I'll concede to your views on this as I've not watched him play this season and my opinion was mostly based on watching him last season.
Nba 2012-13
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I'll concede to your views on this as I've not watched him play this season and my opinion was mostly based on watching him last season.
He'll be a starter by default seeing that the Lakers don't really have any PG with Blake out too.
And the Lakers are really playing horrible, Kobe deserves a better supporting cast than the bunch of jokers masquerading as professionals.
Robert Horry was a PF? I thought he was a SF that had good wingspan and was thus able to defend bigger players.
He was 6.10, of course he was a PF.
6'9 according to basketball reference but for some reason I always thought he was around 6'7/6'8. Never seemed big compared to other PFs of his era.
Shaq, Horry, Fox, Kobe, Fisher.
Starting 5 for the three-peat LA Lakers.
Of course Horry matched up against the 'real' PFs of the 90s, so he was a bit undersized for that era.
Oh, and he did play as a SF on the Rockets, Otis Thorpe was the starting PF there, anyway.
Remember when the Pistons swept (yes, swept) the Lakers in five games? That was pretty cool.
The Shaq, Malone, Fox, Kobe, Payton Lakers. That was a bit surreal. Apparently Kobe refused to shoot at all in one game because of Shaq's criticism. Seemed we fell apart mentally.
Golden State having a terrific season, beating Miami today.
ESPN had a good interview with Kobe. He seems reasonably calm for now but a few more losses and he might go nuclear on D'Antoni and his system.
ESPN had a good interview with Kobe. He seems reasonably calm for now but a few more losses and he might go nuclear on D'Antoni and his system.
Maybe the Lakers should've re-signed Derek Fisher? I'm not his biggest fan but he plays with heart and gives 100% on both ends as well as being a leader - everything the Lakers are lacking right now.
Celtics-Mavs goes to OT.
Edit: Celtics win in double-OT. Excellent game. Dallas had the lead for a total of 17 seconds in the entire game!
Celtics-Mavs goes to OT.
Edit: Celtics win in double-OT. Excellent game. Dallas had the lead for a total of 17 seconds in the entire game!
Excellent half from the Lakers. Only down by 19pts. I guess that 30 mins practising defense is really paying off.
I blame that cnut Jimmy Buss for this. No defense, this side doesn't have the components to run D'Antoni's offense and this season is becoming an embarrassment.
Knicks though are having a terrific season. I wonder if they actually want Amare to come back or whether his return would be more of a hinderance?
I blame that cnut Jimmy Buss for this. No defense, this side doesn't have the components to run D'Antoni's offense and this season is becoming an embarrassment.
Knicks though are having a terrific season. I wonder if they actually want Amare to come back or whether his return would be more of a hinderance?
There is still room on the Pistons bandwagon y'all. If you join now you can get bragging rights over the people who join after the second and third straight titles.
I also blame Jimmy Buss, we have no depth at all.
I think Amare will end up being a hindrance, he can't go to the basket anymore, his jump shot is average and he can't play defense. Another nightmare contract or the Knicks.
Yeah, plus his contract was uninsured.
Am'are should be a backup when he returns. He might actually benefit the team by coming off the bench to spell Melo or whomever.
Lakers win! Yes, I realise it's against the terrible Wizards, but we won!
D. Lillard 29 Pts, 7 Reb, 6 Ast
A sweap is done in 4 games. It's only considered a sweap if you win the series without a loss.
Amare said he had no problems with coming off the bench, and I've no doubt that's exactly what he'll do (at the beggining atleast).
In more cases than not, you'll see him playing in the final few minutes anyway.
I don't understand how exactly his return will be a hindrance. The team have their egos in check (starting with Melo), and in the worst case scenario (him not playing up to standard, not helping the team) he'll just get benched.
I'm sure Woodson would have no problem doing that, at 18-5 (1st in the east, 2nd in the NBA) the Knicks are clearly more than capable of taking care of business without him, the team (overall, not immediately the 1st game) can only benefit by having him return.
Which would help a lot, seeing as they often have trouble trying to figure out what to do on offense without Melo on the floor.
And the way Melo has improved his defense makes me think that there's no reason why we shouldn't expect Amare to improve on that end of the floor as well.
Trust me, I've watched every Knicks' game bar the Memphis and 1 of the Dallas games so far this season (and it's not like I just started watching the NBA), I know what I'm talking about.
The Knicks are going far this season, their team is the best they've had in 20 years, and with them having such a deep roster (Amare and Shumpert haven't even played yet, atleast one if not both is a starter) and Melo having an MVP season I think apart from Miami and OKC the Knicks are the favorites for the title so far from what we've seen.
San Antonio, Chicago, Clippers and Memphis are also ones to watch out for, but I think those 3 teams are honestly the ones to beat, not only do they have the team to go all the way, but they all have bonafide MVP candidates and currently the 3 best players in the world (Melo, James, Durant), and honestly 9 out of 10 the NBA champions have a player of such caliber.
