NBA Thread

[Vern]

With this talk about the dunk contest, I figured I'd ask- does anyone else think dunks are overrated? Watching ESPN, I see a lot of times were the 'top play' is a dunk, but I've always found 3-pointers and blocks more impressive.

Dunks are an "in the moment" kind of thing to be honest. Replays of most dunks are pretty boring.

[Cancer0081]

I found it funny that while Team Chuck soundly beat Team Shaq in the Rising Stars Challenge the last minute or so ended in their own kind of dunk contest.

[Hankka]

Happy 50th birthday to the one and only Air Jordan! Here's some top plays:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=LAr6oAKieHk

[Black Dragon]

shame that i never got to watch shaq or mj in their prime. it's not the same just watching highlights

[Totodile is BEAST]

From here on out here's who I have making the playoffs.

Western Conference
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. OKC Thunder
3. Denver
4. LA Clippers
5. Golden State
6. LA Lakers (poised for a run)
7. Jazz
8. Memphis (No real star on the team. Randolph and Gasol solid, but not superstars.)

Eastern Conference
1. Miami Heat
2. Chicago (D-Rose returns strong)
3. Pacers
4. Knickerbockers
5. Atlanta
6. Brooklyn
7. Celtics
8. Toronto

Playoffs Divisionals
Spurs advance, Thunder advance, Lakers advance, Clippers advance
Heat advance, Bulls advance, Pacers advance, Knicks advance
Playoffs Conference Semi Finals
LAL(bias) beats Spurs in 6
Thunder beat LAC in 5
Knicks beat Heat in 7 (I'm an upset guy, eh?)
Bulls beat Pacers in 6
Playoffs Conference Finals
lakers beat thunder (whoo-oo) in 7
Knicks beat bulls in 5

NBA FINALS ON TNT
lakers win in 5

[KrayzieBuddha]

From here on out here's who I have making the playoffs.

Western Conference
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. OKC Thunder
3. Denver
4. LA Clippers
5. Golden State
6. LA Lakers (poised for a run)
7. Jazz
8. Memphis (No real star on the team. Randolph and Gasol solid, but not superstars.)

Eastern Conference
1. Miami Heat
2. Chicago (D-Rose returns strong)
3. Pacers
4. Knickerbockers
5. Atlanta
6. Brooklyn
7. Celtics
8. Toronto

NBA FINALS ON TNT
lakers win in 5

Personally I don't agree with the standings, but only the top 2 from western conferences. Although I personally love NBA Insiders, but NBA finals will never be aired on TNT. On the plus note supposely D-Rose has a little chance of returning to the hard wood, reports says.

My predictions

West
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. OKC Thunders
3. LA Clippers
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Denver Nuggets
6. Utah Jazz
7. GS Warriors
8. Houston Rockets/Portland Trailblazers/ LA Lakers (but that can change with the games they currently have coming up)

Note: The top 3 teams from the west will be as it is. The 4 and 5 seed will be between the Grizzlies and Nuggets.

East
1. Miami Heats
2. NY Knicks
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Brooklyn Nets
6. Boston Celtics
7. ATL Hawks
8. Milwaukee Bucks

[Black Dragon]

thunder vs heat for the next 5 years

and that is how the heat will get their 6 championships they promised.

[Hankka]

thunder vs heat for the next 5 years

and that is how the heat will get their 6 championships they promised.

As much as I'd like to disagree, this will be the most likely scenario. I just hope that the Thunder are going to put up a better fight against the Heat in the future. And it's time for Westbrook to realize who the number one player on the team is.

[Vern]

lakers win in 5

I was worried for a second that you were serious.

[OshaMijuWott]

My take on the standings:
West
1. Oklahoma City
2. San Antonio - age will no longer be just a number, and they will fall to second
3. LA Clippers
4. Denver
5. Memphis
6. Utah
7. Golden State
8. Houston
East
1. Miami
2. New York
3. Chicago
4. Indiana
5. Brooklyn
6. Atlanta
7. Milwaukee - if Jennings or Ellis is traded, I'm counting them out
8. Boston - counted them out after Rondo's injury, but they are 9-1 in their last 10

Conference Finals: Thunder vs. Clippers & Heat vs. Bulls
Finals: Thunder vs. Heat - this match up is bound to happen, but I would love for CP3 to get a ring

[golduck#1]

As much as I'd like to disagree, this will be the most likely scenario. I just hope that the Thunder are going to put up a better fight against the Heat in the future. And it's time for Westbrook to realize who the number one player on the team is.

