Nitro

Get the paper bags ready.... http://cdn.gunaxin.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/alg_nets_bagheads.jpg Seriously though, if there's no movement on the Dwight trade 2 days before the deadline, you make a fullcourt push to trade Deron away for at least a few draft picks and 1-2 servicable, preferably young players. If he commits to a contract extension with another team, obviously that will increase the return the Nets get. But the Nets will need draft picks and a few servicable role players as they move forward.

I rememeber the first preseason game against the Nets the announcers saying that Amare gained 20-30 pounds of muscle in the offseason...from the start, I knew he'd have lost a step this season. Mix in the fact that he's now playing at PF and it's definitely been a struggle for him to get to the rim.

3pt line is shorter as is the court, thus allowing for less spacing, which makes it harder for players to get to the rim. You are allowed to grab the ball off the rim, which in the NBA is goaltending. The referees tend to be even more awful than the NBA, and they allow for more physicality. Lastly, zone is a lot more popular in the international game.

Iman Shumpert, a first round draft pick and Mike D'Antoni's mustache. http://9.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/pringles.jpg

He dominated in the clutch every series last year besides the Finals. In Cleveland he had multiple years as the best statistical clutch performer in the league. He dominated in the clutch in the 2009 ECF (where he averaged 38/8/8). He had one of the best clutch performances ever in the 2007 ECF to get his team to the Finals. His failures are overblown. He isn't the greatest clutch performer in the world, but because he hasn't won a championship and he's LeBron every single time he doesn't get it done it's national news. When Kobe fails in the clutch, it's overlooked or blamed on his teammates. Wade's failures in the clutch are never mentioned, and over the last year or two he hasn't been great in those situations (and he's my favorite player). Why do those two get away with it? They've won a championship. Until LeBron wins one, every little thing he does will be dissected to pieces. It's kinda ridiculous.

That's actually a really good mix. He's very much like Rondo defensively, and kind of like Steve Nash without the same shooting/scoring game.

I'm pretty sure Elmatic came out in 2010. I haven't listened to much full albums/mixtapes this year, although R.E.D by the Game, The Dreamer, The Believer by Common, W.A.R by Pharoahe Monch and TM103 by Jeezy come to mind immediately.

All the teams you included are the ones I had in mind when I opened the thread. I feel you can maybe add a healthy Grizzlies team to the West, but that's a big question mark.

T-Mac's never gunna [expletive]in make it out of the first round

I posted about this in the "Activity needed" thread. It's only the gameday threads in the gameday forum that doesn't show up in the New Content.

What a fake by Paul! Got a good look at the basket. Great, great game. Can't wait for this OT.

He's a huge upgrade. Chalmers is careless with the ball, bad at running the fast break, and makes too many dumb decisions. Nash is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, amazing at running the fast break, and would help give the offense a better flow in the halfcourt. Yes, he's not a great defender, but not any worse than Bibby was last season...and that team was still sensational defensively.

Paul is playing OUT OF HIS MIND tonight. I really wish he'd be this aggressive all the time. He often plays a little too low key to keep his FG's at a high clip and turnovers low, but when he takes chances it really helps make this offense devastating and energizes the team. That was a sick spin move by LeBron at the end of the 3rd quarter. Him and Wade need to get out of the post a bit and get into the lane the way they have been doing their entire careers. Entertaining game, gonna be a fun 4th quarter.

I'm not sure exactly what his prognosis is, but generally speaking some people are just more succeptible to ankle sprains than others. With the way he's built, I think he'd be best served to really strengthen it through lifting, and then diligently stretch it after workouts (which is when you build most flexibility) and also before and during games. If you strengthen the muscles and tendons, and make them more flexible, it should at least decrease the chance of in-game injury.

On replay it actually looked like an offensive foul, he held down Anthony's arms with his left arm.

What a shot by Dirk to put the Mavs up by 3 with 5 seconds to go.

Entertaining battle going on between Melo and Iggy right now, with Melo hitting some really difficult jumpers over him. After a hot start Philly has really stifled the New York since, which I'm impressed with since this is the 3rd game of a back-to-back-to-back for Philly.

