* Offiical NBA Off-Season Thread: I'll give one of my damn kidney's for these Melo rumors to stop *

[duba169]

darko pulled a robbery without the gun and mask

 

[shuges]

Originally Posted by MrONegative

Skip To My Lou is headed to China. So Darko's getting paid healthy and Rafer can't backup anyone in this league? Shame.

Can't teach size. Bigs will just about always get the benefit of the doubt in the L.

 

[duba169]

ortland Trailblazers center Greg Oden has been battling back from a busted knee cap, but no one knows exactly when he’ll be back. And no one knows exactly how good he really is after he was taken with the No. 1-overall pick in 2007. Every time he starts to show you something, he gets hurt.

And this injury is no different. No one can say exactly when he’ll return to the floor, but it’s not going to be any time soon.

After a recent workout that apparently impressed some of the brass with the Trailblazers, Oden awoke the next morning with noticeably swelling in his knee. It’s a minor setback considering he’s probably not going to be back until December at the earliest.

But, the Trailblazers seem to truly not have any clue when he’ll be ready to go. That has to be the biggest trouble spot.

“If I knew he’d be back Nov. 30, I’d say it,

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by DubA169

Canzano states that he felt frustrated all summer about how the front office seemed to be holding back information on when Oden would return. He now says that it’s become clear to him that they just have no idea when it will be.

This dude been on that tip forever, he's like Fox Mulder, thinks everything the Blazers do is conspiracy type @#$%. 

I imagine the truth is somewhere in the middle, I don't think they are holding back per say, but maybe they honestly just aren't sure when he'll be totally healthy, if at all.  But regardless of it all, it looks like that knee is still messed up, and we goin on almost 11 months now.  I mean......

  

 

[steve cash]

i dont think Oden will ever be back

 

[mjshoefanatic]

Blake Griffin

 

[extraordinary swag]

Originally Posted by mjshoefanatic

Blake Griffin

man I hope he stays healthy, he lost NO hops at all coming back from that injury

 

[jpzx]

I'm encouraged by how the Timberwolves have been performing so far. 

 

[the anomolie]

I heard Lebron did some crazy dunk tonight. Anybody know about this?

 

[mjshoefanatic]

Originally Posted by ExtRaOrDinaRy SwAg

Originally Posted by mjshoefanatic

Blake Griffin

man I hope he stays healthy, he lost NO hops at all coming back from that injury

that was a no-brainer. dude is a freak of nature.

 

[N41D]

BG is THAT DUDE... I gotta get League Pass for the sole purpose of skimming every god damn Clippers game. 

 

 

[scuse7]

Yeah patella wouldn't do anything to stop him

 

[yeeupp]

Originally Posted by JPZx

I'm encouraged by how the Timberwolves have been performing so far. 

Sorry to remind you but, the season start in two weeks.

 

[duba169]

sooooooooo lebron left the game with an injury????


the plan is all coming together...

 

[hood17]

Originally Posted by JPZx

I'm encouraged by how the Timberwolves have been performing so far. 

Kevin Love with 16/15 in 25 minutes tonight

 

[al3xis]

If you call leg cramps an injury.

 

[23bryan]

Originally Posted by mjshoefanatic

Blake Griffin

  

 

[duba169]

windhorst called it an injury. says he won't play in the next game, will be interesting to see bosh command the team.

 

[ex carrabba fan]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Originally Posted by ex carrabba fan

Plus we all know how well LA plays in Portland

I absolutely LOVE when people bring this topic up.  Gives me the chills.  Yes, yes we do all know how the Lakers play in Portland.  6 and 3 at the Rose Garden.........in the postseason. 

But you're right, Lakers can't win there in the regular season.  Just postseason. 

Local radio guy here is hinting that he thinks Oden may go under the knife again.  He won't go on record, he isn't saying it's a certainty, but he is saying that he hears whispers and that they are getting louder.  *shrugs*  Not sure if he is telling the truth or just trying to gain radio ratings or whatever and have people panicking calling in or what not. 

Relax, when was the last time LA played Portland in the playoffs? 

The more recent games sans Shaquille, Portland has fared well.

Anyway as I was saying Portland and OKC are my two other West teams assuming they both stay healthy, and then Dallas and SA are next after that. I just wish OKC had somebody they could throw it into every once in a while... Kristic/Collison/Serge/Cole

 

[IATT]

Originally Posted by ex carrabba fan

Originally Posted by SHUGES

[h3]

The franchise's prospects are dimmer now than two years ago. Theway Kevin Pritchard and Tom Penn were sent away is not the way afranchise headed in the right direction operates, regardless of whatyou think of Pritchard's performance. Nate McMillan even chose not tosign an extension, which speaks volumes. Rudy Fernandez wants out, Brandon Roy and Andre Millerhave struggled to mesh, and Roy, at the tender age of 26, is having ahard time staying healthy for a full season. That doesn't sound to melike a team in the least bit ready to knock off the defending champs.

[/h3]

Gotta agree with this.

The past 2-3 years I've been waiting for Atl in the East and Por in the West to take "the next step". Just hasn't happened. And I don't see it happening soon either. Both of those squads have allowed teams like OKC and Mil to catch and/or leapfrog them while they (Atl & Por) have remained stuck in quicksand.

