The NBA thread

[etiolate]

He's had pretty good small forward skills. He's been using spins for awhile, but they're under better control right now. He used to spin into offensive fouls and turnovers.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

He's had pretty good small forward skills. He's been using spins for awhile, but they're under better control right now. He used to spin into offensive fouls and turnovers.

LOL, I'm sorry but did you just say that Blake Griffin has the skills to play at the 3? C'mon now bro, put down the pipe.

[etiolate]

 

[Am_I_Anonymous]

(Image removed from quote.)

[Stoney Mason]

There's a good chance that half of the Christmas day games will be blow outs.

Wow what an awful slate of games. I just bothered to check the schedule and its terrible. I think they should wait a bit to schedule those xmas games so it doesn't end up being a pile of crap.

[etiolate]

 

[Beezy]

 

[etiolate]

that draft wheel proposal is distinguished mentally-challenged

[Stoney Mason]

I'll just go ahead and say it.I think the Lakers play better ball without Kobe at this point. They at least run an offense.

[Stoney Mason]

Feisty game tonight between clippers and warriors.

[Stoney Mason]

[Stoney Mason]

As far as Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is concerned, the NBA committed a major fashion faux pas by having all 10 teams that played on Christmas Day suited up in short-sleeve jerseys.

"Hated them," Cuban said before the Mavs hosted the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. "I just thought it made our guys look more like a high school wrestling team or a college wrestling team."

Cuban, whose Mavs had Christmas off, understands the NBA is attempting to market the short-sleeve jerseys to fans who might not want to wear tank tops. He just doesn't believe it's necessary for superstars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant to wear the T-shirt-style jerseys in game action to get them to sell.

"I could have thought of better ways to sell [the short-sleeved jerseys] and a lot of different ways by having them in a casual wear situation," Cuban said. "We would have been better off, if we want people to wear them casually, to get the trainers and everybody else to wear them to show them in a realistic setting. So I would have done it a little differently, but we'll see what happens."

Cuban said he thinks the short-sleeve jerseys still will sell, but he thinks a lot of fans will be turned off by the tight fit. He anticipates that people will buy the jerseys a few sizes larger than normal so they'll be baggy.

"I think the people that will buy them are more the jersey heads and the people who are trying to be hip and cool as opposed to the mainstream fan who just wants something to wear to work or something to wear to school," Cuban said. "I don't think schools are going to be happy if 16-year-old boys come in wearing skin-tight gym wrestling gear. My opinion, they'll sell, but we could have sold more.

"You live and you learn. That's just my opinion. Maybe I'll be wrong. Maybe they'll sell like gangbusters in China."

Of course, Cuban was the mastermind behind some of the ugliest jerseys in NBA history. The Mavs wore shiny silver jerseys that looked brown when they got wet with sweat during the 2003-04 season opener. They never wore those jerseys again.

"They looked like wet garbage bags," Cuban said, "but I took them off the market after one game."

 

[El Babua]

Wow, CP3.

[Phoenix Dark]

What’s interesting is how quickly the two moved in their relationship. Hayward didn’t make his first appearance on Van Vliet’s Instagram account until late July, which is around the time it looks like they met. You may recall that Hayward used to be with ex-girlfriend Kolbi Killingback, who attended the NBA draft with him. Hayward and Killingback began dating in high school, and Killingback, who is two years younger, was in high school at the time of the draft. The two dated for five years and broke up this summer.

There is an even greater age gap between Hayward and Van Vliet than there was between him and Killingback. Van Vliet just graduated high school in the spring, and it looks like she played volleyball at Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis. She is currently in her first year of beauty school, according to her Facebook page. Hayward is 23 and in his fourth season in the NBA. He also grew up in Indianapolis and went to high school and college in the area.

http://larrybrownsports.com/basketball/gordon-hayward-engaged-girlfriend-robyn-van-vliet/214732


I remember when Hayword attended a major StarCraft 2 tournament and was interviewed, used in skits, and treated like a celebrity.

