Real Deal

Half of that clip shows double teams, actually...especially after those inbound passes. But the first part, especially when Kobe picked up the ball, shows how you play defense without fouling the hell out of someone.

Wait, so are you saying Detroit won't make the playoffs with Hamilton, Prince, Gordon, Villanueva, Stuckey and a new coach? Didn't they just make the playoffs without two of those guys and a disgruntled Allen Iverson? Those experts are idiots, then. Your best season since 1979 was the 45 wins in 2005, and that had to have been without Caron, because Butler was on the Lakers that year. Two years ago, you won 43 games...and I'm pretty sure Arenas barely played. With all three at full health, your best season was in 2006, with 42 wins. A good offensive team, bad defensive team (22nd in the league). Foye and Miller won't change that. Did you miss Rose dominating the Celtics when they didn't double team him? That Celtics team threw Rondo at him, and gave Rose extra attention with Perkins as well...two of their best defensive players, in fact. Rose shot almost 50% from the field and averaged 20/6/6 against them. If it wasn't for the referee not calling a flagrant on Rondo, the Bulls would've won that series, and you'd remember it as Rose dominating. Now, if you truly think that Rose won't do that to the pathetic defense of the Wizards, especially if Arenas is the one having to defend him...well, I'm sorry to tell you that you're dead wrong. Jamison has been labeled soft his entire career. He doesn't play defense, ever. He belongs at the small forward slot. I'm not going to compare Jamison and Howard, because that's a power forward and a center, and Haywood defends Howard more than Jamison does. But wait...Garnett matches up with Jamison well? Garnett has shot better than him from the field in every single meeting since November 11th, 2005. If you want numbers for JUST the last two seasons... 11/2/2007 Jamison: 4/16 FG (25%), 10 PTS, 10 REB, 1 AST Garnett: 9/17 FG (53%), 22 PTS, 20 REB, 5 AST 1/12/2008 Jamison: 4/15 FG (27%), 10 PTS, 16 REB, 2 AST Garnett: 7/14 FG (50%), 19 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST 1/14/2008 Jamison: 8/21 FG (38%), 20 PTS, 10 REB, 0 AST Garnett: 8/17 FG (47%), 23 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST 4/9/2008 Jamison: 8/17 FG (47%), 27 PTS, 11 REB, 2 AST Garnett: 9/16 FG (56%), 22 PTS, 14 REB, 5 AST 12/11/2008 Jamison: 7/16 FG (44%), 17 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST Garnett: 5/11 FG (46%), 11 PTS, 12 REB, 7 AST 1/2/2009 Jamison: 6/20 FG (30%), 14 PTS, 9 REB, 2 AST Garnett: 5/9 FG (56%), 10 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST TOTALS Jamison: 37/105 FG (35%), 16.3 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.5 APG Garnett: 43/84 FG (51%), 17.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 4.7 APG If Garnett was taking 17.5 FGA per game, I'm sure his scoring average would've been even higher. I won't tell you what any of that means above (because you already know)...but I wouldn't exactly consider that "hanging" with Garnett, on offense OR defense. Make it the playoffs, and Jamison gets trashed.

With Mario Williams coming at him, he probably won't have time to throw, period. Or, well, he'll just throw the long ball all game long, and get picked from it. Russell needs to stick to throwing five yards down the field, instead of 50. Unfortunately, that's not the type of QB he is. It would be like me asking Michael Vick to toss the ball to his receivers underhanded.

You brought in an offensive-minded coach in Saunders. You're still going to be a bottom ten defensive team, something you've been since probably 2000 (just a guess). The Celtics, Magic, Cavaliers and Pistons will all work you over in the playoffs. You can make an argument for Detroit, but at that point, you better pray you don't snag one of the bottom three seeds...or, better yet, just hope you don't play any of those top three teams in the first round...or you can kiss the entire season goodbye. Yeah, you have Mike Miller and Randy Foye. Saunders is there. The team will still be ran by Arenas and Butler, and Jamison will still be that soft power forward that will get ran over by the true bigs. I'll give Arenas a small window to change his ways and become more of a facilitator. If that doesn't happen, though, the team is dead in the water. 50 wins? If they do it, I wouldn't be that surprised, but beating the Celtics, Cavaliers and the Magic in the playoffs...and maybe even the Pistons...is a reach. Chicago, Miami and the Hawks would test Washington just because of Rose, Wade and Johnson.

Title is a bit misleading. Do you mean that they are hinting to a bandwidth limit? That's what I'm getting from the article. At first, it sounds like you're telling me that Verizon had a bandwidth limit, and they are doing away with it. On the subject at hand, well, good luck with that, Verizon.

If I was as big of a football fan as I was a basketball fan, I'd be more upset. That might all change, though, once Al Davis takes his exit. You can define "exit" however you'd like.