That is all true but at the same time Oden could change everything. Obviously it would be foolish to bank on his health and maybe even Roy's but if both stay healthy I like them in a match up against LA more than OKC.

OKC doesn't have anyone who can operate in the paint yet, while Portland at least has Aldridge [although a bit soft can still get buckets out of the post] and Oden/Pryz.  KD/Westbrook putting their team on their back's and winning 4 games against LA? I could see it, but Portland has all the pieces to push LA and more IMO. Batum/Matthews/Roy are a nice bunch to throw at Kobe. Camby/Oden/Pryz/Aldridge are a nice bunch to throw at Pau/Bynum/Odom.

Plus we all know how well LA plays in Portland

It's a damn shame Roy and Oden can't stay healthy.... Roy is so lethal

you do realize that the thunder will be more than just durant and westbrook this year, right?

harden is going into his second year and will prob end up being the starter and providing offense from the 2 spot (thabo's all defense no offense can move to the bench)

I see ibaka eventually taking over the starting PF spot at some point in the season.. the ceiling is just way to high for him (thus making jeff green expendable.. or giving them a GREAT 6th man, since he can play the 3 or 4)

and hopefully aldrich can come in and provide solid defense at the center spot (I'm not a big fan of kristic.. I think the team should have went after camby last year)

that would leave a second unit of maynor, thabo, green, collison and kristic/aldrich (whoever isn't the starter)

plus they have a couple expiring contracts that they could package with say jeff green or even thabo (who would have value with a contender for his defense and he's only 26)

 

[nicedudewithnicedreams]

DMC with 20 and 8 in under 23 min.

Not sure why Blake Griffin is playing 37 min in a preseason game...

 

[ex carrabba fan]

Originally Posted by itsaboutthattime

Originally Posted by ex carrabba fan

Originally Posted by SHUGES

[h3]

The franchise's prospects are dimmer now than two years ago. Theway Kevin Pritchard and Tom Penn were sent away is not the way afranchise headed in the right direction operates, regardless of whatyou think of Pritchard's performance. Nate McMillan even chose not tosign an extension, which speaks volumes. Rudy Fernandez wants out, Brandon Roy and Andre Millerhave struggled to mesh, and Roy, at the tender age of 26, is having ahard time staying healthy for a full season. That doesn't sound to melike a team in the least bit ready to knock off the defending champs.

[/h3]

Gotta agree with this.

The past 2-3 years I've been waiting for Atl in the East and Por in the West to take "the next step". Just hasn't happened. And I don't see it happening soon either. Both of those squads have allowed teams like OKC and Mil to catch and/or leapfrog them while they (Atl & Por) have remained stuck in quicksand.

That is all true but at the same time Oden could change everything. Obviously it would be foolish to bank on his health and maybe even Roy's but if both stay healthy I like them in a match up against LA more than OKC.

OKC doesn't have anyone who can operate in the paint yet, while Portland at least has Aldridge [although a bit soft can still get buckets out of the post] and Oden/Pryz.  KD/Westbrook putting their team on their back's and winning 4 games against LA? I could see it, but Portland has all the pieces to push LA and more IMO. Batum/Matthews/Roy are a nice bunch to throw at Kobe. Camby/Oden/Pryz/Aldridge are a nice bunch to throw at Pau/Bynum/Odom.

Plus we all know how well LA plays in Portland

It's a damn shame Roy and Oden can't stay healthy.... Roy is so lethal

you do realize that the thunder will be more than just durant and westbrook this year, right?

harden is going into his second year and will prob end up being the starter and providing offense from the 2 spot (thabo's all defense no offense can move to the bench)

I see ibaka eventually taking over the starting PF spot at some point in the season.. the ceiling is just way to high for him (thus making jeff green expendable.. or giving them a GREAT 6th man, since he can play the 3 or 4)

and hopefully aldrich can come in and provide solid defense at the center spot (I'm not a big fan of kristic.. I think the team should have went after camby last year)

that would leave a second unit of maynor, thabo, green, collison and kristic/aldrich (whoever isn't the starter)

plus they have a couple expiring contracts that they could package with say jeff green or even thabo (who would have value with a contender for his defense and he's only 26)


Come playoff time I don't expect Haren/Serge to make huge contributions. But yes I do realize they are young promising players

That's why I said in my previous post I have Portland/OKC as the biggest challenges to LA should they both stay healthy. We already know what Dallas/SA have, which in the end will be close but no cigar, at least IMO. Denver with Harrington is interesting, but at the same time those knuckle heads will implode when it counts.

 

[bijald0331]

Originally Posted by DubA169

windhorst called it an injury. says he won't play in the next game, will be interesting to see bosh command the team.

Stop it 5. 

 

[h3at23]

Originally Posted by DubA169

sooooooooo lebron left the game with an injury????


the plan is all coming together...

Dont make me poke ESPN the Mag's Amare Stoudemire's eye or Nancy Kerrigan his knee

You're not gonna like this but it was only a cramp. Back to your LeBron shrine & cutting his face out of pictures you go

 

[fullmetal]

Just watched some highlights from tonight, and this new technical foul rule is out of hand.