Around the NBA part 4

[j4remi]

Dwight's being cautious going into a new contract...can't blame him, but I have no doubt that he could play if he had to. He's played through serious pain in the past and I just don't think his heart is in this LA thing.

[god shammgod]

Switching gears....

Dwight Howard's situation is gonna be very interesting coming up.

The longer he continues to sit out injured is definitely something that may very well influence his position to stay...the dude should not have to keep answering questions about whether he has talked to Kobe...manning up and playing hurt, etc.

Hearing some comments made by Dwight...dude just might walk.

"I want to play," Howard said. "I mean, why wouldn't I want to play? But, at the same time, this is my career, this is my future, this is my life. I can't leave that up to anybody else because nobody else is going to take care of me. So, if people are pissed off that I don't play or if I do play, whatever it may be, so what? This is my career. If I go down, then what? Everybody's life is going to go on. I don't want to have another summer where I'm rehabbing and trying to get healthy again. I want to come back and have another great year. That's what I want to do."

“Why would I have to explain that to Kobe?” Howard said to a reporter. “Is he a doctor? So I have to explain that to all my teammates?”

“That’s his opinion,” Howard said at the team’s shootaround at TD Garden as the Lakers prepared for tonight’s game against the Celtics. “That’s it. He’s not a doctor. I’m not a doctor. That’s his opinion.”

even nash has sort of criticized him now. the lakers are gonna take a big chance if they don't trade him. he's not a guy who can handle all of this. places like l.a. and n.y. are not for him.

[Thugger HBC]

^Thugger - I think there is also an ongoing conversation going on about an approach that favors acquisition of established players over player development. I think both approaches can be done well (or quite poorly). The two approaches can also be integrated. But often times particular players get dragged down into these debates and I think more recent posters get caught up in the players.

We had managers for a long time that did the acquisition approach quite poorly and more recently some that do it much better. I still wish we'd put a little more value in development... maybe that is the direction we're taking with guys like Shump, Sims, and whoever we draft next. I hope it is.



Edit - also glad you said something about the Anime stuff. It is quite distasteful.

But see here's the thing about "developing talent".....you can still develop and try to win, but those younger players have to be easy to step in and contribute....the team cannot wait for them.

Now i think we can all agree that the Miami Heat are the team to beat in the East, we could not have our starting pg still having issues playing against them, on top of still learning the position overall.

Sometimes teams give away quality, it happens alot, and that's the good thing about being an NBA fan....you get to see it all.

I said "basketball reasons" awhile ago now regarding Felton over Lin and I meant it. I REPENTED and Felton is playing some fine ball. Once the Melo trade was made, the course was definitely set. This team needs to be able to contend for the ECF/chip.

What I bolded is my dog in this fight (and you agree with me). Assuming a guy like Lin (or Lee or Nate or Gallo or Lowry or heck, even Favors) is a finished product when they're still really learning the position just makes me scratch my head. Is it real or trolling?

Definitely. Even finished products get dealt and discarded, but i dont think any team can have a key position being "learned" and win at the same time...it's quite a puzzle to put together.

[Thugger HBC]

Switching gears....

Dwight Howard's situation is gonna be very interesting coming up.

The longer he continues to sit out injured is definitely something that may very well influence his position to stay...the dude should not have to keep answering questions about whether he has talked to Kobe...manning up and playing hurt, etc.

Hearing some comments made by Dwight...dude just might walk.

"I want to play," Howard said. "I mean, why wouldn't I want to play? But, at the same time, this is my career, this is my future, this is my life. I can't leave that up to anybody else because nobody else is going to take care of me. So, if people are pissed off that I don't play or if I do play, whatever it may be, so what? This is my career. If I go down, then what? Everybody's life is going to go on. I don't want to have another summer where I'm rehabbing and trying to get healthy again. I want to come back and have another great year. That's what I want to do."

“Why would I have to explain that to Kobe?” Howard said to a reporter. “Is he a doctor? So I have to explain that to all my teammates?”

“That’s his opinion,” Howard said at the team’s shootaround at TD Garden as the Lakers prepared for tonight’s game against the Celtics. “That’s it. He’s not a doctor. I’m not a doctor. That’s his opinion.”

even nash has sort of criticized him now. the lakers are gonna take a big chance if they don't trade him. he's not a guy who can handle all of this. places like l.a. and n.y. are not for him.

