NBA Regular season games thread

[Rich]

I just got into an interweb argument with a lakers fan. He said teams shouldn't be awarded free throws with off-ball fouls. More specifically, the rockets lakers game causing him to complain.

My points: if Dwight wasn't an abortion of a free throw shooter you wouldn't be making this point. Moreover, you're suggesting that the NBA should reform its rules based on your team losing a game - this is called strategy, all teams can and do this.

His response: its chicken shit strategy then, and not basketball.

I stopped bothering after that. Some people amaze me in terrible ways.

Moreover that would lead to massive foul fests as teams would keep the ball every time they got fouled. As opposed to getting to actually shoot FTs. Imagine a team winning the game, it's late, and the other team has the ball. Just continuously foul someone off the ball every couple of seconds and keep making them inbound the ball over and over.

[RaptorFan]

Ed Davis with the right system would be pretty good. I like both Ed Davis and Larry Sanders to be PFs who if given the right opportunity, would be more than just serviceable 4's. Both just need a chance to play and a coach to stick with them out there.

i agree. everytime ed davis has played a wide majority of games, hes contributed fiercely on the defensive end. However i feel it's because of casey's way of giving young players limited minutes so that they can prove themselves so that they can make better decisions in the time that they have, and then build on that. It's a mind game that casey plays to make the players more competitive when fighting for minutes. however his boss is colangelo, and of course BC have a man-crush on bargnani so there may be some conflicts in minute distribution (see mitchell's firing after benching bargnani and resorting him to a 6th man position) so casey is the man to lead the raptors to solid contention, it's just our front office needs to learn that bargnani is not the player he's supposed to be and should move on after a mistake.

another reason why the front office is ruining the raptors is because they want to adopt a running small-ball offense and try to be a half court grind team like miami. it doesn't work, why?

1) we need a serious upgrade at the SF position, and that's only if that upgrade is a dude named lebron who can play both forward positions.
2) hybrid teams don't really work because you're going to give up on boards and size.
3) all our players are meant for the half-court grind (derozan is 10th best in the league with post ups, calderon and lowry don't really succeed well in running situations, our big men NEED pick and roll offense)
4) fuck landry fields
5) casey does not like running teams because he wants to grind and bang down low like his success with designing the mavericks defensive scheme in 2011.

until we see colangelo stop building this hybrid team bullshit, then the raptors will finally start building a half-court defensive foundation that we saw last year.

[3 Da Hard Way]

[Mdog1]

I would say cocaine, but it never gave me that type of laugh... Maybe it's crack?

[Rich]

No one is really talking about him but if the Warriors keep winning and he keeps playing like this, David Lee should be an all-star.

[Numbers Guy]

i agree. everytime ed davis has played a wide majority of games, hes contributed fiercely on the defensive end. However i feel it's because of casey's way of giving young players limited minutes so that they can prove themselves so that they can make better decisions in the time that they have, and then build on that. It's a mind game that casey plays to make the players more competitive when fighting for minutes. however his boss is colangelo, and of course BC have a man-crush on bargnani so there may be some conflicts in minute distribution (see mitchell's firing after benching bargnani and resorting him to a 6th man position) so casey is the man to lead the raptors to solid contention, it's just our front office needs to learn that bargnani is not the player he's supposed to be and should move on after a mistake.

another reason why the front office is ruining the raptors is because they want to adopt a running small-ball offense and try to be a half court grind team like miami. it doesn't work, why?

1) we need a serious upgrade at the SF position, and that's only if that upgrade is a dude named lebron who can play both forward positions.
2) hybrid teams don't really work because you're going to give up on boards and size.
3) all our players are meant for the half-court grind (derozan is 10th best in the league with post ups, calderon and lowry don't really succeed well in running situations, our big men NEED pick and roll offense)
4) fuck landry fields
5) casey does not like running teams because he wants to grind and bang down low like his success with designing the mavericks defensive scheme in 2011.

until we see colangelo stop building this hybrid team bullshit, then the raptors will finally start building a half-court defensive foundation that we saw last year.

It must just be so frustrating to see reports like your the favorite to land Pau Gasol, signing Pietrus, Fields etc. when you guys have the pieces to be good with all that young talent. Lowry has been an all star snub for a few seasons now, Derozan is really coming into his own, Jonas is on pace to be one of the better centers in the league as much as it pained me to type that out.. Ross and Ed Davis are nice young players.. I just can't understand why you guys just don't go all youth with a motion offense and hope for the best.. it beats the hell out of whatever the hell you guys are doing now.

Anyway, Kobe hit 30,000 today.. youngest to do it. 4 out of the 5 top scorers in NBA history have played for the Lakers at some point in there career.. wow.

[Rich]

It must just be so frustrating to see reports like your the favorite to land Pau Gasol, signing Pietrus, Fields etc. when you guys have the pieces to be good with all that young talent. Lowry has been an all star snub for a few seasons now, Derozan is really coming into his own, Jonas is on pace to be one of the better centers in the league as much as it pained me to type that out.. Ross and Ed Davis are nice young players.. I just can't understand why you guys just don't go all youth with a motion offense and hope for the best.. it beats the hell out of whatever the hell you guys are doing now.

Anyway, Kobe hit 30,000 today.. youngest to do it. 4 out of the 5 top scorers in NBA history have played for the Lakers at some point in there career.. wow.

