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This is true. But Memphis has been a disaster, the Hawks have been eh, and New Orleans has failed as an NBA city once before and is on their way again.
But the Panthers don't play in the NBA. Football in the South is far far different from NBA in the South. And, it's not basketball, it's NBA. I'm not sure there's another fanbase that looks down on the NBA as being substandard basketball than North Carolina (the whole state, not just UNC) fans.
You know everyone always gave KG credit for keeping his mout shut in Minnessota, but I also ways downgraded him personally for it. If your the "superstar" of your team, shouldn't you be speaking out within reason when your team is collapsing around you? Still, Chris Paul isn't going to enjoy watching Okafor blow his assist totals with missing layups.
Memphis and New Orleans were terrible, terrible ideas.
I think Norfolk could be successful (though that pesky ocean limits their fanbase, as would DC), as might Louisville.
Not if speaking out leads to FO moves engineered by Kevin McHale. Every time KG opened his mouth, it was "Troy Hudson to a $40m extension!" or "Cassell for Jaric? No, that's not enough for Jaric, let's throw in a first rounder!" I thank him for keeping his mouth shut as much as he did, or McHale probably would've accepted the offer of a rabii, a priest, and a hindu when somebody was setting up a joke at the all-star game.
There is a huge appetite for hoops in the Hampton Roads area, but you have to stretch the definition of metro area quite a bit to get to a healthy population size (which I think you're alluding to with the ocean comment).
Not only that, I think they're one of the teams that struggles to sell out their stadium every game in the NFL too. I will say the Bobcats have about the least interesting roster I can imagine.
Seems like Atlanta has taken to this young Hawks team though, recently.
This is a 'meh' move. Diogu's supposedly talented, but he just never gets on the court. Even on crappy teams. There have been rumblings about work ethic.
Yup. TV market too. Plus not enough corporate presence. That said, if a team moved there, they wouldn't necessarily fail.
As a long-time Hawks fan, I don't fault the city for traditionally not supporting the team. Bad and generic is no way to go through life.
Diogu's supposedly talented, but he just never gets on the court.
That said, when he is on the court - he's produced (and more so when he's gotten solid minutes). I still think he could be a solid 6th/7th man - he'll struggle on D and commit fouls, but rebounds decently, bruises people, and scores efficiently and often. (Of course, I also think he could play *spot* minutes at the five, despite lacking height and ups, so I probably don't know what I'm talking about.)
I'd take Bellinelli only because the upsides higher. I don't see any appeal to Devean George. Just another draft pick Golden St. trades away. When do Brandon Wright, Ellis, Curry, and Randolph get dealt? You know one is getting dealt this season.
Maybe Wright, but the other 3 aren't going anywhere, especially Curry and Randolph. But especially Randolph. MB for George is as meh a trade as you can get.
You can't say they aren't going anywhere. It's the Warriors with Don Nelson and his first round draft picks. No one trades their first round picks more than them. They draft really well, they just trade them.
I don't even know that they draft very well. But trust me, Curry and Randolph aren't going anywhere. Those are Don Nelson guys.
So was Bellinelli once upon a time, right? Though I'm with you in spirit, Shooty.
So was Crawford, Marco, and Al Harrington. Don Nelson is like Larry Brown, although he doesn't give NY sports writers a happy feeling and he doesn't "play the right way."
The Warriors draft pretty well, they've drafted Randolph, Biedrins, Pietrus, Arenas, Richardson, Ellis, and Dunleavy in the past decade. That's a pretty good group of players. You may not have a Hall of Famer there, but a lot of teams wish they could draft that well. Most of them aren't on the Warriors anymore, though.
Naw. He would ahve played more if he was. Don't watch Nellie's lips, just watch the rotation. If Curry is planted on the bench after the all star break, then worry.
Speaking of NBA teams in LA, Bill Simmons makes a big deal in his latest piece about the cap space the Clippers will have next year. Is it at all possible LeBron joins Griffin, Gordon, Davis, and Kaman to suddenly make the Clippers relevant for perhaps the first time since they pried Bill Walton from Portland (if I'm remembering things correctly -- and, of course, that didn't go well, so any "relevance" did not last long in that case).
I was preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. Odom coming back is a huge sigh of relief. I actually didn't think he was irreplaceable like some, but he was irreplaceable in this crappy FA market.