[Stoney Mason]

Russell Westbrook underwent scope surgery on his knee today to address recent swelling. He's expected back post All-Star break. More coming.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/thunder/2013/12/27/russell-westbrook-knee-injury-surgery-oklahoma-city/4223005/

[TakingBackSunday]

god fucking dammit

[etiolate]

SAC TOWN

[Stoney Mason]

The Cleveland Cavaliers suspended center Andrew Bynum indefinitely Saturday for conduct detrimental to the team.


In addition, the Cavs will begin aggressively looking to trade Bynum, sources told ESPN.com.

The team has until Jan. 7 to decide if it will guarantee his contract for the rest of the season. Bynum signed a two-year, $24 million deal with the Cavs last summer but the team-friendly contract was only $6 million guaranteed.

Bynum did not travel with the team to Boston for Saturday's game. The decision to suspend Bynum was made Friday, sources said. It was unclear what led to the suspension.

After missing all of last season with knee injuries, Bynum has returned to play in 24 games (19 starts) and average 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds. He's shooting just 42 percent from the floor.

Bynum has admitted on several occasions that he's struggled mentally with learning to play with less mobility and in pain with his knees.

Because of his flexible contract and that he's proven he can play again, Bynum could have some suitors in the trade market.

Yep.

‏@WojYahooNBA
About Bynum suspension, league source tells Yahoo: "He doesn't want to play basketball anymore. He never liked it that much in first place."

[Phoenix Dark]

His career will make quite a good 30 For 30 episode in a couple decades.

[etiolate]

Boogie ball don't lie.

[Stoney Mason]

The sad thing is I actually like his game when he is healthy.




But the whole Philly thing and how he handled that was probably one of the worst things I've seen in recent sports memory.

Bill Simmons claims he wants to go to the Heat or Clips but I don't really take anything seriously Bill says.

[etiolate]

Simmons has fully merged his fantasy world into his real world proposals so that he's reporting rumors based on his own whatifs. It doesn't help that websites repeat the rumors. (Like the Rondo Kings trade.)

[etiolate]

[ToxicAdam]

Bynum showed flashes of being a legit player offensively, but he rarely ever played defense or even pretended to want to.  I don't know why/how a playoff team would even want to take him on.

[Stoney Mason]

I think the argument would be that for a top caliber playoff team all you are asking for is maybe 10 minutes of sustained play. For a team like the Cavs to be decent you would need a lot more out of him.

[Mandark]

Plus teams like Miami might expect to get more out of a player, since they've already got the structure in place and have the incentive of a possible championship run, the way that the Patriots have sometimes gotten better effort from "problem" players in the past.  Not saying it would happen, but I'd expect it to factor into their thinking, as it probably did with bringing back Beasley.

Plus, Bynum's seven feet tall and not dead.  How many chances did Tskitishvili get back in the day?  Hasheem Thabeet?  Bynum has (limited) time as an actual good NBA player on his cv, which gives him a leg up on those guys.

[Stoney Mason]

[TakingBackSunday]

Like a fucking Bosh

[Stoney Mason]

Wish I had watched that game instead of watching a human leg break in half.

 

[Phoenix Dark]

James would have passed in that situation

[etiolate]

Cousins is beasting. He'll probably still end up the biggest omission from the all-star game.

[Phoenix Dark]

http://www.thecoli.com/threads/kobe-is-the-greatest-teammate-of-all-time-undeniable-evidence-inside.177301/

[Smooth Groove]

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/10218817/dwyane-wade-miami-heat-fathers-child-not-fiancee-gabrielle-union?ex_cid=espnapi_public

No wonder Gabby's ring was so big

[Stoney Mason]

I'll never understand people's flippant attitude towards bringing new life into the world. I know that comes off like an old out of touch person but its just a pet peeve of mine. It's not like he's a crazy ignorant kid at this stage or something.

