Official Offseason News and Rumors

[Andresrenee]

Now it's fixed, but it wasn't fixed when Pierce, Allen, and KG teamed up or James, Bosh, and Wade. C'mon man get a hold of yourself.

I watch the NBA. I don't think its fixed otherwise, I would not watch. The Celtics coming together and getting Beantown a title was viewed by the casual fan as being a fix. Same with Lebron finally winning the rings in Miami with the Big 3. I know it is hard for you to comprehend what I am writing. Everything is not a shot. That being said, I am very interested to see how the Cavs handle the pressure of going from the # 1 pick to favorites.

 

[trojanfan12]

I am saying that i agree with the owers and league executives and Stern that vetoed the deal. If that puts me in the minority on this board in regards to the "fairness" of that trade i am comfortable in that position

I apologize if it was meant as anymore then that.

To be honest- I think the Lakers had their first positive offseason in nearly half a decade this offseason in getting Randle who i didnt think had a CHANCE of being there at 7 and i wouldve considered taking him 3rd in the draft-

the Ed Davis move I think was awesome- i think that kid has talent and is getting paid nothing

and boozer at a 3.5 million is actually really good- if not for the fact that he will be blocking Davis and Randle

even the Lin thing i think is good since they got a 1st rounder out of it and maintanied their cap flexibility


BUT- that doesnt mean that they are not even close to being a contender- which if anyone is honest knows they are not- but at least they are starting to take steps in the right direction

Only 2 owners complained about that trade, Gilbert and Cuban. Stern vetoed it because the league owned the New Orleans franchise and losing CP3 hurt the value of the team because he was the biggest name involved. Stern wanted to get as much as he could for that team. That is why he stepped in and vetoed the trade. If the team had already been sold, the trade would have gone through.

Every expert at the time said the deal was a fair one.

I agree with the rest of your post. I would have loved to see the Lakers get one of the "big ticket items", but in the end, they went where most figured they would. The Lakers got some solid to potentially very good pieces, but they ain't winning any titles this year, so I'm most happy that they maintained cap flexibility.

Mitch has been preaching patience, but we Lakers fans tend to struggle with that particular virtue.

 

[DJ Fieri]

The thing about the Cavs is the HC, Blatt. I liked the hire because it was better than a retread and he is a winner, but the truth is he will be a rookie HC in the NBA and we just don't know how he'll do.

 

[trojanfan12]

Now it's fixed, but it wasn't fixed when Pierce, Allen, and KG teamed up or James, Bosh, and Wade. C'mon man get a hold of yourself.

Sheeeit, conspiracy theorists have been saying the league was fixed at least since Magic and Bird went to the Lakers and Celtics.

"The league is fixed" means "My team didn't get the guy I wanted them to".

 

[DJ Fieri]

Only 2 owners complained about that trade, Gilbert and Cuban. Stern vetoed it because the league owned the New Orleans franchise and losing CP3 hurt the value of the team because he was the biggest name involved. Stern wanted to get as much as he could for that team. That is why he stepped in and vetoed the trade. If the team had already been sold, the trade would have gone through.

Every expert at the time said the deal was a fair one.

I agree with the rest of your post. I would have loved to see the Lakers get one of the "big ticket items", but in the end, they went where most figured they would. The Lakers got some solid to potentially very good pieces, but they ain't winning any titles this year, so I'm most happy that they maintained cap flexibility.

Mitch has been preaching patience, but we Lakers fans tend to struggle with that particular virtue.

That situation showed why it's a conflict of interest for the NBA to own a team.

 

[DJ Fieri]

I have to be up super early, night all.

 

[Andresrenee]

That situation showed why it's a conflict of interest for the NBA to own a team.

True...could be going back to the future with the Clippers if Sterling has not sold and the NBA votes him out. At that point, who owns the team? Could be another big mess.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I watch the NBA. I don't think its fixed otherwise, I would not watch. The Celtics coming together and getting Beantown a title was viewed by the casual fan as being a fix. Same with Lebron finally winning the rings in Miami with the Big 3. I know it is hard for you to comprehend what I am writing. Everything is not a shot. That being said, I am very interested to see how the Cavs handle the pressure of going from the # 1 pick to favorites.

I mean i totally understand why LeBron chose Miami over Cleveland a few years back- for years the Cavs had been trading picks for aging vets-and by the time LeBron left the Cavs roster was

Jamison and Shaq- both on their last legs

Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao before he got a jumpshot, and Daniel Gibson

and not much else- and on first round pick to add talent since it had been traded for Jamison----

now- if Love comes to the Cavs for say I will definitely understand him wanting to play with LeBron, Kyrie, Varejao, and whoever they have left after the trade---------

and while i dont agree with some reports that say the cavs can get love without wiggins- either the Cavs will have wiggins or waiters still on their team- both of which have their own level of pretty nice talent-

PLUS the Cavs have 3 first rounders next year-- and the Haywood contract which will be huge in bringing in one more talented player once they see what they need......


why would Love NOT want to go to Cleveland is my question? to me it makes so much sense- especialyl because like i said above- anywhere else he is THE MAN with a ton of pressure on his shoulders- in Cleveland he is the 2nd banana in a conference where they can WALK to the ECF and likely make the Finals without much problem unless rose comes back fully healthy which is by no means guaranteed after what we have seen from him the last couple years

 

[trojanfan12]

what i do know is that Scola and Odom were in their 30's and no matter what happened- crack habit or not- would be on the down-swing of their careers and both were being paid a lot of money-

and again- Pau went to Houston- not NO

Lamar and Scola were both 30 at the time. You know, basically the same age that Lebron will turn this season. So, they had a good 2, possibly 3 years before they truly started to decline.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

That situation showed why it's a conflict of interest for the NBA to own a team.

No way, Stern was an awesome commish bro.

 

[trojanfan12]

No way, Stern was an awesome commish bro.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Lamar and Scola were both 30 at the time. You know, basically the same age that Lebron will turn this season. So, they had a good 2, possibly 3 years before they truly started to decline.

odom was 31 in the summer of 2011- and James is 29 right now in the summer of 2014

 

[trojanfan12]

odom was 31 in the summer of 2011- and James is 29 right now in the summer of 2014

That's right, I was thinking the trade was 2010, but it was 2011. Lebron turns 30 this December. In your post, you make is sound like Scola and Lamar were 34 or 35. Lamar was basically 1 year older than Lebron is now and Scola was less than a year older.

 

[WiggyRuss]

That's right, I was thinking the trade was 2010, but it was 2011. Lebron turns 30 this December. In your post, you make is sound like Scola and Lamar were 34 or 35. Lamar was basically 1 year older than Lebron is now and Scola was less than a year older.

I think LeBron at 29 has already started to decline in some ways- he is no longer the guy that can do the crazy chase-down blocks on a nightly basis that he was at 24 that is for sure

but players like LeBron and Kobe make up for those losses in athletic ability with gains in other areas since they are positively brilliant- those are special cases

other guys that are mere mortals are not so lucky once they hit 30

all though- a guy like Andy Varejao who never has really relied on his athleticism to be good- guys like that- i think age a little better then the guys that rely on their athletic ability (cough cough dwade, cough)

 

[OutlawImmortal]

DWade is good in the post, I don't think he's as good as Kobe in terms of footwork but I wouldn't count Dwade out, doesn't he continuously fall down and get up like 20 times or something?

It was only a few years ago that he was trying to pull a Kobe by carrying a terrible team to the playoffs. It wasn't as hard as making the playoffs in the West but I remember watching those Heat playoff games, because Dwade was spectacular and a ton of fun to watch.

 

[WiggyRuss]

DWade is good in the post, I don't think he's as good as Kobe in terms of footwork but I wouldn't count Dwade out, doesn't he continuously fall down and get up like 20 times or something?

It was only a few years ago that he was trying to pull a Kobe by carrying a terrible team to the playoffs. It wasn't as hard as making the playoffs in the West but I remember watching those Heat playoff games, because Dwade was spectacular and a ton of fun to watch.

Dwade is one of the rare shooting guards- especially since he is not a big shooting guard, that can go in the post and deliver- that is true...but he doesnt have the outside shooting ability, or the size of a Lebron or the elbow game of a Kobe to stay truly great into his mid-thirties

Once LeBron hits 33-34 he can really just move to PF and be a brilliant PF that posts up more often and give up a little bit of his driving game--- and i think we will see his shooting continue to get better- all thoguh -he did shoot 40% from 3 this year which is down right amazing


especially since the best Kobe ever shot from 3 was his totally insane 02/03 season when he shot 38% - and the best Dwade ever shot from 3 was 32% in 08/09......Dwade just doesnt have the shooting ability- or the size to be a post up player, or the footwork to be an elbow player to stay brilliant into his mid thirties like Kobe and Bron do.....

 

[OutlawImmortal]

I can't argue Kobe's longevity, he holds the record for most consecutive 30 points games (7) for a player above the age of 34. (He sat out the 4th quarter of the 8th game with 27 points).

DWade played pretty well in the playoffs up until they met the Spurs and he decided to play defense like James Harden. In his defense though, having that type of style, and having to play all the way up and past the Finals for 4 years straight can't be easy on your body.

DWade actually shot 45% on total jumpshots compared to LeBron's 41%, since you wanna bring up weird percentages.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I can't argue Kobe's longevity, he holds the record for most consecutive 30 points games (7) for a player above the age of 34. (He sat out the 4th quarter of the 8th game with 27 points).

DWade played pretty well in the playoffs up until they met the Spurs and he decided to play defense like James Harden. In his defense though, having that type of style, and having to play all the way up and past the Finals for 4 years straight can't be easy on your body.

DWade actually shot 45% on total jumpshots compared to LeBron's 41%, since you wanna bring up weird percentages.

If I had to grade the current players in the NBA on a prediction of what their careers/legacies will look like when they are done I would go

True Greats
LeBron
Kobe
Duncan

those are easily the top 3....

the next tier gets tougher...i put the following guys in teh next tier

Definite Hall of Famers
Dirk
DWade
KG
CP3
Nash
Durant

and then the next tier
Probable Hall of Famers
Pierce
Melo
Bosh
Love
Aldridge
Howard
Parker
(Ginobili)??
(Gasol?)

next- young guys that are way too early to tell but have potential
P. George
Anthony Davis
D.Rose
D. Lillard
RW
KI
Cousins
Rondo
Curry

 

[LTCF]

I watch the NBA. I don't think its fixed otherwise, I would not watch. The Celtics coming together and getting Beantown a title was viewed by the casual fan as being a fix. Same with Lebron finally winning the rings in Miami with the Big 3. I know it is hard for you to comprehend what I am writing. Everything is not a shot. That being said, I am very interested to see how the Cavs handle the pressure of going from the # 1 pick to favorites.

Pressure? I think LeBrons been through the pressure before and he'll LEAD this team to the ECF's at the very least. So much for it being leaveland and the place where no free agents will ever sign and Kyrie will leave for greener pastures. The river hasn't caught fire for almost 50 years too and the symphony is still world class. Ice cream is pretty good too.

 

[LTCF]

As for fixes, of course the Boston title with KG, Pierce, and Allen was a fix. No GM in his right mind would trade KG to Boston for the trash the C's sent back to Minny. Unless that GM was a former Boston player (McHale) and friend of Ainge.