The NBA

[xaxat]

Did the Sixers win?

YES!!!

I'm oddly conflicted about this.

[ebk57]

So how about Les Boulez!!! (Yes, I know they're the Wiz now, but I'm old...)  I think they're trying to sweep the series because if it goes 6 games, they may be playing along with Lady Gaga that night.  The folks in charge of scheduling never thought the team would still be playing.

 

 

And really, neither did anyone else.

[Ohwell]

I'm old, too.  I remember Les Boulez, aka Wizards ( I always want to call them the Wizzes and I imagine them taking their pants down and taking a wiz).  I can't believe they made it to the second round and beat the Pacers at home.  I've heard that they're actually favored to win this series, too, but I'm too much in a state of shock to fully comprehend that because they have sucked so bad for so long. 

[DrSpaceman]

Washington has a great chance at winning. Pacers are still in turmoil despite escaping the Hawks. Same problems here as all of last series : poor guard play, poor rebounding, Hibbert is nonexistent, stupid turnovers, no 3 point D. Beal just killed them, I assume George will take over guarding him next game. But he can't guard everyone himself.

Wizards are playing very well. I hope the Pacers win but if its Wash, I just hope they can give the Heat a good series, assuming they beat Brooklyn.

[xaxat]

One billion dollars [/Dr. Evil voice] Right now the league has got to be pretty satisfied with where they are at. The Sterlings are apparently on their way out, they got a huge bid (from someone that has already been vetted) for the Clippers and the owners don't have to go on the record with a vote stripping one of their members of his franchise.

[Ohwell]

But I do wonder if Mrs. Sterling is right, that her husband does have dementia.  'Cause I can't imagine any other reason he'd want to sue the NFL for one billion when he's going to make more than that from the sale of the team. 

[FuriousStyles]

There is no legit reason why Sterling would sue the NBA. He's doing it simply because he can and he's pissed at everything that has happened.

Frankly I cant wait for both him and Shelly to go away. She knew damn well Sterling was racist. You cant be married to someone for over 50 years and not know, plus she was actively involved in his schemes to disenfranchise minority tenants years ago.

Im so excited the finals are finally here. I really have no idea who will win or even who I'll root for. Ive had a healthy hatred for the Spurs for over a decade, and although I like Lebron and I rooted for Miami last year im kind of done seeing them dominate. I think when the first game starts ill know.

I did love Tim Duncan's little soundbite about how they will win it all this time. Either way this goes, its going to be a battle.

[xaxat]

The best part about the lack of air conditioning for game one? Sage Steele was glowing tonight.

 

What a gorgeous woman.

[FuriousStyles]

Loved Mike Greenburg saying based on how much the lack of AC affected Lebron there is no way there will be any AC for Sunday night's game.

[xaxat]

I don't care if they were temporary tattoos, that Mini Me Birdman with the sleeve and neck tats was just wrong.

 

And surprise! Donald Sterling did not disappoint.

 

ETA, is there anyone else out there that suspects Sterling's new stance is the result of his lawyers convincing a possibly mentally incompetent man to continue the fight so they can rack up more billable hours?

Edited June 11, 2014 by xaxat

[Ohwell]

ETA, is there anyone else out there that suspects Sterling's new stance is the result of his lawyers convincing a possibly mentally incompetent man to continue the fight so they can rack up more billable hours?

That is exactly what I said to my friend yesterday.

[Fukui San]

If you're rich as hell, crazy as hell, old as hell, and angry as hell, why the hell not?

[Ohwell]

Oh, if I were Sterling's lawyer, I'd ride that gravy train until the wheels came off.

Edited June 13, 2014 by Ohwell

[Magog]

Is there anyway possible that somebody from the Heat other than LeBron will actually show up Sunday Night? They were absolutely terrible in Games 3 & 4. 

 

And now I have to put up with ESPN this week telling us that Carmelo might come to the Heat in the offseason. As if I need any reason to root against them. I'm surprised that Kevin Love or Lance Stephenson hasn't thought about piggy-backing with LeBron & the Heat to get themselves a ring. 

[Ohwell]

I don't want Lance Stephenson to go to the Heat.  I always want him to be their opponent as long as Lebron is with the Heat, because I thought that blowing in his ear thing was hilarious.  I loved the look in both their eyes when Stephenson did that.  They should consider doing a buddy reality show after they retire. 

