NBA Basketball 2006-07: The Thread

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i will share with you my favorite stats of the young season, which is now 1/8th over.

tyson chandler - 30 minutes per game - 5.9 points, 10.8 rebounds - hornets 7-3 record

ben wallace - 35 minutes per game - 5.5 points, 9.7 rebounds - bulls 3-7 record

to be fair and balanced...
david lee - 24 minutes per game - 9.9 points, 8.9 rebounds - knicks 4-8 record

that contract's really paying off thus far

just remember... wallace's rebounding numbers have steadily declined in each of the past 5 seasons. so by the end of that huge contract the bulls gave him, he should be good for, oh i dunno, 4 and 7? that passing on adam morrison and trading away lamarcus aldridge in favor of ty thomas has really paid dividends, too. bravo, john paxson. your certificate from the isiah thomas school of general managing is in the mail (along with the knicks 1st round draft pick )

 

[LMP]

The Bulls need Kevin Garnett, right now.

Throw in the Knicks pick, and maybe a player like Nocioni or Deng.

That trade will save Chicago's season and KG's sanity.

 

[guill]

Phil Jackson, put Turiaf in your team.
Thank you.

 

[Got Philk?]

that contract's really paying off thus far

Ok, I'm a big Bulls fan. I was weary of the BIG contract to BIG ben. But even more than that. I want to know what you think.

First. Remember last year when we had Tim Thomas? I know Skiles runs a tight ship and all. But do you think we could have found ANY way to get him some minutes last year? I think possibly he could have helped our team more than people even realize.
Fast forward to this pre-season. We were so intent on getting rid of Chandler. So we did a good thing and traded him for a 2 guard that is oh...taller than 6'3" say. His name? JR Smith. Again, young talent I know. Possible attitude right? Still, look at the game 3 nights ago where we played JR's team, Denver. I believe he scored 32 points, something like 3 boards and 4 assists. Or tonight vs Golden State. Geez...
My question is DO YOU THINK WE COULD USE THIS TALENT AT ALL??? Perhaps give him a chance? I mean, using him at the Shooting Guard position would be awesome with Gordon off the bench. I'm getting a little frustrated with this get players, trade them for nothing...or Tim Thomas...just cut him. Thoughts?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i don't know if JR Smith is the answer... i could see why you'd be frustrated with him not playing, though... at this point what's the problem in shaking things up a bit.

the bulls have two main problems in my eyes... problem #1 is, once again, zero low post offense. sweetney could have been that guy but he's too much of a fat ass. he's like an undersized oliver miller... a guy who could have been really good but just couldn't stay in shape. wallace is a great help defender but he's useless on the offensive side of the ball. chandler, as bad as he was, is a better offensive player than ben wallace. then again, i've seen a golden retriever shoot better free throws than wallace.

problem number two is a bit more complex... the bulls have a lot of nice parts, but they don't add up to anything. nocioni, gordon, deng, smith... even heinrich... they're all complementary players. too many indians, not enough chiefs. where's the big baskets coming from? who's the guy that's gonna bail the team out on a bad night? who's got the ball in their hands for the last shot?

the bulls last year to me seemed one player away from being really good... people thought ben wallace was that one player, i did not... all you did was get a slight upgrade on the defensive end and a slight downgrade on the offensive end... but ya didn't need help on the defensive end. the bulls were already a good defensive team... they needed a scorer, they got ben wallace. they addressed their strength instead of addressing their weakness.

and then they have a golden opportunity with a free draft pick courtesy of isiah thomas, and they draft a ben wallace clone over any a scoring guard (roy, morrison) or a scoring big (aldridge).

if they think they're gonna trade for garnett they better do it now 'cause it certainly doesn't look like the knicks pick will be top 5 again this year... more likely in the 10-15 range, taking you well out of the greg oden sweepstakes. if minnesota doesn't think they could put themselves in position to draft oden, why would they trade garnett at all?

