2012/2013 NBA thread: This thread is POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Trainwreck2100]

It was awesome 10-15 years ago when you had people like T-Mac, Carter and Richaerdson doing crazy dunks on their own, but now it's become much more gimmicky and players need to rely on tricks and props since everything else has already been done.

There was a lot of talk about why Lebron hasn't been in a dunk contest and I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that its not as serious and meaningful as it was in the past, as opposed to him being scared or something.

he's not in the contest cause he'll lose.

 

[SpideyVille]

he's not in the contest cause he'll lose.

I buy this too, in the sense that some believe he is more of a game dunker than a self dunker, especially at this point in his career. Although I did hear something about how he would put on dunk shows before certain games.

But I wonder if he would either decide to do it if there were bigger, A-list stars doing it too.

 

[Trainwreck2100]

Team Chuck went HAM and that Miami assistant was outclassed by that Spurs assistant coach

 

[L.A.]

The Los Angeles Lakers have engaged in preliminary discussions with the Boston Celtics on a trade centering on Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo, according to sources.

The potential deal has not gained any traction, and other significant pieces would need to be involved.

The Lakers have adamantly stated publicly and privately that they will not deal Howard before the Feb. 21 trade deadline.

Danny Ainge will not pull the trigger on a trade sending Rondo for Howard unless the Celtics receive assurance that Howard would re-sign with Boston in the offseason, according to a league source.

Via Ken Berger/CBS Sports

 

[The Apocalypse]

The Los Angeles Lakers have engaged in preliminary discussions with the Boston Celtics on a trade centering on Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo, according to sources.

The potential deal has not gained any traction, and other significant pieces would need to be involved.

The Lakers have adamantly stated publicly and privately that they will not deal Howard before the Feb. 21 trade deadline.

Danny Ainge will not pull the trigger on a trade sending Rondo for Howard unless the Celtics receive assurance that Howard would re-sign with Boston in the offseason, according to a league source.

Via Ken Berger/CBS Sports

This trade makes absolutely no sense.

 

[L.A.]

HOUSTON — The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers have been discussing a deal to trade forward Kevin Garnett for guard Eric Bledsoe and center DeAndre Jordan, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

There are differing factions within the Celtics and Clippers on the prudence of the deal, but the two teams have been in regular contact about the possibility, sources said.

Nevertheless, the biggest hurdle could ultimately center on Garnett's willingness to waive his no-trade clause and accept a deal to the Clippers. Because of his home in Malibu, and a close relationship with Clippers guard Chauncey Billups, there's hope that Garnett, a 15-time All-Star, could be coaxed into accepting a trade if an agreement is reached, sources said.

The Clippers had expressed reluctance to several teams about parting with Bledsoe until they were certain that Chris Paul would re-sign this summer to a long-term deal, sources said. The organization has become increasingly confident that Paul will stay, but every franchise decision is made within the context of how it will impact Paul, and how he feels about.

There's strong sentiment within parts of the organization that Garnett gives the Clippers a chance to compete for a championship this season. Garnett could spread the floor for the Clippers, and open up the lane for Blake Griffin. In the short term, the re-emergence of Billups could cut into Bledsoe's minutes the rest of this season.

For the Celtics, Bledsoe, 23, and Jordan, 24 would give Boston two young players with significant upside to start a revamp of the roster. With Rajon Rondo returning next season from an ACL injury, it's unclear how the Celtics would proceed, but it could ultimately give them a chance to use a healthy Rondo in trade scenarios.

 

[Doc Samson]

I buy this too, in the sense that some believe he is more of a game dunker than a self dunker, especially at this point in his career. Although I did hear something about how he would put on dunk shows before certain games.

But I wonder if he would either decide to do it if there were bigger, A-list stars doing it too.

Well he wasn't ultra impressive in his High School Dunk Contest, and probably should've lost that. He's obviously a High Flyer, and throws down with great force & power, but the showmanship part, the creativity, I doubt it would be there.

He would still probably win though, just for who he is. Even the Skills Challenge would be better if he showed up, it just helps the weekend. With the Stars participating it makes it way more watchable, even if they're not spectacular. Michael Jordan & Kevin Durant put on one of the worst 3 point shooting displays in the 3 point contest ever (I actually think Mike has one of the lowest scores of all time), but it was cool that they still tried it.

I think earlier in his career, Lebron was worried about his brand too damn much, like when he tried to hide the tape of the high school kid dunking on him (wasn't that a young Jordan Crawford?). It shouldn't be that serious where you can't have a little fun with it.