The point is, I'm sure that if I can't deal Rondo for Durant, I can find another alternate method of completely ripping a new one into a team based on current ratings. Quite frankly, if the game wants to be realistic in ratings AND in game statistics, they should go with weighted ratings...something no video game has done yet. Offensive production should have more of an impact on a player's overall than his endurance, for example. The 2000 Shaq didn't have the endurance LeBron does, but he was more effective with the ball in his hands (scoring-wise), which should change his overall rating much more than his lack of endurance. This is why guys like Smush Parker have held high ratings in the past. He can steal the ball? Yeah, and he sucks at everything else, but because he's a ball thief, he suddenly becomes a good defensive player...when, in fact, he never was to begin with. If 2k10 wanted a drastic change, there it was. Weighted ratings. Instead, they sacrificed their overall rating system to improve realistic statistics. Certainly a step up looking at it at some angles, but not all.

That was hilarious.

6-12 months. It'll end near the close or after this upcoming season. I think the love is there, but I also think they married much, much quicker for publicity.

They were making him do it (as well as the rest of the Lakers). It seemed like a few of them were getting annoyed, advertising the Dodgers like they had to. They would make them say lines, swing the bat, wear things, etc. Check out Ron's bicep. Good to see he's been hitting that gym.

Poll added. I vote three picks!

They are 1-2 years apart in age, that's it...and if Rondo is already an 87, how can Durant (being an 82) have a better potential ranking? 2k10 is making defensive-minded players out to be as important as offensive juggernauts. Hate to say it, but I would take a Dirk Nowitzki over a Rajon Rondo every day of the week. FYI - Rondo didn't average a trip-doub in the playoffs. In fact, he didn't get it in either series, let alone the entire duration of both combined. And if they took that into account, I hope they also noticed his 3.3 turnovers per game and his pathetic 37.5% shooting against the Magic, also.

Because people just don't want to do for others anymore. They don't realize that there's a significant chance that your health will be much, much better due to a couple of factors: 1) your problems don't have to be ignored or delayed anymore, due to lack of money, and 2) that makes it less likely someone at work, school or in your community gets you sick Maybe more people can get check-ups, discover things like kidney disease early, so they can start treatments without having to go through extremely expensive dialysis and transplants, which is usually always paid by the taxpayers in the first place. Yeah, taxes will go up...but your health insurance costs won't be ripped from your check each cut, either. For all the money people are seeing ripped from their gross income each week, bi-week, or month, they don't realize that it really doesn't go ANYWHERE if they stay healthy the majority of their lives...just disappears. At least it helps someone...but people would rather see it spent on a new tank in Iraq.

How does this have anything to do with the government, really? Child day care laws vary by state. This is a state matter. The law is ridiculous. However, it's clear as day, and she can't be exempt from it. So what needs to happen (and what will happen) is that a senator will present a revision to the state law, and it will be rewritten. It's as simple as that. Once that happens...well, that sort of ruins your argument anyways. Health care reform is global, and it retains current private insurance companies' abilities to provide to the general public. This has absolutely no relation to that, in any way, shape or form.

All cell phones will eventually sync with OTR and provide all users with live topic updates (by the second), as well as voice-activated posting.

Arenas has shut his mouth because he hasn't had ANYTHING to talk about. I would, also. It's a wise decision on his part. It's a new Wizards team? They haven't even played a single preseason game yet, haha. They are still the 19-win team they were last year. Washington hasn't had a 50-win season since 1979, and that's when they were the Bullets. Since 1979, they have been in the playoffs 12 times, with 10 first-round losses. 30 seasons. Arenas has played 15 games in two seasons. What makes you think I have any reason to believe that this Wizards team will be good enough to get into the second round or Conference Finals, let alone the NBA Finals? And it has nothing to do with my dislike for the Wizards or Arenas. Andrew Bynum hasn't proven a damn thing to me, except for 14/8 in 50 games of his career, and that's not enough for me to consider him a future dominant center. No article can sway my decision about a team, especially when it has no ties in with a regular season or playoff game, at all.

...okay, and Derrick Rose actually has nothing to do with Arenas to begin with. I'm simply stating that the Wizards would win 50 games with this current Derrick Rose, the one from this season. They don't need a prime Rose. That's not saying Rose is already a better player than a younger Arenas, it's saying that Butler, Miller and Jamison would be better off with Rose, instead of a guy who thinks he can launch jumpers and walk away before they fall in the rim, someone who thinks he can declare a 50-point game, someone who thinks he can blag (blog + brag) about how important he thinks he is. I never said it did require a pure point. I said that this particular group of guys, in the Princeton offense, would benefit from Rose. Jamison isn't a true power forward. Miller is also a shooter. Butler does his share of shooting. Rose would attack the rim off of those screens, something he did very, very well in Chicago, and hit his shooters (which is everyone from Miller to Jamison to even Stevenson) when he draws attention in the paint, something Arenas has never been able to do better than Rose, even a rookie Rose. The absurd comments are only absurd to Wizards fans. A lot of people have heard this stuff before. We've heard how Washington was supposed to put Cleveland to sleep after their first playoff loss against them, then after their second. We heard how bad ass the Wizards were when they beat Boston three of four times in the regular season. We heard how Arenas was fully healthy and making his return. Now that nobody can guard Arenas, and now that the Wizards are going to win a championship this season (according to Jamison, I believe), well...I guess we've heard it all now.

Why do you have this obsession with blasting players that have no relevance to you?

