2007-2008 NBA Thread

[reyrey619]

Won't get them past Detroit or Boston. Bad deal, to be honest.

[OGpistolpete]

Even if the trade doesn't work out, it's nice to see a Cleveland team actually take a chance and trade around.

[VerbalPuke]

It's not a bad move for the Cavs, but I can't see Delonte West or Wally (I'm not attempting that last name) pushing them over the top. Ben? Forget about it, his defense isn't at the level it used to be and his presence on offense makes it a five on four match up (and for the love of god, just hope he doesn't get to the line).

And Detroit made a minor deal to send Primoz Brezec to the Raptors for Juan Dixon. Nothing major, but I'm reading it's possible that we cut Flip Murray and see what kind of big man we can acquire through waivers. I'm hearing Dale Davis, which is pretty meh to me, we need the front court help, but the Dale Davis was marginal when he was here, and he's now even older than before.

[livid]

I think it's a good trade for the Cavs for a few reasons....

1. Larry Hughes is gone. Hughes is a good second scoring option that's a PG/SG tweener who should really just stay as a SG. He was fairly bad at the point for them but they continued to believe that he could handle it, when it was fairly evident he couldn't. He would have a stretch or two with good games at PG but never consistent enough to be their starter at PG. And add the fact that he has a fairly large and undeserving contract, getting him out of town was a great move. Especially when you get a guy like Delonte West, who while in the same mold as Hughes (a tweener), is better at running an offense, which is what Cleveland needed.

2. The addition of Ben Wallace. Sure, he's not as good as he used to be, but team him up with Big Z, Varejao and Joe Smith and you have 4 solid big men, all of whom who can play defense, something that Drew Gooden couldn't do.

3. Wally's in town. The guy is (almost) lights out from beyond the arc and he's a good offensive threat that will get a ton of kickouts when LeBron's going to the hoop (like thug said. He's an upgrade over Marshall, that's for sure.

4. They didn't go after "superstars" like the teams in the West did, but they went after solid, above average players who can play key roles on the team. With that, I also think that the trade gave them more depth than they did before (especially front court) and come playoff time, depth is key. Their depth is why I think they can topple Boston and/or Detroit.

And like SKA said, even if this doesn't work, at least Ferry's proving to LeBron that he's trying to put the talent around him to win a championship, something I don't think LeBron was sure of. And that's key when it comes time for LeBron to hit Free Agency.

[NobBe Nobbs]

And Detroit made a minor deal to send Primoz Brezec to the Raptors for Juan Dixon. Nothing major, but I'm reading it's possible that we cut Flip Murray and see what kind of big man we can acquire through waivers. I'm hearing Dale Davis, which is pretty meh to me, we need the front court help, but the Dale Davis was marginal when he was here, and he's now even older than before.

Edited February 22, 2008 by De

[Trey]

I watched the first game with Hughes/Gooden and I have to say that as a Bulls fan, I'm a lot more excited then I thought I would be. I heard bad things about Gooden and horrible things about Hughes, but they both came in and played very good basketball, especially since they only had a walkthrough with the team, no practice.

The announcers kept saying that Hughes and Gooden would benefit from the Bulls style of offense (aka, not having LeBron/Big Z to take the majority of their shots) but I'm just really glad to see that the Bulls isn't just giving up on the playoffs.

[OGpistolpete]

The new Cavs played pretty good, and I don't care if they were just playing the Grizzlies. That allie-opp with LeBron and West was sick.

[Trey]

It was a great trade for both teams. Wallace needs to be carried on the offensive end and with the Bulls, he was so unmotivated it wasn't funny. It appears that for the Bulls and Cavs, both teams got exactly what they needed and I really can't see a major downside for either.

[EWRFan]

It was a great trade for Cleveland. I think that they really had a plan here.

First of all, Wally is a big 3 point threat who will get a lot of open looks if LeBron keeps getting double teamed. Now the Cavs have about 4 guys that are legit 3 point threats. If teams dont adapt, they will get burned. And if they adapt, it means less men to guard LeBron, which is still a good thing. Cavs fans, who do you prefer getting those kickouts from LeBron, Wally World or Hughes? Or Marshall? My money is on Wally.

Delonte knows how to run an offense, which is an improvement. I am a big fan of Boobie Gibson, but at this stage he is better off as an offensive weapon than as a playmaker.

Joe Smith is like an older Gooden, capable of getting double doubles in points and rebounds if he gets enough minutes, he is also a solid low post player and wont suffer the same "Doh" moments that Gooden had.

And using Ben as a power foward? That improves the defense drastically and there is also another benefit, something that plays to Ben's few offensive strengths. If teams are double teaming Z or Lebron, Ben will dunk on their heads. Just ask Memphis......

So this might not be an earth-shaking trade, but it did what a trade is suppose to do: Improve the team.

[JStarr]

Yeah, Houston's got a problem.

HOUSTON -- All-Star center Yao Ming is out for the season with a stress fracture in his left foot, a stunning blow to the surging Houston Rockets.

General manager Daryl Morey made the announcement Tuesday, hours before the Rockets put their 12-game winning streak on the line against the Washington Wizards.

Yao was having a terrific season, averaging 22 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

"It is not an injury we feel he can play with," Rockets team doctor Tom Clanton said. "I've made the recommendation that it be treated surgically and we are working with him to get other opinions just to be certain that that is indeed what should be done."

"This is unbelievable," Rockets owner Les Alexander told KRIV-TV in Houston. "This is the most heart-breaking. This is the worst I've felt."

If Yao chooses surgery, Clanton said, it would involve placing screws across the bone to hold it together. The second option would be to treat it with a cast and crutches. Both options involve a healing time of about four months.

