NBA 2007-2008 season discussion - Page 2

Re: NBA 2007-2008 season discussion

That's the problem: I don't think he can play every night. They're clearly making the trade for the playoffs but I don't think Shaq has enough in the tank to put together one good playoff series, nevermind take them all the way to the finals.

Re: NBA 2007-2008 season discussion

I agree, Andy. I guess I should have made that a "big IF". It certainly was a curious trade, but it still had some logic to it from Phoenix's standpoint. I'm still trying to figure out what Memphis gained in the Gasol trade to the Lakers.

Re: NBA 2007-2008 season discussion

About #1, the Spurs are the victims of more bad calls than anyone in the league. That is the only reason the Mavs beat them in the conference semis in '06. Otherwise, the Spurs would have already had their three-peat, and all this "Are they a dynasty or not?" talk would be non-existent.

About the NBA as a topic, I think the Spurs have a lot to do with it. They are THE dominant team, but they are not flashy or controversial. The biggest endorsement deal any Spurs player has is with local HEB grocery stores. They are not marketable.

As a huge Spurs fan, I could not care less about any of that. They win championships, and that is all I care about. If I did not like the Spurs, I would not comment either because the only things I could say are the only two things people already can and do say:

1. They are dirty. (That is mostly cry-baby talk from Suns fans, which is laughable given the Spurs' undeserved but long-standing reputation as a soft team.)

2. They are boring and bad for TV ratings. (I am not an advertising exec, so I don't give a rat's ass if TV viewers think they are boring. If people don't want to watch championship-caliber basketball, that's their choice.)

The funny thing about #2 is if you think back to the most-memorable playoff series in recent memory, almost all of them involve San Antonio:

'07 Western semis Spurs vs. Phoenix: The bloody nose, the knee, the trip, the hip-check, the coming-off-the-bench rule, the schooling by Ginobili (33 pts) Parker (30 pts) and Duncan (one block shy of triple-double) in clinching game 6
'06 Finals Heat vs. Mavs...Wade was unreal in crunch time...and Dallas' choke job was surreal.
'06 Western semis Spurs vs. Mavs (the best playoff series of the decade...simply unbelievable games, sadly marred by bad officiating that cost SA the series)
'05 Finals Spurs vs. Detroit...incredible game 5 and intense game 7
'04 Western semis Spurs vs. Lakers: .4 seconds (grrrr)
'03 Western semis Spurs vs. Lakers: In and out for Horry in game 5, and then a 28-point drubbing to eliminate the Lakers in LA.

Yeah, the Spurs are pretty boring.

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The Spurs are a great team and worthy of respect for winning 4 championships in the last 9 seasons. But nobody who knows basketball well would consider them in the same league with the '60's Celtics, the '80's Lakers, the '90's Bulls, or the threepeat Lakers of '00-'02. A team that can't win back-to-back titles shouldn't even merit inclusion in this discussion.

And, yes, the Spurs are dirty and boring. That's why they get no calls.

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This isn't really a negative comment on the Spurs but more a commentary on my opinion on the state of the league in general over the past few seasons. I'm not so sure the Spurs play championship caliber basketball as much as they are the least rotten apple in a bin full of them.

Also, a number of the series mentioned involve San Antonio, they also involve a number of teams that people would consider appealing to watch such as Phoenix, Dallas, and L.A. It takes 2 teams to make a series so you can't credit all of those series as proof that the spurs aren't boring without acknowledging the opponents.


Oh, and how was Dallas Vs. Golden State not on your list? Sure it doesn't prove your point but that series is way more memorable to me than San Antonio-Detroit. Although I don't discount the latter's worth especially to Spurs fans.

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I think Robert's list is very subjective, and will vary with different fans. I would certainly put the Warriors upset over the Mavs on the list, and the Pistons - Pacers series in Detroit's championship year would also make my list.

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I don't really have any major problems with the Spurs, but I have a feeling that plays like this might have something to do with why people are perhaps a little lukewarm on them (and the NBA in general):

Re: NBA 2007-2008 season discussion

First, big boo-boo (HUGE) on my part to exclude Dallas-Golden State. That was an amazing series...unfortunately I missed a lot of it sleeping because the games started at 10 pm local time. In terms of excitement, that may have been the #1 NBA series in quite a while. And as a Spurs fan, I concede that SA did not match up well with Dallas last season, so we Spurs fans owe a big time "Thank you" to the Warriors for clearing the path for a 4th title run.

And you are right, it does take two teams to make a good and interesting series. Spurs vs. Suns/Mavs/Lakers are great series that NBA basketball fans would love to watch. Unfortunately for the Spurs, three of their Finals opponents have been boring teams. Some would argue all four, but for sure, the Knicks, Nets and Cavs are all boring teams who were all overmatched, although NJ at least put up a fight.