[FuriousStyles]

Lance Stephenson would make me loathe the Heat and would make him almost as big a hypocrite as Kevin Garnett. The only other team I wouldnt want him on is Knicks. We've had enough jackasses to last a generation.

Speaking of the Knicks. Im cautiously optimistic that Melo will stay, at least one more year. He would be wise to wait until Lebron and some others go into free agency.

[Ohwell]

I think the Spurs proved tonight that, sometimes, revenge really is a dish best served hot.  BURRRNNNN!

[Jx223]

Congratulations to San Antonio and their fans. I don't care for the team, but they really were the best team in the NBA this season and they played very well. I am happy that Kawhi Leonard, won the Finals MVP award. I like him and I think that he deserved that.

 

Now I think that they will be hearing a lot of speculation/conversation over the next few days about what the Heat should do in the offseason. They definitely need help, they need to do something about their bench. Plus Dwayne Wade has been really wobbly and has looked off balance in this series. He missed a ton of shots in this series, and I think that really had a big effect on the Heat. I wonder what is going to end up happening with him and the Heat team.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Jx223

[truthaboutluv]

That was a masterclass performance by the Spurs. They just simply outplayed the Heat in every way possible during this series. What amazed me about the Spurs was the offense and how in sync the players just seemed to be with each other which made their passes and transitions often so seamless. It's like they just always seemed to know exactly where each player was and what they were thinking. 

[DrSpaceman]

Glad the Spurs won.  That wasn't even a series.  Spurs are completely balanced and peaked at the right time

 

I have no idea what this means for the heat.  Allen is likely retiring.  Wade is on the decline.  They have to bring in someone to keep James and convince him they can still win a title.  Wouldn't surprise me if Carmelo joined them.  They have a ton of cap space, but that depends too on what Wade/Bosh/James do. 

 

I would be surprised if Lance Stephenson went to the Heat.  I don't care if he leaves the Pacers.  They don't really have the money he will command and plus he is a liability, needs to grow up and control his emotions. 

 

So Lebron is still stuck at 2.  Handpicked his team and still could not get a threepeat

[Jx223]

Lebron decided to opt out of his contract today. It's being reported that he did it this early to give different teams, (including the Heat) to make pitches for him.

 

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/11127329/lebron-james-opt-contract-miami-heat

 

Carmelo Anthony has also decided to opt out of his contract.

 

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/11123223/carmelo-anthony-opts-deal-new-york-knicks

 

I wonder where Lebron and Carmelo will end up, and if they may end up together. I think that the best situation for Carmelo would be to go to the Bulls. I think that Carmelo could fit in well with the Bulls, they are great defensively and they could use his help offensively. I think that especially with a healthy Derrick Rose, the Bulls could really be a legitimate contender. Some other teams, I've read that are interested in Carmelo, are Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

 

I'm not sure where Lebron will end up, but his decision today definitely makes things interesting. I also think his decision might could affect some of the moves that teams make on draft night on Thursday. I could see some teams making some moves during the draft to see if they can lure him to their team.

 

I think that it's going to be an interesting offseason in the NBA, and I am interested in seeing how things work out with Lebron, Carmelo and also Kevin Love.

[xaxat]

Grantland has a really interesting short documentary on Sacramento's outsourcing of some of their draft analytics to a group of volunteers ranging from hedge fund guys to college students.

 

At first, I thought it was a joke, but after watching it makes more sense. It's also funny to see an old school Chris Mullin listen to a bunch of quants. 

[Jx223]

I enjoyed the draft tonight. I think that it is indeed a deep and talented draft, and I think that a lot of the teams tonight got really good players. I'm not surprised about the top three men that were drafted, I thought they all were great choices. I hope that Joel Embid gets healthy and that things work out for him and Philly. I also thought that Julius Randle may have been a steal for the Lakers and that Shabazz Napier going to the Heat was interesting. Maybe that might help Lebron stay in Miami now, especially since he treated that Napier was his favorite player in the draft.

 

Also I thought it was very touching of Adam Silver and the NBA to "draft" Isaiah Austin. I thought that was a very classy thing for Adam and the League to do.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing how things work out for this very talented draft class.

