Artest was never that great in terms of navigating screens off the ball. He weighs a lot, and it's a lot harder for him to quickly change directions the way a Bruce Bowen could. You would almost never see Artest matched up against a PG, the way you would a Marion or Prince, because lateral quickness wasn't his specialty.
However, Lebron's probably the only SF in the league who can manhandle Artest in the post. I don't think even Melo could, and Melo used to regularly destroy Bowen in the post.
Every defender in the league has their specialties. There's never been a next Rodman - a guy quick enough to hound Jordan and Pippen as a Piston, yet strong enough that he was often assigned Shaq as a Spur.
Are we over the Devin Harris hype train yet? Please?
When Cuban traded him for an aging Kidd, I was for sure that he placed the foundation for his grave when the Mavs would revert back to their decade of suck in the 90s. Boy was I wrong.
Dallas won't suck as long as Dirk. How a guy can win an MVP and still be underrated is beyond me, but it somehow still happened. His name almost never comes up amongst the talking heads in terms of the NBA elite. Everytime I hear someone on ESPN blathering about how Pau Gasol is the best PF in the league I want to plotz.
Dallas won't suck as long as Dirk. How a guy can win an MVP and still be underrated is beyond me, but it somehow still happened. His name almost never comes up amongst the talking heads in terms of the NBA elite. Everytime I hear someone on ESPN blathering about how Pau Gasol is the best PF in the league I want to plotz.
Seriously. Gasol is basically doing what Toni Kukoc did when he peaked. Have a good couple of seasons when you have the greatest player on your team on his shoulders and fall off the wayside.
Goddamn, I've always loved watching Baron Davis. It just hurts to see him hit a shot against my Cs, after Rondo could have hit those shots.
IIRC the Clippers beat Boston in LA last year too. Maybe it's just one of those things like Lakers-Bobcats, where one team flies across the country to meet up with a team treating that game like Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Dallas won't suck as long as Dirk. How a guy can win an MVP and still be underrated is beyond me, but it somehow still happened. His name almost never comes up amongst the talking heads in terms of the NBA elite. Everytime I hear someone on ESPN blathering about how Pau Gasol is the best PF in the league I want to plotz.
I can't stand this, either. Dirk has one of the best 18-foot shots in the league, clutch down the stretch, makes his free throws, rebounds, and can make 3s if needed. It doesn't get much better than that. And if you take a look at his playoff stats, he's constantly upping his game.
Yeah, he's a bit like Duncan I feel. Very unflashy style of play (lets be honest, watching dirk drive to the hoop or hoist up one of those weird jumpers isn't pretty), very efficient, and ALWAYS ups his game when his team needs it. The difference is that Duncan has the rings and so is regarded as maybe the greatest power forward of all time. Nowitzki would be #3-#4 if he just could get a ring. As it is, it's a disgrace that he's consistently left off the list of top 5 players in the game.
In other news, I didn't realize to what extent the all star balloting was so completely and utterly fucked. One of your two starting guards in each conference, as of now (and by a large margin): Tracy I've-played-less -than-one-full-game-all-year McGrady, and Allen I-didn't-play-for-the-first-30-games-of-the-season Iverson. Jesus Christ. And people like Chris Kaman aren't even on the fucking ballot.
16.1 17.7, 19.2, 20.8, and 22.3 millllllllion dollars. pffft. good luck Wiz.
Where did you hear this?
Supposedly most of the trade offers the Rockets are getting are asking for Budinger and/or Landry in addition to McGrady and the Rockets understandably don't want to do that.
OremLK on
My zombie survival life simulator They Don't Sleep is out now on Steam if you want to check it out.
ESPN.com reported Saturday that the Washington Wizards had reached out to the Rockets in an exploratory manner about a possible Gilbert Arenas-for-McGrady swap, but Houston has no interest in such a deal. Arenas ranks as one of the league's most difficult players to move with four seasons left after this one on a mammoth $111 million contract and a history of knee problems to rival McGrady's.
Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
edited December 2009
I feel like sports interviews in general, but basketball in particular, would be so much better if people couldn't use the conditionals "we just need keep...." or "at the end of the day..."
Brand, when Idiot McStupid actually plays him, is putting up like 19/9.
Brand was injured almost all last year, and his inability to play with Andre Miller (again) led to Philly losing Miller for nothing. In 18 starts this year, at 31 minutes/start, Brand is putting up a whopping 12/7 on 44% shooting. He's due $52 million in the next 3 years.
Also - ESPN's list of best NBA plays of the decade is awful at best.
that game was heartbreaking for me, esp. since I'm going to UCLA and no offense but the average Lakers fan I hang out with is an asshole.
I dont know but maybe I need new people to watch bball with.
What's cool for Warriors fans besides having two big men back is watching Randolf and CJ Watson growing to become good players, defeating 3 teams in a row before that damn Lakers game, and in those 3 games Monte Ellis had like over 30 points each game.
I just saw the highlights of the Spurs game and I had to come post about how awesome Manu Ginobili is.
