The Perpetual NBA Thread

[ILuvDetailing]

nakakalito mga avatar natin ,can't distinguish which one is which unless I read the handle name hehe...

Iba naman ranking sa ESPN, which has Tyus Thomas, La Marcus Aldridge, and Andrea Bargnani as the top 3.

[wren]

ILD, theveed, wulf, it's good to see that people honor bets around here...

[ILuvDetailing]

Its all in the game FXT...

babawi ako sa fantasy basketball

[trashon]
I'll take whats rightfully mine hehehe
[/trashoff]

[theveed]

wow, Andrea Bargnani drops to 8th...

I'm actually interested to find out who the Rockets will pick... I wanna see Yao/TMac in the playoffs... Too bad they traded Mike James hehe

[theveed]

Jazz deal? Utah isn't ruling out big trade
By Tim Buckley
Deseret Morning News

With Carlos Boozer trade rumors still swirling, but no deal imminent, Jazz basketball boss Kevin O'Connor on Wednesday did not rule out the possibility of a major offseason swap.
"Let me reiterate this, and I think it's important: We feel like we made a very good improvement from a year ago. And obviously we needed to," said O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations. "But we're not finished . . . If we could get a great player, would we trade somebody? The answer is, 'Yes.'
"So, we would look to improve our team. That's just part of the nature of what happens. It's written about a lot more than it happens, but it does happen — and I'm not saying it won't."
Boozer has been the subject of trade speculation since word of a potential deal with the Los Angeles Lakers surfaced in February of 2005, less than seven months after the power forward came to Utah from Cleveland via free agency.
The Jazz apparently engaged in preliminary discussions regarding Boozer, and perhaps other players, with multiple teams earlier this month at the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando.
Last Sunday, the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal reported Memphis is talking with Utah about Boozer.
On Wednesday, the Racine (Wisc.) Journal-Times reported Utah, Atlanta, Toronto and Golden State are "among the teams that have been linked" to trade-target Jamaal Magloire and that the veteran center seemingly gives the Bucks "the ammo to acquire either Troy Murphy from Golden State or Carlos Boozer from Utah."
According to the Journal-Times, "Both Murphy and Boozer are available, and both are power forwards, a position the Bucks want to bolster. However, both players have large and lengthy contracts, which Bucks owner Herb Kohl might be reluctant to take on."
Earlier this year, Boozer's name surfaced in trade-deadline talk of a proposed deal involving Warriors power forward Murphy and Lakers big man Chris Mihm — discussion that never advanced beyond preliminary inquiries.
Boozer, O'Connor said, has not contacted him to inquire about the veracity of the most recent rumors.
"I think he stopped calling me after about the first five or six times that it was written," O'Connor said. "We just kind of said, 'It's gonna be out there, and you're gonna have to live with it.' "

[theveed]

Pierce, Celts plan contract sitdown
By Steve Bulpett/ Celtics Notebook
Thursday, June 22, 2006 - Updated: 08:47 AM EST

Danny Ainge expects to meet soon with Paul Pierce to begin the dialogue on a contract extension for the Celtics captain. And while Antoine Walker’s recent comments that Pierce may need to go elsewhere to compete for an NBA title didn’t make the organization happy, Ainge doesn’t believe the words will affect the club’s relationship with its best player.

“I’m not going to comment on that stuff,” Ainge said. “I think Paul is happy in Boston, and I guess Antoine still has some issues with us. But all my conversations with Paul have been very positive. He’s said he wants to continue his career in Boston.”

Pierce is signed through the 2007-08 season, but has an option to sever the deal next summer and become an unrestricted free agent. With five years now the maximum a player can have on his contract, the Celtics will thus be trying to get Pierce inked through the 2010-11 season.

“I don’t have a date scheduled with Paul, but we’ll talk soon,” Ainge said. “We’re not going to get anything resolved right away, but we’ll start the talks.”

Doc Rivers was a bit more expansive regarding the statements of Walker, who secured an NBA championship Tuesday night when the Miami Heat closed out the Dallas Mavericks.

“I heard about it,” Rivers said. “I mean, that’s Antoine. I don’t think what he said will have a negative effect on Paul and us. That’s just Antoine. You know, sometimes he shows a lot of class and sometimes he doesn’t, but I don’t think Antoine carries a lot of weight. That’s just my opinion.”

Pierce, meanwhile, is seeking additional opinions on his troublesome left elbow. Bursitis in that area hindered him last season, and while the problem has abated with rest in the offseason, he is still looking into options. Ainge said last month Pierce would avoid surgery, but now there is some uncertainty on that.

cw-2“What Paul’s told me is that it’s not a major concern, but it is a little concern,” Ainge said. “I just know it’ll be an easy procedure if he does have it. It’s not an extensive recovery or anything like that.”cw0

zl0

gfsubhPick for the future

Assuming they are still picking seventh overall in next Wednesday’s draft, the Celtics are aware they likely will not be getting someone at that spot who can make a quick impact.

