2011-12 NBA Season

[rams80]

The inverse draft lottery would be horrible. If that were the case, you'd have teams taking not to be in the playoffs rather than just to be the worst team which is much worse for the league.

That's one of the issues I see with it myself which is why I'm not a huge fan of it.

My thing would just be to just disallow the bottom five teams a shot at any of the top five picks. So Charlotte, Washington, New Orleans, Sacramento and Cleveland would have picks 6-10. Toronto and New Jersey would have the best odds for getting the number one pick. That's the best thing I can come up with to give these last place teams something to play for late in the season.

The straight lottery thing I would be for as well over the current system.

Its one of those things where I think there could be several viable options to solve this.

Why don't you just contract the league to 25 then?

[HolyStroke]

Pmoehrin, some of your ideas well, suck. With that rule in place, even if no team "tanked" the bottom 5 would still be pUnished. So if every team is giving it all they've got, if they're just not a good team they are eliminated from the top 5. That's a terrible idea

No teams intentionally lose games. Yes, they sit guys that would probably be playing if they were in contention, but why shouldn't they? If you're not in a playoff race, why risk a nagging injury become serious? Give young guys needed experience, if you're not going to make a run this year, why not prepare yourself for a playoff push next year? Get your guys healthy, get some young guys playing time, and again, while no team will ever go out and intentionally lose, losses don't hurt.

[pmoehrin]

Pmoehrin, some of your ideas well, suck. With that rule in place, even if no team "tanked" the bottom 5 would still be pUnished. So if every team is giving it all they've got, if they're just not a good team they are eliminated from the top 5. That's a terrible idea

No teams intentionally lose games. Yes, they sit guys that would probably be playing if they were in contention, but why shouldn't they? If you're not in a playoff race, why risk a nagging injury become serious? Give young guys needed experience, if you're not going to make a run this year, why not prepare yourself for a playoff push next year? Get your guys healthy, get some young guys playing time, and again, while no team will ever go out and intentionally lose, losses don't hurt.

I get that to a point.

Everyone in the NBA plays hurt. 82 games a year, nobody is 100% come April. So maybe the length of the season is something that needs to be considered. (Then again like the NBA is really going to shorten the season.) The quality of play in the regular season this year has just flat out sucked because the games are too close together and teams really don't have time to practice. I went to one NBA game this year and saw teams trying to doing on one drills in pre game shoot arounds. Maybe you see one or two guys out early trying to get extra work in like that but never a whole team. And I think its do in direct part of how pressed for time they are.

But the season isn't over after a month. Your not resting guys at that point, your just quitting.

My idea is just one of a few you could do. My view on this isn't a my way or the highway type of deal at all. I just want to see teams trying more not even late in the season but at the mid way point.

And losses like that do hurt. They hurt the people that are paying good money to see the game as well as the integrity of the game. And if teams get rewarded for doing that its BS.

[HedleyLamarr]

The only reason the Hawks were able to keep Joe Johnson, for example, is because they gave him one of the worst albatross contracts in recent memory.

...Joe would shart himself if he went to a media market that isn't afraid to call him out for his underperforming play.

[pmoehrin]

The only reason the Hawks were able to keep Joe Johnson, for example, is because they gave him one of the worst albatross contracts in recent memory.

...Joe would shart himself if he went to a media market that isn't afraid to call him out for his underperforming play.

Johnson is alright but I have no clue why the Hawks gave him the kind of money that they did. That deal was made on the type of player he was, not the kind of player he was going to be. And the type of player he is now is a solid SG/SF but not somebody who you can really build around anymore.

He's never been a very good defense player, but now he's no longer averaging the 20+ points and 5+ assists a night to make up for it in order to be considered a franchise player.

