The 2005-2006 NBA Season Discussion Thread

Sometimes I wonder just how great of a coach Larry Brown is. I mean, sure, it's easy to win when you have the pieces. And he's definitely a good coach. But great?

As a coach, you also have to be good at managing the egos and personnels you have on the team. You can't always force your coaching philosophy onto your players -- you need to adapt and tailor your coaching style to the type of players that you have.

He really hasn't done that in New York this year.

But ohhhh my, the Knicks beat the Pistons last night. I had to double-check the score because I thought I was seeing things.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I see your point ... Isiah Thomas has done a horrible job of putting this team together.

And yeah, now that I think about it, Larry Brown has accomplished a lot, and has taken so many teams to the Playoffs.

He always seems to wear out his welcome, though. That's what I've noticed. And the thing he did last year, when he was looking hard at the Cleveland position while in the midst of the Finals -- that was very unprofessional. He always talks about "playing the right way." What he did last year wasn't "coaching the right way." And I lost so much respect for him after that.

[And wasn't he the coach of that 2004 Athens team? He couldn't manage Carmelo Anthony? He had Lebron riding the bench? All that talent on the squad, and all they could do was Bronze...]

Most amazing jew boots

The Conseco Fieldhouse crowd rained boos down on Ron Artest yesterday.

Quote:

"If there was a fight between the fans who loved me or booed me, I think the boos would have won."

You think, Ron Ron?


And this one has been in the news for a while. But still -- WHAT THE HELL.

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_3561131

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Maybe she's testing AK47.


Some random observations/musings in my head...

- Kobe Bryant had 11 assists yesterday. Whoa.

- The Timberwolves are so disappointing. Seven straight losses. Second worst record in the West.

- Pistons have lost four out of their last 10 games.

- The newest fashion trend in the NBA is tights. Some players shouldn't wear them.

- The Hornets are suddenly struggling, now in 9th place

- The Kings are suddenly hot, now sitting at 7th place. They may actually make the Playoffs.

- Steve Nash for MVP. Or something like that.

- Kevin Garnett is the loneliest player in the NBA.

- I want a pair of AJ XXII.

- Dwight Howard had a sick alley-oop dunk last night.

- Five seconds in the game, down one point. Give me Melo instead of Kobe.

- Gerald Wallace, if he keeps this up, will become only the third player in NBA history to average more than 2 blocks and 2 steals in a season (Hakeem, David Robinson).

- Gerald Wallace is 6'7".

I was speaking idiomatically.

It's just that T-Mac and Yao have been out so much. T-Mac's back problems, especially, have led to so many Rockets losses.

And it's not just Yao and T-Mac, but many other key players squad have been hit with injuries ... Stro, Skip, Sura.

Originally Posted by bishop743

2 years removed from making it to the Western Conference Finals, it's a damn shame to see the T-Wolves in this state. I really think they should try shopping KG around this summer. He's done ALL that he can possibly do for that team. I believe it's time for him to move on.

I don't think KG will move on simply because he think he has a better chance at a championship elsewhere.

KG is fiercely loyal. All that he's ever asked management is to do their best to improve the team, bring in the right players, and make the Timberwolves competitive. The last two seasons, management screwed up. Let's face it, Marko Jaric has only made the team worse.

The only way I see KG asking for a trade is if he sees the management slacking off and not doing anything to make the Timberwolves competitive. If he feels betrayed, he might want to be traded.

But if left on his own, KG will never leave Minnesota. He's too loyal and strong-willed.

Originally Posted by bishop743

You and me both. I probably will get a pair though. Might buy 2 and sell one for a profit.

Are you going to get the red? I love the red.


----

Anyone else watching the Kobe-Cavaliers game on ABC right now?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by bishop743

Yeah, those red ones are the hotness. Those are the ones I'll be getting.

Niiiice.

I had a friend who would purchase every new pair of Air Jordans as it comes out. But he wouldn't wear that pair. He would ball in the pair released the year before. Then when a new AJ comes out the following year, he would again ball in the pair released the previous year.



It's halftime in Cleveland. Lebron has 18 points. Kobe has 24 points on 10-15 shooting. He also has 5 assists. That last shot from the corner at the halftime buzzer, with Lebron draped all over him, was like whoa.

It's pretty clear that Kobe wants to school Lebron. Just look at him when he's guarding Lebron. It's like he wants to bite his head off.

