NBA Season 2010-11

[pk500]

And I'm with Scoop...I think the Bulls are definitely the team to beat in the East. They are the most well rounded and they do nearly everything well. Had they gotten a legit SG at the deadline, they'd be the favorite in the entire league, so they still have one pretty gaping hole. Still a fantastic team tho that will likely come out of the east.

Agree. I have told my sons since New Year's to watch out for the Bulls once everyone is healthy. Neither Orlando nor Boston has an answer for Rose's incredible skill set, not even Rondo. Rose gets my MVP vote, as he kept the Bulls afloat when Boozer and Noah were hurt and can flat-out dominate games.

Funny how no one is this recent conversation is mentioning the Heat as an Eastern Conference title contender.

[lexbur]

They're still playing? Wake me up when they drop the ping pong balls into the hopper.

[wco81]

When I heard the Sacramento Kings were on the verge of moving to Anaheim, I thought this was just a case of a team moving to a bigger market, getting access to an arena which would generate more revenues. It is certainly that, as supposedly the Kings could get a bigger TV contract as the 3rd NBA team down in the LA area than it gets in Sacto.

But a Sacramento fan called a local sports radio show and made a bunch of points. Supposedly the Maloofs are like $400 million in debt so they can't move without help. He claimed the Kings owe $77 million to the city of Sacramento, which was threatening to sue Anaheim for trying to lure the team away.

Meanwhile, Anaheim just passed a measure to issue $75 million in bonds to help the Kings move but the money will come from the guy who owns the Anaheim arena.

Jerry Buss isn't happy because he has a TV contract worth $1 billion but supposedly if another team moves into the area, the value of that TV contract goes down by $300 million. Meanwhile, the total value of the Kings is only $300 million. Yet the expectation is that Buss and Sterling will try to make the relocation fee as high as possible. The Thunder paid about $30 million to move from Seattle to OKC.

If the Kings are able to move to LA, what's going to stop the Grizzlies and other struggling teams from moving to NY or Chicago?

The guy also thinks that if the Kings didn't get f***ed by the NBA in Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Lakers, the team would gone onto beating the Nets and then would have had an easier time getting a new stadium and more support.

[greggsand]

This Anaheim thing will happen, & I get all the reasons why. If you've never been here, there's a def 'mental line' between LA & OC. Other than contractual things like you mentioned, I can't imagine the Lakers feel the effects from a TV ratings/attendance standpoint. Prob the Clippers will stay steady, too. The OC will def get behind the team. They love their Angels & Ducks and would welcome an NBA team.

What I don't get is New Orleans in this. Here's a struggling franchise the NBA had to take over/"own", yet D. Stern seems to just be sitting on his hands. The NBA should send them to a city that wants them (Seattle!!!) asap. I always wonder if STL could get behind a NBA team?? Coin toss.

[pk500]

What I don't get is New Orleans in this. Here's a struggling franchise the NBA had to take over/"own", yet D. Stern seems to just be sitting on his hands. The NBA should send them to a city that wants them (Seattle!!!) asap. I always wonder if STL could get behind a NBA team?? Coin toss.

The same thing is happening in the NHL with the Coyotes. Southern Ontario, Quebec City or Winnipeg would love to have that franchise and would support it to capacity every night, but Bettman continues to toy with the folly that hockey can flourish in Phoenix.

[wco81]

There's talk of a hard cap in the next CBA. May be the only way the small market teams could have a hope of competing. But the players don't want that and besides, the big stars want to go to big market teams. NBA also needs the glamour teams to keep the ratings up -- when San Antonio plays in the Finals, the ratings plummet.

Yeah NBA should sell the Hornets as soon as they can because if Chris Paul leaves, that team is going to lose a lot of value. But there's talk that Larry Ellison, who got outbid for the Warriors, would buy the Hornets and move them into San Jose. That's probably what the NBA doesn't want.

[pk500]

Knicks in the playoffs! I hope the seeds stay put for the rest of the season. I want Miami in the first round.

[Rodster]

That makes two of us. I want NY in the 1st rd too.

Too bad the Clippers won't make the playoffs. Would love to see more Blake Griffin monster dunks.

[wco81]

Those ex-Knicks looked pretty good against the Lakers playing for Denver.

[pk500]

Those ex-Knicks looked pretty good against the Lakers playing for Denver.

Yes, they did. If that's a dig toward me, nice try. Here's your nickel back so you can play again.

The Nuggets received players in the 'Melo deal that fit Karl's system perfectly, especially Chandler and Felton. Both were among the rare members of the Knicks' pre-trade roster who played defense and played with intensity every night, two things not really required in D'Antoni's system.

Gallinari proved once again why he was the piece that held up the trade for so long. The Knicks didn't want to lose him, and the Nuggets coveted him. He's a 6-10 dude who can shoot from long range and get to the line with penetration. Gallo actually played better defense AFTER his knee injury this season. Seemed more mobile while wearing a brace, as odd as that sounds.