I've been thinking about that a lot, and I can't see it happening for one reason: Lebron would essentially be admitting that he's playing second fiddle to Kobe. No matter what he does, Kobe will remain ahead of him. Even if he wins every head to head game by that point (unlikely) Kobe will be excused because he has started aging and has four rings. If Lebron brings 4+ rings to the Clips (unlikely), he will only achieve it long after Kobe has retired, and will be seen as a little brother who made good. And all of that does not account for the fact that it's the freaking Clippers. I think being a season ticket holder made Simmons a little more fixated on that franchise than anyone else will be, even if they bounce to 45 wins this year.
Last year, Blake made 140 threes. Miller made 19. The Blake/Roy backcourt is actually in many ways a younger version of Fisher/Bryant, which lends credence to the idea that Odom would have fit in Portland. During the break betw LA/Hou and LA/Den, I pointed out that Battier/Artest made Hou a tougher matchup for LA--although Denver was better than Houston. Por, relying as they do on Roy, had the same issue. Miller is still a good player, but I think Portland should have tried to add Odom, Artest, or Ariza instead.
Upsides to retaining Odom are obvious. Downsides are they will be tied to Kobe, Ron-Ron, LO and maybe Gasol until all those guys are 35 or so, and that this could inhibit Bynum's development. Still, it was the right thing to do.
No, I don't think so. I think either James will stay in Cleveland, or he really is one of those people who is fascinated by NY (and I don't mean that in a bad way) and will go there. The other obvious possibility is a James/Bosh/Wade triumvirate in Miami. I think Bosh and James will be on the same team next year if LbJ leaves Cleveland. I don't think many guys wants to play on team owned by Sterling.
As a guy who bleeds purple and gold, my heart is with you. As a basketball fan, I see some similarities.
Congrats to them. They now have a talented, but very flighty, player.
There is no way on this earth that Kevin Pritchard would have signed Ariza after what he did to Rudy.
Seriously? Is that how Pritchard makes his personnel decisons? "Oh, that guy hurt my buddy once, no way do I sign him!"
There are a lot of comments in here from Blazer fans about how various guys (mostly Odom) are somehow morally unfit to be on the team, the fans would revolt, yadda yadda yadda.
I know the Jail Blazers era was unfortunate, and there are guys in the league that might be hard to root for, but I find all of this tremendously overdone (I wouldn't have any trouble rooting for Ariza, apart from the fact that he's a Laker). Yes, you should try to put a leadership in place (in this case, MacMillan and Roy) who are dedicated and disciplined. But I don't think you can rule out every player who seems the least bit mercurial or less than Boy Scout-y.
It's not morally unfit, it's a personality thing. You can say what you want, but the team is high strung. Odom, well, Odom's not. And, for a guy that likes the beach and warm weather, he wouldn't like Portland.
Ariza, I know nothing about what you say. My bet is, Pritchard didn't want to overpay for him.
You have said this about 10 times, and maybe Pritchard read it that way, as he never made a move on Odom. But as was noted, playing in LA with Kobe Bryant is not exactly a kick-back and let-it-flow kind of gig. You may be right about McMillan's not being able to work with Odom, maybe the "beach-or-bust" thing was not just a negotiating tactic, and Odom never would've gone to Portland. But given what Odom brings on the court in terms of length/versatility/defensive boards, Oden's injury issues, what they were willing to pay Turkoglu, and the fact that it would've hurt the Lakers to lose Odom, I think Pritchard should have least looked into it. I also don't get why the Blazers were not more interested in David Lee.
This was the Blazer fanboy take, and maybe Pritchard is a Blazer fanboy. I think Jimmy P is more likely right, though--the basic metrics would indicate that Ariza is not a huge upgrade on Outlaw and Batum, and he would have cost a lot more. But my read on the Blazers is they needed to upgrade the 1 and/or the 3, and improve the team defense/toughness. As the Lakers will find out this year when they watch Artest lumbering around out there, and as Denver now knows, Ariza ia very good at playing passing lanes and creating fast breaks/steals--a key defensive skill. And, perhaps Artest himself would have not gone to Portland even for more money, and perhaps Pritchard thought adding Ron-Ron would be "Jail Blazers: Revenge of the Suspended." But again, I think it should've been looked at. I don't think Miller helps them all that much.
That said, Portland is still in a great situation going forward, and the keys are Oden and Aldridge. If Oden can stay in the lineup and anchor the D, and Aldridge can get just a little better, they will be very tough come playoff time.
Bill Simmons being a Clippers season ticket holder is one of the odder and funnier things happening in the NBA. I'm sure Simmons doesn't want to admit it, but he's as big of a Clippers fan as he could be.
I wonder how many Clips' games Simmons actually goes to each year?
