[Tournament] The 2006-2007 NBA Season Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by nazpyro

-Interview lady greeted Dwyane Wade: "LeBron..."

Ouch ... did she correct herself. How did Dwyane react?

Originally Posted by nazpyro

-Shaq's shoes weight 5.8 lbs. ZOMGWTF.

Each? Or both together?

Originally Posted by nazpyro

-Sac-town's Kevin Martin is absolute beast. Leading the team in scoring shooting at an astounding 54%, with a three, some boards, and 2 steals a game. He's also made his last 36 free throws.

The guy's good. He's still pretty much under the radar, but I bet we'll soon hear more about his play.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Yeah, Yao has become the best center in the league. It should be easy for him to dominate, since there really isn't any center who could go toe-to-toe with him. More than a decade ago, Shaq had to contend with the likes of Hakeem, Ewing, and David Robinson. Yao has it relatively easy.


Unrelated, here's a nice interview with TNT's Ernie Johnson: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...cus/index.html

How ya doing, buddy?

The All-Star balloting has begun: http://www.nba.com/allstar2007/asb/e...ml?from=sweeps

When it comes to the All-Star Game, I am a proponent of voting for players I want to see, not necessarily who's most deserving. I mean, that's what the coaches are for -- they name the reserves

I see that they switched up some of the positions this year. Clever. They're trying to minimize the chaos that is the Western Conference forwards. T-Mac is now listed as a guard, as opposed to under forward last year. Amare is now a center, though I can't remember what he was listed under last year.

I will try to vote daily, whenever I remember to. Here are my votes.


East
G: Allen Iverson
G: Dwyane Wade
F: Lebron James
F: Chris Bosh
C: Ben Wallace

West
G: Steve Nash
G: Tracy McGrady
F: Kevin Garnett
F: Carmelo Anthony
C: Yao Ming

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Yes, I had to wrestle with that one... I like Chris Paul's game a lot. I was watching "NBA Stories: Chris Paul" the other day, and he is a great kid as well.

I'll probably alternate my votes between Chris Paul, Steve Nash, and probably Ray Allen. Maybe I'll even stick a vote in there for Kobe just for the heck of it.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Ryuu

The lack of Shawn Marion confuses me. Take Anthony out and put Marion in.

Why does it confuse you. It's an All-Star Game, not an All-NBA team. You can vote for The Matrix if you prefer watching him over Carmelo. I personally would like to see Anthony play in his first All-Star Game.

Like I said, I am in favor of fans voting for players they want to see perform in an All-Star Game, not necessarily players that are most deserving (even if it were, and even conceding the argument that Marion is the more efficient player, I find it hard to believe that he is more deserving than Anthony).

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

The vacuum sound you hear nowadays in Madison Square Garden is Stephon Marbury sucking.

FELIPE NO

The Rockets ... Shane Battier almost fouled Nocioni on that buzzer 3-pointer. Oh, that would've made Van Gundy tear his (what's left of it) hair out.

The loss of K-Mart will hurt Denver a bit. Who else is injured ... Larry Hughes' injury was more serious than first diagnosed, and will be out at least two games. Bucks' Villanueva will be out a few weeks. Darius Miles needs another surgery and is out for the season.

And Chris Webber just want out.

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

Originally Posted by bishop743

How can you forget about The Diesel, man? :P He's gonna miss 4-6 after having knee surgery. In the two games since he's been out, the Heat have gotten blown out by the Knicks and barely gotten by the Hawks.

Steve Nash missed tonight's game against the Jazz because of back spams. Hopefully it isn't anything too serious.

Kobe Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to score 17,000 points against the Raptors on Friday. I'm sure you guys remember the last time he played the Raptors he scored 81 points, but in Friday's game, he ONLY scored 31 points. PFFT! Scrub!!

And, I think word is getting out: Gilbert Arenas is a pretty good player. 45 points tonight in a victory over the Cavs which ended their 5-game winning streak.

Oh yes, how could I forget about Shaq. He'll likely miss the Christmas matchup with Kobe and the Lakers ... that's kind of disappointing. And Nash as well -- they really could've used him last night in the loss against the Jazz, who are 9-1 and playing so well.

Kobe Bryant 17,000 points in 28 years and 86 days will eventually be surpassed by Lebron James, provided that Lebron stays healthy.

Chris Paul had a career high of 35 last night in a win over the Timberwolves. Peja hit the gamewinner ... a dagger.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

5'9" Nate Robinson SNUFFS 7'6" Yao Ming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqlaN31OzDs

Yao turned and probably didn't know Nate was already in midair anticipating the shot. Block of the year, so far

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Utah's definitely playing some great ball. I watched the Jazz-Raptors game last night, and the Jazz came back from a 16-point third quarter deficit. And with the win, Jerry Sloan becomes the first NBA coach to reach 900 wins with one team.

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

It baffles me that Jerry Sloan has never won Coach of the Year.

How ya doing, buddy?

Wow, Utah just came back from down 21 points to win by nine at Arco Arena...

I was speaking idiomatically.