FELIPE NO

With only three seconds left in the game, I don't understand why Kobe would catch the ball near midcourt with three defenders running at him.

I mean, what is that.

Originally Posted by nazpyro

Dang, I want Air Jordans, but I'd probably never use them. If I had the money, I'd just go for the collection, like the complete signed collection sold on eBay recently: http://cgi.ebay.com/Michael-Jordan-S...QQcmdZViewItem

I was in awe the first time I saw that. I remain envious.

Oh geez, that is a whole lot of money.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

A pretty good article written about the Steph-Larry feud:

http://www.allsports.com/cgi-bin/sho...story_id=58464.


Here's the cut & paste:

Quote:

SportsTicker Pro Basketball Notebook

---------------------------------

March 17, 2006

By Chris Bernucca
SportsTicker Pro Basketball Editor

BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - In his 10-year career, Stephon Marbury hasn't done much winning. He's about to lose again, this time to his coach.

When Marbury's long-simmering feud with Larry Brown became highly public this week - and there's plenty of blame on both sides for allowing it to get to that stage - the point guard of the New York Knicks played his last hole card way too early.

It is so easy to quickly point the finger at Marbury, who has been traded three times, has yet to win a postseason series and often plays as if he does not trust his teammates. He was booed during introductions Wednesday, making this the second homecoming he has screwed up. Or have you forgotten how the New York tabloids played the start of his two-plus fruitless years in New Jersey?

But Marbury is clearly within his rights to be upset with Brown, who once again has taken his dissatisfaction with a prominent player to the media rather than keep a potentially disruptive issue within the team.

"He always crosses the line," Marbury correctly pointed out. "That's not nothing new. He handles certain things through the media as opposed to sitting down and talking to people. Still, if you sit down and talk to coach, it's liable to get back to everybody. You're really not safe there, either."

Brown did the same thing with Allen Iverson in Philadelphia. The difference was Iverson was smart enough - and tough enough - not to take the bait. In six years, he never snapped back personally, at least not on the record.

Knicks practices this week resembled the British House of Commons meetings that air on C-SPAN, with Brown and Marbury taking turns speaking their piece on the issues with veiled insults and threats directed at each other. All they needed was someone to wear a funny wig and media members to say "Hear, hear" at each pause.

As it was in Philadelphia, Brown's gripe with his star player is over control of the team. Brown wants Marbury to make a better commitment to team play, an approach that has allowed the coach to make things appreciably better in each of his previous seven NBA gigs.

"I'm the coach of a basketball team," Brown said. "The only thing that matters to me is we play the right way and share the ball, try to guard and care for our teammates. I'm not going to focus on things that have nothing to do with being a good teammate.

"Every good team, it's all about the team. The only message is, you want to be part of the team, want to make your teammates better. If you don't have that on your agenda, then it's probably a bad place to be."

Marbury wants more freedom within the offense. He wants to be "Starbury," the nickname he earned as a high school star in Brooklyn and wears as a tattoo. He would like to see Brown's track record of turning losers into winners begin to take effect at Madison Square Garden.

"He's speaking on things that he's done," Marbury said. "People in New York want to know, what is he gonna do as far as us winning? What happened in the past is in the past. New Yorkers relate to what's happening now. They live more in the present."

The present is an absolute mess. The Knicks are 18-45 and have saddled Brown with just his fourth losing season in 23 years as an NBA coach. They have too many pretty boys with cushy contracts and not enough alley cats hungry for their next meal.

With a whimsical nature borne out by a ridiculous 36 different starting lineups and a waffling on whether to play veterans or kids, Brown has to take some of the blame. However, his resume is coated with Hall of Fame Teflon, which has allowed him to withstand the heat better than Marbury - and go after him in the media.

"I'll take full responsibility for us winning (18) games and losing 45," Brown said. "(But) you're the best guard in the league and the team's (bad); yeah, it's the coach's fault. If you're the best player, surely you're going to have some effect on the outcome. And I've never given any player in my career more free reign."

That's highly debatable, given the number of touches Iverson had when Brown was with the 76ers. Marbury is not Iverson - a foolish belief he conveyed to Brown earlier this season - but he is not Haywoode Workman or Eric Snow, either. And being singled out for the team's failures brought his simmer to a boil.

"I'm no longer going to allow him to say things about me and I'm not going to say anything back. That's not going to happen," Marbury said. "I allowed him to drag me the first three, four months in the paper and I didn't say one word. I sat back and took it. If something's going to be said, I'm going to defend myself. My mother taught me that. If somebody hits me, you hit them back."

