This week in the NBA

[naiwf 0]

The White Manute Bol, The Burly Sean Bradley, Gheorghe Muresan with less nose. In other words, a big stiff whose one skill was blocking shots because of his 7 foot+ frame.

[Gert T 0]

Tom Chambers was the man!

 

I kind of like what Jim Rome said, "I don't think this deal makes the Suns better, but its great to have Shaq out West".

 

BTW, it would take a hell of a run to get to the playoffs for Miami, even if they do have Wade and Marion playing well. And by hell of a run, I mean not gonna happen. Get a couple wins, enjoy the ride and get a high lottery pick.

 

 

[Guest]

The White Manute Bol, The Burly Sean Bradley, Gheorghe Muresan with less nose. In other words, a big stiff whose one skill was blocking shots because of his 7 foot+ frame.

I was just kidding. I only said that because alf said that 60% of Suns fans probably couldn't pick KJ out of a lineup.

 

Harhar, I'm real funny.

[Ripper 0]

Don't down play Mark Eaton like that!

 

And you forgot Kurt Rambis and Tim Legler as part of the Phoenix white boys in the 80's. There are easily another 5 but i can't remember them. most of them were named Mike for some reason though.

[alfdogg 0]

It's official now, Shaq passed the physical.

[Ripper 0]

I don't know how to feel about this at all anymore.

 

I remember that when they gave Nash and Richardson that money, i wanted them to extend Joe Johnson and let Barbosa play the point instead. I was half wrong on that one.

 

So I will see how it works out. Maybe he can be the Jabbar to our running style and give us something in the half court. I have a distinct feeling that he hasn't been playing these last few weeks because he is pissed about how it is going out there. I think he was Vincing it.

 

I still think the would have been fine with the Spurs declining, and I will believe the Lakers can beat the Suns in a series when it happens. I just don't understand making panicing, attempt to save the season moves when you have the best record in yoru conference.

 

 

[Maztinho 0]

Who's Mark Eaton?

 

The Fucking Man.

 

He was my favorite player as a kid.

 

I still dig his story that Layton found him while Eaton was working as a grease monkey in a car place.

 

 

[Ripper 0]

Those stories are the greatest because when it comes down to it, guys like that just get the basics and excel at it.

 

If they try to shoot it, try to block it. If someone misses, try to grab the ball. If you catch it close the the basket, put it in the basket.

 

Now go out there and CONTRIBUTE!

 

But seriously, Eaton once averaged over 5 blocks a game and 11 rebounds and has a career averaged of 3.5 blocks per game.

 

White manute bol my ass.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Luke Jackson was cut by the Heat to make room for Banks and Marion. After watching him at Oregon, I thought he had a chance to be a good role player in the NBA. I thought he could play the Kerr or Paxson to Lebron's Jordan in Cleveland, but it was not to be. I'd guess this more or less spells the end of his days as an NBA talent.

[alfdogg 0]

The Pacers have been reduced to starting four white guys due to injuries.

 

I think Zach Randolph was just asking David Harrison if he wants to get high after the game.

[randomguy 0]

I don't get this one either. Defense gets worse (and it already wasn't that great), rebounding stays the same or gets worse, and that's assuming Shaq can stay on the court, which he can't. Shaq has not been a dominant player in years.

[Ripper 0]

Hawks beat the Lakers by 3.

 

 

Good game, although Woodson has strangely put Acie Law in the doghouse and he doesn't see the court. Lue had a good game, although he has been consistantly horrible so I don't like this move, and i am even more afraid that the Hawks are 2-0 with Lue getting more minutes, but completely because of Josh Smith(who had 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks and 9 assist tonight) and Josh Childress. He hit some big shots tonight.

 

Al horford gave us 15 poinnts and 20 rebounds tonight and looked great defending the Lakers front line.

[alfdogg 0]

Pacers eek one out in New York to end a 7-game skid. Kareem Rush with 24 points, one shy of his season high, shooting 10-13 from the floor. And Marquis Daniels was key off the bench, as usual.

 

However, flashbacks of last season, as Ike Diogu plays just six minutes, despite scoring six points. I've heard of slowly working a guy back in, but this is starting to get ridiculous.

