NBA 2012-13 Thread

[gunnar hendershow]

Okay, I figure what better way to open the thread for a new season than with our favorite player in the league.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8252042/sources-dwight-howard-los-angeles-lakers-four-team-deal-very-close

Sources: Howard deal 'very close'

A four-team trade that would send Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers is "very close" to happening and could be agreed upon Friday, league sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

In the proposed four-team deal, sources told Broussard that Howard and Denver Nuggets forward Al Harrington would go to Los Angeles, Lakers forward Pau Gasol and Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo would go to the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers guard Andre Iguodala would go to Denver, and Lakers center Andrew Bynum would go to Philadelphia.

A league source told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne that the pieces in the potential trade are still very fluid and that Gasol has been in and out of the talks. The source, though, said the deal still is very close to happening and could go down Friday morning.

Sources told Broussard that Philadelphia has not spoken to Bynum or his representatives and has no assurances he will sign a long-term extension with the club.

"The Sixers are willing to take a shot (without Bynum's commitment)," one source said.

Although Bynum signing an extension with the 76ers is not out of the question, according to a source, his stance all summer has been he only will sign an extension with the Lakers.

Bynum, who grew up about an hour away from Philadelphia in Plainsboro, N.J., could sign a three-year, $60 million extension this season or wait to become a free agent after the season and be eligible for a five-year, $102 million deal.

Earlier Thursday, Yahoo! Sports, citing sources, reported that talks of a four-team trade involving Howard have taken place this week and have "grown serious."

The proposed scenario also includes the Magic receiving draft picks and salary-cap relief, the sources told Yahoo!

Near the end of July, Howard met with Magic general manager Rob Hennigan and reiterated he still wants to be traded, and if he isn't, will leave the team as a free agent after next season.

The Lakers' position on Howard has remained relatively unchanged for the past few months, league sources familiar with the situation have told ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Lakers always have been willing to trade for Howard without assurances he'd re-sign with them after the season, believing that once Howard experienced a championship culture, he would want to stay.

Please. Please. Please. End this.

[Maxx]

It's a done deal, hooray for parity.

And Pau wasn't included.

[naiwf]

YES! The long national Dwightmare is finally over. I hope he tears his vagina and misses all of the season

EDIT: I wonder how long it is before he asks the Lakers to trade him to Brooklyn.

Edited August 10, 2012 by naiwf

[The Buscher]

May as well just change the name of the thread to the Heat vs. Lakers NBA Finals discussion thread.

[rocksta]

Woooooooooooooooooooooooo.

First note of business is Iguodala. I loved him as a player. Consummate professional, incredible tone setter and defensive specialist. But he wasn't the player the Sixers needed and that caused a lot of resentment in a fan-base that is infamous for being very critical. As stupid as it sounds it didn't help that he had to have the same initials as Iverson. We needed a go to guy. A star. And I personally think Bynum has that potential. I lovvvvved Iguodala but his contract tiptoes the line of being on the high end of things and blatant overpayment. As a basketball player I have nothing for respect for him though. The teams strengths, fan expectations and his contract are no fault of his and I wish him all the best in Denver. Again I love him.

His professionalism was utterly lacking in LA but I truly feel like Philadelphia is an ideal situation for him. Doug Collins is an amazing coach, he's close to where he went to high school (right over the bridge St. Joes in NJ) and most importantly he doesn't have to play third banana anymore. There's gonna be some serious expectations on him to be our number one guy and I think he's ready to start taking that role. I'm happy. (FUCK FUCK STAY HEALTHY FUCK)

In terms of the effect on the pieces already on the team. Kwame Brown is no longer our starting center. That one speaks for itself. Evan Turner gets more time handling the ball and creating which he excelled at in our three guard set last year. Now the inefficiencies of the height mismatches are completely off the books and he has so much more playing time in front of him. Hopefully he can turn those flashes of immense potential into something consistent. The glut of 6'6-6'9 tweeners has shrunk drastically. I was excited for Harkless but I had no idea where he fit in. That isn't a worry anymore. Cya. Opens more time for Thad Young who has extremely impressive per minute stats. Opens more court space for Jrue to operate. The Sixers had no athleticism at the center position last year and it cost us. Elton couldn't jump more than 4 inches off the ground and Hawes is a goofy white dude. Substitute in one of the top 2 centers in the league instead. One of the key problems for the Sixers was an inability to penetrate and get good shots from a majority of offensive sets, leading to a terrible jump shooting team settling for far too many jumpers. Introduce one of the best low post threats in Basketball. New kickout man Dorrel Wright is noice too.