They also had a top ten plays of the decade that was pretty much just 'game-winning plays by all-star guards in the playoffs'. And number one was a pretty generic game-winning shot by Kobe. The Duncan 3-pointer against Phoenix and Derek Fisher's .4 second shot both didn't make the list. Those are the ones off the top of my head that it seems like nonsense not to make the list.
I also personally would have put that one time the Cavs gave the game-winning shot attempt to Varejao in the finals against the Spurs because that was the funniest thing.
i like how often we see lebron's game-winner against the magic because it was one of the most irrelevant game-winners ever
At least the Lebron shot wasn't #1.
The Kobe game-winner against Phoenix was not only irrelevant (PHX won the series) but unimpressive as well, as far as game-winners go. Kobe had 2 plays in 1 game vs Portland that were both more impressive than his leisurely drive and 18 foot pull-up jumper vs PHX that somehow got #1.
Noticeably absent from the list was Dwyane Wade, who not only regularly makes circus shots, but had that awesome "steal to 40-foot game winner" sequence against Chicago last year.
It's almost like ESPN are dumbasses who don't know what they're doing. But that couldn't be. I mean, Worldwide Leader™ and all that.
Well, add Aldridge to the list of injured Portland bigs. At this rate Chris Dudley is going to have to drop out of the governor's race so he can start at C for the Blazers.
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However, Lebron's probably the only SF in the league who can manhandle Artest in the post. I don't think even Melo could, and Melo used to regularly destroy Bowen in the post.
Every defender in the league has their specialties. There's never been a next Rodman - a guy quick enough to hound Jordan and Pippen as a Piston, yet strong enough that he was often assigned Shaq as a Spur.
Pathetic.
I've been trying to reach you, but your extension cord doesn't reach that far.
When Cuban traded him for an aging Kidd, I was for sure that he placed the foundation for his grave when the Mavs would revert back to their decade of suck in the 90s. Boy was I wrong.
Seriously. Gasol is basically doing what Toni Kukoc did when he peaked. Have a good couple of seasons when you have the greatest player on your team on his shoulders and fall off the wayside.
Its gonna happen to Gasol, watch.
IIRC the Clippers beat Boston in LA last year too. Maybe it's just one of those things like Lakers-Bobcats, where one team flies across the country to meet up with a team treating that game like Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
I can't stand this, either. Dirk has one of the best 18-foot shots in the league, clutch down the stretch, makes his free throws, rebounds, and can make 3s if needed. It doesn't get much better than that. And if you take a look at his playoff stats, he's constantly upping his game.
Warriors play by play announcer: "Should he miss it on purpose? Boston has no timeouts!"
Other announcer: "WTF? Hell no, dumbass. He should make it so they'll be up 4 and it won't matter what Boston does."
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_CGxj3dHGA
That is pretty much a no brainer there.
16.1 17.7, 19.2, 20.8, and 22.3 millllllllion dollars. pffft. good luck Wiz.
I've been trying to reach you, but your extension cord doesn't reach that far.
Where did you hear this?
Supposedly most of the trade offers the Rockets are getting are asking for Budinger and/or Landry in addition to McGrady and the Rockets understandably don't want to do that.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4777423 via realgm.com.
I've been trying to reach you, but your extension cord doesn't reach that far.
Last team to jump in on a guy coming off a severe injury after only 20 games back was the Sixers with Elton Brand, and they got screwed.
Besides, HOU already has a PG.
Brand was injured almost all last year, and his inability to play with Andre Miller (again) led to Philly losing Miller for nothing. In 18 starts this year, at 31 minutes/start, Brand is putting up a whopping 12/7 on 44% shooting. He's due $52 million in the next 3 years.
Also - ESPN's list of best NBA plays of the decade is awful at best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvxeJ6LbiKc
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
I dont know but maybe I need new people to watch bball with.
What's cool for Warriors fans besides having two big men back is watching Randolf and CJ Watson growing to become good players, defeating 3 teams in a row before that damn Lakers game, and in those 3 games Monte Ellis had like over 30 points each game.
They also had a top ten plays of the decade that was pretty much just 'game-winning plays by all-star guards in the playoffs'. And number one was a pretty generic game-winning shot by Kobe. The Duncan 3-pointer against Phoenix and Derek Fisher's .4 second shot both didn't make the list. Those are the ones off the top of my head that it seems like nonsense not to make the list.
I also personally would have put that one time the Cavs gave the game-winning shot attempt to Varejao in the finals against the Spurs because that was the funniest thing.
At least the Lebron shot wasn't #1.
The Kobe game-winner against Phoenix was not only irrelevant (PHX won the series) but unimpressive as well, as far as game-winners go. Kobe had 2 plays in 1 game vs Portland that were both more impressive than his leisurely drive and 18 foot pull-up jumper vs PHX that somehow got #1.
Noticeably absent from the list was Dwyane Wade, who not only regularly makes circus shots, but had that awesome "steal to 40-foot game winner" sequence against Chicago last year.
It's almost like ESPN are dumbasses who don't know what they're doing. But that couldn't be. I mean, Worldwide Leader™ and all that.
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
I've been trying to reach you, but your extension cord doesn't reach that far.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkMV2MnxQaM