[xaxat]

I'm looking forward to seeing how things work out for this very talented draft class.

 

As a Sixers fan, so am I. Unfortunately I will have to wait until 2016 to find out. As someone firmly on Team Tank, I understand the strategy, but it is really tough watching the team repeatedly draft dudes that won't be able to contribute to the team for next season.

[Rum Punch]

As a Sixers fan, so am I. Unfortunately I will have to wait until 2016 to find out. As someone firmly on Team Tank, I understand the strategy, but it is really tough watching the team repeatedly draft dudes that won't be able to contribute to the team for next season.

Some action must be taken to eliminate the incentive to lose. I have been an NBA fan since 1969, but if there is one thing that would cause me to lose interest in the league it is tanking. It has gotten to the point where if you are not one of the three or four teams with a real chance at the championship, the goal is to lose often enough and long enough to stockpile a bunch of high draft picks so that sometime in the future you could have a shot. That's more than 80% of the teams that are not really trying to win. The competition is no longer legitimate. And the worst part is, now the fans are getting on board, actively rooting for their own teams to lose. It's sickening. Given the way the rules are set up I can't really blame them, but that is why the rules have to change.

 

For most of the history of the league, the biggest fear was a gambling scandal, causing the fans to lose faith in the integrity of the competition. Well, now it is the teams themselves that are fixing games, and I am losing faith.

[KerleyQ]

Hats off to the NBA for trying to keep the off season entertaining.  The entire Miami roster opts out, Jason Kidd loses his freaking mind (and the Bucks decide to go along for the ride)... It's certainly not boring.  

 

My cynical side is giving a huge old side eye to the whole Miami situation, though.  I called it when LeBron first opted out - the others would follow, not because they intend to play anywhere else, but because Riley has promised to restructure their contracts in such a way that they will still, in the end, get their money.  Wade, especially.  He already has three rings.  I don't buy for a second that he's thirsty enough for a fourth that he'd walk away from $40 million.  He's going to get it one way or another, with Riley likely treading into some Joe Smith like waters to get it done.  If Wade was Karl Malone - approaching the end of his career with no ring to show for it, I believe he'd play for a nickel to get a really good shot at a ring, but I don't buy it now.  And one of the rumors I saw also had LeBron essentially telling the other three "I want a max deal, and I want some more help, so you guys need to take less."  There are no words for that if it's true. 

 

Meanwhile, the Knicks are looking at Amare "have you noticed that opting out is the new in thing in the league? All the cool kids are doing it!" 

[xaxat]

The Kidd story is crazy. My favorite piece of reporting on this cluster is Wojnarowski's line "The Russians are done with Kidd," It makes it sound like Prokorov is going to summon Kidd to some waterfront auto body shop in Queens to never return. 

 

Kidd's pissed that the Nets decided to not give him, a guy with no experience, a history of domestic violence and coming off a DUI, a huge contract? And the Nets have the balls to ask for draft compensation for a guy that they will fire if he doesn't get the Bucks job?

 

ETA, the Bucks are apparently only offering a second round pick and are ready to move on if that doesn't make the deal. I will laugh my ass off if Kidd gets frozen out after this power play.

Edited June 30, 2014 by xaxat

[KerleyQ]

ETA, the Bucks are apparently only offering a second round pick and are ready to move on if that doesn't make the deal. I will laugh my ass off if Kidd gets frozen out after this power play.

 

Just imagine the hilarity if he, after all of this, ends up as the Lakers' coach somehow. 

[Jx223]

 

 

My cynical side is giving a huge old side eye to the whole Miami situation, though.  I called it when LeBron first opted out - the others would follow, not because they intend to play anywhere else, but because Riley has promised to restructure their contracts in such a way that they will still, in the end, get their money.  Wade, especially.  He already has three rings.  I don't buy for a second that he's thirsty enough for a fourth that he'd walk away from $40 million.  He's going to get it one way or another, with Riley likely treading into some Joe Smith like waters to get it done...And one of the rumors I saw also had LeBron essentially telling the other three "I want a max deal, and I want some more help, so you guys need to take less."  There are no words for that if it's true. 