At least he can afford it I suppose.

[benjipwns]

The Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers have had discussions about a trade that would involve Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, league sources told ESPN.com.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10220178/los-angeles-lakers-cleveland-cavaliers-talk-pau-gasol-andrew-bynum-trade

[etiolate]

Too funny not to be true.

[etiolate]

[etiolate]

[etiolate]

http://deadspin.com/david-lee-bodied-by-big-dick-baby-1492660349

[TakingBackSunday]

we heard you the first five times, shinobi

[Stoney Mason]

The Raptors are 8-3 since trading Rudy Gay and they beat the Pacers tonight.

 

[El Babua]

Stat nerds win again.

[etiolate]

we heard you the first five times, shinobi

And it's only gotten more depressing as more time has elapsed.

Dude should AT LEAST tweak something by the All Star Break. I'd settle for a back re-aggravation.

wow

Laker fans still asking Dwight to emulate Kobe

[Phoenix Dark]

we heard you the first five times, shinobi

And it's only gotten more depressing as more time has elapsed.

Dude should AT LEAST tweak something by the All Star Break. I'd settle for a back re-aggravation.

wow

Laker fans still asking Dwight to emulate Kobe

 

[TakingBackSunday]

Bellinelli having a career game tonight against the Knicks.  5/6 beyond the arc, 29 points

[Beezy]

Curry and Lee danced all over the Heat.

[pilonv1]

#FullSquad is unbeatable

[Stoney Mason]

On a night when defensive effort is lacking Miami is always very susceptible to teams who shoot a lot of three's.

[benjipwns]

Speaking of lots of threes...

[Stoney Mason]

http://instagram.com/p/irmfcHvSuG/


 

[Stoney Mason]

[Stoney Mason]

After several days of stalled talks, the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers made progress Saturday on a trade that would involve Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, sources told ESPN.com.
The Cavaliers want to execute a trade by Sunday so it can be completed ahead of Tuesday's deadline for Bynum's contract to become fully guaranteed, sources said. Trades need 48 hours to be finalized so players can have physicals.

The Cavs have been involved in talks with other teams looking to take advantage of Bynum's contract. The deal is for $12.3 million this season but if a team waives Bynum by Tuesday it will owe him nothing because the $6.3 million left on the contract is not guaranteed if he's released by that date.
On Friday, ESPN.com reported the Cavs have been in talks with the Jazz for veteran forward Richard Jefferson in a money-saving move for Utah. Cleveland also has considered keeping Bynum and using him as a trade asset before next month's trade deadline, sources said.
The injury-ravaged Lakers have been considering whether to execute a Gasol-for-Bynum trade because it would get them out of the luxury tax for the first time in seven years. More important than the $20 million in instant savings would be easing the pressure of going into the repeater tax in either 2015 or '16, sources said. If a team is in the luxury tax in four out of any five years, it triggers the repeater tax.
Sources say the Lakers, who broke a six-game losing streak with a victory against the Jazz on Friday night, also are seeking a package that would include a young player or a draft pick from the Cavs, which has been holding up the talks.
The Lakers internally have been debating whether they should trade Gasol, a four-time All-Star with the team, or wait for some of their players to get healthy with hopes of making a run in the second half of the season.
It appears these talks, which kicked into gear last weekend when the Cavs suspended Bynum for a game and put him on the trade block, could be headed for a resolution one way or the another on Sunday.

[benjipwns]

The Boston Celtics have reached an agreement with the Memphis Grizzlies to trade for veteran guard Jerryd Bayless, according to sources close to the process. Sources told ESPN.com that the Celtics, after pursuing him in previous seasons as well, are on the verge of acquiring Bayless for shooting guard Courtney Lee. A trade call with the league office, sources said, has been scheduled for Monday.

