The Official NBA post.

[sohi 23]

11/11/09 in review:

Danny Granger continues to prove that he better be an all-star.
It was against GSW, but still, 42 points and 7 rebounds is impressive.

My dude Bynum played well too.
24 points and 6 rebounds.
The Lakers need to do a better job of feeding their big men though.
D-Wade beasted as always. He's playing on another level right now.

Dallas losing to Sacramento

The Hawks haven't been playing so well.
1-3 in their last 4, they lost to Philly today.
AI had 27 points and 9 assists.

Orlando looks really good.
If Jameer Nelson keeps playing like that, watch out.
It's going to be interesting to see how they play in the postseason tho.

Ray Allen dropped 36 with 8/10 from 3 point land.
Boston needed that W badly.

The Suns won again as well.

 

[jdb1523]

I love this thread. And thanks to SoHi and JapanAir for the stats/info this year and last...last year's thread was a blast.

 

[kiddin like jason]

The Grizzles and Bucks have reportedly discussed a trade that would send guard Mike Conley to Milwaukee in exchange for guard Ramon Sessions and rookie forward Joe Alexander.
Such a deal would comply with the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

"They've given me chances, but I'm a bum of epic proportions," Conley said. "I wouldn't say they've given up on me. We've been searching. It's tough. You don't know what the organization might be doing. My dad (and agent, Mike Conley Sr.) told me not to worry about it and just play."

An NBA source claims that a three-team trade is in the works that could send Raymond Felton to Dallas, and Earl Watson and DeSagana Diop to Charlotte.
Oklahoma City, who would give up Watson in the deal, may be looking for additional draft picks or even more cap space in the deal.

The report was published in the Boston Globe, and did not mention a player coming from either Charlotte or Dallas and landing in Oklahoma City.

With the football season winding down, I'm going to be all over this thread.

Good $#@!, SoHi.

 

[kal ripped ken]

The Grizzles and Bucks have reportedly discussed a trade that would send guard Mike Conley to Milwaukee in exchange for guard Ramon Sessions and rookie forward Joe Alexander.

Such a deal would comply with the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

"They've given me chances, but I'm a bum of epic proportions," Conley said. "I wouldn't say they've given up on me. We've been searching. It's tough. You don't know what the organization might be doing. My dad (and agent, Mike Conley Sr.) told me not to worry about it and just play."


what?

 

[sohi 23]

Here's the real article:

Conley Could Be on the Way to Milwaukee

Posted: 1/11/2009 6:47:00 AM
Source: Ron Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal


Let's just say it's safe to assume that the much talked about Mike Conley-for-Travis Outlaw deal between Memphis and Portland will always be met with a telephone busy signal from here on out.

The Grizzlies signing Darius Miles to a 10-day contract Saturday with the potential to adversely affect Portland's salary cap likely ends any chance the two teams will ever deal in the future.

The Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks have talked about a deal that could send Conley to Wisconsin for guard Ramon Sessions and swingman Joe Alexander.

It is not known what other components, if any, are in the proposed trade but a deal would work under NBA rules with those three players.

A deal involving Conley appears more imminent now than ever because his most ardent supporters within the organization no longer fight for his stay in Beale Street Blue.

The Griz turned down a deal before the start of the season that would have sent Conley to Portland for swingman Travis Outlaw. Memphis tried to revive those trade talks to no avail.

Conley is aware of the situation.

"They've given me chances," Conley said. "I wouldn't say they've given up on me. We've been searching. It's tough. You don't know what the organization might be doing. My dad (and agent, Mike Conley Sr.) told me not to worry about it and just play."

Part of the recent disappointment with Conley is his perceived contentment over losing the starting job at point guard. That Conley has shown little-to-no fight to regain the starring role hasn't been viewed favorably given his history of passive play on the court.

Why else would the Griz do the deal?

Alexander is an athletic, decent shooting answer to the Grizzlies' search for a backup to Rudy Gay. He's raw and hardly used in Milwaukee but another player with length the Griz could develop. Plus, Sessions is the most productive of the three players involved.

