You can talk a good game, but can you play one?
There are some troubling times ahead for the NBA , even if the outgoing commissioner would not like to admit that fact. Three decades in charge of the league and it could be said that David Stern turned a pondering sport and its brand into a multi-billion dollar global phenomenon . With global revenues now exceeding $5 billion annually, one has to be thankful Stern, as the league’s highest ranking executive, was as successful as he was. That being said, it was not without controversy, with the league and the owners seeking to apportion blame elsewhere for many of the problems, they themselves created. With something of an imbalance and with the NBA seeking to have a soft “salary cap” , it still leaves the league in somewhat of a perilous situation. Nonetheless, the league hierarchy has sought to proceed ahead under its current guise, neither seeking to truly solve that particular issue and several others that they currently face.
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Slideshow .
David Stern’s successor , Adam Silver , brings in a new era of leadership and likely some change, with their being something of a smooth transition with his predecessor’s departure and his ascent to the current position as the NBA Commissioner. What Silver has witnessed this season in the league, as there has been for several of the past seasons , has been steadying decline of the play within the Eastern Conference of the NBA. If things were to get considerably worse , the league’s Board of Governors might have to consider either realignment of several of the divisions or quite possibly delve into the contraction of under-performing franchises , with the league taking over those teams , compensating the owners and then seeking to re-assign the players there , unto the rosters of the remaining franchises. That might sound a bit drastic, but consider the alternatives, as they might currently stand? The play continues to deteriorate and the consumers known as the fans, are still asked to endure such mediocrity , while the league itself continues to profit financially from it all and that hardly seems fair, at all.
While the Indiana Pacers (45-15) are running away with the Eastern Conference lead and well on the way to being the NBA’s first fifty-game winner of the season. It begs the question, in spite of the dour play within the conference , can Frank Vogel’s players knock off the reigning champions in what is likely to be a repeat of last season’s conference finals ? While both the Pacers and the Miami Heat have both suffered losses this season , these two teams are by far in a way the best two franchises within the conference and amongst the upper echelons of the league’s best teams this season.
LeBron James continues to be the player we have seen , since he entered the league in 2003 , during which he has redefined his game as well coming into his own as the NBA’s best player. Already, a four-time league MVP and two-time Finals’ MVP, James, has all but answered, just about every question of by doubters , as to the proficiency of his play , with a punctuation mark, suggesting there is still a great deal more to come from the ten-year veteran. This season, what appears to be a captivating battle has begun to unfold, concerning LeBron James and the player, many believe to be his closest rival as a nemesis and what could likely be a budding rivalry for individualistic and team honors in the coming years. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder lead the Western Conference and the player is now considered to be the leading contender for the league MVP this season . Durant and LeBron James during their tenures in the league, have provided the NBA with some classic contests, with both individuals showing why they are considered the best two players in the NBA.
Frank Vogel and the Pacers could very well now be in the driver’s seat, after what I believe to be a coup-de-gras by the front office , in acquiring Evan Turner to bolster what should already be considered a very good Indiana Pacers’ roster in terms of its depth and talent . The fact that Pat Riley of the Miami Heat , did little in terms of adding to the Heat’s roster at the trade deadline could very well come back to haunt the front office executive and the Heat’s coaching staff led by Erik Spoesltra . Coming off a narrow three-point victory over the hapless Utah Jazz , Indiana’s next opponent will be the high-powered offense of the Golden State Warriors, led by Steph Curry , whose match-up against Paul George of the Pacers should prove to be very intriguing.
9-1 in their last ten games the Miami Heat could be considered the hottest team in the NBA over that time-frame and clearly the reason why many believe them to the odds-on favorite to repeat as a three-time NBA champion . As LeBron James goes , then so does this team, albeit, with at times , some threadbare support from his teammates. Yet, it has been in the postseason, where James has excelled , as he has repeatedly led the team in their most recent postseason triumphs . Saturday’s lopsided victory over instate rivals the Orlando Magic , further emphasizes why the Miami Heat will continue to make light of their regular season schedule , as Erik Spoelstra gauges the performances of his players in the lead-up to the NBA Playoffs.