 

 

 

I had saw today that it was reported that Lebron wants a max deal. I am definitely interested in seeing how things play out. I don' t really think that Dwayne Wade wants to walk away from that much money either. If I were him I wouldn't have opted out. I think that he wants to stay in Miami for the rest of his career. I don't think he wants to go to another team and I don't think that many teams would really try and get him, because of his injuries ,that keep flaring up and affecting how he plays. Maybe he will somehow still get his money.

 

The Kidd story is crazy. My favorite piece of reporting on this cluster is Wojnarowski's line "The Russians are done with Kidd," It makes it sound like Prokorov is going to summon Kidd to some waterfront auto body shop in Queens to never return. 

 

Kidd's pissed that the Nets decided to not give him, a guy with no experience, a history of domestic violence and coming off a DUI, a huge contract? And the Nets have the balls to ask for draft compensation for a guy that they will fire if he doesn't get the Bucks job?

 

ETA, the Bucks are apparently only offering a second round pick and are ready to move on if that doesn't make the deal. I will laugh my ass off if Kidd gets frozen out after this power play.

 

It looks like Jason Kidd did get his way and will now be the new head coach for the Bucks.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11155852/milwaukee-bucks-brooklyn-nets-agree-deal-jason-kidd

 

I definitely don't like the way that he acted in this whole ordeal. Poor Larry Drew, he definitely didn't deserved to get fired like he did for Kidd. I think that Larry is a solid coach and hopefully will land on his feet somewhere. I think that one big reason Jason is behaving like this is because he saw the contracts that Steve Kerr, and Derek Fisher got and he was mad that he didn't get paid as much as they did. I don't think he's ready to try and have as much control over a basketball organization as he wants. I thought he looked pretty lost throughout the first half of this past season as a head coach with the Brooklyn Nets. I honestly think he just ran into a bit of good fortune, when they improved the way they did during the second half of the season.  

 

I don't know that he will really do a whole lot for Milwaukee, they are at the very bottom right now. I think that Jabari can help them out some, but I think they may have a way to go before they improve a whole lot.

 

I wonder who will be the coach of the Nets now, one rumor I heard was that they are possibly considering Lionel Hollins as a head coach. I think it would be nice if he could get to coach again in the NBA.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Jx223

[KerleyQ]

I think that one big reason Jason is behaving like this is because he saw the contracts that Steve Kerr, and Derek Fisher got and he was mad that he didn't get paid as much as they did.

 

Yep.  I've seen a few different places that this was a big part of it.  And he really didn't particularly want to end up in Milwaukee, he just used them to try to pressure Brooklyn into giving him more (cash and responsibility), but Brooklyn called his bluff and let him go. 

 

The Bucks are most likely going to be a train wreck.  I feel sorry for Jabari. 

[xaxat]

Kidd's move to the Bucks feels like a big time Plan B (or Z) after his failed coup. I have a hard time believing Kidd really thinks going from the New York market where he had his greatest success and is working for the most free spending owner ever to an awful Milwaukee team is a good idea. 

 

In addition to feeling bad for Jabari, I also feel bad for Bucks' fans. It sounds like the owner was willing to fuck over both his GM and coach in order to do Kidd a favor. That would not give me any confidence in the organization. 

 

I not really into the idea of "loyalty" in sports, but Kidd really should feel grateful to the Nets. I don't think any other franchise would have hired an inexperienced ex-player with a history of domestic violence and who got drunk and smashed his car into a tree a year earlier.

 

This will not end well for the Bucks.  

 

ETA, Donald Sterling Gets a Second Opinion, Has Been Declared Mentally Stable

Edited July 1, 2014 by xaxat

[KerleyQ]

I forgot to add that it seems really shitty how this went down with regard to Larry Drew.  Nothing like watching all of this play out for two days and then getting called in to be fired.  

[Magog]

Well, congrats to the Spurs for basically kicking the Miami Heat's butt. I know that the folks on ESPN (except for Skip Bayless) were very shocked by that beatdown.

 

 As for the free agency period, I'm very certain that LeBron is not going back to Cleveland & I will absolutely shocked if it does happen. They been talking about this since the end of last season & not once have I ever thought of him ever playing for the Cavaliers ever again.