“It’s OK,” assistant director of operations Leo Papile said. “We’re going to get a choice between four or five guys we like. We’ve pretty much narrowed it down to that, and you could have action ahead of you. You’ve got six teams that have no pick and six teams that have two picks, so you’ve got to prepare yourself for teams trading. Guys who you assume won’t be there for you may be there for you.

“But there’s four or five we have a comfort level with at seven, and I think that’s good.”

The names most talked of lately around the Celts are, in no particular order, Randy Foye, Ronnie Brewer, Cedric Simmons, Marcus Williams, Rajan Rondo, J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams.

There is also the possibility the Celtics could trade the pick.

“That’s not up to us,” Papile said. “Someone’s got to come knocking. When someone knocks, you answer.”

As for rumors flying about potential moves and promises to draftees, Ainge said, “You hear a lot of things. Some of it makes sense and some of it doesn’t.”

[theveed]

Changes for Mavs? Nah

Johnson wants to keep core together - that means resigning Terry


12:08 AM CDT on Thursday, June 22, 2006

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Keep it together.

That prevailing theme was blowing through the Mavericks' locker room less than an hour after the most successful season in franchise history ended.

The emotions of a tough playoff loss were still broiling. The powers that be will wait days or weeks before making personnel decisions that are better made when minds are clear and the heat of the battle is left behind.
Mavericks/NBA

Mavs blog | Results/schedule

Mavs lose NBA Finals, 4-2

Inside the Mavericks

Cowlishaw | Moore | Ragland

You Told Us: Embarrassed?

Mavs chat transcript (6/21)

Mavs fans talk Dirk

Mavs proud | Big moments

Few changes | Expect stability

Title gear gone | Final four

Notebook | Forum | Ratings

Mind Reader: Dwyane Wade

More Mavericks

But the early indicators suggest that this is a team Mavericks fans should get used to. The braintrust – coach Avery Johnson, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson and owner Mark Cuban – has some decisions to make this off-season. But none of them are expected to include major shake-ups.

"I don't expect to make a lot of changes at all, at least not from what Avery has said and what Donnie has said," Cuban said.

The Mavericks are a team that is growing. They are not old. They don't have an anchor that is 34 years old, like Shaquille O'Neal.

Dirk Nowitzki turned 28 on Monday. Jerry Stackhouse, 31, and Erick Dampier, 30, are the only heavy lifters over 30 on the team.

When a team reaches the NBA Finals and is still in position to grow and get better, there is no reason to overhaul anything.

The bitter pill of losing to the Miami Heat is something this team can use for the future.

"You could have heard a pin drop in the locker room afterward," Stackhouse said. "I told the guys we got a chance to see where we need to get better, things we can do to get us over the hump next year. We were one of the last two standing, but ultimately, one team beat us."

Now, the Mavericks need to take steps to make sure they aren't one-hit wonders in the Finals.

And there are a few issues. Jason Terry is a free agent. He was the team's second-leading scorer in the playoffs at nearly 19 points per game. He and Ben Wallace are the two most attractive free agents on the market this year. Players can start negotiating deals July 1. They can officially sign July 14, but most players agree much earlier.

BRAD LOPER/DMN
Jason Terry, who earned $6.6 million this season, is a free agent. He was the Mavericks' second-leading scorer in the playoffs at nearly 19 points per game.

"It's very important," Cuban said of retaining Terry. "Jet is an amazing player and an amazing guy. He's really something special, and he's got that experience under his belt. He's not that Atlanta guy anymore. That's a huge advantage for all of us."

Cuban added that the other free agents will be dealt with accordingly, including assistant coach Del Harris.

"That's Donnie's role and he's ahead of the curve, and we're pretty confident that we'll bring our guys back," Cuban said.

It will be up to Nelson, Johnson and Cuban to come up with a suitable contract offer for Terry, who earned $6.6 million this season.

"You've got to try to keep your core together," Johnson said.

In addition, Keith Van Horn is a free agent, as is Adrian Griffin.

The Mavericks also have to figure out how to handle the contracts of Josh Howard and Nowitzki.

Howard's contract can be extended beyond his rookie deal this summer. He's scheduled to make about $1.5 million next season. Market value for Howard has risen all season.

"If it happens, it happens," Howard said. "If not, I'll see what happens down the line [in free agency]."

Nowitzki has two years left on his monster contract, which is worth about $15 million next season and $17 million in 2007-08. The Mavericks could extend Nowitzki for up to three more seasons if both sides desired, which would lock up the superstar through the prime of his career.

All of these are good problems to have.

It's when you have financial decisions to make on bad teams that you know it's going to be a long summer.

"It can be a whole lot worse, and I think we're headed in the right direction," Cuban said. "I'm proud of our guys and of our organization. We proved all those people who doubted us wrong. This is a team to be reckoned with, and hopefully, we'll have a great future."

[kimpOy]

mamiss ko ang anak ni theveed, yung xtrail ni ild at yung mavs logo ni wulf he..he

so hanggang november ba yan?

[BlueBimmer]

dang...kelangan ko na pala magresearch for the fnba draft pick

[Tha_Mann]

dpat eto na lang avatar nyo:


hehehe

eto na starting five ng Mavs next yr: