New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

[Steve Williams]

How about this rumor...........

Rumor: Rockets could trade Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook hasn’t provided the desired upgrade over Chris Paul. Houston has performed better when James Harden plays without Westbrook than when Harden plays with Westbrook. Westbrook-led lineups have struggled when Harden sits.

Though unloading Paul’s contract was essential to the trade, the Rockets certainly hoped Westbrook would help them more.

Ryen Russillo of The Ringer:

I think Westbrook is available. We can talk about semantics Of course, Daryl Morey would trade anyone if he thought it made his team better. Of course, he would trade Westbrook if he could get off of that long-term money, if he thought the assets, the sum of the parts was better than having somebody that’s considered a top-10 player.

Is Daryl Morey actively calling people, saying, “Hey, I’ve got to dump Westbrook?” Well, of course, he wouldn’t do it that way. But there are people who believe Westbrook is available and that Daryl knows, “I’ve got to figure something out here.”

I’m sure people will deny this after they hear it on the podcast. I don’t care.

Russillo is right: Morey would trade anyone. By acknowledging that, Russillo gains credibility for this report. He seems to be implying there’s more to this. Still, I’m not convinced his sources are giving proper heft to Morey’s trade-anyone style. These are the types of things that could get lost in trade-rumor telephone.

Finding a Westbrook trade won’t be easy. The 31-year-old is earning $38,506,482 this season and due $132,633,438 over the next three years. That’ll dissuade other teams. Harden also wanted Westbrook in Houston and might not appreciate his friend getting dealt. That creates internal complications.

All along, the Rockets traded for Westbrook to boost their championship chances. The tough part: Houston won’t see how Harden and Westbrook perform together in the playoffs until after the trade deadline. The regular season reveals only so much. It’s on Morey to make an early judgement with limited information.

Is Morey actually looking more seriously into moving Westbrook than a typical player? Perhaps. But given the challenges of actually trading Westbrook, we might never find out.

 

[WLVCA]

Good analysis. I was watching with my son on TV and he has clapping literally at every good Clippers play down the stretch. He missed the first half and I told him Rondo hit a trey and tried for a few more but all missed. And I felt that if James is going to run the plays, Rondo's 'slot' is a bit wasted because he is primarily an assist man and not even a renowned medium range shooter, so what is he there for when James needs to pass to a shooter? Who made the decision here?James or Vogel, or worse, Kidd? The Clippers, though 'undersized' in the middle, seemed to have controlled the inside passes of the Lakers. AD was forced to take medium ranege quartercourt shots than in point blank range where is would be like Kareem, instant 2 points. And finally, if they meet again in the playoffs, when LeBron gets the ball for the win, expect Doc to put Beverley on him (it's an incredibly masterful stroke of a great coach, with the guts and savy only the likes of Doc could do) - and by that time, James would have been thinking, that's why I miss JR Smith.

Your son has excelllent taste in basketball teams!

 

[jadis]

Your son has excelllent taste in basketball teams!

He likes my Celtics too, I would like to believe that.

And he forwards lots of Lebron memes after a loss by his team, the last was called Kawhi Steals Christmas.

 

[WLVCA]

The Grinch! Love it.

 

[jadis]

The Grinch! Love it.

Here's the video, from Bleacher Report as forwarded by my son to me. Amazing how 'fans' of LeBron gets really creative.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2539735299472758

 

[WLVCA]

That was very clever. Poor LeBron.

 

[Steve Williams]

Lakers have a 4 game losing streak and the last place Warriors have a 4 game win streak. Go figure

 

[Steve Williams]

age is LeBron's worst enemy now as he celebrates his 35th.....


It’s time for LeBron and the Lakers to copy the Clippers and embrace load management

The Lakers and LeBron James need to embrace load management

There was a time LeBron James could recover from a sprained ankle in five minutes. He was the ironman who never needed to prove it, who rested regularly, took two weeks off in the middle of a season (and then won a championship, it’s worth noting), and spends $1 million annually on body maintenance.

But age has caught up to him. Injuries, we learned last season when he played just 55 games, can now impact him in the long term and, as we learned Thursday, in the short term, too. In the Los Angeles Lakers’ Christmas day loss to the Clippers, James collided with Patrick Beverley and re-aggravated a groin injury that forced him to miss his first game of the season on Dec. 22.

But for some reason, the man who put load management on the map has rejected the philosophy at the moment he most needs it. You wonder if, now that he’s not invincible, he’s straining to prove to himself that he is.

To date, the most durable body in professional basketball has accumulated 47,282 minutes — 6,272 more than Michael Jordan played, and 1,361 from surpassing Kobe Bryant, who tore his Achilles in Minute 45,396. That figure doesn’t even factor in nine Finals runs.

It’s only natural for James, after 17 seasons, to feel the weight of being human. The sooner he accepts he is, the better for him and the Lakers.

