The Perpetual NBA Thread

[theveed]

Di ba kayo tatahimik sa Celts ko???> hehehhehe

[Eismann]

Ika nga nila....ang hitik na puno ang syang binabato.

O maiba naman...Suns naman...

Sunny Outlook in Phoenix(Marc Stein)
D'Antoni clearly remembers all that, judging by how much he's talking the Suns up in the midst of this heavy start. He was raving about Hill within minutes of coaching him for the first time, quickly convinced that Hill's ability to penetrate and handle the ball will enable Phoenix to actually speed up its offense. The coach is likewise boasting that he doesn't "even know if we have to call plays" with this group because the ball is moving so crisply.

The two-time MVP, though, probably wanted Hill even more than the coach. Surrounded by so much inexperience at key spots -- Stoudemire, Diaw and Leandro Barbosa all come to mind as special talents still learning the game -- Nash figured his Suns could stand to get a little older and wiser before seeing San Antonio again.

"You don't want to get too old," Suns guard Bell said with a smile, "but I think our window is still there. The Spurs are the champions. They deserved it and they played great. But I think we've moved on. We're going to be right at the top of the league again, vying for the championship."

Said D'Antoni: "If you want to look at [the current situation] with a cloud over our heads, that's one way. The other way is thinking we'll get Boris started [while Stoudemire recovers] and find out what Brian Skinner and Sean Marks can do. Amare's going to be fine, so that's how we'll look at it and hopefully that's the way it'll turn out.

"We're going to attack the league in a different mentality, like we did the first year [after re-signing Nash in the summer of 2004]. ... It's like I told Steve, 'You might have five more years left and you've got to enjoy each one.'

"Same with me. As a coach, I've got the best team you could have, the greatest guys and the best city. If I can't be happy in January, then I should be shot. And I wasn't last January. So I'm going to go read my Zen book and chill out."

[kimpOy]

Preseason rankings: Eastern Conference
By Kenny Smith, Yahoo! Sports
October 8, 2007

The Cavaliers were able to get through the Eastern Conference last season by really only playing one legitimate playoff series – the East finals against Detroit. That will not happen again this season. In fact, there will be a new conference champion.

Here's how I see the East as teams begin their preseason schedules.

1. Boston Celtics – With three unselfish stars in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, the learning curve is shorter than most. They will dominate a conference with only three contenders (the others being Detroit and Miami).

2. Detroit Pistons – They are one of the few teams that can only beat themselves. That's why they always believe it's a fluke when they lose. Experience wins, and Detroit's veterans can still get the job done.

3. Miami Heat – Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade tasted the sweet smell of success two years ago and have the tools to get back to the NBA finals. With Alonzo Mourning leaving after this season, an aging Shaq gets one last real chance at another title before he's done.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers – LeBron James and the young Cavs shocked the world last season, but the surprise factor is over. They will have a big task learning to live up to expectations.

5. Chicago Bulls – The young and gifted Bulls are in trouble. When Garnett came to the East and didn't land in Chicago, it slowed their progress.

6. Toronto Raptors – They're a nice team, and that very well might be their problem in getting over the top. The Raptors might need someone to get a little nasty or trade for a pit bull.

7. New Jersey Nets – They didn't get better, but there's too much talent on the roster not to make the playoffs.

8. Washington Wizards – With Agent Zero (aka Gilbert Arenas), the Wizards are a playoff team, but with no consistent inside scoring, the Wizards will struggle this season.

9. Orlando Magic – Just not enough firepower. The Magic have a lot of very good players, but none is a 20-point man on a good team. (Sorry, Rashard Lewis.)

10. New York Knicks – Scandals, poor chemistry and a bunch of round pegs trying to fit in square holes. This once storied franchise is in disarray.

11. Indiana Pacers – Who's on this team again?

12. Milwaukee Bucks – Without sounding redundant, there's just not enough talent. The Bucks are potential driven which leads to losses in the NBA.

13. Philadelphia 76ers – They'll be searching for an answer all year! OK, OK, that was a cheap shot, but it will take a lot of practice, practice, practice! (I crack myself up.)

14. Charlotte Bobcats – The Bobcats are much too inexperienced at all positions, including coach, to make noise this season. That said, they still are my sleeper East team.

15. Atlanta Hawks – Dominique Wilkins, Doc Rivers and Spud Webb are rolling over in their basketball graves right now. The Hawks have become the 2008 Clippers.

[Altis6453]

Bakit preseason palang injury bug na?

