Also perhaps randman was secretly a brilliant autistic psychic and he really meant the Lakers of 2012-2013 will be the best Laker team ever assembled.
Dwight Howard is the biggest douchebag in the league. He’s also probably the fakest dude there as well. A buddy emailed an article the other day talking about all of Howard’s illegitimate children (which is supposedly around 6), but he has a gag order on the mother of the one child he publicly acknowledges so she can’t ruin his finely crafted Christian image. This clown’s slimyness is at near unprecedented levels.
[quote]therajraj wrote:
I did read what you wrote, most of it is a criticism of “bottoming out”
You then went on to write about what current/recent models you liked with Chicago and Memphis being legitimate examples. I don’t particularly think the case you’ve tried to make is strong, especially when you compare the amount of teams that have been successful “bottoming out” vs acquiring a star later on.
I just think as bad as the track record of teams choosing to “bottom out” is, it’s still better than the method you mentioned. Neither example you had even made it to the NBA Finals.[/quote]
Not really fair since the teams I mentioned are still going - MEM got harassed by injuries so you can’t really judge their team from last year (incomplete grade) - and you’re really going to say Chicago model didn’t work because Rose blew out his ACL?
That was just off the top of my head, I would have to do some research, I’m positive it’s happened before.
Ironically the last time a number 1 pick has really given a franchise-changing player was when Orlando got Howard.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Dwight Howard is the biggest douchebag in the league. He’s also probably the fakest dude there as well. A buddy emailed an article the other day talking about all of Howard’s illegitimate children (which is supposedly around 6), but he has a gag order on the mother of the one child he publicly acknowledges so she can’t ruin his finely crafted Christian image. This clown’s slimyness is at near unprecedented levels.[/quote]
Hahahaha I knew you’d be thrilled.
^ haha, the guy is just such a douche that I almost want him to fail. From stealing Shaq’s identity, to his treatment of the Magic, to his fathering THREE illegitimate children during the SAME MONTH (Oct '10) to his fake holey roller act, the guy is just despicable. If karma exists, he’s fucked.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
Not really fair since the teams I mentioned are still going - MEM got harassed by injuries so you can’t really judge their team from last year (incomplete grade) - and you’re really going to say Chicago model didn’t work because Rose blew out his ACL?
That was just off the top of my head, I would have to do some research, I’m positive it’s happened before.[/quote]
Okay.
Even if we assume they both would’ve won championships the number of examples still tip heavily to one side.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
What a terrible trade and fuck the Lakers. I don’t know how their fans dealt with that horrible stretch where they didn’t make the third round of the playoffs for two whole years in a row before being title favorites again.[/quote]
Heh, it was a rough stretch no doubt.
It was a joke.
What’s actually funny, as numerous writers have already pointed out, is how this D12 deal essentially erases any lingering bitterness (from entitled LAL fans) over that whole “basketball reasons” veto. In other words, choose from the following:
Odom + Gasol for CP3
Odom + Bynum + picks for Nash, Howard
LAL brought in Eddie Jordan to install a Princeton-style offense. I know you didnt know that but now you do. 
[quote]therajraj wrote:
There won’t be enough touches to go around.[/quote]
A valid concern, but the way Bryant has embraced his complementary-type role on this 2012 Olympic squad is an encouraging development…
Furthermore, most of Lakers greats outside of Kobe have been acquired via trade, not draft or free agency. There is nothing preventing small market teams from competing in the trade market.
Kareem, Wilt, Shaq, Gasol (not a “great” but turned them from playoff-team to championship-team with Kobe).
There are only 2 teams that have been successful with the “intentionally bottoming out” model in the last 15 years:the Thunder, who got by far the best 2nd overall pick in the draft in NBA history, as well as SOMEHOW two more top-4 picks in consecutive years- it’s not a repeatable strategy!!!
And, the Magic, who drafted a player (Howard) so good that he took a team whose second best player was Jameer Nelson into the Finals. You could say it worked in that one instance, and they’ve been in the luxury tax with shitty teams ever since.
You can point to teams before that, but the CBA was so different it’s not comparable.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
^ haha, the guy is just such a douche that I almost want him to fail. From stealing Shaq’s identity, to his treatment of the Magic, to his fathering THREE illegitimate children during the SAME MONTH (Oct '10) to his fake holey roller act, the guy is just despicable. If karma exists, he’s fucked.[/quote]
Have you read his bio (on his own website)?