The impact that Dwight Howard was meant to have , after being acquired as a free agent by the Houston Rockets , has not been as dominant many thought it might have been. Granted, the Rockets currently have the fifth best record , in the Western Conference with a mark of 40-15 ,as of the 2nd March . Yet, many believed, that this team would be contending at least for a top-three berth within the conference. Though I do not consider it to be a major disappointment , I do believe that with Dwight Howard , what you see is what you get , in terms of a player who at times , does not fulfill the talent that he is said to have. As good a center, as is he said to be , I do not believe him to be the most dominant player at the position , currently playing in the NBA ! If anything, I believe the player tends to simply take his foot off the gas pedal and go through the motions, while allowing others around him to lead . A clear case can be made, that Dwight Howard would never have fit in with any type of team he would have been surrounded by, had he remained in Los Angeles playing for the Los Angeles Lakers . A failed experiment from the start and failed experiment in the very end !
Kevin McHale has proven himself to be an astute head coach, along with his coaching staff , in getting this Rockets’ team to play some up-tempo basketball, while gaining themselves a credible spot in the conference rankings. The team however, is fortified by the talents of James Harden , while being ably supported by Chandler Parsons , Dwight Howard, Jeremy Lin , Patrick Beverley and Jordan Hamilton . A true test of the team’s ambitions will be on view , when they play host to the Miami Heat, at the Toyota Center, in Houston , Texas on Tuesday night . That contest should tell us a great deal about McHale’s players their mindset as they head down the final stretch of their regular season schedule. Certainly, a chance to see two of the NBA’s most productive scorers , with James Harden facing off against LeBron James , should prove to be very interesting.
To my mind one of the more surprising twists of this season, has been the fact that Kevin Love still remains a player with the Minnesota Timberwolves ! They may well have an outside chance of garnering a playoff berth in the Western Conference , but at this stage of the season , I believe that it might well beyond the reach of the team ! Five and a half games out of the final playoff spot, that is currently held by the Dallas Mavericks (35-25) , the Timberwolves would have to jump ahead of the ninth placed Memphis Grizzlies (33-25) , while hoping that both the Mavericks and Grizzlies make monumental . slip-ups in their next couple of games . A highly unlikely scenario at this point of the season, when teams are not likely to be overly complacent , but then again, who could have really foreseen that the Eastern Conference would prove to be such an embarrassment as an advertising model for the NBA ? Well, the end of the season is barely a month away, with most teams having no more than twenty-five games remaining on their regular schedule. Those with intestinal fortitude, are likely to rise to the occasion, while others are likely to falter at the very last hurdle.
Kevin Love has proven to be one of the few bright spots on a Timberwolves’ team that struggled has throughout of the season, while Rick Adelman and his coaching staff have simply been outmaneuvered and out-coached at every point of the season that has mattered most to the organization. From my own perspective, I now believe that it is time for Flip Saunders , Head of Basketball Operations and GM Milt Newton to seek a trade and obtain the best possible value for their Timberwolves’ All Star power-forward , Kevin Love ! It simply serves absolutely no purpose to have the player struggle, night in and night out , all to no avail , while wasting his talents with a franchise that seems to show no signs of life or actual ambition ! These are the very same issues, that led to the growing discontent with Kevin Garnett while , a player with the Timberwolves . His subsequent departure, still did not manifest itself, by way of anything positive for the franchise.
Outwardly, Love has remained loyal to the Minnesota Timberwolves, not wanting to say anything, that might be taken out of context, as a way of showing his discontent, but if the rumors are to be believed , then this off-season a confrontation is likely to be in the offing, when the player is likely to meet with the front office to discuss his immediate and long-term future . I believe that he is likely to opt out of the final year of his contract and test the free agency market , rather than remaining in Minnesota, because I do not believe that owner , Glen Taylor or any of the front office executives possess the acumen needed to build the Timberwolves into a legitimate NBA title contender !
Monday night, places the Minnesota Timberwolves back into action, as they face the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center , in Denver, Colorado, A third consecutive win for the Timberwolves, would provide the team with a great deal of confidence, but they first have to make that a reality , rather supposition.
Not for the first time, this season, have the Sacramento Kings suspended player, DeMarcus Cousins for conduct detrimental to the team . Each and every time, he has run afoul of the organization, the front office has seemingly , given him what on the face of it seems a slight reprimand. A one game suspension for physically assaulting an opposing player , is simple idiocy ! Yet , these are the times that we are living in , where athlete misconduct on or off the court , is no longer frowned upon and the lame ass apathy of some of the dumbest mother fucking fans, is to simply excuse that type of behavior altogether or come with the rather inane statements such as “ locker room behavior “ , or ” boys being boys” . Last I looked, these were grown individuals and not middle or high school players , making complete asses of themselves ! The league hierarchy under David Stern was weak and remains weak , because the NBPA remains in an extreme position of power, not necessarily unlike their counterparts within the MLBPA , NFLPA and the NHLPA ! Anyone who believes that to be the contrary , I would now like them to plead their the case , for the opposite view !