From how he talks, I'd assume easily about 70% of the home games. That's what, 30? It is great because columns are much better when he's fan of a horrid team.
adding Ron-Ron would be "Jail Blazers: Revenge of the Suspended."
Yeah, that would have been bad. People still hate that team. When Z-Bo comes back, he's booed every time he touches the ball the entire game. I just heard a story the other day from someone on what a giant ####### Damon Stoudamire was. That team really hurt this place, and this current team is the exact opposite. Everyone loves all the guys. Losing Channing Frye actually hurt the city far more than it hurt the team, he was probably the most outgoing and loved Blazer of them all.
That said, Portland is still in a great situation going forward, and the keys are Oden and Aldridge
And this is really the key. They could sign any of those 3's, and it really wouldn't make much of a difference if Oden's not healthy.
That being said, a couple of quick comments on the Bulls' schedule. They're the last team to start, playing the Spurs at home and the next night in Boston. The circus trip this year doesn't seem *that* bad - only 6 games and no back to backs. But the first month is just tough enough that if they struggle out the gate, Vinny could see himself out of a job pretty quickly.
Instead, he's an NBA player, won't get mentioned much, and be suspended for 10 games.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4381822
Tough break for the Magic- though at just 10 games it shouldn't have any major impact.
Tough break for the Magic- though at just 10 games it shouldn't have any major impact.
Actually, it could be the difference between the 1 and 3 seed, which would be huge.
How does Isiah do it?
Is that a bad thing? It's my impression that Vinny is a fairly awful head coach.
Isaiah has always had a great relationship with players. He's a classic con man.
Dumars's plan is finally clear! Actually, I have no idea what the point of this is.
Is that a bad thing? It's my impression that Vinny is a fairly awful head coach.
No, it's not. I just don't like the idea of another interim coach and a wasted year of development for Rose. I'd rather Vinny for the whole year than another Boylan type (I think).
Isaiah has always had a great relationship with players. He's a classic con man.
If he can recruit at all, he's got a job for life there. Anything he does will be better than they could have expected and they'll never really be good enough to want to replace him for his lack of coaching ability. I antipate some sort of scandal forcing him out in the near future though.
I'd bet my cats he's telling these kids they can do whatever they feel like since they're only putting in their 1 year before being draft eligible, anyway. I foresee Fresno St. under Tark the Shark level of scandals coming FIU's way.
So, is it even news that Lebron's not gonna sign an extension w/Cleveland?
Definitely opens the door for the return of Byron Scott to the franchise.
Big Baby re-ups with the C's for 2yrs/$6mil. Good deal for both, I think.
It's not Isiah I'd be worried about. It's all the other people he lets around the program. But, yeah, FIU better enjoy the good press now, because this won't end well.
Free-agent center Ben Wallace agreed to terms with the Detroit Pistons on Friday, according to a league source.
The new Jack Haley!
No, it's not. I just don't like the idea of another interim coach and a wasted year of development for Rose. I'd rather Vinny for the whole year than another Boylan type (I think).
This is the downside. I've been anti-Vinny since the day he was hired, but if Paxson (fine, and Reinsdorf) can't hire the best coach available when they have months to do it, there's no way in hell they should try and do it in a day.
Leon Powe to the Cavs. If he contributes at all this year, they'll be lucky.
So, is it even news that Lebron's not gonna sign an extension w/Cleveland?
It's pretty obvious that ESPN, along with every other reporter, wants him in LA, NY, Chicago, or Miami. We get it, no one likes traveling to Cleveland. Lebron's being a dick about it, too. All his comments about liking to stay, or considering it are just dumb. Listen, if you want to stay, just sign the damn contract. It's not like they aren't going to pay you, and the NBA is pretty cut and dried about what they can offer, so if you want to stay, just sign. If he's not staying, I think the Cavs should just let him walk, don't help him with a sign-and-trade.
So cut off their nose to spite their face?
The real answer to the question you're trying to answer is "No". And I disagree with most of your response. What's the rush? Things can change. There is absolutely nothing wrong with waiting until he's a FA, and there's nothing dickish about what he's doing here (it's hip to pile on LBJ now after the handshake thing and the dunk coverup). The only reason to sign the deal now is so that he doesn't have to listen to questions all season. And when it comes to that, if he doesn't care than neither do I.
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Von Wafer to Greece, too.
What are they possibly going to get of value in return? These sign-and-trade deals are never good. The team letting the guy go never gets anything of use.
I can't read the list, its behind the insider wall.
Von Wafer to Greece, too.
Anybody got any terms on the deal. The AP report said it was the best offer he got during the summer, but was it Childress level?
