NBA Offseason 2009

[jon abbey]

If Artest starts taking all the 3s that Ariza used to take, he'll miss nearly all of them and trouble will ensue.

easy to be misled by the playoffs this year, but Artest had a decidedly higher shooting percentage from 3 this year. the question is if you can get him to take them within the flow of the offense or not.

[jon abbey]

so Dallas has resigned Kidd, signed Gortat (Orlando not expected to match), and is now angling for Shawn Marion. that doesn't make them a title team, but it does make them more of a factor:

Gortat
Nowitzki
Marion
Howard
Kidd

Terry, Barea, Dampier off the bench. that's a huge starting five to match up against, though.

[Captain Hate]

Yeah I was very impressed with how Kobe set Ariza up for incredible looks against Orlando, perhaps the most consistently selfless thing I've seen him do. I'm sure I was overly biased against Artest (who I like even though he's batshit crazy) from those clangers he was putting up in one game.

I'll be interested in how Gortat does; he definitely increased his marketability in the playoffs.

[Noj]

so Dallas has resigned Kidd, signed Gortat (Orlando not expected to match), and is now angling for Shawn Marion. that doesn't make them a title team, but it does make them more of a factor:

Gortat
Nowitzki
Marion
Howard
Kidd

Terry, Barea, Dampier off the bench. that's a huge starting five to match up against, though.

Is Matrix still as explosive as ever? Once his springs go, that ugly jumper of his won't extend his career.

Do you guys think Kidd could have helped the Knicks? I know he's a good floor general, but he's not exactly fleet of foot any more. I was surprised they were interested. I'd much rather have Devin Harris at this point.

[jon abbey]

Do you guys think Kidd could have helped the Knicks? I know he's a good floor general, but he's not exactly fleet of foot any more. I was surprised they were interested.

some people thought it was a decoy to try to keep people away from a big offer to David Lee, Donnie Walsh saying to the league "I'm not afraid to spend money against the 2010 cap" while knowing he wouldn't end up with the player. I think he could help most any team for one year, I don't know about three.

and he can't stop the quick PGs on D anymore, but to be honest, no one can under the current rules (witness Rondo and Derrick Rose toasting each other at will in the playoffs this year).

[The G Man]

and he can't stop the quick PGs on D anymore, but to be honest, no one can under the current rules (witness Rondo and Derrick Rose toasting each other at will in the playoffs this year).

That's true but the new Dallas lineup will be particularly susceptible to being killed by speedy PG's. A healthy Devin Harris (11 FTA/game in the 1st half of the season) also falls into that category. He torched Kidd in a game, too.

[Captain Hate]

I thought Kidd looked incredibly bad against Denver; throwing some of the most ill-advised passes I've ever seen any point guard make in the pros, let alone one of the "elites".

[Captain Hate]

Just when I thought I couldn't hate Nike even more: I want to witness the teabagging Goddammit!!!1eleventy!!

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball ... aab,175293

[Noj]

Biggest knocks on LBJ thus far:
1. Stating his desire to be the "first billionaire ballplayer."
2. Refusing to shake the Orlando Magic's hands after getting bounced from the playoffs.
3. Censoring footage of himself getting smashed on by some kid from Xavier. Forget "The King," he's the CIA!

[Mo Noyz]

That's one of the biggest problems when it comes to kids entering the Association fresh out of high school. They come into too much fame, fortune, and power before they're grown up enough to know what to do with it.

[jon abbey]

That's one of the biggest problems when it comes to kids entering the Association fresh out of high school. They come into too much fame, fortune, and power before they're grown up enough to know what to do with it.

this is true in most cases, but it's amazing to me how well LeBron is put together, considering he's the best player of his generation and has been since a very young age. if those things that noj listed are his biggest crimes in this age of hypersurveillance, he's doing pretty well.

[Mo Noyz]

That's a fair point.

[Noj]

if those things that noj listed are his biggest crimes in this age of hypersurveillance, he's doing pretty well.

Quoted for truth.

Gotta say this latest one is the most chump, though. He should have just laughed it off and said, "Yeah, the kid got me. He's got a bright future" or something like that. Did the Nike folks also confiscate the highlight of his four-step playoff game winner?

[Captain Hate]

Not to be too much of a blind homer but I blame those Nike fucksticks as least as much as LBJ. In fact after seeing the ballwash commercial they had primed for Fed upon winning Wimbledon I was *really* upset that Roddick didn't win (nothing against RF by saying that) or that somebody hadn't hacked in and showed one of their old Maroid Jones being a bitch commercials!!!

[Captain Hate]

[Captain Hate]

if those things that noj listed are his biggest crimes in this age of hypersurveillance, he's doing pretty well.

Quoted for truth.

Gotta say this latest one is the most chump, though. He should have just laughed it off and said, "Yeah, the kid got me. He's got a bright future" or something like that. Did the Nike folks also confiscate the highlight of his four-step playoff game winner?

I wish I could take credit for this but I read it elsewhere: This is the significant difference between LBJ and MJ: If that would've been MJ he'd have played that guy for hours until his fucking legs fell off and Jordan had dunked on him multiple times in highlight worthy manner, just to set straight who the man was while still not denying that he did get over on him, which can happen.

It doesn't diminish what I think of LeBron's skills but I wish he would've laughed it off in a "shit happens" way like Noj said.

[jon abbey]

Varejao gets his 6 year, $50 million deal from Cleveland after all, proving even more definitively how idiotic they were for not just giving him this two seasons ago and making him hold out for months, thereby fucking up their 2007-2008 season. it defies probability how badly they've built around LeBron, it really can't be said enough.

[Borat Pri Hagafen]

P.S. Nice job re-signing someone they really couldn't afford to lose.

[Enforcer]

Biggest knocks on LBJ thus far:
1. Stating his desire to be the "first billionaire ballplayer."
2. Refusing to shake the Orlando Magic's hands after getting bounced from the playoffs.
3. Censoring footage of himself getting smashed on by some kid from Xavier. Forget "The King," he's the CIA!

4. Wearing a NYY cap. If I'm a Cavs fan and he winds up playing for the Knicks, I drive to New York and run him over with my car.

[jon abbey]

P.S. Nice job re-signing someone they really couldn't afford to lose.

who they could have signed for less anytime in the last two seasons, but yeah.