DeMarcus Cousins as a player in college , had real “character issues” , that were never addressed by the coaching staff ,led by John Calipari , a coach known shall we say , “let things slip by him “ ? I have never really thought, highly of Calipari, in terms of his character or the litany of issues that have followed him continuously over the course of his coaching career ! Allegations of recruitment violations, players with failing academic standards, still being allowed to play on his teams, as well as possibly monetary inducements for players in terms of their of productivity. Like it or not, there had to have been a multitude of reasons, why a number of programs where John Calipari has coached , have felt the wrath of the NCAA , though not to the point where there has been an outright accusation leveled at the head coach. While Calipari’s outward image appears pristine, something ” rotten smells ” this side of Denmark , as it relates to this particular head coach !
The Sacramento Kings’ own fortunes in recent years, can be best summed up with these words “the Maloof Family , with reckless abandonment , all but ruined the franchise and in the aftermath of it all , were on the precipice of duping the idiotic members of the city’s council to bail the franchise out of their financial plight ” . All of this under the watchful eye of David Stern , who in some circles, has been viewed as the savior of the NBA. The former NBA Commissioner , simply, takes on the battles, he knows he can win outright , while apportioning blame elsewhere, for his incompetency or web of deceit , when caught in an actual lie.
With the worst record in the Western Conference , a mark of 20-39 , is a true reflection of what the Sacramento Kings have been about all season long. Long gone, are the glory days , when the high-flying Kings were a dominant force within the conference led by All Star Chris Webber and the team was seen as a perennial contender for year-end honors. Feast or famine, can best now sum up the franchise, but in reality, there has been a great deal more hunger, as the fans of the organization, yearn for years past. There’s not enough food on the table and there certainly is not enough talent on this roster , to even deem them worthy of being thought of as even a moderately average team , if that !
The Kings’ remaining regular season schedule , is not necessarily daunting, and victory over the New Orleans Pelicans may well be sign that the team is determined to go out with a great deal of determination . DeMarcus Cousins remains the best player on the Kings’ roster , but herein lies the issue, he is a troubled individual who remains immature and unable to handle the real pressure of being assumed the leader of the franchise . Other than Rudy Gay , there is absolutely no real reason to believe that GM Pete D’Alessandro can continue to believe that Cousins is a valuable asset to this team and the organization as a whole , not with the continued problems that he provides. Sacramento, may well to decide to cut their losses and seek a trade of the troubled player.
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Vivek Ranadive having recently purchased the franchise may well now be having regrets , because I personally believe he was “ sold a bill goods” , that were in no way shape or form is what he was told it would be ! Thankfully , Microsoft Chairman Steve Ballmer and his business partner , billionaire venture capitalist Chris Hansen dodged a bullet , when they failed in their bid to purchase the team , having bid a great deal more than the reputed $575 million paid by Ranadive’s consortium . With the league’s hierarchy’s, reluctance to relocate the franchise to Seattle, Washington, as was previously discussed between Stern and the potential purchasers. I can only assume , with David Stern reneging on that deal, having given Ballmer firm assurances that there would not be a problem , it simply shows that the former commissioner is really a less than honorable individual .
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The second half of the NBA season is already underway, what do you hope to see in the latter stages of the schedule ? Also, which player or group of players, have provided you with the greatest surprise over the course this NBA season ? Of the teams in contention, for a divisional or playoff berth, which do you believe , are likely to triumph and to fail ?
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Picture and slideshow details below .
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(1) David Stern is seen here handing the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Miami Heat team President Pat Riley after the team’s triumph in winning the NBA title in 2013 , having won in a tough seven-game series against the San Antonio Spurs in a thrilling NBA Finals’ series , 4-3 . Stern formally stepped down as the NBA Commissioner after thirty years as the league’s highest ranking executive . He is succeeded by Adam Silver , who hopes to make a smooth transition into his new role . AP Photo / Chris Hughes ………..
(2) Nicola Vucevic of the Orlando Magic is seen here challenging the New York Knicks’ Tyson Chandler during a game played at the Amway Center in Orlando , Florida on the 23rd December , 2013 . The Magic would go on to lose the contest 103-98 with both teams under-achieving this season within their respective divisions as well as the Eastern Conference , there is likely to be major shakeups within the rosters of both franchises during the off-season . NBAE/ Getty Images / Max Miller ….