Curry could miss preseason with shoulder injury
By MARC BERMAN

CHARLESTON - Could things get any worse for the Knicks? They broke camp this morning with dreadful news - Eddy Curry has suffered a shoulder injury that could put him out much of preseason. The scary thing is they don't know for sure. He'll have an MRI tonight in Columbia, S.C. for the full diagnosis.

The Knicks face the Sixers in Columbia tomorrow for their preseason opener with no Eddy or Jerome James. So much for Eddy and Zach establishing chemistry in preseason.


Curry said there's a chance he may to do rehab. Curry injured the shoulder Friday in a post-up drill with David Lee, getting entangled. He felt "sharp pain'' last night. The good sign is he finished practice, so there's hope. Curry said he won't rush back just to play preseason games but he hasn't ruled out Thursday's home opener vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv either.

[theveed]

Love the Philly line hehe, "they'll be looking for an answer... practice practice practice..." hahahahhaa

[theveed]

Indiana Market Research: Enough "Hip-Hop" Culture Already

October 8, 2007 4:44 PM


Anthony Schoettle of the Indiana Business Journal writes about the state of the Pacers, and frankly, it's troubling.


First of all, there is speculation that the Pacers have been losing money steadily in recent years. We have heard unconfirmed recent reports of red ink at so many teams (Seattle, Portland, Utah, Memphis, and New Orleans off the top of my head) that it makes you wonder, just a tad, how things are going for the league in general.
This particular report, however, seems to be yet another sign that whatever Indiana's beef might be with NBA basketball, it might have something to do with culture, or even skin color.


The Pacers' advertising agency did a whole bunch of research and decided to break one of the cardinal rules of sports marketing by keeping the players out of the campaign entirely, opting instead to feature their (older, whiter) coach, Jim O'Brien. Schoettle writes:

The research, he said, was used to align what Pacers' fans wanted with what the team and management represented.


O'Brien was chosen as the primary spokesman for the early part of the campaign, Hirschauer said, because research showed the older, corporate audience that buys season tickets finds him credible.


Part of the shift, Hirschauer said, is because many Pacers fans in this "conservative market" don't identify with the "hip-hop" culture some in the NBA have cultivated in recent years.


Pacers fans are more interested in things like hustle, teamwork and fundamentally sound basketball than individual stars, he said.

My first thought is: Would you, Indiana fans, answer a survey like that if your team had LeBron James or Dwyane Wade? They have hip-hop credibility, but they also win, right? Isn't that the main thing?



My second thought is: Perceptions of race are assuredly an unspoken force in those last two paragraphs, right?


My third thought is: Of course, there are several other factors at play here.
Historically, one common reason teams have not marketed their star -- in this case, Jermaine O'Neal -- is because that star is on the trading block. You don't want to spend a bunch of money making TV commercials starring a player who could be L.A. before the trading deadline.


This market research could be publicized here as a simple cover for that fact.
Also, it's a fan base that has had gotten jaded from all the legal trouble lately. Maybe people associate Stephen Jackson's misadventures and the like with hip hop.
And, in fairness, those same fans have supported plenty of black players in the past.
Are the Pacers feeling the need to appear whiter? Some NBA insiders have volunteered to me that they think it's so.


Exhibit A is O'Brien as the campaign's star.


Exhibit B is the last season's big trade. Indiana shipped out talented black players Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington (and others) for the overpaid, less talented, and much whiter Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Troy Murphy (and others).


Indiana fans, if you're happy to cheer for black players, you might want to make sure the team knows that now. Pick up a phone, send them an email ... You don't want it on your conscience if the team ends up trading Jermaine O'Neal for Raef LaFrentz and cap filler.

[mazdamazda]

here's a training camp update for Phoenix.

source: jaytizy of fantasybasketballcafe.com
http://www.fantasybasketballcafe.com...ic.php?t=39333


PHX Suns training camp has been in town.

Went to a practice and their intra squad game.
Notes:

Grant Hill:
He shoots an awful lot. I understand where D'antoni is coming from when he said Hills going to be an all star this season (even though I dont agree). But its apparent he has the green light from just about anywhere on the court. He rarely passes, even when a shot is semi-contended. If anyone was concerned about Hill affecting Bell and Barbosa this season I would say its a very real possibility. As my friends and I watched, we all agreed that maybe these guys didnt enjoy playing with him so much (because he dominates the ball alot). We joked that maybe Marion has wanted out all the sudden because he's not liking what Hill brings to the table :-b !+) . Hill might mysteriously affect some of the Suns players values as he did with some of the Magic players.

