Real Deal

I wonder if Bargnani still has this idea that his expectations are far too high, and that's changing the way he approaches each and every game. What did we know with Dirk? Nothing. Nobody gave a damn about Dirk when he was drafted, not even the Bucks. I'm not even sure if Dallas knew what they were getting themselves into by trading Tractor for him. At the time, it was a high risk, medium reward (if that makes sense in the NBA). It wasn't that Dirk was hyped as much as LeBron was, but that Dirk came into the league as this "soft, white guy that acts like Larry Bird" and worked his ass off becoming "the next Larry Bird." I think Bargnani is too interested in what people think of him as a player. I think he feels he needs to lead the Raptors to the playoffs, win a series or two, and ultimately, be THAT guy. I just don't see him being that guy. I see Bargnani being a borderline all-star (much like Lamar Odom) that has to take a backseat to a superstar to start getting that respect. Maybe he doesn't want that...but, in turn, he's going to struggle. Now, that may change if Toronto actually had a superstar to put next to him...but I didn't see much change when Bosh was there, although CB is not a superstar to begin with. Good idea with the change of scenery. Toronto deals him to a playoff team, he becomes a second option that ends up tagging with an assistant coach that works on post play and a defensive-minded coach (or assistant) that can push him to become a better defender, and his career finally takes off from there.

You'd probably get a pretty damn good player, haha. If West actually hustled more, and played defense, he'd be a top PF in the league.

I never believed that for a second, though (that they didn't want to wait). Cleveland wasn't going to contend this season, and they weren't going to make the playoffs (barring a complete annihilation of the league by Irving). I think Gilbert made a huge push for that second overall pick from Minny, and when the Wolves decided to keep it, Cleveland took the guy that impressed them the most in workouts. Thompson wasn't that bad, but that could be a mistake in the end, because we've seen many players have good workouts, then eventually become scrubs.

I'm going to go in a different direction with this, probably much different than everyone else on OTR. 1) Rajon Rondo He runs the offense and is an exceptional defensive player. He's also a very good rebounder for his position, and if he could knock down jumpers, he'd be arguably the best PG in the NBA. 2) Kevin Garnett Now that Perkins is in OKC, Jermaine isn't in his prime, and Shaq's 500 pounds isn't in the paint, Boston really doesn't have anyone playing defense up front, aside from KG. While he's declining (evident by the numbers and just by watching him), he's still the defensive anchor, and without him, Boston gets torched in the paint. 3) Ray Allen Hard to say he's more valuable than Pierce right now, but I have to. He's the only one that can truly spread the floor for the Celtics, out to 23 feet, consistently. Plus, if Jeff Green returns, he's able to play the three, and that covers up what would be missing without Pierce (no, Green is not Pierce, but read the next explanation). 4) Paul Pierce Yeah, he's a better player than Ray Ray, but here's what I'm thinking: Boston has a shooter, they have a playmaker, and they have a post player (Garnett isn't a traditional, back-to-the-basket post, but he can still post up). They have defensive players in Green, Rondo and Garnett. Losing Ray Allen seems like it could hurt them just a bit more than losing Pierce. Make no mistake...the Celtics aren't going to be as good losing any of these guys, but I would think they have the pieces to cover what's missing if they lost Pierce, instead of Ray Allen.

I'd actually consider Carl Landry the more valuable player. For what West provides on the offensive end (which is above average production), he gives up just as much (if not more) on the defensive end of the court.

Ariza did a lot of spot-up shooting for us, and of course, he was open all the time. It's no wonder his percentages were higher in LA than in Houston or New Orleans. The more defensive attention (due to the larger role), the more he struggles. He's just not a guy that can create for others, and really, while he's fairly athletic, he's not LeBron...so asking him to get to the rim against decent to exceptional defensive teams is probably expecting far too much out of him.

If you had to choose one of the guys for THIS season only, or from this point on? That will definitely change my answer, haha. But, I kind of like Tebow. Maybe it's because I've seen far much more of him, and believe he works too hard to fail as a QB. I really wish Tebow wasn't in Denver (Broncos = evil), and Gruden ended up coaching whatever team he was on. I think Gruden would maximize his potential, beyond expectations.

Okur has $10.89 million left, expiring, so you're correct. Iguodala is interesting. The Sixers love what they have with Jrue, so I doubt they care about Harris...but it makes me wonder if they wouldn't take a big for Iggy. Utah has one available...I believe Favors is capable of starting, and maybe Philly wants to take a shot at that (contracts would have to match up, but as you know, that can be arranged). Yeah, if the Jazz can land someone like MKG (assuming they fall around 12-15), that would be nice. He plays like Iggy, really...very good defensive player (which Utah needs if they are going to lose AK47), and he can jump out of the building. Quincy Miller is another, as long as he stays true to his game. I'm not really sure where he'll fall by draft time, though...he has the potential to boost his stock and get considered in the top five, honestly.

Do you think Bargs would actually react that way? He seems like the type of player that would sit and sulk, kind of like Rudy Fernandez...but I don't know.