Especially since the majority of sign and trade scenarios have been wiped out in this cba.

Dwight's being cautious going into a new contract...can't blame him, but I have no doubt that he could play if he had to. He's played through serious pain in the past and I just don't think his heart is in this LA thing.

I really dont think he wants to be there at all, but it's really his own fault...he shouldn't have opted in.

Now if i had to guess where he goes...Hello Houston....no pressure, he'll be the man at the same time.

[j4remi]

I really dont think he wants to be there at all, but it's really his own fault...he shouldn't have opted in.

Now if i had to guess where he goes...Hello Houston....no pressure, he'll be the man at the same time.

Lord knows they love their C's too. I think if Dallas can come up with the money they've got a shot too. Dirk/Dwight (if Dirk's 100%) is a lethal combo that takes pressure off of Dwight for now but let's him take over the spotlight in a year or two.

[AllanHoustonFan]

Dwight better take his ass to Houston or something because he won't make it with the NY media.

[AllanHoustonFan]

Double post

[AllanHoustonFan]

Triple post

[Thugger HBC]

I really dont think he wants to be there at all, but it's really his own fault...he shouldn't have opted in.

Now if i had to guess where he goes...Hello Houston....no pressure, he'll be the man at the same time.

Lord knows they love their C's too. I think if Dallas can come up with the money they've got a shot too. Dirk/Dwight (if Dirk's 100%) is a lethal combo that takes pressure off of Dwight for now but let's him take over the spotlight in a year or two.

They may have a shot, but i dont think that's the best fit for him....definitely can't kick it off with two guys battling injuries, but maybe Dirk will be well by then.

But with Dirk, you have to win significantly now as he's older and has limited years, Dwight would be better suited someplace he doesn't have that pressure of doing so....thus Houston imo.

[Capn'O]

Definitely. Even finished products get dealt and discarded,

Sure. I mean, look how many times Felton has bounced around.

but i dont think any team can have a key position being "learned" and win at the same time...it's quite a puzzle to put together.

So what do you think of the Shump sitch?

Or do you think of him more of a bit role player for now?

[Thugger HBC]

Definitely. Even finished products get dealt and discarded,

Sure. I mean, look how many times Felton has bounced around.

but i dont think any team can have a key position being "learned" and win at the same time...it's quite a puzzle to put together.

So what do you think of the Shump sitch?

Or do you think of him more of a bit role player for now?

I have high conspiracy theories with Felton being dealt in the first place....I think he got his money with the premise that he was promised to be dealt and he could return....in exchange for 8 mil a season for those two years....he wasn't bounced around imo.

I dont like the way Shump is being used, otherwise he looks the same to me....he just isn't a sf.

[Capn'O]

Definitely. Even finished products get dealt and discarded,

Sure. I mean, look how many times Felton has bounced around.

but i dont think any team can have a key position being "learned" and win at the same time...it's quite a puzzle to put together.

So what do you think of the Shump sitch?

Or do you think of him more of a bit role player for now?

I have high conspiracy theories with Felton being dealt in the first place....I think he got his money with the premise that he was promised to be dealt and he could return....in exchange for 8 mil a season for those two years....he wasn't bounced around imo.

I dont like the way Shump is being used, otherwise he looks the same to me....he just isn't a sf.

No - he's a SG. I'm firmly in 2010's natural positions camp.
But would you deal him now for "equal value" but a more experienced player?



Possible with Felton. He sure dogged it while not here

[Thugger HBC]

No - he's a SG. I'm firmly in 2010's natural positions camp.
But would you deal him now for "equal value" but a more experienced player?



Possible with Felton. He sure dogged it while not here

Yes I would deal him, the homegrown thing will never be my position, i care about an upgrade in talent over developing our own all day every day.

But that move cannot be lateral, it has to be an obvious improvement.

I think Felton was making it clear...I'm not here for the long run..too bad too sad, under this jersey is a Knicks one.

[Bran Fast Hands]

It appears after that Lin thread got locked, all of the discussion just migrated to this thread that was supposed to be for all NBA discussion. A shame, because I think most of the posters, including me, don't care about Lin, yet Quick Kick and 21shumpst keep bringing him up.

