NBA 2013-14 Season Thread

[Lee Noire]

Sheesh I can't believe the season starts in a few weeks. I've been so busy over the past few months I've lost track of time. So admittedly I haven't seen much of the Clippers after the acquisition of Doc. I'm ashamed. I did recently read something about Blake declaring the end of Lob City. Not that he and DJ won't be dunking off of CP3 lobs, but a now there is an actual gameplan other than the aforementioned lobs.

I look forward to this season. So much potential. A first round exit isn't going to cut it so as much as I know the regular season matters(new coach, scheme, players, chemistry)I gage this teams success on the playoffs run. It feels so good to say that about a Clippers team. Not just getting there but going far in it.

[LAWeaver]

THIS JUST IN: Magic Johnson, due to other commitments, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, his movie theater deals, etc, will not be back with ESPN and their NBA coverage. ESPN says that they are looking for a replacement and wish Magic the best as does Magic to ESPN.

Also, am I the only one who thinks that the NBA season will be like the last few? Miami wins the title, OKC falls short yet again, Clippers and Griz fall short of expectations, Spurs prove that they can still play great despite looking like a nursing home team, Lakers are around the middle of the league at best, and the Bobcats face the Sixers for the #1 pick.

[DS729]

THIS JUST IN: Magic Johnson, due to other commitments, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, his movie theater deals, etc, will not be back with ESPN and their NBA coverage. ESPN says that they are looking for a replacement and wish Magic the best as does Magic to ESPN.

Also, am I the only one who thinks that the NBA season will be like the last few? Miami wins the title, OKC falls short yet again, Clippers and Griz fall short of expectations, Spurs prove that they can still play great despite looking like a nursing home team, Lakers are around the middle of the league at best, and the Bobcats face the Sixers for the #1 pick.

No. Indiana has taken a step closer to knocking off Miami each year, hell if Frank Vogel had kept Roy Hibbert in in game 1 of ECF last year they would've won the series. Bobcats won't be that bad, at least not compared to the Sixers and the Celtics having their tank-off for the #1 pick.

[DS729]

Wow. This story made me feel really good inside.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1806258-wizards-rookie-buys-homeless-man-sandwich-schools-nation-on-being-decent-human

Really happy we know have some blue-collar guys, instead of a bunch of thugs like McGee and Arenas.

[cappital92]

Wow. This story made me feel really good inside.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1806258-wizards-rookie-buys-homeless-man-sandwich-schools-nation-on-being-decent-human

Really happy we know have some blue-collar guys, instead of a bunch of thugs like McGee and Arenas.

McGee was never a thug. Odd, yes. But the only real trouble he's ever gotten into was fighting with Andray Blatche at a club one night.

But yeah, it's nice to see Porter doing this. I just wish he could get on the court and play. There's still a lot of people questioning why the Wizards didn't get Nerlens Noel, and I'd like to see Otto show them why.

[Lights Out]

Believe it or not, Arenas has done a ton of charity work during his career - setting up two foundations, donating $100 to underfunded DC-area schools for each point he scored with the Wizards, donating his whole playoff bonus one year to a Wizards equipment manager whose daughter had Angelman Syndrome, getting a kid who was the sole survivor of a house fire and whose father was in jail a job as a ballboy for the Wizards and offering to pay his college tuitions, etc. All that generosity was sadly overshadowed by his extreme idiocy in the gun incident.

[MadmanLA]

Wow. This story made me feel really good inside.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1806258-wizards-rookie-buys-homeless-man-sandwich-schools-nation-on-being-decent-human

Really happy we know have some blue-collar guys, instead of a bunch of thugs like McGee and Arenas.

McGee was never a thug. Odd, yes. But the only real trouble he's ever gotten into was fighting with Andray Blatche at a club one night.

But yeah, it's nice to see Porter doing this. I just wish he could get on the court and play. There's still a lot of people questioning why the Wizards didn't get Nerlens Noel, and I'd like to see Otto show them why.

I agree...Javale McGee always came across, at least to me, as a well-meaning but not so bright guy. As far as I can remember, he's never been in trouble with the law (other than what cappital92 mentioned) and hasn't had a lot of reported disclipline problems with either the Wizards or Nuggets.

[DS729]

Wow. This story made me feel really good inside.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1806258-wizards-rookie-buys-homeless-man-sandwich-schools-nation-on-being-decent-human

Really happy we know have some blue-collar guys, instead of a bunch of thugs like McGee and Arenas.

McGee was never a thug. Odd, yes. But the only real trouble he's ever gotten into was fighting with Andray Blatche at a club one night.

But yeah, it's nice to see Porter doing this. I just wish he could get on the court and play. There's still a lot of people questioning why the Wizards didn't get Nerlens Noel, and I'd like to see Otto show them why.

Ok "thug" was the wrong word. It was more like McGee and Arenas weren't really the right people to surround a young stud PG like Wall. People like Otto Porter are.

[CS85]

Kings playing here tomorrow, cool! Part of a local festival.