Where is it you guys see this? Do you actually see it in the games? Because here I am, watching another Raptors game, and the guy is barely in the game, and when he is, you don't really notice it. 1-4 tonight with 3 points and 3 rebounds. This is like basically the norm with him.

EDIT: And I'm not saying Jonas won't be good anymore than I'm saying Tristan will be good. Right now, I have no idea. Just...hard to say based on what he's done up to this point that he's on the path to stardom.

[melecoaze]

It must just be so frustrating to see reports like your the favorite to land Pau Gasol, signing Pietrus, Fields etc. when you guys have the pieces to be good with all that young talent. Lowry has been an all star snub for a few seasons now, Derozan is really coming into his own, Jonas is on pace to be one of the better centers in the league as much as it pained me to type that out.. Ross and Ed Davis are nice young players.. I just can't understand why you guys just don't go all youth with a motion offense and hope for the best.. it beats the hell out of whatever the hell you guys are doing now.

Anyway, Kobe hit 30,000 today.. youngest to do it. 4 out of the 5 top scorers in NBA history have played for the Lakers at some point in there career.. wow.

What? The guy has done nothing to deserve that statement. He is on pace to being one of the better centers in the league as well as Omri Casspi is on pace to being one of the better small forwards. I mean seriously, you guys should stop crying about how we passed on a guy that is averaging 8 points and 5 rebounds.

[Mdog1]

It must just be so frustrating to see reports like your the favorite to land Pau Gasol, signing Pietrus, Fields etc. when you guys have the pieces to be good with all that young talent. Lowry has been an all star snub for a few seasons now, Derozan is really coming into his own, Jonas is on pace to be one of the better centers in the league as much as it pained me to type that out.. Ross and Ed Davis are nice young players.. I just can't understand why you guys just don't go all youth with a motion offense and hope for the best.. it beats the hell out of whatever the hell you guys are doing now.

Anyway, Kobe hit 30,000 today.. youngest to do it. 4 out of the 5 top scorers in NBA history have played for the Lakers at some point in there career.. wow.

Also took him the second longest of any of those players

[RchfldCavRaised]

Rich and melecoaze...

Its all about being objective. If you actually watch the games and not the highlights or the stats, you can see why everyone said he would easily have been the 2nd pick in that, were it not for buyout situation. This isnt a shot at you guys, I just so happen to watch alot of games throughout the day and Raptors strike me as odd because its clear they are a better team as a result of having their PG and C now clearly defined.

There are things you can see if you just watch. The Raptors are doing alot of their players a disservice by not committing to a style of play. They are stuck trying to salvage Bargnani and by doing so, they are not playing to their strength as the roster is constructed and as Casey is fully capable of coaching. To be honest, Bargnani is REALLY slow and has absolutely no lateral quickness or athleticism. They spoonfeed him so he can be a threat. It is an anchor to everyone else on the team.

Things like that, political things, affect more than a stat sheet will ever show.

If Bargnani was injured or traded, I think the Raptors would be in the playoff talk right now. Lowry has been that good for them, Derozan is showing flashes and JV, while inconsistent, is showing flashes of being much more than just serviceable and is exactly what that team needs to shore up a good defense (without bargs) and run the floor to make use of Lowrys strengths and all the young guys they have.

[RchfldCavRaised]

Also... that was heartbreaking for the Bobcats last night but I will tell you what...

That team is fun to watch and they play the right way.

MKG made some costly errors in the last few minutes of the game, and I still dont like how reliant his offensive game is on throwing himself around and drawing fouls, but there is something to his selflessness that the whole team is playing with.

I dont know if that is partly Dunlap coming up from College and establishing that or not, or a combination of the two, but whatever it is, teh Bobcats look like they have direction now and they are being well coached. Kemba has a role that suits his skills, Gordon has a role. Biyombo is still developing as the first big off the bench. Mullens looks great as a high post big with range. I would kill to have Mullens, Zeller and Andy all together in Byron Scotts system.

Rich Cho needs to move some of the dead weight and/or turn it into a strong vet presence or two and I think that team has a future. Dead weight being Tyrus Thomas contract for starters. Also, I dont like anything about Gerald Henderson. I dont know if its all about Duke or not, but I just dont like watching him play ball. Jeff Taylor on the other hand, is better than I thought or saw from him last year at Vandy.

[Triumph36]

kyle lowry is sick. the most slept on top 10 pg in the league.

also, wanted to reiterate the lolraps comments. team has legit potential but mismanagement is gonna prevent them from capitalizing.

[randymoss1881]

joey crawford fucking up the game like usual. He has called fouls on jr smith for blinking at lebron and hits him with a quick T, when wade is bitching all day

[Rich]

So what are the thoughts on the Thunder? They took a lot of heat after that trade, but right now they look like geniuses.

I actually like the look of this team more than last years. Mainly this is due to Ibaka's improvement on offense (averaging 14.5 ppg) and the return of Eric Maynor. I think, right now, they are the favorites to get out of the West again.

[JJ Smooth]

Watching Knicks and Heat, and even without Melo NY is taking it to the champs.

What really stands out is the audience and the vacant seats. We have a potential ECF match-up and all I notice is the empty spots. I know it's easy to knock lackadaisical Miami fans, but it needs to be said every now and then. Hell, even Marv Albert noted the huge amount of NY fans there today.

Sad.