 

[Mister J]

Only really big trade I see is Josh Smith to somewhere. I really wish Lakers would trade Dwight to Houston for Parsons and Asik though.

I'm just in it for the rumors and (over)reactions.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

LeBron's metamorphosis has been fun to watch. He started out as a selfish player who only cared about stats and his brand. Nowadays, he's more focused on his legacy. James has invested a ton of time on perfecting his perimeter shooting and jump shot. He has also worked endlessly on his cardio/endurance (losing over 20 lbs in the process). I wonder what finally clicked for LeBron. Since losing to Dallas in the Finals, James has turned it up a notch and been exceeding expectations (didn't think that was possible). Whether it's 'maturity' or not, I don't care. Whatever he's doing, if he keeps it up, he'll get at least three more rings.

 

[Doc Samson]

He's simply more willing to drive relentlessly to the paint, much more than he ever was before. Perhaps it's the endurance you're talking about, but if he played aggressively in the paint like he's willing to do now, I don't see how Dallas wins that series. Actually I don't see how he doesn't get Cleveland past Boston & Orlando those last two seasons there.

As much as they're making a big deal bout his FG % (and it is a big deal) it's still primarily drives & layups. One of those games last week he didn't even attempt a shot outside of 5 ft, and that's what everyone has been imploring him to do for years now. He's just finally willing to punish people in the lane, and not settle for jumpers unless he's already feeling it

 

[DoomsdayApex]

He's simply more willing to drive relentlessly to the paint, much more than he ever was before. Perhaps it's the endurance you're talking about, but if he played aggressively in the paint like he's willing to do now, I don't see how Dallas wins that series. Actually I don't see how he doesn't get Cleveland past Boston & Orlando those last two seasons there.

As much as they're making a big deal bout his FG % (and it is a big deal) it's still primarily drives & layups. One of those games last week he didn't even attempt a shot outside of 5 ft, and that's what everyone has been imploring him to do for years now. He's just finally willing to punish people in the lane, and not settle for jumpers unless he's already feeling it

It's a shame. LeBron could've beaten a team like Orlando had he been more aggressive. Granted, he didn't have the greatest cast surrounding him in Cleveland (he literally carried that team to the playoffs) but there were moments where 2013 LeBron would have destroyed defenders on his way to the rim, and won as a result. Instead, James would fade away in the 4th quarter and that cost him a title or two or three. He's virtually unstoppable when driving to the hoop -- all that size, speed and power is too much for ANY defender to handle by himself.

All he can do now is put the past behind him and win a few more titles. I'm ecstatic in seeing him at long last accept his role as the leader/closer, and exploiting his strengths.

 

[SoNicRaDiATioN]

LeBron's just entering his prime years now. Next 5-6 years could be truly special.

I heard a stat about a week ago related to Kobe and LeBron. Since LeBron entered the league in '03, Kobe has taken something like 530 more shots, but scored close to a hundred less points. I found that pretty astounding but underscores LeBron's efficiency since he entered the league at 18 yrs of age

 

[Doc Samson]

LeBron's just entering his prime years now.Next 5-6 years could be truly special.

Heard a stat about a week ago related to Kobe and LeBron. Since LeBron entered the league in '03 Kobe has taken something like 530 more, but scored close to a hundred less points. I found that pretty astounding but underscores LeBron's efficiency since he entered the league at 18 yrs of age.

Lebrons's never really been a bad shot taker, and Kobe willingly takes tough shots all the time. Lebron just wasn't hitting perimeter jumpers and relying on them too much in his earlier days, but they were almost always wide open looks. Not to mention he drives the ball much more and gets foul calls because of it, which is why he can get 30+ points now on only 11 shots or so, he's getting to the line almost 10 times a game and converting them more, which is another area he was lacking in.

 

[SoNicRaDiATioN]

Lebrons's never really been a bad shot taker, and Kobe willingly takes tough shots all the time. Lebron just wasn't hitting perimeter jumpers and relying on them too much in his earlier days, but they were almost always wide open looks. Not to mention he drives the ball much more and gets foul calls because of it, which is why he can get 30+ points now on only 11 shots or so, he's getting to the line almost 10 times a game and converting them more, which is another area he was lacking in.

I agree. I wouldn't be suprised if Lebron has a 60% fg. season in the future. Dude is sick.

 

[Raiden]

As a Lakers fan, this season has been rather painful to watch. It's not just that they haven't played well as a team, but I was expecting alot more from a team that has Kobe, Nash, and Dwight all balling with each other.

