This week in the NBA

[Max Danger 0]

From Yahoo.com:

 

King James blasts Sir Charles: 'He's stupid'

 

CLEVELAND – LeBron James reacted strongly to Charles Barkley's comments that the Cavaliers star isn't showing respect for Cleveland fans and his teammates by discussing his possible free agency following the 2010 season.

 

"He's stupid. That's all I've got to say about that," James said Friday night before the Cavaliers' game against Golden State.

 

Barkley made the comments on TNT's NBA studio show and Dan Patrick's radio show.

 

"If I was LeBron James, I would shut the hell up," the Hall of Famer said on Patrick's show. "I'm a big LeBron fan. He's a stud. You gotta give him his props. I'm getting so annoyed he's talking about what he's going to do in two years. I think it's disrespectful to the game. I think it's disrespectful to the Cavaliers."

 

James, under contract for two more seasons, was bombarded with questions about his future when the Cavaliers visited New York to play the Knicks on Tuesday night.

 

The Cavaliers can offer him an extension as early as July 1, 2009. There has long been speculation James will eventually end up in one of the NBA's larger markets and the Knicks have cleared salary-cap space in anticipation of the 2010 free-agent class.

 

"I think July 1, 2010, is a very big day," James said when the Cavaliers were in New York. "It's probably going to be one of the biggest days in free-agent history in the NBA. So a lot of teams are gearing up to try to prepare themselves to be able to put themselves in position to get one of the big free-agent market guys."

 

What're your thoughts on this? Personally, I side with Charles on this one.

[Guest Czecherbear]

Charles Barkley is always right on all matters verbal. LeBron should be slapped in the face with a dick.

[alfdogg 0]

I do, too, but he probably was a little too rash in expressing his point. But, that's the way Barkley is.

 

LeBron is just an arrogant prick, and I dislike him more every time he opens his mouth. That said, I think he's the runaway MVP at this point.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

If Lebron is being asked these questions, he can't help answering. But if he's offering the opinions unsolicited then I'd agree with Barkley.

[Guest Czecherbear]

Then he should say that the only future he's concerned with right now is winning a championship with the Cavaliers, period, sentence, paragraph. That's the sort of competitive edge the face of the league should be showing to the world, not "can't wait till the Knicks give me a shit ton of money in a year and a half."

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

It's been so long, but how would Michael Jordan have answered that question? Would he bet the reporter a grand that he'd stick around?

[Guest Czecherbear]

Probably a lot of "well, in a sense, indubitably, to an extent, without a doubt, to some degree," ending with "tell Charles I said that. YOU TELL CHARLES I SAID THAT! HAHA."

 

Make fun of the gambling by all means, but at least it showed the world that he was obsessed with winning, not new contracts.

 

I think July 1, 2010, is a very big day . . . It's probably going to be one of the biggest days in free-agent history in the NBA. So a lot of teams are gearing up to try to prepare themselves to be able to put themselves in position to get one of the big free-agent market guys.

This is how agents speak, not players. Go sock Varejao in the face.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

It was a joke, yes, but not making fun of him. I am sure Jordan would have said what you expect Lebron to say. He's much more media savvy than Lebron is.

[Just John 0]

I guess he's honest at least.

 

And if he just wants money and doesn't care about championships, New York will be a great fit in 2010.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Because if he stayed in Cleveland, they would so win the title!

[alfdogg 0]

I think he was going for the Knicks joke there.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I'm aware. But it's preposterous to even think the Cavaliers would be in any better position in 2010 to win a title. The Knicks would sign another big name, and they instantly become contenders. What the fuck is Cleveland going to offer? Continued association with "Boobie"?

[Just John 0]

Because if he stayed in Cleveland, they would so win the title!

 

But New York will give him more money to not win a title.

 

If he wanted to win a title, he'd try to play with Yao or Dwight Howard.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Wouldn't Howard be available in 2010 too? Or has he signed an extension?

[Brett Favre 0]

Because if he stayed in Cleveland, they would so win the title!

