NBA Discussion Thread*

[Aardor]

I give them at least 5 years to be competitive again (i.e. actually having a shot at the title).

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

The Suns could not win a championship for one simple reason: defense wins NBA Championships and they had ZERO. Incidentally, zero is also the number of championships they have ever won. All that "entertainment" got them was an early vacation every single year of their "dominance".

If you look at every NBA champ in the last 10 years+ you will notice they all played good team defense first and most had 1 go to guy that could put you away late (except Detroit of course).

[Ogbar]

I confess I don't follow basketball all that closely, and missed almost all of the playoffs except for some of the finals games, so forgive this question if it reeks of ignorance ... but I just have to ask it anyway: how in the world did that piece of shit Lakers team get past San Antonio?

[Aardor]

I confess I don't follow basketball all that closely, and missed almost all of the playoffs except for some of the finals games, so forgive this question if it reeks of ignorance ... but I just have to ask it anyway: how in the world did that piece of shit Lakers team get past San Antonio?

Ginobli was hurt, their non-star veterans are old (Horry, etc), and the Lakers were/are really good.

[Winnow]

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the Phoenix Suns center's use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language left him no choice. Arpaio made Shaq a special deputy in 2006 and promoted him to colonel of his largely ceremonial posse later that year.

"I want his two badges back," Arpaio told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they're fired. I don't condone this type of racial conduct."

Shaq was seen in a video posted on the celebrity news and gossip Web site TMZ.com rapping that "Kobe couldn't do without me." O'Neal skewers the Lakers' star, with whom he won three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002 while with Los Angeles, for not being able to win a championship without him.

"I was freestyling. That's all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever," O'Neal told ESPN.com Monday. A call to the Suns on Tuesday seeking comment from O'Neal was referred to his public relations firm, which didn't immediately respond.

Arpaio, who describes himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff" and is best known for feeding jail inmates green bologna, clothing them in pink underwear, and making them work on chain gangs, said he didn't expect his actions would teach Shaq a lesson. But he hoped he learns that as a role model who wants to someday be a full-time sheriff, he needs to know his words matter.

"Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I don't think that either conduct should be out there publicly, even if media wasn't there," Arpaio said.

O'Neal previously served as a reserve officer with the Miami Beach Police Department while playing for the Miami Heat. He also volunteered with the Tempe Police Department after being traded to the Suns in February.

I hate Joe Arpaio but I'm glad he did that. No badge for Shaq in AZ!

[Aardor]

The future of the Suns (holy crap you didn't sell draft picks!):

[Pherr the Dorf]

BD opts out... so does Brand (and Magette but who really cares)... now if the warriors could get Brand instead of Davis they could contend.

[Gzette]

LeBron may not be in Cleveland after next year.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3468173

It appears, judging from James' comments Monday, that the Nets might be James' preferred destination if he opts out of his contract in the summer of 2010 and becomes an unrestricted free agent.

James listed New York as his favorite city Monday (his hometown of Akron, Ohio came in fifth behind Washington D.C., Dallas, and Los Angeles) as he took part in a one-day USA Basketball media blitz, and he also gave an answer to a follow-up question that'll make Knicks president Donnie Walsh and head coach Mike D'Antoni cringe.

"My favorite borough? Brooklyn," James said, choosing the proposed future home of the New Jersey Nets over the borough of Manhattan, where the Knicks play their home games. "Brooklyn is definitely a great place here in New York City, and some of my best friends are from Brooklyn, so I stick up for them."

James is personal friends with the performer Jay-Z, who owns a small piece of the Nets, but James said that relationship would play no role in whether he decides to leave Cleveland -- either when his contract expires in 2011, or if he exercises his opt-out in 2010. The Nets made a major financial move on draft night to position themselves to make a maximum offer to James in the summer of 2010, shedding Richard Jefferson's contract when they dealt him to Milwaukee for Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian. If New Jersey chooses to trade Vince Carter for a player or players whose contracts expire before the summer of 2010, they'll have more than enough room to offer James a maximum salary.

The Knicks have also made clear that their No. 1 priority is to clear cap space for the summer of 2010 when James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade can all become unrestricted free agents. But they'll have to move Zach Randolph and at least one other player already under contract through 2010-11 -- Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries -- in order to get far enough below the cap to make James a max offer.

As a Mav fan, I'm excited Dallas even made his list. If he ended up there I would swoon. I would be happy if they sold off 2/3 of their payroll next year in preparation for getting James, Bosh or Wade. I mean, they already suck. If they could get any of those three and keep Dirk, that would be stupendous.

I don't think any of those three would go for the Knicks, with ho horrendous that organization has been run in the past few years. They're a joke.

[Pherr the Dorf]

we got nothin for BD

[Winnow]

An intentional foul should never benefit the team doing the fouling.

If a player is fouled away from the ball, that is an intentional foul. When you see a player bearhugging, another player away from the ball, that's an intentional foul. The rule should either be changed to allow any player on the team that's fouled to shoot the ball, or, give the team that is fouled the ball back after the free throws.

There's something seriously wrong with the rules when you see a player yelling for the referee's attention as he man rapes another player trying to foul him.

[Aardor]

Elton Brand to the 76ers!!!

[Winnow]

Elton Brand to the 76ers!!!