This would also satisfy the Grizzlies' goal of allowing rookie O.J. Mayo to handle the basketball more.

That's a STEAL for the Grizz.

No Takers for Jermaine O'Neal?

Posted: 1/11/2009 6:51:00 AM
Source: Ron Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal


Toronto's Bryan Colangelo has been shopping Jermaine O'Neal and his contract ($21 million this year, $23 next) with no takers so far.

The Bosh/O' Neal experiment has been a failure, and really did anyone expectO' Neal to do something?

Mavericks Shopping Howard Very Hard?

Posted: 1/11/2009 7:07:00 AM
Source: Marc Stein of ESPN.com


I've had a couple execs tell me that the Mavericks have passed Toronto as the team pushing harder than anyone else in the league to make a trade at the minute. And the growing sense I get is that the Mavericks, for all their stated reluctance to do so, are prepared to move Josh Howard before the deadline if they can bring back the wing explosiveness and/or post scoring that we've mentioned before as areas of concern in Dallas.

Just days ago, I didn't think so. I saw the prospect of moving Howard as highly unlikely. My feeling was that Dallas would continue to shop Jerry Stackhouse's cap-friendly contract, Brandon Bass and DeSagana Diop's unfriendly contract, hoping that the Stackhouse-and-Bass combination would eventually net something positive.

Yet in the course of all those aggressive calls, sources say, Howard's name is coming up more and more, either through the interest of teams on the other end of the line or the Mavs' growing willingness to consider another shakeup.

"Dallas is talking to everyone," said one rival exec.

Last February's acquisition of the selfless Jason Kidd and the coaching switch from Avery Johnson to Rick Carlisle are moves that were supposed to help Howard more than any Mav. But they haven't. You can attribute some of his struggles to a nagging ankle injury, but Howard has strangely never flourished alongside Kidd and isn't playing with the bounce that made him an All-Star, leading some folks in town to wonder if he'd rather be elsewhere.

But if that's the case, Howard hasn't let on. Nor are the Mavs likely to rush into anything if they don't get the offer they want.

Reason being: Dallas is convinced that Howard's very reasonable salary this season ($10.4 million) and next ($11.4 million) and the $12.3 million team option held by the Mavs for the 2010-11 season -- all attractive contract details -- combine to negate any trade value the 28-year-old has squandered through declining production and off-court transgressions.


If I was Dallas, I would just blow it up and start over.
This team has peaked and unless they can pull off some amazing trades, I don't think they're going to make a whole lot of noise in the playoffs.

 

[slow motion g35]

History says we shouldn't be surprised the Celtics fell into a funk after their 19-game win streak.

Of the five teams with the longest single-season win streaks in NBA history, only the Lakers in 1999-2000 responded positively to the end of a long unbeatenrun. Even the '71-72 Lakers stumbled after their 33-game win streak was halted.

Longest Win Streaks in NBA History
Year	Team	Streak	Post-Streak
'71-72	Lakers*	33	Lost 4 of 6
'07-08	Rockets	22	Lost 5 of 8
'70-71	Bucks*	20	Lost 5 of 6
'08-09	Celtics	19	Lost 7 of 9
'99-00	Lakers*	19	Won 11 of 12

 

[jdb1523]

Man, Dallas, damn. I seriously thought they would have at least one or two championships at this point in Dirk's career, they absolutely dominated forawhile.

 

[jepeh21]

yeah me too, and i still can't believe how crazy it was the amount of FT wade shot in that series, i mean the guy gets all the foul call in his favor.

 

[bigmike23]

-boston needs bench help and needs it BAD

- this rookie class is SICK

-i still dont have faith in the magic, maybe if nelson shows up this playoffs they can do something .