Because Melo is playing better defense you see "no reason why we shouldn't expect Amare to improve" his defense? You're certainly optimistic.
One reason not to expect an improvement is that Amare has always been a poor defender.
One reason not to expect an improvement is that Amare has always been a poor defender.
I do, because since Woodson took over Melo went from being one of the worst defenders in the league to a more than just solid one.
The Knicks as a whole are now a much improved defensive team compared to being one of the worst not too long ago.
The Knicks now actually have other players that contribute on defense as well, they've got some big bodies down low with Chandler, Sheed, Camby and Thomas, and some great perimiter defenders in Shumpert and Brewer, and ofcourse Kidd (does it all) who is basicaly the Giggs of the NBA (only difference now being that as a Knick fan I want Kidd to play as much as possible, I wish I could say the same about Giggs as a United fan these days).
Another player I'd like to point out is JR Smith. He used to just be a streaky shooter with a short fuse on both ends on the court with no defense, while this year it's sometimes been down to his defensive effort on the court that has kept him from being benched when he's had an off shooting night, not to mention he's still a very potent 6th man to come off the bench and get you going when Melo's getting some rest.
And look, it's not like I'm saying Amare will suddenly be in the consideration for Defensive player of the year, but I know he's got it in him to be atleast a solid defender, especialy when he'll be surrounded by guys preaching defense.
It's true. Not that it makes any Lakers fans feel better.
I know it's true, thus my parenthetical. But that series was such a domination that it can be considered a sweep.
Mike Woodson has said multiple times in different interviews that it is his personal belief that starters do not lose their starting roles due to injury and Amare is no exception. He might come off the bench to start in the beginning due to fitness or he could start and have limited minutes thereafter, we simply don't know yet.
The Knicks are not lost whatsoever without Melo on the floor. If anything, the Knicks are lost when Kidd is not on the floor. Kidd has undoubtedly been the single biggest impact on this team, this year. His basketball IQ is through the roof and when he's on the floor the ball moves so freely. The rotations and teamwork is beautiful.
I'm not so sure you'll see Amare playing in the final minutes of games. I think it will depend a lot on the game and it's circumstances. In a tight grind, I think the Knicks best 5 to end the game would easily be Felton, Kidd, Shumpert, Melo, and Chandler. If not, I think JR over Shumpert before Amare.
It's no guarantee that the team can only benefit from Amare's return. If Amare plays defense and rebounds the ball (which will be his most important role) than there's no doubt the Knicks will be a force. But if he's looking to get his in terms of points, there will be issues. Since Amare lost his legs he's been a ball stopper and we'll see if his workouts with Hakeem actually yielded any results in terms of low post moves. I think his defense has been consistently horrible throughout his career and has been on a sharp decline in the past recent years. Comparing Melo's defense to Amare's isn't a fair comparison, nor should we expect Amare to be able to play better because of Melo's rejuvenation. Melo was never a terrible defender as you stated, nor was JR - they simply didn't put in the effort. Amare can try as hard as he likes but he still can't stop the other 4s or 5s in the league, they're simply too quick and too strong for him and there's nothing he can do about it. Melo and Smith are extremely gifted athletes and when they want to lock someone down they can. Melo has always been a more tenacious rebounder than Amare, always. Melo was probably one of the most complete college basketball players ever and proved it at Syracuse all in his freshman year.
I've watched pretty much every Knick game as well including the Dallas and Memphis game (I saw the Memphis game twice, first time at a bar second time at home on replay). And i've pretty much watched most Knicks games for the last 15 years....
I agree that this is the best Knicks team in the last 20 years (that's as far as I can remember anyway). Melo is playing out of his mind at the moment and only Lebron is a better player right now imo. Their home record is unbelievable at the moment and the Garden is fired up beyond belief - the whole area is constantly buzzing. The key to this team going deep will be managing minutes and steering clear of injuries. The cast assembled is firing on all cylinders at the moment and can definitely compete for a title.
LA down by 18 at home to Charlotte halfway through the 3rd. Giving up 49% from the field and 63% from three, while shooting 39% themselves.
Time for a new manager!
Time for a new manager!
they just won the game ...time to give Kobe the 6th ring , no need to play out the season
We're awesome, long live D'Antoni!
Seriously, we're fecked.
Seriously, we're fecked.
Now you know why I never bet against my team when I think they will lose.
Or bet on them when I think they'll win, for that matter. Seems to be some sort of lesson in humility or something.
Or bet on them when I think they'll win, for that matter. Seems to be some sort of lesson in humility or something.
Thanks for writing that out, nice to have an insider view.
What do you think of Chandler? I wonder how much Cuban would pay to get him back.
No problem at all. I feel the same way about the insider view with all the other regulars posting in the FF.
