The NBA thread

[Cormacaroni]

Kobe's scoring is impressive but they aren't going anywhere in the playoffs with that style imo. And like I said before I think all that shooting stunts Bynum's development.

Not to mention Pau, forgotten All Star. That poor guy passes it constantly and rarely gets it back. It's a travesty.

[Great Rumbler]

Mavs just stream-rolling the Kings, almost hard to watch actually.

Haha, not really. I love it.

[Stoney Mason]

Clippers Lakers. Pretty close game right now.

[Stoney Mason]

lol. Announcers dogging Lakers and making my exact same point. The Lakers are barely even using Gasol and Bynum in this quarter. It's the Kobe Show. And that shit doesn't work as well against good teams.

[Stoney Mason]

Kobe getting an utterly meaningless 40 pt game again. And no one has the balls in that organization to say he should stop shooting so much and involve other people. With no Phil Kobe is the defacto coach.



edit: Typical dumb Lakers fan.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34285129&postcount=4450

[Stoney Mason]

Statistically Kobe had an alright game. The problem is guys resent it when they aren't part of the regular offense and worse they lose confidence. They lose that ability to actually execute when it counts. Not to mention both of those players on average shoot a higher FG percentage on average simply due to their size and closeness to the basket. Why not work on those team issues now early in the season in relatively meaningless games instead of Kobe going for 40 every night. Yeah you might lose a couple but it builds toward something that will actually be effective come the playoffs.

I just didn't like in that 4th quarter how the bigs felt completely under utilized. CP3 was shooting a lot in that last quarter too but still also trying to get his other players involved. When the commentators mentioned the same thing on the bigs it spurred me to make that post last night. (To be fair they were the clippers announcers but still)

[Stoney Mason]

Will all the excitement over Rubio finally coming over I think people are missing out on the fact that Kyrie Irving is quietly having a really good rookie season and the Cavs are 6-6.

[Stoney Mason]

Celtics are really in trouble this year. They will get better and make the playoffs. But its hard to see them being anything better than a 8th or 7th seed.

[Flannel Boy]

Typical Carter. Missing a shot and immediately afterward holding his ankle.

[Stoney Mason]

[Human Snorenado]

Jesus, is that score right?  Was this a COLLEGE game?

[benjipwns]

Kobe didn't go for 40. Only 14. He really needed to shoot more.

[Flannel Boy]

Jesus, is that score right?  Was this a COLLEGE game?

I wish--college games are shorter.

The Mavs shot 35% (31.7% if you exclude Dirk's numbers). The Lakers shot 38.2% (33% if you exclude Bynum's stats).

Vince Carter sprained his left foot while maneuvering to get off a last-second 3-pointer Monday night in the Dallas Mavericks' 73-70 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

X-rays taken at the Staples Center were negative, but Carter emerged from the training room on crutches. He said he heard a "pop"

Pretty sure that was a loud collective groan.

[benjipwns]

Did Carter ever get injured significantly in college? I don't remember anything.

What if he's one of those guys who when he faced that first big injury that needed real recovery and not just some rest he became, hypochondriac, style paranoid about any slight tweak or injury?

It'd explain why he went from 40 minutes a game, dominating, driving and dunking all over putting up nearly 30 points a game to jacking 20 footers for 35 ish minutes and less even after he fully recovered. Plus all his instantly bailing out and planking efforts.

Or maybe he just gave up and is trying to cover up that. His stats go all wonky after that first major injury though. At an odd age to just stop trying.

[Phoenix Dark]

I don't remember Carter getting injured in college. And that NC team played a lot of games

[Stoney Mason]

So weird how Lebron often plays better without Wade. He had a great game tonight and they came back from a deficit to get a blowout.

Mike Miller also came back and had a good game.

[Mandark]

Carter was never one to relish contact.  I bet if you looked at his stats you'd probably see a relatively low FTA/FGA ratio for an elite scorer, especially one known for finishing at the basket.