 

[Got Philk?]

Right...I forgot about the draft...why did we not just take Roy? Gordon is the best 6th man ever. Roy could be the 2guard, Duhon and Gordon off the bench.

So yes, we will keep having the same problems as last year since...we are essentially the same team, only with an older center. Maybe Deng will become that "go-to guy" during this season like I want him to. It would be nice to have a post threat...and PJ Brown is not it.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i know the bulls won and all, but ben wallace gave up 20 points to eddy curry. that should be all you need to know about ben wallace's true value.

a great defensive center!... who can't guard true centers. only in the nba

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

i know the bulls won and all, but ben wallace gave up 20 points to eddy curry. that should be all you need to know about ben wallace's true value.

a great defensive center!... who can't guard true centers. only in the nba

Since when did Eddy Curry become a true center?

I still say he's a bust.

 

[LMP]

Since when did Eddy Curry become a true center?

I still say he's a bust.

Joe Smith Jr.

And the Magic are now tops in the East, I don't expect that to last very much longer, but they're more fun to watch now than I've ever seen.

(I've had season tickets since the Tracy McGrady Era.)

 

[Bluer White]

The Bulls will regret letting Lamarcus Aldridge get away almost as much as that ridiculous contract given to Big Ben.

And I can't believe the whole flap Ben is causing over his headband. What a great example he's setting for the kids on the team.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Since when did Eddy Curry become a true center?

I still say he's a bust.

true nba center = 6'11" + back to the basket post player.

ben wallace is 6'9"... he's not a "true" center, he's really a power forward playing out of position.

dirk nowitzki is 7'1", but he could never be classified as a true center because he's a perimeter player, even though from time to time the mavs will put him at the 5 if they go small.


and besides... i said true center, i did not say good center

just because you're a "true center" doesn't mean that you're any good... guyz like alonzo mourning and even bill russell don't/didn't have the height you would want/expect from a true center, but were obviously quite good at the position regardless.

 

[impy13]

Speaking of Dirk, the good ship Maverick is back on track for now.

Dampier is, dare I say it, playing like a man possessed. I don't know what's gotten into him, but if he continues at this pace, things should fall into place nicely.

Got a game against the .500 Wolves tonight, which is a good oppurtunity to stretch the streak to 10 games. This looks like a completely different team than the one that dropped four in a row to start the season.

 

[phillyfan26]

(I've had season tickets since the Tracy McGrady Era.)

Bet they're paying off now though.

I wouldn't give a cent to this piss-poor Sixers organization. I saw live games when they went to the playoffs, and a couple of regular season games back in 2001. Only two or three in the past five years.

I still can't get over $60 mil to Sam Dalembert. Well, actually, to his potential. Not to him.

 

[Dalton]

Did they decide to have the NBA this year?

When does it start?

 

[LMP]

Bet they're paying off now though.

I wouldn't give a cent to this piss-poor Sixers organization. I saw live games when they went to the playoffs, and a couple of regular season games back in 2001. Only two or three in the past five years.

I still can't get over $60 mil to Sam Dalembert. Well, actually, to his potential. Not to him.

Oh they are, I count about 5 Puerto Rican flags whenever Carlos Arroyo gets in the game.

Yeah, I wouldn't go to Philly games either.

 

[phillyfan26]

Oh they are, I count about 5 Puerto Rican flags whenever Carlos Arroyo gets in the game.

Yeah, I wouldn't go to Philly games either.

I wanna go down there and break out a banner reading "THE HAWK WILL NEVER DIE" whenever Jameer makes a play.

 

[LMP]

I wanna go down there and break out a banner reading "THE HAWK WILL NEVER DIE" whenever Jameer makes a play.

