Author Topic: The NBA thread (Read 1519806 times)

pilonv1 · « **Reply #7140 on:** November 04, 2012, 06:50:03 PM »

The Rockets remind me of some old Warriors teams. Just a bunch of dudes who don't really fit well but are fun to watch.

Eric P · « **Reply #7141 on:** November 05, 2012, 08:10:55 PM »

I thought the knicks were bad. What's going on?

Also; that half court shot by Cole at the buzzer was pretty phenomenal

edit; here it is

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7142 on:** November 05, 2012, 09:54:35 PM »

The Heat were SCARY tonight, albeit against Phoenix on a back-to-back. It was hilarious watching Jared Dudley rush out to Ray Allen in the corner, then see LeBron approaching at the top of the key, then realize Allen was open again...the poor guy looked like a parent trying to choose which of his kids to save in a fire

Eric P · « **Reply #7143 on:** November 05, 2012, 09:58:35 PM »

That Heat game was sad.

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7144 on:** November 05, 2012, 10:06:54 PM »

Got Jazz-Grizz on now, taking suggestions on what to watch next (no spoilers if you can help it)

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7145 on:** November 05, 2012, 11:12:54 PM »

Kyrie Irving going OFF on Chris Paul right now, anyone awake should strongly consider watching

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #7146 on:** November 05, 2012, 11:40:23 PM »

Mavs with another impressive win, totally destroyed the Trail Blazers in the 4th quarter. OJ Mayo was 12-18 shooting [6-8 on 3-pointers] for 32 points and Darren Collison had 13 assists. And this is the second game in row where they've shot, as a team, over 60%.

Beezy · « **Reply #7147 on:** November 05, 2012, 11:44:36 PM »

Knicks vs. Mavs on Friday. Dis gon' be gud

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7148 on:** November 05, 2012, 11:52:36 PM »

One of these behemoths must fall

Beezy · « **Reply #7149 on:** November 06, 2012, 12:10:04 AM »

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #7150 on:** November 06, 2012, 01:41:03 AM »

That was one of the most entertaining Cavs games I have seen in a few years. They better not trade away Andy.

pilonv1 · « **Reply #7151 on:** November 08, 2012, 06:22:42 AM »

lolkers

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #7152 on:** November 08, 2012, 08:38:17 AM »

That defense that the Miami Heat started out 9-8 is going to look pretty silly when the Lakers are 5-12.

T-Short · « **Reply #7153 on:** November 08, 2012, 10:00:15 AM »

etiolate · « **Reply #7154 on:** November 08, 2012, 04:32:40 PM »

You best watch what you grab Swedes!

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #7155 on:** November 09, 2012, 01:54:25 PM »

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/8610888/los-angeles-lakers-fired-coach-mike-brown-source-says

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #7156 on:** November 09, 2012, 01:55:54 PM »

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #7157 on:** November 09, 2012, 02:01:17 PM »

Maybe they can bring in Stan Van Gundy.

Eric P · « **Reply #7158 on:** November 09, 2012, 02:18:22 PM »

as a basketball n00b i was wondering what the hell was happening with that team. i had thought they were supposed to be amazing but yeah...

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7159 on:** November 09, 2012, 06:24:31 PM »

Well, I called the Mike Brown thing on twitter 2 days ago so hardly a surprise (said he was only marginally more employed right now than Mitt Romney...). Always felt he was a bad choice, he sucked last year, the Princeton offense made no sense (drowning man clutching at straws there - 'I don't understand offense...let's give it to Eddie Jordan because all his teams sucked too!'), and Kobe was obviously furious in the Utah game at least.

There is no slam-dunk choice. I mean, Stan Van Gundy is probably the best available but he and Dwight nuked that bridge from space. D'Antoni would be the one I'd like to see the most, just to get a delicious whiff of SSOL again, but he didn't do too well handling Melo in NY. He does have Kobe's respect though, and obviously Nash's...

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #7160 on:** November 09, 2012, 07:49:34 PM »

What about Pat Riley

Freyj · « **Reply #7161 on:** November 09, 2012, 08:10:09 PM »

I guess I'm going to have to start watching the Thunder with any hope of a hockey season quickly dying.

