The NBA thread

[Phoenix Dark]

Makes sense considering he's close to bankruptcy

[Great Rumbler]

Kevin Durant

[Stoney Mason]

The Denver Nuggets went into the weekend determined to complete an ambitious four-team megatrade that would land All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony with the New Jersey Nets, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

The proposed deal, as ESPN.com reported earlier Friday, would also involve Utah and Charlotte and is poised to deliver prized Nets rookie Derrick Favors, Jazz veteran Andrei Kirilenko and multiple future first-round picks to Denver in exchange for their franchise player.


Anthony
Sources told ESPN.com that the deal, which has yet to be finalized, would send former All-Star point guard Devin Harris to Charlotte, with Bobcats forward Boris Diaw moving to Utah. The Bergen Record reported Friday afternoon that the Nets would also receive Bobcats guard D.J. Augustin, with New Jersey's Jarvis Hayes accompanying Harris to Charlotte, Nets swingman Quinton Ross going to Utah and Denver landing a 1-to-7 protected first-round pick in 2012 that New Jersey received from Golden State.

The four teams are "seriously engaged" after negotiations progressed well Thursday and Friday, according to two sources close to the talks. If final hurdles are cleared, Anthony's uncertain future -- which has dominated discussion throughout the league since mid-August -- could be unexpectedly resolved before the Nuggets hold their first practice of the new season.

The trade's completion, though, hinges on Anthony's willingness to sign an extension with the Nets as part of the deal, as Kevin Garnett did to clinch the blockbuster trade that sent him from Minnesota to Boston in July 2007. One source with knowledge of New Jersey's thinking told ESPN.com that the Nets will not part with assets such as Favors (selected No. 3 overall in the June draft) and Harris (an All-Star in 2009) and go through with the trade unless Anthony commits to the extension, no matter how ready Denver is to pull the trigger.

Sources said negotiations were expected to continue through the weekend, with a target of completing the deal by Monday.

"It either happens by Monday," one source said, "or the deal falls apart."

One source close to Anthony told ESPN.com on Friday afternoon that the 26-year-old -- whose top two preferred destinations are New York and Chicago -- is warming to the idea of joining the Nets, whose planned move to Brooklyn in two years under Russian billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov is a strong lure, in addition the presence of center Brook Lopez, one of the league's top young big men.

Yet the source said Anthony is also hoping that the Knicks or the Bulls, realizing Anthony is on the brink of going elsewhere, make a last-ditch attempt over the weekend to join the bidding.

New York's lack of future draft picks to offer and Chicago's blanket refusal to make Joakim Noah available to the Nuggets in trade talks established the Nets as the front-runner to win the Anthony Sweepstakes. ESPN.com reported last Sunday that the Nuggets had begun telling teams for the first time that they were willing to make a deal before the start of the season.

Anthony has the ability to become a free agent at season's end, which is the hammer that has enabled his agent, Leon Rose, to apply such pressure to the Nuggets in hopes of forcing a trade before camps open Monday. The tension has been building since June, when the Nuggets believed that Anthony was on the verge of signing a three-year, $65 million contract extension, only for Anthony to pass.

Nuggets coach George Karl had been hoping that it was still possible to convince Anthony to reconsider his determination to be traded once he arrived in training camp and started hearing some pro-Denver voices after weeks of isolation from the organization. Sources said that the Nuggets were planning to mount one last campaign to get Anthony to sign the extension, with the promise that they would trade him closer to the February trading deadline if he continued to be unhappy.

But the Nuggets have signed off on the proposed deal and now await word from New Jersey about its ability to sell Anthony on the extension, which does hold significant appeal because it would enable Anthony to sign one more contract under the league's current collective bargaining agreement.

Word of the trade talks surfaced on Friday, hours after new coach Avery Johnson and players reported to camp and talked to the media about the upcoming season. The team's first practice is Saturday.

There have been talks about trades involving the Nets and Anthony in recent weeks and Johnson was asked about the rumors.

"All year you are going to hear stuff about not only our situation but every team. That's the way it goes," he said. "Every general manager, and you have 30 of them, they are always out looking to improve the ballclub and that's what they should do. If Billy was sitting up in his office looking at some political talk on television, because I heard he was a politics guy, I would be very disappointed. He is going to be always looking to improve our ball club."

Johnson said that he wants Harris to be the engine that runs the team and he noted that Favors shows the potential at 19-years-old that Tim Duncan and Garnett showed at the same age.