I won't be surprised one bit if the Nuggets go deeper than the Knicks in the NBA Playoffs. I don't expect New York to beat Boston or Miami, but I think they'll take the Heat deeper than the Celtics. The Nuggets face a tough first-round series with Okie City, but I don't think any team in the NBA wants to play Denver in the first round right now.

Nuggets-Thunder should be the best series of the first round.

[greggsand]

I don't like NY or Den's chances of going too far in the playoffs. Denver 'might' get a more favorable match-up in round 1. 'might'.

Something tells me the Heat will become a different team in the playoffs as opposed to the flaky team they've been all-year (so long as the big 3 are all healthy).

[wco81]

No I hadn't really seen them play that much and was wondering what kind of production they were getting to replace Melo.

So Nuggets are deeper now but they don't have someone who can carry the team game in and game out. They have several guys who can do that for stretches of games, like yesterday.

In the playoffs though, those players may not get the calls that superstars do.

[Diablo25]

Sixers lose Lou Williams for (probably) the remainder of the regular season with a hamstring strain. That hurts. Sixers bench is a HUGE key to their success and Lou is instant offense off the bench. Hopefully he will be ready for the playoffs. Looking like the Celtics in round 1 and they can be beat.

[Brando70]

Is there a New York law that dictates the Knicks must give the ball to a guy who will make a terrible shot selection at the end of a close playoff game?

As for Derrick Rose, just wow. It's been a while since I jumped off my couch during a Bulls game the way I did on Saturday.

[pk500]

Is there a New York law that dictates the Knicks must give the ball to a guy who will make a terrible shot selection at the end of a close playoff game?

The great paradox of Carmelo Anthony was on full display. The stats say the guy is the best clutch shooter in crunch time in the NBA over the last five seasons. But the guy also thinks he MUST take the clutch shot every time.

Melo's team awareness is horrible. Stoudemire carried the Knicks in the second half, and Melo was cold. Anyone with any sense of team would have looked to STAT inside for the final shot, especially if either Garnett or Davis was defending STAT. But Melo had no plan other than launch the ball from anywhere.

It cracks me up to see D'Antoni with a white board diagramming plays during late timeouts. He could just scrawl, "MELO WILL SHOOT," and save some time.

Special compliments to my boy Ronny Turiaf. He had five blocks and played very good defense on Garnett.

The Knicks are in trouble because they played defense about as well as their limited stopping ability will allow -- and still lost. The Knickerbockers are f*cked with a pitchfork if Billups misses any games.

As for Derrick Rose, just wow. It's been a while since I jumped off my couch during a Bulls game the way I did on Saturday.

Absolutely. Is there any question this cat is the MVP? Although Chris Paul did a pretty damn good D-Rose imitation yesterday at Staples.

A very entertaining weekend of NBA games. I watched WAY more NBA than NHL last weekend. I'm still in shock, too.

[Brando70]

You could tell Carmelo was going to take that shot as soon as he caught the pass and stopped. He's definitely the guy to take the final shot, but he just made such a bad decision there, especially since they had time to make another pass or move.

[dbdynsty25]

One thing that I'm entirely too aware of is the horrendously poor execution at the end of games from Mike D'Antoni teams. Even with superior talent, the guy just can't get his teams to execute at the end of games. I can't explain it...I can only watch and laugh.

[wco81]

When Rondo went to double-team Melo, he could have dropped it off to the Knicks PG, who could have had a wide open shot at the FT line.

But they decided he was the one to take the shot and with BIllups out, I guess they wanted him to take it.

[pk500]

When Rondo went to double-team Melo, he could have dropped it off to the Knicks PG, who could have had a wide open shot at the FT line.

Indeed. Douglas hit a big three for the Knicks late, so it's not like his hand was icy.

[Brando70]

Really surprised at how flat the Bulls have looked in their first two games against the Pacers. It's like they had to get in a hole both times to get fired up.

[RobVarak]

Really surprised at how flat the Bulls have looked in their first two games against the Pacers. It's like they had to get in a hole both times to get fired up.

They look unbelievably tight to me. Everyone but Rose and Korver seems to be very uncomfortable and not aggressively moving through their offensive sets. Lots of tentative passes and "please don't miss" shots. There were about 2 possessions where the movement and passing were crisp and it was shocking to be reminded of how this team played 82 games.

Hopefully this is just an outgrowth of early-playoff jitters for a team that's not used to being the hunted. It may do them so good to get on the road.

[pk500]

Melo is channeling Bernard King. Holy f*ck -- what a performance, what a game.

It's Melo and the JV against the Celtics, yet the Knicks are hanging tough.

[pk500]

Heartbreak again. F*ck.

Did D'Antoni remind his team that the Celtics could inbound the ball into the backcourt with four seconds remaining? I wonder.

[icvu42]

Knicks should be up 2-0.....how good can the Celtics be to only win this by three against no Stodemire and Billups.

Rick

[jLp vAkEr0]

Knicks should be up 2-0.....how good can the Celtics be to only win this by three against no Stodemire and Billups.

Rick

Good enough to be up 2-0.

As a Celtic fan I pretty much know they really don't have a chance to win it all so I'll enjoy the ride 'till it's over.