[Brett Favre 0]

The Pacers are lucky the Knicks are really stupid. I've never seen a dumber team in my life at the end of games.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The Pacers are lucky the Knicks are really stupid. I've never seen a dumber team in my life at the end of games.

 

I've watched about three Knicks games this year, including the OT loss to Portland last week and I must say, I can't remember seeing a more undisciplined team in my life. Their defense is atrocious and the offense sputters because every guy who touches the ball wants to shoot it. Regardless of my feelings of Isiah the GM, Isiah the coach is terrible.

 

They should really keep Lee, Crawford, Robinson and Balkman and send everyone else packing. There is no other player on their roster worth a damn.

[alfdogg 0]

Crawford could probably go too, honestly. He's solid in the clutch, but other than that he's not much more than another chucker.

 

I did laugh when he said he was making the most of a tough situation in New York, one night after shooting 6-27 in the aforementioned Portland game.

 

And I can certainly relate to Knicks fans in regards to how terrible coach Isiah is in endgame situations.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

Man, it's some good-ass games on tonight! Shit, League Pass basically paid for itself tonight.

[The Robfather 0]

Hornets-Suns was insane. Best game I've seen all season.

[alfdogg 0]

Three-point shootout

 

Jason Kapono

Peja Stojakovic

Kobe Bryant

Daniel Gibson

Rip Hamilton

Steve Nash

 

Kobe is the first person to do the dunk contest, three-point contest, and skills challenge.

[Guest]

We got Josh Smith'd last night. Awful 4th quarter. Radmanovic did a disappearing act after his great first quarter, so that didn't help either.

 

Kobe's hand injury is going to turn into a problem.

 

ATLANTA -- Phil Jackson just couldn't resist. The coach known for his digs at rivals was given a hanging curveball out over the plate when asked about Shaquille O'Neal's role with the Phoenix Suns.

 

"Taking the ball out of bounds and waiting for the other team to get back," he said.

[Ripper 0]

they should respond "remember back when the last time you beat the Suns in the playoffs Jason Kidd and Penny Hardaway were the backcourt?"

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

they should respond "remember back when the last time you beat the Suns in the playoffs Jason Kidd and Penny Hardaway were the backcourt?"

 

Exactly. How many playoff series have the Lakers won since they traded Shaq? That's what I thought.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

In his latest column Chad Ford makes it sound like the Marion-Shaq trade was less about acquiring Shaq and more about getting rid of Marion. It at least implies that Nash and Stoudemire may have had a say in the trade, feeling that the team's chemistry was negatively impacted by Shawn's presence.

[Guest]

they should respond "remember back when the last time you beat the Suns in the playoffs Jason Kidd and Penny Hardaway were the backcourt?"

 

Exactly. How many playoff series have the Lakers won since they traded Shaq? That's what I thought.

And how many NBA Titles have the Phoenix Suns won? I don't think the Suns or their fans of all people should be saying a word about titles. It's important for they and their fans to remember what they don't have when making such statements.

 

Why not, you know, actually try to refute what Phil Jackson said? You know it's true. What positive impact is Shaquille O'Neal going to have on the Phoenix Suns when he won't even be able to step onto the court for another two weeks, at which point the Suns could possibly be passed by quite a few of the teams in the West, as far as playoff position goes. Is Shaq's defensive impact really going to be that great, or is Amare's lack of defensive capability going to cancel that out? Are the Suns going to have to change their entire style of play, or is Shaq going to get in shape for the first time in years and be able to run the court? Or will Shaq just get hurt, allowing Boris Diaw to grab more minutes and return to the form he had in the season that Amare was sidelined?

 

I only posted the Phil Jackson quote to see if you guys believed whether or not that's true, not to turn this into another argument. Silly me.

[randomguy 0]

Chemistry is so overrated. Look at the Giants. Winning teams get along, losing teams snipe at each other.

