GT: T-Wolves @ Hornets Mon Jan 19 2PM EST

[yosemiteben]

I didn't get to see the game. Did Cody get hurt?

No. He didn't play particularly well, but he would've played more if it wasn't a blowout.

[Al Kidd-Walker]

Also, do people still think of Gerald Henderson as below average and replaceable?

As a starter, he's replaceable but he's done a great job during these injuries.. he usually plays great under career impacting pressure(see contract year)

[catch20two]

Also, do people still think of Gerald Henderson as below average and replaceable?

Yes, he's very replaceable and I think CDR proved that last year when Hendo was injured. We just need a SG that's willing take 3s and can create his own shot (Lamb!?). Nobody ever really called him below average as I think he's the very definition of average averageness. Hendo is a average SG. He's just looking good because Lance has played below average while offering far less of a perimeter threat.

[LamarMatic7]

How all you #spacing lovers feel about the results of Biz and Cody starting in the frontcourt? Call me a arrogant cocky son of a prick bitch if you want but I told you that we'd look better because our defense would create offense.

We're scoring 92.2 points per 100 possessions with this starting line-up, just a hair above the league's worst Philly offense.

I'll use the opportunity to call you an arrogant cocky son of a prick bitch either way though.

Haha. I'll take that as a compliment but I didn't say sh*t about our offense looking better. I said that we'd look better as a team.

I must have mis-understood your comment then. Thought the empahsis was on the offense looking better since you used the infamous "hasthag spacing" and said that our defense would create offense.

[Braggins]

Just finished the first half.

Lance is playing well and really hustling.

I like the way Al is playing but he clearly isn't close to being in shape. I'm kind of shocked they would bring him back this early.

I'm glad we are getting to see how beastly Biz is. Unless Clifford is just completely full of it then I don't think Jefferson will win the starting spot back.

Regarding Biz's age. The rumors about his age are completely baseless and should be regarded as pure gossip. There is literally no known evidence (to us at least) that Biyombo isn't his listed age. Actually, when he first arrive in Spain at the "alleged" age 16 he was given a bone age test by doctors that determined that his age was 16-17. In order for his age to have been tampered with that would mean that his family, which is well respected and well educated, forged fake birth documents and then payed off a corrupt Spanish doctor or medical administrator to give an incorrect medical report or falsify medical documents. He has always looked his age as well. It is completely irrational and illogical to make all those assumption with literally no evidence, which is what you are doing by giving any weight to the rumors. Unless something concrete is revealed there is no reason not to assume his age is correct.

[James Gatz]

It's weird how defensive this board has gotten about Bismack's age. Even if he is the age that is listed, the rest of league thinks he is older. While most of this board thinks this is unfounded it is not in the eyes of decision makers. So at least when it comes to trades and signings his value is lower around the league. It doesn't matter if he is actually 22 or not.

I for one am glad to know most people in the league think he is older than his listed age. It's information we didn't have previously.

If I was to bet, I would bet on him being older. I feel like the people whose job it is to find out this information are more likely to know than a bunch of diehard fans on a message board.

It's getting a bit jingoistic to not even consider he isn't his listed age.

Also who cares? Even if he is 25, he's having a good stretch of games and may have a future as a starter in this league.

[Braggins]

It's weird how defensive this board has gotten about Bismack's age. Even if he is the age that is listed, the rest of league thinks he is older. While most of this board thinks this is unfounded it is not in the eyes of decision makers. So at least when it comes to trades and signings his value is lower around the league. It doesn't matter if he is actually 22 or not.

I for one am glad to know most people in the league think he is older than his listed age. It's information we didn't have previously.

If I was to bet, I would bet on him being older. I feel like the people whose job it is to find out this information are more likely to know than a bunch of diehard fans on a message board.

It's getting a bit jingoistic to not even consider he isn't his listed age.

Also who cares? Even if he is 25, he's having a good stretch of games and may have a future as a starter in this league.

I don't think it is unfounded. It is unfounded. I'm not defensive about it. It is just the reality of the situation. Perception does not equal reality. There is no evidence to support him not being his listed age so there isn't any reason to assume he isn't unless you just think it is fun to believe rumors. There has never even been any kind of alleged reason attached to these rumors as to why people think this or what caused the initial suspicion, just "people think he he might be older". For all we know the rumors were started by teams that wanted him to slip out of the lottery so they could draft him. The only reason anyone would have to be skeptical is because he is from Africa. No one questioned Lebron's or Oden's ages even though they looked like they were well into their 30s by the time they were 21. Lebron's hairline is better evidence that he is older than his listed age than anything we have to go on with Biz. Biz looked like an 19 year old kid when he was drafted and he looks like he is in his early 20s now.

I'm not mad that people think he is older. It is actually to our benefit if the league thinks he is 25 because that could mean we won't have to pay him as much if he ever becomes a restricted free agent. I'm still not going to act like it isn't silly for us to question his age with any kind of seriousness.

[catch20two]

No respect for Zachety LoweBlow throwing out baseless BS to help his opinion when he's backed into a corner.

[LofJ]

The age thing with Biyombo is starting to anger me. He speaks 5 languages fluently and both of his parents are highly educated, meaning he could get a job doing lots of various things almost anywhere. He and his family had no reason to go to the lengths they would have to in order to forge his birthdate. It's intellectually lazy BS to claim otherwise imo without any evidence to support your assertion. And no hearsay is not evidence.

[BlackOutBuzz]

If he's older, it's only marginally. This was a contentious topic around the draft, and a couple years prior to the draft his growth plates were still open which implies he was under 18. So at most he was 20 when he was drafted, which would make him no older than 24 now. And again that's oldest case scenario.

I tend to agree that it's rather lazy and irresponsible to just throw something like that out there with 0 support behind it though.

EDIT: Found an old article on it: http://pistonpowered.com/2011/04/26/how ... ombos-age/

[yosemiteben]

Check out the very beginning of the second part of Cliff's post-game presser from yesterday, a reporter specifically asked him about playing Biz and Al together. His response was that neither of them are comfortable defending away from the basket, and you couldn't do it against a team with a PF that plays out there. He said both Biz and Al would be worse at guarding PFs away from the basket than either Marvin or Cody, and that on offense Biz and Al would be (then he had made face like he was trying to say something nicely) "challenging to score" than if Marvin or Cody were at the PF spot. He said the rebounding game would be our only advantage, and we're already the number one team in defensive rebounding advantage in the league. I think it's pretty obvious that post defense would improve, but I think he was assuming a team with a stretch PF. He said it might could work against some teams though.

He did later say that he wants to get Al's minutes down when compared to last year, to the place where he can play all out the whole time he is in.

You guys should really watch this. I think Clifford 100% gets it.

http://www.nba.com/hornets/video/2015/01/19/150119Coach002mov-3495253

[TheKingofSting]

I didn't get to see the game. Did Cody get hurt?

No. He didn't play particularly well, but he would've played more if it wasn't a blowout.

Thanks I thought his minutes seemed low.

[BeesWax]

Check out the very beginning of the second part of Cliff's post-game presser from yesterday, a reporter specifically asked him about playing Biz and Al together. His response was that neither of them are comfortable defending away from the basket, and you couldn't do it against a team with a PF that plays out there. He said both Biz and Al would be worse at guarding PFs away from the basket than either Marvin or Cody, and that on offense Biz and Al would be (then he had made face like he was trying to say something nicely) "challenging to score" than if Marvin or Cody were at the PF spot. He said the rebounding game would be our only advantage, and we're already the number one team in defensive rebounding advantage in the league. I think it's pretty obvious that post defense would improve, but I think he was assuming a team with a stretch PF. He said it might could work against some teams though.

He did later say that he wants to get Al's minutes down when compared to last year, to the place where he can play all out the whole time he is in.

You guys should really watch this. I think Clifford 100% gets it.

http://www.nba.com/hornets/video/2015/01/19/150119Coach002mov-3495253

So that is what? 10 maybe 15 minutes a game right now. I do like that he is talking about making Al get in shape to get more minutes though. Hopefully it lights a fire under him and a few less under burgers at his house.