2015-2016 NBA Regular Season - MDA to HOU - All-NBA - Harden snubbed - Anthony Davis is broke

[johnnyredstorm]

Blazers just had a good 3-4 in Batum/LMA, and they hit their ceiling each time, early playoff exits.

That doesn't even factor RoLo, Wes and Affalo.

They don't make it thru Rd 1 this year if not for CP3/Blake.

They fought hard, but unless they manage to lure a big free agent (they never have before) there isn't much growth for them in the near future.

To be fair, McCollum wasn't where he is currently, Wes got hurt last year as did Batum, and that was probably their best shot.

 

[frshstunna]

I don't think anybody is saying the blazers are going to be a championship team ...with some roster upgrades they should continue to be a good , playoff team ...only a couple teams in the league got a shot at winning a title anyway, they get a lil better n no reason why they can't be winning a series or 2 in the playoffs on a regular basis

 

[carver]

Hopefully we update our jersey this year

 

[CP1708]

Blazers just had a good 3-4 in Batum/LMA, and they hit their ceiling each time, early playoff exits.

That doesn't even factor RoLo, Wes and Affalo.

They don't make it thru Rd 1 this year if not for CP3/Blake.

They fought hard, but unless they manage to lure a big free agent (they never have before) there isn't much growth for them in the near future.

To be fair, McCollum wasn't where he is currently, Wes got hurt last year as did Batum, and that was probably their best shot.

Sort of my point, CJ never would be THIS CJ with LMA/Batum etc. So getting a new 3-4, someone's losin shots again.

He flourished this year because he had the ball, start adding bodies, what does he give you going forward?

 

[mgrand15]

CJ was behind Wes Matthews them Afflalo. Had nothing to do with LMA. A really good secondary ball handler is 100% needed nowadays. That's what CJ is.

 

[FreshLeeLA]

Read it somewhere but Blazers need to go hard after Horford this offseason, think he would be a great fit.

 

[Peep Game]

They're already upper echelon, they made the playoffs. What went so perfect for them this year? The fact that they won games?
It's not overachieving. You don't call the Warriors winning 73 games overachieving. You add any star caliber front court player to this team and they're a top 5 seed in the west.

Based on what the Warriors did last year, 73-9 isn't overachieving at all, and nearly a forgone conclusion they'd win 70+ games. That was simply natural trajectory

 

[silverbackhoney]

How is it any different from the Warriors situation?
theres no such thing as overachieving in the NBA. You just achieve. Underachieving on the other hand definitely exists, teams like the Rockets and Clippers who are supposed to compete each year always disappoint in May.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Read it somewhere but Blazers need to go hard after Horford this offseason, think he would be a great fit.

This is a pretty good idea. Might as well bring in Bazemore too.

 

[HNL HI]

man I usually hate sleeve jerseys but those jazz joints are fire

 

[Peep Game]

How is it any different from the Warriors situation?
theres no such thing as overachieving in the NBA. You just achieve. Underachieving on the other hand definitely exists, teams like the Rockets and Clippers who are supposed to compete each year always disappoint in May.

It's entirely different. Warriors had a natural progression for years and built to where they are now. 47, 51, and 67 wins. It wasn't at all an anamoly that they won 73 games. Hell, they should've won 76. Blazers had nearly an entirely new roster, and usually changing an entire roster never amounts to immediate dividends. Everybody expected them to be a 12th place team, but they ended up exceeding expectations. So yes, the Blazers did overachieve, as did the Mavericks. Rockets had a natural progression as well, just so happens that their peak seemed to be last year based on everything that happened. 8th, 4th, 2nd, then bottomed out this year. I'll give you the Clippers, even though I feel like they would've beaten the Blazers, but they just happened to catch a bad break with those bad iniurues.

 

[illoquent aka dsk]

 
NT's own @SLAM Ed  with a lot of truth in here.

http://www.complex.com/sports/2016/05/dwight-howard-charles-barkley-problems

Multiple things in there I don't agree with.

I think Russ missed the point of Dwight's appearance on Inside.

For context...news from March (and I know he knows this, he's not dumb):

After years of feuding, Houston Rockets star Dwight Howard and future Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal are partnering.
Howard plans to hire O’Neal’s agent, Perry Rogers, for his new representation, multiple sources told The Vertical. Rogers could file official paperwork with the National Basketball Players Association as soon as Friday, sources said. Rogers doesn't have any other NBA clients and established his reputation as tennis legend Andre Agassi's longtime agent.

O’Neal, a longtime public nemesis of Howard’s, had extensive conversations with the Houston center and sold him on the marketing of “Superman” and the representation of Rogers, sources said. The potential of marketing Howard and O’Neal in advertisements together played a role, too, sources said.

"(O’Neal) reached out to me (weeks ago) and felt like this could be something that could really help me in my future," Howard, who — like O’Neal — played for the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers, told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. "We talked, more so about basketball. And then we started talking about agents and all that stuff.

"He said, 'Hey, I've got somebody who really helped change my life and really sculptured the Shaq that you see today.' He introduced me to Perry. Perry came down to Houston. We had a really good conversation. It was a decision I made on my own. That’s why I liked it, because I decided to make it. There wasn't anybody who was around, anybody who could say, 'Yo, what do you think?' I went with what I felt was right (for) me."

