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The REAL February NBA Thread - Accept No Substitute

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The Raptors should have made at least one deal today. We're going to lose Donyell, and we couldn't get at least one prospect for him? It's bad enough that we wasted our pick in this year's great draft (look at the Celtics' picks) but now....he's just going to go after this pointless season.
 
Nice little run by the Mavs.

And would someone please tell Bradley that when he wears a uniform and is on the court, that means he has to play basketball.
 
AirBrian said:
And would someone please tell Bradley that when he wears a uniform and is on the court, that means he has to play basketball.
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:lol :lol :lol



in other news:
This email is to inform you that the following items
on your order have shipped.

Qty Description (Size/Color)
1 Bulls Gordon #7 Black Reebok Replica Jersey
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HOLLA
 
LMAO@Bradley. can't even catch a goddamn pass.


well, the kings choke the game away. good thing they don't do this too often.
 
I posted that Art of War video a few days ago, but like with everyone of my posts, it got ignored. :-(

Great video though. The music really sets the mood.
 
DNA10102250212.jpeg
 
I get my net disconnected for a few weeks and all kinds of crazy shit has been happening in the NBA...

C Webb traded for trash? Are the kings insane?!

I'm also saddened that Rose is leaving the Spurs. Damn... Popovich has been trying to move the guy for eons though.
 
HA HA HA.

Holy crap, Philly never gets deals like this. Not just basketball, but any sport. Normally it's our very own GM's having the brainfart leading to lop-sided trades. We end up ditching all but one atrocious contract (I liked Kenny though, McKie is the one contract we still have), telling that selfish punk Big Dog to get the hell out, keeping the nucleus of Igoudala, Korver and Dalembert plus add a all-star PF (albeit a bit overpriced, but hey everything can't go perfect) along with a quality veteran who can come off the bench and hit 3's.

I've been enjoying the team this year despite knowing they're barely better then .500 but now I'm full tilt. Already bought a 3-game plan for my friend and I for mid-March/April.

Oh and here's my first photoshop for GAF to commemorate the event
Highway_Robbery.jpg
 
After their latest brilliant move, the Knick's payroll is now a whopping $104,239,993. Yet despite spending nearly twice the salary cap, they're last place in the worst division in the NBA.

Seeing as Isiah Thomas is such a genius, Maybe he can take Brian Grant off the Lakers hands. :D He has all of the qualities the Knicks are looking for. He was a better than average player, who is way past his prime, and he has the prerequisite ginormous contract. Come on Isiah, you know you want him. :)
 
Isiah Thomas is, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst executive in the NBA today. The fact that he's running the Knicks makes my heart glow with glee. :D

back022505.gif


:lol
 
loxy said:
Brad Miller is a classless thug. I'm going to love watching the Queens go down in flames this year. Please let it be.
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whiney bitch? yes. classless thug? no.

He plays a bit hard sometimes on fouls etc but he is no where near the realm of things like malones elbows etc.
 
scola said:
whiney bitch? yes. classless thug? no.

He plays a bit hard sometimes on fouls etc but he is no where near the realm of things like malones elbows etc.
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Miller is too emotional, and he makes too many mistakes because of it. Not running back on plays because he needs to yell at the refs, stupid retaliation fouls when he thinks he was fouled, trying to do too much after making a mistake, and al lthe dumb technicals. He has skill, but he is a dumb fuck.

I love my new name and tag. :)
 
All Hail C-Webb said:
Miller is too emotional, and he makes too many mistakes because of it. Not running back on plays because he needs to yell at the refs, stupid retaliation fouls when he thinks he was fouled, trying to do too much after making a mistake, and al lthe dumb technicals. He has skill, but he is a dumb fuck.

I love my new name and tag. :)
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yeah pretty much everything you just said sums up how I feel about him.

Just play bitch!
 
While lurking this forum and reading all of the great sports threads, I hoped one day that I would soon be able to post as one of the few (if any) fanatical Knicks fans.

FUCKING ISIAH.