I think we overpaid for him, but Palmer is the better QB. Tebow is the better athlete. I have no idea how Ponder's college game will translate over the remaining games, because if you just look at his body of work up until now, you'd think he could be a decent starting QB. As far as Beck goes, I'm clueless. I don't expect much.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/world/africa/libyan-fighters-say-qaddafi-stronghold-has-fallen.html

With everyone healthy, do the Knicks take Boston to seven games? Do the Celtics still get the sweep? Would the Knicks have enough firepower to pull out a series win?

With Carter: 25-26 With J-Rich: 12-13 By win percentage, okay, it's Carter (by one percentage point), but what if one played the entire season with the Suns? What Suns team was better? With Phoenix missing the playoffs by six games, did they just need to give Richardson a full season, or was it that they didn't have Carter from Day 1?

Last season, Ariza attempted 10+ FGA a night, shot below 40%, third scoring option on the Hornets (behind West and Paul). The previous season, with Houston, he attempted 14 FGA a game, shot under 40%, third scoring option behind Brooks and Martin. Before that, he was a key player on the 2009 Lakers championship team, shooting around 46% and just seven shots a night...which was behind Kobe, Gasol, Odom, Drew, and even Fisher. Is Trevor a legitimate third scoring option, or should he be limited to under ten shots a night?

There's no doubt the backup PG position will be open for competition in Portland. It's a given Felton will start. What do you expect from Nolan Smith in his rookie season? Will the Blazers give him a fair shake as a backup guard? Do you think he can work his way into 15-20 MPG, or even among the top ten rookies of the year?

http://otrbasketball.com/kings/roster.php DeMarcus Cousins C Tyreke Evans G Jimmer Fredette G Francisco Garcia G-F Donte Greene F J.J. Hickson F Tyler Honeycutt F John Salmons G-F Isaiah Thomas G Jason Thompson F Hassan Whiteside C-F Does Jimmer start at all during the season, or are you dead set on bringing him off the bench for an entire season?

A lot of the time, you'll hear about Phil's 11 championships, but most of the casual fans give credit to MJ, Kobe and Shaq before they mention Phil (and, even die-hard fans consider the work done ON the court being worth more than on the sidelines). Popovich has four championships with the Spurs, all with Tim Duncan, three with the Spurs' well-known trio of Timmy, Manu and Parker. He's a high-IQ coach that has knowledge of every aspect of the game of basketball, and coaches like Mike Brown have learned everything they know from him (in that case, defense, turning Cleveland into an elite defensive team and giving them a Finals berth in 2007 against...well, the Spurs, lol). Where does Pop rank among all coaches in NBA history? Is he top three, up there with Phil and Red?

This team isn't going to contend, so it's your job to make sure they will. This one move may not put them into contention, but it's a step in the right direction. If you were the GM, what is that one move you make? Here's the roster: http://otrbasketball.com/jazz/roster.php Is it time to trade Jefferson? Do you throw Devin Harris out there in a package deal that includes Millsap? How important is Favors, at this point? Can you find a diamond in the rough through free agency?

Hey so yeah, I don't like thinking about Ben Wallace or the 2004 Detroit Pistons. HISTORY. Thanks Nitro! FYI - Yes, Ben was the best defender in that era, and I can't name anyone else who I'd consider over him, even though KG and Timmy were true anchors.

Be specific...what type of player (position and style) would compliment John Wall the best? Obviously, Wall is in it for the long run, and he's going to need help to turn the Wizards into a contender.

Fine, I'll play the devil's advocate to get the discussion going. To be honest, Bargnani is actually an underrated reboundehahahahaha, nevermind, I can't do this.

No big deal, right? Shaq just knows that his talking gets him in the spotlight more than his playing (has been that way for a few years now), and even more now that he's done playing. I really have no idea why he'd say something like that, though (there are many other things to talk about)...but it's Shaq.

Okay, well, I'll take both if I'm building a team. Howard is right there with him. Still can't take either over Dennis, though.

If Howard had a CP3 or a Deron Williams throwing him lobs and perfect post entry passes, again, Orlando would be in the Finals. The offense is built for the three, not Dwight. While SVG may want his team to play inside-out, they can't because none of them can throw the post entry, none of them can penetrate and dish to Dwight under the rim (ala Kobe/Shaq), and none of them can draw enough defensive attention to give Howard room to operate. We've seen this over and over again, though. Why not talk about his defense? He's the best defensive player since Dennis Rodman (the GOAT defender). Howard's defense is better than most anyone's offense in the NBA, and it's really the only reason why Orlando makes the playoffs. If people thought the Cavaliers hit rock bottom when LeBron left, I'd hate to see what would happen to this exact Magic squad if Howard took off (or was injured an entire season). -------- As far as Howard defending his own man, there's no other way to determine how well he does that other than stats, and without digging up those numbers (the allowed FG%), he has been one of the best in the league every time I look those stats up. He was holding his opponents to 45% shooting (yes, centers), and I'm sure not even Tim Duncan was able to pull that off back in 2007 (when he went to the Finals), and Duncan was defending a lot of PF, who shoot lower percentages.

Add Terrico White to the list. He hasn't played enough to be cut out of the picture just yet. The man can jump out of the building, and while he could just be a shorter James White (all athleticism, no substance), there's still a bit of potential there. T-MAC IS DONE. GET OVER IT. But maybe not.