Basketball

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #7162 on:** November 09, 2012, 08:28:20 PM »

Where the fuck is Smooth Groove? I need his opinion on this shit

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7163 on:** November 09, 2012, 08:31:39 PM »

god the Celtics are just murderously unfun to watch. Over to Knicks - Mavs. Knicks are actually looking like a solid team despite it all - JR Smith hustling on D is just mind-boggling

Beezy · « **Reply #7164 on:** November 10, 2012, 12:43:38 AM »

Quote from: Cormacaroni on November 09, 2012, 08:31:39 PM

god the Celtics are just murderously unfun to watch. Over to Knicks - Mavs. Knicks are actually looking like a solid team despite it all - JR Smith hustling on D is just mind-boggling

Human Snorenado · « **Reply #7165 on:** November 10, 2012, 12:49:33 AM »

Well shit, guess it really was time to fire Mike Brown

pilonv1 · « **Reply #7166 on:** November 10, 2012, 05:03:35 AM »

Warriors shot 31% and played one of the worst games I've ever seen them play. If they string a few wins together I'll be impressed but I don't think that firing Brown will solve everything.

Human Snorenado · « **Reply #7167 on:** November 10, 2012, 09:08:44 PM »

Guys, you'll never guess who the leading candidate for the Lakers job is

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/jackson-lakers-job-given-power-203009238--nba.html

Just kidding, that was my dog's first guess. How would Nash do in the triangle though? I know he's not healthy right now, but I think you just put in the "let Steve Nash run the offense" offense.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #7168 on:** November 10, 2012, 09:11:28 PM »

Here's a crazy stat:

In 7 games, OJ Mayo is 17-21 on 3-pointers.

Arbys Roast Beef Sandwich · « **Reply #7169 on:** November 10, 2012, 10:25:57 PM »

Bernie Bickerstaff is a pretty awesome name.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #7170 on:** November 11, 2012, 01:03:07 PM »

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7171 on:** November 12, 2012, 07:30:17 AM »

Lakers continue the body hits by hiring D'Antoni. I'm more enthused about that combo than Jackson (who really had checked out in his last season, lest we forget). D'Antoni can run some fun stuff with those guys. I will watch (and hate).

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #7172 on:** November 12, 2012, 08:53:10 AM »

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/8613600/los-angeles-lakers-kobe-bryant-favors-phil-jackson-return

I like how the Lakers have essentially ignored Kobe on the last two coaches.

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #7173 on:** November 12, 2012, 02:32:47 PM »

lakers

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #7174 on:** November 12, 2012, 04:12:28 PM »

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8623622/philadelphia-76ers-andrew-bynum-5-more-weeks-knee-injury

Dumb 76ers.

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #7175 on:** November 12, 2012, 04:22:15 PM »

SECOND SEED

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #7176 on:** November 12, 2012, 05:10:53 PM »

Quote

Between the hours of Mike Brown's firing and a meeting on Saturday morning with history's most accomplished coach, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak privately told people there was one candidate: Phil Jackson.

Jackson wanted to humiliate Lakers vice president Jim Buss far more than he wanted to coach the team. He wanted significant allowances on travel, coaching duties and an ability to veto player personnel moves that didn't fit his vision. With an unprecedented 11 coaching championships, Jackson had every right to make unprecedented demands. He doesn't have the right to be surprised when the Lakers rejected them and hired a pliable, cheaper coach in Mike D'Antoni.

"Phil wanted Jim Buss to walk away with his tail between his legs," one source with knowledge of the discussions told Yahoo! Sports. "He thought he had time to still negotiate with them, and see how much they would give him."

Now, the Lakers are going out of their way to spare Jackson the embarrassment of his overreaching, but this is pointless spin. They're working with him to sell the public that he hadn't asked for too much, that somehow the franchise chose D'Antoni over Jackson on sheer merit. It's noble, but laughable. Jackson heard those chants in the Staples Center and never believed the Lakers had the guts to call his bluff before circling back to him on Monday.

"Phil's assistants convinced him that they had his back on the concerns [Jackson] had about his load as head coach, and he was ready to get a deal done on Monday," a source with knowledge of the talks said. "But this was about Jim Buss giving him a royal you-know-what in the end."

If Jackson was ever to return to coaching to chase a championship in a preferred locale, this job offered him the opportunity. His instincts were wrong on how to play these negotiations and it blew up on him. The Lakers could live with making Jackson the highest-paid coach in the NBA again, but Jackson had to come back in full, and the Lakers were wise to have uncertainties.

Jackson listened to Kobe Bryant gush and gush about him on Friday night, and believed the strongest voice in the locker room would accept only his return the bench. It was a mistake. Bryant preferred Jackson, but he has a history with D'Antoni back to his childhood growing up in Italy and across several years of USA Basketball. Bryant and D'Antoni have a relationship, a trust, and that's somewhere to start once they're thrust together.

