Real Deal

Can't wait to see Indiana back in the playoffs. They played Chicago hard last season I wouldn't be surprised if they handed out an upset in April.

Rubio's court vision is top-notch. It's too bad he doesn't have a jumper like Nash. The league would be in trouble. Durant went off again...second 30+ game already. I expected a Thunder victory, but had a gut feeling it would be close. Minnesota is going to be one of those interesting teams that gives you a feel that they can make the playoffs, but there's just one or two things missing.

First team is easy: C - Andrew Bynum PF - Blake Griffin SF - Caron Butler SG - Kobe Bryant PG - Chris Paul Second team, same: C - DeAndre Jordan PF - Pau Gasol SF - Devin Ebanks SG - Chauncey Billups PG - Mo Williams Artest doesn't make the list because I'm pretty sure he'll have another bad year shooting the ball, and aside from defending 2-3 players in the NBA very well (ex. Durant and Pierce), he'll be a huge liability, and he'll also provide us with nothing else. Fisher doesn't touch the ten.

I'm now 28 years old, so I've been giving more than I usually get...but I did get some pretty nice things this year. http://i43.tinypic.com/28k53zq.jpg Decided to wait for the lockout to end before getting 2K12 (no rooks), but as you can see, I didn't have to buy it. http://i41.tinypic.com/34xjblh.jpg That dark "something" to the left of the Nike sweats would be my PS3 controller docking system. http://i42.tinypic.com/nfhf2p.jpg Sick Kobe gear. ------- As for what my girlfriend and I bought everyone else... http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/388901_2426681304855_1186200095_32191604_1127972173_n.jpg My brother's games, for his new PS3...and my girl bought him the same HDMI DVD player you saw in one of the pictures above. Don't have pictures of anything else, but we purchased perfume, two dress shirts, and earrings for my mom. Gave my dad a gator grip wrench, a halogen work light, house shoes, and a Nike coat. Girlfriend and I bought ourselves a Christmas gift...a 42" Vizio we spent around $600 on, and got her a 2006 Grand Prix in mint condition. Now if only the Lakers had won.

I'm not so sure I'm surprised at Howard's play, once again. He's not happy. The dude grabbed seven boards tonight, and against Houston, he should be grabbing 20+ (especially when you consider all of the shots the Rockets were missing). Dalembert may be a decent defender, but Howard is going to score 30 motivated points if he wants...just seems like he's running through the motions and awaiting the trade that sends him elsewhere.

Where is the Tyson-ensity?

Shaun Livingston was playing pretty good, the quarter or so that I watched the game (kept flipping back and forth all night long). Also, what the hell happened with S-Jax? I can't believe he committed six fouls in under 20 minutes of play, even though he wasn't assigned a superstar to defend. I haven't seen that from him in a while, even though he has lost quite a bit due to his knees.

Let me clarify: I want Fisher to coach, not play.

Welcome to the best. RealGM is a bit cluttered. The activity is fun, and I've always wanted more than what we have...but with that said, I feel like our community is very intelligent, and part of that is because some new posters are probably intimidated by our long, lengthy and detailed posts. If you have friends on other boards, definitely invite them. We try to keep our team forums active, and have gameday topics for every single game of the season...something I don't see much of anywhere else (of course, RealGM's team forums are very active). Hope you stick around. If you have any questions, just ask any of our veteran members, or a staff member.

He's going through that phase where he's not trusting his guys again, and really, there's not much to trust. Ron (Metta, whatever) performs well once every 20 games (ironically he did it tonight, after being horrific in the first game). Fisher is just terrible. Walton needs to retire (I have no idea why he was even playing). Gasol is too damn scared to play down low against Cousins and Hayes (it was embarrassing to see Cousins boxing him out as if he was doing it to Beno Udrih). This is one reason why I would be happy to trade Drew and Gasol for Howard. I know I've busted Drew's ass in the past, by the way...but really, it's for two things: not passing out of the post, and being injured. The truth is, now, Bynum is more valuable to this team than Gasol, and I won't bother saying it's arguable anymore. Of course, I'm not saying Kobe is completely in the right, either...but we've seen this show before.

Yep. If only Gasol could draw defenders into the low post, like a true intimidating big man...and if our guys could make shots. I doubt our offensive strategy changes, either...and Drew can't pass out of the post (never has, anyway). Can't say I didn't expect this.

What people aren't understanding is that you can tell what we're going to run all season long, on both ends of the court, in the two preseason and regular season games we have played so far. Those that continue talking about how it's just two games (talking Lakers fans)...well, most of those guys don't know the X's and O's about basketball. They look at history, when teams have started off bad (ex. the Heat last year) and assume teams can just pick it up mid-season. That's not always how things work. The Heat actually changed it up because, well, they implemented an offense that MAY HAVE come from upstairs (meaning, Pat Riley, even though we aren't told this). It wasn't that the team needed chemistry, it was that they had to find an offense they could be comfortable in. The triangle offense was very flexible, more than any offense in basketball. One out, four in (whatever Brown wants to call it) is built for someone like Hakeem Olajuwon, when he was surrounded by guys that can make jumpers. We don't have Hakeem. Our passing center...is actually a PF, who doesn't like playing down low. Our true big man...is actually out, and when he returns, he's not going to pass the ball like Olajuwon, or Shaq. Teams are smart. Double Kobe, and force the rest to beat you. Attack Fisher when he's in the game, screen and roll the Lakers to death, be physical against Gasol. It's not difficult to figure out. The Memphis Grizzlies did it with the Spurs, another team who still tries to run a similar offense and has liabilities on the defensive end. You don't need to wait 60 games to start thinking we have problems. It's been visible for a year now. Sad stuff.

I seriously can't stand Derek Fisher. I wish he was on our bench, and stuck there...and at the end of the season, he retires.

Not one post?!?! I was sort of impressed by Orlando for a bit...but, suddenly, I realized they were just clawing to anything and hanging in there, and fatigue would set in quickly. Howard acts like he doesn't care, even laughing a few times during the game, which is sad. Durant and Westbrook...not really sure what to think just yet. I don't want to come out and say that Westbrook has changed, because he showed glimpses of it, but I still think he's taking too many bad shots, and should only look to get to the rim. I don't know.

Longer video with a few replays: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtaDy_Y9kNI

There is still hope in Jersey. Some suspected it would be three months, which would push past the trade deadline. If Lopez heals quick enough, the Nets can put that package back together.

http://www.otrbasketball.com/forums/forum/114-give-and-go-2011-12 Make your picks ASAP, everyone...not much time before the tip-off of the first game.

This is the result of Vince turning John Cena into a mega hero, and wrestling into a children's show. Without Cena holding the belt and involved in every main event, Raw will see declining numbers because most of the crowd is too young to care about any other wrestler. Guys like Punk, Rhodes and Ziggler will never be able to rebound from something like that, unless something devastating happens (ex. Raw going back to RAW, Cena turning heel and guys like us loving it).

TIME: 10:30 PM ET TV: NBALP

TIME: 10:30 PM ET TV: TNT

TIME: 8:00 PM ET TV: TNT

TIME: 8:00 PM ET TV: NBALP

TIME: 8:00 PM ET TV: NBALP

TIME: 8:00 PM ET TV: NBALP

TIME: 8:00 PM ET TV: NBALP