Word on the street is that Elton Brand screwed Baron Davis over. I guess they had an agreement so Davis came to the Clippers and then Brand bolted.

Nice move for the Sixers. Brand must not have read my Philly posts!

[Aardor]

Elton Brand to the 76ers!!!

Nice move for the Sixers. Brand must not have read my Philly posts!

Or maybe he wanted to go to a city that actually had a shot at winning a championship.

[Sueven]

Or maybe he wanted to go to a city that's a city instead of an overcrowded suburb

[Trek]

Some radio guy mentioned that the Clippers finished on average 29-30 games out of 1st since he was there.........I am guessing that and the $$$ was a good enough reason to leave, but im no bball guru.

[Pherr the Dorf]

BD at this point is better off resigning with the W's, he has noone to play with now that Brand/Magette are gone. CC Times saying he may not end up a Clipper

[Zamtuk]

I would just like to reiterate (not sure I've vented on this forum on this topic yet, though) that I really hate Duke. I went to UNC for 2 years, and grew a natural dislike for Duke as it was. But their alumni's behavior in the past few years is absolutely retarded. It started with Boozer telling LeBron James he would stay with them only to bolt for Utah for more money. (I'm not a Cavs fan, either) Then comes Brand who told BD that if he came to LA, he would stay, only to bolt for Philly for really, equal money, or close to it.

In short, fuck Duke.

[Sueven]

Then comes Brand who told BD that if he came to LA, he would stay, only to bolt for Philly for really, equal money, or close to it.

Brand denies that he told Baron anything of the sort. Baron has never claimed that he was told anything of the sort. Brand says that Baron told him to go to the place that was best for him.

The Boozer situation was different in that he had a team option at a cheap price, and the team chose to release him from his contract based on assurances that he would stay. The team, at their option, could have kept him another year. Brand had an early termination option, giving him the option to stay or go without the team having any say.

There are various unsubstantiated claims on both sides-- Brand claims that he was given a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum offer, some people on the Clippers side claim that Falk never gave best offer to Brand-- and we don't really know what the truth is about any of this crap.

Bottom line, I can see fans in LA feeling betrayed and pissed, and the whole thing is a little shady, but this is nowhere near a Boozer situation.

Of course, I am totally down with the Fuck Duke sentiment.

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

I would like to add: Fuck LA and fuck every team in Arizona!

[Gzette]

I would like to add: an offseason trade between 2 sub-par NBA teams is way more interesting than the greatest Wimbledon of all time

So are olympic swimming trials

[Winnow]

World Champion wNBA Phoenix Mercury

[Zamtuk]

lol women sports

[Aardor]

Camby to the Clippers for straight money (and a pick swap)....I follow their reasoning, getting under the salary cap and all. I just wonder if their plan is to try to pick someone else up, or are they going to run the same team as last year, but with even less D, maybe rebuilding around Carmelo when Iverson's contract runs out? Seems like a good move for the Clippers, given their situation.

I think Posey made a wise choice in signing with the Hornets. He got a good amount of money (slightly more than rumors stated the Celtics were going to offer him), and has a shot at a 3rd championship ring with the Hornets. I feel like he has more of a shot with the Hornets than the Celtics next year, with all of their already old players aging, but I wouldn't be too surprised to see the Celtics in the finals next year. Either way, who wouldn't want to play with Chris Paul?

In other news: A Walton is having ankle surgery, who would have guessed???

[Winnow]

Oooh, I like this for the Suns. Barnes' style of play will fit in nicely in Phoenix. (well would have, who knows with slug Shaq here now)

Suns near deal with Matt Barnes

The Arizona Republic

Free-agent forward Matt Barnes is scheduled to arrive in Phoenix Monday, expecting to sign a one-year veteran's minimum deal with the Suns after completing a physical.

Barnes, 28, spent the past two seasons in a mostly reserve role with the Golden State Warriors. He collected a career-best 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in the 2006-07 season. Last season, he averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.

General Manager Steve Kerr and coach Terry Porter talked with Barnes by phone last week from Las Vegas, where the Suns were in NBA Summer League action. The team likes his shooting touch, ball-handling and big-game experience.

In his seventh NBA season, Barnes is expected to make $1.2 million, but the Suns will pay only $797,000. The rest will come from a league fund.

Barnes, who is 6 feet 7 and 226 pounds, also has played for Philadelphia, New York, Sacramento and the Clippers since his college days at UCLA.

He has averaged 6.1 points per game over his career, shooting 32 percent from 3-point range.

If Barnes signs, the Suns will need to sign two more players to reach the 13-man roster minimum.

Finding a backup for point guard Steve Nash remains a priority.

Reports surfaced last week that second-round draft pick Goran Dragic had decided to stay in Europe, but a decision hasn't been made.

[Pherr the Dorf]

You'll like Barnes, hope he rebounds from the personal shit that plagued him last year. All in all the W's are a far deeper team and it should be fun to watch what Don Nelson can do with what appears to be a 10 man rotation. I predict 52 wins!!!! (so Nellie can tie Wilkens)

[Winnow]

Pick he Suns Dance Squad for next year:

http://www.nba.com/suns/dance/auditions08_vote.html

If another team had this option, I'd pick all the ugliest 16 for the Spurs just to screw over the fans.

Just sayin.