Official NBA Off-Season Thread. New 2012-2013 Thread Has Been Made. Please Post In There

[Bert.]

When healthy...
PG- Rubio
SG- Roy
SF- Kirilenko
PF- Love
C- Pekovic
6th- Derrick Williams
Isn't a bad lineup to run with.

def gonna be my favorite team to watch this year

already excited for fantasy basketball

 

[bhzmafia14]

I agree with CP.

Kevin Durant wrote on his Twitter feed on July 3rd that James Harden would not become a restricted free agent next summer.

"He not hittin the market," said Durant in a response to Nate Jones.

Durant was asked about his comments by Sean Deveney of Sporting News.

"I may be wrong," said Durant. "I don’t sign contracts, I don’t negotiate contracts."



Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/wireta...n_Certainty_Of_Harden_Extension#ixzz21qxMXHzB

lol. that's a big change of tone

 

[Bert.]

also Knicks vs Pistons to play in London, England January 17th

 

[coldcity]

I agree with CP.

Kevin Durant wrote on his Twitter feed on July 3rd that James Harden would not become a restricted free agent next summer.

"He not hittin the market," said Durant in a response to Nate Jones.

Durant was asked about his comments by Sean Deveney of Sporting News.

"I may be wrong," said Durant. "I don’t sign contracts, I don’t negotiate contracts."



Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/wireta...n_Certainty_Of_Harden_Extension#ixzz21qxMXHzB

lol. that's a big change of tone

cuz harden is starting to see $$$$

 

[finallyfamous]

Harden gets thrown the max, PEACE !!

 

[blazers21ntnp]

I could see the T'Wolves squeaking into the Playoffs, but health-wise, things would have to go near perfect for them.

The Nuggets may be in trouble, in terms of getting into the Playoffs. 9 of their first 12, 17 of their first 23 and 22 of their first 32 games are on the road. 3 sets of back-to-backs in the first 10 days of the season. Not walk over opponents during that stretch, either. Hopefully they can come out of those first 32 games with ~18 wins.

 

[dmbrhs]

Great read on Adam Morrison from Grantland...
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id...et-their-careers-back-track-nba-summer-league

This quote kind of bugged me though:

To my left sits an NBA assistant coach. He's disappointed. His team has roster spots to fill, but no summer league standouts to fill them. I ask him about the three players I've met. "I've never been a fan of Adam Morrison," he says. "He can't do anything but score."

I'd love to hear his opinions on the bums in the league who can't even do that.

 

[pmatic]

Injury keeps Ricky Rubio out of London Olympics, but his heart remains with Spain

Ricky Rubio is steering his BMW through the winding, hilly streets in this beach town along the Mediterranean, a beautiful woman named Anna tucked into the passenger seat. He bought himself a small house to live in his childhood home, just two doors away to be close to her. Over a lunch of cannelloni and fish near the water, they celebrated her birthday Thursday.

"Here, people know me as her grandson," Rubio says."They don't know me as much as the basketball player. I still like that."

Her 74th birthday falls on the day the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saint Anne, and she's smiling so brightly as Ricky tells the story twisting and turning through the narrow town streets. After dropping his grandmother home, Rubio heads to a recreation center in the neighboring town of Alella, where a photographer's waiting to use Europe's best young basketball player in a photo shoot to promote a charity benefiting mentally disabled children.

"Mira …Mira," Rubio says to a special-needs boy, whom the photographer's trying to inspire to smile for a picture. Rubio starts holding a basketball out to the boy, waving it in the air, and now he laughs and laughs and laughs.

"Bueno, bueno," the women watching coo.

Beneath Rubio's floppy hair, scruffy beard and a sunny, Spanish sky, he's wearing a blue polo, shorts and sandals. The scars on his left knee are unmistakable, five inches where the surgeons cut into him to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and and a torn small lateral collateral ligament that ended his magnificent rookie NBA season too soon in March with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team's trainer, Greg Farnam, has been here conducting Rubio's rehabilitation on the point guard's trip home to Spain. Next week, Rubio returns to Colorado for his every six-week examination with the surgeon.

"I hope by September I can start running again," Rubio says.

He is forever grateful to return to El Masnou, where his parents live in an apartment overlooking the sea. Life here always seemed a little slower than a few miles down the road in Barcelona, where Rubio played his first professional game as the boy wonder of 14 years old.

Though he came back here and sat courtside this week in Barcelona as Spain played Team USA in a likely precursor to the London Olympic gold medal game, it turned into one more excruciating exercise in these moments of rehabilitation. From Timberwolves teammate Kevin Love to Rubio's brotherhood with the Spanish national team, the exhibition on Tuesday night made Rubio understand all too well again that he wouldn't get a chance to chase gold in London with the world's best players.

"Hard watching basketball and not being part of it, especially a game like that this week," Rubio says."I felt like somebody was going to have to come grab me, because I'm going to jump out there at any time and try to play.

