Official NBA 2012-2013 Season Thread

[mgrand15]

NO.
Absolutely not.

Yeah, that was a little excessive. But Blatche should get some credit, the guy is VERY skilled and if you put him along side the right players, he can do a lot of damage. He's like a guard out there in a 7 foot body and his motor (his main issue in Washington) has been great. He's all over the boards. Blatche doesn't settle for jumpers unless he's wide open and in rhythm - if he catches it in the 15-18 foot area, he uses his ball handling to get to the rim. Him and Reggie Evans were DESTROYING 2nd units when he was coming off the bench.

 

[Bert.]

Love Remains Uncertain About Wolves
Dec 11, 2012 4:05 PM EST

Kevin Love continues to have reservations about his future with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"I don't know who labels people stars, but even [T'wolves owner] Glen Taylor said: I don't think Kevin Love is a star, because he hasn't led us to the playoffs," Love told Yahoo! Sports. "I mean, it's not like I had much support out there.

"That's a tough pill to swallow."

Love was also once interrupted in the training room following a loss by David Kahn, who reportedly shoved a contract offer sheet into his hands.

"I'm not the one to always follow professional protocol – but I do know what it is, even at 24 years old," said Love.

Love missed the first part of the season with a broken hand sustained while doing knuckle pushups.

"Even people in my own organization were asking if it was a legitimate injury, people calling my honesty and integrity into question," Love says. "And that's what really hurt me."

Love believes in Rick Adelman, but Kahn's personnel moves continue to be looked at suspiciously.

"You walk into the locker room every year, and it's completely turned over," Love says. "There's new guys everywhere. And then it happens again and again. You start to wonder: Is there really a plan here? Is there really any kind of a … plan?"

Love signed a four-year, $62 million contract extension with the Wolves last year, far from the five-year, $80 million max deal he could have conceivably signed.

Love doesn't simply want the Wolves to be a playoff team, but also a title contender.

"And that's on me to do my part, to get us there," said Love, but the franchise won't have a benefit of doubt from him. "I'll have the leverage."

andddd what did i say....

 

[CP1708]

Come on home Love, come on home.

 

[bigmike23]

Come on home Love, come on home.

rooting for portland to get a star player?

 

[CP1708]

Come on home Love, come on home.

rooting for portland to get a star player?

Kevin Love, from UCLA. Forget that Lake O stuff, he knows not to come here.

 

[quik1987]

Would be great if he went to the Clippers instead

 

[Spectacular23]

Would be great if he went to the Clippers instead

Really?

Please enlighten me for who?

 

[finallyfamous]

Make Uncle Drew pt 2 a reality

 

[champcruthik]

Jeremy Lin went in against SA despite the loss. Houston has a dilemma on their hands with their top two superstars both needing the ball in their hands to prosper. Start Lin and bring Beard off the bench, does that solve anything practically?

My dude Paul George has been going in the last four games. 37 in a close win at Chicago.

 

[coldcity]

Chicago waiting in the wings to woo Love...

Rose + Love + Noah = :x

 

[champcruthik]

Bayless isn't getting enough minutes in Memphis. 21 or less minutes in the last five games.

Ref David Jones let his ego get the best of him with Amir Johnson.

 

[assyrianplaya]

Love will be a bull.. something alone the lines of Taj, the rights to Mirotic (the best player in europe), charlotte pick, and one or two of ours.

 

[mronegative]

Jeremy Lin went in against SA despite the loss. Houston has a dilemma on their hands with their top two superstars both needing the ball in their hands to prosper. Start Lin and bring Beard off the bench, does that solve anything practically?

What are you doing?

They need to stop throwing Harden into clear out isos and using him like Kobe, but yeah...no...no no no.

 

[Coupé It]

Laker Fans pipe-dreaming already...

Worry about this season first.

 

[donmega]

I think it's more than that. You can tell by his words that he really felt disrespected by management by not viewing/treating him as the franchise player. To his credit, he's been doing his end of the bargain. Dude worked really hard on his game while the management just keeps on cruising along.

 

[rockstar]

Lakers gotta take it game by game. Cleveland tonight.

 

[lawdog1]

Really?
Please enlighten me for who?

Yeah, Blake Griffin isn't going anywhere and, last time I checked, he and Love play the same position. Not that it wouldn't be great to have Love on the team, but I don't see him signing with LAC to play back up PF or center.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Love Remains Uncertain About Wolves

andddd what did i say....

Give it up everybody! You are awesome, so ******g awesome!

 

[hood17]

 

[champcruthik]

What are you doing?
They need to stop throwing Harden into clear out isos and using him like Kobe, but yeah...no...no no no.

There's clearly a problem in Houston. Lin and Harden both need the basketball in their hands to succeed. The easiest solution is start one and bring the other off the bench as a sixth man. Beard is the easy choice because of his role in OKC. Neither player can live on the perimeter for spot-up threes while the other dominates physical possession of the ball.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

Should've been called The New Orleans Clap

 

[mgrand15]

There's clearly a problem in Houston. Lin and Harden both need the basketball in their hands to succeed. The easiest solution is start one and bring the other off the bench as a sixth man. Beard is the easy choice because of his role in OKC. Neither player can live on the perimeter for spot-up threes while the other dominates physical possession of the ball.

Bring Harden off the bench so Lin could put up decent numbers? That makes no sense

They just need to do a better job of splitting ball handling duties. Harden is really good because he can spot up and play off the ball REALLY well. Lin and Harden are really the only two playmakers on the team, there's no reason they can't split it and work off each other. Houston's not good enough to bring one of them off the bench. Teams that do that already have 2 elite playmakers in the starting lineup.

The issue is that Lin has been playing horribly off the ball.

 

[champcruthik]

Bring Harden off the bench so Lin could put up decent numbers? That makes no sense
They just need to do a better job of splitting ball handling duties. Harden is really good because he can spot up and play off the ball REALLY well. Lin and Harden are really the only two playmakers on the team, there's no reason they can't split it and work off each other. Houston's not good enough to bring one of them off the bench. Teams that do that already have 2 elite playmakers in the starting lineup.
The issue is that Lin has been playing horribly off the ball.

Flaws in your argument:
First, nowhere did I say that Lin should start and Harden be brought off the bench purely for Lin to "put up decent numbers." In fact, my two clear reasons were number one, both players need the ball in their hands to thrive, and two, Beard has played that role as a sixth man in OKC.

Next, Houston is 9-11 and have lost three in a row. It's no coincidence Lin had his best game of the young season with Harden out nursing an injury. Something needs to be changed in Houston. Either they learn to play better on the court together (without the basketball), or one of them comes off the bench (as I suggested).

You act surprised Lin plays "horribly off the ball." That was painfully evident in New York. He's at his best with the ball in his hands with free reign creating havoc with dribble penetration. That highlighted the entire "Linsanity" run. We all know he's not built to be a spot-up shooter at the moment and his 3PT% is blunt evidence of that.

It's not about benefiting Harden or Lin's numbers, the biggest issue is wins and losses. The same theme every sports organization is predicated upon.

 

[fray salters]

There's clearly a problem in Houston. Lin and Harden both need the basketball in their hands to succeed. The easiest solution is start one and bring the other off the bench as a sixth man. Beard is the easy choice because of his role in OKC. Neither player can live on the perimeter for spot-up threes while the other dominates physical possession of the ball.

 

 

[quik1987]

Would be great if he went to the Clippers instead

Really?

Please enlighten me for who?

I meant as a free agent not trade

And Lin and Harden just need to learn how share the ball better. Lin as the PG should be handling the ball more.