I didn't read the article, but everyone has to keep this in mind...Hollinger ONLY uses stats when making his judgements. And so far the Sixers have been leading the league in SRS, which is a combination of point differential and strength of schedule. However, if you look at their wins and losses, they lost to Portland and Utah, both of which are playoff teams, and then they crushed a bunch of bad teams (Kings, Warriors, Suns, Pistons, Raptors, Hornets and Pacers without Granger). Using general stats like SRS it would make it seem fair that they are first, but if you look at all the games individually it is clear their work so far doesn't warrant them being rated so highly. The Heat and Bulls have essentially the same record but have more quality wins under their belt, and I'm sure 1-2 WC teams also have the same claim.

Question- when does his contract expire? I don't think they will trade him this year, although I wish they do. The Suns are still an entertaining team and Nash probably rakes them in a lot of money and fans. If he were to be traded, I really don't know what his value would be at this age, especially with what I'm assuming is a contract of at least $10M/year. A bunch of playoff teams could use him, including the Heat, Lakers, Knicks, Hawks, Grizzlies, Pacers and maybe Thunder. Who would have the assets to make that trade? And which one of those teams would be willing to part with young assets for a 38 year old PG? Your guess is as good as mine.

He's played what, 7 games this year? And he's been injured for like half of them? There's no issues with him as long as he's at roughly 90% health. He's still an exceptional, efficient scorer, very good passer, very good rebounder for his position, and one of the best defenders in the league. He is not perfect, and sometimes his flaws get exposed (considering he plays a similar brand of ball to LeBron, it is more obvious than it normally would be), but he is still a top 4 players at the absolute worst. Oh, as for his gambling and over-help defensively, that is something the entire team has an issue with. It helps them create turnovers and usually completely shuts down the other team from scoring at the rim on the first attempt, but it does open up the 3pt line and the offensive glass, and that was exposed in the Finals against Dallas. But when Wade needs to play tight man defense with minimal help, he does it, as seen with his defense against Ray Allen in the EC Semi's last year.

That's the most amazing thing about Kobe IMO...his longevity. The last 13 seasons he's been so consistent it's unfathomable. Granted, at his peak he was capable of more than he was the first and last few seasons of this 13 year run, but he is still without a doubt an elite player and doing things at roughly the same volume and efficiency year after year. And considering his insane mileage (which includes so many deep post-season runs) and rash of injuries, he is nothing short of remarkable.

LeBron has led the league in 4th quarter scoring multiple times the last few years over Kobe, and through the first 3 rounds of the playoffs last year he dominated in crunch time. He failed against the same team Kobe averaged 17PPG against in the playoffs and got swept by. And when LeBron is averaging 30/8/8 with 3.6TO's and a RIDICULOUS TS% of .650 to Kobe's 29/6/6 with 3.9TO's and a low TS% of .537, it isn't too hard to see why people think LeBron is better. Not to mention LeBron at this point is a far more impactful defender as well, and more versatile in terms of the number of positions he can play. There is no arguement anymore

Kobe's taking the most shots since 05-06, turning the ball over the 2nd most in his career, is shooting below 20% from 3 (and taking nearly 5 of them a game), and his steals and FT shooting are below career average. Oh, and his usage rate this season is higher than in 05-06, when he averaged 35PPG. Kobe's having a good season, but doing way too much.

LeBron was way better than Melo in 2008 (Melo was better in 06 and 07, though). Forget the zone...people forget how Team USA played in 2008. It was basically the Miami Heat on steroids, with teams struggling to even get the ball past halfcourt on them, and then Team USA turning those turnovers to easy points. LeBron fits perfectly in that system, and his ballhandling/playmaking was also very valuable to that team as well. My team would be.... Rose/Paul/Deron Kobe/Wade LeBron/Melo Durant/Blake/Love Dwight/Chandler Wade was amazing in the 6th man role back in 2008, and I ain't gettin my hopes up of the coaching staff putting Kobe on the bench, so that's why I did that. Paul is a better player than Rose, but with Kobe and LeBron, his playmaking isn't really needed...I like Rose's athleticism and finishing ability instead. Durant is impossible to defend at the 4, and LeBron could take most of those defensive responsibilities if needed.

Yep...foot looks just fine.