-i called Dwade this era's penny hardway but he has showed he is back, he wont win MVP tho because his team wont win enough games like kobe a few years ago

-Danny Granger has all this talent? $%+

-Portland and doing !##@ this year

-shaq still has his legs

-nash cant do !##@ in a half court offense

-Devin harris is BALLIN but cant stay on the court

 

[allen3xis]

Bucks tired of soft Joe already?

 

[CP1708]

No bench for the Celtics and big minutes for their 3 stars is not a good formula. Not saying they can't still make a run and be fine, but anyone noticethat Orlando is now ahead of them as well? Boston needs to have homecourt if last years playoffs are any indication at all.

Greg Oden will be better then Bill Russell.

N.O. is fraudulent. They still a couple years away from mattering. CP3 and West are fantasy studs only at this point.

Nash still in the NBA?

Wade can't be MVP unless you take away some MVP's from the hall of fame lock.

Bron is coasting until the playoffs.

Callin the shot now. And it could be the end of NT. I predict a Cleveland/Laker finals. We had a Magic/Mike finals, this year we could see a repeat ofsorts.

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

Bucks tired of soft Joe already?

plus luc fits skills style better so he has no shot at getting PT

 

[gangsta207therevolution]

Joe is so huff.
Portland should still do the Conley deal.
If they value Conley as a talent.

 

[aubstuh86]

i wonder how the mavs will do this year.. maybe they can bounce back from the past 3 years of disappointment.

 

[i nasmatic i]

Are Bucks set to play 'Let's Make a Deal'?
Posted by: gwoelfel on January 12, 2009 at 12:36AM EST

By GERY WOELFEL

It's hardly a secret the Milwaukee Bucks have been working the phones to make a trade,

There have been continuous rumors forward Charlie Villanueva is being shopped and whispers about Michael Redd being dealt.

Backup guard Charlie Bell's name has also been bandied about in trade talks and it is believed some teams have contacted the Bucks about the availability of veteran small forward Richard Jefferson.

The latest rumor to surface is the Bucks possibly trading backup point guard Ramon Sessions and forward Joe Alexander, who was the eighth overall selection in last June's NBA draft, to the Memphis Grizzlies.

In return, the Bucks would obtain point guard Michael Conley Jr., who was the No. 4 overall selection in the 2007 draft.

The Bucks would also likely receive a future draft choice.

I've been told both teams have virtually agreed on the conditions of the trade and only Bucks owner Herb Kohl had to give his stamp of approval. Bucks general manager John Hammond, reached in North Carolina where he was on a scouting trip, said it was his policy not to comment on any trade speculation.

As a rookie last season, Conley played in 53 games and started 46. He averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 assists.

But Conley has struggled this season, starting only 18 of 37 games. He is averaging 7.5 points and 4.9 assists.

Sessions spent most of last season in the NBA's D-League with Tulsa before becoming the Bucks starting point guard when Mo Williams got hurt.

Sessions played well then and is playing well now, although he has been used primarily as a back up to Luke Ridnour. Sessions is averaging 10.8 points and 4.5 assists.

Alexander has played sparingly behind veteran small forward Richard Jefferson. He has appeared in 27 games, averaging 4.1 points.

Conley, who worked out for the Bucks before last year's draft, is making $3.63 million this season. He'll earn $3.88M next season with a team option for $4.91M the following season.

Alexander is being paid $2.4 million this season and Sessions makes $711,000.

While the Bucks and Grizzlies may be in agreement on the aforementioned deal, neither team is under any pressure to consummate it quickly since the league-imposed trading deadline isn't until Feb. 19.
Even though I'm not a fan of Joe Alexander, this would be a steal for the Grizzlies if this trade goes down.

 

[kiddin like jason]

In 11 games as a starter, Sessions averages 13, 5, 11 and 2 a game. In 64 games as a starter, Conley averages 9, 3, 4 and 1. Sessions averaged about 14 minutesmore per game as a starter than Conley, but that should say more about Conley's mediocrity than anything else. Sessions is only a year older, too (22).

 

[kiddin like jason]

Walker and Giddens got called up?

The Magic turned down a Giddens and Gabe Pruitt for J.J. Redick offer recently.

