Real Deal

This is where Rudy Gay pisses me off. I know he just drew the foul, but he didn't look at a single teammate back down the court...and only a few guys in the NBA can get away with doing that. Gay is not a superstar.

...nevermind. Crossed him.

Grizz still in this one. Allen on CP3...uh oh.

I think he retired, lol...not sure.

Haddadi looks like he'd fit better in a sitcom than on a basketball court. No idea why this just came to mind.

Why is this team called "Lob City" again? Why not something more accurate? OJ Mayo needs to know when to stop shooting the ball. Blake is hurt...hit in the face, so Foye clotheslines Selby at halfcourt, lol.

LMAO. Yeah, I wanted to kill (yes, kill) every Suns fan on this site.

Can't believe this happened. I turned this game off and went grocery shopping because the Celtics lost...

Very underrated, although I do know a few people that have considered him better than Pau at this point...I guess it all depends on what you need out of your big man. Marc doesn't mind playing physical basketball, though, and he still has a high IQ on both ends of the court...takes great shots, makes all the right decisions on defense...and I would consider him the most valuable player on this Grizzlies team, by miles. In fact, I know Randolph was huge last season, especially in that playoff run, but Gasol, Battier and Allen were the three guys doing the dirty work, and they did it so well, it landed them the huge first-round upset (that, really, none of us were shocked to see) and nearly a place in the WCF.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2012-01-26/lebron-james-pat-riley-miami-heat-cleveland-cavaliers-nba-free-agency Now, before anyone says anything, yes...this is from Fox Sports Ohio. However, does it make sense? In two years, Wade will most definitely be showing more decline in his game, 32 years old, and with the new heavy luxury tax penalties and possible future salary decreases (due to that), the Heat may not have a big three by then (may have to let Bosh go, who knows). What are the chances LeBron explores free agency in 2014, and strongly considers leaving Miami? Do the amount of championships matter, or is it inevitable? And, what are the chances he would ever return to Cleveland?

Well, this was unexpected (at least in my eyes). I really thought the Celtics would hang in there, play hard, and at least make it tough for the Magic to get a bucket. Dwight isn't doing a damn thing, statistically, but Orlando is running away with it. The Celtics just can't stop turning the ball over...having a floor-spacer like Allen, who is one of the best off-ball players in NBA history, and a true PG in Rondo...it's just vital for an offense that is struggling to begin with.

I love you guys! I know we've been inactive, and everyone will start pointing fingers at themselves (for being at work, or school, etc)...but all of that stuff is actually more important than a message board, and I've never been angry at anyone for posting less. I completely understand. I went through a ton with my eye issues, and when I was gone for a few months, everyone stepped their game up and kept the site going. The activity is down for many reasons that we've talked about before, but it's honestly my job to take initiative and turn up the heat a bit, so that's what you'll see from me. I'll try and participate more, get the ball rolling on a few contests and such (like the Sig of the Month), things like that...even the little things count.

Well, right now, we'd have 20-21 people at 10k or more, and that's quite a few.

I have your original registration date, oddly enough...just never found the post count for you (pre-hack).

What all have you posted under (display names)? I'll see what I can find. I really only remember you as Shark.

Sure, let's do it.

Figured I'd put it in our feedback section...if you know of anyone who would want to post here, please tell them to sign up. They can also like our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter (the Facebook page isn't as active, but Twitter provides followers with a pretty active topic feed. Just don't spam other message boards (ex. using their PM system). You can jump on your AIM list, to see who all you have added over the years (from sim leagues, for instance, I have a ton of you from old mock seasons I ran), and just see if they want to join. I realize it's hard to dive in and become one of our dedicated guys here, since you're either active and well-known, or a rookie (it seems)...but almost everyone started from the ground up, and it just takes participation. Thanks everyone.

The January Sig of the Month will start today, and you have six days to turn in your entry. Please read everything carefully. Theme: The Future Description: A future star in the NBA Size: 468 x 140 or smaller (OTR signature restrictions) Due date: Monday, January 30th All signatures must have one of the following visible: OTRBasketball OTR OTRBasketball.com Entries are due on Monday, the 30th of THIS MONTH. Voting will leak into the first week of February. All participants must PM me their entry, and cannot use their signature anywhere else (on any site) until the contest is over, due to the requirement that each entry's owner will be anonymous while the community determines a winner. Winning signatures will be displayed in a pinned topic, keeping track of each. Good luck!

Boston seems to be playing with a sense of urgency, more of a "need" than just wanting it, after what Danny Ainge reportedly said about the big three. Orlando will look to spread the floor, as they always do, but their scoring is so inconsistent, it makes me wonder if Boston could hold them to under 90 tonight. Are Rondo and Allen still out?

Curious to see how Marc Gasol will play against Jordan and Griffin. I saw that he won Western Conference Player of the Week (lol), and I haven't watched much from Memphis this season, so I'll have to tune in tonight.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20120125_NO@OKC

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20120125_MIN@DAL

Who will be the bad ass graphics guy, that comes out of nowhere, and hooks these guys up?!?!?

Nevermind...may have fixed team reps for almost every active member over the last three days.

Since it's our anniversary...go edit your team reps to get the new icons. http://www.otrbasketball.com/forums/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=members (would have been nice to be able to keep the data, no idea why it always does that to us, haha) I'll edit some of your profiles myself, but won't be able to get to all of you.