[Flannel Boy]

Carter hasn't had too many bad injuries (he's played under 70 games in a season just twice excluding lockout years). He just has a low pain threshold.

Carter was never one to relish contact.  I bet if you looked at his stats you'd probably see a relatively low FTA/FGA ratio for an elite scorer, especially one known for finishing at the basket.

Yeah, has always used his agility (which was nearly as good as his leaping ability) to avoid contact (especially in his last few years in Toronto) rather than initiate it like other elite SG/SFs.

[Stoney Mason]

Like a Bosh

[DJ_Tet]

Carter wasn't injured at UNC that I can remember, at least not physically.

He came in as the top recruit in the country but was very disappointing as a freshman and only somewhat less so as a soph.  Antawn Jamison was part of the same class but not nearly as highly regarded, but he pretty much kicked ass from day 1.

It took until their junior year that Vince actually caught up to Tawn, and after that they both went pro.  Actually Carter sort of figured it out halfway through his soph season and helped them to the Final Four.

Point is, he's always had issues 'being the man.'  Even when he was 'the man' in Toronto you still saw it when his cousin started rising up and challenging him.

Dude has the best dunk contest of all time though, as well as the most impressive game-dunk I've ever seen (against Weiss and France in the Olympics.)  As a Duke fan I gotta give him props for that.

[Beezy]

Clippers

[Stoney Mason]

[benjipwns]

[Fifstar]

That's the third last seconds lose for Dallas this season.

[Flannel Boy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ArqmNeFf.m.sLCaz75VdfJa8vLYF?slug=mc-spears_nba_injuries_011812

Player    Injury
Paul Pierce   bruised heel
Al Horford    torn pectoral muscle
Corey Maggette    strained hamstring
Derrick Rose    turf toe
Jason Kidd    lower back strain
Nene   heel strain
Charlie Villanueva   sore ankle
Stephen Curry    sprained ankle
Kwame Brown    torn pectoral muscle
Courtney Lee    strained calf
Chris Paul    strained hamstring
Chauncey Billups    strained groin
Mo Williams   sore foot
Steve Blake    fractured rib cartilage
Josh McRoberts   sprained toe
Zach Randolph    torn knee ligament
Dwyane Wade   sprained, strained calf, sore foot
Mike Miller   hernia
Mike Dunleavy   strained groin
Michael Beasley    sprained foot
Brook Lopez    broken foot
Eric Gordon   bruised knee
Trevor Ariza   strained groin
Carmelo Anthony   sprained ankle
Amar’e Stoudemire   sprained ankle
Iman Shumpert    sprained knee
Eric Maynor   torn knee ligament
Jason Richardson   bruised knee
Marc Thornton   thigh contusion
Manu Ginobili   broken hand
TJ Ford   torn hamstring
Andrea Bargnani   strained calf

[Joe Molotov]

Vince Carter  :'(

[DJ_Tet]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ArqmNeFf.m.sLCaz75VdfJa8vLYF?slug=mc-spears_nba_injuries_011812

Player    Injury
Paul Pierce   bruised heel
Al Horford    torn pectoral muscle
Corey Maggette    strained hamstring
Derrick Rose    turf toe
Jason Kidd    lower back strain
Nene   heel strain
Charlie Villanueva   sore ankle
Stephen Curry    sprained ankle
Kwame Brown    torn pectoral muscle
Courtney Lee    strained calf
Chris Paul    strained hamstring
Chauncey Billups    strained groin
Mo Williams   sore foot
Steve Blake    fractured rib cartilage
Josh McRoberts   sprained toe
Zach Randolph    torn knee ligament
Dwyane Wade   sprained, strained calf, sore foot
Mike Miller   hernia
Mike Dunleavy   strained groin
Michael Beasley    sprained foot
Brook Lopez    broken foot
Eric Gordon   bruised knee
Trevor Ariza   strained groin
Carmelo Anthony   sprained ankle
Amar’e Stoudemire   sprained ankle
Iman Shumpert    sprained knee
Eric Maynor   torn knee ligament
Jason Richardson   bruised knee
Marc Thornton   thigh contusion
Manu Ginobili   broken hand
TJ Ford   torn hamstring
Andrea Bargnani   strained calf

New NBA schedule is complete shit, for the players and especially for the fans.