He has been better this year then he was last year though. His shooting percentage actually has gone up slightly from last year while the rest of the league has gone down for starters. Assist to turnover ratio is down, but I could excuse that for a much improved perimeter game. He still presents problems defensively to any team. But I still have a hard time believing a time built around Joe Johnson is much better then a second round playoff team. Maybe if the Hawks had somebody comparable to Joe Johnson's talent at every position they could win the NBA title, but they don't have that type of supporting cast. Its basically him, Josh Smith, Jeff Teague and Zaza Puchulia who in this day in age of virtually nobody with talent playing the center position I would actually consider one of the league's better centers. But that's basically it. Outside of those four guys your basically looking at a bunch of role players and an average starting PF in Marvin Williams.

Maybe if they had Al Horford it would be a different story but even if he comes back for the playoffs he's going to be 50% at best.

[pmoehrin]

Nice to see Ron Artest up to his old antics.

Only question now is how many games is he going to be out for the playoffs?

[Dexter Morgan]

That was one of the most viscous elbows I've ever seen. He should be banned for a year.

[CS85]

Yeesh. Not sure if that really qualifies as such, but he should definitely miss a few games, and he will simply based on his reputation.

[pmoehrin]

Yeesh. Not sure if that really qualifies as such, but he should definitely miss a few games, and he will simply based on his reputation.

Artest being a repeat offender definitely doesn't help his cause.

He's going to miss the Sacramento game and at least one playoff game for sure. Beyond that I don't know.

I would give him five games myself. Maybe a little more or less depending on how much Artest was provoked by Harden prior to the incident. But my feeling is that Harden didn't do anything beyond the usual back and forth talk that goes on in any game.

[Kramerica Industries]

In any case, the Lakers may be good, but they are no match for the Thunder.

OKC dominated in LA a few weeks ago, and they are doing it again today.

[pmoehrin]

In any case, the Lakers may be good, but they are no match for the Thunder.

OKC dominated in LA a few weeks ago, and they are doing it again today.

With the exception of maybe the Bulls and Spurs with the key word being maybe, the Thunder have the best bench in the NBA. If somebody like Nazr Mohammed was starting on a worse team he would be averaging a double double every night. And he's coming off their bench. Could make the same argument with Nick Collison.

They are seen as run and gun team and that is usually how they play, but they definitely have the type of players to win a half court game as well. I don't think anyone in the NBA has as much front court depth as they do.

[Kevin W.]

Wow, at regular speed it occurred so fast that it looked like Harden flopped, but the slow-mo close-up made that real clear. That was an absolutely brutal hit. Different name, same vicious play style.

[Kramerica Industries]

WTF happened out in LA?

I saw 69-53 Thunder, remembered the prior meetings, and kinda assumed the Thunder had this one under wraps. Unreal.

[lordsketor]

WTF happened out in LA?

I saw 69-53 Thunder, remembered the prior meetings, and kinda assumed the Thunder had this one under wraps. Unreal.

OKC missing shots , Lakers hitting shots.

[pmoehrin]

WTF happened out in LA?

I saw 69-53 Thunder, remembered the prior meetings, and kinda assumed the Thunder had this one under wraps. Unreal.

Its been one of the best games of the year. Glad I kept watching even after it looked like the Lakers were going to be run out of the building.

Kobe is just going cray right now.

[CS85]

This is a fantastic basketball game. Playoff atmosphere, Kobe willing this team from such a big deficit. Great stuff, regardless if you like either team.

Also, Kobe Bryant is 1B to Jordan's 1A as far as I'm concerned. The guy is arguably the most clutch superstar of all time.

[NJTank]

That was one of the most viscous elbows I've ever seen. He should be banned for a year.

Maybe he should be called Meta World War

[patsox]

That was one of the most viscous elbows I've ever seen. He should be banned for a year.

Maybe he should be called Meta World War

heyyyoooooo

This appears to have been an amazing game. Tuned in after the Bruins and was like "wai wha? this games still on is it overtime? wow it is overtime better watch go thunder!"

[CS85]

Looks like the Lakers pulled it off, kudos to them.

Also Durant was basically non-existent the final 2 OT's and 4th quarter. I think he was something like 2/14 or something.

[njmeadowlanders]

Obligatory "Brendan Shanahan suspended him for 4 games" joke.