Apparently, Marbury has had enough. The New York Daily News reported this week that Marbury has told at least two teammates he expects to be traded during the offseason and is anticipating the customary end-of-season sit-down to speak his piece with president Isiah Thomas and owner James Dolan, Brown's bosses.

But by running his mouth - admittedly in self-defense - Marbury did himself a disservice. With his track record and three years at $60 million remaining on his contract, his options already were limited. By publicly challenging his coach, he likely has scared away some more suitors.

If Marbury had kept his mouth shut for another month - not impossible, given his admirable extended reticence throughout the season - he could have quietly and politely requested a trade and simply told his new employers that he and Brown were a bad fit. After all, he wouldn't have been the first star with whom Brown did not see eye to eye.

But this is not free agency. Marbury has to be traded, which in today's NBA financial climate is not unlike Michael Corleone's desire to kill Hyman Roth at the airport while he is surrounded by government officials - difficult, but not impossible. The Knicks have to (a) find a team that is interested in him that (b) can offer a fair package in return.

As a rival GM, who would you want - a 20-and-8 guy not yet 30 years old who is just looking for a fresh start and wants to win? Or a confrontational ballhog and loser who has to have things his way and has worn out his welcome in four previous stops?

It's all about the presentation, and Marbury foolishly made his way too early by responding to Brown's criticism in public.

Stephon Marbury definitely NOT Allen Iverson. No where near AI's caliber.

And even worse than Brown, Marbury also wears out his welcome in every place he's been. He's not a winner. He's not a team-player. He complains all the time and takes cheap jabs at people.

Remember how when he was in Phoenix, he compared Amare Stoudemire to Kevin Garnett as Michael Jordan to Mario Elie.

I had a good laugh about that one.

And remember how he said he believed he was the best point guard in the NBA.

I laughed even more.

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You're right, Marbury isn't a great point guard at all. A star should definitely be able to tailor his game to the team concept, and Marbury's got it all mixed-up. He doesn't make anyone around him better.

Let's say New York decides they've had enough and want to part ways with Marbury...

Who would want him.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Yeah ... Marbury will always find another team who wants him. There's too much talent there. But he's really a cancer, though. I think that any young, rebuilding team would hesitate to him because of his negative influence. Even Playoff contenders may look at him crooked because he may very well end up disrupting their chemistry.

Wouldn't it be hilarious if Marbury ends up back in Minnesota. It's like coming full circle. It's like, "I was so stupid, please take me back." But as a Timberwolves fan, I don't want Marbury back.

I like how before he was traded from Minnesota, Marbuary was always "New York this, New York that, Coney Island this, Coney Island that" and "Minnesota's too cold."

But he was really thinking, "How come KG gets more money than me."

Then he got traded to New Jersey, he was like, "It's still not New York, but close enough" and "What is Keith Van Horn."

Then it's on to Phoenix, and it's all "Amare is MJ, KG is Mario Elie."

Finally, he gets shipped to New York, and it's like "Yes! I'm finally going home and playing in front of the Garden -- it's a dream come true" and "I'm the best point guard in the NBA."

Now he gets booed at home.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by bishop743

It's just like when Vince Carter threatened to not play hard while he was with the Raptors in hopes that he'd be traded. Well, he finally got his wish and he's playing great ball now in Jersey (the way he went about it was wrong as well).

Okay, I am in T-Dot. And obviously, the mere mention of Vince Carter makes me mad

He didn't just threaten to stop playing hard. He actually just stopped playing.

Half-man Half-season. Half-man Half-effort.

-----

I just purchased tickets to go see the Timberwolves play the Raptors. I'm really excited.

The last time I went to see the Timberwolves was back in the 2000-2001 season, so it's been a while.

I figure there's a chance this could be the last time I see Kevin Garnett in that Timberwolves jersey. And KG's my boy, so I can't miss this.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by bishop743

Do you not like him because of what he did to get traded or did you not like him front the start?

Oh, I loved Vince Carter from 1998-1999 to 2003-2004. Even though he got hurt a lot later on, I still loved what he did for the franchise. City of Vinsanity, as it was.

And a healthy Vince Carter was a spectacular show. He was athletic, explosive, clutch, personable, and did stuff for the community and charities.

