2011-12 NBA Season

[knnhrvy16]

This time, can the Jazz manage to keep those players in Utah?

That's my one concern. I understand the whole small-market disadvantage, and that's one of the toughest parts about being a Jazz fan. My hope is that this core ends up becoming an OKC-esque young power that wins, and that the winning keeps 'em here (much like the winning kept the 90's Jazz teams relatively intact). We'll see what happens down the road - I'm hoping for the best, but am keeping with realism about it all.

One thing I can say though is that no matter what happens, I can at least rest my head every night knowing the organization will be run well under any circumstance and that IF the core were to disintegrate down the road, they'd find a way eventually to claw back to success. We love our Jazz here - we're going to give them loads of support wherever they end up.

[dfwabel]

Lamar Odom had his first career DNP-CD last night is a 104-87 loss in San Antonio.

He has excuses, some even going back to 2006. I get it, he has had a much rougher upbringing than most of America, but guess what you openly went into a profession where you can move in 24 hours notice and onto a tv show where you openly got into "real life" situations. Going into free agency, you are providing neither the NBA nor E! any tangible value.

The Mavs cannot dump him because that is what he (and Khloe) wants them to do. Carlisle's patience is gone, and their bigs who are not Dirk are old/declining or young/untalented.

[DEAD!]

They should have turned that into a parking lot.

[zpqmaowl]

The Jazz/Hawks game is still going on, the fourth OT started at 123-123.

[TFoA]

Hawks win it, 139-133. 2nd 3+ OT game that the Hawks have played in this season (1st being that abysmal 3OT game vs. the Heat in which D-Wade & LeBron did NOT play yet the Hawks somehow lost), & this was the end of a back-to-back-to-back. They get one day of rest, then they host the Bulls Tuesday Wednesday night on the tail end of a back-to-back after a road game @ Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

My God.

[knnhrvy16]

Dang it, dang it, dang it.

But hey, 4OT? That's effort you can't deny, especially having been down 15 at one point. Can't really be too upset. And dang, did Corbin draw up some great plays to go for the win...the shots just couldn't fall.

[HolyStroke]

A little over a week past the trade deadline, who do you guys think was the biggest winner and the biggest loser?

Winner- Lakers. Got a very good point guard in Ramon Sessions for a late first round pick (and Luke Walton, but c'mon). Also got Jordan Hill for old man Fisher

Loser- Trail Blazers. Only thing of value they got was a first round pick from New Jersey for Marcus Camby and Gerald Wallace. They also fired Nate McMillen and waived former 1st overall pick Greg Oden

[waltere]

How in the hell did the Hawks and Jazz manage do draw the first overtime period 2-2?

[pmoehrin]

Heard Jeff Van Gundy make a suggestion which I agree with which is any player added after the trade deadline via a contract buyout cannot be on a postseason roster.

Just looking at the Lamar Odom situation I'm sure their biggest fear of a contract buyout is giving Odom that and then all of a sudden having him find the will to play hard, then turning around and signing a deal with a title contending team.

Be interesting to see how much if any traction Van Gundy's suggestion will get. If he said it I'm sure there's at least one owner thinking the same thing that proven veteran players should not be rewarded for pouting about their situation late in the season.

[HedleyLamarr]

How in the hell did the Hawks and Jazz manage do draw the first overtime period 2-2?

Turnovers and missed shots.

That game was about as far from an "Instant Classic" as one can be for being a 4-overtime game.

[The_Admiral]

Heard Jeff Van Gundy make a suggestion which I agree with which is any player added after the trade deadline via a contract buyout cannot be on a postseason roster.

Just looking at the Lamar Odom situation I'm sure their biggest fear of a contract buyout is giving Odom that and then all of a sudden having him find the will to play hard, then turning around and signing a deal with a title contending team.

Be interesting to see how much if any traction Van Gundy's suggestion will get. If he said it I'm sure there's at least one owner thinking the same thing that proven veteran players should not be rewarded for pouting about their situation late in the season.

I would support it if the NBA had a later trade deadline. As it is, they do theirs a lot earlier than the other two leagues (not even bothering to include the NFL where there are hardly any trades anyway). You're not eligible for the baseball postseason if you're added after the waiver trade deadline (unless someone's hurt), and you're not eligible for the Stanley Cup if you're not on the 50-man roster or the reserve list (damn you Radulov) by the deadline. Of course, those deadlines are roughly five-sixths and three-fourths through the season; the NBA trade deadline usually happens with 30 games left to play or so.

[pmoehrin]

Heard Jeff Van Gundy make a suggestion which I agree with which is any player added after the trade deadline via a contract buyout cannot be on a postseason roster.

