Official NBA 2012-2013 Season Thread

[seymore cake]

Ska you were wrong...

I was going to turn that thread into a Kobe v Magic v Larry...

You denied me my quest for greatness. Our friendship is in jeopardy now.

 

[darthska]

If it would have turned into a Kobe vs. Magic vs. _______ thread, I would have gotten banned.

 

[CP1708]

Ska you were wrong...

I was going to turn that thread into a Kobe v Magic v Larry...

You denied me my quest for greatness. Our friendship is in jeopardy now.

The Legacy thread is open, by all means drop that convo in there, I'd love to read it.

 

[solarius49]

do you guys think that this will increase any trade rumors around Russy?


I would love to see a pass first PG in that option, but with Thabo and Perk in their starting lineup, where would they get that scoring from?


I dont even know a (healthy) pass first PG that is a realistic trade option for Russy.

If the Thunder got a pass first PG they would not be anywhere near as good as they are now IMO. I said this when the Rondo rumors were floating around last year; the scoring that he provides is too important. Last year they only had 3 double digit scorers: Durant, Westbrook and Harden, if Rondo and his 9 points a game went there what would happen. I doubt he could really make his team mates better to the point where people like Thabo and Ibaka start putting up mid teens numbers to make up for what Russell would take with him. Ibaka has started to pick it up and K Mart is gettign 15 a game, but they still arent as exposive as Westbrook and cant create their own shots which is one of his main positives now that Harden is gone.

In a GM fantasy land, if the Thunder could trade Westbrook for Steph, Paul, Rose, Parker, Williams, or another PG whos scoring ability and passing ability are equal then they would be a good, but a pass first PG wouldnt work here at all IMO.

dope answer, some to Datznasty

thanks

 

[worldbeefreeg]

D. Will's place is like 4 blocks from mine, bout to loiter around his crib

 

[datznasty]

 

[proshares]

Andre Drummond's path to stardom.

Andre Drummond has been a revelation. Not only is he playing like someone who should have been the second pick in the draft (instead of the ninth), but he has executives and coaches thinking he can be the best player from this class. Yes, better than No. 1 pick and national collegiate player of the year Anthony Davis.

But as amazing as Drummond has been, and as bright as the future looks in Detroit, there is still a huge learning curve for him to undergo if he is going to be an All-Star-level performer, which is absolutely in his wheelhouse. (That's what an 18-point, 18-rebound game as a 19-year-old will do for your projected future.)

Being as young as he is gives both the Pistons and him time to develop his game the right way. But if they want to get back into playoff contention sooner, Detroit will need him to improve faster and to higher heights than most.

So how can Detroit do that with Drummond? Here's a four-step manual:




ROOKIE 50 RANKINGS
We're keeping track of every NBA rook. Here are the latest Top 50 rankings.

Rank Player Stock
1 Damian Lillard
2 Andre Drummond
3 Anthony Davis
4 Andrew Nicholson
5 Bradley Beal
6 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
7 Jared Sullinger
8 Dion Waiters
9 Brian Roberts
10 Pablo Prigioni

• Click here for the complete rankings »


1. Improve conditioning and strength
The conditioning aspect of the game is typically as much a mental hurdle as it is a physical one. Being able to run, spring, push, pull, jump and shoot for three quarters of the game and still have the energy to produce late in games certainly takes a finely conditioned athlete. In time, Drummond can get to that level. But he must be able to think for that amount of time, too. And that is more often the problem with young players, and possibly a reason why he averaged only 22.2 minutes in January.

Bobby Knight once said concentration was the single most important thing for a basketball player. For Drummond to be able to handle 100 to 180 more minutes per month, he'll first need to prepare himself for that task. So incorporating better eating habits and off-day workouts will be in order. Concentration is impossible for tired athletes. Once he is in fine shape, he'll be better able to handle the increased mental workload, which also will improve with experience.

Increased strength is a necessity as well, as the more punishment he can dish out, the more energy he'll save; it takes less energy to dish out than to receive. I'd be wary of adding weight and instead focus on increased lean muscle mass. Think Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard -- lean and strong rather than big and bulky.


2. Value position on the floor
Earlier in their careers, LeBron James and Kevin Durant felt as though they could score wherever they first caught a pass. While they were right at times, they didn't score so efficiently when they started their offense far from the basket.

It's a lesson most players have to learn, including Drummond, if he ever wants to be a scorer. He loves to fly to the rim on offensive putbacks and lobs in transition, or catch a sweet dime from a teammate driving and dropping. But he typically doesn't even try to catch passes in the paint when he's being defended -- he either chooses to just walk away from the paint or allows himself to be shoved out.

As James and Durant learned, every step closer to the rim that they catch the ball increases their chances of getting to the rim, drawing a foul or both. When Drummond begins to punish guys inside, sealing them on his butt or pinning them to one side of his hips or the other, all while he's in the paint, his scoring numbers will soar. The prime real estate on a basketball court is the land directly under and around the rim.


