I expect that Simmons will write a long piece on Lakers discord in the next 2-3 weeks. He can work his LA sources and the situation is perfect for long-distance mind-reading, faked conversations, etc.

[151] 2-3 weeks?! There's a LAL-BOS game tonight. If that isn't tailor made for a Simmons Friday column on the state of these two franchises and what this game meant column I don't know what is.

I think it's because Hollins and the players hadn't experienced a failure.

Sure, but had they really experienced any serious success? The entire support for the Griz being a top-flight team comes the 2010-11 season in which it played well down the stretch, beat a Spurs team that, IIRC, matched up poorly with Memphis and then took OKC to seven games in the semis. That's it.

Sure, but had they really experienced any serious success? The entire support for the Griz being a top-flight team comes the 2010-11 season in which it played well down the stretch, beat a Spurs team that, IIRC, matched up poorly with Memphis and then took OKC to seven games in the semis. That's it.

I agree, but they're not objective observers. I think their default mindset has to be "We haven't yet" rather than "Despite somewhat favorable circumstances, we haven't yet and we probably can't."

I must say I'm getting a great level of joy out of the Howard Saga. As Rob Parker would say, Howard is a cornball brotha. Unlike RG3, it's accurate in Howard's case. That he didn't see this onslaught of the LA media coming is par for the course for him, he's never been a guy I can respect or like. I can respect Garnett and Rondo and Kobe even though I think they are ########. Howard doesn't even come across as an #######, he just comes off as a flake with zero self awareness and lacking the fire that the top competitors have in them.

Howard was tone-deaf from Day 1 of dreaming about putting a Christian crucifix on the official NBA ball.

do any of the CHI guys (or anyone else) think Asik could play the 4?

No. But if they're going to sign Bynum, he won't have to.

*-And that I was able to see through my seething hatred of His Airness and appreciate what he was doing.

To be fair, Knicks fans had it particularly hard. They were probably the biggest victim of his dominance. Had Starks made a couple more shots, perhaps it wouldn't have been as bad.

Jordan: 32.3 PTS, 6.3 REB, 6.0 AST, 29.8 PER, .275 WS/48
21+LBJ: 28.6 PTS, 7.5 REB, 7.0 AST, 29.0 PER, .263 WS/48

I think/feel/believe that LeBron right now is better defensively than MJ ever was, and that he's been consistently better than MJ throughout his career on that end. Once Pippen was in his prime, he took the tougher defensive assignments from MJ. What LeBron is doing on the defensive end plus the offensive brilliance puts his individual peak higher than MJ's. Whether that peak lasts as long and translates into team success will determine whether I ever consider LBJ the GOAT (I think he can and will get there). I stayed out of the LBJ/KD discussion, because it's really hard to comprehend how good KD already is now that I'm comfortable with how good LBJ is.

The Hollins reaction/MEM tailspin since Hollinger arrived is reminding me, in ways, of Depo and the Dodgers. At least on a superficial level.

Ditto.

The Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors have engaged in exploratory trade discussions on a deal that would swap the Bulls' Carlos Boozer for the Raptors' Andrea Bargnani, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Huh?

I mean, I guess I can see this, but I'm not sure about it. I have to think about it some more.

K.C Johnson ?@KCJHoop
Told Bulls initiated. And unlikely. RT @ESPNSteinLine: Sources say Bulls, Raptors have had talks on trade featuring Boozer, Bargnani.

From the mouthpiece...

Would the Raptors just amnesty Boozer then? I guess Chicago is just exploring their options, see if there is any interest in Boozer before they amnesty him this offseason, right?

I mean, I guess I can see this, but I'm not sure about it. I have to think about it some more.


It's a few million cheaper per year. Which you and I both know Jerry would love. It would add another spacer in for when Rose gets back, especially if their going to be playing Butler at Hamilton's expense.

Not sure how I feel about it either, though.

Not sure how I feel about it either, though.

It would have to mean they either don't think Mirotic is coming over before 2015 or they are going to flip Bargs, right? Dunno, maybe it's for...wait for it...flexibility!

Would the Raptors just amnesty Boozer then?

Am I wrong in thinking that a team can only amnesty a player that was on the roster when the CBA was signed?

Yea you're right Smileyy, time to refresh myself on the amnesty rules courtesy of Larry Coon.

WTF does Toronto want with Boozer then, I have no idea.

WTF does Toronto want with Boozer then, I have no idea.

Probably more about not wanting Bargnani than wanting Boozer.

Vintage Pierce-Kobe duel going on in the third quarter. We won't see many more of these.

Pierce is averaging 17, 10, and 6 since Rondo went down.

