2005-2006 NBA thread

[Assassin]

i coulda swore...

any who i hate jason kidd..that kiss he does, i wanna spit on him!

 

[XwolverineX]

What the hell happened in New Jersey tonight?
Nets 110, Suns 72.

The Heat take care of business with Indy.

YEAH, I FLICKED IT ON IN THE 3RD, AND I ALMOST SCREAMED!

 

[Super_Ludacris]

It was 90-50 at one point.....

 

[XwolverineX]

It was 90-50 at one point.....

YEPPERS. LUDACRIS, LITTERALY. HEHEHEHE...

 

[NOFX]

RIVER HILLS, Wis. -- Latrell Sprewell answered his front door with his face contorted into his unmistakable scowl, his anger barely under control as he made it clear he was not accepting visitors and was in no mood to talk.

"Get off my property right now or I'll send someone out there to take your head off!"

So ended the briefest of encounters early Sunday afternoon a few miles north of downtown Milwaukee, the biggest mystery of the NBA season no closer to being explained by the only person who has any of the answers.

Inside the sprawling yellow brick home with the massive wooden jungle gym in the backyard resides the best basketball player in the world without a job, an athlete who could help some team win an NBA championship three months from now if it could just get a reading on whether he's willing and/or able to set aside his shame and lace 'em up for the first time since the Minnesota Timberwolves played their final game last season.

Not a single word has been spoken publicly in almost a year by Sprewell, whose agent heard from the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks earlier in March, each of the Western Conference's top teams making inquiries about the former All-Star whose mercurial ways have made him one of the most controversial players of the past decade.

Seeking some answers, ESPN.com reached out to Sprewell through his agent and his publicist, as well as through voice mails on his cell phone, before resorting to the oldest reporting technique in the book -- showing up on his doorstep in the hopes that the sight of a familiar face from his days in New York might coax him into providing some sort of insight into whether he's considering a return to the NBA before this season ends.

Under collective bargaining rules, Sprewell can sign with any playoff-bound team up until the last day of the season and still be eligible for the postseason. (Players who already were on NBA rosters but who were waived in-season must have been waived by March 1 to be playoff-eligible.)

That rule was brought to Sprewell's attention by the NBA players union last week, but what -- if anything -- he plans to do with that knowledge is unknown.

The deep thump-thump-thump of a woofer-fueled bass line was causing the windows in Sprewell's front foyer to shimmer as he answered his door on the third ring wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and sweat pants. His order to skedaddle was heeded without hesitation or argument.

"Watch out for the dogs," a Bucks scout had warned.

But judging by Sprewell's demeanor and his growl, the biggest threat to life and limb was standing on two legs, not four. Good luck to the next Jehovah's Witness who tries to engage him in a friendly discussion of the Bible.

"I have no idea what's driving Latrell. I can't figure it out, and he doesn't articulate what he's thinking," said Robert Gist, Sprewell's longtime agent.

The Mavericks called about two weeks ago when they were dealing with a flurry of injuries.

"He said he would call back the next day. He never did. So we dropped the idea," Mavs owner Mark Cuban said via e-mail.

The Spurs also put in a call to Gist's office about a month ago, though nothing came of it.

"These teams recognize Latrell's value, and they've gone to their top players to ask them whether Spree would be a good fit," Gist said.

Sprewell made $14.6 million last season in the final year of a contract he signed after rehabilitating while with the New York Knicks. Sprewell led the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals after serving a 70-game suspension for his attack on former Golden State coach P.J. Carlesimo early in the 1997-98 season.

After turning down a three-year $21-million extension from the Timberwolves, explaining he had "a family to feed," Sprewell went unsigned last summer as an unrestricted free agent.

According to Gist, Sprewell made the mistake of waiting on the Los Angeles Lakers at a time when the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers all were expressing interest in signing him. But the Timberwolves and Lakers were unable to agree on a sign-and-trade deal that would satisfy both teams, and then other teams turned to other free agents. So by the time training camps started, Sprewell's only choice was to play for the veteran's minimum, which he feels is beneath him.

"It may have been the transition, going from making $14.6 million to $1 million because the rules say you're only worth this much. Making that adjustment probably took some time," said Gist, who believes Sprewell's pride -- and his hesitance to subject himself to public second-guessing over his "family to feed" quote -- is part of what's keeping Sprewell from returning to the NBA.

 

[Go Web Go!]

Looks like Amare is officially DONE for the year. It would be pretty disappointing if bringing him back early for a few meaningless games kept him out for the length of the postseason.