Bobcats just finished playing 7 games in 9 days.  4 home games in 7 days.

They have 4 home games the whole of February.  Thanks NBA, way to look out for your customers, fucks.

[Phoenix Dark]

We saw this in the NFL after the lockout. There were quite a few injuries early in the season, Arian Foster and Jaamal Charles perhaps being the biggest. And many of those injuries lingered through the season. I must say I'm a bit surprised players agreed to come back so soon just to help the league get Christmas ratings

[TakingBackSunday]

the sooner the season starts, the sooner everyone gets paid.  simple as that.

[Stoney Mason]

Kobe 1 of 8 from the Field in the fist half against the Heat. 

And Wade isn't even playing.

[Phoenix Dark]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34412908&postcount=8781

[TakingBackSunday]

the first rule of nba-gaf is: you NEVER enter nba-gaf

worst fucking sports fanbase community I've ever encountered online

[Stoney Mason]

I thinks it mostly the Lakers fans in that thread. They are truly awful.

[TakingBackSunday]

it's like if you're a lebron fan, you're satan

[Stoney Mason]

Yes. Lebron is Satan. Not the "alleged" rapist and dude who throws everybody under the bus. Kobe is a great player and one of the all time greats but he's also been a complete asshole his whole career.

Not that it necessarily bothers me because his job is to score and win and not be a role model. But I'm also not a fan of the hypocrisy.

[Human Snorenado]

We saw this in the NFL after the lockout. There were quite a few injuries early in the season, Arian Foster and Jaamal Charles perhaps being the biggest. And many of those injuries lingered through the season. I must say I'm a bit surprised players agreed to come back so soon just to help the league get Christmas ratings

No, this is way worse than the NFL.  The NFL basically just lost training camps and OTAs.  This would be like if the NFL tried to play 13 games in 9 weeks or something.  It's fucking distinguished mentally-challenged and is making the season unwatchable.

[DJ_Tet]

the first rule of nba-gaf is: you NEVER enter nba-gaf

worst fucking sports fanbase community I've ever encountered online

I would enter the thread but it's a bunch of asshats I ended up putting on ignore.  Asshats being Laker-GAF of course.

[DJ_Tet]

We saw this in the NFL after the lockout. There were quite a few injuries early in the season, Arian Foster and Jaamal Charles perhaps being the biggest. And many of those injuries lingered through the season. I must say I'm a bit surprised players agreed to come back so soon just to help the league get Christmas ratings

No, this is way worse than the NFL.  The NFL basically just lost training camps and OTAs.  This would be like if the NFL tried to play 13 games in 9 weeks or something.  It's fucking distinguished mentally-challenged and is making the season unwatchable.

Agreed.  The NFL still had a full preseason schedule.  The NBA played 2 preseason games and a handful of practices before deciding to go full bore.  And like I said, the Bobcats just finished a stretch of 7 games in 9 days.  That's fucking excessive.  For the players and the fans alike.

[Phoenix Dark]

We saw this in the NFL after the lockout. There were quite a few injuries early in the season, Arian Foster and Jaamal Charles perhaps being the biggest. And many of those injuries lingered through the season. I must say I'm a bit surprised players agreed to come back so soon just to help the league get Christmas ratings

No, this is way worse than the NFL.  The NFL basically just lost training camps and OTAs.  This would be like if the NFL tried to play 13 games in 9 weeks or something.  It's fucking distinguished mentally-challenged and is making the season unwatchable.

I'm saying we saw out of shape players getting injured, which is the comparison here. Not commentating on the short season

[pilonv1]

the first rule of nba-gaf is: you NEVER enter nba-gaf

worst fucking sports fanbase community I've ever encountered online

It's only the Lakers fans who are intolerable. Everyone else is super cool.

Anyway the Lakers are done.

