NBA 2012-2013 Discussion, keep it classy

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by jamesblakefan#1

They were 2nd in scoring and 1st in FG & 3pt pct last year. Just because they don't have the big name superstars or play in the big market they get no love from casual fans and most of the media, while schmuck teams like the Nets and Knicks get the spotlight. Most real fans know that SA can get it done if they stay healthy.

Oh and Westbrook (soy's boy) still stinks as a clutch player and true PG. He was literally lost on that last play.

They do have a superstar, he just doesn't abuse his stardom like most others do.

And on Westbrook, I agree with you that he's not clutch, but they have Kevin Durant for that.

However, as far as him not being a true PG, I think people need to give him some slack there. He's really a shooting guard but assumed the role of point guard because the team doesn't have one, and he's the next best thing.

But, I do have the opposite opinion on his shot selection, on-court decision, and defensive capability.

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by jamesblakefan#1

Don't look now, but the team everyone always ignores (except for me), San Antonio looks ready to make another run at it. They were the team to beat last year before OKC did just that. Still one of if not the deepest lineup in the league, and a system they know works.

I don't think you're the only one

I sat up at 3am watching them on a crappy stream that kept cutting out, it was a nice win though so I can't have any complaints.

[jamesblakefan#1]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

They do have a superstar, he just doesn't abuse his stardom like most others do.

And on Westbrook, I agree with you that he's not clutch, but they have Kevin Durant for that.

However, as far as him not being a true PG, I think people need to give him some slack there. He's really a shooting guard but assumed the role of point guard because the team doesn't have one, and he's the next best thing.

But, I do have the opposite opinion on his shot selection, on-court decision, and defensive capability.

Not if Westbrook decides to outshoot Durant on a night in night out basis. The thing w/ Westbrook is that he's a scoring guard and will likely always have that shoot first mentality, even when his teammate, the best scorer in the league, is wide open. He needs to sit down with some of the great PGs of the game and let them drill that into his head, bc obviously Scott Brooks isn't doing a good enough job of it.

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by jamesblakefan#1

Not if Westbrook decides to outshoot Durant on a night in night out basis. The thing w/ Westbrook is that he's a scoring guard and will likely always have that shoot first mentality, even when his teammate, the best scorer in the league, is wide open. He needs to sit down with some of the great PGs of the game and let them drill that into his head, bc obviously Scott Brooks isn't doing a good enough job of it.

No doubt, there's never a good reason for a point guard to out-shoot a scoring champ.

It goes back to his decisions and shot selection. For example, if some fools is face-guarding you Westbrook, PASS THE BALL. Don't jack up a 3 with someone's hand in your face with at least 10 seconds left on the shot clock.

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by jamesblakefan#1

Don't look now, but the team everyone always ignores (except for me), San Antonio looks ready to make another run at it. They were the team to beat last year before OKC did just that. Still one of if not the deepest lineup in the league, and a system they know works.

San Antonio's gunmetal jerseys are sweet!

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Spurs look scary, they have so many options late in the game. That, and Duncan looks young!

Holy crap, Westbrook was 6/21?! 21 ATTEMPTS?!

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by jamesblakefan#1

Oh and Westbrook (soy's boy) still stinks as a clutch player and true PG. He was literally lost on that last play.

Westbrook smelled popcorn in the crowd.

[pepka]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diXbI2sl5B4
Also, funny quote from Parker:

Jeff McDonald@JMcDonald_SAEN
Parker on game winning shot : " I took offense at Westbrook for thinking I'm Steve Blake"

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by pepka

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diXbI2sl5B4
Also, funny quote from Parker:

Westbrook: "Oh I want some popcorn from the crowd."
Ibaka: "Wait hold on, I'm not supposed to be checking point guards out in the perimeter! F*** your popcorn man!"

Meanwhile, on the Spurs side of things

Tony Parker: "I know I injured my eye during the off season, but really? Y'all gonna give me a wide open shot with 5seconds left in a tied ball game? Alright, what's the worse that can happen if I miss? Overtime?"

