The NBA thread

[Smooth Groove]

That blondie was obviously checking out the bbc. 

[Stoney Mason]

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[Smooth Groove]

Why would a white player even bother to jump with Griffin on an oop?  SMH

The most impressive thing about Griffin's leaping ability is how little space he needs.  He's very much like Dominique and Kemp in that regard. 

[Great Rumbler]

Kevin Durant is on a tear lately, averaging 40 points per game over the past four games [also averaging 11 rebounds per as well]. Crazy.

[Cormacaroni]

Why would a white player even bother to jump with Griffin on an oop?  SMH

The most impressive thing about Griffin's leaping ability is how little space he needs.  He's very much like Dominique and Kemp in that regard. 

The most exciting moment in basketball right now is that upraised finger from Griffin that signals the lob. The whole building holds its breath, i swear to God. I'm pulling for the Clippers to make the playoffs - they'd be so much fun. They have almost no chance of making it thanks to that 1-13 start tho :'(

[Stoney Mason]

All Star reserves announced today

4 Celtics made it.


Some of the players who didn't make it.

Steve Nash
Kevin Love
Kevin Martin
LaMarcus Aldridge
Monta Ellis
David West
Zach Randolph
Andrew Bogut
Carlos Boozer
Joakim Noah

2011 Western Conference All Star Reserves

F -- Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers)
F -- Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)
G-F -- Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs)
F -- Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks)
G -- Deron Williams (Utah Jazz)
G -- Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)
F -- Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)

2011 Eastern Conference All Star Reserves

F -- Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics)
F -- Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics)
G -- Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics)
G -- Ray Allen (Boston Celtics)
F-C -- Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks)
G-F -- Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks)
F-C -- Chris Bosh (Miami Heat)

[WrikaWrek]

With http://atdhe.net/ handcuffed by pigs, where can i watch NBA?

[etiolate]

LMA should have made it. Should have dropped Duncan or Pau, who are both not up to par. Nash should be in the game  just to make it watchable.

[Stoney Mason]

I wouldn't have put 4 celtics on the team. I just don't like one team having that many spots.

[Cormacaroni]

All Star reserves announced today

4 Celtics made it.


Some of the players who didn't make it.

Steve Nash
Kevin Love
Kevin Martin
LaMarcus Aldridge
Monta Ellis
David West
Zach Randolph
Andrew Bogut
Carlos Boozer
Joakim Noah

2011 Western Conference All Star Reserves

F -- Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers)
F -- Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)
G-F -- Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs)
F -- Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks)
G -- Deron Williams (Utah Jazz)
G -- Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)
F -- Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)

2011 Eastern Conference All Star Reserves

F -- Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics)
F -- Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics)
G -- Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics)
G -- Ray Allen (Boston Celtics)
F-C -- Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks)
G-F -- Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks)
F-C -- Chris Bosh (Miami Heat)

Yeah, but most of those guys you list play in the West. All of the Celtics deserve to be there. This year was always going to leave a lot of folks disappointed, 'cause the overall level of All-Star type talent is close to an all-time high. They did the right thing by putting Griffin in there! Boy is gonna OWN the whole weekend

[Smooth Groove]

Kevin Love should have made it and he probably will, as the commissioner's choice.  A>24 PER should instantly guarantee an all-star spot unless the player is on a record losing team.  

[Cormacaroni]

Duncan didn't deserve it over Love this year, but Duncan was always going to get the coach's vote.

[Stoney Mason]

Lebron had a sick game tonight.

51 points

FG 17-25
11 rebs
8 ast

[Mandark]

Allen hasn't really been at an all-star level, but Boozer missed a bunch of games and there weren't any big snubs as a result, so no big deal.  Nice to see Horford make it.

The East should get Love and Nash for the game.

Should have dropped Duncan or Pau, who are both not up to par. Nash should be in the game  just to make it watchable.

wat

[Cormacaroni]

Allen has absolutely been at All-Star level, as long as you recognize that he isn't taking a lot of shots. I think he's having a career shooting year, which is saying something. (and also a great argument for Rondo being in).

[Mandark]

That's actually my point.  Low-volume, high-efficiency scorers are valuable pieces on any team, and especially good ones with multiple creators, but I'd set the AS bar higher than that, and so would most voters, traditionally.

But this year, in the East, it's no big injustice.

[Cormacaroni]

Yeah. He's also been great defensively, and it's pretty clear he can ramp up his shots at need without losing efficiency...I don't think anyone can point at a 2 guard in the East other than Wade and say 'That guy is better than Ray Allen this year'. He's not the best player on the East or anything but I think he earned that slot for sure.