I can't believe how this is their best start in franchise history, besting even all those years of Stockton and Malone.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by bishop743

It really is amazing. But, it's not how you start, it's how you finish. Some of these other teams that started well out of the gate like Atlanta, Philly and Portland are starting to falter. Not saying Utah will end up like that, but just because they've started off well doesn't make them a lock to make waves in May and June.

Very true ... just look at Dallas. After a 0-4 start, they've won eight straight, including a win against the Spurs just a few hours ago. The Mavericks are the hottest team right out outside of Utah.

Even though they won yet again tonight, I don't see Utah staying in first place for long. Teams are taking notice, and they'll get up to play the Jazz. Carlos Boozer won't be putting up those numbers when he starts seeing double-teams on every possession, or every time he catches the ball.

....

Lots of stuff happened tonight on a busy 13-games schedule...

Allen Iverson returned -- from a tooth situation, of all things -- to the lineup and poured in 46 points to beat the Bulls. Ben Wallace had ZERO rebounds in that game.

Gilbert Arenas was held to THREE points -- on 1-12 shooting -- by Memphis.

Kevin Martin of the Kings scored 35 points tonight, on 12-19 shooting.

Carmelo Anthony is leading the league in scoring, at 31.0 points going into the game against the Warriors, where he put up another 30. (I know it's early, but who do y'all think will win the scoring title this year? I still think when all is said and done, it will be Allen Iverson.)

Melo's Nuggets, surprisingly, are the highest scoring team in the NBA so far, averaging 108.3. They scored 140 tonight against the Warriors.

Miami is really struggling. They really miss Shaq's presence.

The entire Atlantic Division is so weak, as every team in there is under .500.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by bishop743

Yeah, I'm not suprised with this quick turnaround by Dallas at all. They brought in some new faces that needed to gell. Now that that is starting to happen, they are firing on all cylinders.

I'm looking forward to the Garnett-Nowitzki matchup tonight. I'll be watching the game . The Timberwolves are finally playing good basketball. Rookie Randy Foye had a blazing 14-point fourth quarter against the Clippers the other day.

Originally Posted by bishop743

wtf? ZERO rebounds. That part jumped out at me even more than Iverson's 46. Did you see that game, btw? Does he look out of sorts, or what? No rebounds... that's like... never happened to him before.

I didn't see the game, I just saw the boxscore and was stunned. The Bulls are tied for last in their division right now at 4-9, and apparently there's a storm brewing behind the scenes in Chicago:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...nba/index.html
and
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...tes/index.html

Spoiler:

Quote:

Ben Wallace's frustration has been brewing since the first week of camp. According to sources, Wallace has felt singled out by Bulls team rules that have taken away his pregame music, his headband and his tape-free ankles. Wallace broke a team rule by wearing a headband in Saturday's victory over the Knicks.

I don't understand why a coach would disallow playes to wear headbands. Scott Skiles seems to have his priorities mixed up. Jerry Sloan also disallows headbands in Utah, and I just don't get it.

Originally Posted by bishop743

With the injury to Kenyon Martin, I think it's a real possibility that 'Melo could win the scoring title this year. Iversion is going to be right there, but by the end of the season, I think Anthony will edge him out.

Yeah, the scoring barrage the Nuggets are on is amazing. That game versus the Warriors last night was VERY fun to watch. It was like a throwback mid-80's game. I really miss those days.

And did you see the Clippers-Nuggest game last night? JR Smith played so well. He had this one putback dunk, coming out of nowhere, just plucking it out of the air and cramming it with one hand.

Melo looked very comfortable and patient. He waited for double-teams, surveyed the defense, and looked every bit like a superstar. I am certain he will make his first All-Star Game this season.

Originally Posted by Ryuu

How about the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference? Three tied for first, all with the record of 5-8.

Hahaha, that division is so bad.

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

Originally Posted by bishop743

See, I had a feeling something like this would happen. Maybe, not to this extent, but something similar. Wallace should have stayed in Detroit. He was a perfect fit for that team and probably won't get that type of chemistry ever again. I don't know what issues he and Flip Saunders had, but they both should have tried harder to work things out. Both parties, the Pistons and Wallace, are suffering because of it right now.

And man, I don't even know what to say about this Atlantic division. I mean, SOMEBODY has to come out of it.... right? I figure the Nets will get it together enough and make it out on top. On paper, they are the best team in the division, and I use the word "best" very loosely. The Sixers started off nicely and have since crept back into mediocrity. This is probably the worst division in sports.

The Warriors have been playing great ball lately. A lot of that is due to Baron Davis. He's a hell of player and a great point guard. Still, there's no team hotter than Dallas right now. After losing their first 4 games, they have bounced back to win 10 friggen straight. Coach 'em up Avery, coach 'em up!

I agree ... Ben Wallace and the Pistons had a good thing going. Packing up and leaving wasn't in the best interest of either party. Big Ben's game was a perfect fit with the Pistons, anchoring the defense with other great defenders like Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. He had found his niche, and his own deficiencies on offense were shielded. Now on the Bulls, he's just so out of his element.