Johnson was concerned that trade talks might be a distraction for the players.

"They understand that is part of the game," he said. "It's a part of the business. There may be some things said about coach this year that is really inaccurate. That is a part of what we deal with. When you sign you name on contracts to be an NBA player or coach that's kind of the unwritten rule, the fine print you don't see. Your name is going to come up and something is going to be said. You have to deal with it."

Johnson refused to speculate on how many games the new-look Nets would win after winning only 12 last season.

"We're not making any promises except to say we're going to play hard and we'll see what happens on nights when our talent level is not as high as other teams."

New owner Mikhail Prokhorov has said the Nets will challenge for a playoff berth this season.

Johnson noted that statement was made before the free-agency period.

"You have to look at the context of when the statement was made," Johnson said. "Mikhail and I are on the same page. This is not going to blow up in smoke if that doesn't happen the first year."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5610989

[Phoenix Dark]

What type of distinguished mentally-challenged fellow turns down a 3 year $60mil deal with a possible lockout season on the horizon

[Cormacaroni]

What type of distinguished mentally-challenged fellow turns down a 3 year $60mil deal with a possible lockout season on the horizon

Any team that trades for him is gonna sign him to a similar extension, or no deal. So he won't lose out.

[Stoney Mason]

Manager: Allen Iverson has Turkish offer

Allen Iverson is poised for a revival -- in the Middle East.


Iverson
The one-season deal could net Iverson as much as $2 million, Yahoo! Sports has reported, citing unnamed sources.

"We are in very serious negotiations with [Besiktas]," Iverson's manager Gary Moore told Yahoo! Sports. "Istanbul is beautiful from everything we've learned. It's not that far from the U.S., and the competition is good, which makes it all attractive.

"Allen wants to play basketball."

One hangup in the agreement over the weekend had been Iverson's insistence on a limit for what the team can fine him, the Yahoo! Sports report says.

Iverson sought a cap of less than 1 percent of a $1.5 million salary for each fine, the report said, citing a European source. Iverson on Monday was sent a contract Besiktas was hoping to get signed by the end of the week.

But the deal was expected to take as long as 10 days to be completed, Yahoo! Sports reported.

Besiktas is among the top teams in Turkey's first division, which starts play this weekend.

But Besiktas has run into problems financially, Yahoo! Sports reported, citing Eurobasket.com. The team has recently been sued by American player Lonnie Baxter and his agent to recover salary and fees, according to the report.

Iverson had been considering playing in China, where there was "legitimate interest" between him and a team to work out a deal, Moore said last month.

Moore said then, with less than two weeks before NBA training camps opened, that Iverson had not been contacted by any NBA team.

"We're very astonished, to say the least, that not one team has contacted us with any interest," Moore said. "I just don't understand it."

Iverson played three games for Memphis last season before he returned for a second stint with the 76ers. He averaged 13.9 points for the Sixers before he took a leave of absence in March because of family issues.

In his prime, Iverson boasted top-selling jerseys and sneakers and was a global superstar. His popularity never waned even as his production dipped -- Iverson was voted an Eastern Conference All-Star starter last season. Iverson would be a drawing card overseas, ranking 17th on the NBA's career scoring list with 24,368 points over a 14-year career with Philadelphia, Denver, Detroit and Memphis. He won the MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the NBA Finals.

Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft and spent his first 10 seasons in Philadelphia. He was a four-time scoring champion, averaged 26.7 points and never won a championship.

He was hobbled by an arthritic left knee and constantly needed it drained last season. Iverson also famously clashed with his coaches, notably Larry Brown, but returned to Philadelphia humbled, reserved and more accepting of team play.

Moore said last month Iverson is healthy and works out in Atlanta prepping for a comeback.

[Phoenix Dark]

What a fuck up. Could have extended his NBA career by being a dependable PG, starting or off the bench.

[Stoney Mason]

Definitely worth a watch.

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[DJ_Tet]

What a fuck up. Could have extended his NBA career by being a dependable PG, starting or off the bench.

Which is exactly what he should be doing for my Bobcats.  Which is exactly what he is doing in my 2k11 season.

[Stoney Mason]

What a fuck up. Could have extended his NBA career by being a dependable PG, starting or off the bench.

Which is exactly what he should be doing for my Bobcats.  Which is exactly what he is doing in my 2k11 season.

lol. I picked up Turkey Glue for the Magic in my NBA 2k11 season since the dumbass should have never left.

