Official Offseason News and Rumors

[Hambombs]

So is it safe to say the Heat won't be building a statue of LeBron anytime soon?

I built a statue of lebron and steph curry and Kevin love together for next year when they team up together

 

[WiggyRuss]

The heat big 3 was better on paper but they still didn't crack 60 wins. Id say cavs win 57-58

the Cavs won 66 games one year with a roster not nearly as talented as the one they will have this year....athletes with young legs are the key to getting the most out of Lebron

 

[Wamu]

So untrue.

1. I've been very critical of some of James' actions while on the Heat.

2. I have never questioned his talent and still don't.

3. I have never questioned his rights/decisions as a FA and still don't.

4. I have always defended his choice of doing The Decision show. Was it the wisest decision? No.
But it hurt nobody other than him.

5. I have always defended the Heats fan celebration party, and understood anything ever said or done there was directed at Heat fans.

The countries reaction to numbers 4&5 truly showed who was butt hurt.

Hey no more explanation needed. You just seem a little PO'd that he left the Heat. Of course I could be wrong but then again right under your name it does say...F LeBron. Anyway I'd rather talk about something else, how much longer will the Celtics suck?

 

[Wamu]

the Cavs won 66 games one year with a roster not nearly as talented as the one they will have this year....athletes with young legs are the key to getting the most out of Lebron

That '09 Cavs squad was loaded! Just check these household names out...Tarence Kinsey, Trey Johnson & Darnell Jackson. And who could forget all the super clutch shots Mo Williams & Delonte West hit?

 

[Wamu]

I built a statue of lebron and steph curry and Kevin love together for next year when they team up together

I heard that same rumor. Isn't Phil gonna leave the Big Apple to coach the Warriors once that happens?

 

[WiggyRuss]

Hey no more explanation needed. You just seem a little PO'd that he left the Heat. Of course I could be wrong but then again right under your name it does say...F LeBron. Anyway I'd rather talk about something else, how much longer will the Celtics suck?

i like the Celtics strategy of, in a league where perimeter shooting is more and more and more important- that they focus on guards that cannot shoot from the perimeter- Rondo, Bradley, Smart....while all 3 can play very good D and have skills- you GOTTA have shooters in todays NBA- and the Celtics outside shooting is atrocious.

 

[trojanfan12]

You apparently don't know much about basketball. The Spurs play great TEAM defense. Yes, you're about to have some talent on the Cavs roster once Love is traded. But as Turnup mentioned a few posts back, Shane Battier even said it after the Heat lost - defense wins championships. No team who's not in the top 10 in defense, isn't winning the title. Why do you think Lakers fans were so pissed when D'Antoni was their coach? Because he didn't believe in team defense.

You have no idea what Blatt is going to bring to the team as far as defense is concerned. But yeah, the Cavs should easily shatter the 96 Bulls record of 72 games won in a season.

What's the saying? "Offense sells tickets. Defense win championships." If you could combine a D'Antoni offense with a Thibs defense, you'd have an unbeatable team.

I understand Cavs fans excitement and it's reminiscent of how everyone reacted and how excited Heat fans were when Lebron/D-Wade/Bosh decided to team up. People were talking about the Lakers 33 game win streak and the Bulls 72 win season being in jeopardy.

I see Cavs fans trying to say that this team will somehow be better and therefore, should fare better than the Heat did in their first season. However, there are 3 key differences that I see that make the Heat better in their first season than the Cavs are likely to be.

1.) Defense - The Heat big 3 were known to be good to great defenders. When the 3 best offensive players on your team, are also the best defenders on your team, it makes the team much more difficult to beat. Also, if the best players on the team are willing defenders, the role players follow that lead. Of the Cavs big 3, only Lebron is known to be a good to great defender.