3. Have a post plan
Duncan attacks the middle repeatedly from the low post -- I once heard that he went middle on his post moves 175 consecutive times. Whether that's accurate, the point remains: Attacking middle is the best move for a posting player. By going middle first, the post player has passing options anywhere on the floor rather than only to the corner if he turns baseline first. It also means he has a counter to the baseline, where there is rarely help waiting, as opposed to countering middle into the teeth of the defense. Duncan knows this, puts it into his scoring plan and then executes it.

Asking Drummond to finish shots at a high rate when he's being defended well is not fair at this point in his career, but asking him to understand the best way to attack a defender is. His plan can change from game to game and possession to possession, but it should include things such as: attack middle, use quick attacks, show shot fakes, take sharp angles, build one counter, then add a second.

Once Drummond creates his plan of attack from the post, he will give himself a better foundation to read and react to the defense, and even the ability to dictate his offense, which is the key to any great post scorer. As he adds moves to his arsenal he can edit his plan, but it should begin with being simple yet powerful. Being indecisive or making a baseline move initially are recipes for turnovers and missed shots. Because of that, Drummond does not hunt post position as he could.


[+] Enlarge
Allen Einstein/NBAE/Getty Images
Go up strong, big man!

4. Play with balance
Picture this: A center grabbing the ball inside off of a rebound or a pass, shot-faking violently while staying in the exact same spot, then exploding straight up and dunking the ball powerfully straight down. It's something we've seen Shaquille O'Neal and Howard do countless times.

The reason that image is ingrained in our minds is that most big men don't make that play enough. Many bigs just twist while off-balance to get a shot off quickly or quick-jump back up as opposed to gathering and powerfully going up.

But Drummond is a physical force. If he were to hold the ball tightly, use his body and arms to shield it from prying hands, then lift off the way a rocket takes off from a launching pad, he'd be mostly untouchable as he dunked or finished over the rim. He'd probably earn more free throws as well.

Drummond makes less than 45 percent of his shots close to the rim, a number certain to rise when he starts his shot with a better foundation -- legs spread, knees bent, ball protected. It's one reason why I like shot fakes for players inside -- it slows them down and helps them gather before they make their move.

In time, Drummond should have improved strength and power to play with more balance even on quick action plays. He will be even more dangerous if he adds a violent fake because the defender will be hyper-aware of Drummond's ability to finish that first move.


Outlook
With his enormous upside, Drummond has drawn comparisons to Howard, who has dominated thanks to the same formula that made O'Neal into a legend: (1) incredible agility with a huge body; (2) great power and balance inside; and (3) the disposition to dominate the paint.

Drummond has the first box checked off. And he has shown flashes of the other two. Still, hundreds of talented men have shown glimpses and now reside on benches in the NBA or on rosters in Europe. Drummond is no longer seen as a risk of a prospect, but he needs to make progress in those latter two areas to be the best player he can be. Following the four-step plan above will help him reach stardom sooner rather than later.

 

[seymore cake]

Ska you were wrong...

I was going to turn that thread into a Kobe v Magic v Larry...

You denied me my quest for greatness. Our friendship is in jeopardy now.

The Legacy thread is open, by all means drop that convo in there, I'd love to read it.

I was going to turn that thread into the last major scene from Shotta's

 

[T0INE]

I wonder how much Jordan Brand played a factor in getting Westbrook and Griffin on the cover. Probably a lot.

Correct.

They wanted Westbrook and Blake as a dual cover but logistics couldn't be worked out.

 

[antidope]

Pablo Prigioni over Harrison Barnes?

Ok.......

do you guys think that this will increase any trade rumors around Russy?


I would love to see a pass first PG in that option, but with Thabo and Perk in their starting lineup, where would they get that scoring from?


I dont even know a (healthy) pass first PG that is a realistic trade option for Russy.

If the Thunder got a pass first PG they would not be anywhere near as good as they are now IMO. I said this when the Rondo rumors were floating around last year; the scoring that he provides is too important. Last year they only had 3 double digit scorers: Durant, Westbrook and Harden, if Rondo and his 9 points a game went there what would happen. I doubt he could really make his team mates better to the point where people like Thabo and Ibaka start putting up mid teens numbers to make up for what Russell would take with him. Ibaka has started to pick it up and K Mart is gettign 15 a game, but they still arent as exposive as Westbrook and cant create their own shots which is one of his main positives now that Harden is gone.

In a GM fantasy land, if the Thunder could trade Westbrook for Steph, Paul, Rose, Parker, Williams, or another PG whos scoring ability and passing ability are equal then they would be a good, but a pass first PG wouldnt work here at all IMO.

dope answer, some to Datznasty

thanks

You're always posting good questions bro

 

[alphawolf]

Dwill got good taste. I love his house. Very relaxing 

 

[mjshoefanatic]

That kitchen is serious.