[benjipwns]

Was looking at the last draft earlier after seeing how bad Otto Porter had been playing and realizing the first and third picks were both disasters so far. Then I realized I wasn't really seeing much from rookies in general outside of MCW and Steven Adams. (And a little Antetokounmpo.)

http://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2013.html

And dear god. It's like 2/3rds of the first 20 picks are disasters. Maybe higher. Way too early obviously to make any long term judgement and there was plenty of "potential" thrown about like with Odalipo and Antetokounmpo, but ouch so far.

[ToxicAdam]

Yea, that's why I kind of bristle when people shit on the Cavs pick. its not like they really missed on a franchise player. Sure, Oladipo  seemed like a surer thing, but there was no room for him.

[TakingBackSunday]

Oladipo is playing well, and I've seen good thinks from McLemore whenever I torture myself with a Kings game here and there, but yeah, pretty awful draft class.

[Stoney Mason]

In a move that has the Cleveland Cavaliers thinking about the present and the Chicago Bulls thinking about the future, the two teams executed a major trade late Monday night. The Bulls are sending two-time All-Star Luol Deng to the Cavs for Andrew Bynum, three future draft picks and major salary savings.

The Cavs, looking to end a three-year playoff drought, are attempting to make a run by acquiring Deng to shore up the small forward position. They parlayed Bynum's favorable contract into a piece to put next to young guards Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.

Deng, 28, is averaging 19 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 23 games. He's been bothered by an injured Achilles that caused him to miss nine games over the past six weeks. He has returned to play in the Bulls' last three games. The Cavs, who have lost eight of their past night games and have been missing Irving with a knee injury, are hoping Deng helps them turn things around.

"We have worked to acquire and maintain flexibility in order to capitalize on opportunities such as this," Cavs general manager Chris Grant said. " Luol reflects all that we are striving for in building our team. He's a tremendous defensive player that can impact the game on both ends of the court with a team-first mentality and is a high character leader."

Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert welcomed Deng via Twitter early Tuesday morning.

Welcome @LuolDeng9 to the Cleveland Cavaliers!

— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) January 7, 2014
The Bulls, who are facing a lost season after a bevy of injuries, including a season-ending knee injury to Derrick Rose, are focusing on the upcoming draft and next season. Chicago will waive Bynum by 5 p.m. Tuesday and clear his $12.3 million salary off their books. That will enable the Bulls to get below the luxury tax and, combined with the savings from not having to pay Deng the balance of his $14.3 million salary, will save the team in excess of $20 million.

Bynum is expected to clear waivers and become a free agent by the end of the week. Though he was suspended by the Cavs for one game for conduct detrimental to the team and excused from team activities, he is expected to be chased on the open market. The Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and New York Knicks are among the teams expected to consider offering him a landing spot.

In addition to the savings, the Bulls got a future first-round draft pick owed to the Cavs by the Sacramento Kings from a 2011 trade for J.J. Hickson. The Bulls will get the Kings' pick if it falls outside the top 12 in 2014 or outside the top 10 picks in 2015, 2016 or 2017. The Bulls also got the 2015 and 2016 second-round picks the Portland Trail Blazers owed the Cavs. In a final piece, the Bulls will be able to swap draft positions with the Cavs in 2015 as long as the Cavs' draft pick is outside the top 14 picks.

The Bulls had said they wanted to keep Deng, who they drafted in 2004 and signed to a $71 million extension in 2008. But talks on a new contract for Deng, who is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season, had stalled and the savings and the draft considerations were enticing.

"We have great respect for Luol Deng as a player and a person," Bulls general manager Gar Forman said. "The moves made today will put us in a better position to make the entire roster stronger for the future and to compete for a championship."

In addition to their own draft pick, the Bulls also own the Charlotte Bobcats' 2014 first-round pick if it falls outside the top 10. They also own the rights to star Spanish forward Nikola Mirotic, who they hope to bring over to play next season.