 

Overall, I'm already burnout by ESPN's constant coverage of LeBron's free agency. I think they're hoping that he stays in Miami. I know that Stephen A Smith was 100% certain that LeBron is staying in South Beach. Besides, I know that on Tuesday, he was not happy about the prospect of covering NBA games in Cleveland instead of South Beach if LeBron goes back to the Cavs. I'm really starting to think that Stephen A Smith has 3 NBA teams that he roots for. Miami Heat, NY Knicks, & the LA Lakers. He definintely has a soft spot for these 3 teams.

 

Speaking of Stephen A Smith, has he ever shown any disgust & anger about how James Dolan runs the Knicks as he always does to Jim Buss (owner of the Lakers)? Its like he has a vendetta against Jim Buss & always speaks ill will towards him.

 

As for Carmelo, if he "really" want to win a championship so badly, how come he hasn't given the Spurs, Thunder, or the Clippers (with Doc Rivers as their coach) a phone call? Its not like whichever team he chooses to play for next season (Knicks, Lakers, Bulls, or Rockets) are going to be winning it all in the next several seasons.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Magog

[Ohwell]

Arrrggghhhh!  Chris Broussard is on right now.  I hate his voice.  Haaaaaate!  If I hear him say "Lubraaaan" one more time. 

[Jx223]

It has just been announced that Lebron is returning to Cleveland. There is an essay from him posted about his return to this team at SI.com.

 

http://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers

 

I am surprised that he decided to go back to Cleveland. What do you guys think about this?

 

I wonder what will happen to some of the free agents now. I think that Bosh is definitely going to Houston now. I'm not sure where Carmelo is going. Maybe he will go to Houston as well or Chicago. I wonder what will become of the Heat now and who will go to this team.

Edited July 11, 2014 by Jx223

[Magog]

I'm absolutely shocked by this. I was so certain that he was not going back to Cleveland. Right now, I'm shellshocked.

 

I can't imagine how Stephen A Smith is feeling about this right now. He has to be sick to his stomach that he will no longer be going to South Beach (Miami) to cover big NBA games for a long while & that the Miami Heat that he rooted & shilled for the past 4 seasons is now an afterthought. I hope that somebody is giving him a hug right now.

Edited July 11, 2014 by Magog

[Jx223]

I'm absolutely shocked by this. I was so certain that he was not going back to Cleveland. Right now, I'm shellshocked.

 

I can't imagine how Stephen A Smith is feeling about this right now. He has to be sick to his stomach that he will no longer be going to South Beach (Miami) to cover big NBA games for a long while & that the Miami Heat that he rooted & shilled for the past 4 seasons is now an afterthought. I hope that somebody is giving him a hug right now.

 

I didn't think that he was going back to Cleveland either, Magog. I remember when it was announced that Cleveland was one of his options thinking that he needed to be careful and try and not and lead the Cleveland fans on. And I remember more people being excited about him going back to Cleveland, including bets being made in Vegas, with Cleveland being labeled as the favorite to get him. But I had thought that people were just getting really excited, and that this wasn't going to happen. But it looks like that he misses his home, and the city/fans and that's where he wants to be. I do remember someone I think Brian (Windhorst), saying that they thought that Lebron would end back up in Cleveland, but that it wouldn't be right away and down the line.

 

I think that this his decision makes everything very interesting. I could definitely see Cleveland being a top contender out of the East, with Lebron, Kyrie and possibly Andrew Wiggins and possibly making it out of the East next year. (Especially also considering that the East is pretty weak in general) I could at least see them playing in the Eastern Conference Finals next year.

 

I think that Miami is not in the best shape right now. They do now have a lot of cap space, but I don't know who they are really going to attract to play there now, that Lebron is leaving. If he were staying, I think they would have a better chance of getting good players, but now I don't really know what's going to happen with them. I could definitely see them struggling next year, with Lebron leaving, and a good chance of Bosh leaving too.  I think that Dwayne Wade is definitely in a rough spot. He opted out of all that money and now it's a good chance that two of the big three will be leaving.  Plus his injuries are really affecting him, and he's declining as a player. 

 

I think the situation with the Heat right now and his injuries isn't really promising for Dwayne Wade. At least he does have three championships with them. I do think he will end up retiring a Heat player.