Not for me. Listen, I'm not saying I wouldn't take it in a heartbeat (because I would), but I wouldn't opt for an industrial looking kitchen in my home.

Dude probably has a chef and cooking staff so perhaps that "industrial looking kitchen" is very necessary.

^^^ The Clippers haven't worn those blue alternate unis enough this season. Only once or twice so far that I can remember. I actually like them better than the regular road reds.

I prefer blues over reds

I guess Rudy might make his Raptor debut tonight after all--

Toronto Raptors ‏@Raptors
Stay tuned... RT @RaptorsMR: Bryan Colangelo tells media everything is on track at the moment for Rudy to be in uniform tonight. #Raptors

He'll probably drop 30 on us today :x

 

[solarius49]

who the hell is this munchkin on NBATV?

 

[coldcity]

I NEED A DR1 where can i find one right now?

they go on sale in a couple weeks

nah they are live now...

http://store.nba.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13214808

about to cop the dr1

I just want the shorts... although that Pooh is looking crazy

im getting the shorts when i see them too

I want those and the Phoenix jawns... They were looking too crazy the other day v LAL

just grabbed the rose lmk when you see the shorts i need em

 

[alphawolf]

I'd rather play with 24 year old WB than 24 year old Kobe. Kobe ran Shaq outta town. No way is WB gonna run Durant out of town. WB was wrong for what he did tonight but Kobe was unbearable to play with even after he won 3 championships.

You must be 5 years old in 2004. 24 years old kobe would own westbrook any day of the week and twice on Sunday

 

[lobotomybeats]

who the hell is this munchkin on NBATV?

Sekou Smith

 

[651akathepaul]

I'd rather play with 24 year old WB than 24 year old Kobe. Kobe ran Shaq outta town. No way is WB gonna run Durant out of town. WB was wrong for what he did tonight but Kobe was unbearable to play with even after he won 3 championships.

You must be 5 years old in 2004. 24 years old kobe would own westbrook any day of the week and twice on Sunday

Yes...Because that's what he was talking about.

 

[mjshoefanatic]

All the teams shown above besides the Hawks are in action tonight, so I think they will be wearing their throwbacks.

Bulls

Hawks

Suns

Heat

 

[100027]

Bulls

Hawks

Suns

Heat

Bucks jersey is the best one IMO

 

[grandtheftbike]

I NEED A DR1 where can i find one right now?

they go on sale in a couple weeks

nah they are live now...

http://store.nba.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13214808

about to cop the dr1

I just want the shorts... although that Pooh is looking crazy

im getting the shorts when i see them too

I want those and the Phoenix jawns... They were looking too crazy the other day v LAL

just grabbed the rose lmk when you see the shorts i need em

me tooooo i just want the shorts

 

[frshstunna]

That kitchen is serious.

Not for me. Listen, I'm not saying I wouldn't take it in a heartbeat (because I would), but I wouldn't opt for an industrial looking kitchen in my home.

Well I assume Deron will be cooking absolutely none of his meals in there, otherwise he should have gotten a more open and friendly kitchen. But a restaurant kitchen with his own chef back there? Not bad.

I would luv a crib wit my own restaurant kitchen

 

[pmatic]

@ChrisMannixSI Update: Rudy Gay will play for Toronto tonight. All players have passed physicals, trade has been finalized.

Raptors, Grizzlies and Pistons are all playing tonight.

 

[mjshoefanatic]

Bulls

Hawks

Suns

Heat

Bucks jersey is the best one IMO

The colors are nice but that huge *** deer is Fn annoying.

 

[finallyfamous]

those jerseys just scream memories of growing up..

trading cards, video games, etc.

 

[bhzmafia14]

Rudy Gay trade is finalized. All players passed their physicals. So, I'm expecting Rudy to play vs the Clippers and Prince, Daye, Davis to play against Washington.

Pera on the trade:

"Between Tayshaun Prince's winning pedigree, the league's best perimeter defense, and Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph returning back to the focal point of the offense; I believe we are a far more dangerous playoff team today."
Certainly. If you look at NBA history, there have been dominant superstars that can carry teams on their shoulders and deliver championships. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Lebron James are some that come to mind. But history has proven that teams also can win titles without dominant superstars.

The defensive-minded Detroit Pistons teams are an example. This team was built for playoff basketball. In playoff basketball, getting defensive stops and creating high percentage scoring opportunities under pressure becomes much more important.

The recent San Antonio Spurs teams have also played at a consistent championship level without a dominant superstar. And I believe with our recent moves, this Grizzlies team as now constructed can potentially become the latest example.

Getting one of the most talented young power forwards in the league (Ed Davis) was an added bonus.

Jason and the front office did an outstanding job in positioning this team for playoff success this year. We can do some serious damage in these playoffs.

Hope it works