Haha, beat me to it. Even if you're terrible at tennis (like me), just go get dominated and play your best. It doesn't really matter how good you are at the sport. As Aaron noted, you gain that quickness and defensive movement, as well as endurance and even awareness. Play until your legs fall off. Also, if you want something that very few do, take a chair with four legs (such as a dining room chair) and sit it in front of you. Take a few pieces of tape and put them around the chair...one really low on a leg (near the floor), one up by the top of the chair, one at the end of the seat (three will do). Then, get in a defensive position and circle around the chair, swiping at the piece of tape down by the leg (side swipe, if that makes sense) and at the other on the seat (down swipe). Each time you pass the piece of tape up high, put your hand right beside it, as if you're face-guarding. You'll get tired pretty damn quick...but trust me, it helps. I decided to do something weird when I was a sophomore back in high school, and I've stuck with that idea ever since. If anyone else tells you they made that up, tell them they better answer to me.

...AND COURTNEY LEE WINS! Sorry guys, been extra busy with stuff outside the forums, few health problems and boring stuff. I'll get to this soon.

After watching Wade have a great deal of trouble with Atlanta, LeBron gets my pick. I did see LeBron struggle against the Magic in that final game, but that one game doesn't give me a big enough reason to change my stance on the topic. Plus, Wade can finish well at the rim if he gets there. LeBron finishes at the rim when he gets there. If I need a basket with ten to go, just a drive and a layup or dunk, it's going to LeBron. Maybe not two years ago because he was passive, but the current LeBron is aggressive and isn't afraid to shoot or drive anymore.

Lots of factors involved. If the Lakers trade him this season, and they don't get a superstar in return, I probably drop the fanship because: 1) that just makes them the dumbest organization in the league, and 2) Oklahoma City finally has a team If they trade Kobe in a sign-and-trade for LeBron, or maybe even Wade, I'll probably still root for the Lakers as my primary team, but I'm not quite sure. To be honest, for me, the OKC Thunder alter everything. I was born and raised in Kansas, and because nobody in my family liked basketball (except for my cousin), I had to just pick a team out of the hat. It was Jordan and Barkley before I truly started loving the game, and because of Kobe, I picked the Lakers (would've been a Hornets fan, really, if not for the trade). Bryant has been with the team for 14 seasons now (this being his 14th). Thing is, I'd be pretty disappointed if the Lakers ended up trading him, despite his age. I think Houston and New York fans get it. They saw Hakeem and Patrick dealt to the Raptors and Sonics, ending their careers in poor fashion. Winning or not, Kobe is the reason I started watching and rooting for the Lakers. We had a 34-win season in 2004-05, and it didn't matter. We exited the playoffs two consecutive times in the first round, didn't matter. When it's all said and done, Kobe may be the reason I'm still rooting for them. Jumping on some bandwagon because of a 17-year old draft pick isn't exactly a reason to consider me a true bandwagoner. It was a reason to root for a player and his team, stick with it for 15-16 seasons or so, and hope for something local in the end (the Thunder). Los Angeles doesn't have a reason to trade Bryant. If they ever thought they did, I don't know...I COULD welcome the trade if it was legit, but again, I don't want him to Hakeem his way out of his legacy with the Lakers, either.

If Arenas averaged 35 PPG, he won't make the playoffs...so there's no worry there. And why would I even worry myself about how far the Wizards will get? Finals? Really? It took one full season for Rose to propel the devastated Bulls into the playoffs. Why wouldn't it take one year for him to do the same for a Wizards team that was the worst team in the NBA last season? The Tigers and Bulls are two different offensive teams as well, and in two different leagues at that. Not only that, but the Princeton offense doesn't necessarily require five capable shooters, either. Butler, Jamison and Miller would be better off with a true point guard. Rose is more of a true point than Gilbert. I'd take a look at the new Gilbert, but right now, all I can do is take a listen to him. The Gilbert I saw last, in the regular season, was one that should probably start considering bench play. If that's the Arenas you're telling me about, well, Washington is indeed in trouble if they expect him to lead. Grant Hill suffered a massive injury that would've devastated any player in the league. He was told, at one point, that he may have difficulty walking. Hill has had five ankle surgeries, an emergency appendectomy, a sports hernia surgery, and he almost died back in 2003 due to an infection from doctors re-fracturing the ankle and aligning it with his leg bone. Don't compare Hill and Arenas.

Joey hasn't really been a professional basketball player since he was drafted, and I knew that as he was coming out of OSU. He's a professional athlete, yes, but so are many bench players. It's Joey Graham, guys. You can't make sense of this, not with George Karl coaching. If Graham is going to turn things around and become a potential starter in the league, it won't happen under Karl or with the Nuggets. For one, there's no room on this team for him to play significant minutes. Two, George Karl doesn't have time to fit him into this offense (if he was smart, he'd look into developing Ty Lawson more). Joey's best bet is to be with guys like Popovich or Larry Brown, guys that will fit him in defensively, and let his offense come only when he's given the shots.

Ha, ratings are fine? I can't wait to see Boston pull off a Rondo-for-Durant trade in season mode.