LeBron and Dwight will be coaching the Rookie/Sophomore game.

 

[N41D]

An NBA source claims that a three-team trade is in the works that could send Raymond Felton to Dallas, and Earl Watson and DeSagana Diop to Charlotte.

Oklahoma City, who would give up Watson in the deal, may be looking for additional draft picks or even more cap space in the deal. The report was published in the Boston Globe, and did not mention a player coming from either Charlotte or Dallas and landing in Oklahoma City.


Hope like crazy this deal goes through... Felton ain't anything special, but he's a decent piece and getting out of Diop's miserable contractalone would make this deal a huge success on the Mavs side...

I think I remember reading that Oklahoma City would just get filler guys like Shawn Williams from Dallas and maybe a guy like Adam Morrison from the Bobcats...Just pieces that free up money quickly and don't hamper them down the road... I'll see if I can dig up what I had read...

If I was Dallas, I would just blow it up and start over.

This team has peaked and unless they can pull off some amazing trades, I don't think they're going to make a whole lot of noise in the playoffs.
They're done... The sooner Mark Cuban realizes it, the better...

I thought this was a fringe playoff team at the beginning of the season, and now I'm convinced they're not better than any of the teams they'refighting for positioning with (Houston, Portland, Utah, Phoenix)... I really feel like they're solidly on the outside looking in...

And take it for what it's worth, but Marc Stein said the other day on local radio that he believes Josh Howard still holds a very high amount of value onthe trade market... He said the contract he's signed to is viewed as a bargain by several league execs he's talked to, and that if the Mavericks giveinto the idea that he's their only real trade asset aside from Stackhouse's contract, they'll be able to bring in a nice haul for him, regardlessof what has gone on the last 12 months...

 

[jepeh21]

[h1]South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com[/h1][h2]Phil Jackson: Heat's Dwyane Wade goes for strolls[/h2]
By Ira Winderman

SunSentinel.com

1:04 AM EST, January 12, 2009

LOS ANGELES

http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/trb....s Angeles Lakers;at=Basketball;ord=44519299?

The last time the Heat was in Los Angeles, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy spoke of how Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade gets away with carrying the ball.

Back at Staples Center on Sunday night, Wade learned that he apparently also travels.

"What he's really been able to do is that pick-up move, that the Europeans really have brought in," Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson saidbefore Sunday's 108-105 victory over the Heat at Staples Center. "We all would consider that a walk move: Pick up the ball, take two steps, that'stwo and a half steps. And he's been able to get a long distance on that.

"And because of his ability to change directions from left to right and right to left very well, he's able to avoid defenses, and he's exceptionalat that."

In some ways, Jackson's observation is similar to Dunleavy's, who said, "His ability to carry the ball right now, he's getting away with that.He (carries) left to right, right to left, but he just does it fast, so nobody sees it, I guess."

Jackson said he sees, but it is difficult for the referees to notice.

"It's very difficult to referee the game and look at the feet," Jackson said. "In this league, our referees have decided they're goingto referee the defense, not the offense, and so the offensive players obviously get away with more than the defense does, because they're looking at thedefensive players."

Of course, Jackson also coached Michael Jordan, who was known to get an extra step or two during their Chicago championship days, although he said even Jordanendured a crackdown.

"That drop step was what they were getting him on," Jackson said. "One year they called it every time… even if you did it right."

Jackson said the officials were poised at the start of the season to crack down on moves such as Wade's spin into the lane.

"You get to this part of the season," Jackson said, "and it's gone, totally dissipates, and no one's calling it.

"The cry from the coaches is if you actually execute and call the games as supposed to be played, the players will adjust to it. They'll make thoseadjustments. And these players don't have to have those moves. They just do what the limits are."

 

[sohi 23]

Traveling in the NBA is a joke.
Everybody does it, but it's rarely called.