2.) Coaching - No one is going to claim that Spo is a great coach, but while he was inexperienced, he wasn't a rookie head coach like Blatt. Regardless of how good Blatt is, he will still need time to adjust NBA level play and coaching. Additionally, Spo had Pat Riley to mentor him and to bounce things off of. Who is Blatt going to have for that? Dan Gilbert?

3.) Experience - Lebron, Wade and Bosh had several years of NBA experience under their belts when they came together. Additionally, D-Wade had already won a title, Lebron had played in the finals and Bosh had been to the playoffs a couple of times. On the Cavs, only Lebron has ever made the playoffs, let alone won anything.

Even with those 3 key differences all in their favor, the Heat were unable to completely gel in time to win a title in that 1st season.

 

[Wamu]

[/B]

i like the Celtics strategy of, in a league where perimeter shooting is more and more and more important- that they focus on guards that cannot shoot from the perimeter- Rondo, Bradley, Smart....while all 3 can play very good D and have skills- you GOTTA have shooters in todays NBA- and the Celtics outside shooting is atrocious.

I really thought the C's were gonna draft Randle. I hope Smart works out for them.

 

[trojanfan12]

Its as easy for you to call me naive as it is for me to call you bitter and cynical.

The best they could promise was to try and get Love. It is definitively clear that LeBron committed to the cavs with complete uncertainty about the possibility of playing with Love.

I forget who it was, but one of the Heat fans on here, posted a pretty eye-opening article by Adrian Wojnarowski re: how things were in Cleveland when he was there the 1st time. You may want to ask for that to be re-linked and then read it.

After reading it, I'd be interested to see if you still think Lebron is "hands off" re: the FO.

 

[gordontrue]

I forget who it was, but one of the Heat fans on here, posted a pretty eye-opening article by Adrian Wojnarowski re: how things were in Cleveland when he was there the 1st time. You may want to ask for that to be re-linked and then read it.

After reading it, I'd be interested to see if you still think Lebron is "hands off" re: the FO.

yeah, I'd be interested to read it

 

[Hambombs]

Coach nick from bballbreakdown. Breaks down Steve Kerrs offense.says no way we should be only 12th in offense next year. He also said if everyone buys in that he sees us as title contenders no question. Good video IMO
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qY6_bHropV8

 

[bksballer89]

Coach Nick is an assclown

 

[WiggyRuss]

yeah, I'd be interested to read it

Lebron and his boys had every request granted- but lebron stayed out of the front office stuff- the front office actually WANTED MORE help from lebron in recruiting and bringing guys in but at that time it didnt happen

a lot of the local guys ahve been already making it a big deal considering how much lebron lobied for miller to come here and how alreay - just one guy making 2.6 million or whatever is more than lebron did last time he was here

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

the Cavs won 66 games one year with a roster not nearly as talented as the one they will have this year....athletes with young legs are the key to getting the most out of Lebron

James used to play max energy almost every minute on the court.

Effort over talent often determines regular season wins, and explains why the Heat were so bad vs -.500 teams last season.

Since the Cavs are new, and will need to find there way, I imagine he will play interested at first and maybe longer then we have seen the last couple of seasons.

I simply don't think they are a good enough team to win 75% of there games, regardless.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

yeah, I'd be interested to read it

As a member of the Cavaliers, members of James’ entourage – including business manager Maverick Carter and close friend Randy Mims – have enjoyed a high level of access in Cleveland. Mims was given a role as player liaison with the team and others have reportedly enjoyed many flights on the team plane. But with the possibility of James leaving, these privileges were thought to have been at risk – something that the Chicago Daily Herald confirms would be the case if James were to head to the windy city.

With the Bulls stating that they will not cater to James’ friends and business partners, it provided a stark contrast to what the two-time MVP saw earlier.

Report: Bulls Will Not Give LeBron James? Friends Special Privileges


It was also made known to James that the Heat would take care of his friends the same way the Cavs did -- special treatment at the arena, changing practice and travel schedules to allow for money-making late-night parties in various cities, and perhaps even hiring a James associate in a high-paying position in the organization.