But his final few months as a Raptor ... I can't believe he did that. And to go to New Jersey, and suddenly play his heart out ... that really hurt the people in T-Dot.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Shaq ended up playing, but the Pistons won anyway. Detroit is still the team to beat in the East.


Amare's return is near:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

Take it easy, young fella.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Good for Lebron. Here's to many more clutch baskets.

----


The man who used to make it Reign...
The man who used to soar so high he needed stitches after hitting his head on the rim...
The man who used to dunk so hard like whut...

The man who then stood at the buffet line too many times...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html


...



FELIPE NO

Yeah, he came back from that '98'99 Lockout Season completely out of shape. He ballooned to 325lb. Amazingly, because his legs were so strong, he could still dunk. But he couldn't fly like he used to.

And the Reignman used to FLY. Those aerial assaults to the rim were insane. People used to get knocked down.

Lister Blister, anyone.

Shawn Kemp is one of the greatest in-traffic dunkers of all time. He would dunk on people. Over people. Around people. And through people.



What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I'm gonna upload some Reignman highlight videos to you later. The guy was just a damn beast. I found that photo a long time ago, and I stared at it for the longest time in disbelief.



On a slightly different, but no less spectacular, note:

OH MAH GOODNESS.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hwc6hYoq3...llen%20iverson

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I guess that's why Phoenix is okay with him coming back right now, so that he can get himself in shape to do damage in the Playoffs.

Amare is a great, strong player. His dunks are powerful, but he has no hangtime. He plows through people on the floor before he elevates.

Shawn Kemp plowed through people in midair...

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Very nice first game back for Amare. 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks in just 19 minutes of play.


The Dallas-Golden State game was something. J-Rich's shot was awesome.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by bishop743

As Stuart Scott would say: "I ain't gonna say nothing, but that ain't right." That crossoever was just plain sick.

Ohhh yeah. I mean, AI made Daniels fall TWICE on that sequence. And Antonio Daniels is no pushover.

:: sizes him up ::

:: crosses ::

:: Daniels falls ::

:: hesitation -- crosses again ::

:: Daniels falls some more ::

:: layup ::



Okay, here's that Shawn Kemp mix I promised:

http://s48.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3...8134E40HRXP8IA

SONIC BOOM.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I'm watching the Nuggets-Suns game right now. It's a tight one so far.


As for the Lakers, they don't have that great of a shot making the Playoffs, considering their remaining schedule: They still have to play Phoenix twice; New Orleans/Oklahoma City twice; San Antonio once; Denver once; and LA Clippers once.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Amare looked pretty slow. He had no spring in legs, and he ran very sluggishly and cautiously. The Suns run a lot -- he had better get his cardio up.



Wow, AK47 had a triple-double with blocks? I'm looking at the boxscore now ... very impressive. That's a career high 10 blocks.


Who will be watching the ABC game tomorrow. Allen Iverson and the Sixers are fighting to hold on to that Playoff spot, with a good shot at moving up still.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Iggy's alley-oop dunk (off AI's lob) was off the chain.

WOW.

FELIPE NO

I like how the three of us hve 92% of the replies in this thread.

More observations and thoughts:

- Charlie Villanueva had 48 points last night against the Bucks. That's an NBA high for a rookie this season. Not too shabby.

- I hope Chris Bosh's injury is minor, and that he's alright.

- Minnesota nearly blew another 20-point lead last night. The Timberwolves just can't seem to put anyone away, and are very prone to blowing leads this year. But to let the Knicks do that, is inexcusable.

- Steve Nash needs to raise his scoring by 0.2 to become the first player since Tim Hardaway in 1992-1993 to average more than 20 points and 10 assists in a season.

- Which Wallace is the best shotblocker -- Ben, Rasheed, or Gerald. The answer isn't that obvious.

- Bruce Bowen is dirty; here are his latest antics: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/bas...950_recap.html

- Kwame Brown is averaging 14.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and shooting 72.5% in his last five games.

- Does Kobe Bryant know.

- Lebron James finally has a gamewinner under his belt. Melo has like fifty thousand.

- I am certain that Michael Olowokandi doesn't exist anymore.

- Tim Duncan is having the worst year of his career (individually-wise). The media doesn't notice because there's some guy named Tony Parker keeping the Spurs in the elite echelon.

- Iguodala dunks good.

How ya doing, buddy?

That's not basketball.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

It is Street Fighter II.

But he forgot to ground-sweep upon landing for a two-hit combo.

There's nowhere I can't reach.