What kind of interior defense does Chicago have? Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler played 29 minutes in the first half, sharing the 4 (and obviously some time at 3 & 5), and scored 33 points on 13-14 shooting.

boozer and noah are both coming off injurys, other then that all they have is taj

Reggie and Harlen trying to equate the Nuggets with the Pistons. The Nuggets don't have anyone near as good as Ben Wallace or Chauncey Billups. Reminds me just how underrated those two were on that team. This being said I love watching the Nuggets play, Gallo is one of my favorite players, Iggy is a great defender, McGee is an athletic freak, and just very solid other players.

On another note, can't wait to see what James White has in store for the dunk contest.

The Hollins reaction/MEM tailspin since Hollinger arrived is reminding me, in ways, of Depo and the Dodgers. At least on a superficial level.

One big difference in the situation is that I'm pretty sure if somebody gets fired over this rift in the offseason, it ain't going to be Hollinger.

I said a month ago that one of the keys to the Nuggets the rest of the way is Iguodala being content being a "stat-line filler" instead of a big time scorer. In the first 30 games, he tried to hard to score on his own. He's really settled into a 15 points a game scorer, with a lot of his points in transition, and adding 5-6 rebounds, 3-4 assists. And of course, the defense. But, that has led to both Lawson and Gallinari being more aggressive on offense. The Nuggets are a lot more balanced, and as a result, more dangerous. Will be interesting to see whether they can play this way in February when they have more road games.

that got ugly quick

Following the Bulls-Nuggets on Yahoo. This sequence captures it well:

3rd quarter
1:50 Denver Nuggets DEN Wilson Chandler makes a 25-foot three-pointer from the right wing. Assist: Corey Brewer 70-95
1:24 Chicago Bulls CHI Daequan Cook misses a 14-foot running jumper from the right wing
1:23 Denver Nuggets DEN Ty Lawson defensive rebound
1:17 Denver Nuggets DEN Ty Lawson drives to the hoop for a layup 70 - 97
:51.4 Chicago Bulls CHI Turnover: Shot clock violation
:40.5 Denver Nuggets DEN Layup by Wilson Chandler 70 - 99

It has been kind of interesting though to see the reverse homerism that's been happening this season; the non Laker fans on this site have been a lot more optomistic about LA's chances of making a low seed playoff push.

As tonight's game showed, it's not reverse homerism, it's just reality.

As tonight's game showed, it's not reverse homerism, it's just reality.

Upside for the Suns: Multiple lottery picks!

Downside for the Suns: Weak draft.

Last night was the first full Celtics game I've seen since Rondo went down. Let me first make it clear that I realize the Lakers have a lot of defensive problems right now, including playing with a clearly hobbled Howard. So I don't want to pretend that last night is the new normal for Boston, or that they can do that consistently against teams playing at a higher level than LA is currently playing. But I think there was still a lot of great things happening. This is what a lot of us expected to see when they added all of that (too this point only theoretical) depth in the off-season. More ball movement, better spacing from Lee and Terry, good perimeter defense. If they can play at anywhere near this level for the rest of the season, it's going to be very difficult to plug Rondo back in next year (not to mention his value will almost surely plummet).

Its also the kind of thing that makes me think that Duncan and Garnett would get along on the same team.

Yeah I am sure they would be fine together (and back in the day would have been great to watch together).

What kind of interior defense does Chicago have?

Usually, outstanding. I didn't get to see a minute of the game thanks to the "storm" (I also didn't see any of the Illini upset, but that was because I don't care), but the twitters talked about how Noah was clearly not 100%.

The more I think about a potential Bargs/Boozer swap, the more I come around to it. Bargs has a lot of defensive weaknesses, similar to Boozer, but at least Boozer knows and plays in Thibs system. That'll take some time for Bargs. Boozer really doesn't play inside much these days, so they're not losing a lot there. Boozer is still a good rebounder, so Deng and Noah will have to pick up some slack there. But that would make for an interesting big rotation.

Of course, like Jimmy says, the real reason the Bulls are considering it are purely financial. It would likely also have to include a NateRob for JL3 swap just to irritate me, but it would get the Bulls under the luxury tax. I think it minimizes whatever small chance the Bulls would have to compete this year, but might help them next. It does sound like Jerry really doesn't want to amnesty Boozer because he'd have to pay him to play somewhere else. So I think this deal happens if Toronto agrees to it (and I'm not sure totally why they would).

what are the best basketball podcasts?

what are the best basketball podcasts?

My favorite is easily The Basketball Jones. They are stats friendly, knowledgable, entertaining, and all clearly seem to love watching and talking about the NBA.

The Celtics seemed really fired up last night because they knew they could beat the Lakers and the fans got into the game. It was like a 2nd tier big game- neither team is very good, but they are rivals and they are both fighting for low playoff seeds.

I do not see why the Raptors would want Boozer, either. Boozer is a name, but he is a terrible return on investment, and unilke Gay, there is no chance that he magically becomes more producitve outside of that system (nor is he young).