Once Jackson couldn't come to terms on Saturday, Bryant had prepared himself for the fact that D'Antoni would ultimately become the coach. For the Lakers' good, D'Antoni needs to have used his three-plus seasons in New York to have grown as a coach, as a leader, or this will go terribly for him in Los Angeles.

When everything had become too hard with the New York Knicks, D'Antoni walked into the office one morning and surrendered. Carmelo Anthony had stopped listening to him, stopped running his plays, and ownership never supported the coach. When Anthony grumbled to Bryant about D'Antoni's defensive acumen on a trip to Los Angeles before the coach's resignation in New York, one witness says Bryant shot back to Anthony – only half-kidding – that, seriously, when the hell have you ever played defense?

D'Antoni has been run out of two jobs and should be past the obsession he had over needing to win with his system, his way. These won't be the seven-seconds-or-less Lakers. They'll play plenty of pick-and-roll, but the biggest issue for D'Antoni's defense has never been where it was ranked in the league, but how the Suns players – including Steve Nash – never believed they were prepared for the big possessions, the big moments, in series with San Antonio. There was a discipline missing, a mindset, an understanding, in those moments of truths.

D'Antoni is notoriously sensitive to criticism, but he needs to be honest with himself to get the most out of these Lakers now, out of himself here. They never spent practice time on defense, because D'Antoni's offensive system was his genius, what got him into the NBA, got him millions, and his personal mandate was forever validating it. Now, he's older. These are the Lakers and D'Antoni has to understand: This isn't about his vision, but winning.

Within the organization, Kupchak and the coaching staff understood this: Dwight Howard can make D'Antoni a far, far better defensive coach. For now, the staff believes Howard is still a shell of himself, that mobility in his back still isn't close to returning for another month, maybe two.

Stan Van Gundy has already reached out to D'Antoni and encouraged him to keep assistant coach Steve Clifford on his staff. Clifford had a strong history of working with Stan in Orlando and Jeff Van Gundy in Houston and had gone to the Lakers to join Mike Brown's staff. As much as anyone, he understands how to incorporate an individual's flaws into the greatness of Howard's ability to dominate on the defensive end.

Over the summer, Jackson continued to tell people he was retired as a coach. He didn't want the job anymore. Once Los Angeles made the deal for Howard, his prism on returning to the Lakers changed again. Along with Bryant, Howard was the reason that a 12th title was possible for Jackson. Howard was the investment that made it easier for the Busses to buy out Brown's contract and make Jackson the highest-paid coach in the NBA again.

Jackson had his chance, and the strangest thing happened: The greatest coach in history overreached, misread the circumstances and had someone tell him "no" on Sunday night. The Lakers never picked Mike D'Antoni over Jackson. They picked him over desperation for Jackson. Maybe the Busses will regret the choice, but if Jackson truly wanted to coach again, no one will ever regret this more than him. These are still the Lakers, and nowhere else in basketball does this opportunity at this moment in time come along – even for Phil Jackson.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--lakers-resist-phil-jackson-s-power-grab-11051709.html

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #7177 on:** November 12, 2012, 05:36:26 PM »

Quote

When Anthony grumbled to Bryant about D'Antoni's defensive acumen on a trip to Los Angeles before the coach's resignation in New York, one witness says Bryant shot back to Anthony – only half-kidding – that, seriously, when the hell have you ever played defense?

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7178 on:** November 12, 2012, 10:31:18 PM »

you have about 5 seconds to get in on the end of Heat-Rockets, it is awesome

Eric P · « **Reply #7179 on:** November 12, 2012, 10:35:12 PM »

i am prepared for many emotions

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7180 on:** November 12, 2012, 10:35:46 PM »

that LeBron 3 is the shot of the year so far, win or lose

Eric P · « **Reply #7181 on:** November 12, 2012, 10:37:34 PM »

seriously.

great fucking game.

i was super concerned 3 minutes into the first when Houston didn't even look like it was playing basketball, but they really stepped up after that first time out and played fucking hard.

so good and they made Miami work for that shit.

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7182 on:** November 12, 2012, 10:38:55 PM »

they're fun to watch, alright. Just good enough to make it interesting.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #7183 on:** November 12, 2012, 11:53:09 PM »

Just got back from the Pistons game. Lord this team sucks. OKC was down 10 going into the fourth and still won pretty handily, despite the close score. They switched to a zone defense and the Pistons couldn't do shit

Westbrook...ugh. Almost never sets up the offense, just drives to the basket. Rarely gets back down court early to play defense...bleh

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7184 on:** November 13, 2012, 12:01:37 AM »

in fairness if you were playing the Pistons, you'd just drive to the basket too

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #7185 on:** November 14, 2012, 09:25:57 PM »

Bynum
http://a.yfrog.com/img877/4435/8s9mk.jpg

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7186 on:** November 14, 2012, 09:44:22 PM »

Dude is so clearly just gonna take it easy all year until his knee is perfect, go out and dominate against tanking teams in March, and waltz off to a max contract elsewhere. There are something like 10-plus teams projected to have max-level cap space so he's pretty much guaranteed.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #7187 on:** November 15, 2012, 09:53:34 PM »

Quote

Smith is off to one of the best starts of his nine-year NBA career and on Thursday he cited a cutback in nightlife as one of the key reasons for his success.

