NBA Off-Season Thread

[Stoney]

If you say so. Well, put it this way: I never saw you, nor anybody else, claim anything like that before the Heat's title. Instead, it seemed like Bosh generally got ripped and ridiculed around here until the last month, but now it's suddenly become trendy to praise him.

 

[JC]

It's funny that we always say Darko Milicic "went before Carmelo Anthony" when he also went before Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, who are both better players than Anthony.

Chris Bosh is not better than Carmello Anthony

Well, in a game of one-on-one, you're right. But if physical fitness, team defense, rebounding and not being a pompous ass who takes 35 shots every meaningful game are involved, Bosh is better. Bosh has 79 career win shares to Anthony's 63, per basketball-reference. In addition, his offensive and defensive ratings are better. And, until he joined the Heat and opted for a third-tier, his Player Efficiency Rating was consistently better.

Agree with this. Bosh also didn't hold his team hostage before free agency, a la Anthony and Vince Carter.

So what exactly was Bosh doing to the Raptors in his final year? There is a lot of revisionist history here.

I believe you Versatile but I think that would put you in the minority. There will be a lot of people claiming the same thing now that the narrative has changed on Bosh. I would still take Anthony all day over Bosh.

 

[93Devil]

At Syracuse, Anthony had one a pretty big win share during a game in early April.

Is Carmello a cancer for the Knicks? Possibly. Is Bosh more talented? No freaking way.

 

[sgreenwell]

It's funny that we always say Darko Milicic "went before Carmelo Anthony" when he also went before Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, who are both better players than Anthony.

Chris Bosh is not better than Carmello Anthony

Well, in a game of one-on-one, you're right. But if physical fitness, team defense, rebounding and not being a pompous ass who takes 35 shots every meaningful game are involved, Bosh is better. Bosh has 79 career win shares to Anthony's 63, per basketball-reference. In addition, his offensive and defensive ratings are better. And, until he joined the Heat and opted for a third-tier, his Player Efficiency Rating was consistently better.

Agree with this. Bosh also didn't hold his team hostage before free agency, a la Anthony and Vince Carter.

So what exactly was Bosh doing to the Raptors in his final year? There is a lot of revisionist history here.

I believe you Versatile but I think that would put you in the minority. There will be a lot of people claiming the same thing now that the narrative has changed on Bosh. I would still take Anthony all day over Bosh.

I think Bosh still played hard until the end of his contract, kind of like what Lebron did, as opposed to Anthony, who sulked and asked for a trade in season.

Also, while I think Anthony is a prodigious scorer, he doesn't seem to have either the drive or the talent to play hard on defense for full seasons. If the Knicks picked up Phil Jackson or another elite coach, I'd feel more confident about his ability to pull it all together, but I don't think that's going to happen under Woodson. I never got the feeling that Bosh was dogging it or had an effort problem, maybe more of a mental "up in his head" thing. So I guess it boils down more to personal taste - Better to be a bit of a head case / not alpha dog who plays as hard as he can (and through an injury for the finals), or a guy with alpha dog talent who doesn't always seem interested in playing defense?

 

[Beaker]

Garnett signs 3-year deal to return to the Celtics:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/06/30/kevin-garnett-agrees-extension-with-celtics/UoaPXbXTSFF0J7pPTwt1fO/story.html

 

[Beaker]

And now Howard is telling the Magic to trade him to the Nets:

http://tracking.si.com/2012/07/01/orlando-magic-dwight-howard-wants-trade-to-nets/?sct=hp_t2_a3&eref=sihp

 

[93Devil]

And now Howard is telling the Magic to trade him to the Nets:

http://tracking.si.com/2012/07/01/orlando-magic-dwight-howard-wants-trade-to-nets/?sct=hp_t2_a3&eref=sihp

**** him. Seriously, why would anyone want this ****? I know he is an athletic marvel, but sweet Lord, what a spoiled *****.

 

[Stoney]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8118159/sources-dwight-howard-tells-orlando-magic-gm-wants-trade-brooklyn-nets

According to this, Howard also claims that the Magic "blackmailed" him and is considering filing a legal complaint against the team seeking to be declared a free agent this summer.

The Magic are thoroughly screwed. Who's gonna make a fair offer for this guy after he's made it clear that he'll only play the Nets and will be the world's biggest pain in the ass if he doesn't get his way?