(3) February 27, 2014 The Milwaukee Bucks gave the Pacers a formidable test on Thursday night, but Indiana made enough plays down the stretch to come away with a 101-96 win in a game played in Milwaukee , Wisconsin,. Roy Hibbert recorded a double-double (24 points, 12 rebounds), while Paul George added 18 points , eight boards, and six assists . NBAE Getty Images / Frank McGrath ….
(4) LeBron James of the Miami Heat goes up for the dunk as he rises above Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller of the Charlotte Bobcats in a game played at the AA Arena in Miami , Florida on Monday night . James would go on to score a career-high 61 points during the contest , which the Heat won convincingly. This has been the second time this season , that the Bobcats have given up more than sixty points to a player during their schedule with the first such incident , coming when they played the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden , where Carmelo Anthony torched the team a career-high , also, of sixty-two points . AP Photo / Emile Toussaint …..
(5) Kevin Durant (35) of the Oklahoma City Thunder is seen here alongside the Miami Heat’s LeBron James (6) . Both players are the leading candidates for this season’s League MVP . Their rivalry may well be the best to be seen in the NBA in several years , but not yet on the level of the classic match-ups between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson , which many purists believes set the bar for individualistic rivalries within the NBA and from a team standpoint , especially in many of their postseason contests . Durant and James have met once in a postseason series with the Miami Heat prevailing in their 2012 NBA Finals’ , with a rather lopsided series’ victory. AP Photo / Mike Patton ….
(6) Houston Rockets’ center Dwight Howard (12) looks to make the play against Miles Plumlee of the Phoenix Suns in a game played between the two Western Conference teams on the 23rd February , 2014 . The Rockets would defeat the Suns 115-112 . NBAE /Getty Images / Ross Hart ……
(7) Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love, left, drives as Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game , Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, in Minneapolis. The Clippers won 102-98 . These two young players are two of the brightest young stars to have entered the NBA in the past seven seasons . AP Photo/Jim Mone ….
(8) Kentucky coach John Calipari thinks 6-11 center DeMarcus Cousins should go top 3 in this year’s NBA Draft. But GMs fear the player’s immaturity , which has been justified since his entry into the NBA as a first round draft pick in 2010 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings . US PRESSWIRE/ Mark Zereof ……
(9) Sacramento Kings’ center DeMarcus Cousins is seen here with the team’s head coach Michael Malone on court sidelines during a game at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento , California . After a recent on-court physical altercation with an opposing player where Cousins is said to have punched his opponent in the lower abdomen and then having been ejected for his conduct , he then verbally assaulted the referee , using several profane expletives , heard within earshot of the crowd . DeMarcus Cousins was fined $20,000 and suspended for one game, forfeiting his $ 44,000 game check . . Vivek Ranadive , the Kings’ owner , will meet with GM Pete D’Alessandro and Michael Malone to discuss the troubled center’s ongoing behavioral problems . All signs seem to be pointing to the fact that the franchise may well seek to trade the player this off-season rather than retain his services . This recent suspension has been the third of DeMarcus Cousins’ three-year career in the NBA and poses the question as to his lack of maturity while in college at the University of Kentucky and since his entering the NBA in 2010. AP Photo/ Chris Affeldt ……
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tophatal ………..
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Which marquee star in the NBA will be the next to put up more than fifty points on the overrated Charlotte Bobcats this season ? If this is indeed the house that Jordan intend to build upon , then he had better get some real solid foundation because this team has no damn defense whatsoever !
Pacers and Heat , the ,likelihood of another Eastern Conference repeat of last season’s conference finals seem to be all the more likely !
Paul George and LeBron James facing off against each other , advantage to LeBron . While Roy Hibbert matching up to anyone and against anyone on that Heat team will be advantage to the Pacers , as was the case last season throughout the playoffs . Hibbert walked all over Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in particular .
Kevin Durant and Lebron LeBron are clearly making the case , that they are by far the two best . players in the NBA over the past five seasons .
If the Timberwolves had any sense, they would seek a trade of Kevin Love , because the player is unlikely to win a title with the franchise in its current guise as it relates to the makeup of the team’s roster .
John Calipari is to College Basketball what Al Capone meant to Prohibition during the twenties and early thirties . The word fraud doesn’t do Calipari justice when it comes to his hypocrisy , web of deceit and calculated lies !
DeMarcus Cousins is not fit to be on NBA roster !
