New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

[jadis]

24 assists! I don't think he needs to shoot at all

LOL. 4 short of Cousy's team record of 28 a game. Maybe he passes knowing he can't shoot. A case of the chicken or the egg. LOL

 

[jadis]

Boston is for real people.. Do take notice..They made a statement against the Heat .. These will meet each other, come playoff time...

The big change here for me is Garnett today is playing like the Garnett of 2008. Quick, agile, and not afraid to take shots. Last season, after surgery, he had a relapse on his knee problem, and I felt till the playoffs, he wasn't the same fiery guy like the 2008 championship season. Gasol outplayed him last June. Time for redemption this season for KG.

 

[FrantzM]

Jadid

Let's not minimize the Kid's talent... Magic Johnson one of the best ever would rather pass than shoot most of his playing life... only later did he develop a jump shot. Rondo is young, has very High Basketball IQ, is a pest on both the offensive and defensive boards, is confident almost cocky, this is his team and he is running it very well.. The real deal. I like this kid but as any good Lakers Fan hate the Celtics.. Right now I want to meet them on the finals again ... The obstacles.? Oklahoma City and Miami which is truly a monster as we all knew they would .. Yesterday's game was sign of things to come .. Scarry team ..

 

[jadis]

Jadid

Let's not minimize the Kid's talent... Magic Johnson one of the best ever would rather pass than shoot most of his playing life... only later did he develop a jump shot. Rondo is young, has very High Basketball IQ, is a pest on both the offensive and defensive boards, is confident almost cocky, this is his team and he is running it very well.. The real deal. I like this kid but as any good Lakers Fan hate the Celtics.. Right now I want to meet them on the finals again ... The obstacles.? Oklahoma City and Miami which is truly a monster as we all knew they would .. Yesterday's game was sign of things to come .. Scarry team ..

FrantzM,

Admirable words coming from a true Lakers fan. As a lifelong Celtic fan, I had trouble heaping praises to any Laker player during the 80s' Celtics-Lakers finals. Lately, my views have 'opened' a bit and I can heap praise on Magic, Kobe or Gasol. I myself am hoping for a Celtics/Lakers finals again next June. This will be a 'rubber match', counting 1 for the Celts in '08 and one for the Lakers last season. The twilight years of Phil and Doc. They need a knockout finals. And hopefully all players will be healthy by then, it will be a blast in the annals of sports.

 

[Ron Party]

I have been a Lakers fan all my life, having been born in Minneapolis, then moving to L.A. But, in the spirit of what jadis posted, it would be nice to have a rubber match. But, since we all know how much home court advantage means in the NBA, I'd like to see the rubber match take place at a neutral site. Then, and IMO only then, would we get the true answer.

 

[Steve williams]

I disagree Ron. The team with the best record gets to have home court advantage. Like you I have been a Lakers fan most of my life. Watching their first two games IMO they have a deeper bench than last year and Walton, Vujacic and Bynum have yet to play. The outside shootiung of Blake and Barnes has given them more depth and even Theo with limited minutes is also a factor. I do agree about the rubber match however.

 

[jadis]

Miami has been winning a few games lately after their opening day loss. James and Wade are not disappointing the Heat fans. They have been touted to break the all time NBA win loss record. This is the way to do it. Do it together.

 

[FrantzM]

Miami has been winning a few games lately after their opening day loss. James and Wade are not disappointing the Heat fans. They have been touted to break the all time NBA win loss record. This is the way to do it. Do it together.

Too early to tell.. The legue will have to adjust to these two but they will win a LOT of games

 

[jadis]

Too early to tell.. The legue will have to adjust to these two but they will win a LOT of games

Yes, too early. But it's a real good sign for Heat fans that they are jelling this early. The critics would want to believe they won'y jell at all. LOL I feel the bond between Wade and James will melt the ego between them. That could be trouble for the other teams. If the Heat can vanquish the Celtics in the East, I'm behind them against the Lakers next June.

This early, we feel the heat, the Lakers are undefeated, it's almost like they WANT to gain homecourt advantage all throughout as proven by their win in their home court on Game 7 last season. Playing hard all 82 regular games to have the edge for just one game, Game 7. The importance has never been that great.

 

[Ron Party]

Watching the Boozer-less Bulls getting crushed by the Celtics right now. It is readily apparent the Bulls, even with Boozer, will be posers, just like the Magic and the Heat. After *only* 10 days of the season, the East is up for grabs between the Celtics and Heat.

I disagree Ron. The team with the best record gets to have home court advantage. Like you I have been a Lakers fan most of my life. Watching their first two games IMO they have a deeper bench than last year and Walton, Vujacic and Bynum have yet to play. The outside shootiung of Blake and Barnes has given them more depth and even Theo with limited minutes is also a factor. I do agree about the rubber match however.

Of course, the team with the best regular season record gets home court in the playoffs. But it doesn't have to be. If one really wanted the rubber match to be decided on the merits, do away with home court advantage and all that entails. In the history of the NBA, how many Game 7s have been won by the visiting team? Have the finals at a neutral site. Or just have game 7 of the finals at a neutral site. This is one area where the NFL gets it right.

 

[jadis]

Watching the Boozer-less Bulls getting crushed by the Celtics right now. It is readily apparent the Bulls, even with Boozer, will be posers, just like the Magic and the Heat. After *only* 10 days of the season, the East is up for grabs between the Celtics and Heat.



Of course, the team with the best regular season record gets home court in the playoffs. But it doesn't have to be. If one really wanted the rubber match to be decided on the merits, do away with home court advantage and all that entails. In the history of the NBA, how many Game 7s have been won by the visiting team? Have the finals at a neutral site. Or just have game 7 of the finals at a neutral site. This is one area where the NFL gets it right.