Clanton would not say when Yao could play again, but said he doesn't expect the center to miss the Beijing Olympics in August.

Morey told the team before Tuesday's shootaround, and added he doesn't believe the injury compromises Houston's playoff hopes. The Rockets were 36-20 entering Tuesday's game.

"We've been playing exceptional ball and Yao's been a huge part of that," Morey said. "We feel very confident about our playoff push. We've managed to step up and play well without Yao in the past and coaches and players feel confident that we're going to continue to play well and make the playoffs this year."

Morey acknowledged that it was difficult news to receive when the team has been playing so well.

"It's a pretty big swing from a high to a low, with how we were playing," Morey said. "We feel like our supporting cast is superior to when we played without Yao in the past. We remain ready for the challenge ahead."

Clanton said there was no specific event that led to the injury, but rather an "accumulation of stresses on the bone. Yao first experienced soreness and pain in his ankle before the All-Star game and tests were done Monday when the situation didn't seem to be improving.

This is Yao's fourth major injury in the last two years. He missed 32 games last season with a fracture in his right leg and 21 games in late 2006 with a toe infection that required surgery. He missed four games in April 2006 after breaking his foot.

Houston went 20-12 when Yao was injured last season.

The Rockets, who remain in seventh place in the tough Western Conference despite their winning streak, will now have to rely heavily on 41-year-old Dikembe Mutombo. The 17-year veteran has been averaging just eight minutes per game.

While it took more than two weeks to discover Yao's injury, Clanton said it sometimes takes months to diagnose. "This is something that can be treated," he said. "We are catching this at a very early stage."

Clanton informed Yao of the extent of his injury, and said the player was worried whether he'd be healthy in time for the Olympics.

"I told him this was not anything he could have personally prevented," Clanton said. "I think that reflects on the character of the young man. He was very interested in the team and how it would affect the team."

Alexander said he is hoping that the Rockets roster will rally together, even without Yao.

"This is the best we've played since the championship era," Alexander told KRIV-TV. "Yao was an integral part of that."

"We have great players and hopefully they can support what Yao gave us and go deep into the playoffs."

Yeah, good luck on T-Mac even carrying the team into the playoffs at all when he's got old man Mutombo to pick up inside. Not in THAT conference. Seriously, a .600 record will have someone playing golf. The East is gonna have at least two losing teams. If Houston is gonna get into the playoffs, McGrady will have to be Jordan, Magic, and Jesus Christ all rolled into one.

[thuganomic]

As a Rockets fan, this is terrible. I just pray Yao makes it back for the Olympics and does well, or else there's gonna be a billion angry people in China.

It's a shame though, as they were finally beginning to click. I hope Yao has a speedy recovery and this doesn't become a chronic problem. But with 2 season-ending injuries in his short career, it's not looking good.

[gunnar hendershow]

Houston was finally looking like a team that could win it all this year. Well not anymore.

[buck...]

Yao may turn into a bill walton. A great player who get screwed over by stress fractures. On the bright side the ass whipping the piston put on the Suns the other day made me smile. Detroit has a very good team, but all im calling is Celtics vs Pistons in east as everyone says.

[DMN in the House]

So, I've been holding off on saying this because I was waiting for the bottom to fall out, but I don't think its going to. I think they're here to stay.

HOW 'BOUT THEM LAKERS?

[thuganomic]

If this isn't the MVP season for Kobe, I don't know what is. With all due respect to Lebron, Kobe is the odds on favorite.

[DMN in the House]

Whats funny is people are now pimping LeBron because Kobe actually has a better supporting cast now. Kobe should have been MVP one of the last two years, to be honest. I wouldn't be suprised to see LeBron get it because he dosen't have as good a team around him, has better stats (at least in terms of PPG, and probably rebounds. I'm too lazy to check). I'll be pissed though. There's a very pronounced anti-Kobe bias sometimes, although its more prevelant among fans. I don't know how anyone can watch him play and not say he's the best all-around player in the NBA right now.

I think this team could win the championship this year, and thats WITHOUT Andrew Bynum. With Bynum healthy, and playing at least as well as he did before he went down (which admittedly, is more likely to happen next year), this is a scary, scary, team, and its young, too.

[thuganomic]

Kobe's not only the best all-around player in the NBA, he's probably the best player I've ever seen in the NBA (93 onward). I mean, he's definitely on par with Jordan. Again, not a fair comparison since Jordan was not as explosive in the last Bulls run. But still, I'd put Kobe up against Jordan the way he's playing this season. He can score 40+ every night, but he doesn't. And not because he lacks the killer instinct, but because now he can get his teammates involved as well. He's a way better defender than Lebron, not to mention how clutch he is.

Needless to say, I'm almost glad Yao's out so I can fully root for the Lakers for the playoffs. >_>

[DMN in the House]

LOL.

I'm not sure he's the best player I've ever seen, because I saw Magic, admittedly, when I was really young. I'm firmly in the 'Jordan was NOT the best ever' camp, but Kobe is the closest thing to Jordan since Jordan.

[JStarr]

LOL.

I'm not sure he's the best player I've ever seen, because I saw Magic, admittedly, when I was really young. I'm firmly in the 'Jordan was NOT the best ever' camp, but Kobe is the closest thing to Jordan since Jordan.

This is an excellent point. As soon as Kobe lines up at center in the Finals and drops a trip-dub (or close to it) to win the Lakers a title, then I'll call him the best I ever saw. I was only two when that game happened, but still. Magic just kept growing from there.

As for this year, yeah, I'm only worried about the Lakers being done in by playoff inexperience. Kobe and Fish are the only guys who've played a lot of postseason ball, aren't they?

[naiwf]

Pau has 12 straight losses in the playoffs