I was in favor of the firing of Mike Brown, but I think it is obvious that they've hired the wrong coach in Brown's place. One just has to look at Lakers' recent minor resurgence to see why. Lakers have now abandoned D'Antoni's system, Kobe is now the point moreso than Nash, the offense incorporates more low-post action and half court scheme than before, which were things that D'Antoni had no interest in, etc. From the look of it, I think it is safe to say that this Lakers team would've been alot better under Phil's Triangle than D'Antoni's 7 Seconds offense, since they hired D'Antoni for his system and his history with Nash and neither one has worked so far. Also, I think Phil would've been the perfect mediator between Kobe and Dwight, like he did years ago with Kobe and Shaq. The front office should be kicking themselves for making the wrong decision on coaching choice, and now they have to pay for it.

Btw, I think Clippers may be the team that represents the West in this year's NBA Final, although I doubt any team can defeat Miami in a 7 game series.

 

[Mr. Dent]

Lebrons's never really been a bad shot taker, and Kobe willingly takes tough shots all the time. Lebron just wasn't hitting perimeter jumpers and relying on them too much in his earlier days, but they were almost always wide open looks. Not to mention he drives the ball much more and gets foul calls because of it, which is why he can get 30+ points now on only 11 shots or so, he's getting to the line almost 10 times a game and converting them more, which is another area he was lacking in.

I don't think so. He's still shooting about 74% from the line which is way too low for how good of a shooter he's become. You can tell he still has some demons working in his head. He should be an 80% FT shooter easily. If he could tighten up there we could seriously see Lebron have a 30ppg 50/40/90 season like Durant is having right now. That would just be insane on top of his 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

 

[Doc Samson]

Also, I think Phil would've been the perfect mediator between Kobe and Dwight, like he did years ago with Kobe and Shaq.

Honestly, I don't even know how much Phil would respect the 2012-13 version of Dwight Howard. Over the past three seasons he's increasingly come across as someone who feels entitled to...something. Defensively, when healthy, he's obviously one of the best ever...

But he seems to think the offense should run through him, and he needs to realize in that regard, NOBODY is ever going to confuse him for Shaq. Not Phil, not Van Gundy, not Brown, not D'Antoni, none of them.

The most underrated aspect of Shaq's offensive game was the amount of skill to it. He was a good passer, and I'm not talking kick outs to wide open shooters, I mean touch/bounce passes through heavy traffic. He also had a decent amount of moves, not to mention footwork. People act like every time he scored it was pure physical domination, but his hook shot, step through up and unders, even his little one handed floaters from the block, were skillful tools. He was no Hakeem (who is?) but for a man that size, he had more talent than he got credit for.

Offensively, Dwight is the same exact guy from Day 1. He still has no reliable tools that work. The ball went away from him in Orlando frequently because of this, he only averaged over 20 pts once in 8 seasons there. Just like Rick Fox said this past week, when things got serious in the postseason and people stayed at home on those shooters, Dwight couldn't dominate and get you 30 every night. I don't know where this notion started that he was ever some type of offensive genius.

He's never been a guy you throw the ball into and expect consistent offense from. He needs to realize scoring isn't why he was brought to LA in the first place, and hardly no team will want that to be his main priority no matter where he goes in the future.

I don't think so. He's still shooting about 74% from the line which is way too low for how good of a shooter he's become. You can tell he still has some demons working in his head. He should be an 80% FT shooter easily. If he could tighten up there we could seriously see Lebron have a 30ppg 50/40/90 season like Durant is having right now. That would just be insane on top of his 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

He definitely should be in the 80s, but at least for these past stretch of games, he was knocking them down. If he still has any Achilles Heel, it would be FTs, particularly when things get tight.

 

[Docker2.0]

I'm not a huge Phil Jackson fan but he would have made the Lakers work. Dantoni came in from day one LOOKING to blame Gasol for something and benched him for no reason. Nash is ineffective because Kobe is now running point. The size advantage the Lakers had over the league is now gone because of bad coaching. Plus the Kobe/Dwight drama is a Zen Master special that he would have taken care of. Dantoni seems content to just ignoring it and hoping it gets better because It's clear this team has tuned him out.

 

[Matt]

Lebron: Rings Don't Define a Player's Career

Uh huh, keep telling yourself that, buddy. This is why LeBron, despite being ARGUABLY more talented than Kobe, MJ, Larry Legend, etc will never surpass them. He just doesn't have the same competitive drive that they do. He lacks the hunger that they had.