I do not see why the Raptors would want Boozer, either. Boozer is a name, but he is a terrible return on investment, and unilke Gay, there is no chance that he magically becomes more producitve outside of that system (nor is he young).

On the other hand, a 7-footer who shoots 40%, averages less than 5 rebounds per 36 and has no defensive game at all, is great to have around. Boozer is paid about $5 million more a year than Bargnani, their contracts run the same length. So instead of looking at whether he's worth $15 million, is he worth $5 million?

Gotta give Boston some credit here. Playing well.

OTOH, I have a theory (can't prove it) that teams often do well for a short period of time after a star goes down. I think other guys get excited by getting more opportunities, coaches make adjustments, opposing teams don't have time to gameplan.

But eventually, I think that turns around, and the limitations of the guys stepping in become apparent, and the opponent makes adjustments of his own.

Without looking into it deeply, off the cuff, I don't think Boozer/Bargnani sounds that good for either Chicago or Toronto.

The more I hear the less I like about it. They don't need a 7ft guy who plays outside they need a big guy in the middle to help noah and taj.

Just keep boozer and amnesty him as planned.

Well, Boozer's best skill is rebounding. Bargnani's best skill is shooting from range for his size. With Noah, Deng, and GIbson in tow, I can see why Chicago would see some utility in Bargnani at a lower price (I know the $$ is key).

RR 183: I think that's right, I'd buy your theory without too much evidence. But I do think there is a chance that this team isn't the best fit for a dribbler like Rondo. But yes, I agree that it's totally fair to wait several weeks or months before concluding anything important.

[184] I subscribe to that theory too.

My favorite is easily The Basketball Jones. They are stats friendly, knowledgable, entertaining, and all clearly seem to love watching and talking about the NBA.

I kind of forgotten about them and had just started listening to it when I asked the question. I like them a lot.

Me too, rr.

OTOH, I have a theory (can't prove it) that teams often do well for a short period of time after a star goes down. I think other guys get excited by getting more opportunities, coaches make adjustments, opposing teams don't have time to gameplan.

This theory needs a name! :)

I agree that the Celtics are playing over their head right now, but I also think that their roster's wing players have a lot of ability to spread the point guard responsibilities in a way that could limit the loss of Rondo's negative effects. Pierce, Bradley, Lee, Terry, and Barbosa can all bring the ball up the court, and the ball movement they've been using in their offense doesn't seem unsustainable. I don't buy any of the "Are the Celtics better off without Rondo?" talk, but I think the loss of Sullinger's size may be as big an issue as Rondo's injury, especially if the reports from his agent that it may only be a partial ACL tear are borne out.

Edit: Unless, of course, Fab Melo is the unicorn I want him to be. (He isn't.)

Also, I third the Basketball Jones as a good NBA podcast. It's really the only one I listen to consistently. Are there other solid ones out there that I don't know about?

I don't buy any of the "Are the Celtics better off without Rondo?" talk

No, but I think it is fair to talk about how high-leverage a guy is to a team, given the rest of the team's skillsets.

No, but I think it is fair to talk about how high-leverage a guy is to a team, given the rest of the team's skillsets.

Oh, absolutely. That was meant to address the larger discourse around it, not anyone's comments in this thread. I think Rondo is overrated in some ways, underrated in others, and that parts of this Celtics team may do better without him, while others will miss him. (I think Terry, for one, will really do well without Rondo.) I just also think that the current win streak has led to some overblown talk of him perhaps being more expendable/low-leverage to the team than I think is true.

This theory needs a name! :)

Yea there might be something to the theory, remember when Ewing went down and the Knicks picked it up?

I am well aware of the "Ewing Theory", which, IIRC, was not really an analytical thing, since it came from Simmons. I am talking about something that could be seen as a pattern through specific game analysis, in multiple cases, were it to be studied. That ain't what Simmons does.

Lakers getting blasted in Charlotte. For those of you saw my prediction about the Lakers getting trampled in Charlotte had thought, "Oh, that crazy Hombre and his fanboy fatalism, he's just crazy,"... yeah, I'm not crazy.

Long ways to go in that CHA/LAL game. (Though I cede the larger point: The Lakers are a rundown mess right now.)

Ainge with some thoughtful quotes on Rondo and the Celtics without him: "Rondo is a terrific talent. So the question is, 'Is Rondo doing this, or are we allowing Rondo to do this?' Are we as players, as coaches, as management, relying on him too much?" That's tactfully vague and diplomatic, but I think he's getting at the right questions.

multiple sites reporting "discussions" between Charlotte and Brooklyn about Ben Gordon for Humphries. I suspect Kanye's involvement

For the first time this season I'm actually considering the fact the Lakers may miss the playoffs.

And Andre Drummond out at least for the rest of February it looks like. :(

Lakers getting blasted in Charlotte.

20 down halfway through the 3rd, now within single digits entering the 4th. Never underestimate the ineptitude of the Bobcats...