Edited July 11, 2014 by Jx223

[Demented Daisy]

Well, this didn't take long -- Heat mural defaced after LeBron decision.

[xaxat]

For me, the only bad thing about this deal is that Dan Gilbert comes out a winner. 

[Jx223]

According to Yahoo! Sports league sources are reporting that Chris Bosh has signed a 5 year/118 million deal to stay in Miami.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--chris-bosh-agrees-to--118-million-deal-to-remain-with-heat-215603632.html

 

I had thought that with the news of Lebron leaving, that he probably would have went to Houston. If this report is true, I wonder how things will play out now for Miami.

 

I could see Jeremy Lin being mad about this, considering that the Rockets just traded him to the Lakers to clear cap space for Bosh (and Chandler Parsons.) I definitely think that the Rockets are upset as well, because they also traded away a first round draft pick to try and get Bosh. I think that the Rockets really thought that Bosh was going to join their team.

Edited July 11, 2014 by Jx223

[roamyn]

As a lifelong Cleveland sports fan (even tho economics forced us to move elsewhere), I'd like to try to explain our POV on The Decision 2010, and how yesterday's news affects our emotions....and why we were so sure he was "coming home".

Yes, I hated Lebron for a long time. I never wanted him back. It wasn't that he left. Sports figures do that all the time. It was the whole spectacle. How he didn't have the guts to tell management until 10 mins before during a commercial. How he promised the fans a championship (tho I guess the Force's two MISL championships don't count) for the 1st time since 1964, and then blew us off.

He's no Art -assholes- Modell, but he wasn't a Jim Thome, either.

Savannah James was a major factor. The boys are in school, they're having a little girl in the fall. It's a well known fact that she wanted to have him closer to home except when he's on the road. She is very close to her family.

He is still a major presence in Akron during the off-season. And he's always said he wanted to finish his career in Cleveland.

His letter (tho semi ghost written), went a long way to help mend those wounds. It was very humbling and apologetic to the fans. While I now am happy for Cleveland - esp w/the RNC news earlier in the week, I am still a little ambivalent abt his return. We'll see when/if we get our championship.

It's been a great week for Cleveland!

[Ohwell]

I don't care where LeBron went, I just hope that the rest of the summer sports news isn't 24/7 about him.  I don't know him, but I'm sick of him.  (And Melo too.)

[BestestAuntEver]

I don't care where LeBron went, I just hope that the rest of the summer sports news isn't 24/7 about him

This is basically what I came to say. The amount of coverage is rediculously insane. They had pundits via phone, tweets, skype, etc with nothing new to say.

[Demented Daisy]

In total agreement -- ESPN just called this the "biggest sports story in the universe right now".  Ugh.  I think a large portion of the world's population would disagree with that piece of hyperbole.

[Ohwell]

I think a large portion of the world's population would disagree with that piece of hyperbole.

I'd say about 75% of the population is waiting for the WC final and does not give a rat's ass about LeBron James.    In fact, I'm not sure how many people outside of Ohio care, except for the sports writers.

[Chrissytd]

In other basketball news, Pau Gasol is signing with the Bulls.

[roamyn]

Well, as transplanted Illini - sad face- I care.

As do my siblings in KY & IN. And I'm sure we're not the only Ohioans & Cleveland's that live elsewhere & cares.

BTW - to the young maninterviewed on Sportscenter:

This is NOT the biggest news in the history of Cleveland sports.

1964, 1948, and 1920 was even bigger. What w/the death of Ray Chapman & the pennant race w/the Black Sox. Get off your tweets & learn ur local history you ass1

Edited July 13, 2014 by roamyn

[benteen]

I have to admit loving the fact that SI and not ESPN got to publish the letter.  I'm sure that has to stick in ESPN's craw...that and giving credit to SI for breaking the story.  ESPN usually just ignores who broke the story first.

[xaxat]

Man, it looks like Swaggy Freakin' P is going to be the second best player on the Lakers.

[benteen]

Man, it looks like Swaggy Freakin' P is going to be the second best player on the Lakers.

 

That's what happens when you overpay to keep an aging Kobe Bryant around.  He did them no favors with that contract last year.  Once he's off the books, I think the Lakers will have a somewhat better time signing free agents.