2013-14 NBA thread v. Adam Silver Lays the Pipe on Donald Sterling ©2014antigoon

[Accelerando]

Goran Dragic might be one of my new favorite players....and I'm a Spurs fan. That's respect, right there.

[ReaPsTA]

The Pistons are considering hiring Isiah Thomas as their GM... Thomas along with Joe Dumars, this should end well.

It's not all bad.  This possibility is proof that the world isn't a meritocracy.

[antigoon]

supporting the new york knicks is a really good way to get yourself to consider how illogical and base team fandom can be.

[Syzzle]

[ReaPsTA]

Charlotte's the 6th best defense in the league by rating.  Scoring 61 points on them on 66% shooting is insane.

[Dimitrius]

supporting the new york knicks is a really good way to get yourself to consider how illogical and base team fandom can be.

I'm guessing you read that Mist3k article on Grantland

[black_biff_stadler]

Fucking amazing

[antigoon]

supporting the new york knicks is a really good way to get yourself to consider how illogical and base team fandom can be.

I'm guessing you read that Mist3k article on Grantland

I have now! Side note: I love netw3rk. One of the funniest people I follow on twitter, sports or not. *especially* when the Knicks suck.

[ReaPsTA]

When it comes to people, maybe you can never know.

For whatever reason, I figured Dwight Howard's attitude came from a general lack of willingness to take anything seriously.  He didn't want the responsibility of it.

Nope.  Turns out his mom lost seven siblings before him to miscarriages. 

I was two months premature. Very, verry small baby...

I wasn’t supposed to be here. I made it! So, I’m happy. I’m going to smile. I’m going to enjoy my life.  I’m going to have fun, because I wasn’t supposed to be here.

I'm not trying to talk about how great a guy Dwight Howard is (how many illegitimate children does he have?).  But remember how a year ago he was universally regarded as an immature dipshit?  As someone who felt the same way, I find it hard to believe.

[Jaq]

This was me watching the coverage of the 61 point game by James:

ESPN: LEBRON GOES FOR SIXTY ONE AGAINST CHARLOTTE. HE IS THE KING. HE IS THE GREATEST
Me: He isn't even the only person to go for sixty this year.
ESPN: GIVE HIM THE MVP! PRAISE LEBRON FOR HIS GREATNESS!
Me: Hell, Carmelo Anthony went for more against the same team
ESPN: SHUT IT, JAQ. HERE'S A TWO MINUTE VIDEO OF WHY LEBRON JAMES IS A SUPERHERO.
Me: *changes the channel*

I wish I was lying about ESPN spending two minutes calling him a superhero, by the way. I don't think even Lebron James likes that shit.

[KevShmev]

Imagine if Michael Jordan had played during this era of social media and ESPN bludgeoning everything to death.  Well, first off, he would have been torn to shreds early in his career when he was winning MVPs and no titles, but the fellating once he started winning titles every year would have made the love fest for LeBron James look like a $4 appetizer.

[black_biff_stadler]

I can't believe no one else has given Syzzle's pic any love. That thing's a fucking gem.

[Accelerando]

Imagine if Michael Jordan had played during this era of social media and ESPN bludgeoning everything to death.  Well, first off, he would have been torn to shreds early in his career when he was winning MVPs and no titles, but the fellating once he started winning titles every year would have made the love fest for LeBron James look like a $4 appetizer.

Jesus, Michael would probably go for 45-60 pts once a week in his prime if he was playing in the current NBA era. The lack of defense, or rather hard as nails defense, in todays game is staggering. I miss the good ol days when a layup or a dunk was EARNED.

[ReaPsTA]

Imagine if Michael Jordan had played during this era of social media and ESPN bludgeoning everything to death.  Well, first off, he would have been torn to shreds early in his career when he was winning MVPs and no titles, but the fellating once he started winning titles every year would have made the love fest for LeBron James look like a $4 appetizer.

MJ liked gambling, being an asshole to team mates, smoking cigars, staying up late, and women who aren't his wife.  The media would have killed him.

[Azyiu]

@ Pacers the team... if you still think you are the #1 seeded team in the east, and/or you still think you are going to beat the Heat this year? Either wake up or think again. 

In the past 6 games (actually you only had ONE dominating game over the lowly Lakers in the past 10 games or so), you barely beat the Celtics, Bucks and Jazz, and followed it up with a 3-game losing streak. I see no killer instinct in y'all, nor I feel any fire in your performance of late. 

[ReaPsTA]

Pacers need to hit the panic button.