I hate how people always use this to bash Westbrook. Yes Durant is the leading scorer and is a machine and should be the number one option in ever team ever barring MJ, Kareem and Wilt but Westbrook is doing the right thing. I like that he takes more shots than Durant and it makes sense. Durant is a double team taking machine. Everytime he gets the ball he is gonna have help defenders come straight to him giving Westbrook and co more shots. Now when you have Ibaka, Perkins and Sefolsha on the team with Durant and Westbrook would you rather UDrant pass itto one of them instead of Wbrook? Didn't think so. Wbrook is also in my opinion the most athletic guard in the league. He is so fast, stronger and can jump through the roof. Now when you factor in all those things would you want him taking less shots? He also has a killer pullup jumper which is a easy shot every possesion for Wbrook because defenders have to be wary of his speed. So if he took any less than 20 shots a game he would be a Lebron in the fourth quarter in the 2011 Finals, absolutely useless. He has such determination and wants the win. Basically he is a Kobe Bryant for Thunder with Durant being Shaq. Both would be top options on any other team and if you're winning why would you want it differently. Also if you give Durant more shots an Wbrook less it mathe team too easily defended and more predictable (less ball movement and less shots to be given around).

As for my standings it's so hard to predict but i'll give it a shot.

East:
1- Heat
2- Pacers
3- Bulls
4- Knicks
5- Nets
6- Boston
7- Hawks
8- Raptors

West:

1- Thunder
2- Spurs
3- Clippers
4- Denver
5-GSW
6- Memphis
7- Lakers
8- Utah (if they get a point at the deadline with only giving up Mislap)/ Houston (if Utah don't get a point)

I see Memphis falling a little with 7 more road games than home games for the rest of the season. The west top 3 was so hard to do but Durant and Brook are on a mission and Pop is surely gonna rest his guys so that's why I did that. As for the east I really wanted to put the Hawks out of the playoff picture because I think Smith is gone but they just have too many wins for Boston, Bucks and Raptors to surpass them so I had to chuck them seventh. No matter the standings OKC and Heat in the playoffs. I originally had OKC winning in 6 but my Lebron hate has disappeared over the last couple of years and I have come to realise that he can become a potential goat. So I have Heat in 6 now. Especially with Wade being healthy and Ray Ray off the bench.

[KrayzieBuddha]

thunder vs heat for the next 5 years

and that is how the heat will get their 6 championships they promised.

I doubt the Heats will win 6 championships and I don't really see it happening.

[Black Dragon]

the thunder will be good when westbrook learns how to control his scoring ability. he's gotten good at turning it on but often he forces things instead of letting the offense flow. like taking a shot with 20 seconds to go.

[golduck#1]

the thunder will be good when westbrook learns how to control his scoring ability. he's gotten good at turning it on but often he forces things instead of letting the offense flow. like taking a shot with 20 seconds to go.

Always take the best shot you can get. I don't believe in running plays for the sake of it.

[Hankka]

Always take the best shot you can get. I don't believe in running plays for the sake of it.

And this is the problem for Westbrook. He can be a good scorer at times, an excellent scorer in fact, but a lot of the time he's shot selections are poor to say the least.

There's nothing wrong taking a wide open three pointer but when you run the shot clock down to 4 seconds or so and then force your way into a bad shot that's when you're really putting your team into a disadvantage.

[golduck#1]

And this is the problem for Westbrook. He can be a good scorer at times, an excellent scorer in fact, but a lot of the time he's shot selections are poor to say the least.

There's nothing wrong taking a wide open three pointer but when you run the shot clock down to 4 seconds or so and then force your way into a bad shot that's when you're really putting your team into a disadvantage.

You were argument went from he takes shots to fast to he holds the ball too long. However yes I agree a little less treys would be nice but his pull up jumpshots from the elbow 6 or 7 seconds is probably his best option apart from a fast break layup. It's cash money and forces defenders to push up onto him giving him an easier time to drive around him and allow him to set up his teammates or even get a layup shot. Thats however if you're talking about his quick shots. Your other "when he runs down the shot clock" argument doesn't really make sense to me because everybody takes a bad shot at that time of the shot clock. Very really will you see a good play or ball movement in the 5 seconds of the clock. Thats why guys like Kobe, Harden, Rose and Wade don't have better percentages because they take those shots and they only take those shots because it's a bad offensive possesion and or a good defensive possesion. His playing on a team with 3 good offensive players and the rest are defense players and even there third best offensive player comes off the bench. I dunno what you want more of Wbrook to do. His team is winning and he is taking 20 shots on a team who has two options ever trip down the floor and thats it. Plus he only averages 1.5 shots more than Durant. If it were something like 4 or 5 I would understand but Wbrook is a point guard averaging 22.2 points and 8.1 assists as a second option. Just imagine the potential he could have on a team like the Bulls or Paul when he was at the Hornets. The dude would be putting up 30 points a game easy.

