NBA 2008-2009 Season

[Yangsing]

lol? did you even bother watching the 8 minute video I posted? Solely basing your opinion off of the Boston series = lol.

Didn't see your post. Like I said, I don't watch enough of his games. And no, it wasn't just the Boston series.

[Stee]

Kobe isn't clutch? If your talking about game winning buzzer beaters kobe has had a ton of those. Which is why whenever they have the NBA GM survey I believe they always vote kobe has their first pick to shoot the ball in a win or lose situation.

Besides I think clutch also means putting teams away in the last few minutes of the 4th quarter so that you don't need a game winning shot. You can't tell me that Kobes 3 pointer in the Olympics vs Spain wasn't clutch. He took a shoot that his teammates on the US team were too scared to take. Recently the Hornets vs Lakers game exactly the same shot. Plus I'm pretty sure the only example you have of Kobe not being clutch was during the finals vs the celtics. So then how do you be clutch when there are 4 defenders draped all over you and your teammates can't make shots when you pass it to them.

As for Lebron we know he is extremely athletic, and this year would most likely be considered his athletic prime. Eventually in a few years his athletic ability won't be the same. Kobe and Jordan both relied on their shooting ability when their athleticism declined. Therefore lebron is going to really have to work on his shooting or else in a few years he can forget about getting a championship.

[Byrd]

I'll agree that for the most part Oden has played some non-physical centers. Although he did play against Tyson Chandler about a week ago and Tyson Chandler had a subpar game while Oden had like 11 pt, 11reb, and 4 blocks in 24min. Duncan wouldn't probably guard Oden anyways. Blazers will be playing Phoenix on Saturday I think, so we'll see how he does against Shaq.

Most of Oden's offense so far has been coming off of penetration created by the Blazer guards and offensive rebound put backs. His post game is rudimentary at the moment.

Agreed. He's so clumsy right now in comparison to more mature centers, I think he's a couple of healthy years away from truly being a force. But the Blazers don't really need Oden to be an offensive force, and I don't think that's what they are looking for or expecting. I would imagine most of his points will end up being put-backs. They need defense and rebounds from him, any actual offense is a bonus. Between Roy, Fernandez, Aldrige and Outlaw, they've got a number of guys who can blow up the scoreboard on any given night.

Incidentally, his brief 3-week injury might have been a good thing. Before the year, all everyone in Oregon could talk about was Oden this and Oden that (it's been that way for 16 months, actually). As soon as he went down in the first game this year, talk turned from "He's Basketball Jesus" to "Well, if he contributes at all, that'll be a bonus." Expectations lowered dramatically almost overnight, in a way that they didn't after the microfracture surgery. Those three weeks off took a lot of pressure off the guy, and Rudy Fernandez suddenly became the hot Blazer rookie to watch. He's still under the media microscope, just not to the same extent he was six weeks ago.

[Stee]

Swear to god Vlad only shows up when his position on the team is in jeopardy. He showed up with his stealing and dunks in the preseason because the SF spot was up for grabs, now he showed up because he was almost removed from that spot.

What is with this guy lol should threaten his spot on the team before every game.

[Exoduso]

Swear to god Vlad only shows up when his position on the team is in jeopardy. He showed up with his stealing and dunks in the preseason because the SF spot was up for grabs, now he showed up because he was almost removed from that spot.

What is with this guy lol should threaten his spot on the team before every game.

lol seriously...
All of a sudden he's 5/6 from 3pt? He barely hit ANY 3 point attempts this entire season..

ROFL @ the 'Let's Go Lakers' & 'Luuuuuuuuke' chants..

[Stee]

yeah what the hell was that, its sad when your own fans are being outshouted and it's not like phoenix isn't a popular team.

It was like listening to the crowd in staples during the finals, but that was because tickets were expensive as hell and this is a regular season game.

[Andarvi]

It has been said many times before, but I too agree Kobe > Lebron.

Lebron is sick without question, no one is arguing otherwise. In 06-07, I remember watching him come back from behind to beat detroit, especially when he dropped 48 in game 5. My uncle is a pistons fan and was shitting bricks. Bron-bron is a beast, a hall of famer, and a legend.

With that, he obviously won't wont a championship with the cavs now. His free agency run will surely be one of the most interesting we have seen in ages (minus the C's last year, thank you Danny Ainge.) I dont see the Cavs paying enough to keep him and get enough talent to make them a championship team as he so desires, thus he will leave. I will not speculate where he will end up, whether it be the nets, knicks, pistons, etc... Regardless, the guy is a man-child, can drive more dominantly than almost anyone i have personally seen in my life, (22 years, im talking just straight to the hole fuck your face domination), a young shaq being the only one i saw better. He is getting better and will continue to do so.

The problem I see with bron is a bit of AI syndrome. He is a dominant force as a single player but as a team player is a detriment. Its not even his fault, to a degree. The way he takes over games and dominates them is at the expense of his teammates. I will say that so far this deductions is based off that fact he hasnt had any teammates that are all stars in their own rights. However, with the money he will demand in his free agency I dont see any all stars out of older ones with a couple years left in em, or some REALLY good draft picks, helping him there. I feel his style of play and the money he will demand will actually limit him until the end of his career, unless he has some strong and smart upper management.

