NBA Basketball 2006-07: The Thread

[speedracer]

it is quite comical to watch the celtics this year and listen to danny ainge say that they honeslty want to win now.

ummm yea.

It depends on what your definition of the word "win" is.

 

[thetitans2k]

All the Tyrus Thomas haters out there will enjoy this one:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-bulls-thomas&prov=ap&type=lgns

 

[Got Philk?]

Tyrus "free money" Thomas...


The more I see and hear him, the more I can't help but compare him to someone a NBA coach once called the dumbest player in the NBA, Stromile Swift.

 

[No spoken words]

Tyrus "free money" Thomas...


The more I see and hear him, the more I can't help but compare him to someone a NBA coach once called the dumbest player in the NBA, Stromile Swift.

The dumbest player ever, or at least the dumbest player of my lifetime was William Bedford, who was also a big bust. While with the Pistons, Detroit had the ball down like 1 or 2 with 10 seconds or so left....so, Isiah called a :30 secomd time out, and Bedford was asking Isiah afterwards how they could call a :30 second time out when there were only 10 seconds to go in the game.

Nice.

Bedford was part of one of the most interesting NBA drafts ever, the 1987 draft.

 

[speedracer]

The dumbest player ever, or at least the dumbest player of my lifetime was William Bedford, who was also a big bust. While with the Pistons, Detroit had the ball down like 1 or 2 with 10 seconds or so left....so, Isiah called a :30 secomd time out, and Bedford was asking Isiah afterwards how they could call a :30 second time out when there were only 10 seconds to go in the game.

Clearly, William Bedford forgot to get his cocaine fix before that game.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

All the Tyrus Thomas haters out there will enjoy this one:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-bulls-thomas&prov=ap&type=lgns

i don't really hate him, persay... i just think he's awful. my hate is more reserved for the toolbags who tried to sell to me how good he was.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The more I see and hear him, the more I can't help but compare him to someone a NBA coach once called the dumbest player in the NBA, Stromile Swift.

Originally posted by Headache in a Suitcase on 06-26-2006
tyrus thomas has stromile swift written all over him.

 

[Hewson]

Could the Grizz please win a few games?

Go Heat tonight!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

ok when i went back to that thread to find my tyrus thomas quote, i read about my complete hatred for the ben wallace signing... and how i felt it was an isiah like move and was one of the worst contracts ever given.

let's look at the numbers and see how those comments stack up now that we're just about at the midway point of the season...

ben wallace - 6.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.1 bpg
tyson chandler - 7.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg

and just for shits and giggles
eddy curry - 19.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 0.5 bpg
david lee - 11.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 0.3 bpg

now chicago is just 2 games behind the pistons... yet again, they're just 5 games out of the lottery (welcome to the eastern conference).

last year the bulls gave up 97.2 points per game, averaged 41.7 rebounds per game, 7.5 steals per game and 5.1 blocks per game.

this year the bulls are giving up 94.4 points per game, averaging 41.6 rebounds per game, 7.7 steals per game and 5.1 blocks per game.

so ben wallace's replacing of tyson chandler has provided the following statistical changes...

2.8 fewer points allowed, 0.1 fewer rebounds per game, 0.2 more steals per game, 0.0 more blocks per game.

ben wallace's key stats over the past three seasons...

2004-2005 - 9.7 ppg, 12.2 rbg, 2.4 bpg
2005-2006 - 7.3 ppg, 11.3 rbg, 2.2 bpg
2006-2007 - 6.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.1 bpg

so let's gaze into our crystal ball here...
2007-2008 - 5.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.0 bpg
2008-2009 - 4.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.8 bpg
2009-2010 - 3.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 bpg

15+ million per year certainly doesn't buy what it used to.

 

[LMP]

It's really frustrating to watch the Magic right now. When they get everyone back (Hill, Dooling, Ariza, and Battie) they'll be in business.

Atleast Redick is getting some playing time and Arroyo is looking good for the market.

 

[namkcuR]

Battie?

You're blaming your team's troubles on the absence of Tony Battie?

 

[Got Philk?]

The Bulls could use Battie I think. He might be the the final piece of the puzzle. Another big man who doesn't score much. We need more of them.

 

[LMP]

Battie?

You're blaming your team's troubles on the absence of Tony Battie?