[Guest Blue Man Czech]

Basketball is the only sport where I believe chemistry does matter.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

IYAM, the Suns acquired Shaq to get past two teams: the Lakers and the Spurs. If nothing else, Shaq will keep Stoudemire out of foul trouble. Besides which, they were never going to beat the Spurs as-was; every year, STAT scores a million points, and the Suns lose in six games. I'm sure that Ripper will be along in a hot second to tell me I'm wrong, but my impression of watching the Suns in the playoffs has always been that Marion was a weak link when it came time to play the Spurs; IMO, it's because Greg Popovich has mind control over him...

[Guest Vitamin X]

The funny thing about this trade is that Phoenix has usually been pretty terrible defending against bigs. This might help, but Shaq's not great at being out of foul trouble himself either. And they did this at the expense of their best all-around defender in Marion. I really think that it was done pretty much as a counter to the Lakers' acquisition of Gasol, however. Amare and Shaq can take on Odom and Bynum now, but they'll still have no answer for Pau AND Kobe. I can't wait to see the next Lakers-Suns game.

[justsoyouknow 0]

If anything, this will allow Stoudemire to play his actual position at PF, while giving the Suns a better defensive presence in the low post, where they could actually grab some rebounds once and awhile. At his natural position, STAT should be able to both score more efficiently and be matched up with players his size. The Suns sacrificed Kurt Thomas, who was 1) slow and 2) old, but he still managed to fit in with the Suns' offense. So long as the offense doesn't revolve around Shaq, nothing should change too greatly.

[Ripper 0]

they should respond "remember back when the last time you beat the Suns in the playoffs Jason Kidd and Penny Hardaway were the backcourt?"

 

Exactly. How many playoff series have the Lakers won since they traded Shaq? That's what I thought.

And how many NBA Titles have the Phoenix Suns won? I don't think the Suns or their fans of all people should be saying a word about titles. It's important for they and their fans to remember what they don't have when making such statements.

 

Why not, you know, actually try to refute what Phil Jackson said? You know it's true. What positive impact is Shaquille O'Neal going to have on the Phoenix Suns when he won't even be able to step onto the court for another two weeks, at which point the Suns could possibly be passed by quite a few of the teams in the West, as far as playoff position goes. Is Shaq's defensive impact really going to be that great, or is Amare's lack of defensive capability going to cancel that out? Are the Suns going to have to change their entire style of play, or is Shaq going to get in shape for the first time in years and be able to run the court? Or will Shaq just get hurt, allowing Boris Diaw to grab more minutes and return to the form he had in the season that Amare was sidelined?

 

I only posted the Phil Jackson quote to see if you guys believed whether or not that's true, not to turn this into another argument. Silly me.

 

Who was silly arguing.

 

Phil made a insluting comment. I had one for him. Its not like Phil said "I don't know if Shaq will be able to contribute with the suns offense..." and went on to have a basketball discussion. No. He decided to be a fucking dick like he always does and make a insult. Fuck him.

 

Do people think Kurt Thomas actually ran the floor better than Shaq can? Kurt can barely move now.

 

Can Shaq still draw a double team? Yes. Who is going to guard Shaq in a Lakers series or a Spurs series. Say you don't respect him all you want, you gonna leave Francisco Elson or Pau Gasol one on one with him on the block? If he plays 20 minutes a game, that is 20 minutes you have to deal with him.

 

If you are going to put your best defender on him, then you have to deal with the fact that A: Amare can bitch the Spurs on the offensive end and B: Pau Gasol's name could be legally changed to "Amare's Bitch" and you wouldn't be able to argue otherwise.

 

Defensive wise, I expect more of that zone D they have been playing, and if you put Shaq on the other teams best low post big, its not like he is backing that big fucker down. ONce again, Kurt Thomas didn't play the pick and roll well either defensively and the team did okay.

 

The Suns lose some perimeter defense with Amare gone, no doubt. But I think that Shaq will do a little bit more than ""Taking the ball out of bounds and waiting for the other team to get back."

 

And living through past rings is just completely fucking lame. Thats like the Nick Van excel, vlade Divac Lakers pretending they were something because Magics lakers won a championship. the Kobe/Shaq Lakers won a championship. The Kobe/Lamar Lakers have been to the lottery, got beat in the first round against the Suns without amare and got the shit kicked out of them by the suns with Amare in the playoffs. Beat someone with this team and I will give them props. I don't give a shit what they did 6 years ago.