It’s been reported James is likely to miss time after re-aggravating his groin. He should, despite the Lakers dropping four games in a row now, be patient in his return. The Lakers on the whole, despite participating in a proxy war over load management, should flip the switch and embrace it. A losing streak is the crisis you make it. One way to look at it: Even with the recent losses, they still have the West’s best record.

 

[Steve Williams]

yet having his teammates implore him to rest and take time off........

LeBron James ‘on track’ to play Saturday against Portland after groin injury
LeBron James’ latest injury may not be as bad as the Los Angeles Lakers had initially feared.

James, who re-injured his groin in their 111-106 loss to the Clippers on Christmas, is expected to travel with the Lakers to Portland and is “on track” to play against the Trail Blazers on Saturday, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

James is officially listed as questionable for the matchup and did not speak with the media on Friday.

Patrick Beverley collided with James in the first quarter of the game at the Staples Center and kneed him in the groin, causing the lingering injury to flare up. While James finished the night with 23 points, he shot just 9-of-24 from the field and reached the free-throw line only four times. He missed 10 shots from behind the arc, too, the most 3-pointers he’s ever missed in a single game.

“I felt healthy going into the game,” James said after the loss, via ESPN. “I got kneed in the groin taking a charge from Pat Bev, and it kind of set me right back to where I was five days ago.”
The Lakers reportedly approached James about sitting out and resting the injury until he’s fully recovered, too, apparently not willing to take any chances with the 34-year-old star. James suffered a very similar groin injury on Christmas Day last year, too, one that limited him to just 55 games last season. This latest injury, however, is reportedly much less severe and on the opposite side of last year’s injury.

James has averaged 25.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and a career-high 10.6 assists this season, leading the Lakers, who have lost four straight, to a 24-7 record — the best in the Western Conference.

Regardless, it sounds like James may not end up missing any time at all.

“I’m always around the clock with my body, getting my treatment,” James said Wednesday, via ESPN. “If I’m feeling great, I’ll be in the lineup [Saturday]. If I’m feeling well, I’ll be in the lineup. We’ll see what happens.”

 

[Steve Williams]

although Giannis looks to be a shoe in to win the MVP again this year I can't stop marveling at Doncic. This kid is a superstar

 

[WLVCA]

although Giannis looks to be a shoe in to win the MVP again this year I can't stop marveling at Doncic. This kid is a superstar

I like Doncic, too. Great player and still developing.

Cuban signed him just in time to replace his last star European player - Dirk Nowitzki.

Porzingis is good as well but Doncic is even better.

 

[Steve Williams]

Doncic is built like a little bull

 

[christoph]

I like Doncic, too. Great player and still developing.

Cuban signed him just in time to replace his last star European player - Dirk Nowitzki.

Porzingis is good as well but Doncic is even better.

I love Dirk. Such a great player and modest chap

 

[Steve Williams]

Lakers continue to gain double digit leads only to give up the lead but in the end the Lakers played strong with big contributions from Kuzma and KCP. and beat the Blazers 128-120

When the Lakers are playing Dee and making their shots they seem invincible but the last 4 games to me showed their vulnerability

Kuzma is getting his rhythm back and you have to wonder if Cousins will make an appearance this year


KCP is having an epic year. In the off season they wanted to dump him but he becomes a starter and has great contributions

 

[WLVCA]

I thought KCP was on the Lakers due to his friendship woth LBJ. Apparently he can play, too.

 

[Steve Williams]

Utah is rejuvenated and about to knock off the Clipps in Utah

Looking at the west no team IO is sacred and guaranteed as it seems on any given dy any team can get a butt kicking.. The question is which one can last a 7 game series and the winner then facing a seven game final series. The East is also quite strong the year but nowhere near the west

Makes for great watching. Best yearI can remember in years and even GSW have a 4 game win streak

 

[Steve Williams]

even GSW have a 4 game win streak

spoke too soon as the Mavs clobber the Warriors and Doncic gets a triple double

Mavs to me are the silent killers in the west

Mavs had 24 3's tonight

 

[jadis]

I thought KCP was on the Lakers due to his friendship woth LBJ. Apparently he can play, too.

He was number 8 overall pick in the 2013 draft, by the Pistons. I can't forget the first time I heard an announcer doing a recap of a Pistons' game, he said after a bucket by KCP - with a name like that, you've got to be good. :'D

 

[Steve Williams]

Here's the thought of the day....Miami Heat have the 3rd best record in the NBA behind Bucks and Lakers. They will be a force in the East.Sixers seem to be stumbling

 

[jadis]

Here's the thought of the day....Miami Heat have the 3rd best record in the NBA behind Bucks and Lakers. They will be a force in the East.Sixers seem to be stumbling

Yes Steve. And if there is a Jerry West magic, there is a mini version of that in Pat Riley.