"But in my mind, there's a goal, and the goal is recovering 100 percent and making sure I'm never going to get hurt again in that knee."

Four years ago, Rubio was the youngest Olympic basketball player in history at 17 years old, a Spanish ACB league legend holding his own with Chris Paul and Deron Williams and Jason Kidd. Before Rubio left his house for Team USA's 100-78 victory on Tuesday, he found himself drifting back to that Beijing day watching a Spanish TV replay of the gold-medal game when he never did get the full chance to do his part and complete that upset victory against the Americans.

Spain played brilliantly for most of that game, pulling within a point in the fourth quarter of the gold-medal game. This was most of the world's introduction to the Spanish teen sensation, replete with a confidence, a command, from Rubio that grew with every Olympic tournament game.

"In the second quarter I got hurt on my wrist," Rubio says," and I went to the coach, and say, 'I can't shoot.' The coach say, 'It doesn't matter. Just do your best.' At halftime, it was hurting so much. I had surgery after that. I was having a lot of pain, but it was Olympic game final and I couldn't stop."

Rubio has grown up with his Spanish teammates, shares such a kinship with them, and thinks so often about how he wants to replicate that camaraderie, that fellowship, with the Timberwolves. Minnesota's roster keeps changing, and it's hard, but Rubio sees the way during rehab that his Spanish teammates reach out with texts and calls, telling him about the moments, the inside jokes, the basketball, that he's missing with them now. Somehow, he still feels like a part of Spain's national team.

"It was different [with the Timberwolves]," he says."My first year, I didn't know how to act. We can have a great team together if we are family outside the court. With the national team, you are playing on your vacation. But everybody wants to go, because you play for Spain. But secondly, it's because we are friends. Not just teammates, but friends. When I get hurt, I get 12 messages, one from each teammate. ‘We are going to miss you. No matter what, we'll always going to be with you.'

"That's a real family. You feel like you're a part of it. I want to bring that to Minnesota."

Rubio goes out of his way to call Love the leader on those Timberwolves, the best player, but Rubio showed something significant in those 41 games last season. He showed he wasn't some overhyped Euro, but a game-changer in the NBA, a ticket seller, a point guard players everywhere would die to have getting them the ball.

When Rubio started working out in suburban Los Angeles during the lockout, he sent word to his future Timberwolves teammates that they were welcome to come join him, play ball, grab some meals and develop some chemistry. No one showed.

"In the NBA, it's different than in Spain," Rubio says."Now that I know them, if that situation happens again, for sure we hang out. I didn't know them. New for me. I didn't know how they are. But I'm going to try to bring my experience from Europe to be a better team outside the court, be a family."

Rubio's always surrounded with family: His older brother Marc lives with him. His mother stops over to check on him Thursday afternoon. There have been the requisite doubts and depressing days in this rehab process, but Rubio moves past it all. He's relentlessly positive, well-grounded and introspective. His upbringing in this simple town, surrounded with generations of family and old friends, spared him some of the baggage too often burdening childhood prodigies. Some teen idols never have a career, but Rubio's on his way to something significant as a global basketball star.

Rubio is sipping ice water on the small outside deck his single-level house on the hill, and Farnam, the Timberwolves' trainer, is preparing for an evening workout at the gymnasium. The abode is modest, a bedroom, small kitchen, living room with a big television and surround sound. Outside, there's a small pool that edges against 12 or 13 feet of shooting space near the basket. An old hoop leans over the deck of the little pool, but looks like it's making its final stand. No more dunking from the pool, he's warned his buddies. Otherwise, that thing will come tumbling down soon.

"Why do I need more?" he says. "I have my pool. I have my room."

Now, Rubio taps the table in his yard and says, "This is the most important thing, just having this to be able to hang with my friends."

Maybe all that becomes easier with a different locker room in Minnesota, something that Love said as much as recently. Brandon Roy comes out of retirement. Alexey Shved is the young Russian guard, and soon, the Timberwolves can sign Andrei Kirilenko to his two-year, $20 million contract. Rubio earned his respect around the NBA the way he had as a teenager playing with men in the Spanish league: He can deftly control a game with his passing, his shotmaking, and the extraordinary ability to make the uncommon seem so common.

The morning after news had broken about his knee injury, Rubio was so moved to see stars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant reaching out on Twitter, wishing him well and telling him he was a hell of a player. Rubio had become the kind of NBA player other players liked watching, and that's hard to do in half an NBA season.

"That was like a big present for me," he says."They made me smile in one of the tough moments of my life."

Link

 

[buc em]

When healthy...
PG- Rubio
SG- Roy
SF- Kirilenko
PF- Love
C- Pekovic
6th- Derrick Williams
Isn't a bad lineup to run with.

I see the avy change.....has there been any new talk about an Iggy trade to the Wolves?