[quote]chillain wrote:
[quote]therajraj wrote:
There won’t be enough touches to go around.[/quote]
A valid concern, but the way Bryant has embraced his complementary-type role on this 2012 Olympic squad is an encouraging development…
[/quote]
Make no mistakes, this is still Bryant’s team. Him deferring in the Olympics to rest his body is completely different than him taking a backseat on his team. The real worry is whether Howard accepts his role as a rebounder and defender, or if he douches it up worse than Bynum 'cause he feels personally slighted. I do think Howard will (or at least should) benefit from Gasol’s interior passing. Teams are gonna have fits trying to double Gasol on the block now. You leave him alone and he gets buckets. You collapse, and he puts up to Howard for the lob, or kicks it out to Bryant or Nash for the jumper. Of everyone accepts their role, this team is scary. The only person you gotta worry about is Howard.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
^ haha, the guy is just such a douche that I almost want him to fail. From stealing Shaq’s identity, to his treatment of the Magic, to his fathering THREE illegitimate children during the SAME MONTH (Oct '10) to his fake holey roller act, the guy is just despicable. If karma exists, he’s fucked.[/quote]
Have you read his bio (on his own website)?
http://www.dwighthoward.com/bio[/quote]
Good God that was awful. Could only skim through and still think I caught face AIDS. He might be the douchiest douche who ever douched.
Oh no question, Bryant remains the closer/alpha dog. It just won’t have to be so many forced 20+ ft jumpers as the shot clock winds down (since everyone was standing around for :18 of the :24, ie. every 4th quarter of entire OKC series)
This is more what I was getting at, per ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard:
[quote]The Lakers wanted to add athleticism on the perimeter and while they didn’t necessarily do that, they did improve big-time at the guard and forward spots. Adding Nash without losing any of their top players was a straight-up coup. Nash will improve the Lakers in several ways.
First, his playmaking ability will balance out the Lakers’ offense and keep it from becoming too Kobe-centric. As great as Bryant was last season, he shot too much, pure and simple. He took 23 shots a game last season despite having two of the highest-scoring, most efficient big men in the league on his roster. No other player in the NBA – not LeBron James, not Kevin Durant – averaged even 20 shots.[/quote]
Reports that the Lakers also signed Meeks from the Sixers to be a backup for Kobe. I really like this signing. Add to that the addition of Duhon as a back up PG and our bench should be good this season.
I’ll be honest, I’ve kind of lost interest in the NBA, especially the offseason. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels immune to all these trades and changes. It all started after the ‘The Decision’ and offseason activity has seemed to be picking up momentum ever since then, almost to the point where it feels like everyone is trying to top the LBJ offseason every year. I really think it’s hurt the NBA, image wise at least (too much of a stretch to say financially, although the two are logically correlated).
The NBA product is comprised of the players and the players have been acting like disloyal and ignorant egomaniacs, disregarding the fans that make them what they are too profoundly (in my opinion).
What’s really happened this offseason? The teams that don’t need new interest and media attention got it with their moves (Brooklyn and LA), while a lot of teams have lost casual fans (ORL, DAL, NY (although not as much as sneed and Matty will contend), ATL, etc).
EDIT: I should add that those teams that did ‘lose out’ on players moving out have probably given themselves an opportunity in getting better in the short-medium term.
[quote]gregron wrote:
Reports that the Lakers also signed Meeks from the Sixers to be a backup for Kobe. I really like this signing. Add to that the addition of Duhon as a back up PG and our bench should be good this season.[/quote]
I like Meeks. That kid’s jumper is set on auto. Also, can we all finally agree that the NBA is fixed?
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
^ haha, the guy is just such a douche that I almost want him to fail. From stealing Shaq’s identity, to his treatment of the Magic, to his fathering THREE illegitimate children during the SAME MONTH (Oct '10) to his fake holey roller act, the guy is just despicable. If karma exists, he’s fucked.[/quote]
Have you read his bio (on his own website)?
http://www.dwighthoward.com/bio[/quote]
This can’t be his real website
BIO:
“Orlando Magic center Dwight David Howard Jr. is not just a basketball player. He is one of the most charismatic and thus popular basketball player on earth. His muscular physique resembles a 6â??11 bronze statue of Apollo. His resume belies his 24 years of age while reading like the first chapter of a sports monopoly. The home grown Atlanta, Georgian has pillared his brand on ferocious dunks and electric smiles.”
Holy Pau Gasol
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
[quote]gregron wrote:
Reports that the Lakers also signed Meeks from the Sixers to be a backup for Kobe. I really like this signing. Add to that the addition of Duhon as a back up PG and our bench should be good this season.[/quote]
I like Meeks. That kid’s jumper is set on auto. Also, can we all finally agree that the NBA is fixed?[/quote]
nope!
[quote]therajraj wrote:
Holy Pau Gasol[/quote]
He was tearing up Team USA today while I watched.