Just looking at the Lamar Odom situation I'm sure their biggest fear of a contract buyout is giving Odom that and then all of a sudden having him find the will to play hard, then turning around and signing a deal with a title contending team.

Be interesting to see how much if any traction Van Gundy's suggestion will get. If he said it I'm sure there's at least one owner thinking the same thing that proven veteran players should not be rewarded for pouting about their situation late in the season.

I would support it if the NBA had a later trade deadline. As it is, they do theirs a lot earlier than the other two leagues (not even bothering to include the NFL where there are hardly any trades anyway). You're not eligible for the baseball postseason if you're added after the waiver trade deadline (unless someone's hurt), and you're not eligible for the Stanley Cup if you're not on the 50-man roster or the reserve list (damn you Radulov) by the deadline. Of course, those deadlines are roughly five-sixths and three-fourths through the season; the NBA trade deadline usually happens with 30 games left to play or so.

If they wanted to move the trade deadline back I wouldn't be against it, but baksetball is the only sport where I really see this happening.

The waiver system in baseball does a great job of preventing a team like the Yankees from just loading up on guys in August and September. With football the gameplans are just too complex to be bringing key people in past midseason. I can't speak much for the NHL because I don't follow it a great deal but I don't see it as a great issue there either.

I wonder how much this was talked in the CBA meetings. I gotta imagine it was at least brought up. It may have gotten shot down after five minutes or it may have been one of the last sticking issues. To me though this is one area that is becoming a cause for concern and its something that you've only seen come up in the last couple years.

[HolyStroke]

Earlier today Skip Bayless (not that his opinions have any value) tweeted "Kevin Durant is now the NBA's best all-around player." What do you guys think? I rank it

1. LeBron

2. D-Wade

3. Kobe

4. Dwight

5. Durant

[pmoehrin]

Earlier today Skip Bayless (not that his opinions have any value) tweeted "Kevin Durant is now the NBA's best all-around player." What do you guys think? I rank it

1. LeBron

2. D-Wade

3. Kobe

4. Dwight

5. Durant

I'd probably go.

1. Dwight (Simply because there's no other center even close to him talent wise)

2. LeBron (Probably the most talented player in the NBA)

3. Wade (Pretty much a tossup between him and Kobe for who's the best SG in the game. I'll give a slight edge to Wade but if somebody wants to put Kobe here I won't argue.)

4. Kobe (See Wade)

5. Durant (As great of a player Durant is I can't put him over LeBron. He's a better pure scorer then LeBron is, but I give the edge to LeBron in just about every other category. Rebounding, passing, defense, basketball IQ.)

[Lights Out]

1. LeBron

2. Dwight

3. Durant

4. Wade

5. CP3

[njmeadowlanders]

I went to Jazz-Nets in Newark tonight, I used to be a big Nets fan but pretty much gave up on basketball all together once I was in college.

Dear lord it was brutal watching the game tonight. There was NOBODY there, place was like a funeral. Club seats with a $150 face were going for 17 cents on stubhub which is how I got the tickets (commission was more) and the play was just so boring, uninspired, and hell the Jazz played 4 OT the night before.

If ever a team could use a change of scenery it's them. IDK if Brooklyn will help, but it can't be any worse.

[NJTank]

I just got a ticket for club seats for the last game in Newark dirt cheap, they are hard to watch right now and that Russian turned out to be a fraud. Deron Williams is a gonner and the team in Brooklyn will be terrible next year too.

[Rockstar Matt]

I got:

1. LeBron (There's no point in denying this. Even from my fellow Laker fans. LeBron is the best)

2. Kobe (Kobe is pushing back father time, if only for a little bit anyways, and he is still the best guard in the NBA)

3. Durant (Durant is probably the best pure scorer in the game.)

4. Dwight (Only one center is even close to Dwight, and that's Bynum. They're the two best centers in the game)

5. CP3 (The best point guard in the NBA. And Wade isn't as good this year)

[The_Admiral]

OMFG... this Wolves/Thunder game is one of the greatest games I've ever seen. Incredible.

[Saintsfan]

I just got a ticket for club seats for the last game in Newark dirt cheap, they are hard to watch right now and that Russian turned out to be a fraud. Deron Williams is a gonner and the team in Brooklyn will be terrible next year too.

The problem with a big money takeover in US sports is that the way US sports are set up it's very hard to improve US sports teams just using money. Salary caps, revenue sharing etc mean that just a massive input of cash isn't going to improve a team in the way it can improve a European soccer team, say. The Nets need to wait for a good draft pick and assemble some young talent, and trade some of that away before they get good.