Another example of "tremendous upside potential" guys getting drafted before the proven player. In this case, the 2004 Player of the Year.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the MVP of the "volume shooters" strikes again!

allen iverson... 37 shots, 45 points. (17 of 37 from the field, 11 of 12 from the foul line)

if you have the fucking nuts to take 37 shots, you best be dropping 60+.

in comparison... dwyane wade, who i'm not really the biggest fan of either, but... he had 33 points on 18 shots. iverson had 12 more points on 19 more shots.

philly will never win with him and should have traded him years ago.

 

[speedracer]

I don't get it. Why doesn't Ben Wallace just say that he needs the headband to keep sweat out of his eyes (whether or not it's actually true)?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

because it's bullshit.

i like that skiles is holding the line there with his dean smith like no headband rule.

 

[Dalton]

The only thing that I don't like is that the Bulls will use a picture of Wallace wearing his headband for marketing purposes, but won't actually allow him to wear the headband. What is that all about?


Wallace Wearing a Headband

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

that picture might be photoshopped from a picture of him with the pistons... teams do that alot when they acquire new players. some teams do it before they even get the player coughcoughmetscoughcoughmannycoughcough

 

[Dalton]

I understand that, but if you don't want your players wearing the headband, don't make money off it.

That doesn't make sense.

 

[thetitans2k]

I can't see the point of a no headband rule. It seems a headband could only help your players. Especially is they have alot of hair and sweat. headbands are actually helpful.

 

[stammer476]

that picture might be photoshopped from a picture of him with the pistons... teams do that alot when they acquire new players.

DEFINATELY a photoshop job, and not even a good one at that. (Which brings up the other question: if they can photoshop a new jersey, why can't they edit the headband out?)

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I can't see the point of a no headband rule. It seems a headband could only help your players. Especially is they have alot of hair and sweat. headbands are actually helpful.

they really aren't... if patrick ewing, the sweatiest man of all time, can do without a headband, so can ben wallace.

the reason why there are many coaches who ban it has to do with team unity. no one is allowed to wear something that calls attention to themselves over the rest of the team. let your game do the talking, not your headband, wristbands, high socks, etc.

that's the theory behind it. it's usually limited to the high school and college ranks, though. can't remember the last time an nba coach had the rule. ballsy on skiles' part. even though i really don't care either way if wallace wears a headband or not, i do like that skiles has a rule and isn't afraid to enforce it.

another reason why more and more coaches are going back to the old school, dean smith type rules like no headbands allowed is that the "modern player" is wearing it as a fashion statement, not as a sweat removing aid. when ya see guys wearing double sweatbands, wearing them crooked, wearing them over one ear and not the other, etc. etc. etc... it really has nothing to do with helping you keep sweat or hair out of your eyes and everything to do with calling attention to yourself.

 

[namkcuR]

I have to make one correction, Headache.

As a Bulls fan, I've been reading a lot of about this headband business, and it appears that the rule is GM John Paxson's - he put the rule into effect before Skiles was even hired. Although it's safe to say the two are on the same page about it.

 

[phillyfan26]

Another example of "tremendous upside potential" guys getting drafted before the proven player. In this case, the 2004 Player of the Year.

The Sixers picked Andre Iguodala who looks exactly the same as he did two years ago. His basketball skills have not improved at all.

We could have used a true point guard. We passed on Nelson and fucked up the Randy Foye deal. Billy King can go to hell.

 

[phillyfan26]

the MVP of the "volume shooters" strikes again!

allen iverson... 37 shots, 45 points. (17 of 37 from the field, 11 of 12 from the foul line)

if you have the fucking nuts to take 37 shots, you best be dropping 60+.

in comparison... dwyane wade, who i'm not really the biggest fan of either, but... he had 33 points on 18 shots. iverson had 12 more points on 19 more shots.

philly will never win with him and should have traded him years ago.

Philly has many problems. The fact that there's no one else to take the shots doesn't help.

 

[LMP]

Philly has many problems. The fact that there's no one else to take the shots doesn't help.

Bring Chris Webber's corpse back from the morgue to play for Shavlik Randolph, okay?