Kobe is a better shooter and defender (as said before), and is so often compared to MJ. yes, his rings came with the beast known as shaq, but his SKILL set is still superior compared to bron. put bron in kobe's body and kobe in bron's body and the latter would be inexplicably more dominant the the former. That alone is enough for me to say kobe > bron.

I say kobe gets AT LEAST one more, and most likely this year.

Bron will get one eventually as well.

And I'm a celtics fan.

Also, in addition to these two, D. Wade is the only similar player.

[Exoduso]

Kobe will win a championship without Shaq, it's just a matter of time.

The Lakers are a lot stronger than they were last year (and no, not just because Bynum is back).. this year will certainly be interesting. Dominating the West shouldn't be a problem if they keep going like this (so far Kobe is averaging 30-32 minutes per game, which is great for the Lakers), I'd like to see what will happen if the Celtics get to the finals again though.

[Andarvi]

Kobe will win a championship without Shaq, it's just a matter of time.

The Lakers are a lot stronger than they were last year (and no, not just because Bynum is back).. this year will certainly be interesting. Dominating the West shouldn't be a problem if they keep going like this (so far Kobe is averaging 30-32 minutes per game, which is great for the Lakers), I'd like to see what will happen if the Celtics get to the finals again though.

I would love to see another Celtics/Lakers finals, and while my homerism roots for the Celts, I still say the Lakers, baring injury, are the best team in the NBA by a notable margin. The main crutch of the Lakers is that they have two guys, Gasol and Bynum, who control the destiny of their team (outside of Kobe). If one of them goes down, they are virtually the same team as least year, and if the Celtics stay healthy, can take them even w/o Posey.

[Exoduso]

Yeah, but the chance of losing Gasol or Bynum to injury has the same likelihood of losing one of Boston's big 3 to injury. You never know what will happen.

That being said, the Celts losing 1 guy isn't as devastating as it is for the Lakers to lose one of the 3 guys you mentioned.

[Andarvi]

Yeah, but the chance of losing Gasol or Bynum to injury has the same likelihood of losing one of Boston's big 3 to injury. You never know what will happen.

That being said, the Celts losing 1 guy isn't as devastating as it is for the Lakers to lose one of the 3 guys you mentioned.

Yeah, the Celts big 3 cumulatively is older so they have they have that against them. They could lose Ray Ray and still be alright in the east (might lose in conference finals, if not the finals for sure against LA,) though the other two would knock em out. KG would still energize them in practice and off the bench in some fly ass suit but thats about it, and if they lose Paul forget about it. KG and paul must stay healthy to stand a chance.

Regardless, I've still got LA as the best team this year, with celtics/NO fighting it out for second. The hornets will be tough to beat down the stretch, though LA could beat em. If they were in the east....trouble.

[Dimmauk]

Crawford for Harrington? The warriors need more gaurds, and the Knicks needed to lose their leading scorer? And Zach Randolph may get sent to the Mavs for Old ass Stackhouse. What the fuck is up with these trades? I guess it still not as bad as the Pau Gasol trade.

[Deejay]

Where you hearing these deals?

Oh my god, I loved Crawford but I'd fucking take Harrington in a heart beat.

[Akiyama]

Yeah. Heard it on ESPN today. Why do you want Harrington? Crawford's pretty good for New York. Who would your guard be without him around? Live and die with Nate Robinson? Dunno if I like this trade. Harrington is better, but not what the Knicks need atm in my opinion :/ You guys are winning games. Why mix things up by trading your best scorer.

[Dimmauk]

I guess Nelson's dream of having an All Guard team is coming true. I wonder what happens when Monta comes back.

[Deejay]

The Knicks are rebuilding. What good is winning 35-40 games if you're going to be bounced out in the first round anyway.

Plus, a scoring SG is without a doubt the easiest position to fill in the NBA. Getting a solid, young, 6'10 guy who can run up and down the court in D'Antoni's system? Not so much.

[gwynsaho]

Crawford for Harrington? The warriors need more gaurds, and the Knicks needed to lose their leading scorer? And Zach Randolph may get sent to the Mavs for Old ass Stackhouse. What the fuck is up with these trades? I guess it still not as bad as the Pau Gasol trade.

For the Knicks to get under the cap for Lebron in 2010.

[Dimmauk]

For the Knicks to get under the cap for Lebron in 2010.

Why would he go there? He wants to win a championship.

[Dimmauk]

The New York Knicks have agreed in principle to send power forward Zach Randolph to the Los Angeles Clippers, two league sources said Friday afternoon.

The Clippers would send Tim Thomas and another player who’s still unclear —- Marcus Camby or Cuttino Mobley – to the Knicks for Randolph and guard Mardy Collins.

[Bearsan]

I see Zach Randolph as a cancer on any team.