But as I said before, the media and Spurs detractors say the only thing they can: The Spurs are bad for TV ratings...this is the worst-rated series in XX number of years. I tell you what, if it were not for the Spurs, I would not have watched either, because the Knicks, Nets and Cavs are among the most boring teams around. Even with King James, the Cavs are mind-numbingly boring. But somehow, it is San Antonio's fault that they play boring teams in the Finals.

None of this talk would exist if the NBA seeded teams 1-16 based on record, regardless of conference. Then we could have had Finals series such as Spurs-Lakers/Mavs/Suns. Nobody would be complaining then, at least not about the boring part.

Re: NBA 2007-2008 season discussion

Oh Sprewell.....ESPN - Ex-NBA star Sprewell sells $1.5 million yacht, home could be foreclosed - NBA

Re: NBA 2007-2008 season discussion

The Mavs may or may not have acquired the services of Jason Kidd. As a Laker fan, this acquisition doesn't exactly have me shaking in my boots. I think the Mavs were about as good as they were ever going to be without him, and I'm not sure this really makes them better, if it all goes down.

Other thoughts:

The Celtics are on a nice run without Garnett. These guys are amazing. Their consistent day-to-day commitment to team defense is inspirational. Doc Rivers is the coach of the year.

The Spurs are doing quite well in the absence of Tony Parker. They're starting to hit their stride. Always a scary thought.

The Pistons win often and easy. Let's see if they're still interested, come playoff time.

The Suns are a work in progress. If it works, they'll win the championship. If not, they may be an 8th seed.

The Lakers? If Bynum comes back strong, I just don't see them losing to anyone in a 7-game series, no matter how healthy everyone else is.

Here's hoping every team in the league enjoys the best of health after the All-Star break. I want to see KG, Tony Parker, Andrew Bynum, Shaq, Josh Howard, etc, as soon as possible. This is shaping up to be one of the great years in NBA history.

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As of now, the Kidd to Dallas deal is off due to Devean George invoking a no trade clause. Of course, he may yet be persuaded (financially or otherwise) to accept the trade.

Unless Dallas can resign Stackhouse after New Jersey waves him, I do not think this deal makes the Mavs any better. They give up a younger point guard for a declining Kidd, and give up bench depth in Stackhouse.

On the local radio yesterday the talk was about the Pistons potentially going after Stackhouse, should this deal go through. I just do not see it happening. I think he would either rejoin Dallas or go to Boston. He would not get much playing time in Detroit, and has just as good a chance to win a title in Boston. He has a home in Dallas, too.

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I don't really understand the Kidd deal. IMO, Devin Harris is currently better than Kidd by himself, nevermind having to give him and a few other players/picks up to bring Kidd.

I continue to be amazed about how tightly bunched up the West is. The Rockets are currently on pace to win over 55 games...and they're only on the bubble, but it doesn't really matter because they're only 4-1/2 games out of being the #1 seed. Crazy. The best record to never make the playoffs is 45-37 (the 2001-02 Rockets, IIRC) - that's likely going to be shattered this season by *at least* one team.

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Meanwhile, there are only five teams in the East with winning records. Boston and Detroit are legitimate title contenders, but I do not think any other team in the conference has a shot. Orlando struggles against quality opponents, and Cleveland is a one-man team.

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The 9th place team in the Western Conference has a .615 winning percentage, which would be good enough for 3rd in the East. At this current pace, a team with 50 wins would be a lottery team.

That is simply incredible.

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I like how the Pistons have won 10 in a row, yet have only gained a game and a half on the Celtics during the win streak, thanks to Boston going 8-2 in their last 10.

Re: NBA 2007-2008 season discussion

It appears that Stackhouse's big mouth, and not George's no-trade clause, could mean the end of Kidd going to Dallas. I doubt the Mavs will include him in the deal now.

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Earlier, Mike Bibby was traded to the Hawks. Many Sactown fans were upset when the Kings traded Jason Williams for him, but it was a great trade for the team. He was their most dependable player in all those playoff runs the Kings made.

Kidd to Mavs deal finally goes through. I don't know if this will be a good trade for the Mavs, but I do know that it's good to be a retired NBA player this year. Aaron McKie and Keith Van Horn were signed by teams that still had their rights and given big bucks (relative to everyone else on the planet) to make the salaries match. If only Spreewell had such foresight before retiring.

Re: NBA 2007-2008 season discussion

What a mega-trade between the Bulls, Cavs and Sonics. Ben Wallace is now on his 3rd team in less than 3 seasons.

Here's the rundown on the trade:

Cavaliers get:
Bulls F/C Ben Wallace
Bulls F Joe Smith
Bulls 2009 2nd-round pick
Sonics F Wally Szczerbiak
Sonics G Delonte West

Bulls get:
Cavaliers F Drew Gooden
Cavaliers G Larry Hughes
Cavaliers F Cedric Simmons
Cavaliers G Shannon Brown

Sonics get:
Cavaliers F Ira Newble
Cavaliers F Donyell Marshall
Bulls F Adrian Griffin

It's all for nothing since the Pistons are going to beat the Cavs in the playoffs anyways!