No, I was only listing who's injured on the Magic.

I blame their troubles on lack of a go-to guy in the clutch, poor free throw shooting, bad decision-making (bad shots, turnovers) and Brian Hill's player rotations.

Plus, Tony Battie is a good compliment to Dwight Howard's game and helps free him in the post early with his jump shots.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The Bulls could use Battie I think. He might be the the final piece of the puzzle. Another big man who doesn't score much. We need more of them.

michael doleac could help the bulls at this point.

 

[Hewson]

Just recalling a bit of discussion from last July 6-7 in another thread:

ESPN is reporting that Big Ben Wallace has informed the Detroit Pistons that he will sign a 4yr/60M deal with the Chicago Bulls.

YES!!!!!

What the Bulls have done with this signing is given themselves a shot to get at least to the Conference Finals without in any way risking their future -

keep telling yourself that...

the thing that basketball players lose first... what they lose the quickest... is their explosiveness. ben wallace's entire game is based on his explosive athleticism, and anyone with half a clue could already clearly see last year that it was begining to slip. the man has no obvious basketball skills besides his athleticism.

so the bulls will be paying 15+ million dollars per year for the worst offensive player in basketball, and a guy who can't guard shaq, yao, duncan, garnett, brand, nowitzki, or any other of the premier centers in the league.

but if you want a guy who can shut down eddy curry and eric dampier, hey... you got your man.

About the ECF....I've heard a whole lot of people predict the ECF for the Bulls this coming season...I've heard some who have said they're not so sure...but you're the only one I've heard say 'no way'.

No way the Bulls make the conference finals next season.

(Now thats 2)

ben wallace has never averaged 10 points per game in his life. the most he's averaged in his career was 9.7, and he's a career 6.6 per game scorer. so if you're expecting 10 garbage points out of him, you're going to be disapointed more often than satisfied. his offensive skills revolve around being able to dunk... that's it. he can't shoot, he has no post moves, he can't dribble. to be simple, he's simply a god awful offensive player.

now yes, i have a strong dislike for the current detroit pistons, with the exception of 'sheed, who i kinda like because he's so crazy. but i digress... ben wallace isn't a piston anymore. but he's still awful.

15 million per year for a 32 year old man who put up 7 and 11 last season. yea... great deal.

tyson chandler may be awful, as well. but he is only 24 years old. when ben wallace was 14 years old he was averaging 4.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game... ironicly enough, very similar to the numbers tyson chandler just put up.

your comments that me being a knick fan makes me "blind" to bad contracts is rather silly, so i'll just ignore it. 15 million for a man who is incapable of averaging a double double per game, to me, is a bad contract. but maybe i'm just craaaaazy. maybe if wallace was putting up 15+ boards a game it wouldn't be so bad. maybe if alonzo mourning didn't average more blocks per game coming off the bench for miami, it wouldn't be so bad. yes, no one could guard shaq... but maybe if he could guard the rest of the guys i mentioned straight up, it wouldn't be so bad.

but he can't. so it's awful.




and i won't say no way for sure to the bulls making the eastern conference finals... they could always pawn some of their young guys off for garnett, if minnesota is stupid, which kevin mchale has shown to be in the past... but short of that, yea... no way.

 

[phanan]

The Celtic watch continues tonight.

 

[Hewson]

Go Nets

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

if boston can get through next wednesday's game against milwaukee without winning, i could very easily see them pushing this close to 30

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

their upcoming schedule actually gets pretty damn tough, esp. the west coast trip after the milwaukee game.

Feb 9 vs New Jersey
Feb 11 at Minnesota
Feb 14 vs Milwaukee
Feb 20 at Sacramento
Feb 21 at Phoenix
Feb 23 at LA Lakers
Feb 24 at Utah
Feb 26 at Houston
Feb 28 vs New York
Mar 3 at New Jersey
Mar 4 vs Minnesota
Mar 7 vs Houston
Mar 9 vs Seattle
Mar 11 vs Chicago
Mar 13 at Chicago
Mar 14 vs Atlanta
Mar 16 at Dallas
Mar 17 at San Antonio
Mar 19 at New Orl/OKC
Mar 21 vs Charlotte
Mar 23 vs Dallas
Mar 26 vs Toronto
Mar 28 vs Orlando
Mar 30 at Philadelphia

 

[Hewson]

Sadly, my Spidey sense tells me they beat the Nets tonight.