[Jamesman42]

No, they can start sucking now. Heat gonna 3-peat

[KevShmev]

Eh, it's just a bad stretch, which all teams go through at some point - hell, OKC lost three in a row recently, too - but the Heat have slowly been getting closer to the Pacers in the standings, and while the Heat have lost their last two as well, I'll be shocked if they don't overtake the Pacers here very soon and end up as the 1 seed in the East.

[ReaPsTA]

Credit to the Heat - They did a good job realizing that they couldn't coast the regular season.  In spite of the Pacers woes, you simply can't face them in a Game 7 at home.

[dparrott]

Wow.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/minnesota-republican-lawmaker-sends-racist-tweet-about-nba-p

Aside from the stupid end part, really?  Nobody would notice their NBA team is gone?  What...this is some start-up league or something?  NBA attendance is that low?  All that's on the sports channels now is basketball.  Dumbass.

[black_biff_stadler]

Man, the Clippers are playing some of the most sloppy, scared ball I've ever seen a team play in a game where they held a 20+ point lead.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Imagine if Michael Jordan had played during this era of social media and ESPN bludgeoning everything to death.  Well, first off, he would have been torn to shreds early in his career when he was winning MVPs and no titles, but the fellating once he started winning titles every year would have made the love fest for LeBron James look like a $4 appetizer.

Jesus, Michael would probably go for 45-60 pts once a week in his prime if he was playing in the current NBA era. The lack of defense, or rather hard as nails defense, in todays game is staggering. I miss the good ol days when a layup or a dunk was EARNED.

The defense in today's NBA is actually really good, just not as physical. The pace is also slower, so part of me thinks it'd be harder to average 35+ PPG nowadays.

[Syzzle]

The defense in today's NBA is better than the 80's and 90's. The Pistons from the mid 00's and the 08 Celtics are some of the best defensive teams of all time if not the best, but people just look at all the great centers back then and how physical it was and assume that it was better.

[j]

More contact allowed is an advantage that largely favors defense.  Rule changes in the NBA have decreased physicality and the focus of defenses has thus changed.  You have guys intentionally falling down and undercutting players rather than contesting shots or holding their position.  In my opinion, this cheapens the game and makes defenses generally less "tough," but admittedly makes for a more accessible and palatable viewing experience.

However, I wouldn't make a definitive statement about defenses being "better" or "worse" in a certain era as the preceding posters have, because there's no frame of reference.  We can't compare across eras, although it's fun to speculate about what MJ would have done in today's NBA.  He probably would have developed as a completely different player.

-J

[ReaPsTA]

One one hand, the defenses now aren't as physical as they were back then.

On the other hand, they weren't nearly as sophisticated and disciplined.  Watch a defense from an old NBA game.  No one knows where to go or where to rotate.

[Dimitrius]

https://www.youtube.com/user/GrantlandNetwork

People making a lot of fuss because Nash was honest and straight up said he didn't want to retire because he wants the last 9.7 million on his contract. A lot of Lakers fan calling for him to retire.

Well, the best of both worlds is for the Lakers to use the "stretch provision" on his contract and basically make him retire. He'll still get his 9.7, in three 3.23 million payments for the next three years and only that 3.23 affects the Lakers cap for the next years.

[antigoon]

This just in: water is wet.

Fans are stupid.

[ReaPsTA]

I hate when people say "Oh, he's just doing it for the money."  Well, would you do your job if they weren't paying you?  Nope.  Just because Nash's job is really cool doesn't mean it isn't a job.

[Jamesman42]

Heat, wat r u  doin

[antigoon]

healthy dose of not giving a fuck before the playoffs, you know.

[Accelerando]

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker have just won their 491st game together. As of now, they are the second most successful big 3, but by early next season, they will surpass Bird, McHale, and Parish to be the greatest trio in the history of the game. I love my Spurs!

[contest_sanity]

What about MJ, Pippen, and...
 
And......

Ok, point taken, lol

[Syzzle]

 

[ReaPsTA]

Kobe's legacy is going to be fascinating.

Will people remember the five rings?  The insane work ethic?  The intelligence?  The ability to play "the game"?  The way he wanted his teammates to be just as intense as him.  The way he understood, if only a little bit, that it was valuable to listen to Phil's coaching?  The fact he's probably a top 10 all-time player?

Or will they remember the 48 million dollar extension that killed the Lakers' chances at another title with him?  The fact he won his titles with Shaq and Pau?  The way he wasn't very good both finals he played against Boston?  The fact that his clutch shooting was actually terrible?  The selfishness?  The meanness?  The ego?

I'd prefer we remember both.  If I had to pick between one or the other, I'd prefer the latter.  I suspect that, if forced to pick one, the public will remember the former.

[King Postwhore]

It will be his legacy.

Nobody talks about the power struggle with Shaq and himself anymore.