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

Westbrook: "Oh I want some popcorn from the crowd."
Ibaka: "Wait hold on, I'm not supposed to be checking point guards out in the perimeter! F*** your popcorn man!"

Meanwhile, on the Spurs side of things

Tony Parker: "I know I injured my eye during the off season, but really? Y'all gonna give me a wide open shot with 5seconds left in a tied ball game? Alright, what's the worse that can happen if I miss? Overtime?"

Parker has had a good start to the season, he was amazing last year and I heard some people thinking he might not be able to keep it going this time round. So far so good!

[hollywood9826]

Originally Posted by jamesblakefan#1

Don't look now, but the team everyone always ignores (except for me), San Antonio looks ready to make another run at it. They were the team to beat last year before OKC did just that. Still one of if not the deepest lineup in the league, and a system they know works.

Dont talk about the Spurs please. Just let them lay low under the radar please. Thank you

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

I don't know if they were the team to beat from the get go last year, but they undeniably became the team to beat.

When you have Pops and Timmy, you can do a lot of things wrong and still win. They're not flashy, never been, but they get easy buckets, and that's always fun to watch. So I don't understand why people say they're boring.

As Kenny Smith said last year: "They're surgical."

The Spurs of the early Duncan era were slow methodical teams. Somehow they have held onto that mantle becuse they dont play the one on one matchup game like most teams. They are incredibly efficient and dont have tons of highlight reels dunks. But I agree they are not boring. Anyone that says so just wants to watch Blake Griffin brick 8 footers and throw down putback dunks all day.

Originally Posted by LeeD

Maybe I"m not the wisest of the basketball critics.....
How can 2-3" of height make any difference in defense? Even giving away 20-30- lbs shouldn't matter much, because defense is positioning, and the desire to stay between your man and the basket. Defense is about being active, moving your feet, staying in balance, and knowing what's behind you and where to steer your man.
I know commentators are always pointing out pure physical size. They are pointing out only the basics for the average beer drinking, tv watching joe.
Lots of great defensive players are not bigger than the guys they defend. They have to be smarter, to WANT to play defense, to be active with their feet AND their hands, to watch film to notice tendencies, and to play tough when possible.
2-4" at the point makes no difference, just like that difference at the 2 or 3 or 4 makes no difference.

Weight is important however. With all that stuff you mentioned (which I agree with) part of D is also preventing your man from getting to the spot on the floor he wants to. It easier to keep a man at bay when he can just push through you. And it works that way on Offense as well. Most small guys cant get to rim and finish with a high percentage. Hardens height and size over the rest of guys we have mentioned alows him to do that.

[hollywood9826]

The big hold up with the Harden contract. OKC already have Durant and Westbrook locked up. From what I read a team can only have 2 players on those 5 year deals. So OKC max deal could only have been 4 years. Add into the cap hit OKC would have lost all flexibilty.

And Im not even sure Harden really wated to stay there. Most players are not happy playing the 6th man role for the entierty of a cereer. I would in his position want a chance to prove myself as a starter. And maybe he was tired of Westbrooks gunning.

[volleygirl]

Is there anyone out there who thinks Torontos DeMar DeRozan is anywhere near worth the 4 yr 40 million dollar deal he just got? An absolutely horrible offer for this guy IMO.

[Power Player]

It's 38mm a year to be exact. To win in the NBA you have to have wing talent, and I think Derozan is worth 9.5 a year.

[pepka]

Who else is willing to play in T.? DeRozan puts some people in the seats, that's why he got that money. It's good to be black and athletic ... or 7+ feet tall.

[jamesblakefan#1]

Originally Posted by volleygirl

Is there anyone out there who thinks Torontos DeMar DeRozan is anywhere near worth the 4 yr 40 million dollar deal he just got? An absolutely horrible offer for this guy IMO.

He's still a young guy with time to develop into an elite wing player. I think they're signing based off of the potential he's shown and not wanting to lose him for nothing. Not the worst deal ever.