In the West, it might be tougher - Manu, Kobe and Kevin Martin have all been demonstrably better.

[Stoney Mason]

Crazy win for the spurs.

[Smooth Groove]

Wish I were at Staples tonight.  I almost think that it's better for the Spurs to have lost this one because their record is a bit flukey.  OTOH, Lakers are on the verge of self destruction.  Kobe must be fuming after trying to show that he can pass during clutch time and still end up losing.  If he had won, all the talk in town would be about how Henry Abbott was wrong.

[Stoney Mason]

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[Great Rumbler]

The Spurs are just incredible this year. Everyone going into the season was talking about Miami, Orlando, Boston, and LA, but who was really talking about the Spurs? At 41-8, they're three and a half games against the number 2 team in the NBA. It's insane.

[Smooth Groove]

For such a great leaper, Lebron doesn't get much elevation on his jump shots.  Also, he holds the ball a tad too long before releasing it.  Luckily for Bron, defenders are so scared of his drives that he gets more than adequate room to get off those Js.

The Spurs are just incredible this year. Everyone going into the season was talking about Miami, Orlando, Boston, and LA, but who was really talking about the Spurs? At 41-8, they're three and a half games against the number 2 team in the NBA. It's insane.

 

They really aren't as good as their record indicates though.  It's why I almost wished that they had lost today's game so that they would be more driven and less prone to underestimating the Lakers in the playoffs. 

[ch1nchilla]

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[Stoney Mason]

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[Phoenix Dark]

People actually care about the all star game/dunk contest? pass

They should put up a $1mil reward for the dunk contest, or a decked out car. Maybe that would get the best dunkers to particulate every year

[Mandark]

They should be allowed to use seven foot Euroleague honkeys as props/defenders for the dunks.

[Cormacaroni]

People actually care about the all star game/dunk contest? pass

They should put up a $1mil reward for the dunk contest, or a decked out car. Maybe that would get the best dunkers to particulate every year

I care this year because Blake Griffin has the chance to do something crazy, like Vince back in 2000. That was the last exciting dunk contest IMHO. The All-Star game can be great if there is perceivable bad blood and a will to compete. Last good one was the AI/Mutombo/Marbury come from behind victory though. I'll always have somewhat of a soft spot for it cause the All-Star game in 1990 was my first ever NBA game. Had a great time watching it with a bunch of Yanks and Canadians and a 2 liter bottle of convenience store vodka.

[Stoney Mason]

I always enjoy the All-Star game even though its generally not a very good game nowadays. I just enjoy seeing the collection of talent on the court. The dunk contest I don't really care about. I always thought the 3-Point contest was a better exhibition of competition than it.


I fell in love with Rolando Blackman because of an All-Star game.

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]


Also this moment.

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]


You watch All-Star games for the occasional magical moments that can happen. Not because its a very good game.


[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[Cormacaroni]

Good to see K-Love get in though. Anyone care to join me in the White Player Drinking Game?

- drink for every time Love is praised for work ethic
- drink for every time Love is praised for knowledge of game or high basketball IQ
- drink for every reference to deceptive athleticism
- drink for every time Love is compared to another white player

[Stoney Mason]

Good to see K-Love get in though. Anyone care to join me in the White Player Drinking Game?

- drink for every time Love is praised for work ethic
- drink for every time Love is praised for knowledge of game or high basketball IQ
- drink for every reference to deceptive athleticism
- drink for every time Love is compared to another white player

That's why Blake presents such a dilemma. How do you split your praise based on race?

[Cormacaroni]

I'll go with 'when Blake touches the ball, drink'

I'm seriously expecting the kid to break the backboard or something.

[Cormacaroni]

I'm increasingly convinced that OKC needs to pull the trigger on a trade soon. They have all these lottery guys like Jeff Green and James Harden who may develop into serious players, but in all likelihood are already at their peak value (due to their cheap contracts). They have 2 of the best guys in the league in Durant and Westbrook. Ibaka is emerging as a serious beast. Time to go all in and trade for some vets because they may never have a better chance to win than right now (Westbrook may not re-up). Sure those guys will be better next year, but the danger is that the trade value of all their other parts is likely to decline once people figure out that James Harden doesn't really have one standout skill and that Jeff Green is a perimeter 4 that shoots a low %.

You can only preserve cap space usefully for so long - nobody ever won a championship with a team that young. There are plenty of vets about to go for cents on the dollar at the trade deadline this year. I'd like to see them go for it.

[Great Rumbler]

Settin' records

[Stoney Mason]

To celebrate Cleveland's record night!