Well, maybe next year. :(

At least the baseball thread'll be up eventually.
 
http://www.hoopshype.com/columns/kobe_friedman.htm

HoopsHype.com Columns

Kobe Bryant: Perception vs. reality
by David Friedman / February 25, 2005

Kobe Bryant - Getty ImagesKobe Bryant (27.8 ppg, 6.6 apg and 6.2 rpg), LeBron James (25.4 ppg, 7.7 apg and 7.1 rpg) and Dwyane Wade (23.5 ppg, 7.3 apg and 5.2 rpg) are three of the top perimeter players in the NBA. Each ranks in the top ten in scoring and is a nightly triple-double threat, yet James and Wade are lauded for making their teammates better while Bryant has been widely labeled as selfish. Among those who consider that criticism unfair is veteran NBA player, assistant coach and head coach Fred Carter, who currently analyzes games for NBA TV.

"For some people perception is reality," Carter said. "The echoed word becomes the accepted word. It becomes the choice phrase. But he won titles and he does get the assists. He does get steals and he does get blocks. He's not a guy who just plays on the offensive end. What happens is that people have the tendency to echo the words of everyone else. It's unfortunate."

Bryant's field goal percentage is hovering around the .410 mark, which would be a career low. This is the main statistical ax that critics grind against Bryant, saying that he is more focused on winning the scoring title than making his team better.

But that argument has flaws, according to Carter.

"Any time a guy is a volume-shooting guy like Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, the shooting percentage is going to be down because they attract a lot more defensive attention. Spot-up shooters or stand-still shooters, plays are run for them and that's basically all they can do, spot up and shoot, so they get open shots and knock them down. People kind of get confused with field goal percentages and the quality of the baskets that you make. Kobe makes a lot of quality baskets. I don't look at his field goal percentage. I look at the productivity of his shots in terms of the fourth quarter and what shots he makes then."

Bob Chaikin, whose fine statistical research can be found at bballsports.com, ranks shooting efficiency with a statistic called scoring field goal percentage. The formula is: (Two point field goals made + 1.5 X Three point field goals made + Free throws made/2) / (Field goals attempted + Free throws attempted/2).

This method provides a more complete picture than field goal percentage does because it accounts for the added value of three-pointers made plus the points produced by drawing fouls and making free throws.

James (.491) and Wade (.478) have better field goal percentages than Bryant does, but neither makes as many three-pointers or free throws as Bryant. Consequently, as of February 22, Bryant's scoring field goal percentage of .529 is not much worse than James' .551 and Wade's .544.

The league average for scoring field goal percentage is around .520, a figure that Bryant and each of the Laker starters exceed. Bryant is not merely padding his individual scoring numbers. The defensive attention that he attracts and his playmaking skills are leading the team to an above average level of shooting efficiency. This is significant, especially considering that the other four starters are Chucky Atkins, Chris Mihm, Lamar Odom and Caron Butler, none of whom has played in even one All-Star Game. Meanwhile, James and Wade are each teamed with All-Star centers. Laker center Mihm, a career journeyman, has benefited greatly playing alongside Bryant, enjoying career highs in scoring, rebounding and assists. In addition to their above average scoring field goal percentages, each Laker starter (other than Bryant) is also posting a career high in traditional field goal percentage.

NBA analyst Fred Carter notes that by getting to the free throw line frequently Bryant does not just enhance his individual statistics, but he also creates more free throw opportunities for his teammates and causes foul trouble for the opposing team.

"When Kobe is out of the offense the Lakers do not get into the bonus as quickly as they normally do. Check free throws attempted and see how they were with Kobe playing versus now (when Kobe missed 14 games)."

Another area worth examining is versatility. One would expect that a selfish player does nothing but shoot. Nine NBA players have amassed triple doubles this season. Bryant and Chris Webber are tied for second with four, trailing only Jason Kidd's five. James has two and Wade has one. James has 18 double doubles, while Wade has 13 and Bryant 12.

Bryant's critics are quick to counter that he leads the league in turnovers at 4.4 per game, but Wade ranks second at 4.2 and James is seventh at 3.2. MVP candidate and league assists leader Steve Nash ranks eighth at 3.1. Turnovers have only been recorded by the NBA since 1977-78, but since that time it has been common for great playmakers such as Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas to rank among the league leaders in this category. Players who commit a lot of turnovers generally fall into one of two categories: great players who have tremendous scoring/playmaking responsibilities and big men with bad hands.