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Monday night results and Tuesday’s schedule
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tophatal ……………………
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No response cause roundball I no like
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Al Clements
I understand but here’s my take on it all . DeMarcus Cousins who now plays for the Sacramento Kings was a head case in college while playing for John Calipari at Kentucky .
Calipari at almost every college coaching stop in his career , has ran afoul for some sort of violation . Yet, the NCAA have never sought to punish the coach , merely the program itself .
Cousins, meanwhile in his latest spat , his fourth career suspension in the NBA , deliberately punches an opponent in the lower abdomen and upon his ejection , basically tells the referee, that he can go ##ck himself . All of this was heard within earshot of sideline reporters , kids with their parents and the commentators providing the live broadcast analysis .
I don’t believe that this is what the fans of the NBA yearn for ! At the same time the league hierarchy has always remained toothless because under Stern , he simply fought the battles he knew he could win .
The NBPA (union) and its executive committee has done little to rein in the behavior of their players and apathetic fans continue to make excuses for their behavior of those very same athletes , on and off the court .
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” Permission to come aboard captain ” ?
tophatal ……………….
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With last performance against the Bobcats by LBJ might have just sneaked back into the lead in the League MVP race .
LeBron James against Kevin Durant in their head to head meetings this season .
tophatal …………………..
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News coming in from Los Angeles , the Lakers have signed Pope Francis to a ten-day contract and they hope he can make a valid contribution on the court as well as a spiritual one .
“Think of me as your Pope who can shoot some hoops , because I am a baller and a shot-caller ” !
. Pope Francis
“This signing will have us turning the corner soon and strengthen out fan base amongst the Catholics ” . Jim Buss
Mitch Kupchak believes that this is his best signing yet , as a general manager for the Lakers .
Kobe’s response ….. ” now I can become a little more fluent in Italian and learn some Spanish as well “. ” I teach you Spanish if you teach me what is , how you say …. tappin’ that @ss “? Pau Gasol
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What do you think about Patrick Ewing taking over for Mike Woodson next season? Centers historically have not gotten that position as frequently as other players but I think Kevin McHale has proven that big guys CAN coach! Thoughts?
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Hank/ fantasy furnace
Patrick Ewing should have been a coach in the NBA , long ago ! He would have been a far better alternative in Orlando than Jacque Vaughn , that’s for sure . I don’t hold anything against him in terms of trying to assist Dwight Howard improve his game while he was an assistant under Stan van Gundy ! To my mind , Dwight is still living on past glories and is not that effective a player as he once was ! He now has to play second “fiddle to ” to a far better all-round player in , James Harden on the Rockets’ roster .
The criticism of center was justified all along because he is unable to handle pressure under any circumstance .
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hank/fantasy furnace
I wouldn’t say it’s yet a troubling aspect, but I find it ridiculous that someone like Jason Kidd can get the opportunity to coach in the NBA , but the likes of Patrick Ewing who has served a great apprenticeship , has yet to be given an opportunity to be a head coach . It is likely that at the end of this season , there are likely to be one or two vacancies ,. but more likely than not , it will be the usual group of recycled coaches, that will be afforded to opportunity for an interview , while the likes of Patrick Ewing are not , even an afterthought with an owner or general manager for their consideration .
Kidd seen here with point guard Deron Williams .
Ewing now the lead assistant to Steve Clifford on the Bobcats’ coaching staff is seen here with the team’s owner , Michael Jordan .
tophatal ……………………
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I wrote an article about this very topic just a little shy of two years ago (April 3, 2012) http://fantasyfurnace.com/2012/04/03/why-isnt-patrick-ewing-a-head-coach/ and then a subsequent piece on May 30, 2012: http://fantasyfurnace.com/2012/05/30/another-shot-bt-patrick-ewing-is-rejected/
The man has paid his dues. How much longer should he continue to be passed over? What the hell do the Knicks, for example, have to lose? Dolan is a blithering, inane, worthless excuse of an owner and I pray that the rally sceduled for March 19th in front of Madison Square Garden prior to the Pacers game be an overwheming success. We will be represented there and hopefully all the crying Knick fans will put their collective money where their mouth is and lend their support. Even if it forces the n’er do well GM Steve Mills come out of hiding it will be worth the protest.
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hank/fantasy furnace
Down the years the Knicks have had a bunch of simpletons running their front office and they have not had decent general manager since Donnie Walsh , or a damn competent coach since Pat Riley .