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I hope you are right, but I am actually more afraid of the Cavs after this trade. So what was in this for the Sonics? Money move?

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I think the Cavs helped themselves against many teams, Detroit is not one of them. Drew Gooden always gave them fits and Larry Hughes was a decent defender on Rip, now they don't have that, and they still need a point guard.

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Like the AFC and the American League, it is a lot tougher to make the playoffs in the Western Conference.

The 76ers are 7-3 in their last 10, but all of those wins were at home. I'm not sure if I want them to make the playoffs or tank the season.

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Cavs' deal not scaring Pistons

You don't happen to write under the alias Chris McCosky?

Re: NBA 2007-2008 season discussion

Thats pretty funny. At least I posted mine yesterday, or last night at least so it doesn't look like I stole it from him. If it means anything, I can't stand McCosky and haven't read his stuff in years. Talked to a couple of buddies of mine today and they are thinking the exact same thing anyways. Not a deal that really worries me too much.

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The Cavs trade is strange to me because it had so many players involved, three teams, and yet I'm not sure anyone really got all that much better. I guess Cleveland might be a little better but at the same time I don't think it's quite good enough to fulfill Lebron's cries for help.

I like the Kurt Thomas deal for San Antonio, even if it makes them even older than they are.

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On paper, I would say the Cavs got a little better; all of the players they got could have some on court value. Even if the team didn't get better, Lebron was vocal about the team trading for some talent, so perhaps the front office is thinking that at least the move could have the appearance of upgrading to Lebron.

If the Cavs do improve, Lebron could win the MVP this year. He is having the best individual performance season so far, but voters tend to like players on teams on pace for more wins. Right now it looks like Lebron, Kobe, Chris Paul and KG are the top candidates.

Just a couple of seasons ago, the Bulls looked like the brightest young team in the league. Then they traded away Tyson Chandler and signed Big Ben, even though Chandler is cheaper, better and younger. At different points, they were thought of as the frontrunners to trade for KG, Gasol, and Kobe. Now it looks pretty grim--they would rather take on Hughes' contract than Wallace's.

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And things haven't exactly panned out too well for Wallace (besides all the bank I mean). I still think that had he stayed in Detroit the Pistons would have another title and Wallace's reputation would be better. I am glad that the Pistons didn't overpay to keep him, but it was not like he was going to go poor if he really wanted to stay as much as he said he did.

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Great game today between the Lakers and the Mavs. Looked like playoff basketball and we're still 20+ games left in the regular season. The Mavs are a great team and they're in 6th place in the West. Sheesh.

Whoever survives the gauntlet of the West still has to play Boston or Detroit for the championship (I wouldn't bet on the Cavs, no matter how brilliant LeBron is).

I know NBA basketball is pretty much a dead topic at the HTF, but this has been the most entertaining and eventful regular season in NBA history. The team that holds that trophy in June (and their fans) will be incredibly happy. Good luck to all, and can we please have no more significant injuries??

Houston fans, I feel your pain.

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Kobe's bizarre free throw shooting in the first half made the game a little scary today. I guess...he made up for it.

I wouldn't be too sorry for Houston fans yet. Even without Yao, they have now won 15 in a row, including today's big win over Denver, one of the 9 teams competing for a playoff spot. I love the ageless finger waving wonder known as Dikembe Mutombo.

The West is just too scary right now. The Mavs are about equally close to being 1st place as out of the playoffs. If something goes wrong, a juggernaut like the Mavs (bench pretty thin compared to before) or Suns (2-4 with Shaq) could miss the playoffs completely!

I still wouldn't count out the Cavs, just because of Lebron. He is playing great right now. He averaged close to 30-9-9 with 50% in February, and seems to have no problems closing out games anymore.

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I do not think Cleveland has much of a chance in the East. Even with their recent trades, they are still mostly a one-man team. Also, they will likely have to beat both Boston and Detroit to get to the Finals. They may be able to upset one, but I doubt they can beat both teams back-to-back. Last season the Cavs had a cake walk in the playoffs before facing the Pistons in the conference finals. That will not be the case this year.

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Mutombo is amazing. The Rockets are already trying to convince him to come back for another season

Losing Yao probably kills the Rockets' hopes of a deep playoff run, but depending on the match-ups they might still be good enough to pull off a first round upset. They've got great chemistry right now, the defense might be even better than it was under Van Gundy, and they can only keep improving on offense because they're only barely into learning Adelman's system.

They also have a much stronger team than they did last year because they've finally got a real power forward rotation: stealing Scola from the Spurs is almost like a miniature Gasol trade (and it doesn't seem like the Rockets have realized just how many post moves he has) and Carl Landry is a dunking machine (but with a nice jumpshot, too). Both guys are absolutely nonstop on the court - I can't count the number of times I've seen an opposing team seemingly secure a rebound only for Landry to come soaring in from somewhere off the tv screen to rip it away or at least get a jump ball out of it (which he always wins because he's a great leaper).