 

[phanan]

Even if they did win tonight, with that schedule I could see another 16 game losing streak start.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the eastern conference standings are almost comical...

1. * Detroit -- 30-18
2. * Washington 2.0 28-20
3. Cleveland 2.5 28-21
4. * Toronto 4.5 26-23
5. Chicago 3.0 28-22
6. Indiana 4.5 26-23
7. Orlando 6.0 25-25
8. Miami 6.5 24-25
9. New Jersey 8.0 23-27
10. New York 9.0 22-28
11. Milwaukee 12.0 19-31
12. Atlanta 12.0 18-30
13. Charlotte 12.5 18-31
14. Philadelphia 14.0 17-33
15. Boston 18.0 12-36

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

and then we have the west...

1. * Dallas -- 40-9
2. * Phoenix 1.0 39-10
3. San Antonio 7.0 33-16
4. * Utah 8.0 32-17
5. Houston 8.5 31-17
6. LA Lakers 10.5 30-20
7. LA Clippers 16.0 24-25
8. Denver 16.0 23-24
9. Minnesota 17.0 23-26
10. Golden State 17.5 23-27
11. New Orl/OKC 17.5 23-27
12. Sacramento 18.0 21-26
13. Portland 20.5 20-30
14. Seattle 22.0 18-31
15. Memphis 28.5 12-38

memphis still has an edge on boston for most lotto balls... just think how bad they'll be once they trade pao

 

[phanan]

Scary...

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

with the obvious purpose losing that's going on at the back end of the nba this season, i have to wonder if darth stern will consider going back to the old lotto setup...

i.e. the team with the worst record gets 14 balls, second worst gets 13 balls, third worst gets 12, etc. etc.

i liked that way better... provided much more drama.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the #1 seed in the east would be no higher than a 6 seed in the west, and would be only a game out of the 7 seed. the nba... it's faaaaaantastic.

in all reality, darth stern needs to get some good basketball back on the east for the nba to really take off in the ratings again. there is some great basketball being played by phoenix, dallas, san antonio, etc... but the majority of the population can't see the games 'cause they're on so late.

jerry colangelo's trying to build an eastern version of phoenix up in toronto... and they're on the right track, but they're still too young and they're missing that nash guy.

bargnani's development is key... he's showing flashes and he could be the guy that makes toronto the eastern conference's first "western conference" team... if he becomes a 20/10 guy and they can keep him and bosh together, they will be very very good.

and the t.j. ford for charlie villanueva trade has certainly worked out better for toronto than milwaukee

 

[Hewson]

Of course a good team in Toronto doesn't really help Darth revitalize the NBA in the east, he needs either Boston or NY to be competetitive again along with Chcago's revitalization to continue. Combined with an upswing in Washington, Cleveland having Lebron and Miami continuing to be decent after Shaq leaves (Wade should at least keep them on the map), the balance of power could even out in a couple of years.

But he needs at least one of the Celts and Knicks to become a viable NBA team again if he really wants the NBA to matter east of the Missississississississississippi River again.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

they need two teams in the east that can be compared with those in the west... and it certainly would help if one of those two teams were the knicks or the celtics. if it's one of those two teams, it doesn't matter who the second team is. but they need a big time rivalry where the level of play is comparable with that of phoenix, dallas, san antonio.

if oden is, indeed, the real deal and he does end up with the celtics... we could be looking at a big time bosotn/orlando rivalry in 4-5 years.

 

[namkcuR]

they need two teams in the east that can be compared with those in the west... and it certainly would help if one of those two teams were the knicks or the celtics. if it's one of those two teams, it doesn't matter who the second team is. but they need a big time rivalry where the level of play is comparable with that of phoenix, dallas, san antonio.

if oden is, indeed, the real deal and he does end up with the celtics... we could be looking at a big time bosotn/orlando rivalry in 4-5 years.

If Chicago keeps getting better and becomes a consistently good team(which I think they will), that would be huge for the East.

But you appear to be rather critical of the Bulls.

 

[LMP]

the spurs/magic game was one for the ages.

jameer nelson scores 16 straight points in the 3rd quarter and dwight howard wins it on an inbound pass dunk with 0.8 seconds left.

amazing.