Real Deal

The only time you can relate rings to Elton Brand. BUUUURNN. -_-

OKC needs to stay on top of their game, and Durant has to keep up the scoring. 25+ again? The bottom 4-5 seeds in the West...it's too close, so the Thunder need some separation. Since I hate the Blazers and wish they'd be transformed into a D-League team, and the Thunder are my second team, you know who I'm rooting for.

You keep him, because if you guys had Monta or K-Mart instead of Allen during that first-round series against the Bulls, you would've been done by Game 6. Rondo may be the best player on the Celtics right now (and he's definitely playing like it), but I actually think Ray Allen is arguably the most important, as he spreads the floor better than anyone else on that team, and his off-the-ball play is still among the best in NBA history.

He won't miss it. He'll play limited minutes.

Orlando needed this win, and it wasn't looking so pretty for them after the first quarter. While Carter simply dominated the second half (34 points, correct?), Howard helped quite a bit as well, and they actually played like a duo contending for a ring.

Yep. Dallas escaped with a win...literally. They need to pick it up after the all-star break, before a healthy Denver team pulls away with that second seed, leaving Dallas in the dust.

Re-post from TLN (haha)... You're seeing the same thing with the Houston Rockets...but you can't tell anyone in that organization, or any of their fans, that they don't need Yao Ming. For a full 82 games, those numbers would look different, and so would our record. Maybe not for the first 40 games, but the grind of an NBA season is what separates the all-stars from the superstars.

We're in the second half of the season, and I'm starting to think we should rearrange our starting five, not for the sake of us winning the West (because we can lock that up with our current starters), but in the best interest of our team as they make their third consecutive NBA Finals trip. Assuming we don't bring in someone like Hinrich (who we need desperately), why not bring both Bynum and Fisher off the bench? C - Pau Gasol PF - Lamar Odom SF - Ron Artest SG - Kobe Bryant PG - Jordan Farmar Three things... 1) Odom can be an amazing player. After being one of his biggest critics a few years ago, he has accepted a bench role and is playing better defense. I think he deserves to start in our five because of it. 2) Fisher is a liability. I don't care what anyone else says or thinks. Giving him a bench role keeps him involved as a leader, and keeps his legs fresh against the less talented bench from the opposing team. 3) Bynum is quicksand. That ball doesn't come back out of the post much when it's dropped in his hands. Therefore, why not bring him off the bench and give him an opportunity to play with less scorers on the floor? Don't forget that we were in the Finals without him in 2008, and he was a fifth or sixth option for us in the 2009 Finals as well, when we won it all. Phil claims the guys are wearing down. We are only 53 games in. I'm not sure if we have the goods to beat Cleveland in the Finals, either, especially if they have home court (and it's looking like they will get it). If we don't make a trade before the deadline, would you welcome a lineup change?

Richard Jefferson, games scoring less than 10 points... 2006-2009: 17 games This season: 16 games Anyone else see this coming?

Besides the missed chip shots by Gasol, he is playing great. Odom is a monster, also. We need to start Gasol and Odom together, bench Bynum.

Well, sure...but would the Heat give him the deal he could potentially get from Philly if he gets traded before the deadline? The free agent McGrady, with zero games under his belt in 2010, would get less interest from teams in the NBA, and the Heat could give him a lower offer because of that. His value drops, and Miami wouldn't have to pay as much. But let's assume he goes to Philly this month. He averages 20/5/5 and plays good basketball. His value increases, and teams would be willing to give him an extra year or two on the deal, extra money, tougher to sign. It would be ridiculous if Randy decided to pay McGrady big bucks if he doesn't play a single game this season.

Am I the only person on the site that finds her EXTREMELY annoying when she's pretending to be an analyst for NBATV? And I need to stress the word EXTREMELY, so I will. EXTREMELY annoying.

Manhattan sucks. Great win by KU tonight. Pathetic way to foul out Aldrich...pissed me off. James didn't give him room to come down with the board, but whatever. Morris stepped up despite that dislocation, and we took it to them.

Billups and Kaman added to the lineups (replacing Paul and Roy).

LOL, good point.

No Monta?

I really never expected San Antonio to play like this. A lot of this is due to our guys stepping up, obviously (Odom, mainly), but the Spurs almost look like they could care less about this game. Parker was doing his thing at the beginning, but he just stopped attacking Fisher. Why? If I were Tony, I'd never pass the ball, and I'd drop 70 against Derek. Even then, Duncan isn't even involved in the offense, no matter who's on the floor. Richard Jefferson just sucks.

No problem. Just refresh your browser next time. Kyle was correct in saying it was the cache.

http://riverdaughter.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/ayatollah_ali_khamenei1.jpg Looks like a big loser to me...and an idiot if he thinks it's a wise decision to plan and act on an attack against us.

Once you add it, go to one of your posts and hit F5 on your keyboard.

McGrady is looking for a way out, and this is a good way to get in good with a team he can "dominate" on, lock up a decent contract, and stay overpaid for a few more years. Let's just pretend Houston lets him expire, no trade. He walks into the summer of 2010 as a free agent, among one of the most attractive FA classes anyone can remember, probably of all-time. That's a problem for McGrady. What team would want to give him money after he's been sitting at home all season long? Going to Philly, or any team less likely to make the playoffs or hurting for talent, gives him a chance to put up another 20 or so points per game, look like a rejuvenated player eager to earn that next paycheck, and in his eyes, Philly will have no choice but to re-sign him for more than he could ever get otherwise.

When LeBron isn't playing well, he can just drive and kick the ball out. The Cavaliers are easily one of the most dangerous shooting teams in the NBA. They don't have another 25+ PPG scorer, but they have about 3-4 shooters who can drop 10-15 points on open jumpers alone, and defense that has been holding teams good enough to make them 3rd in the NBA. And it shows in Cleveland's offense, also...as they are 5th in the NBA in points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, the Lakers are sitting at 4th in defense, but 9th offensively. Big names don't necessarily compliment each other. When have you guys seen the Suns in the NBA Finals? Nash, Amare, Johnson, Marion, Barbosa...big names back then, but they couldn't get over the hump. Kobe, Shaq, Malone and Payton? They found their way to the Finals after beating Garnett and a Wolves team that some of you should compare to the Cavaliers, as far as build goes...but the Lakers were routed in the Finals by a real team with no true primary scorer. LeBron has an excellent cast that can do many things on the court. He has shooting guards, slashing guards, athletic forwards, a true center, a versatile shooting center, a defensive-minded forward/center, a scoring power forward, and a defensive-minded coach. That's a scary team to contain.

Well, it wouldn't be adding much salary, given we'd be keeping that amount if we re-sign Farmar. The Hinrich deal would ask us to trade expirings and Farmar, but we would like to deal Vujacic and his two years as well. Given all salaries involved, having Kirk is similar to just re-signing Farmar and still having Vujacic...only Hinrich is the much better player. EDIT: I can't think of Hinrich's contract...but I'm sure he is signed through another 3-4 years. Farmar would need more money than he's getting now, though...so the idea is to deal Vujacic (who isn't earning his $10-11 million remaining) and Morrison (who isn't earning anything) and letting go of Farmar, who will ask for more money. Well worth it.

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/64549/20100208/kaman_replaces_roy_in_all_star_game Wow, Monta Ellis was ROBBED.

Kansas and Texas will be awesome, but I think they should've put Kansas and Kansas State in there this week. That game should always be found during rivalry week, no matter what.