Real Deal

Rules: 1) 16 lines max. 2) At least two of those lines must be about your opponent's favorite sports team (basketball, football, etc). 3) Cussing will be censored if you decide to use it. Don't bypass the censor with asterisks or other symbols. 4) If you say Dick Vitale's first name, please censor it yourself by typing [expletive]. In the manner it would be used in this contest, it should be filtered out. NOBODY ELSE POST IN THIS TOPIC UNTIL THE SECOND RAP IS ADDED. After both competitors are finished, members can place their vote. Votes are only valid with an explanation containing three or more sentences, no exceptions. The lower seeds (in terms of position) go first. Based on this match-up, Fish7718 will be asked to post his, followed by NeTs15VC. You have two days to post. Good luck, fellas. Run yo mouth!

I hope Dalembert stops playing like Hakeem, so we can start winning comfortably. I'm getting sick of Drew. And Fisher, once again, sucks.

For those who STILL have no idea how good Marc Gasol is, and how much Memphis actually got in that trade with the Lakers... http://www.otrbasketball.com/forums/topic/9714-no-joke-pau-gasol-trade-proved-to-be-good-for-griz-too/ Getting annoying. Either you comment on the trade after you watch Marc's value to the team, or don't comment on it at all.

This game is too damn close. GO RAPTORS!

104th career trip-doub for Kidd. He has been amazing this game, and in his entire career.

One wrong doesn't make a right, either. She humiliated him for months, maybe even years without him knowing. She can handle being called out on the radio. Feeling sorry for a cheater, who ruined a five-year relationship with dishonesty, shows me you'd probably forgive her. I wouldn't. To me, that shows weakness, doesn't matter the length you've been together, doesn't matter if she's male or female. But that's just me.

Why would anyone ask him about that McDyess deal? Once it happened, reporters would go and ask Phil Jackson what he thought? Ilgauskas back to Cleveland was getting a lot of media attention to begin with, even before anyone asked Jackson. The rumors spilled out that the league would stop it. There would be no better coach to ask that question to. And on top of that, he makes a very solid point. They have a restriction on free agent signings (in regards to being traded), but they don't have one on traded players being signed back. Doesn't make any sense, and many coaches (not just Jackson) and many analysts and fans see it as a loophole and as something that needs to be patched up.

LOL, what? The 4th quarter? Are we watching the same game? Maybe I'm misunderstanding you.

Here's why it's fantastic: 1) She cheated after five years of being with him. 2) She was cheating AFTER she found the ring. 3) She told all of her friends she was going to propose. They knew the answer before he did. 4) She was out multiple times with this guy before she was caught. 5) She was kissing this guy in public, where everyone would see her. Therefore, why not humiliate her in public? She already did her share of that to him. I'm sure her girl friends knew she was cheating. I'm sure that other guy's friends knew about it. It was made public when she was cheating on him. Just because she's a female, I'm sure. No remorse. I'm glad it was recorded and put on the internet, for all of us to hear. That makes it even better. Maybe she'll be done cheating on guys for the rest of her life.

Alright, so LeBron is Marcus Camby, with more athleticism. We're good? You act like you want me to sit here and call him the best defensive player in the NBA, yet you say he isn't. If he's all of what you said, the way you described it, then he's hands down the DPOY. Re-read what you're posting and tell me that's not what it sounds like. And yes, he's that good recovering, blocking shots and stealing passes because of his athleticism. He's Shannon Brown on steroids. Brown does the same exact thing in games, comes from behind and swats shots (has grabbed them out of the air a few times), steals the ball in traffic, plays good help defense...but when someone is in front of him, well...that's a different story. So if LeBron is considered an elite defender, so is Shannon Brown, in his limited minutes on the court. You might as well just give me LeBron's blocks and steals totals to defend your argument, because really, that's all you have, and all of that is based on athleticism. You remove the "Shannon Brown" out of his body, and LeBron is Tracy McGrady.

I hope nobody thinks that.

The way you dismissed the idea that he was the best defender in the NBA (you did this earlier), you'd think you'd say he wasn't elite. In fact, if he's an elite defender, as you are stating, he's in the discussion as the best...right? So here's what I've gotten from you: 1) He's not a great on-ball defender. 2) He does cheat too much. 3) He can tighten up his perimeter stances. Now, given his athleticism (which is what your argument is based on, as your last few statements proved earlier), that makes LeBron an elite defender? I'm sorry. LeBron is a good defender, but it doesn't step beyond that. I'm sure more people fear LeBron coming from behind them and swatting shots, but many less fear taking him one-on-one. If you're an elite defender, it doesn't matter the situation...you're feared. Elite defenders have been Gary Payton, Scottie Pippen, Alonzo Mourning in the 90's...and Bruce Bowen, Shane Battier, and Ben Wallace in the last decade (leaving out others, of course). LeBron doesn't step in that body of work. Not yet, at least. He's a good defensive player, but he's not great, and he's not elite.

I guess I don't see color, then. That might be the problem, with everyone else searching for racism. You don't eliminate something you continue to obtain, and that's the biggest reason why racism (or stereotyping, or anything of the sort) will always exist in the most negative manner.

That was awesome.

Yep. I think Gasol should take a look in the mirror when speaking about the team as a whole, because he's part of the problem as well...but speaks like he's not.

Definitely going to go see this.

Bump. Just saw this picture. Looks like Kobe was pulling a Shane Battier... http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/63/fullj.e39a13215a8733184fdfcb03428bb2dd/e39a13215a8733184fdfcb03428bb2dd-getty-.jpg

I don't even know what you're arguing with me for, then, Mason. All I said was that his on-ball defense isn't good. You're picking apart me saying he couldn't defend borderline all-stars one-on-one, but the entire point is, he's not an elite defensive player. If he has improved substantially every single season, as an on-ball defender...then he'd have to be an elite on-ball defender. That is, unless he was just horrific when he first came into the NBA, as in...Jose Calderon horrific. So you say he's an elite help defender, decent on-ball defender? I don't see where that translates into an elite defender. Sorry. He allows others to score on him, but stops players from scoring on his teammates a few times a game. Well...I can't say I see it in the same light as you do.

Thabeet a bust already, Adrian?

Yeah, but I can't say that's all on Brooks, either. Martin isn't moving around half the time, and the other half that he does, he looks to be irritated when the ball doesn't fall into his hands. Sort of like he did when Tyreke was on the floor with him. I think, at the end of the day, you guys will find out that Kevin Martin is a one-man show, or he's a no-show. That's why the Kings traded him, and that's why Dallas didn't want to trade much for him.

Al Jefferson was a no-show tonight, but Love stepped up. Too bad for the Wolves, though...Josh Smith was a monster. Minny outscored Atlanta by six in that fourth quarter and almost made it a game, but they just ran out of time.

B-Rush did okay, Granger completely choked and was destroyed by Deng...and everyone in the starting five shot over 50% for Chicago. High-scoring game...too much Deng, too many fouls having to defend an aggressive Flip Murray.

If we didn't have to play the Grizzlies like we were against the 72-win Bulls last night, I think we would've had some energy left for the end of the game. This is what happens, though, when you have to rely on Bryant to bail you out of games you should be winning by 10+ points. He's sore the next night, you're still praying he scores 40, and you lose in the end.

REBOUND THE BALL.