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Hypothetically, this should be in the game thread but it's too tangential imo.

I'm sitting here watching Mavs@Pistons and the announcing team has mentioned four interesting things in this first quarter alone:

1. Early in the game, Mark Jackson mentioned his days playing alongside Erick Dampier in Indiana. He claimed that Dampier "didn't love the game of basketball, he loved the things that came with it" and that "if you'd told him he'd play twelve years in this league and still be going strong, he wouldn't have believed you".

How much do you think this can be blamed for Dampier's disappointing career? What about with other players? (i.e. this seems like it's be pretty common)

2. When Eddie Jones took a spill, Jeff Van Gundy noted that Dick Bavetta, in lieu of charging the Mavericks with a timeout, had an employee clean up a wet spot on the court. He called it "great officiating", while Mark Jackson said that the opposing coach wouldn't think so. Do you think it's fair for the refs to do things like that to help out veteran players?

3. Jeff Van Gundy, commenting on the Pistons' lack of playoff success the past couple years, attacked the idea that the team with the best record hasn't made the Finals in four years for that reason. He mentioned the Pistons' apparent need to be on national TV and their struggle to stay intense. Do you think it's that attitude where a team feels like it cna afford to drop a game here or there in the regular season that's a killer in the playoffs rather than burning out?

An interesting sidebar is that the Pistons' players apparently thought they knew everything, got blasted by the Cavs and then turned to Flip. What do the Pistons fans who don't like Flip have to say about that?

4. Jeff Van Gundy: "A losing team should send no All-Stars." Discuss.

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My opinions will come in due course.

i don't understand whats so great about cleaning the ball or having a ball boy mop up a wet spot when a player gets hurt. everyone does it, everyone knows why he's doing it, and frankly everyone expects it. whats so great about?

Keep this in the game thread please.

I think you're reading too much into it. After all JVG and Jackson are the ones saying it.

4. Jeff Van Gundy: "A losing team should send no All-Stars." Discuss.

I sort of agree with this..... How can you be an allstar if your team can't even win half their games?

AxnJxn00 wrote:4. Jeff Van Gundy: "A losing team should send no All-Stars." Discuss.

I sort of agree with this..... How can you be an allstar if your team can't even win half their games?

With that logic, Ray Allen should be starting the ASG rather than Wade.

This seems ok enough to have its own He is absolutely right! a team so far under .500 should not have an ALL Star participant.

AxnJxn00 wrote:4. Jeff Van Gundy: "A losing team should send no All-Stars." Discuss.

I sort of agree with this..... How can you be an allstar if your team can't even win half their games?

something about a team game has something to do with that

if I put a prime Jordan with 11 other Jason Collins, he's not winning jack.

I understand that simple logic. But instead of expanding the rosters to where no one will get any playing time, it is a good alternative to think a superstar/star can only get to the ASG if his team is producing some wins. ya digg? or no? because i do.

I really respect shaq for what he said.

Triangle Theory wrote:I understand that simple logic. But instead of expanding the rosters to where no one will get any playing time, it is a good alternative to think a superstar/star can only get to the ASG if his team is producing some wins. ya digg? or no? because i do.

I really respect shaq for what he said.

so no prime Jordan if his team aren't .500 or over?

kooldude wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



so no prime Jordan if his team aren't .500 or over?

See i cant have him off the team. Wouldnt you agree that only a select couple SHOULD get that exception. I'd like to see people wo suceed and are the SH*T to make the ASG. Dont know?

AxnJxn00 wrote:4. Jeff Van Gundy: "A losing team should send no All-Stars." Discuss.

I sort of agree with this..... How can you be an allstar if your team can't even win half their games?

It doesn't take one person to win games. So you're saying that if Ilgauskas and Gooden both tore their ACLs on the first game of the season and Daniel Gibson broke his right wrist then LeBron shouldn't make the all star game?

thierry wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



It doesn't take one person to win games. So you're saying that if Ilgauskas and Gooden both tore their ACLs on the first game of the season and Daniel Gibson broke his right wrist then LeBron shouldn't make the all star game?

If you read my previous post you would get your answer. The poster who i was discussing this with made a good point with Jordan. And when Lebron won ROY(politics) when in my mind clearly Melo should have won, Lebron was going to win anyway, He is the new Golden Boy.

