NBA Season 2014-15

[dbdynsty25]

82 games is the issue, not the timing of them. We need to get down to 60-65 games over the same time period to really give guys a chance to recover. Nothing like that will ever happen given the money the owners will lose, but you get the point.

[Rodster]

82 games is the issue, not the timing of them. We need to get down to 60-65 games over the same time period to really give guys a chance to recover. Nothing like that will ever happen given the money the owners will lose, but you get the point.

That's EXACTLY what Shane Battier recently said. A 60 game schedule would be perfection. All the games would mean something and no NBA team would mail it in during the season. I read a lot of the players including Bron Bron said the Commish needs to address the back to backs but the Heat can't use the back to backs as an excuse for their injuries except D-Wade.

[wco81]

So the Bulls lose Rose and Jimmy Butler for a month or more. Obviously Rose getting hurt isn't surprising, but Butler's injury is so disappointing. Crazy how much the injuries have piled up for them this season.

That's a lot better than missing the season for Rose. The Heat OTOH have been napalmed with injuries. Now Drajic is out with back spasms and Birdman as well. It's like a player turnstile this season with the Heat.

When LBJ went to Cleveland, did Heat fans really have high expectations?

[dbdynsty25]

When LBJ went to Cleveland, did Heat fans really have high expectations?

In the East...everyone has expectations.

[Rodster]

When LBJ went to Cleveland, did Heat fans really have high expectations?

In the East...everyone has expectations.

True dat !

Actually the Heat had expectations of getting into the playoffs possibly getting into the second round. They had a decent and intriguing line up but I don't think they'll make the playoffs now. The roster and lineup are too unstable but at least the Heat gave Whiteside a chance and it's paid off. I'm just hoping Dragic signs with the Heat in the off season. The Heat are a much better team when he's moving the ball.

[Diablo25]

When LBJ went to Cleveland, did Heat fans really have high expectations?

In the East...everyone has expectations.

Come on now...Sixers fan here

[pk500]

When LBJ went to Cleveland, did Heat fans really have high expectations?

In the East...everyone has expectations.

Even Phil Jackson had expectations of the Knicks grabbing the seventh or eighth spot in the East. Those expectations are now the kind of peyote-laced fantasy Phil has in his Zen dreams.

Jackson is Teflon, though. The guy has done NOTHING to help the Knicks and is earning $15 million per year, yet he seems unassailable by the ravenous New York media because of the sheen of his title rings in Chicago and L.A. His Knicks' playing legacy also is granting him extra time that I think is undeserved.

[pk500]

When LBJ went to Cleveland, did Heat fans really have high expectations?

In the East...everyone has expectations.

True dat !

Actually the Heat had expectations of getting into the playoffs possibly getting into the second round. They had a decent and intriguing line up but I don't think they'll make the playoffs now. The roster and lineup are too unstable but at least the Heat gave Whiteside a chance and it's paid off. I'm just hoping Dragic signs with the Heat in the off season. The Heat are a much better team when he's moving the ball.

The Heat could have been interesting in the East if Bosh, Wade and Dragic stayed healthy and Whiteside continues at his recent torrid clip. Then again, if my aunt had balls, she would be my uncle.

[Rodster]

The Heat could have been interesting in the East if Bosh, Wade and Dragic stayed healthy and Whiteside continues at his recent torrid clip. Then again, if my aunt had balls, she would be my uncle.

Actually with that lineup the Heat could do some serious damage and that's not factoring Josh McRoberts play. Besides the injuries the biggest disappointment has been the play of Bazz Napier. I thought he would have shown a lot more potential. There was a recent game where he played around 20 mins and didn't even attempt a shot, not good for a PG.

OTOH, another young D-League prospect is showing potential. Tyler Johnson dropped 26 last night and was key in the Heat's win.

[pk500]

OTOH, another young D-League prospect is showing potential. Tyler Johnson dropped 26 last night and was key in the Heat's win.

Down, boy. Don't look to the D-League as an incubator of real gems, such as the AHL in hockey or AAA in baseball. Guys like Whiteside and Langston Galloway for the Knicks will be the exception, not the rule. They are stepping into either a black hole of a position for a team (Whiteside) or a horrible team (Galloway) and looking good.

Do you watch D-League games on NBA TV? The caliber of play is pretty poor. There's a damn good reason why those guys are there and not in the NBA. Plus you almost never see NBA guys recovering from injury with a quick stint in the D-League because they'll get a better run in an NBA practice than they will in a D-League game.

[Rodster]

OTOH, another young D-League prospect is showing potential. Tyler Johnson dropped 26 last night and was key in the Heat's win.

Down, boy. Don't look to the D-League as an incubator of real gems, such as the AHL in hockey or AAA in baseball. Guys like Whiteside and Langston Galloway for the Knicks will be the exception, not the rule. They are stepping into either a black hole of a position for a team (Whiteside) or a horrible team (Galloway) and looking good.

Do you watch D-League games on NBA TV? The caliber of play is pretty poor. There's a damn good reason why those guys are there and not in the NBA. Plus you almost never see NBA guys recovering from injury with a quick stint in the D-League because they'll get a better run in an NBA practice than they will in a D-League game.