I've only seen three or four Bulls games so far this year, so I can't pinpoint what the problem is. Maybe it's just a different atmosphere for Ben ... after all, being told to not wear headbands is pretty unfair.

You know, I have a pretty good feeling about the Raptors. I'm watching their game right now against the Hornets, and they're playing well. They may just come out of the Atlantic Division, provided that the other teams continue to suck.

Yes, Dallas is scary now. Ten straight. They are the hottest team, now that Utah has cooled off in a hurry.



Oh, I have a video for you guys, it's a highlight package of Allen Iverson's 45-point performance against the Heat last night (including a sick cross-hesitate-cross move against Dorell Wright): http://www.sendspace.com/file/9svzzo



And then there's this:

Spoiler:

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Fiddlegoof

What's up homes
How do you think the bulls will benefit from having "Big Ben" on their squad? I think it'll boost their defense, but I don't know if he'll contribute a lot to their offense. I think he only averaged like 10 points a game (give or take), but he stuffs people left and right, and the hair....well, ya gotta love the hair.
What about that headband issue? Do you think any disagreements between Wallace and the coach will form more bad than good out of the deal?

Double Post:
Oops, my bad, i think i repeated a topic twice. I don't really read every article.

No worries

I think the TNT studio crew pretty much summed up the issue last night. It was hilarious seeing Charles Barkley wear that headband. I agree with him ... I think it's a stupid team rule.

And of course, last night's headline grabber was Kobe's 30-point performance in the third quarter, and 52 overall.

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Oh my ...

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

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

Originally Posted by bishop743

Damn, man, I wish I could have seen that game in it's entirety. That's one thing I really hate abuot the current state of the league. They just don't have games like that anymore. On Sportscenter this morning, they showed a graphic of the top scoring games in NBA history, and pretty much all of them were in the 80's... the golden age.

Hopefully, this'll be on ESPN Classic sometime soon.

You won't have to wait that long.

I'm going to upload it for you guys . It might take me a day or two, though.

Originally Posted by bishop743

OH SNAP!!!!!!!

Iverson has wanted a trade for quite sometime now but I never thought it would actually happen. Things are starting to look that way though. Watching how this all pans out is going to be interesting as hell.

I heard about this today as well. Rumours and discussions will heat up this weekend. There's a chance that we've seen AI play his last game as a Sixer (that blowout loss to Chicago ... he got back spasms and didn't play in the fourth quarter).

Double Post:
The game is broken into five parts (first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter, overtime periods):

Suns at Nets - December 7th, 2006 - 1st Quarter: http://www.mediafire.com/?0nddtmnnjnt
Suns at Nets - December 7th, 2006 - 2nd Quarter: http://www.mediafire.com/?amcylqk2g1z
Suns at Nets - December 7th, 2006 - 3rd Quarter: http://www.mediafire.com/?8zgr5wddyxu
Suns at Nets - December 7th, 2006 - 4th Quarter: http://www.mediafire.com/?an0mynmzugy
Suns at Nets - December 7th, 2006 - Overtime(s): http://www.mediafire.com/?bo3m2mmkzod

Enjoy

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

Off topic.

I like how this is the worst halftime show ever.





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It's been more than a week, and AI is still up for grabs. He clearly will never play for the Sixers again -- they've already cleaned out his locker and removed him from the jumbotron highlights and the team website.

Is the poor guy just sitting at home twiddling his thumbs, or what.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Every teams know that the Sixers have no choice but to move Iverson, and thus the Sixers can't be as picky about trade offers like during the summer.

At some point, they'll just have to give him up. Kind of like Toronto giving up Vince Carter for essentially nothing two years ago.

FELIPE NO

Not another one. Brawl at MSG.

I was watching this game when the fight broke out. It wasn't pretty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHI2HYE2J0A

Mardy Collins flagrantly fouled JR Smith, even though the game was essentially over. A brawl ensued with Nate Robinson jumping into the fray. And Carmelo threw a punch at Collins -- you could hear the blow -- and retreated like there was no tomorrow.

Suspensions coming like what.

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Originally Posted by nazpyro

The man also has Artest face... which means he's got no facial expressions. He gets the same facial expression when he wins, loses, celebrates, and after eating babies.

I LoL-ed.

Originally Posted by bishop743

Yeah, nobody wants to fight in the NBA. 90% of the time a fight breaks out, the people involved just swing wildly like sissies, not connecting or even trying to connect. ....and then you have those that hit and run.

Yeah, I never understand why, when a fight breaks out, NBA players put an arc to their punches -- swinging from the outside in with an open hand. And then flail about.

Those aren't real punches.

Maybe they don't really want to hurt the other players. I mean, these are millionnaires getting paid to put an orange ball inside a basket. It's a good gig.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Drex

Crap, I still haven't seen clips of the brawl, and the NBA requested YouTube take it down. I'll have to scour around to find something. Anything that lands Anthony 15 games in the hole ought to have been interesting. Shame that all 10 players on the court ended up getting involved.

This link still works for me, give it a try: http://youtube.com/watch?v=RPeEFCanZug

If not, let me know. I'll upload it for you.


(Oh, and welcome back, Drex)

There's nowhere I can't reach.