Do you think for a second that Barkley or Ewing wouldn't trade all of the acclaim and shoe deals for just one ring? What about Dan Marino? I guarantee he would give up all of the records, the HOF, everything, for one Super Bowl ring. True competitors realize that it is a COMPETITION and the objective of any competition is to win. Winning in professional sports means winning a championship. Great players are absolutely defined by the number of rings they have. Sure, LeBron's stats are impressive. So are MJ's and Kobe's. What sets them apart? MJ and Kobe have a lot of rings. LeBron has one.

Of course, it is moot. I think LBJ will end up with at least two more (which will be enough to put him in the discussion for best ever, at least). But he needs to pull his head out of his ass and stop making stupid comments like this. He has done so much to rehab his reputation recently, but this whole MJ debacle is putting him right back to square one. He really needs a better publicist.

 

[Darthphere]

I think people need to stop overreacting to every little thing he says.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

I think people need to stop overreacting to every little thing he says.

Athletes such as LeBron James, Cam Newton and Ronda Rousey are placed under a microscope. Anything they say or do is constantly monitored by their detractors -- looking for ammunition.

 

[Matt]

I think people need to stop overreacting to every little thing he says.

Or he could just....y'know, stop saying stupid things. This Jordan/Kobe/LeBron debate was the perfect opportunity for LeBron to show how much he has matured. It is a ridiculous comparison. Jordan is retired, Kobe is at the end of his career. LeBron is in his prime. Obviously, we need to wait and see where each ends before comparisons are made. It is, in fairness to all parties, a stupid debate to be having. And for about a week, LeBron didn't even dignify it with a response, which was the smart thing to do. But in the end, he just could not help himself. And here we are. Back in square one.

Your argument is flawed. "People should stop reacting to stupid comments." No, he should stop making them. A man is accountable for the things he says. When you go to the press or your social media account and say things like that, you are accountable for it. LeBron is no different.

Especially since it isn't just a little thing. LeBron in essence released a statement that said, "my legacy isn't defined by the number of championships I win." That is a HUGE statement for any athlete to make. And I think if he were on the Knicks or Lakers, rather than the Heat, you, Phere, would be the first to jump down his throat for making a statement like that.

 

[Darthphere]

Athletes such as LeBron James, Cam Newton and Ronda Rousey are placed under a microscope. Anything they say or do is constantly monitored by their detractors -- looking for ammunition.

Oh I know that. It's just funny how a very logical answer Lebron gave is twisted into "He doesn't care about winning championships!" I just find it hilarious.

 

[Darthphere]

Or he could just....y'know, stop saying stupid things. This Jordan/Kobe/LeBron debate was the perfect opportunity for LeBron to show how much he has matured. It is a ridiculous comparison. Jordan is retired, Kobe is at the end of his career. LeBron is in his prime. Obviously, we need to wait and see where each ends before comparisons are made. It is, in fairness to all parties, a stupid debate to be having. And for about a week, LeBron didn't even dignify it with a response, which was the smart thing to do. But in the end, he just could not help himself. And here we are. Back in square one.

Your argument is flawed. "People should stop reacting to stupid comments." No, he should stop making them. A man is accountable for the things he says. When you go to the press or your social media account and say things like that, you are accountable for it. LeBron is no different.

Especially since it isn't just a little thing. LeBron in essence released a statement that said, "my legacy isn't defined by the number of championships I win." That is a HUGE statement for any athlete to make. And I think if he were on the Knicks or Lakers, rather than the Heat, you, Phere, would be the first to jump down his throat for making a statement like that.

Not really. Because I don't need to twist people's words to make myself feel better. That one little quote he gave had nothing wrong with it. There aren't many people that would say Bill Russell is better than MJ just because he has more rings. It's a rebuttal filled with sound logic. Of course, guys like you find any and every excuse to criticize Lebron. He does enough things to warrant criticism, giving an intelligent response to what you admit is a dumb question isn't one of them.

 

[Matt]

Not really. Because I don't need to twist people's words to make myself feel better. That one little quote he gave had nothing wrong with it. There aren't many people that would say Bill Russell is better than MJ just because he has more rings. It's a rebuttal filled with sound logic. Of course, guys like you find any and every excuse to criticize Lebron. He does enough things to warrant criticism, giving an intelligent response to what you admit is a dumb question isn't one of them.

Saying my legacy isn't tied to the number of rings I have isn't an intelligent response from any athlete. Peyton Manning has the best numbers of any quarterback of all time. He suffered an injury at 35 years old that nearly ended his career, hell, that nearly left him permanently disabled. Yet he is back on the field. And do you remember what his one goal while looking for a team was? To find a team that could win a Super Bowl. Because he knows in the end, rings are the purpose of the game. You play to win. For LeBron to say that rings do not matter is an absurd statement, hardly intelligent.