No doubt the DL is inferior but it's the DL for a reason. It's for players to hone their skills. It's either that or they go overseas to play. Bazz Napier would be a good candidate for the DL. One little nugget about the Heat's DL team is that the coaches prep them for how the Miami Heat play. So when they come up they already know most of the terminology and some of the plays. Henry Walker another DL misfit said jumping from the DL to the Heat was an easy transition. That said Tyler Johnson has had several double point games since coming up from the Heat's DL.

[pk500]

I see the D-League differently. It has become a receptacle for players who left school too early and weren't ready for the NBA or guys who never will be good enough or have the right physical tools to play regularly in the Association. Former Syracuse point guard Tyler Ennis (overrated) and former Syracuse forward C.J. Fair (not good enough for NBA) are classic examples.

I don't see the D-League as a successful incubator for NBA talent. It's a basketball halfway house. To be fair, 33 percent of players on an NBA roster at the end of last season had spent some time in the D-League. So the NBA brass can call the league a success. But the D-League never will be a cultivator of talent like the AHL and certainly not the multi-tiered baseball minor leagues.

NBA draft picks -- especially first-rounders and early second-rounders -- don't have the luxury of time unless they're on a European roster because there are only two rounds in the draft, and basketball has small rosters compared to other stick-and-ball sports. They're expected to contribute immediately in the Association.

[Rodster]

I see the D-League differently. It has become a receptacle for players who left school too early and weren't ready for the NBA or guys who never will be good enough or have the right physical tools to play regularly in the Association. Former Syracuse point guard Tyler Ennis (overrated) and former Syracuse forward C.J. Fair (not good enough for NBA) are classic examples.

I see the DL the same exact way. Where we differ is the Heat have benefited from their DL farm team. You can find gems in the DL and in Whiteside's case his problem was never lack of talent but rather maturity. Going from hot prospect to the DL and or playing overseas is like being sent to a "scared straight program". Some players get the humility, grow up and hone their craft or they are out of the league for good. Henry Walker is another one who was called up from the Heat's DL and was grateful for a second chance. He's been productive so far.

[Brando70]

The other thing is that, at least in today's NBA, it's very rare for a top player to come from anywhere other than the top 10-15 picks of the draft. I looked at the top 30 scorers in the NBA and only two were second-round picks (Monta Ellis and Marc Gasol). Jimmy Butler is the only other player who was not a top 20 pick, and there are only a handful who are outside the top 10.

You can find guys in the D-league who can produce productive minutes, but I think the NBA is the league where it is the least likely to find a diamond in the rough. Players tend to turn out as the teams expected when they drafted them or worse. They don't turn out better very often, especially if they played in the U.S. before being drafted.

[Rodster]

That's another reason why quite a few unsuccessful first time NBA players are opting either for the DL in hopes of honing their skills with the chance they'll get a call from a desperate NBA team or they go overseas.

[wco81]

That's another reason why quite a few unsuccessful first time NBA players are opting either for the DL in hopes of honing their skills with the chance they'll get a call from a desperate NBA team or they go overseas.

That and delaying getting a real job as long as possible.

[Inuyasha]

A bit off-topic but MJ is a Billionaire.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexande ... el-jordan/


Nice to read a story about an ex professional athlete that didnt lose all his money when he was done with his sport.

[pk500]

A bit off-topic but MJ is a Billionaire.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexande ... el-jordan/


Nice to read a story about an ex professional athlete that didnt lose all his money when he was done with his sport.

Sure, MJ probably has a good investment advisor. But he still makes $100 million PER YEAR from his shoe deal with Nike. Pretty tough to hit the poor farm with that kind of cash flow:

http://www.businessinsider.com/michael- ... ear-2015-3

[Rodster]

It looks like the Hawks just sent Bron Bron and the Cavs a message that they are the team to beat in the East.

[Diablo25]

It looks like the Hawks just sent Bron Bron and the Cavs a message that they are the team to beat in the East.

And then lost to my Sixers

[Rodster]

Whiteside went from a future rising star to a liability real quick at Miami. This guy should be pals with Suh as he was ejected last night again for losing his cool and hurt Miami in their loss to Boston. You know EVERY team they face with playoff implications will be pushing his buttons.

He's over $30k in fines already and that doesn't count last nights episode.

[Rodster]

There's no way he doesn't escape suspension. He's already up to $40K in fines. Maybe Suh can help him with his anger issues.

Supposedly one of the Celtics yelled out “that’s the Hassan I know”


EDIT: Whiteside suspended 1 game...again !

[Rodster]

Go figure, the Heat are a below average team this year and they are putting a beat down on the Cavs in the 3rd qtr.

[Rodster]

Nash officially retires. Goran Dragic credits sitting on the bench and learning from him. Hopefully Bazz Napier can do the same.

[pk500]

The Spurs inflicted a fundamental ass-kicking on Golden State last night. The Spurs were without Splitter, and Golden State had its regular starting lineup.

Anyone who discounts the Spurs in the West does so at their peril.

It's odd: For all the talk about the "savage depth" of the West, the race for the Finals west of the Mississippi comes down to two teams: Golden State and San Antonio. Just like the race in the East comes down to two teams, Atlanta and Cleveland. I think every other team has enough weaknesses or injuries to mark themselves as pretenders.