[DJ_Tet]

Yeah it was shocking watching Hedo in Toronto.  Looked like he had aged a decade in a single off-season  :'(

[Stoney Mason]

http://www.athleticpropulsionlabs.com/


 


http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2010-10/nba-bans-spring-loaded-sneakers-giving-unfair-ups

[Phoenix Dark]

oh well, guess I won't be seeing Trady McGrady dunking at the Palace this year

[etiolate]

He's sucked the cartilage out of the building!

[Cormacaroni]

Holy crap, the new NBA International League Pass is soooo much better. It looks stunning now, 4 games viewable at once, DVR features etc. Not to mention being able to hear Marv Albert bitch at his production assistants because he seemingly thinks his mike is only live when the camera is pointing at him. And iPhone/iPad support coming soon too. SOLD.

[Stoney Mason]

http://espnmediazone3.com/rs/?c=1943&k=97aa969f8a
http://www.examiner.com/comics-in-atlanta/marvel-espn-the-magazine-team-up

[Phoenix Dark]

looks more like Xavier to me

[Stoney Mason]

Healt versus Celtics in like 15 minutes on TNT.

[Stoney Mason]

Awful first quarter for the heat there.

[Stoney Mason]

Ugly. Looks like the Heat don't have a real offense in place yet. I mean some of that is to be expected since they barely played together in the preseason but they look really bad right now. Like they aren't even running plays. Just settling for one on one play.

[bachikarn]

Just saw the Heat score. wow

[Beezy]

 

[Phoenix Dark]

they're coming back 

[Himu]

lmao @ miami

[Stoney Mason]

Wade and Bosh both had shit games. Although I doubt that will happen a lot. They just need to play together more. It was painfully obvious there is no chemistry yet. It will take time to develop.

[Phoenix Dark]

box score looked like it was from a Cavs game two years ago 

[Joe Molotov]

Remember when Jeff Van Gundy said that the Heat would win 73+ games?

[Beezy]

I hope the Lakers lose tonight too.

[Stoney Mason]

Remember when Jeff Van Gundy said that the Heat would win 73+ games?

Well to be fair that is Jeff Van Gundy and everybody knows he's stupid.

[Phoenix Dark]

He also said if the Rockets stay healthy they can beat the Lakers

[Beezy]

shut up beezy

[Phoenix Dark]

heat scored the least amount of points out of all 3 games tonight

[Stoney Mason]

Really good game this was between the Lakers and the Rockets.

[Cormacaroni]

Well, I guess we can pencil the Heat in for 0-82!

C'mon fools, they were playing another great team in the Celtics. One of the two was going to go down, resulting in a flood of kneejerk responses. It'll be a month or two before they click; LeBron was smart to lower expectations when he said it would be January before they were rolling, most likely.

[etiolate]

The Heat need to prove they aren't going to get abused by every big man more so than they need to "gel".

[WrikaWrek]

At the start of the season people were saying Real Madrid was impossible to coach, full of hot air etc. 2 months later, and they are steam rolling teams.

I expect the same from Miami, start of the season is always hard for any "new" team, in any sport.

[pilonv1]

Warriors

[Great Rumbler]

I'm not saying the Heat are going to lose every game, but people kept forgetting that the lakers and the celtics are still fucking good teams that had more time to get used the team dynamics and their style of play, and you have the Magic who are getting better and they are a good team too. The Heat will not win the championship this year, you can bet me on that. after that, who knows?

I think people also forget that the Thunder were 2 points away from taking the Lakers to game 7 in the first round.

[Stoney Mason]

There are plenty of teams out there that can beat the heat, which is why its so annoying they were expected to steamroll the competition.

Only dummies or casuals are thinking this. Most professional "experts" still pick the Lakers to repeat. By the end of the season the Heat should be a darn good team. If they aren't then something has gone really wrong.

[Himu]

Rockets 

Lost, but still did a good game.

[Himu]

He also said if the Rockets stay healthy they can beat the Lakers

Uh, why is this not feasible?

Two years ago, Houston gave the Lakers a run for their money...without their big main stars. We fought the Lakers with the goddamn BENCH and still pushed them to the edge.

And you're debating this.

[pilonv1]

Rockets 

Lost, but still did a good game.

I hope Kevin Martin gets run over by a car. Worse than Paul Pierce

[Cormacaroni]

Miami looking a bit more cohesive against the Magic. Should be a great game.

[Phoenix Dark]

If every Heat game is going to have announcers spending 70% of the time talking about the summer/LeBron I'm gonna start listening to music or something. So tired of this shit, and I'm not even a LeBron hater.