I promise I wont bring him up anymore if his cultish apologetics promise to not diss Felton/Melo whenever Lin has his monthly "one great game" and also if they promise to take all their fantastical delusional musings regarding his future prospects to Clutchfans or another Rockets forum.

you guys are so quick to bring my name up yet you conveniently forget that Lins remaining handful of fans here have a tendency to go batsh*t insane in this thread whenever he puts up like 8 points and 4 assists in one half, as if thats some amazing acheivement, yet whenever hes playing like crap (which is often) and someone brings it up, WE'RE the annoying ones. Like you have dudes that really believe he'll follow the same career trajectory of Nash or Billups, and they'll ferociously defend their position til the break of dawn if you dare suggest otherwise. That means they'll be hyping up every halfway decent performance of his on this board for another 4 years or so!

Man whatever. I aint even finna post in this gotdamn thread anymore. FDR and Shump can keep fighting the good fight if they want.

It's pretty simple, some idiot posts about a decent/good Lin game then just leave it at that. Or of course you could respond and respond and we could have page after page after page of Jeremy **** Lin discussion. The whole reason they bring up his good games is to just bait people like you anyway.

[Capn'O]

No - he's a SG. I'm firmly in 2010's natural positions camp.
But would you deal him now for "equal value" but a more experienced player?



Possible with Felton. He sure dogged it while not here

Yes I would deal him, the homegrown thing will never be my position, i care about an upgrade in talent over developing our own all day every day.

But that move cannot be lateral, it has to be an obvious improvement.

I think Felton was making it clear...I'm not here for the long run..too bad too sad, under this jersey is a Knicks one.

Well, I definitely lean toward the build your own house approach but Walsh and Grunnie know what they are doing with the acquisition route so no complaints from me.

I was so terrified of a Paul trade last year. We would have had nothing left...

[Thugger HBC]

No - he's a SG. I'm firmly in 2010's natural positions camp.
But would you deal him now for "equal value" but a more experienced player?



Possible with Felton. He sure dogged it while not here

Yes I would deal him, the homegrown thing will never be my position, i care about an upgrade in talent over developing our own all day every day.

But that move cannot be lateral, it has to be an obvious improvement.

I think Felton was making it clear...I'm not here for the long run..too bad too sad, under this jersey is a Knicks one.

Well, I definitely lean toward the build your own house approach but Walsh and Grunnie know what they are doing with the acquisition route so no complaints from me.

I was so terrified of a Paul trade last year. We would have had nothing left...

And you dont worry about that, Chris Paul is one of the few gamechangers in the league, undisputed top 5 player.

You get him and all the pieces fall into place, that team is one of the deepest in the league and alot of that has to do with him being there...players follow players, just like players came to us.

But in reality even if we could have done a deal, what pieces do we really lose? At that point in time we didn't have any other than Shump, so we essentially aren't giving up alot because we didnt have alot.

[Pharmcat]

lakers are acting like fools....they are just driving howard away
they should cater to him, he is their future not kobe

[Pharmcat]

I really dont think he wants to be there at all, but it's really his own fault...he shouldn't have opted in.

Now if i had to guess where he goes...Hello Houston....no pressure, he'll be the man at the same time.

Lord knows they love their C's too. I think if Dallas can come up with the money they've got a shot too. Dirk/Dwight (if Dirk's 100%) is a lethal combo that takes pressure off of Dwight for now but let's him take over the spotlight in a year or two.

hes not going to DAL

same thing with deron: what happens if dirk gets injured?

hou has a wonderful chance to land him

[Pharmcat]

^A 12 and 6 guy who's playing real games worth of 1 full regular season... hey I'll take the rook/ soph.

Averaging 12, 6, and 43.4 FG% (compared to Felton's 40.3 FG%) after a disastrous November. Hmmmm... just admit it you guys hate him cuz he's no longer a Knick. But deep down you want him over Da Fat Ass.

i dont "hate" lin at all

[Pharmcat]

^A 12 and 6 guy who's playing real games worth of 1 full regular season... hey I'll take the rook/ soph.

Averaging 12, 6, and 43.4 FG% (compared to Felton's 40.3 FG%) after a disastrous November. Hmmmm... just admit it you guys hate him cuz he's no longer a Knick. But deep down you want him over Da Fat Ass.

Lin doesn't fit, plus everyone involved is in their best situations.

i agree...HOU is better for lin

i mean imagine if he was still here....the whole can" lin and melo work?" would be beaten to death by the media

plus felton has good relationships and/or past playing experiences with NY big 3 guys, so it made sense to have him run the show