The one worry is defense. Iguodala was amazing. A leader and a tone setter as stated earlier. Hopefully the team saw where that could take them this last year and can keep the team defense philosophy. Thad and Turner have both shown flashes of being great defenders and now is the time to prove and improve on that. Bynum is a huge defensive upgrade over Hawes who can now potentially even play the 4 as is rumored. Spencer Hawes as a poor man's Pau Gasol isn't actually the worst thing in the world. If anyone watched him last year his offensive game, especially his passing, was incredibly impressive. His jump shot is developing and I see tremendous potential for synergy between the two of them. I'M SO HAPPY IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. (Please don't get hurt )

Oh wait no one cares about The Sixers and everyone just wants to talk about how good LA is? Ok

Edited August 10, 2012 by rocksta

[Your Mom]

Thanks god I dont have to hear about Dwight Howard when I watch sports shows anymore

[Mofoticon]

Just skip ahead to June and put Miami and LA in the finals, literally no chance of it not happening barring injuries.

How is this good for the NBA exactly, when 28 teams are out of title contention already?

[rocksta]

I'm just gonna stick this here now. I really don't think it will be a Lakers-Heat final. While I do think they have the two best teams and recognize the undeniable parity problem within the league I am holding out hope in my hearts of heart that somehow it won't happen like that. If I give in now I am doomed to not enjoy this season.

[naiwf]

Just skip ahead to June and put Miami and LA in the finals, literally no chance of it not happening barring injuries.

How is this good for the NBA exactly, when 28 teams are out of title contention already?

It didn't seem to hurt the league in the '80s when it was pretty much Boston or LA every year.

[DMN in the House]

The NBA has always been like that. The one constant in the NBA is that the Los Angeles Lakers do whatever it takes to compete for the championship.

I'm amazed that the Lakers were able to keep Pau, and, from the looks of it, Ron Ron. Big Four didn't work out for LA last time, but i have good feelings about this one.

I think Philly did well for themselves, and Denver got a guy whocould be a standout on a deep team, which they needed.

[Your Mom]

Rose is going to stay healthy this year and we will make the finals like we should have last year

[Plubby]

Rose is going to stay healthy this year and we will make the finals like we should have last year

*crickets*

[gunnar hendershow]

LA could have trouble against good perimeter players, but they have a knack at finding strong bench players to come in a defensively fill those roles. But a starting 5 of Nash, Kobe, World Peace, Gasol, Howard? That's going to give any team in the league a run.

[The Buscher]

I'm just gonna stick this here now. I really don't think it will be a Lakers-Heat final. While I do think they have the two best teams and recognize the undeniable parity problem within the league I am holding out hope in my hearts of heart that somehow it won't happen like that. If I give in now I am doomed to not enjoy this season.

So in other words, you're delusional.

Seriously I don't foresee myself watching any NBA Basketball this season. It really just seems pointless. The NBA has long been a very predictable sport but at least you go through most of the season with 5 or so teams that you could realistically see winning it all. This year the Heat and Lakers have just put themselves on another level.

May as well just contract half the league and let every team be a super team.

[Meacon Keaton]

LA is going to be very tough, but OKC can still beat them in a seven game series.

[Berober]

But can they do it on a cold Wednesday night in Stoke?

[gunnar hendershow]

I'm not the biggest fan of Bill Simmons anymore, but he nailed it when talking about the winners and losers of the Dwight deal.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8254854/mailbag

[Benjamin]

Rose is going to stay healthy this year and we will make the finals like we should have last year

He's already injured for the start of the season, for like three months into it

[rocksta]

I'm just gonna stick this here now. I really don't think it will be a Lakers-Heat final. While I do think they have the two best teams and recognize the undeniable parity problem within the league I am holding out hope in my hearts of heart that somehow it won't happen like that. If I give in now I am doomed to not enjoy this season.

So in other words, you're delusional.

Seriously I don't foresee myself watching any NBA Basketball this season. It really just seems pointless. The NBA has long been a very predictable sport but at least you go through most of the season with 5 or so teams that you could realistically see winning it all. This year the Heat and Lakers have just put themselves on another level.

May as well just contract half the league and let every team be a super team.

I mean I don't think it's that delusional to bet the natural variability of Basketball (Injuries, Cold Streak, Kobe overcompensating) over a very specific scenario before the season has even started. They're the two most likely teams sure but The Heat almost got knocked off this year, Thunder are only getting better, Spurs gonna Spur etc.

[Maxx]

The Thunder aren't getting that much better, though. Sure, they'll grow as players, but they've added nothing, while the Lakers added one of the best PGs of all time and the best center in the league.