There should be exceptions if injury is a major factor! This is so freakishly an accident if ever happened that Lebron would have to make the team to even say he had fun that season.

Its tough, but its a better idea than expanding to 15 man rsoter and Lebron only playing 15 mins. Lol

Rooster wrote:3. Jeff Van Gundy, commenting on the Pistons' lack of playoff success the past couple years, attacked the idea that the team with the best record hasn't made the Finals in four years for that reason. He mentioned the Pistons' apparent need to be on national TV and their struggle to stay intense. Do you think it's that attitude where a team feels like it cna afford to drop a game here or there in the regular season that's a killer in the playoffs rather than burning out?

An interesting sidebar is that the Pistons' players apparently thought they knew everything, got blasted by the Cavs and then turned to Flip. What do the Pistons fans who don't like Flip have to say about that?

That's been Detroit's problem. They're approach has been too casual in the playoffs the last two seasons, and in 05-06, combined with that, they peaked too early because of the regular season they had. The "We'll be fine, we know how good we are" type mind-set, can't be there in the playoffs. Lacking depth in 05-06 also played a part then. Their depth has improved each year since 05-06. Also with Flip's beliefs changed how they played than before under Brown, but I think they're the most comfartable under Flip now.

They underestimated Cleveland in 06, and did it even moreso in 2007. Combined with the improvement of Cleveland. It came back to hurt them a lot.

Dallas last year also, they peaked too early, and weren't ready for Golden State, and they just matched up well with Dallas. Think they might of underestimated Golden State, too.

The Spurs in 05-06, I think it was combination of not matching up in certain areas with Dallas (slowish up front), and having a couple health issues. Specifically Duncan and Ginobili. Along with going away from what they usually have done in managing the regular season, and won 60+ regular season games. Putting too much into it than how they usually go with the regular season. The Kings series was much more than people thought it'd be. They really had problems with Artest and Bonzi.

the Spurs have gone back to how they usually do things, and now Dallas seems to be going the cruise-style route in the regular season. Detroit overall I think is fine, but they can't have that overconfident approach in the playoffs.

Just one, Dallas dosen't have any big men.

Rooster wrote:Hypothetically, this should be in the game thread but it's too tangential imo.

I'm sitting here watching Mavs@Pistons and the announcing team has mentioned four interesting things in this first quarter alone:

1. Early in the game, Mark Jackson mentioned his days playing alongside Erick Dampier in Indiana. He claimed that Dampier "didn't love the game of basketball, he loved the things that came with it" and that "if you'd told him he'd play twelve years in this league and still be going strong, he wouldn't have believed you".

How much do you think this can be blamed for Dampier's disappointing career? What about with other players? (i.e. this seems like it's be pretty common)

This is somewhat common in big men. If you're 6' or even 6'6" you need natural talent and a lot of hard work (usually driven by a love of the game and a desire to excel) to get good enough to make it in the NBA.

If you're 7' (or so) with not awful strength, quickness and coordination you can make it in the NBA (and get the money, fame and money that goes with it) while only working kind of hard, but at a lower level of intensity than the 6' player. This is often frustrating to other players and coaches who expect the same level of intensity from their 7' players as the rest of the team.

Triangle Theory wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



If you read my previous post you would get your answer. The poster who i was discussing this with made a good point with Jordan. And when Lebron won ROY(politics) when in my mind clearly Melo should have won, Lebron was going to win anyway, He is the new Golden Boy.

There should be exceptions if injury is a major factor! This is so freakishly an accident if ever happened that Lebron would have to make the team to even say he had fun that season.

Its tough, but its a better idea than expanding to 15 man rsoter and Lebron only playing 15 mins. Lol

LeBron had a higher PER than Melo as a rookie, so it was hardly clear. AS selections should be based on the player. Playoff success is based on team success. Individual awards (like the MVP) need to stop being corrupted by how many other talented players a star has around him. That's why Nash has 2 MVPs, and the two best players in the league (LeBron and Kobe) have 0. If LeBron or Kobe had Amare, Barbosa, Bell and Marion, they'd have an MVP AND a title.

PER is stupid.

Triangle Theory wrote:PER is stupid.

Well then, why should Melo have won ROY? Because he had Miller, Lenard, Camby and Nene, so they made the playoffs? I'm just saying people act like Melo was robbed. It could've gone either way. LeBron scored .4 ppg less, but accounted for 8+ ppg more in assists.