Amare Stoudemire:
He was there and in good spirits. He can jog, shoot and dribble. We even saw him briskly throw down a dunk. Most of the time he rode the stationary bike.

Shawn Marion:
I cant confirm this but he seemed to have bulked up a bit. He also got a new tattoo. He like Amare, seemed in good spirits. On the court he looked dominant and sharp.

Leandro Barbosa:
He looked good, fast as ever and accurate with his shot. But when they got in game action he somewhat disappeared. It was surprising because for the duration of a 40 minute game Barbs really didn't do much. I couldn't figure out if it was the absence of Nash, or the presence of Hill. But I do know he willingly backed down and let Hill and Marion do most the scoring.

DJ Strawberry:
All I can say is wow. The kid goes head to head with Nash and more than holds his own (mostly exploiting Nashs lax D). Offensively hes extremely confident, he ran his squad well. His defense is tenacious. By no means did he put the clamps on Nash, but he certainly made him earn things. I was pleasantly surprised by his progression as a player (from Maryland) and think he has a real future with the Suns.

Brian Skinner:
Was grossly outplayed by Sean Marks.

Game Rosters:
White: Nash, Piatkowski, Bell, Diaw, Marks - Bench some super scrubs
Orange: Strawberry, Barbosa, Hill, Marion, Skinner - Bench Tucker + scrubs

[theveed]

It can't be good if you're "grossly outplayed" by Marks hehehe.

[mazdamazda]

What is scary is that Grant Hill is ball hogging this early. :lol:

[tsupermario]

LAKERS REPORT

Radmanovic refuses to revisit the past
Coming off a bad first year that included an ill-advised snowboard injury, the forward now resembles the player the Lakers thought they were getting.
By Mike Bresnahan
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 9, 2007

HONOLULU -- Of all the Lakers who wanted to forget the way last season ended, Vladimir Radmanovic was near the top of the heap.

Lampooned for his ill-advised snowboarding excursion during last season's All-Star break, Radmanovic's soreness went beyond a separated shoulder.

He was talk-radio fodder for weeks after coming back from Park City, Utah, with his right arm in a sling and a similarly flimsy excuse in tow (he said he slipped on a patch of ice while crossing the street).

He ultimately came clean, admitted he lied to his coaches, and was fined $500,000 while sitting out almost two months as his shoulder healed, the extension of an already unbecoming first season with the Lakers.

He showed next to nothing after signing a five-year, $30.2-million contract, averaging 6.6 points in 55 regular-season games, career lows in both categories.

He was slowed by a sprained ligament in his right (shooting) hand during the exhibition season, and then Coach Phil Jackson got on him in December, calling him a "space cadet" because he was failing to grasp the intricacies of the triangle offense.

In his second training camp with the Lakers, his hand feels fine, his shoulder as well, and his shot is falling.

"He's getting his licks in," Jackson said.

At the same time, Radmanovic irritates Jackson on occasion.

"A 6-[foot]-5 guy rebounded over him twice at the end of the game to make a difference," Jackson said after a recent scrimmage. "It's little things like that, we just keep plugging away at him."

If it makes Jackson feel better, the 6-10 Radmanovic says he understands the offense better. His outside shooting will be needed by a team that added Derek Fisher to help address the same concern.

"It's easier when you don't have to concentrate so hard on Phil's language," Radmanovic said with a smile, referring to the triangle. "It's like learning a new language. It's gotten better. Things are much easier."

As for last season. . .

"There was a last year?" Radmanovic asked rhetorically. "Did I play last year? I think that there answers your question."

Neither Luke Walton (strained hamstring) nor Lamar Odom (shoulder) will play tonight in the Lakers' exhibition opener against Golden State, but Kwame Brown (ankle) has begun full-court contract drills and took about 500 shots Monday.

Of those shots that were free throws, what was Brown's percentage?

"About 80," Jackson said. "Out of 500."

Chris Mihm sat out practice Sunday because of soreness in his right foot, but he returned Monday after changing to a larger pair of shoes that would fit better with his orthotics. He is expected to play tonight.

"I think that's the big problem he had, is the irritation he had in the orthotics that he used," Jackson said.

An MRI exam showed that forward Ronny Turiaf had a bruised right knee. He practiced Monday. . . . Jackson, who once famously quipped that rookies were "lower than whale [excrement], offered an update on this year's batch of Lakers rookies. "That's where the rookies are right now. All of them," he said, smiling. "Some of them are starting to bubble a little bit and move up from the bottom of the ocean, but they're still down there in the bottom of the ocean."



jackson is a funny guy :lol: