**OFFICIAL 2019 NBA OFFSEASON THREAD**

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Have you not seen Embiid lol

Embiid uses free throw cheese. Shaq and G will just beat the **** outta you

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Based on "physical specimen", the comparison is more on size/physique. If it was "dominance", they yea Giannis but Embiid is a close 2nd

This is close to what I was getting at. But baby Shaq was more agile than embiid

 

[amitt5504]

Embiid uses free throw cheese. Shaq and G will just beat the **** outta you

If know how to work the system, work the system lol Embiid is smart. If you know they can't guard you, they will foul, get the extra points

 

[amitt5504]

This is close to what I was getting at. But baby Shaq was more agile than embiid

Baby Shaq in todays league before his time

 

[Mark Antony]

Lmao, BOS temporarily banning racists is the most Boston ****. Jada's chick been a model for longer than that.

 

[QU!K]

Greek Mamba . Closest physical specimen to Shaq since Shaq. Closest to Kobe's heart/talent/intensity since Kobe. Last real ***** alive

Disgusting

Stop trying to latch those names onto him for hopes of relevancy

Just let Giannis be Giannis

 

[gaiiige]

A lot in here

 

[QU!K]

Lmao, BOS temporarily banning racists is the most Boston ****. Jada's chick been a model for longer than that.

Where was the banning when this happened though

 

[nick.]

IN THE SUMMER of 2017, long before LeBron slipped on a purple and gold uniform and before Lance Stephenson was the star of "Air Band Cam" on the Jumbotron at Staples Center, Paul George was traded from the Indiana Pacers to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

George, a Southern California native who long stated his desire to return to play near his Palmdale home, was perceived to be a rental player on an expiring contract. Just taking a pit stop with the Thunder before joining the lineage of Lakers greats, many around the league assumed.

When he veered from that course and re-signed with Oklahoma City in the summer of 2018, league sources told ESPN it was always more of what the Thunder did right than what the Lakers did wrong. The Thunder traded for him, after all, taking a chance with no promises of a long-term commitment. Then they worked to make him feel at home, selling a partnership with Russell Westbrook.

George never gave the Lakers an opportunity to take their shot. But he had a wealth of information available to him about the inner workings of the Lakers without ever hearing a word from Magic Johnson. For example, George played in Oklahoma City with Corey Brewer in the second half of the 2017-18 season, after Brewer was waived by L.A. in February. Brewer divulged his Lakers experience to George, sources said.

And George's agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, was intimately familiar with the organization. Before Rich Paul of Klutch Sports garnered attention representing two clients on the Lakers -- LeBron and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope -- Mintz represented two-fifths of the starting lineup, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle.

Through the first seven games, the Lakers tried 93 different lineups -- second most in the league -- as Walton scrambled to find something that worked.

And after a 2-5 start, Johnson called Walton into a meeting, expressing disappointment and demanding better results from his coach.

Johnson's preseason talk preaching patience to the fan base was just that: talk. The marching orders changed before L.A. had played a tenth of the season.

ON DEC. 18, three days before the Lakers would host the Pelicans for the first time this season, James was asked by ESPN how he would feel about playing with Anthony Davis.

"That would be amazing," James told ESPN in the visitor's locker room at Barclays Center. "That would be amazing, like, duh. That would be incredible."
Even though the season had stabilized -- the Lakers went 18-9 in their previous 27 games coming into the Brooklyn game -- the conversation was a reminder of the big fish L.A. was hoping to reel in.

A source familiar with the three-hour meeting James had at his home with Johnson on the eve of his free-agency decision told ESPN that Davis' name never came up when the two discussed future plans. But when the Lakers signed Rondo, Stephenson, Beasley, et al. to one-year contracts after George stuck with the Thunder, the message was clear: L.A. was hell-bent on pairing LeBron with a max-level free agent in the summer of 2019 -- with the possibility to upgrade the roster via a trade even before that.

L.A., sources said, was one of several teams to inquire about Butler before the swingman was traded to Philadelphia, for instance.

One team source told ESPN that they didn't feel as though James fully engaged with the younger teammates prior to the trade deadline.

Shortly after the trade deadline, Clippers consultant Jerry West -- who spent more than 40 years with the Lakers as a player, coach and executive -- got together for dinner with old friends who also had former Laker ties, sources said. He couldn't believe how Zubac fell into his lap. The Clippers, sources said, never even called the Lakers to inquire about Zubac. The Lakers made the offer and the Clippers gladly accepted.

Sources said those at the dinner table shared a hearty laugh at the Lakers' expense.

For the first time in years, James wasn't surrounded by elite-level shooters. And for the first time in years, his team wasn't going to be playing in the postseason.

What did James think of the Lakers' grand experiment? How did he view the idea of prioritizing playmaking over shooting.

"That experiment?" James said of the roster construction for his first season in L.A.

James stared out onto the court for a moment, turned his attention back to the conversation, pursed his lips and stuck out his tongue as he trumpeted air out of his mouth, making a raspberry sound.

"THBPBPTHPT!"

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26335718/how-lakers-wasted-year-1-lebron

 

[VARNELL HILL]

@ Corey Brewer badmouthing the Lakers to PG

 

[N41D]

"THBPBPTHPT!"

Bruh I'm dying.

 

[titang545]

Where was the banning when this happened though

In OKC this how things go down? DA FUQ. Say it ain't so.

^^^ Duncan looks like one of those “cool guy” college professors...

LMAO
Duncan retired from the NBA and became an African American History professor. Just need the glasses.

Greek Mamba . Closest physical specimen to Shaq since Shaq. Closest to Kobe's heart/talent/intensity since Kobe. Last real ***** alive

Can't lie wish dude was on the squad, not right now with the turmoil we got but with a good coach and no LeBron. LOL

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Damb. Listening to the jon krawcyznski pod, they’re discussing how their fans are questioning KATs motives about putting up stats just to secure all nba and get the super max

Minny fans chasing their only relevant player out of town

 

[getback]

Where was the banning when this happened though

Ironic that the play-by-play guy says "Boston Celtics" at the exact moment she yells it.

 

[Mark Antony]

Where was the banning when this happened though

There a report with a person identified or just this clip?

 

[VARNELL HILL]

In OKC this how things go down?

Have you seen the crowd at an OKC game before?

 

[big j 33]

That was a nice moment with Giannis and that fan.

Sports

 

[titang545]

I was listening to this on my way into work yesterday.

Damn, we really stopped the Lakers from 4peating and the Heat from 3peating.

SHUT your mouth still a sore subject my Lakers losing that year. At least we can say we swept everyone in the west. I would take that era of basketball any day of the week. Fights didn't erupt because of a hard foul, only dangerous fouls. You take someone out of the air stuff like that.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

IN THE ILL-FATED 2012-13 season, Memphis, Tennessee, was where all of the Lakers' pent-up dysfunction spilled out.

Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash & Co. aired their grievances at a morning shootaround, leaving Howard in near tears in the locker room, according to sources. Howard had to be coaxed out to join the team on the court after everyone had said their piece.

SAWFT

 

[moneylicious]

Tell Dolan to sell the team: banned for life
Call a player the n word: banned for 1.5 seasons

not sure which team looks worse here lol

 

[HOU$TON]

If know how to work the system, work the system lol Embiid is smart. If you know they can't guard you, they will foul, get the extra points

Aren’t you always whining about harden tho?

 

[trynafeelmink]

IN THE ILL-FATED 2012-13 season, Memphis, Tennessee, was where all of the Lakers' pent-up dysfunction spilled out.

Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash & Co. aired their grievances at a morning shootaround, leaving Howard in near tears in the locker room, according to sources. Howard had to be coaxed out to join the team on the court after everyone had said their piece.

SAWFT

Biggest disappointment in the NBA in atleast two decades. Dwight was so good but such a ****in child

 

[CDFTDOT]

Too bad Dwight never reached his full potential.
He was averaging 20 and 10 with ease in Orlando, just based on his athleticism.
Imagine if he polished his offensive game or even developed some post moves.

 

[amitt5504]

Aren’t you always whining about harden tho?

Nah I only complain when necessary. Harden is who he is. Ain’t nothing you can but hope he’s off

 

[antidope]

There have been players who flamed out in less than three years. Dwight Howard is an HoF basketball player. He's not the biggest disappointment in two decades