Oh yeah, it hasn't really been talked about.
But Russel Westbrook has to be some where in the top 3 for ROY.
14.1 points, 4.9 assists, 4.3 boards a game.
GREAT pick-up by the Thunder at that spot. They've been great on draft day, and they got a good number of picks in the next 2 years too.
OJ Mayo is still #1 for me though.
Not top 3 but deserve to be mentioned: Beasely( I don't like what they're doing with him over there though), Marc Gasol, and *suprise* EricGordon(although, I wouldn't be that suprised. He would have been a higher pick IMO if Indiana didn't blow-up last year).

 

[jepeh21]

Originally Posted by SoHi 23

Traveling in the NBA is a joke.
Everybody does it, but it's rarely called.



Oh yeah, it hasn't really been talked about.
But Russel Westbrook has to be some where in the top 3 for ROY.
14.1 points, 4.9 assists, 4.3 boards a game.
GREAT pick-up by the Thunder at that spot. They've been great on draft day, and they got a good number of picks in the next 2 years too.
OJ Mayo is still #1 for me though.
Not top 3 but deserve to be mentioned: Beasely( I don't like what they're doing with him over there though), Marc Gasol, and *suprise* Eric Gordon(although, I wouldn't be that suprised. He would have been a higher pick IMO if Indiana didn't blow-up last year).

pretty much yeah, i always get a wth look everytime i watch the top plays of the day and see 2 or 3 highlight that are obviously travels

 

[sohi 23]

T-Mac out for 2 weeks for "physical conditioning"

Like I've been saying, that team plays better without him out there.

...

Recent reports around the internet have indicated the Raptors may be interested in striking a deal with the Bulls. I investigated the issue and found there is a lot of truth to the rumors. The Raptors seem very interested in Andres Nocioni and may be willing to deal Jermaine O'neal to the Bulls to get him. A trade that has been discussed involved Nocioni and Larry Hughes going to Toronto with O'neal coming to the Chicago. The Raptors, however, are trying to come up with different variations of deals that would bring Nocioni and Drew Gooden to Toronto. Another deal the teams discussed involved Nocioni, Gooden and Tyus Thomas to Toronto for O'neal and a filler, but the Bulls felt they would be giving up too much. Look for the talks between Toronto and Chicago to heat up the closer we get to the trading deadline, a deal very likely could go down.

I don't like the deal for Chi-Town, but I guess it's a good cap move.
I think O'neal has like 45 mil due to him in the next 2 years and he expires in 2010

.
D-Wade trying to go back home?

 

[i nasmatic i]

Quick thoughts
-Clippers need to trade Camby while he still has high value around the league.
-A few teams could use Boozer but won't risk it due to his injury and impending free agency.
-I see the Mavs slipping in the upcoming weeks...their schedule looks brutal.
-Wouldn't a O'Neal-Marion swap help both Toronto and Miami?
-Rockets needs to scrap whatever they can for McGrady at this point.

 

[i nasmatic i]

[h1]McGrady Bad-Mouthing Yao?[/h1]

Well, this is fun: "This is the fifth season Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming have played together in Houston, so you'd think by now that everyone would be comfortable with their roles. Apparently not. McGrady has been privately complaining to friends in recent days about Yao taking too many shots and not being tough enough. Like McGrady has never been accused of either."

http://slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/01/macgrady-bad-mouthing-yao/http://slamonline.com/onl...acgrady-bad-mouthing-yao/
And it begins...

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by I NaSmatic I

[h1]McGrady Bad-Mouthing Yao?[/h1]

Well, this is fun: "This is the fifth season Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming have played together in Houston, so you'd think by now that everyone would be comfortable with their roles. Apparently not. McGrady has been privately complaining to friends in recent days about Yao taking too many shots and not being tough enough. Like McGrady has never been accused of either."

http://slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/01/macgrady-bad-mouthing-yao/http://slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/01/macgrady-bad-mouthing-yao/http://slamonline.com/onl...acgrady-bad-mouthing-yao/
And it begins...

You gotta be @#$%#@! kidding me