I'm not saying that I want Brook taking more shots than Durant every game, I am just saying if it happens then I don't mind so much, especially if the team is winning. It's like the A.I and Melo situation in Denver. Would you want Iverson being a more pass orrientated dude instead of a scorer just because you have Melo? Hell no (egos just ruined that team as well as lack of talent). Would you want Kobe setting up Shaq more than scoring, well maybe back in the years of 1997-2000 but 2001, maybe even 2002 is when he blossomed and you could see his potential. Would you want Jerry West to only set up Baylor and Wilt, hell no. If the team was like the heat when they first started off with there big three (or two) then I would say look Durant needs to be taking atleast this many more shots than you. But right now they are sitting uptop of the West and just came off a Finals campaign and probably would of one if there were more offensive talent on the team so no need to change it.

Edit: Oh and because i didn't really mention poor shot selection I'll do it now. He use to be really bad at it but now I think he is almost perfect with shot selection. Good players just make tough shots. Every shot Kobe takes would be considered tough for any other player but he knows he can get them. Same thing happened with MJ and same thing for Wad. Brook does take some what are you doing shots but very rarely now, but when he does it just shows he oozes confidence in his ability, and someone of that callibar and star talent should show confidence and should take shots they think they can get. I'll agree he was bad but last year it died down some and then this year even more (show by going from dead last in assists last year to what top 8 this year).

Edit 2: BTW i'm not defending because he is my favourite player or anything likethat (That's Paul George and Kobe) but I just love his confidence, his determination and his will and want to be the best in the world.

[Barbarooza]

2. San Antonio - age will no longer be just a number, and they will fall to second

Hardly. They are way younger than people realise, because when they think of the Spurs they automatically assume Duncan/Parker/Ginobili while ignoring the rest of the team including the likes of Leonard, Splitter, Green, Neal etc. And they've already proven this year they don't need the aforementioned 3 to win games

[golduck#1]

First deadline trades have happened!

1) Houston- Trade Marceef Morris
Phoenix- Trade second round draft pick

2) Houston- Trade Tony Douglas, Carl Aldrich and Pattrick Patterson
Sacremento- Trade Thomas Robinson, Garcia and a second round draft pick (pretty sure second anyways).

For Houston I like it alot more down the track than I do now. I though Morris and Aldrich could of been solid players. Morris was already showing potential and Aldrich was talked about during the off season as a player ready to become a top 15 centre. However if you recieve two draft picks and a former number 5 draft pick who is still a rookie then it looks hell of a lot better. Garcia will finally provide them with some steadiness of the bench however if he is you're main guy then you need to search some more. It was only a matter of time for Patterson to go but I am confused to as why they traded Douglas who was having his best season since his first in NYC. I don't know what they are going to do for there backup point guard now. For me I think this trade probably makes Houston fall from the playoff picture because I really can't see Lin, Robinson and Asik being a team to take ya there at this stage anyways. However watch out for Robinson in a few years when he will be the second option and have much more gained confidence on this up and coming Houston team.

Kings- I don't know what to say. They save some cap but really only get Aldrich as anything useful to them but even then he will play limited minutes with Cousins. I don't understand why they traded Robinson either as he and Cousins could of been something down the line. It is the Sonics... I mean Kings though.

Phoenix- Could deal I think. They get another twin brother to the team who I think has some potential. Not star power potential but a good player off the bench or even a 15 and 8 guy if he was to start.

Edit: Actually I am hearing it was a three team trade but those details don't really matter.

[Black Dragon]

james harden is a beast though

[Nyberg.Brandon]

From here on out here's who I have making the playoffs.

Western Conference
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. OKC Thunder
3. Denver
4. LA Clippers
5. Golden State
6. LA Lakers (poised for a run)
7. Jazz
8. Memphis (No real star on the team. Randolph and Gasol solid, but not superstars.)

