far as Soxtalk goes). He's a piece. Not the difference. Stop it. The Bulls need another star. That's the only way in the 2007+ nba (and that might not even be enough).

 

You underestimate how easy it is to be a lot better than Bogans/Brewer/Korver

[Steve9347]

THE DRAFT SUCKS BUT YOUR NIGHT DOESN'T HAVE TO!!!!!

 

Wite has created a wonderful drinking game.

 

http://flapship.com/2013-nba-draft-drinking-game/

[Jordan4life_2007]

This is at Balta:

 

 

I'm not pouting about anything. But the whole, "Well, the Heat needed two seven game series to win the title, thus they're more beatable next year" sounds just like what a 90's Knicks or Pacers fan would've said if the internet back then was what it is today. Who cares how many games it took. They won. That's all that matters. Waiting for one or both of Wade's legs to fall off does not suffice for me. I don't want to wait for the Heat to get worse. I want to see the Bulls do something now to get better (and no, waiting for that 2016 bobcats pick, that might not even be s*** anyway, doesn't count). LeBron James is here, in his peak, and is not going anywhere. You have to go through him now. The Rose/Boozer/Noah/Deng core is not winning anything.

[southsider2k5]

The one hole in that theory is that Jordan's Bulls never did go seven games.

[RockRaines]

Steve,

 

Did you catch this one yesterday?

 

 

http://deadspin.com/high-schooler-throws-d...-year-592621948

 

 

Apparently being recruited hard by FGCU, would be a good fit.

[Jordan4life_2007]

The one hole in that theory is that Jordan's Bulls never did go seven games.

 

The '92 Knicks and '98 Pacers disagree with you. And those teams were s*** compared to some of the teams the Heat have beaten.

[southsider2k5]

The '92 Knicks and '98 Pacers disagree with you. And those teams were s*** compared to some of the teams the Heat have beaten.

 

lol. The Knicks weren't a s*** team. Go back and look at that roster. The Pacers weren't either. They won 58 games and finished 4 behind the Bulls in their division. Both teams had guys who had/will be hall of famers.

[Kyyle23]

lol. The Knicks weren't a s*** team. Go back and look at that roster. The Pacers weren't either. They won 58 games and finished 4 behind the Bulls in their division. Both teams had guys who had/will be hall of famers.

 

All is s*** before the new and improved NBA

[southsider2k5]

lol. The Knicks weren't a s*** team. Go back and look at that roster. The Pacers weren't either. They won 58 games and finished 4 behind the Bulls in their division. Both teams had guys who had/will be hall of famers.

 

And I was referring to the finals

[Jordan4life_2007]

And I was referring to the finals

 

So if the Heat had beaten the Spurs in 5 games instead of 7, they'd be more or less beatable next year? I just don't understand why it matters how many games it took.

[pettie4sox]

Jordan you spend an awful amount of time defending the Heat. It's your prerogative but I think a lot of people are seeing the Heat as a very vulnerable team. I would make a gentlemen's wager that they do no repeat next year.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Jordan you spend an awful amount of time defending the Heat. It's your prerogative but I think a lot of people are seeing the Heat as a very vulnerable team. I would make a gentlemen's wager that they do no repeat next year.

 

What do you mean defend them? They've been to three straight finals and are back-2-back champs. I don't have to defend them. But waiting for them to get worse instead of getting better yourself is the strategy of a second-rate franchise.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Jordan4life

[witesoxfan]

What do you mean defend them? They've been to three straight finals and are back-2-back champs. I don't have to defend them. But waiting for them to get worse instead of getting better yourself is the strategy of a second-rate franchise.

 

They are literally an incredibly fortunate (I don't say lucky, but it was a fortunate bounce) 3 point shot by Ray Allen away from losing that series.

[ZoomSlowik]

The '92 Knicks and '98 Pacers disagree with you. And those teams were s*** compared to some of the teams the Heat have beaten.

 

Let's not pretend that the Heat have played juggernauts every series. The Heat didn't play a legitimately good team either of the last two years until the Finals. This year, Milwaukee was terrible, the Bulls were obliterated by injuries, and the Pacers have a highly suspect offense. The previous year, the Knicks were roadkill, the Pacers were similar to this year (better offense but weaker defense), and the Celtics were horrible offensively. The last time they had an actual threat in the East was 2010-11 with the Celtics/Bulls, which they followed up with a loss in the Finals.