Olympiakos has gotten Wafer and Linas Kleiza. I presume that Pargo and Childress will be back next year.
It was a list of best remaining FAs. Head was 13, Wafer was 17. (by the way, I've read Head is likely headed to Europe, too)
Olympiakos has gotten Wafer and Linas Kleiza. I presume that Pargo and Childress will be back next year.
Childress, yes. Pargo signed a 1 year deal with the Bulls.
That's not the only reason. You'd think a team with LeBron and Shaq would get a lot more interest from the mid-level guys who want long-term contracts — like Ariza — but if LeBron's not going to make a long-term commitment to the Cavs, why should anyone else?
Perhaps, but that was more relevant at the beginning of the summer. Now, not as much.
What are they possibly going to get of value in return? These sign-and-trade deals are never good. The team letting the guy go never gets anything of use.
Well, they might not be able to get anyone to take their money and come to Cleveland, so they might have to trade for guys to fill out the roster. And just because GMs haven't taken advantage of sign and trades more in the past (like the Magic this year), doesn't mean it can't happen. It's worth a shot, and dismissing the possibility out of hand simply because of disappointment isn't very smart.
2 years, $10 million. And, unlike here, he'll take home that whole $10 million. Probably not a bad move for him.
Grrrr.
2 years, $10 million. And, unlike here, he'll take home that whole $10 million. Probably not a bad move for him.
That is an upgrade. I think I read in the AP article that he made 800K last year. I'm sure he expected a raise, but I don't think many teams would have gone 2/10 (much less 2/10 after taxes).
Childress, yes. Pargo signed a 1 year deal with the Bulls.
That is probably a good move, if he is the same Pargo. I think the backup PG position is a bit undervalued in the game. We can see in the playoffs who teams can get absolutely obliterated if they have to go to an option that has seen their best days. Having a guy that can get the ball to your scoring options in the second unit and provide adequate defense is not always easy to find.
For some reason, I suspect that coaching in college will suit Isaiah quite well. He always did well with motivation and chemsitry as a coach; he just struggled with the X's and O's, as well as his teams own limitations. College coaching will accentuate his attributes, and his background with Knight can't hurt either. We don't have much evidence about his ability as a teacher, but I think there is some reason to believe that this endeavor will be less of a flaming death sprial than his last 10.
As much as I hate to agreee, Isiah's job is set up for him. He's at a small school playing against inferior competition, where he'll be able to bring in a few guys a year who would get scholarships at an ACC school just by using his clout as a NBA player and coach. College basketball doesn't require much more than alot of talent to at least be a good team. How else would you explain a career like Jim Harrick's.
Harrick's problem has always been the extra incentives he could supply, such as an academic curriculum. That would be my biggest fear with Zeke as well. His time in NY could give concern about his place/thought as it applies to the rules.
NCAA coaching is one of the most highly regulated industries you can go into. A guy like Majerus, who has a heart bigger than his ass, can get in trouble for just being a warm human being. Will Zeke be able to follow all the rules?
You're not really describing Pargo though. He's a homeless man's Ben Gordon, and that's the role the Bulls signed him to play. Hinrich is the backup PG, so when he and Pargo are in the game together, Pargo is the SG and will likely be guarding the PG. You're right that I think it's a decent signing, but he's solidly the 4th guard behind Rose, Salmons and Hinrich. And that's a perfect role for him.
I love this description
Isn't the Down-Low that Hinrich's days are numbered and he is trade bait to some teams that value him higher.
It probably wouldn't last long, but it would be fun while it lasted.
If Mike Nix is to believed, you would be hearing a lot of:
"Don't forget, you f------ bookworm, I'm the coach of this f------ team."
and then he'd trade you for the guys that worked for Enron
Yes, but everyone thought they'd do that this summer. Maybe they wanted to see what kind of bargains shake loose this winter. Hinrich's got a good contract to trade in terms of matching numbers.
Not currently. Portland was the main suitor, and they settled on Andre Miller instead. The Bulls may still try to trade him during the season (for cap purposes, one would assume), but it sounds like they're going into the season with their current roster. Hinrich will be the primary back up at the 1 and 2, and if Deng has any injury issues, Hinrich may even end up starting again. The Bulls actually probably value him *too* highly and that may be why a deal hasn't happened already (he is their "captain" after all, and Reinsdorf and Paxson absolutely love him). As long as he's ok coming off the bench (and he hasn't publicly complained once as far as I know), I don't think they'll rush to move him. And his contract is actually decreasing, so he becomes even more valuable as a bench player as the years pass.
I was just thinking this. Don't call Phil.