Originally Posted by hollywood9826

The big hold up with the Harden contract. OKC already have Durant and Westbrook locked up. From what I read a team can only have 2 players on those 5 year deals. So OKC max deal could only have been 4 years. Add into the cap hit OKC would have lost all flexibilty.

And Im not even sure Harden really wated to stay there. Most players are not happy playing the 6th man role for the entierty of a cereer. I would in his position want a chance to prove myself as a starter. And maybe he was tired of Westbrooks gunning.

OKC messed up by locking down Perkins to a big deal. Especially since Nick Collison looks better than him at most times and is costing them far less. A friend of mine brought this up, they should have amnestied Perk this offseason and had plenty of room to resign Harden.

[Power Player]

OKC still established the blueprint for dealing with a star player who wants to leave so props for that. It sucks to lose Harden, but they decided he wanted too much. So to get Martin, Lamb and a draft pick just keeps them ultra deep and easily in contention now for years.

I would rather have Harden than Westbrook as well, but Westbrook is a stud player. He just makes boneheaded plays sometimes, but he also was a key factor in their playoff run.

It is about impossible to have a big 3 AND depth. The Heat have the closest thing possible, but no bigs. If they win it again this year with no size inside, then in a way it will be a good thing because the NBA will continue to evolve into a league based on athleticism and skill over height.

[jamesblakefan#1]

Originally Posted by Power Player

OKC still established the blueprint for dealing with a star player who wants to leave so props for that. It sucks to lose Harden, but they decided he wanted too much. So to get Martin, Lamb and a draft pick just keeps them ultra deep and easily in contention now for years.

I would rather have Harden than Westbrook as well, but Westbrook is a stud player. He just makes boneheaded plays sometimes, but he also was a key factor in their playoff run.

It is about impossible to have a big 3 AND depth. The Heat have the closest thing possible, but no bigs. If they win it again this year with no size inside, then in a way it will be a good thing because the NBA will continue to evolve into a league based on athleticism and skill over height.

Thoughts on OKC arguably getting more for Harden then ORL got for Dwight?

[hollywood9826]

Originally Posted by jamesblakefan#1

Thoughts on OKC arguably getting more for Harden then ORL got for Dwight?

Once the Nets bailed on Howard ORL was kinda handcuffed and just dealt him away.

Basically ORl did this.

Traded Going: Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark (to Lakers); Jason Richardson (to 76ers)


for

Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, first-round pick in 2014, second-round pick in 2013 (from Nuggets); Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, conditional first-round pick (from 76ers); Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga, conditional first-round pick in 2017, conditional second-round pick in 2015 (from Lakers)

So Howard, Duhon, Clark for three 1st rounders 2 2d rounders Afflalo, Harrington, Vucevic, Harkless, McRoberts, and Eyenga. But one of those first rounders are in 2017 and two of them are conditional which probably puts them uot of the top 5 range or something.

Bascially you traded Howard for five picks hoping two work out, some cap flexability and Afflalo (who is pretty good)

OKC Trade Harden, Aldrich, Cook, and Lazar Hayward for.

Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two 1st rounders and a second. 2d round flips are coin flips most of the time. 1st rounders are not much differrent.

But I actually may like the Harden deal better. The Howard deal was only two more picks (one 1st one 2d). and even though are tons of players its not like they are anygood.

But Howard left the Magic zero leverage (basically saying he would not sign an extension) to do anything at all. So its not a huge surprsie. Im sure the Rockets had some agreement with Harden in place before they signed off on the trade knowing they could get him long term.

[Power Player]

Yes, Dwight made it harder to get a fair deal by saying he would not sign an extension with anyone except brooklyn. So HOU was not going to offer that protected pick AND take back our bad contracts which was key.

I like what Hennigan did because we have so much flexibility. People forget we have an 18mm TPE. That's seriously a large bargaining chip..we have a potential stud wing in Harkless, a young developing starter in Vujevic and a great character guy in Aflalo who was brought in to replace JJ.

So now we can trade JJ and Harrington since they are both attractive pieces and have very cap friendly contracts.

Basically my point is that it is tough to compare the trades since Harden was far better about the situation then our diva.