"I'm not going to lie. The New York City nightlife pretty much got to me. I was going out pretty much every other night and not focused on the task at hand," a candid Smith told reporters in San Antonio after the Knicks' morning shootaround.

Smith said that a new, disciplined approach to practice has helped his performance for the 5-0 Knicks.

Quote

Said Smith: "Every day I'm getting into the gym, getting in as much work as I can. A lot of times previously in my career, I had negative energy coming into the gym, not wanting to be there, joking around, goofing off. This year, it's been more serious.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/8637022/jr-smith-new-york-knicks-cutting-back-nightlife

Idiot.

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7188 on:** November 15, 2012, 10:04:11 PM »

Everyone in the know always said Iverson was a terrible influence on those guys in Denver...guess this confirms it

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #7189 on:** November 15, 2012, 10:50:10 PM »

Not sure why the Knicks are so good early on...

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #7190 on:** November 15, 2012, 10:52:03 PM »

lol @ Kidd almost throwing the game away

Beezy · « **Reply #7191 on:** November 15, 2012, 11:36:32 PM »

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7192 on:** November 16, 2012, 09:15:17 PM »

Quote from: Stoney Mason on November 15, 2012, 10:50:10 PM

Not sure why the Knicks are so good early on...

Unsustainably hot 3pt shooting is a big part of it, so they will definitely drop a few spots in the rankings when that reverts to the mean. The defensive effort is stellar though, so I think Woodson may be the guy they were looking for all along.

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #7193 on:** November 16, 2012, 09:25:29 PM »

btw, for pilonv1 and any other users of the NBA Game Time app on the 360 - it got updated the other day and all my major issues with it have been fixed. No games are blacked out for me (so far...) and replays actually work, rather than just showing the 'GAME HAS ENDED title card endlessly. So booyah. It's such a killer app I may even get a new 360 'cause my old one is so noisy.

Steve Contra · « **Reply #7194 on:** November 17, 2012, 02:33:26 PM »

http://www.theonion.com/articles/cool-new-lakers-coach-doesnt-make-team-play-defens,30433/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=standard-post:headline:default

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #7195 on:** November 17, 2012, 04:20:58 PM »

http://www.theonion.com/articles/pistons-lose-to-elementary-school-girls-team-after,30401/

Better one, for PD

pilonv1 · « **Reply #7196 on:** November 18, 2012, 12:22:14 AM »

Quote from: Cormacaroni on November 16, 2012, 09:25:29 PM

btw, for pilonv1 and any other users of the NBA Game Time app on the 360 - it got updated the other day and all my major issues with it have been fixed. No games are blacked out for me (so far...) and replays actually work, rather than just showing the 'GAME HAS ENDED title card endlessly. So booyah. It's such a killer app I may even get a new 360 'cause my old one is so noisy.

Yep it's much better now. The only thing I don't like is not being able to access all games form the calendar. And some replays still only get 2 bars of quality. But otherwise it's much better, and would prerfer to watch on 360 than anything else.

T-Short · « **Reply #7197 on:** November 18, 2012, 05:42:28 AM »

Quote from: BrandNew on November 17, 2012, 04:20:58 PM

http://www.theonion.com/articles/pistons-lose-to-elementary-school-girls-team-after,30401/

Better one, for PD

etiolate · « **Reply #7198 on:** November 18, 2012, 05:49:00 AM »

Quote

Most of Thirkell Elementary’s offense ran strictly through Thompson and point guard Megan Rivers, whom the Pistons struggled to keep up with because the fifth-grader can dribble with both hands and doesn’t have to look down at the ball to do so. On almost every possession, Rivers lobbed a high pass under the basket where only Thompson could reach it, allowing the nearly 5-foot-tall center to catch the ball and put up a shot from less than 5 feet away.

brilliant

naff · « **Reply #7199 on:** November 18, 2012, 11:32:15 PM »

Massive Lakers - Rockets game at the moment. Surprised Lakers are holding out

News:

Author Topic: The NBA thread (Read 1519806 times)