Real Deal

Wow, that last basket was just weird, felt like Philly lost on purpose. Diaw played like he was a damn superstar, too. Someone may need to put a body on him next time. I watched the second and part of the third, when Philly was doing really, really well...figured it was done, so I started watching other games and noticed how close it was near the end, flipped it over and saw Felton close it out. Anyone else feel like Iggy's shot was going in?

Wow, so Kimbo improved his ground game significantly! Man, I'm sorry, but I was pulling for him big time. I wanted him to destroy Houston Alexander, especially after watching Houston dance around the octagon for a good three minutes...really pissed me off. Leg kick, leg kick, leg kick...and nothing more. Alexander looked scared. Kimbo needs surgery to repair those knees, though. He found himself in trouble during that third round, when that sweep (a sweep, not exactly a leg kick that did damage) took him down. Fix those knees, and Kimbo could be a very dangerous man. I thought Houston was out on his feet the entire time in the third round...dude was wobbling and barely conscious after Kimbo gave him those shots in the second.

Getting rid of the Big Cactus helped more than many believed. Once you go back to Nash's system, it turns him into a superstar point once again, and having Amare healthy helps tremendously. There was a point where I didn't think Amare would be playing much, reading that he refused to wear his goggles...but all of that changed when he slipped them on. Houston started off on fire, but they've hit thick ice. I can't really say Phoenix will be a 55+ win team just yet. I just need to see how strong they can hold through a grueling season, because that's when Nash is most tested, and this particular team needs him more than ever.

I can't say that Carlos Dunlap's incident really hurt Florida that much. Their secondary was picked apart by Alabama, and the Gators never found a groove against Bama's crazy defense. Ingram did have a hell of a game, rushed for triple digits...but I doubt Dunlap's presence would've altered the game's final score. Rooting for Texas now, because I wasn't so happy with Alabama's Gator chomps. As far as Tebow goes, I think he'll fare well in the NFL, probably just take a while though. Look at Vince Young and what he has done for the Titans now, after the train wreck he was in not so long ago. The NFL is a mental game as much as it is physical, and I think Tebow is one of the most mentally tough players I've seen at the QB position, tears flowing or not.

Haha, no idea Jen. Ah, oh yeah...509 posts today. Things are looking up. Loving this trend...with less personal attacks, less complications, much more intelligent discussion. Great stuff.

You didn't answer any of my questions. If Wade landed on a fallen Haslem and snapped his leg, ending his career shortly...is he a bust? I mean...let's assumed that Miami just re-signed him for six years, $120 million or more, no trade clause, invested it all for him. Does that one career-ending injury make the player that gave the Miami Heat their only championship a bust? Six seasons and that's all she wrote? This injury wasn't Oden's fault, not at all. Neither were Bynum's injuries. Oden has shown he can play very good basketball, contributing to an improving Blazers team. Bynum will be an all-star this year. Neither are busts...doesn't make sense. Now, if John Wall comes in and plays 20 games a year, hurts every bone in his body and does it running up the court, no incidents with any surrounding players...you'd have a case, but I'd probably still argue against it if Wall's numbers exceeded expectations.

Most great players are cocky. That has something to do with it. Jordan and Kobe are...not that difficult to admit it. I know this topic is going to be more about LeBron than anything, so I'll drag Magic Johnson in on it as well...one of the most humble players you can find. Did people hate Magic? I wouldn't say so...not as much as they did Jordan, and some of you wouldn't believe the Jordan hate back in the early and mid-90's, especially after coming back out of retirement. A lot of it has to do with the success, though. Problem is, I wouldn't consider LeBron that successful yet. As big of a fan I've been of his, I'm the polar opposite when it comes to the way he actually displays his cockiness. Kobe trash talks to players on the court, uses it as a motivational tool. LeBron reminds us all of his stats (using a t-shirt), shows poor sportsmanship in a playoff loss (right after he was fine with shaking hands after a win), dances on the sidelines AND on the court before/during/after the game, takes jabs at players in his comments, takes a jab at his own coach, pulled a Rafer Alston by showboating with a flurry of unnecessary dribbling moves in that Chicago blowout (and that was off a screen, so I don't even know what the hell that was for other than taunting), and it's just getting to the point where I don't know if I want to support that anymore. Garnett started taunting smaller players (mainly guards) to no end, until he busted his knee. I don't see him doing much crawling or yelling in their ears anymore. Charles Barkley made a great point once. He said that if some of this stuff was done back in the 80's, you'd eat your words. Players still do this...you saw it with Fisher and Scola in the playoffs last season, and honestly, I think you may have seen it when Haywood clotheslined LeBron James a few years back. If you're going to be cocky, that's fine...but do it away from the camera and in your opponents' ears. You don't have to turn things into a circus, because that's when you're involving thousands of fans, other opponents, coaches and even your own teammates, and that's when things get ugly.

