I LOVE hearing the crowd boo smugAsshole Stern every time he comes out.
I’m kind of on the balance with this draft class. On one hand this class has the potential to be a huge bust. Questionable talent going into the hands of dreadful teams with incompetent coaches and executives.
HOWEVER, it could easily be the reverse - this class could leave a large footprint on the NBA. One of the things that’s been emphasised with a lot of the guys has been their strong characters. Bradley Beal, for example, is an All-SEC scholar. Zeller is one of the top academic student athletes in the NCAA. Robinson’s story is heart-breaking and he’s in the process of gaining custody of his little sister. Davis, Gilchrist, Rivers and others have had that coaching discipline and you can see it in the model way they carry themselves.
From a pure basketball perspective you focus on Davis as the saving grace of this class. The ESPN guys have been comparing his potential to some of the greats. I’m saying be cautious with all these comparisons. Firstly, you don’t want to set unrealistic expectations for him coming into a pretty bad team where he’s going to be in a leadership role immediately. Secondly, let’s not forget about Oden, Olowakandi, (Bowie) and the numerous other celebrated NBA prospects, a large percentage of which are big guys, who haven’t/didn’t amount to much during their NBA careers.
[quote]sam_sneed wrote:
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Agreed, if Lin didnt come around he would have been let go that much sooner, and while agree to a certain extent the team began to tune him out, he began to give up himself. I gotta big bromance with Shump, he has the potential to be a difference maker type defender, one of the few players I have seen keep up with Rose, but he isnt due back until next January.[/quote]
I remember you were in Brooklyn from a sandwich thread a while back (great recommendation BTW). Curious how you feel about the Nets coming to town? They used to play 10 minutes from my house and now it looks like they’re in your neck of the woods. You going to throw them any support?[/quote]
I dont think it will take away from the Knick fan base in my age range…say 30 and above, but I think the next generation of fans and those in their younger 20s are going to look at the BK Nets as their team and the one they grew up rooting for. Brooklyn has become a very marketable name in itself, its become a real hotspot for transplants and fucking hipsters, add that with some real hardcore born and bred brooklyners along with the 12 net fans from Jersey and you could have a very good fan base.
I think you will have the old guard and new guard creating a pretty damn good rivalry against one another. I sure as hell can see myself arguing with a 20 year old net fan about bragging rights. If the Nets somehow get Howard and Williams here, which I really would love (seriously) man basketball would be an extremely viable sport in NY again for real fans of the game like you and I not just celebrities and suits.
I will give them support in the sense of going to games, its obviously easier for me. I plan on being at every Knick Net game in their arena. Im looking foward to it I guess lol.
EDIT
I can see it now, A 32 year old transplant from Ohio, wearing skinny jeans and BK Net Brooks Lopez jersey that he bought at the traded section in Modells young boy section with horned rim glasses and riding a razor scooter…
Im kinda happy the draft was devoid of international players, because I actually know who some of these players are and lets go Mo Harkless!
BREAKING NEWS
Sources: Dwight Howard wants trade to the Brooklyn Nets
[i] "Dwight Howard met with new Orlando Magic GM Rob Hennigan Friday, telling him he wants to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
Howard and Hennigan sat down face-to-face in Los Angeles, meeting for the first time since Hennigan became Orlando’s GM nearly two weeks ago.
Hennigan was noncommital when Howard told him he wants to be traded to Brooklyn, sources said." [/i]
^ meh
We heard he wanted a trade all season, this doesn’t really feel that different. It will big news once he actually changes teams.
You’re disappointed I posted the news before you lol
Getting a little bit slow there are we T-Nation’s Chris Broussard?
[quote]Gettnitdone wrote:
You’re disappointed I posted the news before you lol
Getting a little bit slow there are we T-Nation’s Chris Broussard?[/quote]
lol
Not really seeing it as news, that’s all.
*seeing it
You think the Raps will persuade Nash to join them? They just offered him 3 years / $36 mill.
^^^I don’t know, I think he’s probably more likely to join a contender. The only incentive for coming to Toronto would be for money and publicity (Canadian athlete playing in Canada).
[quote]therajraj wrote:
^^^I don’t know, I think he’s probably more likely to join a contender. The only incentive for coming to Toronto would be for money and publicity (Canadian athlete playing in Canada). [/quote]
He’s from BC tho, which may as well be another country. I could see him going to the heatles of knicks.
[quote]Aggv wrote:
He’s from BC tho, which may as well be another country. [/quote]
That’s not relevant.
The Raptors are marketed as CANADA’s team. There are plenty of Raptors fans all over the country, same goes for Blue Jay fans.