This was nothing new for Riley. He made the same accommodations for Shaquille O'Neal and, to a lesser extent, Wade in recent years.

Inside 'The Decision': Miami's coup was a 'surprise' built on long-coveted goal of James, Wade and Bosh | cleveland.com

From Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski to managing director Jerry Colangelo to NBA elders, the issue of James' immaturity and downright disrespectfulness had become a consuming topic on the march to the Olympics. The course of history could've changed dramatically, because there was a real risk that James wouldn't be brought to Beijing based on fears his monumental talents weren't worth the daily grind of dealing with him.

When the mandate had been to gather these immense egos and get the NBA's greatest players to fit into a program, no one had a more difficult time meshing into the framework than James. Other players made it a point to learn the names of staffers and modestly go about their business without barking orders and brash demands.

No one could stand James as a 19-year-old in the 2004 Athens Olympics, nor the 2006 World Championships. Officials feared James could become the instigator of everything they wanted to rid themselves for the '08 Olympics. For as gifted as James was, Krzyzewski and Colangelo subscribed to a belief that with Kobe Bryant(notes) joining the national team in 2007, they could win a gold medal in '08 with or without LeBron James. Behind the scenes, officials had taken to calling James' inner circle, "The Enablers." No one ever told him to grow up. No one ever challenged him. And yet, James was still a powerful pull for his teammates, and everyone had to agree they could no longer let his bossy and belittling act go unchecked. These weren't the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Team USA wasn't beholden to him.

After the NBA witnessed the behavior of James and his business manager Maverick Carter during the 2007 All-Star Weekend, the commissioner's office sent word to USA Basketball the league wouldn't force James on them for the Olympics. Before Team USA gathered for the 2007 Tournament of the Americas in Las Vegas, an unmistakable message had been delivered to James through Nike: Unless you change, we're serious about leaving you home.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/inside-look-lebrons-free-agent-201700258--nba.html

 

[Hambombs]

Coach Nick is an assclown

lol

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

I really thought the C's were gonna draft Randle. I hope Smart works out for them.

Is David Kahn the new GM in Boston?

That would be the only logical explanation on why they have a roster full of pg's .

Hell, even Olynk used to run the point until he had a 7 inch growth spurt .

I don't understand why they think Bradley, Smart and Rondo can co-exist.

There has to be a trade coming.

 

[Wamu]

Is David Kahn the new GM in Boston?

That would be the only logical explanation on why they have a roster full of pg's .

Hell, even Olynk used to run the point until he had a 7 inch growth spurt .

I don't understand why they think Bradley, Smart and Rondo can co-exist.

There has to be a trade coming.

I'm not sure who the current GM of the C's is. I thought it was Danny Ainge but when I looked it up on nba.com they don't even have a GM listed, just an assistant GM. And as far as a trade I have been expecting Ainge to deal Rondo for a while now. I know his injury got in the way but I wouldn't be surprised (I know I keep saying that) if he's finally dealt sooner rather than later. Hey how about Rondo for CP3?

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

I'm not sure who the current GM of the C's is. I thought it was Danny Ainge but when I looked it up on nba.com they don't even have a GM listed, just an assistant GM. And as far as a trade I have been expecting Ainge to deal Rondo for a while now. I know his injury got in the way but I wouldn't be surprised (I know I keep saying that) if he's finally dealt sooner rather than later. Hey how about Rondo for CP3?

There isn't a place on earth :globe: that you can hide from me, Mofo.

I thought he might get sent to the Rockets.

But, they have jack shit on their roster to offer after letting Parson's walk for nothing.

 

[Wamu]

There isn't a place on earth :globe: that you can hide from me, Mofo.

I thought he might get sent to the Rockets.

But, they have jack shit on their roster to offer after letting Parson's walk for nothing.

So I guess Rondo for CP3 isn't a good trade to you? I wonder if Ainge would try & trade him to another E conference team?