NBA 2012-13 Thread

[Red Devil-Taker316]

I think it was a panic move for a team that needs to work on moving up annually, but they seem to have convinced themselves they can win it all this season.

Also, it seems more apparent from newer reports that it was the owner who wanted Johnson gone and not Deron Williams chasing him out of town. I like this guy, I think he's going to really be a fun owner to watch as his team sputters towards mediocrity every year.

When they traded for Joe Johnson, that's when they believed they had the tools needed to win it. They'll get into the East playoffs, but there is no way they could handle Miami or the Knicks. Hell, I'd say the Indiana and the Hawks would beat them in six or seven (at least if things started within the next week or so). You hit the nail on the head about the owner's reaction to this team bobbing along every year, though. Either he'll be a Russian Steinbrenner or out of the league in five years.

I always got a kick out of players who have this perceived notion of being good, or the key to winning or all of this. Joe Johnson is probably the best example of this. Afterall, the Hawks gave him away for piratically nothing, and they're 19-9.

[Berober]

Not sure if this fits here exactly, but eh...

The NBA has agreed a television deal with Sky Sports that will see the broadcaster screen regular live Sunday night games, plus next week’s London tie between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons.

The regular season clash will be shown on Sky 3D and then continue with up to two games each weekend, plus play-off coverage that includes the Eastern Conference Finals and each game of the NBA Finals in June. The hosts will be Kevin Cadle and Nick Halling.

It will sit a long side the NBA’s existing deal with ESPN which sees them show the All Star Game and the Western Conference Finals.

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “This agreement provides even more live content for our customers to watch at home or on the move. The NBA has a strong fan base in the UK and the sold-out game at the O2 promises to be a great sporting spectacle. We follow NBA London Live 2013 with primetime Sunday night games for the remainder of the regular-season and the drama of the post-season including every game of the NBA Finals.”

Dan Markham, NBA vice president of media distribution and emerging markets, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Sky Sports and make extensive NBA coverage – including Sunday double-headers in primetime – accessible to fans on television and across a range of devices. We look forward to bringing more exciting moments from the NBA season to fans in the UK on Sky Sports.”

~ http://www.mvp247.com/2013/01/sky-sports-agree-nba-deal/

So more basketball for the Brits!

[Lint]

http://deadspin.com/5974567/it-looks-like-the-sacramento-kings-are-headed-to-seattle

Sacramento Kings are relocating to Seattle effective next season

[gunnar hendershow]

This ends the ugly battle over the Kings and gives the victims of the worst franchise hijacking in history a team back. Sacramento are the losers in all this, and they probably won't see a team come back there any time soon, but this is what happens to small-market cities unfortunately.

This is so much better than the Kings going to Anaheim. That was a terrible idea.

[Trey]

Yeah, except they traded Durant/Harden for Cousins/Evans. Fuck Stern for letting the Sonics leave in the first place.

[gunnar hendershow]

Well yeah, that's the Watergate of Stern's time as commissioner. No doubt, Seattle missed out on something really special when they lost the Sonics but at least replacing them with a new team in the midst of rebuilding has the potential of giving them a contender in 3 years time.

[DMN in the House]

I'm happy Seattle is getting a team back, I always liked the Sonics, especially the Payton/Kemp era, but why did it have to be Sacramento... I hate the Kings! Don't want to see them go, though.

Might be a good thing for Golden State, though. Opens up some more fans for them, maybe.

[gunnar hendershow]

That's sort of the thing, aren't people in Sacramento generally Bay Area fans? It's only a few hours away. It always sucks seeing a once-good fanbase lose their team, but that's the life of small-markets. Without regular success it's very hard to fill the arena every night and convince the taxpayers to spend money on you.

[DMN in the House]

Sacramento had a good fan base, they've just been awful. I'm sure if things had gone differently, they'd still be rabid.

[naiwf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y5TgNHnF4RI

A few days late, but that's the front runner for best burn of the 2012-13 NBA season.

[gunnar hendershow]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8847216/san-antonio-spurs-sued-lawyer-resting-top-players

San Antonio is being sued for restgate basically. I've not read the law in question but the attorney does have a bit of a point since people paid potentially to see Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker play, though I personally don't see how the organization is to blame for doing something completely in their rights to do. Plus it is a common fact that you might pay to see a player who gets injured or is sick and can't play the game all the time.

[thatshortguy]

Kudos to Denver and Oklahoma City for a good game last night, in spite of some zebras gorging themselves at the whistle trough. Extra kudos to Russell Westbrook, who continually trolled the Nuggets' mascot by batting away his halfcourt shots during timeouts.

[DMN in the House]

Ok, as the resident Lakers fan, and yes, we suck, but why are they the lead story on every espn show? Gah!

[gunnar hendershow]

Even I stopped telling my friends "It's the Lakers, you know they'll turn it around." I'm the most optimistic-about-the-Lakers-always-winning non-Lakers fan in the world.

You guys should suck for Shabazz.

[phatman]

Yeah keep sucking... They won't get shabazz though as Phoenix gets their #1st Round pick from the Steve Nash trade

[livid]

Yeah keep sucking... They won't get shabazz though as Phoenix gets their #1st Round pick from the Steve Nash trade

I would imagine it's lottery/Top 10/Top 5/Top 3 protected for the foreseeable future.

[Quom]

It isn't. The Cavs get first dibs due to the Sessions trade, they can swap the first round picks they have picked up from Sac (top 13 protected) or Miami (top ten protected) if the Lakers pick is out of the top 14 picks.

But the Sun's have an unprotected pick. So if the Lakers end up with a top 14 pick it will go to the Sun's otherwise they get the Cavs pick (provided the Cavs exercise the option i.e. The Lakers pick is higher).

tl;dr the lakers have no first round pick this draft.

[gunnar hendershow]

I thought it was top 14 protected? Well then they're pretty much screwed. Obviously D'Antoni gets fired but I don't quite know how they turn this around with the current makeup, they've basically missed out on all the big free agents of this generation. Kyrie isn't available for a long time.

[Quom]

I pulled the info from here http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/11/sports/la-sp-ln-lakers-2013-draft-picks-protected-20121210

[phatman]

Yeah quom was spot on with his post and at this stage I'd say the Lakers will struggle to make the playoffs... Tbh I really wouldn't be surprised to see them and Atlanta do a deal... Josh Smith seems to want out, and Dwight is getting frustrated with the offense in Laker land apparently... Atlanta throws in some draft picks and say Jeff Teague and I see the Lakers pulling the trigger... I don't see Mike D'Antoni been fired til at least the end of next season... Mitch Kupchak even came to his defense today and said it wasn't him and more the players efforts or something to that effect...