Eastern Conference
1. Miami Heat
2. Chicago (D-Rose returns strong)
3. Pacers
4. Knickerbockers
5. Atlanta
6. Brooklyn
7. Celtics
8. Toronto

Playoffs Divisionals
Spurs advance, Thunder advance, Lakers advance, Clippers advance
Heat advance, Bulls advance, Pacers advance, Knicks advance
Playoffs Conference Semi Finals
LAL(bias) beats Spurs in 6
Thunder beat LAC in 5
Knicks beat Heat in 7 (I'm an upset guy, eh?)
Bulls beat Pacers in 6
Playoffs Conference Finals
lakers beat thunder (whoo-oo) in 7
Knicks beat bulls in 5

NBA FINALS ON TNT
lakers win in 5

Theres no way the Lakers will make it out of the first round. The Knicks will get beat by Miami. So I think it will be Thunder over spurs in the Western Conference finals. In the East a Throw up between Indiana, The Bulls, or Miami. But if Rose is back to his old self, I hope we see a Bulls, Thunder final. Basically any team over Miami. Knock them off there high horse.

[OshaMijuWott]

First deadline trades have happened!

1) Houston- Trade Marceef Morris
Phoenix- Trade second round draft pick

2) Houston- Trade Tony Douglas, Carl Aldrich and Pattrick Patterson
Sacremento- Trade Thomas Robinson, Garcia and a second round draft pick (pretty sure second anyways).

For Houston I like it alot more down the track than I do now. I though Morris and Aldrich could of been solid players. Morris was already showing potential and Aldrich was talked about during the off season as a player ready to become a top 15 centre. However if you recieve two draft picks and a former number 5 draft pick who is still a rookie then it looks hell of a lot better. Garcia will finally provide them with some steadiness of the bench however if he is you're main guy then you need to search some more. It was only a matter of time for Patterson to go but I am confused to as why they traded Douglas who was having his best season since his first in NYC. I don't know what they are going to do for there backup point guard now. For me I think this trade probably makes Houston fall from the playoff picture because I really can't see Lin, Robinson and Asik being a team to take ya there at this stage anyways. However watch out for Robinson in a few years when he will be the second option and have much more gained confidence on this up and coming Houston team.

Kings- I don't know what to say. They save some cap but really only get Aldrich as anything useful to them but even then he will play limited minutes with Cousins. I don't understand why they traded Robinson either as he and Cousins could of been something down the line. It is the Sonics... I mean Kings though.

Phoenix- Could deal I think. They get another twin brother to the team who I think has some potential. Not star power potential but a good player off the bench or even a 15 and 8 guy if he was to start.

Edit: Actually I am hearing it was a three team trade but those details don't really matter.

As a kings fan, I don't know why we would give up on T-Rob, but it did help our cap space... Cousins and Patterson did play at Kentucky together, so that can help his temper
BTW, they are staying in SACRAMENTO - mark my word.

[golduck#1]

As a kings fan, I don't know why we would give up on T-Rob, but it did help our cap space... Cousins and Patterson did play at Kentucky together, so that can help his temper
BTW, they are staying in SACRAMENTO - mark my word.

I just want to know why they wouldn't even give him a chance? Demarcus is good for 33-35 a night and Thompson is good for 30-32 a night. You could of easily given him 20-22 a night and see how he goes.

I really hope so. Chris Webber is one of my favourite ballers of all time and I loved the kings all the way up until Artest left. They really have gone in a different direction since then even though were in a bad direction back then!

[Hankka]

You know it was a quiet trade deadline when J.J. Redick was the biggest name to be traded. Oh and Tony Parker really took CP3 to school last night.

[OshaMijuWott]

I just want to know why they wouldn't even give him a chance? Demarcus is good for 33-35 a night and Thompson is good for 30-32 a night. You could of easily given him 20-22 a night and see how he goes.

I really hope so. Chris Webber is one of my favourite ballers of all time and I loved the kings all the way up until Artest left. They really have gone in a different direction since then even though were in a bad direction back then!

Everything in the organization will change for the better once we rid our selves of the maloofs, thr new owners will likely clean house.... I mean look at our talent - Tyreke who went for 20-5-5 to win ROY in 2009; DeMarcus who could very well be the best center in the league if he kept his mind in the game; Isaiah Thomas who is not quite a household name yet, dropped 18 pts and 10 asts at the rising stars challenge; and we have a decentsupporting cast with the likes of Jimmer Fredette, Jason Thompson, Marcus Thornton, John Salmons, and Chuck Hayes (who is an excellent locker room leader). Welll, thats the end of my rant...

[Zenotwapal]

Lol at anyone thinking the Lakers are making the playoffs

there is so many problems with this team it isn't funny. and I'm using the term "team" loosely here