 

[Mister J]

Looks like Amare is officially DONE for the year. It would be pretty disappointing if bringing him back early for a few meaningless games kept him out for the length of the postseason.

I just saw that report on ESPN. It seemed like a bad idea from the start. I'm sure he wanted to get out there and play, but he's gotta look out for himself too.


Sprewell sucks. Let him rot.

 

[XwolverineX]

Looks like Amare is officially DONE for the year. It would be pretty disappointing if bringing him back early for a few meaningless games kept him out for the length of the postseason.

WHAT?!!?!?! I DIDN'T KNOW, THIS HAPPENEND LAST NIGHT?? THAT SUCKS BIG TIME...

 

[Super_Ludacris]

What the ****?

 

[XwolverineX]

What the ****?

YOU DIDN'T KNOW EITHER??

 

[Go Web Go!]

Wow. What is up with Phoenix? 38 point loss last night to the Nets and tonight they get humiliated by 22 at Milwaukee?

 

[Mister J]

Phoenix is a one trick pony, but that trick normally fares better than this. Usually, they wait until the postseason to unravel. Still, it's pretty hard to give up 132, even if your calling card is a huge void where your defense should be. Whatever.

 

[Erundur]

Amare is done? Sprewell=suck. Play damn it

 

[XwolverineX]

Wow. What is up with Phoenix? 38 point loss last night to the Nets and tonight they get humiliated by 22 at Milwaukee?

WOW, WHAT UTTER HUMILIATION, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM!?



YEAH, IT SUCKS BIG-TIME ABOUT AMARE, HE COULD'VE IMPOVED 'EM ALOT.

 

[Super_Ludacris]

Well Detroit beat Dallas. I told y'all the Pistons may lose like once a week (like that's a disaster) but at the end of the day when they play hard they beat the contenders (see Dallas this week, Miami last week sweeping the suns and spurs)

Hi haters

 

[Alpha and Omega]

I hope you remember all of this when the postseason comes. The Pistons are the fav, but they're only one injury away from disaster.

 

[Super_Ludacris]

They've been playing against the odds all season long. There bench is worse than last season and they dont have Larry Brown and they still putting a foot in the league's ass, truth be told I couldnt care if they win the title. This aint like the Lakers or the Bulls, no superstars. I just loved the fact these guys come together and play hard and that's all you can ask from a basketball team

Hola Haters

 

[Alpha and Omega]

They are the best and most complete team team in the league. I'll give you that.

 

[XwolverineX]

They are the best and most complete team team in the league. I'll give you that.

YEP, THEY ARE EASILY THE MOST COMPLETE TEAM IN THE NBA. FOLLOWED BY S.A, I WOULD SAY.

 

[Mister J]

Anybody else check out D-Wade's crazy block to preserve the victory tonight?

 

[Go Web Go!]

Atlanta sweeps Indy? Sad.







I hate Jermaine O'Neal. Go to hell.

 

[Immortalfire]

Hawks beat Pacers (again)

 

[Ocelot]

I m considereing whether or not I even want the Bulls to make the playoffs. They are a 1.5 games behind Philly for the last spot, but even if they do get it, they will be destroyed by Detroit in the first round. I mean, they shouldn't even bother for a 7 game series, just play one game, save the time and embarrassment. They would have to pull off a minor miracle to beat them once and the Bulls have never won more than 3 games in row the ENTIRE SEASON. If they were to somehow win the series, a chain reaction would occur with the end result being Keanu Reeves' movie Chain Reaction getting a sequel. Thats how impossible it is.

 

[Poeman]

I m considereing whether or not I even want the Bulls to make the playoffs. They are a 1.5 games behind Philly for the last spot, but even if they do get it, they will be destroyed by Detroit in the first round. I mean, they shouldn't even bother for a 7 game series, just play one game, save the time and embarrassment. They would have to pull off a minor miracle to beat them once and the Bulls have never won more than 3 games in row the ENTIRE SEASON. If they were to somehow win the series, a chain reaction would occur with the end result being Keanu Reeves' movie Chain Reaction getting a sequel. Thats how impossible it is.

so your saying bulls suck

 

[Ocelot]

I wouldn't say flat out horrible, they are a good player or two away from being a true playoff team, but they are just....stuck. They are becoming a team like the Boston Celtics of the last 4 or 5 years, making the playoffs barely only to be knocked out by top tier teams. At least its better than those 4 or 5 years after Jordan left where they average about 9 or 10 wins a season with Steve Fricking Kerr as the captain. Now thats a team that sucks.