Ultimately, making one's team better is reflected in wins and losses and most NBA games are decided down the stretch. While great players strive to keep their teammates involved throughout the game, in the closing moments it is often necessary to take over the game. Tracy McGrady's 13 points in the final 35 seconds to defeat the San Antonio Spurs earlier this season are perhaps the ultimate recent example of this.

Bryant consistently elevates his game in clutch situations and this year he is leading the NBA in fourth quarter scoring at over 8.5 ppg. Carter says that Bryant has two traits that enable him to thrive in crucial moments.

"One is competitiveness. He stays at a high level of competitiveness. Also, energy level. A lot of players get tired (but) the great players don't get tired. They have a special level of energy; they can tap that source and they can still stay at a high level of efficiency and proficiency. That's Kobe Bryant; he is able to do that. MJ was the same way. There are certain players who can raise their energy level for the fourth period and Kobe Bryant can do that."

Of course, offense is only part of the game. Second-year players James and Wade have each made notable progress this season on the defensive end, but Bryant has already made the All-Defensive Team five times during his career, including three First Team selections. Bryant made the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive First Team each of the last two seasons.

When Bryant missed 14 games due to a severe right ankle sprain, the Lakers struggled to a 6-8 mark and his absence was felt at least as much on defense as on offense, Laker coach Frank Hamblen points out: "He is one of those guys who is talking defensively and helping defensively. The way he plays, as hard as he plays, the other guys feed off that."

TNT analyst Charles Barkley has mentioned on several occasions that he believes there are only three true superstars in the NBA: Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. A glance at the Western Conference standings shows that Garnett's Timberwolves and Bryant's Lakers are among the teams fighting for the final playoff spot. Garnett has two former All-Stars playing beside him and basically the same nucleus that made it to the Western Conference Finals last year, while Bryant's Lakers have been almost completely reconstituted. Postseason success is the best way to silence critics. If Kobe Bryant stays healthy for the remainder of the season, he will have a great opportunity to refute not only those who question his ability to make his teammates better but also Barkley and anyone else who denies that he is a true superstar.

David Friedman is a Contributing Editor at Suite101.com in charge of the topic "Basketball Spotlight." His work has also appeared in Basketball Digest and Sports Collectors Digest. He wrote the chapter on the NBA in the 1970s for the anthology Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond (Haworth Press, 2005)
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Thoughts?.....
 
Cloudy said:
Don't be mad cos Tmac ain't even in the discussion anymore :p
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WTF does this have to do with T-Mac? Every week you post a new Kobe article, and every week everyone ignores it. Seriously, it's just sad at this point. We got the point years ago, you like Kobe a lot.
 
Cloudy said:
http://www.hoopshype.com/columns/kobe_friedman.htm



Thoughts?.....
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Yeah, I've seen all these "alternate scoring/FG%" formulas cropping up around the internet-- not coincidentally since Kobe's FG% reached record lows. :lol Frankly, I find it amusing that people have to employ all these elaborate formulas in order to justify his atrocious FG%, especially considering that nobody ever called him a subpar scorer, which is all these formulas really correct for by including FT attempts/makes and 3-point makes. After all, FG's that were missed while he was fouled in the act aren't counted towards one's shot attempts. There's a reason they didn't have these formulas 5 years ago, and that's because people today try too hard to rationalize things.


Fact: Kobe shoots a terrible percentage from the floor. Does that make him NOT a potent scorer (due to his ability to draw fouls etc.)? No, of course not. It just means that he likely takes more shots than he should, resulting in some of them being "bad" shots (and hence misses). I also love how he tries to blithely cast aside Kobe's ridiculous TO average. :lol


Man, people will really go to any lengths to defend their icons. :D


As much of a Jordan whore as I am, if he ever shot 40% from the field, I would never say the things these Kobe-jockers do, which go roughly like so: "yeah, but if you use this special mathematical formula I just concocted in my basement, which includes the number of waffles a player ate for breakfast, the number of backdoor attempts (both on and off the court), multiplies that by the number of conciliatory jewelry purchases made and number of dynasties broken up, and then adds the number of mannerisms cribbed from other superstars and the number of teammates ratted out to the po-lice, Kobe comes out with the highest # in league history! Viva la Kobe!" :D