 

[ggarvinxx3]

Link

Dude got a tattoo of Grady Sanford and Son 

 

[651akathepaul]

I could see Morrison fitting in with the Wolves. Seriously though...I could.

 

[shox23]

jordan should bring the ammo back lord knows they need some scoring

 

[mjsaver]

That was a great read about Morrison. I've always felt that he was written off prematurely after he blew his ACL in his follow up to his solid rookie season. The Lakers could really use his shooting with Nash having the ball and could assist them with scoring off the bench, something that the Lakers could desperately use.

+1 that was a great read, wherever he goes ill be rooting for him and to think he was beyond buried in LA......its crazy how things workout sometimes. (teams, coaches,timing)

 

[datznasty]

I like Ammo back in the league, still would like to Whale Killer back, Terrence Kinsey is too good to be in the D League, get Marcus Haislip out of Turkey just so he can put back dunk on somebody, can't believe nobody picked up Renaldo Balkman and Hilton Armstrong yet. I'd murder Cole for either of them. And I never saw him play, allegedly he got that wetter, at a career 42% from 3, but this dude looks 6. Bad signing.

 

[humpasaurus rex]

LOL this kid converted to a Nets fan after the Lin debacle.

 

[pdouly33]

Kevin Durant may need to brush up on how restricted free agency works.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

 get Marcus Haislip out of Turkey just so he can put back dunk on somebody
 

THIS

 

[dmbrhs]

+1 that was a great read, wherever he goes ill be rooting for him and to think he was beyond buried in LA......its crazy how things workout sometimes. (teams, coaches,timing)

I think what doomed him (aside from the injury) is that he played under the two worst possible coaches and/or circumstances. He started his career under Larry Brown, who hates young players. Then he got injured, ended up on the Lakers, who were in the midst of runs to the Finals, so Phil wasn't messing with the rotation. He just got buried, and ended up on the sorry Wizards, who literally told half their top players last year to GET OUT. I'm not saying Morrison doesn't shoulder the blame, but I don't think he ever got a fair shake in the league. I hope he can come in and be a good role player, at least.

 

[solarius49]

Great read on Adam Morrison from Grantland...
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id...et-their-careers-back-track-nba-summer-league

This quote kind of bugged me though:

To my left sits an NBA assistant coach. He's disappointed. His team has roster spots to fill, but no summer league standouts to fill them. I ask him about the three players I've met. "I've never been a fan of Adam Morrison," he says. "He can't do anything but score."

I'd love to hear his opinions on the bums in the league who can't even do that.

I feel like if you're signing summer league players, 9 times out of 10, you're looking for defenders/rebounders/dirty work type players. Most of the teams in the league already have guys who can score the ball. I like Morrison, but I think he missed his chance due to sheer bad luck

 

[dman14]

^he never improved his gm after all these years. he's suppose to be a scorer, but he can barely do that in the nba

 

[mmg]

^he never improved his gm after all these years. he's suppose to be a scorer, but he can barely do that in the nba

when was the last time we saw Morrison in the NBA? honestly the last thing i can remeber about him was his rookie year, thats all.

give the dude a shoot, we have players everyday that dont deserve a half the money they are getting, lets see is Adam can shoot, if he can come off the bench, drop a couple of buckets, hit a big 3 or 2 and spread the floor, im all for it, i hope he gets his shot and sticks.

 

[Bert.]

^he never improved his gm after all these years. he's suppose to be a scorer, but he can barely do that in the nba

he could catch on like Novak.

dude was buns and still is but got hot this year and got paid. If morrison gets a shot and can produce is would do wonders for his self esteem.

he can be a serviceable player in this league, i know it.

 

[buc em]

The thing is.....Novak will camp out in the corner all day long and catch and shoot a team's lights out. Morrison has said on repeated occasions that he needs to have the ball in his hands and he does not like waiting in the corner to be a catch and shoot player. And to be the player that Morrison thinks he can be he has to be A LOT more explosive. He's ended up in bad situations but he's just straight up not cut out for the NBA game. I mean, congrats, he's 28 and played in the NBA, NBDL and overseas for the past 5 years and now he's dropping buckets on for the most part a bunch of 21 year old undrafted rookies in meaningless summer league games. Dude is also playing at 110% while most of these other good rookies and second year guys are cruising their way to 20 points in these games.

 

[Bert.]

i dont think Morrison played in the D-league

 

[Spectacular23]

Harden Open To Signing With Suns
Jul 27, 2012 8:02 PM EDT

James Harden will consider signing with the Suns if his contract expires after next season.

"Yeah," he said. "Of course. I love it there. My mom lives there still. So that's definitely my second home as far as my comfort level and going to school there. But obviously, I'm with the Thunder right now and what we have is special."

Oklahoma City will be able to match any offer Harden receives.

"That's out of my hands," Harden said. "That's not my decision. That's the front office. I'll let them decide that."