For some reason, I have a feeling you wouldn't be saying this about Dwyane Wade when he destroyed his shoulder a couple years back. In fact, it was Wade who has played 51 games twice in a season already, 61 in his rookie year...and that's in just six complete seasons. I'm guessing Andrew Bynum is a bust as well, since he's been in and out of basketball for so long...even though he's giving the Lakers 19 points, 10 boards on 58% shooting and will more than likely be the starting center in the all-star game this year. I really don't like making an example like this, but if Kevin Durant's life ended tomorrow (God forbid), is he a bust? Not even close to one. Michael Olowokandi is a bust. Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Marcus Fizer, Robert Traylor, Rafael Araujo...busts. The selection itself is a bust if the player is injury-prone, severely injured or ill (such as Wagner and Williams), or killed...and even that is debatable, because GM's and owners are not God and have no control of a human life. If Oden was made out of glass, that knee would've popped out on its own running up the court. If Bynum was made out of glass, his two knee injuries wouldn't have come from two teammates putting their foot under his on a rebound. Injuries, death...those don't make you a bust, underachieving as a player does. It's your game that does the talking, not unfortunate incidents.

Okay, this is worse. I actually didn't really care for the dancing...didn't support it and thought it was stupid, but this is just a dumbass comment made by a dumbass player. My support for LeBron is dwindling year by year. And Adam, he was also dancing on the court, right before he shot that free throw...dancing right in the face of the away crowd. That is what caused Noah to go off on him. Can anyone tell me what other NBA superstar does stuff like this during the game? I don't even see Dwight doing it, and I've never seen Wade or anyone else, either. Not even Shaq.

Injuries define a pick for being a bust, not the player. Oden was playing very well. As a player, he was showing his true potential out there this season, manipulating shots, grabbing boards and blocking layups in the minutes he was given. A true bust doesn't perform as expected when on the floor. His abilities don't translate to the pros, or he's shattered by the professional style of life, and it shows in his game. Injuries have nothing to do with Greg Oden's basketball abilities. Danny Manning played very solid basketball for the Clippers before he suffered his eventual career-ending injury...didn't make him a bust. If Oden is a bust, so is Jay Williams, who never played a single game because of his motorcycle accident...and that's ridiculous to say.

He either has a crush on Pau Gasol, or he thought Gasol hit the game-winning three because of the drugs he's on.

Makes the Iverson signing much, much more valuable.

Carter. He had success in the playoffs, leading a team past the first. I can't say the same for McGrady...and really, that's all it comes down to for me, because with the two playing at nearly the same level in their primes (and neither playing defense, by the way), it comes down to who has the most success.

Well, Williams isn't a true point. He's a scoring two, but he's got a bit of Lamar Odom in him the way he can run an offense...not exactly like a CP3 or Nash, but he's no scrub either. Sort of hard to compare him to anyone currently. If I took some guys from past Sixers teams, maybe Sedale Threatt (played for the Lakers also, that's when I saw him play). I wonder if any Sixers fans here have ever heard of Eric Money...similar guard.

That sounds about right. I love the way Pau has improved as a defender, plays better defense than Dirk...but Dirk is a true leader, while Gasol is an excellent second option. Now, I don't think Dirk is a better first option than Gasol is a second (does that make sense?), but that's really beside the point. Gasol's post play puts him up there, but Dirk's range, primacy and overall scoring ability gives him the edge.

Nah, it wasn't directed at them as in...LeBron standing there mocking them in their face. The commentators just saw it as disrespecting their opponent (especially Hubie Brown, who basically called it unprofessional). Yeah, that's just it...it is similar to that, and DeShawn Stevenson's Cena gesture, and many others. I didn't care much for Kobe's taunting, to be honest. But, this happened frequently throughout the second half, mostly in the fourth, when the game was a blowout. I think it got bad when LeBron decided to dance after that foul, because he did it in front of the visiting crowd, and it was on the court...which would've pissed me off as a fan, a player, a commentator, a coach and maybe even as a teammate.