Last summer, the Cavs had more than $15 million in salary cap room left after they failed to trade for the Lakers' Pau Gasol. They took a measured risk on Bynum, who missed all of the 2012-13 season with knee injuries. The Cavs were the only team to offer Bynum a significant contract and they protected it with provisions that enabled them to execute this trade before his full contract became guaranteed on Tuesday.

Bynum averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 24 games, 19 of them starts. But he consistently had issues with fellow teammates and coaches, which led to the suspension and the Cavs' decision to trade him.

The Cavs had extensive talks with the Lakers in another attempt to get Gasol over the past week. The Lakers remained firm in their stance not to deal their four-time All Star without receiving assets of value until the very end of negotiations, when the Cavs ended the talks to focus on the Bulls' offer.

The Lakers were in a similar position as the Bulls, with Kobe Bryant injured and with the option to trade for and waive Bynum to save $20 million. The Lakers believe, according to sources, that they will have other ways to get below the luxury tax threshold before the trade deadline and that Gasol still holds value around the league.

[etiolate]

I wonder if the Cavs intend to keep Deng or not. Looks like Chicago is blowing it up, so I wonder what other parts may be available?

[Stoney Mason]

CHICAGO -- Bulls vice president John Paxson doesn't expect Tom Thibodeau to be happy about trading the coach's favorite player, Luol Deng, for center Andrew Bynum, who the team waived on Tuesday.

But Paxson insists the front office has a "really good" relationship with its coach.

"Look, it's not realistic to ask Tom or his staff to be happy about taking a player of Lu's caliber off your team," Paxson said Tuesday. "[General manager] Gar [Forman] and I put ourselves in Tom's shoes a lot. Every day, really. And we know what he's facing. We're not sitting up here saying be happy about it. It's hard. It's difficult.

"But what has to happen within an organization is that when decisions are made, that as a group you have to align together, and you have to move forward. And our focus now has to be on how best to take advantage of what we've just done. That's the challenge -- and Tom's going to be a part of that process with us. That's how this works."

The Bulls traded Deng, their All-Star forward who will be a free agent at the end of the season, to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Bynum, draft picks and salary savings early Tuesday morning.

As expected, the Bulls waived Bynum on Tuesday afternoon, clearing his $12.3 million salary off their books. That will enable the Bulls to get below the luxury-tax threshold, which, combined with not having to pay Deng the balance of his $14.3 million salary, will save the team more than $20 million.

Bynum is expected to clear waivers and become a free agent by the end of the week. Though he was suspended by the Cavs for one game for conduct detrimental to the team and excused from team activities, he is expected to be chased on the open market. The Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and New York Knicks are among the teams expected to consider offering him a landing spot.

Expected to contend for the East title at the beginning of the season, the Bulls are looking to the future after losing Derrick Rose in November to another season-ending knee injury and now trading their two-time All-Star forward.

"I had a chance to voice my opinion," Thibodeau said of his meeting with the front office before the trade was made. "Their job is to make financial decisions, to make player personnel decisions, and things of that nature. Their job is to do that. My job is to coach the guys that are here. That's the way it works."

Asked if he disagreed with the trade when he talked about it with the front office, Thibodeau said, "We discussed it, and I'll leave it at that."

[benjipwns]

An announcement was made Tuesday that the NBA and the teams have come to an agreement that will allow them to minimize future financial exposure with a new TV deal on the horizon. The four teams will invest in the Spirits' entity in exchange for an accelerated up-front payment.

The New York Times, which first reported the story, said the brothers will receive $500 million as part of the deal. The payment will not completely buy out the Silnas, but a source confirmed that the new terms provide for that possibility.

"My guess is that for the NBA, the upside is that in the foreseeable future there will come a time when they will not have to look at this," NBC broadcaster Bob Costas, who was the voice of the Spirits, told The Times.

The settlement results in the Silnas dropping a lawsuit they filed in federal district court against the league and the teams in hopes of collecting on new revenue streams, like NBA League Pass and foreign TV deals, which obviously were not envisioned in the original agreement.