I'm glad to see this thread come to life again. I'm also glad to see Big Baby coming back. The odds that both Garnett and Wallace are both healthy and effective come the Spring aren't exactly overwhelming.
I hate that the Lakers resigned Odom. I guess I think Artest over Ariza is dumb, but they are still the favorite at this point, much to my chagrin.
Andre Miller has quietly added value to a lot of teams I don't want to disparage the man. Nevertheless, he isn't going to be any type of long term solution to a PG conundrum. If the Blazers think Hinrich is what makes them go (a contention I'm not too sure about), then I would think there could still be interest. Its not like they couldn't use some depth at that position anyway. Right now, their punch off the bench is just scheduled to be Bayless.
Incidentally, did anyone see Bayless battle drummer Matt Sorum on Sports Science to see how had the quickest hands? IIRC, Bayless quick dribble was at the speed of a large species of hummingbird's wings.
Plus Rudy and Outlaw. Fernandez is really a nice player to have as a 6th man
You do from JP Ricciardi in baseball.
Plus Rudy and Outlaw. Fernandez is really a nice player to have as a 6th man
Yes, I forgot about Rudy. I think I had him mentally leaving for some reason.
Of course it depends what Portland would had to have given up, but Hinrich would have been a very good fit for them.
I don't think that concept is dead. The cost etc. may largely depend on where the teams are a few months into the season. Chicago looks like they can be good, in which case, Hinrich is probably going to cost more than a competitive Blazers team can afford, namely some of that frontcourt depth. But if either team slips off the mark, then it seems like its reasonable.
They tried. Well, we don't know that they tried for Lee, but it's probably a good assumption New York would've blocked it. Can't get on Portland's case too much, they were throwing money around this offseason.
But, like I said, they need better D and that will depend largely on Oden no matter who plays the 1.
Rambis: only a few people really know what kind of impact it will have. Supposedly Shaw did a lot of the defensive game planning in the Denver and Orlando series. Fisher will start working for the Lakers in some off-court capacity after next year if he wants to. He is enormously popular with the brass, the other players, (including So's Your Mamba) the coaches, and the fan base in LA.
James: I don't think anyone, James included, knows what he will do and where he will be mentally about it next summer. Putting on my Bill Simmons amateur-psychologist hat (Simmons refs OK since there is another thread about him) I think James may be MORE likely to leave if the Cavs win it: Mission Accomplished for the Home Folks, Parade Delivered, off to The Big Apple with Chris Bosh or to South Beach with Dwyane Wade. I don't think LeBron is really being a dick about it, although if I were a Cavs' fan, the "I Heart NY" stuff he does with the media might irritate me.
Pot, alcohol are probably the cause. The guy's a disaster. Didn't he go to multiple high schools? That should be a huge red flag. He also got kicked out of the rookie symposium for pot. Even before his first NBA game he was in trouble with the NBA.
Have I mentioned lately how happy I am the Bulls drafted Rose?
It's probably weed, but my first thought that it was either coke or heroin.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4419340
I assume you can never say that enough, huh?
Despite my dislike for the Heat, I do hope Beasley pulls together.
I don't think going to multiple high schools is necessarily a red flag (Amare went to more, and that doesn't appear to have mattered) and it looks like most of the schools Beasley went to were for basketball. He did not get kicked out of the rookie symposium; Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur did. Beasley later admitted that he was with them.
As for the last sentence, so what? He's not the first and won't be the last and it's not a guarantee one way or the other how his career will play out. I'll withhold my judgement on this rehab stint until we hear the cause.
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Sounds like AI will be signing with Charlotte. Makes sense for both parties.
Well, Amare's not the most stable and mature person in the world either. Wasn't Beasley the guy who got kicked out of school for the autograph contest? He and a friend were seeing who could sign their names in the most places, Beasley got called into the principal's office and was told to stop, and then went out and signed the principal's car. Nice.
Even if guy's are transferring for basketball, isn't that a red flag? If you can't stay in one spot for high school because you don't like the coach or whatever, that's on you. I understand transferring schools once, but wasn't Beasley in like 5 or 6 high schools? High school is only 4 years, 5 if you need the prep school route.
He did not get kicked out of the rookie symposium; Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur did. Beasley later admitted that he was with them.
You are correct, he was only fined $50k.
I'll try.
Kobe sucks.
Lebron's going to Ny, or maybe not.
Everything's Rose-y in Chicago but Vin-man.
The Celtics are dicks.
Something's up with Orlando.
It's certainly depressing to listen to the Heat's TV broadcasters.
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