[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[Stoney Mason]

whoops wrong thread

[Phoenix Dark]

eh, noticed this on a blog I frequent
http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/2011/02/my-problem-with-per/

[Smooth Groove]

PER is a great tool but it's not perfect.  My main problem with it is that it assumes that performance will remain the same with a quicker pace or more minutes.  For example, Chris Paul is always one of the top PER holders but I've seen enough of his games to know that his production doesn't ramp up in faster games. 

[Cormacaroni]

Seems like a reasonable compromise, vs assuming that all teams in the league play at the same pace (which would be absurd). Of course it's not perfect - we wouldn't need to play the games if it was. It's a hell of a lot more useful than points, rebounds and assists though...which no-one nitpicked for decades. Not sure why PER is the target for so much abuse when it's clearly so much BETTER than anything else. I rarely find a PER score that I disagree with after watching enough games. Even better are Hollinger's articles, which are tested against in-game observations. The guy can write up a basketball game better than anybody else out there, IMHO.

[Mandark]

Hollinger

I got his basketball prospectus way back when he was writing for SI's site and was the only sportswriter on Earth predicting the Wizards would make the playoffs with an Arenas/Hughes/Jamison core.  Read his stuff ever since.

PER's naturally a limited tool, and he writes some really gimmicky stat-oriented pieces that don't reveal much now that he's got to churn out content five or six days a week, but he watches a ton of games and brings a good eye for detail and a wry sense of humor (his chat sessions are totally worth reading).  I can't think of a basketball writer who brings as much knowledge of the league's obscure role players as he does.



edit:  PS  Why Matt Yglesias thinks Dave Berri ought to be taken seriously is as mysterious to me as why Matt Yglesias thinks Steve Sailer ought to be taken seriously.

[Stoney Mason]

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[Cormacaroni]

 

Yes, this is a real thing that someone worked up from the raw data.

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2011/2/4/1973237/kobe-bryant-black-hole

[Stoney Mason]

The Lakers and the Denver Nuggets have had preliminary discussions about a blockbuster trade that would send Carmelo Anthony to Los Angeles, according to league sources. The Lakers' package would be built around Andrew Bynum.

Talks are in the preliminary stages, but it appears that another option besides the New York Knicks has materialized for the Nuggets.

"There have been discussions between the two teams," one of the sources said. "The Lakers are definitely an option."

Of course, Anthony, who can opt out of his contract after this season, would likely have to agree to sign a three-year, $65 million extension with the Lakers for them to part with Bynum. But Los Angeles is believed to be a city Anthony would be amenable to playing in, as he and his wife, La La Vasquez, bought a home there last summer. Two people close to Anthony said the Nuggets superstar would sign off on a deal that would make him a Laker.


The Nuggets have no interest in Lakers forward Ron Artest and sources said they may not insist on getting Lamar Odom either. A straight-up trade of Anthony for Bynum meets the financial requirements of the collective bargaining agreement, but more players could be involved since Denver would look to shed as much salary as possible.

The Lakers first contacted the Charlotte Bobcats last week, looking to deal Artest for either Stephen Jackson or Gerald Wallace, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher. The Bobcats were initially intrigued because owner Michael Jordan has long appreciated Artest's toughness, but talks ended during the weekend after the Bobcats learned Artest was not excited about playing in Charlotte.

The Nuggets are also engaged in talks with New York about a three-way trade involving the Minnesota Timberwolves. Initial discussions centered around Denver getting Wilson Chandler, with Minnesota sending Corey Brewer and a first-round pick to Denver as well. But Denver wants more than that and has its eye on young Knicks assets Danilo Gallinari and Landry Fields, along with Chandler.

Minnesota, which would receive Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry in the trade, also wants more in return if it is to send a first-round pick to Denver.

In a sign that the Denver-New York talks have heated up, Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan has had direct negotiations with Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, according to the New York Daily News.

One stumbling block to a Nuggets-Knicks deal, however, is the health of Chandler. The Daily News reported Tuesday that he is experiencing discomfort in his surgically repaired left ankle.

With the Feb. 24 trade deadline approaching, the Nuggets are weighing every possible option, including holding on to Anthony for the remainder of the season while hoping the owners can negotiate the right to put a franchise tag on players in the new collective bargaining agreement. Under that scenario, the Nuggets would be able to "franchise" Anthony and keep him in Denver.

 The likeliest outcome, however, remains that Denver will trade Anthony before Feb. 24.

It is believed that the Lakers have not yet made an offer for Anthony but that the two clubs have merely had discussions.