I think there can be a strong argument for Tyson Chandler being the best center in the league right now. Why this guy has been underappreciated everywhere he's went is a complete mystery to me. Chandler is Team USA's center, plays outstanding pick and roll defense, reads the game well (has won a defensive player of the year), protects the rim, rebounds, runs the floor well, shoots an insanely high percentage (almost all dunks/layups) and is a great chemistry/glue guy. His passion and agression is infectious and leadership skills are unquestionable. He's won an NBA championship, an olympic gold, and FIBA championships - Chandler is nothing but a winner and his accolades reflect that.
Cuban would give an arm and a leg up to get Chandler back. He was undoubtedly the anchor and constant on that Dallas championship side. No doubt in my mind, Chandler is an elite player and has made the most out of his career thus far.
What would Chandler be on Dallas right now? A defensive standout with limited offense and playing for a club that barely has a roster.
So no I can't imagine Cuban would have destroyed his salary cap for future years to pay Chandler a massive contract nor can I imagine he'd destroy his cap now to get him back. Especially when he had/still has his sights set on Howard and Paul/Williams in the future.
Hindsight is always 20/20.
So no I can't imagine Cuban would have destroyed his salary cap for future years to pay Chandler a massive contract nor can I imagine he'd destroy his cap now to get him back. Especially when he had/still has his sights set on Howard and Paul/Williams in the future.
Hindsight is always 20/20.
Hindsight is always 20/20 for sure. But we can't also assume that had Chandler's services been retained that the current roster would look the way it does now. Chandler staying could have created a domino effect, Deron Williams said himself that he wanted to go to Dallas over Brooklyn but they just didn't have the personnel. Chandler, Nowitski and Williams would have been an extremely formidable 3 and who knows maybe Jason Kidd stays too. The way Chandler protected the rim against Miami in the finals was nothing short of outstanding.
It really all depends. Were the Mavericks going into rebuilding mode right away or were they looking to win right away? Their hand was kind of forced and right now they look very much like a team in limbo. They're not exactly young and talented nor ready to serious playoff push with their roster. I think Mayo is an excellent young player, but I still have my reservations about Jae Crowder. What other teams would this guy really play 25-30 minutes a night on?
Watched a bit of the Clippers' latest win last night. Now on a 12 game win streak, they are a really fun team to watch and if anyone is playing 'Showtime 2.0' in LA, it's them.
They have nice depth on their bench, which is something the Lakers lack. I don't know how they'll do against the Spurs or OKC in a 7 game series but if they play like they've done so far, they have a chance to make it to the Western finals at least.
They have nice depth on their bench, which is something the Lakers lack. I don't know how they'll do against the Spurs or OKC in a 7 game series but if they play like they've done so far, they have a chance to make it to the Western finals at least.
I hear the Bulls/Knicks picked up from their mid-90s battles last night...
Had Cuban resigned Chandler I do not think they would have had the cap room to pursue Williams last summer. That was part of the reasoning in not retaining Chandler at the high cost he demanded. The other reasoning was that a smart owner does not dole out massive contracts to average players, or players with limited abilities.
Had Cuban resigned Chandler I do not think they would have had the cap room to pursue Williams last summer. That was part of the reasoning in not retaining Chandler at the high cost he demanded. The other reasoning was that a smart owner does not dole out massive contracts to average players, or players with limited abilities.
Carmelo just got frustrated by Noah. Then Woodson and Chandler decided to jump in.
They have a good in depth squad but Vinny del Negro is not the coach to take them all the way. He is not good enough.
Bulls defended very physically and the Knicks clearly couldn't handle it. They became extremely frustrated, especially Carmelo and Chandler. They were jawing off at the referees after every whistle and really showed a lack of mental toughness last night. Tom Thibodeau is an absolutely incredible coach.
I'm not sure who besides Dirk was eating up most of their salary cap at the time, but teams can structurally have 3 max contracts - the big 3 in Miami, the Nets, the Knicks etc. After the lock out each team was allowed to use an amnesty on a player of their choosing. I do know the Mavericks used theirs on Branden Haywood, not sure how they would have proceeded had Chandler been retained. My post earlier about Chandler stated I think he's currently the best center to have in the NBA right now, so I don't think he's an average player with limited abilities. I think he's an outstanding player with tremendous intangibles.
One reason I think so highly of Chandler is his ability to influence the game without the ball. That team has plenty of people already who want the ball in their hands. And of course his defense is top notch and he seems to be tough nosed and team-oriented.
Looking at that Knicks roster on paper you'd hardly think they'd quite so good, it's not like Felton was a highly sought after addition, and I thought the Jason Kidd move was more of a retirement tour.
Looking at that Knicks roster on paper you'd hardly think they'd quite so good, it's not like Felton was a highly sought after addition, and I thought the Jason Kidd move was more of a retirement tour.
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