Haha, yeah...that's what I was thinking, also. LeBron will battle Wade and Durant for that spot someday. He'll get to battle and old and brittle Kobe soon as well. Kobe isn't old and brittle yet, so we kind of have a problem, I guess. And it doesn't have anything to do with rings. Kobe has many, many, many more ways of scoring the ball (still), his offensive game is one of the most polished in NBA history...and defensively, he's far superior than LeBron, even right now. All LeBron has on Kobe would be his rebounding and dunking, which comes because of his size and strength. You stick Bryant outside of the triangle offense (where all five players need to handle and pass the ball), and Kobe averages 7-8 assists, also. He threw six a game without the triangle, back when he had just Lamar and scrubs. Old, old argument that should never be up for debate until LeBron completes his game (if he does). Mid-range, he's got miles to travel. Post game? Miles to travel. Foot work? Forever winding roads. Man-to-man defense? Doesn't touch Bryant's. Guys, when it's time to start asking what weaknesses LeBron has in his game, where I literally have to think about it longer than three seconds, let me know and we'll continue our discussion.

LMAO. I don't know, don't really have a preference yet. They were up big, Chicago was talking a little trash (Brad Miller, actually), but at the same time, LeBron just looked like an idiot. He overdid it, quite a bit. He's one of my guys, but it was hard for me to laugh after the third time he danced.

I doubt Philly would go for that, especially after re-signing Iverson. You start AI, maybe start Williams as well...and Miller ends up on the bench? Or you Start Iverson at the two with Miller at the point? I don't think that's a good idea with Iverson defending two-guards.

LOL, that's him in this picture. I'm not even sure he knew where Kobe was, or if Bryant even hit a game-winner. http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/1e/fullj.0f7f9b5b0694a3f76fbf2d5bf426124a/0f7f9b5b0694a3f76fbf2d5bf426124a-getty-90041154ng041_heat_lakers.jpg EDIT: Why is that dude on the Heat bench holding his package? Hahahaha.

And more... http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/8a/fullj.c02663dff63f5a4cae6d78ab1ef8f761/c02663dff63f5a4cae6d78ab1ef8f761-getty-90041154ng045_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/73/fullj.49e68b4343251769bad82d71c57943c3/49e68b4343251769bad82d71c57943c3-getty-90041154ng044_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/70/fullj.b91a7f6a04a3dd987a47e6c6ff21efac/b91a7f6a04a3dd987a47e6c6ff21efac-getty-90041154ng046_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/09/fullj.f5876b662e6ba5d9fc4d78246b436bb5/f5876b662e6ba5d9fc4d78246b436bb5-getty-90041154ng043_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/38/fullj.d3a569b299b0dc9f9f92e0a30e9c9212/d3a569b299b0dc9f9f92e0a30e9c9212-getty-90041154ng050_heat_lakers.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/3009uz7.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/93/fullj.fb79a2379b0db745b9062afe8c84bb2c/fb79a2379b0db745b9062afe8c84bb2c-getty-90041154ng038_heat_lakers.jpg http://i49.tinypic.com/2zs7fy1.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/0d/fullj.3d30510c0fb927ea6f58254ae70b76a7/3d30510c0fb927ea6f58254ae70b76a7-getty-90041154jg006_miami_heat_v_.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/7b/fullj.c28f9adfa8049f986825291a71940979/c28f9adfa8049f986825291a71940979-getty-90041154ng039_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/80/fullj.298c6c203b72cd310551f3fdcf6c6761/298c6c203b72cd310551f3fdcf6c6761-getty-90041154ng040_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/1e/fullj.0f7f9b5b0694a3f76fbf2d5bf426124a/0f7f9b5b0694a3f76fbf2d5bf426124a-getty-90041154ng041_heat_lakers.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/e5/fullj.110439e3b486f4a370913238926d33e4/110439e3b486f4a370913238926d33e4-getty-90041154jg007_miami_heat_v_.jpg http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/16/fullj.0f0091e609a3137e7cc18583ce971973/0f0091e609a3137e7cc18583ce971973-getty-90041154ng042_heat_lakers.jpg

Haha, I know you were. I just have to clarify things sometimes, so I don't have to hear about it later.

Yeah, I don't know if anyone can do that reverse 360 windmill...but the arm in the rim? I'm sure LeBron, Shannon and a few others can accomplish that. I've seen about 3-4 other guys do it on Youtube, and my friend's brother can do it on the courts out at the park.

I actually don't rub in victories. I'm more concerned about the Heat screening Kobe off Wade every play down the stretch, and Fisher not doing anything about it. I'm starting to think that, even though Derek hit that big shot, he's about ready for the bench. He wouldn't have had to hit a big three if he had at least tried to follow Wade out of that screen.