[quote]therajraj wrote:
^^^I don’t know, I think he’s probably more likely to join a contender. The only incentive for coming to Toronto would be for money and publicity (Canadian athlete playing in Canada). [/quote]
Raps bring over Valuncias (sp), sign Nash, use Calderon’s expiring to bring someone in, get something out of Ross this year… they could sneak into a playoff spot in the East. Maybe even use Bargs/Calderon as part of a trade for Gasol (throw in a 1st rd pick and maybe something else… gives LAL cap relief and a starting PG who can actually shoot and dish).
No championship contenders really need a PG and have room to sign him. You have teams like the Heat (have a need, but have no cap space) and teams like OKC/CHI/SAS (don’t need a PG). It’s not as simple as “sign with a championship contender”, there has to be a fit.
Howard apparently saying Magic blackmailed him into signing his extension. Good god when will his absurd behavior stop?
Also, looks like my Bulls are losing Asik due to the Rockets abusing the crap out of the Arenas Rule in the CBA. Offered him 5/5/15 over three years (instead of 8 per year) as a salary cap trick that makes it virtually impossible for the Bulls to keep him.
Edit: Seen writers saying that same salary cap trick could be used by someone to get Lin from the Knicks.
^ Well, unless you count Dallas.
Why would the Raptors want Gasol and why would they trade away Bargnani? He was having an all star type season before he was riddled with injury.
[quote]therajraj wrote:
^ Well, unless you count Dallas.
Why would the Raptors want Gasol and why would they trade away Bargnani? He was having an all star type season before he was riddled with injury.
[/quote]
Because Gasol is a much better player. The last 2 years, Bargnani has averaged less than 6boards/game (pathetic for 7-footer), been a bad defender (doesn’t protect the rim or rotate), shot below average from 3 (supposedly his saving grace)… should I go on?
Bargs is well above average, but if you replace him with Gasol you have a better team.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
Because Gasol is a much better player. The last 2 years, Bargnani has averaged less than 6boards/game (pathetic for 7-footer), been a bad defender (doesn’t protect the rim or rotate), shot below average from 3 (supposedly his saving grace)… should I go on?
Bargs is well above average, but if you replace him with Gasol you have a better team.[/quote]
You’re missing my point.
Yes Gasol is currently the better player. But what do the Raptors gain by making the team immediately better this year vs down the road? Bargnani is turning 27 this year while Gasol will be 32. Tell me, 3 years down the road when the Raptors other pieces mature, who will be putting up better numbers, a 35 year old Gasol, or a 30 year old Bargnani?
Bargnani is entering his peak years while Gasol is leaving his.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
Raps bring over Valuncias (sp), sign Nash, use Calderon’s expiring to bring someone in, get something out of Ross this year… they could sneak into a playoff spot in the East. Maybe even use Bargs/Calderon as part of a trade for Gasol (throw in a 1st rd pick and maybe something else… gives LAL cap relief and a starting PG who can actually shoot and dish).
No championship contenders really need a PG and have room to sign him. You have teams like the Heat (have a need, but have no cap space) and teams like OKC/CHI/SAS (don’t need a PG). It’s not as simple as “sign with a championship contender”, there has to be a fit.[/quote]
Thats gotta be dream scenario for Gasol, actually
Just imagine running with Bryant/Bynum vs running with Nash/anyone
[quote]therajraj wrote:
[quote]scj119 wrote:
Because Gasol is a much better player. The last 2 years, Bargnani has averaged less than 6boards/game (pathetic for 7-footer), been a bad defender (doesn’t protect the rim or rotate), shot below average from 3 (supposedly his saving grace)… should I go on?
Bargs is well above average, but if you replace him with Gasol you have a better team.[/quote]
You’re missing my point.
Yes Gasol is currently the better player. But what do the Raptors gain by making the team immediately better this year vs down the road? Bargnani is turning 27 this year while Gasol will be 32. Tell me, 3 years down the road when the Raptors other pieces mature, who will be putting up better numbers, a 35 year old Gasol, or a 30 year old Bargnani?
Bargnani is entering his peak years while Gasol is leaving his. [/quote]
Given what Tim Duncan did this year, I’m not sure it’s that cut and dry. Obviously Gasol isn’t quite the player Duncan is, but it proves he can still be very effective at age 35 and I’m just not sure Bargnani has proven he will consistently be above average at all. Even in his “breakout year” he was shooting 30% from three and averaging like 5.5 boards/game. Gasol will still be the better defender/passer/rebounder when he’s 35 than Bargs will be when he’s 30.
I also think the Raptors could manage his minutes better and keep him off the injury list. He could easily get back to being a 20ppg guy on a non-Kobe team as well.