The beef between the two big men, it appears, is officially over.

"I don’t necessarily have an issue with Shaq," Howard said. "People say, 'Well, he’s the real Superman and all of this stuff. But that man has had a very good career. ... Why wouldn’t anybody want to say, 'I want to be like Shaq,' with all of the stuff that he has accomplished on and off the court, with his personality, all that stuff? (It’s) something for anybody to want to look up to."

So it was clear to me that everything involving Dwight being on that show was just one long PR session. Little things like the Superman pin and giving his honest basketball analysis to the "intervention" and questions from Chuck & Kenny. Not to say it was completely staged or anything like that. My belief is he walked in there and sat down having at least a good idea of what was coming, and what to say when the time came.

The whole point is he's trying to rehabilitate his image. Responding with attacks on Shaq/Chuck, pulling out his HOF stats, etc. wouldn't have done him any good and failed what the agent was setting him up for.

Matter of fact, that sounds like something Shaq's petty *** would've done.

But yeah, the awkwardness and discomforting questions are what made that segment work. You know how I feel about Dwight and what I think of his act. I thought it was compelling TV and couldn't turn away. They purposefully put Dwight in a tough spot and he handled it well. Judging from the reaction on social media, it made more than a few folks feel sympathy for him. So in regards to what the overall goal is, I'd say the segment was a success.

 

[pmatic]

Hope the Blazers don't become what the Suns have become (discounting the dysfunction).

 

[Deleted member 37467]

Man, once I noticed that Superman pin I stopped watching,

Dwight's a great player but I've never liked him and I've never met a single person who claimed to be a fan of his.

 

[ironmike]

131 voters and not 1 gave a vote to Bron i find that kind of shocking

Forgot who said it, but I cosign the idea that Curry is the first unanimous MVP partially because the Voter's choices are made public now. No one wants to be flamed for being the one guy who voted Kwahi/LeBron and not Curry. Everyone knew Curry had it on lock. 73-9 and not win MVP? Cmon. I woulda just voted for Kobe just to mess with people 

 

[illoquent aka dsk]

Dwight's a great player but I've never liked him and I've never met a single person who claimed to be a fan of his.

On point.

I've said it before too...I've yet to meet a Dwight Howard fan in real life. Maybe I passed by some kid that ****** with him back when he won the dunk contest. IDK. Certainly not a grown *** man.

I also acknowledge he gets a ton of unfair criticism though. Some of it he brings on himself, a lot of the rest is unwarranted. And some dudes have such little respect for him that they've convinced themselves he's not HOF worthy. Crazy.

What's good broski? How's life?

 

[abubakr shaheed]

did curry deserve a unanimous mvp - yes
did MANY players before him also deserve a unanimous mvp - absolutely

jordan led the league in scoring (30ppg), was first team all nba defense (curry will never be close to that) and the bulls won 72 games. and he wasn't unanimous. i think 3 other players received first place votes.

 

[ill steelo]

Read it somewhere but Blazers need to go hard after Horford this offseason, think he would be a great fit.

A big who can roll and finish or find the open man when the defense helps is vital given how much PnR everybody runs today. Horford would be a huge get for Portland.

Just not sure if he'll turn down 5/150 from the Hawks.

 

[Deleted member 37467]

Dwight's a great player but I've never liked him and I've never met a single person who claimed to be a fan of his.

On point.

I've said it before too...I've yet to meet a Dwight Howard fan in real life. Maybe I passed by some kid that ****** with him back when he won the dunk contest. IDK. Certainly not a grown *** man.

I also acknowledge he gets a ton of unfair criticism though. Some of it he brings on himself, a lot of the rest is unwarranted. And some dudes have such little respect for him that they've convinced themselves he's not HOF worthy. Crazy.

What's good broski? How's life?

I don't even think I've seen a Dwight jersey in real life other than on sales racks @ Lids.

He's easily HOF, tho, that's not even up for debate.

Can't complain, bruh, how about yourself?

You copping CoD Remastered?

1v1 on Shipment, winner gets a case of 4 Loko?

 

[illoquent aka dsk]

Man I'm pretty much done with all that ****. Good times.

You ever came byke to NY or still in Vegas for good? I told myself I'd plan a trip out there sometime in the future...

 

 

[tommyicerocking]

Hassan Whiteside is the best fit for the Blazers.

But I don't see Miami Heat letting him go. I think Hassan would prefer South Beach over the Mountains 

 

[Deleted member 37467]

Man I'm pretty much done with all that ****. Good times.

You ever came byke to NY or still in Vegas for good? I told myself I'd plan a trip out there sometime in the future...  

Same, haven't played in forever,

I'm in NY just relaxing w/ friends because my place in Vegas got broken into and I needed to clear my head.

I should be back out there soon, tho, PM me if you take a trip out there.

Coke and strippers on me.

 

[JD617]

I didn't know that about Shaq/Dwight. Good info.

I'm in the camp that's not really a fan of Dwight, just tired of the TNT guys' schtick.

 

[HNL HI]

Hassan Whiteside is the best fit for the Blazers.

But I don't see Miami Heat letting him go. I think Hassan would prefer South Beach over the Mountains 

thats a long *** jet ski ride to khaled's house from portland

 

[HNL HI]

Dwight finally doing something smart, your image is just as important as your game. You're only hurting your pockets with all the antics.