Field goal percentage has been viewed as a relevant and important stat for decades, and I see no good reason why it still wouldn't be. Period. Does Kobe's FG% make him a terrible player? Of course not-- he's still top 4-5 in the league imo. All it means is that <gasp> he actually has flaws. I know, I know-- hard to believe...but true. :)
 
As much of a Joran whore as I am, if he ever shot 40% from the field, I would never say, "yeah, but if you use this special mathematical formula I just concocted in my basement, which includes the number of waffles a player ate for breakfast, the number of backdoor attempts (both on and off the court), multiplies that by the number of conciliatory jewelry purchases made and number of dynasties broken up, and then adds the number of mannerisms cribbed from other superstars and number of teammates ratted out to the po-lice, Kobe comes out with the highest # in league history! Viva la Kobe!"
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:lol :lol :lol
 
DMczaf said:
You REALLY need to get laid.
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A lot of people here need to get laid,Konex just needs to get it on with Kobe.
 
Loki said:
As much of a Joran whore as I am, if he ever shot 40% from the field, I would never say, "yeah, but if you use this special mathematical formula I just concocted in my basement, which includes the number of waffles a player ate for breakfast, the number of backdoor attempts (both on and off the court), multiplies that by the number of conciliatory jewelry purchases made and number of dynasties broken up, and then adds the number of mannerisms cribbed from other superstars and the number of teammates ratted out to the po-lice, Kobe comes out with the highest # in league history! Viva la Kobe!" :D
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So then...

BCSMF = ((W + BDA(On + Off)) * (BootyJewels + DBU)) + MSS + TMRO

...right?
 
Cloudy said:
Loki, you act like they ONLY talked about fg% in that article :p
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No, they also talked about (and tried to explain away in the same manner as FG%) turnovers (which the author tries to rationalize by pointing to Wade/Lebron's high TO #'s-- note to author: they're all way too high; true, Magic had one season of 4.6 TO/game, but if you're trying to tell me that Kobe has the ball in his hands as much as Magic did, or that he tries to make as many passes as Magic did-- which is where most TO's are expected to occur, on errant passes-- then you're crazy), 4th quarter scoring (which I never took issue with), and the defensive attention he gets (which is no more than guys like Iverson get or TMac got last year).


I just find all the rationalizations amusing, because he (and others who always post these sorts of things-- i.e., all these alternate "formulas" etc.) can't seem to realize that nobody is saying that Kobe's anywhere NEAR a bad player because of it. He just has flaws-- parts of his game he needs to work on. For instance, the majority of Kobe's TO's don't come on errant passes (like they did for the players the author cited: Magic and Isiah), but rather from trying to do too much with the ball...trying to be too cute with it. I can't count the number of times I've seen Kobe try to squeeze through the defenders on a pick&roll only to lose the ball or end up so off-balance that he ends up throwing an errant pass as he stumbles which gets picked off. Or trying to dribble around guys for 6+ seconds only to lose the ball from behind. Happens once or twice every game. Yes, he splits a lot of those pick&rolls (more than any guy over 6'3" since Jordan; only Damon Stoudamire does/did this better), but he's not smart about picking his spots; he tries to do it every play. He wants to make the spectacular play every possession rather than letting the opportunities present themselves. He leads the league in getting his shot blocked and having the ball stolen from him (from his person, not on passes)-- so it's clear that the majority of his TO's are not due to the things that Magic's or Isiah's (career high of 4.2 TO/game) were. This is not smart basketball, and as he matures as a player, he'll grow to understand this.


EDIT: Oh yeah, he also talks about Kobe's D-team selections, despite the fact that his D is quite overrated and he didn't deserve to make at least one of those teams (2003) and perhaps none of them considering the other players at his position (Christie, Bowen, Artest).
 
How in GOD'S NAME was that not a 3-second violation by Kobe? He head-faked like 27 times. :lol

EDIT: And a phantom call against Rasheed on Kobe! :lol
 
Loki said:
How in GOD'S NAME was that not a 3-second violation by Kobe? He head-faked like 27 times. :lol

EDIT: And a phantom call against Rasheed on Kobe! :lol
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It's obvious the refs are against Kobe, right Konex? Lakers get NO calls!
 
Raps win in Milwaukee... horribly ref'd game, it was REALLY physical. Refs held the whistle on both teams. Glad we came out on top.

Oh, :lol @ Final Countdown being played in the final minute. :lol
 
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