I get why these guys want to play for bigger market teams, but I'm not sure why they have to orchestrate their departure in a manner that seems purposely designed to maximize how much they're loathed and despised by their former home (see Howard, Lebron, Vince Carter, etc). I mean, jesus, these people worshipped your ass like a god for years, is it really that hard to work out a graceful exit?

 

[ucacm]

Wasn't Howard marketed as a wonderful young Christian man when he entered the draft? He's proven to be scum both on and off the court.

 

[JosephC.Myers]

I highly doubt the Magic will be able to get anything resembling market value for him, especially with him only wanting to go to the Nets. If he's still under contract, isn't it against the rules for him to be yapping about wanting to be traded to a certain team? Isn't that a form of tampering?

 

[JC]

I highly doubt the Magic will be able to get anything resembling market value for him, especially with him only wanting to go to the Nets. If he's still under contract, isn't it against the rules for him to be yapping about wanting to be traded to a certain team? Isn't that a form of tampering?

Only if teams are yapping about him

 

[DanOregon]

Blazers offer a max deal to Roy Hibbert. Pacers have three-days to match - who will decide whether they match or not? Former Blazer GM Kevin Pritchard. So he has the chance to screw over a former employer or finally deliver a center to the Blazers.

 

[Versatile]

Blazers offer a max deal to Roy Hibbert. Pacers have three-days to match - who will decide whether they match or not? Former Blazer GM Kevin Pritchard. So he has the chance to screw over a former employer or overpay a center.

Fixed.

 

[Stoney]

Man, Pritchard's first real decision as new GM could hardly be a bigger one. As Dan noted, the thing's loaded with symbolic meaning, and it's a huge moment for both franchises--all this forward momentum in Indiana could instantly reverse if they lose their center. Refusing to resign Hibbert certainly won't win him any friends in Indiana, where ole Roy's damn popular right now.

That said, I'm not sure he should match--although base on little more than hunch: seeing how players built like Hibbert have fared in the past, I've got a sneaky suspicion he's been operating on borrowed time injury wise. If the Blazers have their future wrecked by yet another injury decimated center delivered via the guy they fired? Yeah, that'd be a pretty fun storyline there.

 

[sgreenwell]

A max contract for Hibbert seems like a huge, huge mistake.

 

[93Devil]

Lord, does Portland love centers or what?

 

[DanOregon]

I really wish the Blazers would bring in a new medical/training staff. I'm sure that the people they have are fine, but why not bring in a new team just to be sure and to make the team a little more attractive to free agents.

 

[DanOregon]

I really don't see how the Nets swing a trade (that would pass the NBA smell test) for Howard. Hell, 11 of their 18 roster spots are held by free agents and those who aren't don't make what Howard makes combined.

 

[sgreenwell]

ESPN is reporting that the Nets have traded a bunch of flotsam and expiring contracts for Joe Johnson, who still has four years left on his max deal. Doing the trade means they can't sign Dwight Howard as a free agent, so unless the Magic wants Johnson and/or a re-signed Deron Williams, Dwight is **** out of luck.

The deal is absolutely insane from the Nets' perspective - I have no ****ing clue why they did it, outside of the fact that Billy King is their GM and thus nothing is off the table. By the way, they also extended Gerald Wallace for four years and $40 million allegedly. Even if they get Williams back, how far does a core of Wallace, Williams, Johnson and maybe Lopez take them? They're the new Atlanta Hawks, at best.

Meanwhile, the Hawks essentially clear the decks with the trade, and probably move toward a rebuild. They are probably quite happy that someone agreed to take Johnson off their hands.

 

[sgreenwell]

From ESPN: The deal as it stands, as reported Sunday night by ESPN.com, calls for the Nets to send the expiring contracts of Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Anthony Morrow and Jordan Williams along with DeShawn Stevenson (via sign-and-trade) and a future first-round pick (lottery-protected in 2013 via Houston) to Atlanta in exchange for Johnson. This trade construction allows the Nets to meet two of their key objectives, as they managed to keep promising guard MarShon Brooks out of the trade as well as retain their own first-round pick in 2013.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/8124182/brooklyn-nets-agree-trade-atlanta-hawks-joe-johnson-sources-say