[Phoenix Dark]

God I hope the Lakers don't get Howard.

[Joe Molotov]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-120120/nba-dwight-howard-come-los-angeles-lakers-rescue

I like how the two LA guys are the only two that think Bynum for Howard is a good trade for the Magic and that Bynum can be a #1 guy on a title team.

[etiolate]

Bynum couldn't even be a role player on a title contender. Broke ass body and gets routinely busted by other centers.

[Stoney Mason]

Watching Artest play at this point is like watching a zombie on the court.

[Stoney Mason]

[Phoenix Dark]

Shaq making the point I've been saying for years. Cut me a check, big man

btw how is Shaq doing on TNT?

[Mandark]

Bynum couldn't even be a role player on a title contender.

He already was a role player on two title winners?

[Stoney Mason]

Good game between Clips and Wolves.

Darko is having a good game. 

[Stoney Mason]

lol.

Rubio was 0-10 and just hit a three pointer to tie the game with about 20 seconds left.

[Stoney Mason]

lol. You missed a good one if you weren't watching.

Love with a 3 pointer for the winner with 1.5 seconds left. Great game.

[etiolate]

yeah that was awesome

[Stoney Mason]

[Cormacaroni]

Rookie Ribbio just resurrected Darko's career, wouldn't have believed it if i hadn't seen it

[Stoney Mason]

The Knicks and the Celtics have a worse win percentage than the Cavs

[pilonv1]

Knicks are straight up broken. Need to blow that shit up ASAP.

[Mandark]

lol.

Rubio was 0-10 and just hit a three pointer to tie the game with about 20 seconds left.

The Iberian Tebow!

[Flannel Boy]

Odom already influencing Dirk.

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki will sit out the next four games to engage in a week of behind-the-scenes conditioning work to strengthen his sore right knee starting with Saturday's visit to the New Orleans Hornets, coach Rick Carlisle announced.

More on the Mavericks

News, notes and analysis of the Mavericks from ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan, Tim MacMahon and our team. Blog Carlisle said Nowitzki needs "an uninterrupted eight days of work to resolve some physical issues and conditioning issues." He emphasized that the break is designed to help Nowitzki, who is expected to return Jan. 29 against San Antonio, get into better game shape.

Nowitzki, historically one of the most regimented workers in the league, has not shied away from the fact that he is not in typical game condition. On Wednesday, he said a combination of last season's run to the championship, followed by playing for Germany in the Olympic qualifying tournament in late summer and then a long layoff are at the root of his knee problem.

Where's Kobe's German doctor? Help a brother out.

[benjipwns]

 

[Fifstar]

Odom already influencing Dirk.

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki will sit out the next four games to engage in a week of behind-the-scenes conditioning work to strengthen his sore right knee starting with Saturday's visit to the New Orleans Hornets, coach Rick Carlisle announced.

More on the Mavericks

News, notes and analysis of the Mavericks from ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan, Tim MacMahon and our team. Blog Carlisle said Nowitzki needs "an uninterrupted eight days of work to resolve some physical issues and conditioning issues." He emphasized that the break is designed to help Nowitzki, who is expected to return Jan. 29 against San Antonio, get into better game shape.

Nowitzki, historically one of the most regimented workers in the league, has not shied away from the fact that he is not in typical game condition. On Wednesday, he said a combination of last season's run to the championship, followed by playing for Germany in the Olympic qualifying tournament in late summer and then a long layoff are at the root of his knee problem.

Where's Kobe's German doctor? Help a brother out.

Interesting, I noticed his minutes per game were kinda low (around the 30 minutes mark), this kinda explains it.

[Cormacaroni]

Dirk flat-out admitted he partied for a loooong time after the championship so not really surprising.

Watched 76'ers - Heat yesterday hoping to see if Philly was for real but it was a blow-out, disappointingly. Evan Turner did that 'skinny rookie turns into the Hulk' thing in the off-season though! He seems to be living up to his promise, at least. Very aggressive around the basket too, probably helped by the extra bulk.