[DS729]

Kings playing here tomorrow, cool! Part of a local festival.

I feel like the NBA will eventually have an outdoor game held each year (probably on Christmas) that would end up being similar to the NHL's WInter Classic.

[CS85]

Kings playing here tomorrow, cool! Part of a local festival.

I feel like the NBA will eventually have an outdoor game held each year (probably on Christmas) that would end up being similar to the NHL's WInter Classic.

Nothing says NBA basketball like 22 guys hurting themselves on a sloppy warped wooden slush-covered court.

Edit: Some guy on reddit made this cool twitter thing.

http://www.hashtagbasketball.com/default.aspx

[The_Admiral]

A Nets-Knicks exhibition game at Rucker Park would be pretty awesome.

[cappital92]

I don't think there would be any motivation to do so, but I think an outdoor summer league in Utah or Denver could go well. Not too hot or humid compared to many other NBA cities. But I don't think anyone is clamoring for the NBA to get out of Las Vegas anytime soon.

[NJTank]

The NBA needs to do this in the regular season.

Lakers vs Clippers at Dodger Stadium

Heat vs Magic at Raymond James Stadium

Knicks vs Nets at Citi Field

Spurs vs Mavericks at the Ballpark in Arlington

Pistons vs Bulls at U.S. Cellular Field

Knicks vs Celtics at Fenway

Thunder vs Grizzlies at LP Field

76ers vs Wizards at Citizen's Bank Park

Pacers vs Heat at the Brickyard

The Posabilities are endless

[LAWeaver]

think the Mavs would play at AT&T Stadium. Wasn't the NCAA tournament there once or sometime during the regular season?

[The_Admiral]

The Posabilities are endless

Actually, the possibilities are considerably more finite than the list you gave.

[CS85]

ESPN the Magazine recently surveyed 26 NBA players, promising them anonymity in exchange for their true feelings on LeBron James. Here are the results.

Former teammate on LeBron's greatness
"I don't know if he'll be able to match Michael Jordan's rings, but he'll be top 10 in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals when his career is over. To do that in this era, you have to call LeBron the greatest ever."

Former All-NBA Defensive Team player on Paul George vs. LeBron
"The key is to have another long, athletic player who LeBron has to guard at the other end, to make him work hard on defense too. Paul George is the guy."

Western Conference forward on LeBron's leaving Cleveland
"I get it that fans were heartbroken and he was a hometown kid and all that. But who else in this world isn't going to take a job in the best possible environment for you to be successful?"

Perennial All-Star on LeBron's 2014 decision
"Honestly, I think he's going back to the Cavs. They're kind of like Miami was for LeBron in 2010; the Cavs have the talent to be really good for the next six or seven years. It makes sense that he'd want to return and win a title."

Eastern Conference guard on LeBron, MJ or Kobe taking the shot
"That's like ranking the shortest giant. I'd want the ball in LeBron's hands at the end of the game, but I'd want him to pass to Kobe or Jordan for the last shot. And don't forget, LeBron is not a great free throw shooter either."

10-year vet on LeBron and flopping
"Yes, he's a flopper, maybe the biggest flopper in the league. But he's doing exactly what anybody who gets calls is going to do. Why would you not try to get fouls if you can?"

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9830454/nba-players-want-michael-jordan-take-last-shot-not-lebron-james-espn-magazine

[alxy8s]

The love for Kobe Bryant absolutely defies reason. Isn't he a statistically awful shooter on a game's last shot? I guess it's considered a good thing to make 25% of such shots while insisting upon taking 100% of them.

That 23% believe LeBron will retire as the best player in history is shocking. I'd have guessed 0%. It's supposed to be BLASPHEMY!!!!! to suggest that anyone could be better than Jordan.

I wish ESPN had found more than 26 players to participate, though they could have sent a survey to every player, for all I know.

[CS85]

Somebody needs to tell Greg Oden it's time to walk/limp/wheel away from the game of basketball.

Oden said on Wednesday that he was “hoping” his knee wouldn’t swell, “but it did and what kind I do about it. The next thing to do is to get it back down and get out there and figure out what I can do to get out there and not have it swell again.”

Read more here: http://blogs.herald.com/miami_heat/2013/10/update-on-greg-odens-left-knee-and-its-not-positive.html#storylink=cpy

Things that cause the swelling of bad knees:

• basketball

[Lights Out]

The love for Kobe Bryant absolutely defies reason. Isn't he a statistically awful shooter on a game's last shot? I guess it's considered a good thing to make 25% of such shots while insisting upon taking 100% of them.

It's all self-perpetuating media bull :censored:. They repeat "Kobe's clutch" in defiance of all statistics, logic, or reason over and over again until players and casual fans alike blindly accept it as fact. Yet another reason why the NBA has by far the worst media coverage of all the major sports.

Also, thanks to the fact that the NBA's marketing department is still clinging to a largely mythical and inaccurate image of Michael Jordan, LeBron's team-oriented style of play is sadly promoted as "unclutch" and "mentally weak" even though it is far more effective than Kobe's selfish isoball.