Real Deal

Well, you really can't say too much about them because they haven't played a single NBA game yet...but you can base it on what we saw in the SL, and Turner would be a candidate (even though I think he'll be fine, eventually).

Before opening night. I think Denver wants to get rid of him now, with all of these reports coming out...gotta believe them...but there are too many teams jumping into the boat at once, and camp starts too soon.

Contrary to what you believe, you aren't going to "cure" all murderers with meds and therapy sessions. If you want an example of how bad of an idea that is, look no further than Charles Manson, who received plenty of that and, to this day, wants to kill as much as he did the day he was thrown in the cell. You know what Manson would do if he knew he could go through therapy and get out? Fake that desire. Hold back for months or years to lose 10-20 times as much off of his sentence. Nope. Instead, we should all get medical help, according to you. I had no part in dropping that bomb. You execute the guilty murderers. There's no reason to try and twist that. And before you say, "But they were all innocent lives lost...eye for an eye," that's what happens when a single murderer kills someone. McVeigh killed people. I didn't get put in prison for it.

That's not the only time Miller had trouble defending Fisher. There were three other games, actually...and we (Lakers fans) never had a clue why coaches were moving him over to defend Fish. One was when he was in Washington. Fisher is older...and so is Miller, the guy that could be still trying to recover from injuries. Superstars will guard superstars? Doesn't leave much room for help defense, then. Ron may have struggled shooting in the second half of the season, but that's due to the hand/thumb injury and the plantar fasciitis. If LeBron wants to leave him open to help on Fisher, of all players, that's fantastic. And Miller defending Blake...he would need even more attention from Miami's help defense. And these are two guys (Blake and Fisher) who aren't exactly worthy of that any other game. And Chalmers is a true point guard, not a pure one. Two different things. His true position is at the point. He's been playing it all his life, at KU and in the NBA. If you're saying you want to play him at the two, well...okay.

Man, I'm getting killed. Too many mistakes...I had a couple of those games right, and I switched them last second.

If it's between the death penalty and trying to help them with medication and therapy and releasing them back into my world? Most definitely.

Is this a Cuttino Mobley and Steve Francis story? Dude needs to man up.

Mike, or Andre? Boston, Chicago, LA Clippers, LA Lakers (when Blake starts), Memphis, Minnesota (when Rubio arrives), Philly (if Brand is at the four), Portland, Sacramento (Beno starting)...a little generous considering how those players play, of course, but those are the teams that seem to be following closer to that traditional lineup. Do I prefer it? Depends on the system, of course, but it seems to work best, for the most part, because of the variety of play you get from top to bottom.

In other words, will Kobe's reputation suffer if Shannon Brown or Sasha Vujacic runs the offense and leads the team to a third title? Boston or Miami would crush LA in that scenario. IF they didn't crush us? I'd be surprised, but it wouldn't change what Kobe has done over the years. At least not for me.

Yeah, I would trade Bynum and fillers (we sort of have fillers...Vujacic), but I wouldn't trade Drew AND Odom, unless Caracter plays like a starting power forward up until February. Not going to happen (Caracter playing that good) and...not going to happen (Melo to the Lakers) because Denver would not take our draft picks (they are all lower first-rounders), we don't have any massive expiring contracts (Vujacic is $5 million), and our young talent is injury-prone. Plus, already mentioned, we are out West. We have eliminated the Nuggets numerous times in the postseason. Denver has no reason to watch us win more rings.

No idea. I'd trade anyone on the Knicks' roster to team Amare up with Melo.

1) I would love LeBron defending Kobe. He didn't do a good job of it while Kobe was injured, so I'll definitely welcome it again. 2) Miller can't defend Fisher. No idea why, but we had a topic about that at TLN a while back, had a laugh or two because it seems like it wouldn't take much to defend him. Fish just took him to the rim and physically got the best of him when Memphis was trying that, and against Washington last season, and I believe there was a Minny game the year before. EDIT: Here was the Memphis-LA game where the Grizz switched Miller over to Fisher. http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200801080MEM.html Of course, it wouldn't take much for LeBron, but the problem with that is we know for a fact that he'll be roaming...and I don't think that's a good idea. Fisher has had some of his best games in the last 2-3 years from guys helping on Bryant and even Ron (when Ron gets in the post, not much though), and Fisher turns into a ghost and disappears out to that corner three, every single time. The biggest reasons why I'm not worried about the Heat as much include us having an offense that they will find hard to defend. While they can surely come up with enough teamwork to beat us, I look at that team as more of a "who defends who" scenario, and if that's the case, the Lakers have the on-ball defenders to really hurt them at each position. I actually hope that's what they do, LeBron on Bryant. If Kobe was a slasher, like Maggette, I'd have second thoughts...but that match-up is welcomed in the triangle.