Los Angeles has long viewed Bynum as a building block and potential star, but a series of knee injuries throughout his six-year career has frustrated the Lakers to the point that one source said the club would consider moving him. Bynum missed the first 24 games of this season while recovering from offseason knee surgery and also missed a game last week with a bruised knee.

Pau Gasol starts at center in Bynum's absence, with Odom moving to power forward, and the Lakers' record of 18-7 without Bynum this season is better than their record with him (18-9).

The Lakers' front office is not in full agreement on dealing Bynum, sources told Bucher. Jim Buss, son of owner Jerry, was in charge of the franchise when Bynum was drafted with the 10th pick in 2005 and has consistently resisted any attempts to move him, including a deal for free-agent-to-be Chris Bosh last season.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson, another source said, would like to see how his team performs in a rematch against the Celtics Thursday and in the remaining five games on its current seven-game road trip before deciding to make such a dramatic move.

The Lakers' motivation to upgrade their roster largely stems from the struggles of Artest this season. He was considered an important component last season in defending premier small forwards such as Kevin Durant and Paul Pierce, and the Lakers may see either the Celtics' Pierce or the Heat's LeBron James in the Finals if they were to get that far.

But Jackson has not played Artest down the stretch in a number of games this season because he has been ineffective both offensively and defensively.

The Nuggets like Bynum's immense upside and believe that, at 23 years old, he can overcome his health issues. But they understand it would be a risk, and are not entirely certain they would trade for him, one source said.

Acquiring Bynum is not a huge financial risk for Denver, though, considering his great potential. Bynum has two years and $31 million left on his contract, but the final year is a team option for $16.5 million. If Bynum experiences another injury next season, the Nuggets could decide not to pick up the option and thus be on the hook for just the $15.1 million he's due next season.

Bynum is averaging 11.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in 27 games this season. In five full seasons with Los Angeles, Bynum has averaged only 56 games per season because of injuries.

Anthony is coming off a 50-point, 11-rebound outing Monday, but the Nuggets lost to the Rockets.

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6101304

[Stoney Mason]

lol

[Stoney Mason]

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[Stoney Mason]

The Pistons were supposedly a beatable opponent for the cellar-dwelling Cavs (8-45), still winless since Dec. 18 and now losers of a hard-to-imagine 36 of 37.

[Great Rumbler]

When you're talking about the 2010-2011 Cavs, you don't "suppose" anything. Except that they are terrible and will continue to lose many games.

[Mandark]

Unless they can beat Griffindor, the Cavs' streak is going to come up against the Wizards' 0-for-the-season road record on Sunday.

I'm actually looking forward to that and would be really disappointed if the Clippers drop the ball.

[Cormacaroni]

Movable object meets stoppable force!

[Mandark]

I just made that joke!

[Cormacaroni]

*squints*

[Bacchus7]

Cav's-Wizards Brawl 2011 with a tie game? No one gets the win?

[Great Rumbler]

Cav's-Wizards Brawl 2011 with a tie game? No one gets the win?

Game eventually ended at 2:00 AM by David Stern after tenth overtime concludes in tie.

[Stoney Mason]

Lakers versus Celtics tonight on tnt for those that didn't know.

[Bacchus7]

Jerry Sloan to resign today :'(

I know, it's actually making me pretty sad. I just remember watching those fantastic Jazz-Bulls Finals series in '97 and '98, two of the best NBA teams to ever take the floor, it's a shame he never got a ring.

[Cormacaroni]

I'm honestly more shocked about Jerry Sloan quitting than Mubarak quitting. This is the end of an era. Can't believe he never got COTY or won a championship either.

I can't imagine he will want to coach again but man, I can think of like 10 teams that could use him right now.

[Stoney Mason]

man boston looks good. It's gonna be real hard for anybody else to come out of the east unless Boston gets some severe injuries come playoff time.

[Phoenix Dark]

Sloan is a great coach. Utah isn't particularly a free agent hot spot but he always did well with what he had, and of course the organization made some great draft picks. Seems like a good guy too. Didn't his wife die kinda recently?

[Stoney Mason]

Nice comeback win for the Lakers.

[Smooth Groove]

I love Rondo's game but I wonder if his scoring ability will be the Celtics' Achilles' heel in the playoffs.  He probably needs to force his way to the hoop a bit more.  Even though his FT% is bad, it's still much better than his FG% from 10 ft and beyond. 

[Cormacaroni]

I don't think it's a concern so long as he has 3 or 4 scorers on the court all night. And his jumpshot is coming on, though it was woeful tonight. When they play Shaq, Rondo doesn't need to score at all. Tonight was a combination of lack of depth and foul trouble I think. I'm not scared about the Lakers as I am getting through the East.