 

But New York will give him more money to not win a title.

 

If he wanted to win a title, he'd try to play with Yao or Dwight Howard.

 

New York will have enough for 2 max contracts and then some. They're going after LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

[garfieldsnose 0]

The Knicks aren't going to win the NBA Title anyways. So this is all for nothing.

[Brett Favre 0]

What the hell are you talking about?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Because Derrick Rose is going to lead the Bulls to the promised land

[Just John 0]

LeBron/Bosh would be a nice tandem, but they'd still need a different coach to win a title. Well, D'Antoni could also realize his 7-man rotation thing over the course of a season doesn't cut it, but if he didn't figure it out when he couldn't get to the Finals with Nash, Amare, and Marion, I don't see why he ever would.

 

Although, I bet the regular season stats on LeBron would be unreal with D'Antoni's stystem. If there was ever a shot for someone to average a triple double again...

[Brett Favre 0]

Just because D'Antoni hasn't won a title, doesn't mean he never will. He's a very good coach, who OMG even preaches defense. It just so happens he's had Amare and now David Lee being stoppers in the middle? How are you supposed to win like that? D'Antoni is the perfect coach for LeBron and Bosh.

[Just John 0]

Just because D'Antoni hasn't won a title, doesn't mean he never will. He's a very good coach, who OMG even preaches defense. It just so happens he's had Amare and now David Lee being stoppers in the middle? How are you supposed to win like that? D'Antoni is the perfect coach for LeBron and Bosh.

 

I never mentioned defense. I said he overplays his starters.

[Brett Favre 0]

Amare Stoudemire is playing more minutes this year than he ever did with D'Antoni. 36 minutes a game isn't overplaying your starters. Steve Nash never played over 35 minutes a game. And Shawn Marion only hit 40 minutes once, so that's not really an accurate assessment. Maybe he does have a short rotation, but he doesn't play his guys over 40 minutes a game.

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH! 0]

I'm aware. But it's preposterous to even think the Cavaliers would be in any better position in 2010 to win a title. The Knicks would sign another big name, and they instantly become contenders. What the fuck is Cleveland going to offer? Continued association with "Boobie"?

 

Erm, Cleveland is looking like the second or third best team in the league right now and if HoopsHype is to be believed (this is a big if) they're set up to be able to both re-sign LeBron and make some noise in the free agent market in 2010. They've also got a couple of nice big expiring contracts (Wally's this year and Ben Wallace's next year) which could potentially be used as valuable trade bait. Their future is hardly as hopeless as you make it sound.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Hopeless? No. But I doubt Cleveland would want to spend as much as New York would.

[JaMarcus Russell's #1 Caucasian Fan 0]

To keep their hometown hero and the state's favorite son, I'm pretty sure the Cavs would pony up every cent and then some to keep LeBron around.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Enough to rise their payroll to among the top? Don't know about that. If they would, they'd have done so by now.

[Matt Young 0]

The Cavs can pay Lebron more than anyone. I thought Porter meant that they wouldn't spend as much to attract complementary stars, but as far as Lebron himself goes, they aren't allowed to extend his contract quite yet.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Yes. I meant complementary stars. The Cavs can throw whatever money they'd like at Lebron but if he sees it's still just going to be him and 14 other scrubs, he'll walk.

[Psycho Penguin 0]

The Cavaliers have already made a finals appearance with him, and they could afford to pay him a huge deal. What's stopping them from doing what the Knicks are doing, if they have to? And the Cavaliers DRAFTED HIM and all. They will do whatever it takes to keep him. He's the most marketable player the franchise has ever had by far. They will spend. We'll see if it is enough.

[Guest Czecherbear]

D'Antoni is the perfect coach for LeBron and Bosh.

Gimme LeBron James and Chris Bosh and I'm a perfect coach.

 

Am I an awful guy for not particularly wanting any success to come Mike D'Antoni's way? The empty promise of the Phoenix Suns annoyed the shit out of me for the last few years, and now he's coaching the Knicks. To hell with him.