As we speak, it's a GAME between the Bulls and the Celts! Not yet over.

Interesting thought about a neutral Game 7 venue. But that would negate the need to play for a good record to gain home court advantage. Well, I thnk only the NFL has a neutral Super Bowl site, baseball, hockey still have it like the NBA.

 

[Ron Party]

Home court advantage through the conference finals, but neutral site for the finals.

 

[jadis]

Home court advantage through the conference finals, but neutral site for the finals.

If David Stern would do that, I'm all for it.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

It does make sense to play the game where the weather is likely to be nice... Imagine a Superbowl in Green Bay or inBuffalo,NY in a Blizzard! For Basketball I don't see the need, the championship is played indoors in June...
I wouldn't call Chicago and Orlando "poseurs"... Those are serious , problematic teams for the others... Boozer has not yet integrated the team... D Rose has to learn to feed the ball to the low post.. he had no real option there ..Noah offense being that offensive output there being as close to zero as a NBA player has any right to ... Meanwhile Dwight Howard is displaying an array of efficient offensive moves that come playoff time will make a world of difference

 

[jadis]

There's a point on both sides of the fence. Yeah, maybe the NFL Commissioner doesn't want the world to see a Super Bowl masked in a snow storm maybe for some reasons which include commercial reasons, but teams like Buffalo and New England are used to playing in such extreme weather conditions. They would even call it an advantage when a team like the Miami Dolphins would visit them, as there ain't no snow in Miami. Bottom line is the NFL 'authorities' deemed that ruling to be and it stuck. For a 7 game NBA Finals to be played in a neutral city, that may sound 'weird' at first but if they do it, it might work - for the purposes to seeing who is the better team without the fans' intervention.

 

[Steve williams]

I have to completely disagree and feel the analogy to the Super Bowl is far fetched. As stated the Super Bowl is played in the winter whereas the NBA finals in May. To play a whole season in order to obtain the best record which then gives that team home court advantage only to change to a neutral site makes no sense to me. Try telling those with season tickets for years and have awaited their team to play in the championship series only to have it taken to a neutral venue for a best of 7 series is crazy. The Super Bowl is one game whereas in basketball and baseball etc it is a best 4/7

I would be shocked to see David Stern ever approve anything such as this

Home court and the team's fans present is what the game is all about. To change to a neutral venue for the finals would never succeed. Now as far as baseball is concerned, there is talk that Bud Selig is wanting to add more wild card teams to the MLB finals to add to the drama of playoffs.

 

[jadis]

Even before today's Heat game against the Celtics, there was buzz that Coach Spoelstra is under pressure to do well or else... To quote yahoo sports: “I don’t believe Pat’s going to choose to go downstairs anymore, but there could come a point when [owner] Micky [Arison] tells him, ‘Go down there and fix this,’ ” said one league source close to Riley and Wade. “And then, he may have no choice.” And the latest loss to the Celts with a virtually healthy and intact lineup, and an improved and performing Chris Bosh, might spell doom to the current Heat coach. I have much respect for Pat Riley as a coach to fear him coming back and making Miami a power that it can very well be. The season is early, but something has got to change in the Heat's play to make them a powerhouse. I just hope Riley doesn't 'go down there'.

 

[Steve williams]

Pat did not look too happy yesterday as he watched from the stands as his team got beaten again by Boston

But how about the Lakers yesterday. They were destroying the Nuggs by 20 points only to give up the ghost and lose it in the stretch. Phil was not happy either. That leaves NOH as the only undefeated team

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

I respect Pat Riley. If however he were to come back as a coach, that may not be a good move for his legacy and he knows it. The episode in which he canned Van Gundy after he ( Jeff?) had built a team capable of winning is a black eye to his record... Anyone who follows basketball knew Van Gundy built and molded the team and that the team would be a winner .. Then Pat came and indeed won with Van Gundy’s team.. With Van Gundy out the next season the team unraveled under Pat .. True Pat made a great coup with the acquisition of Lebron and that, set the basketball world ablaze but let us remember that Jerry West routinely pulled out this coups... Remember the Magic Johnson signing with Kareem, Jamaal "Silk Wilkes and Bob Mac Adoo already on the team or later the acquisition of James Worthy on a team that already had, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Magic Johnson, Jamaal Wilkes and Bob Mac Adoo??? Then the steal of Byron Scott
Back to the Heat.. They are learning to play together. Winning championships is beyond mere talent.. The talent must gel .. The coach must be given the chance to work with these talents. Something Riley learned to do with the stupefying talented Lakers and Jackson later with the G.O.A.T... Who was scorching the league but loosing the games that mattered, remember the 63 points against Boston? Well Larry Bird scored 37 and the Celtics they swept the Bulls... Basketball is a team sport and it will take some time for the Heat to gel .. When these high level of talent does.. Beware.. Meanwhile the Lakers remain formidable .. and so deep it is scary as Steve Blake could start for a number of teams (Miami would have loved him) or Shannon Brown or Matt Barnes or Lamar Odom and still Luke Walton and Andrew Bynum are not ready ..

 

[jadis]

The Lakers' loss to the Nuggets could have happened to the best of teams. Celtics lost a lot of games being up big in 3 quarters and let the opponent crawl back and defeat them. It's hard to design scientific plays against a marauding team that is running on momentum. Like Ty Lawson rampaging for 17 points. I bet he wouldn't do it again on back to back games. LOL. The Lakers have a good system. And Bynum is not even playing yet...

I agree, I think it would really look bad for Riley to come down and coach again, kicking out his protege Spoelstra. Can lightning strike twice? Depends on how bad the Heat owner wants to win. What I feel is that the Heat needs a real good mid-season trade for 2 big men. Like a couple of Odom or Gasol (Pau, not Mark) type of players. That would make them solid. I'm sure Riley is thinking of that...