[Cormacaroni]

Chris Bosh has had absolutely no impact in any Miami game so far.

[Cormacaroni]

in case anyone missed it btw, Jeff Van Gundy had probably the best one-liner you'll hear all season the other night during the Bulls-Thunder game:

Breen - Tom Thibodeau has to be wondering where the Bulls' offense is going to come from at this point.

Van Gundy - From Denver!

[Phoenix Dark]

That amazing LeBron pass to Bosh, who couldn't finish dunk while getting fouled, basically sums up Bosh this season.

[Cormacaroni]

There was a funny bit earlier where it was Miami ball, and only Bosh and James were in the backcourt. Both of them kind of looked at the ball like 'I'm supposed to go get that? WTF'

[Cormacaroni]

Holy shit, that's a scary taste of the future right there. 14-0 out of the gate. Even if they never really come together the way everyone expects (I think Bill Simmons is right on the money when he says Wade needs to defer, but looks like he doesn't want to), they'll always be able to make terrifying runs like that.

[Phoenix Dark]

Dunno if Wade needs to defer. LeBron is so good at getting everyone involved he could really thrive setting everything up.

[Cormacaroni]

Dunno if Wade needs to defer. LeBron is so good at getting everyone involved he could really thrive setting everything up.

The problem I see is that Wade is also used to being the set-up guy. He's incredibly good at it but LeBron is the best, so he should be doing it most of the time, with Wade playing off the ball. You're right in that there is no reason that Wade shouldn't be able to get his points as usual, but he should be doing it with less touches.

If for no other reason - LeBron can see over the defense so much better, and his passing is far superior. He can do a half-court pass off his fingers like it's nothing, hitting someone perfectly in rhythm. Wade just can't do that as well.

[Cormacaroni]

Officials just denied the Miami fans one hell of a highlight there. C'mon.

[Phoenix Dark]

Heat dominating damn

[Stoney Mason]

Chris Bosh has had absolutely no impact in any Miami game so far.

He's talented but I always thought he was by far the least important part of this whole deal.

[Cormacaroni]

Chris Bosh has had absolutely no impact in any Miami game so far.

He's talented but I always thought he was by far the least important part of this whole deal.

yeah, but that would be true of any 3rd signing this offseason unless his name was Dwight Howard or Chris Paul.

[Phoenix Dark]

Definitely gonna be interesting to see how the Heat stack up against the top eastern teams. I don't think Boston is going to make a habit out of beating the Heat, but it should be a good matchup. And I still kinda feel like Orlando SHOULD be the better overall team this year - but good lord tonight was a train wreck.

[Cormacaroni]

Orlando will always have those nights where their shots just don't fall and Howard gets into foul trouble. They are just so efficient that they win almost every game in which those two things don't happen. Things would be very different if they had a single person that could get their own shot off the dribble. Vince still can to a degree but he's apparently grown entirely from some hybrid of glass and nerve endings - I have never seen a human being with so little resistance to pain.

The Heat will have PLENTY of nights where it looks like the 2009 Cavs when LeBron brings it up, and like the 2009 Heat when Wade brings it up, and they never really click as a result. I'm thinking it'll take 2-3 months before they really start to dominate, but they'll still be 2nd or 3rd in the East at that point no matter how bad it gets.

The West is so weird again - so many good-to-great teams but I still see nobody who can beat the Lakers in a 7 game series. I bet we see a really lackadaisical Laker team for the next couple months as a result, especially with Bynum and Kobe still hurt.

[etiolate]

2-1 baby! Suck it Ohio!

[Mandark]

Orlando were on the road (in-state, granted) on the end of a back-to-back, so if they're going to lose big that would be the game.

I think we've been missing the point on Miami a bit.  When people talk about them gelling as a team, what they mean is on offense.  You don't have to share the ball on defense, and they've got the makings of a scary unit on that end.  They could probably use someone to defend quick PG's, but they could be an elite team even if their scoring efficiency is average.


PS When's Oden meant to be back?

[Phoenix Dark]

Late November for Oden. Also, looks like Portland won't offer him an extension before his contract expires

The Oregonian reported Friday that the Blazers and Oden's representatives agreed there would be no extension, making the oft-injured center the first top pick since Kwame Brown not to get one at the end of his rookie contract. Teams have until Monday to reach deals with first-round picks from the 2007 draft.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5746523

His career has been pretty sad. Really talented guy who could have really made Portland great if he could stay healthy.