The Official NBA Thread

[Sound]

Could it have been a veiled drugs accusation?

 

[Forsberg]

I wonder what he is trying to say here? If the Suns record with and without Nash in recent years is anything to go by then of course he is the leagues MVP or at least one of the couple who should legitimately be considered for it. It certainly isn't tainted as a result of him winning back to back. The award isn't most talented player, it is most valuable and when Nash plays Phoenix almost always win where as they are below 500 I believe when he is out. On Pardon The Interuption Kornheiser wondered if Shaq was taking a stab at white/foreign players or if it was just a go at the 2 big players on the Heat's biggest rivals. Wilbon apparently is gonna ask him at some press conference today. I'm interested to see what he (Shaq) was really trying to say or if he was just misquoted. -AmadeusDC-

Heard that on th PTI podcast at lunchtime. Interesting alright. I just wonder are people getting overly paranoid when it comes to race issues these day's though. I think "tainted" wasn't the best choice of words but when you consider that it was Shaq who was the main contender to Nash in 2005 and his teamated D-Wade last year , then it just strikes as sore loser syndrome . He's not the first to question Nash as MVP either and most arguments seem to centre around how a guy can win back to back MVP's without leading his team to a championship or even a finals. You could understand these if the MVP was awarded after the post season but afaik it's announced during the playoff ( i stand to be corrected if wrong).

 

[AmadeusDC]

Heard that on th PTI podcast at lunchtime. Interesting alright. I just wonder are people getting overly paranoid when it comes to race issues these day's though. I think "tainted" wasn't the best choice of words but when you consider that it was Shaq who was the main contender to Nash in 2005 and his teamated D-Wade last year , then it just strikes as sore loser syndrome . He's not the first to question Nash as MVP either and most arguments seem to centre around how a guy can win back to back MVP's without leading his team to a championship or even a finals. You could understand these if the MVP was awarded after the post season but afaik it's announced during the playoff ( i stand to be corrected if wrong).

Ya, it is the regular season MVP. -AmadeusDC-

 

[AmadeusDC]

Heard that on th PTI podcast at lunchtime. Interesting alright.

PTI is a great show for the most part actually. I'd love to see an Irish or even an English version of it. A good mix of serious and entertaining debate and at least one of the two seems to know quite a bit on whatever topic they are discussing. They get some great guests too. Kornheiser is miles better than Wilbon though who particularly annoys me because he is so clueless when it comes to soccer. -AmadeusDC-

 

[Coin]

Warning! Wallace/Chandler tirade coming.


I'm a Bulls fan. I was most displeased last year when Ben Wallace was signed and Tyson Chandler was traded to New Orleans for PJ Brown and JR Smith (now getting 15 per game for Denver). After reading something on ESPN.com the other day I did my periodic stats check on the two lads this morning and I have moved from most displeased to ragingly furious, and it will be even worse next season.

Tyson Chandler's numbers for February:
Rebounds: 18, 12, 13, 16, 22, 16, 23, 15, 20, 12, 19 (16.9 per)
Points: 16, 11, 9, 10, 11, 15, 17, 10, 16, 10, 15 (12.7 per)

For those of us keeping count, that's 10 double-doubles out of 11 and 5 games with 18 or more rebounds.

Ben Wallace in February:
Rebounds: 2, 12, 11, 13, 17, 10, 13, 9, 14, 19, 12, 8, 8 (11.4 per)
Points: 0, 0, 7, 6, 9, 5, 5, 3, 4, 14, 8, 6, 3 (5.4 per)

1 double-double and 1 game with 18 or more rebounds.

Chandler: 12.4 rebs, 8.4 pts, 1.7 blocks, 0.9 assists.
Wallace: 10.4 rebs, 6.2 pts, 2.2 blocks, 2.2 assists.

Yes, stats only tell part of the story. There's also the fact that Chandler is 8 years younger than Wallace and earns between two thirds and three quarters of the money Wallace is on. By the way, Wallace is getting slower as he gets older (shock!) and he just isn't as good a defender anymore. He's still very good, but he's not the brick wall he used to be, and Chandler, one of the best young defenders in the game, will likely catch up to Wallace by the end of next year, when Wallace will be 33 and Chandler 25.

Wallace is signed for 4 years. I may cry.

 

[Coin]

Shaq probably just meant that it was stupid to give the award to Steve Nash, and that it lowered the bar for how good you need to be to get it.

 

[magic]

Coin,

As a Bulls fan what did you think of thier move to rty and pick up Pau Gasol just before the trade deadline?
I thought it was an ok idea but if I was a Bulls fan I would worry when they put Deng on the table!
Gasol would no doubt improve the Bulls offensively but would he play enough D to keep Skiles happy? (I doubt it!)
Plus Deng is young and athletic with a developing outside game and could be a very good player in a year or two.
Seems like Paxson is taking a very short term view with all the moves he is trying to make.

The Bulls and my team the celts will both be very active this summer and I expect a couple of Blockbuster trades and I would not be surprised if Chicago moved big ben on again, maybe in the direction of Minnesota 'cos the Twolves will have to move KG soon ('cos I don't expect he will re-sign)and he would be a nice fit anywhere!

Also seems JKIdd, Vince, Bibby and a number of others will all be on the trading Block.

The draft this year is one of the deepest ever and teams will be doing what they can to land Durant or Oden and depending on the pick they get their will be trade moves all over the place, this could be the busiest trade summer ever!

 

[Coin]

I would be absolutely stunned if any team traded away one of the top two picks this year. No matter who they got back, all GM's would be terrified that Oden and Durant will turn into a megastar.

On Gasol, for one, he's not a terrible defender, he's just about average. Also, the whole point was that the Bulls refused to let Deng leave, so Paxson wasn't being that desperate.

On the whole, I'm not gutted they didn't get Gasol. If the Bulls could have got him for something like Gordon and Ty Thomas plus a throw in for contract matching (i.e. Sweetney) I'd have said it was good business. In theory, it makes them Eastern contenders for this year, because it's very clear that all they are missing is an inside scorer to free up space for the shooters, which would then be Hinrich/Duhon/Deng/Nocioni. Deng and Nocioni are not dead-eye guys, but can't be left open either. However, it would be a major shift in style of play, and I don't think they would have managed it. Next season, maybe.

The Bulls are a big market team, they should be shopping in the superstar aisle. I'd prefer to see them make a real run at Garnett. Offer Wallace, Deng and Duhon or something. Deng will be good, but you'd give him up for Garnett. I'd let anyone go except Hinrich. He's a good offensive point guard and an absolutely brilliant defender on anyone up to about 6'-7" (twice I've seen him gives Kobe fits and he does a decent job when he's on Wade too).

 

[Forsberg]

I was having a look at the draft situation and realised that there is possiblilty tha Phoenix will have three first round picks in the sumer . Atlanta's (providing they don't draw top 3) which will almost certainly be top be top 10 and Clevelands . That's pretty scary stuff considering the draft.

 

[Coin]

And so on to the reason I actually opened this thread - how good are the Mavs? They're on 16 in a row at the moment and are 51 - 5 since losing their first 5 games, but no ones talking about them as one of the best teams ever. This suggests to me that the rest of the league is crap. Looking at the East, apart from Detroit, you'd have to agree. And looking beyond Houston in the West, again you'd have to agree (although injuries are LAs biggest problem). LA Clippers, Denver, New Orleans, Cleveland, Miami and New Jersey (again, injuries) have all been disappointing.

By the way, in a shocking development the Spurs have caught fire around the All-star break and have a tidy 10 game streak of their own going.