But, really, six weeks is good. You have to keep in mind that Ed Davis is a stick compared to Drew. I mean, that's what...60-75 pounds less weight on that knee?

According to Chris Broussard, Melo's choices are... But...if he goes to LA, it's to the Clips. The Lakers aren't going to wheel and deal with Denver, and vice-versa.

Pulling Chalmers back out of the five, as a true point guard (scoring or pass-first, doesn't matter), will be a major blow to his confidence. Plus, you don't want elite guards to start the game hot. Guys like Bryant will light Miller up from the start, and Bryant is one guard (maybe the most important) in the way of that championship. Miller will also give Wade some rest. LeBron works extremely well with shooters, and most teams will go to their second unit around the time the other team does, so bringing Miller off the bench more than likely means he comes in NOT having to defend a superstar, or defended by one.

The Knicks are doing everything they can to keep Gallinari. I'm sure they'll break, eventually, but the idea is to bring Melo to New York, team him with Amare, Gallo and Felton, and run teams out of the building. They are probably still comfortable right now, because they believe Carmelo will either get his trade to NY, or stay in Denver until July, and he'll walk. Problem is, Denver is more likely to trade him each day that passes, and I think the Knicks will end up breaking and offering Gallinari.

Poe, the only thing wrong with what you were saying is that Ron Artest wasn't charged with murder. Would I be opposed to helping a criminal, as in a drug dealer? Nah. Put him in a rehab program...no big deal. See if you can help change his life. Opposed to helping a child molester? Yeah. They can rot in prison. Opposed to helping a murderer? Yeah. Take a life, lose yours. That's where the death penalty comes in.

Same link, which was updated this morning.

It's not just the cap that will be affected, though. There's still talk of dropping a year off the max deal AND lowering the max contract percentage. That poses a big problem for these guys wanting to become free agents in July. It means less years on the contract and less money per season, effective for all new contracts only (coming from Chad Ford's mouth on Twitter). The franchises could care less about the lower cap because it will more than likely mean lower player salaries (that's what the idea is geared to accommodate). But the players are upset about the possibility of all the money they will be losing, not necessarily because of a lower cap, but because of the tighter restrictions and limits put on new contract agreements.

Brady shouldn't have acted like Moss had an agenda with Cromartie (who actually defended Randy better than Revis did). There were a couple of questionable passes headed in Moss' direction in that second half...just didn't get it.

We'll see, once he's dealt.

Got bored. Some anti-LeBron, some pro-LeBron, some cracking jokes at Cleveland and others. Laugh or GTFO. Oh, and I didn't add "OTRBasketball" to the one about Delonte, just because it wasn't that appropriate. http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/3843/60455793.jpg http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/5469/94730912.jpg http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/9629/78870157.jpg http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5873/52836658.jpg http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/1545/60382843.jpg http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/8144/33251801.jpg http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/9381/95211434.jpg http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/1493/60413525.jpg http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/9657/93570786.jpg http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/8804/92420414.jpg http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/5240/33847119.jpg http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/1692/57777096.jpg http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1415/80034879.jpg http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/7243/71282591.jpg http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/9593/34793294.jpg http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/4323/52970720.jpg

Haha, Google is trying to raise your blood pressure a bit.

Hate to say this...but that's what us Lakers fans heard with one of Drew's injuries. Not saying it'll be something detrimental to his career...but it could be an injury that requires surgery sooner or later.

Said it once and I'll say it again: I don't think Sonnen did THAT much against Silva. He had him down on the mat quite a bit, but he never really did anything. So, if beating Silva means you just "contain" him, or whatever...well, Sonnen was pretty close. Otherwise, Silva was just taking weak punches to his chest and ribs most of the time he was on the mat, just sitting there waiting for Sonnen's arm. And that's exactly what happened. I think a lot of analysts blew it up, knowing there would be a rematch, making it sound like Sonnen was pounding Silva's face in for most of the fight.