 

They might have a much harder road this year, with the possibility of facing Indiana, Chicago and the Thunder/Spurs in consecutive series. Also, you can't really keep writing off injuries when they haven't been totally healthy either of the last two years. If they can't coast for two rounds and then face a team they can beat at 80%, they could go down.

[Jenksismyhero]

So if the Heat had beaten the Spurs in 5 games instead of 7, they'd be more or less beatable next year? I just don't understand why it matters how many games it took.

 

Are you being serious here? Of course that matters. Sweeping every series to a title is different than being forced to go through multiple game 7's. The Heat are vulnerable. They're beatable. They had a lot of luck this go around which means they're much closer to being just a good team instead of the best team.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Let's not pretend that the Heat have played juggernauts every series. The Heat didn't play a legitimately good team either of the last two years until the Finals. This year, Milwaukee was terrible, the Bulls were obliterated by injuries, and the Pacers have a highly suspect offense. The previous year, the Knicks were roadkill, the Pacers were similar to this year (better offense but weaker defense), and the Celtics were horrible offensively. The last time they had an actual threat in the East was 2010-11 with the Celtics/Bulls, which they followed up with a loss in the Finals.

 

They might have a much harder road this year, with the possibility of facing Indiana, Chicago and the Thunder/Spurs in consecutive series. Also, you can't really keep writing off injuries when they haven't been totally healthy either of the last two years. If they can't coast for two rounds and then face a team they can beat at 80%, they could go down.

 

Again, how are the Bulls getting better? You get Rose back, great. You had Rose in '11 and got smoked. So that's obviously not enough. Deng/Noah get injured all the time. Boozer is a liability. Butler is a nice piece. But that's it. He's a piece. Stop talking to me about the Heat and their weaknesses and tell me how the Bulls and their much more obvious weaknesses get to the next level?

Edited June 27, 2013 by Jordan4life

[Jordan4life_2007]

Are you being serious here? Of course that matters. Sweeping every series to a title is different than being forced to go through multiple game 7's. The Heat are vulnerable. They're beatable. They had a lot of luck this go around which means they're much closer to being just a good team instead of the best team.

 

Yes, because that's happened so many times before.

[Steve9347]

This is at Balta:

 

 

I'm not pouting about anything. But the whole, "Well, the Heat needed two seven game series to win the title, thus they're more beatable next year" sounds just like what a 90's Knicks or Pacers fan would've said if the internet back then was what it is today. Who cares how many games it took. They won. That's all that matters. Waiting for one or both of Wade's legs to fall off does not suffice for me. I don't want to wait for the Heat to get worse. I want to see the Bulls do something now to get better (and no, waiting for that 2016 bobcats pick, that might not even be s*** anyway, doesn't count). LeBron James is here, in his peak, and is not going anywhere. You have to go through him now. The Rose/Boozer/Noah/Deng core is not winning anything.

J4L posted something good here.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Steve9347

[ZoomSlowik]

Again, how are the Bulls getting better? You get Rose back, great. You had Rose in '11 and got smoked. So that's obviously not enough. Deng/Noah get injured all the time. Boozer is a liability. Butler is a nice piece. But that's it. He's a piece. Stop talking to me about the Heat and their weaknesses and tell me how the Bulls get to the next level.

 

1) They didn't "get smoked". The Heat won in 5, but every one of those games was relatively competitive.

 

2) Yes, the Bulls' have some injury issues. They're not immune to that, no team is.

 

3) They don't really need to "get to the next level". They were a 60-win team two years running. They were on the short list of contenders each of those years, though things didn't work out in the post-season (once due to catestrophic injury). They have 4 of the same starters and one of their key bench pieces from those teams, only now they have a young SG with some talent.

 

4) Butler doesn't have to be a star, he just has to be a threat. If he can average 12 PPG, that's a huge upgrade over the Bogans/Brewer type players. Danny Green isn't exactly a world-beater, but he just had a huge impact in the Finals.

 

I'm not saying the Bulls WILL win, but they're one of the few teams that have the ability to go on a run. It's not like they're a 45-win team with zero shot.