That being said ,. it still doesn’t excuse the idiocy or naivete’ shown by the organization while damn moron such as James Dolan presides of the franchise as well as the Knicks’ parent company MSE Inc (Madison Square Garden Entertainment) . I’ve repeatedly heard idiot fans , state that Stern isn’t to blame for the malaise within the NBA but over the past three decades his imprints have been over so many of the facets , that have actually changed the state of play and the level competitiveness within the league . Only a frigging moron would try to suggest otherwise . No ” hard salary cap ” , and the union essentially has the league hierarchy by its balls !
The Knicks would not know how to spell the word ” talent ” much less spot it , on-court or amongst a group of kids at play , in the playground and it’s the same with their anal retentive fans !
Patrick Ewing will get his chance to coach in this league and when he does , he will thrive and be successful !
tophatal ………….
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I hope you’re right Al…
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hank / fantasy furnace
See my comments below concerning the six NBA coaches in question teetering on the brink .
Granted , the Lakers , with their continued idiocy are likely to retain Mike D’Antoni and his entire coaching staff for some unfathomable reason . He teaches no defense to the players and I seriously doubt , that they have the aptitude to play it in the first place !
” Phil Jackson will not , I reiterate , will not be walking through the doors of the Staples Center , anytime soon ! Next question ” ? Mike D’Antoni (right) & Mitch Kupchak
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tophatal ……………………
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There were no comments on your reply Al…
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hank/fantasyfurnace
Not as of yet , but of the six I mentioned , which do you believe is likely to be fired by their respective general manager ?
tophatal ……………
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” I want the NBA to be a success ! First off, the use of the N word will not be prohibited and any ###ger that has a problem with that can shut the @@ck up ! And guys , who want to amuse themselves with a strap-on , while playing with a teammate in the shower , is quite welcomed to do so ” !
Incoming NBA Commissioner David Stern
“Commissioner Silver actually said that ? Well good for him , now tell that mutha-##cking piece of #hit we’ll be going on strike right before the NBA Playoffs ” . NPBA President Chris Paul
“Kat Stack” she’s given more “head”: (rocked the mic’) to NBA players than Lewinsky ever gave to Bill Clinton
And then there’ll be the females lookin’ to get laid and paid .
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NBA news
Tuesday’s results
NBA Daily leaders 4th March 2014
Miami loses a close battle in dropping to a 106-13 loss to the Houston Rockets
Can things now any get any worse for the Lakers after their embarrassing loss at home to the Pelicans ? Watching this team now play under Mike D’Antoni’s and his coaching staff’s directives are way beyond being embarrassing . There is no mental toughness to the team or physicality to them , whatsoever , never mind the fact that a D’Antoni coached team has never been known for their defensive capabilities but yet Lakers’ fans being imbeciles that they are , whine on about their past while not seeing is that the franchise at present is not even relevant .
Jim Buss remains clueless and GM Mitch Kupchak is now clearly out of his depth !
The continued criticism being leveled at the Lakers’ organization by the likes of Magic Johnson and Phil Jackson is valid , because the front office has been truly complacent with their player personnel decisions . The additions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard have proven to be a monumental bust , with neither player actually contributing anything of note to the team during their tenures there . Nash has spent more time on the injured list than being on the court . As we have already witnessed , Howard cannot handle the limelight of playing in a big-market much less be viewed as a leader on any damn team .
Clueless individuals (media and fans) a fans were buying into the Lakers’ last season and their foray in the postseason clearly showed that they were not good enough to win a divisional , conference or an NBA title in terms of the roster’s makeup .
Idiots who have simply learned nothing from the 2003 season and that year of infamy with that the star laden team coached by Phil Jackson and that Lakers’ lineup having their ass handed to them on a silver platter by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals that year.
tophatal …………………
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Given the plight of the Bucks’ season (12-47) and the growing interest that there’s said to be coming from the franchise’s all-time leader in a number of offensive categories . It would appear that either Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is either seeking to suit up for the team at his age or as is actually being suggested Herb Kohl , the team’s owner is actually seeking to sell the franchise ,but would like to see a consortium in place before such a deal is in place .
Kareem in some sort of capacity with the Bucks either as a front office executive or special consultant , very much like Jerry West continues to be with the Warriors ,would be of tremendous benefit to the Milwaukee Bucks .
Anyone who doesn’t believe that Jerry West has been of great assistance to Mark Jackson as well the front office in terms of the roster’s makeup , trades and draft picks , should look down the roster and franchise’s acquisitions over the past three seasons as well as their draft classes .
West one of the main driving forces that saw Kobe Bryant coming to the Lakers after he’d been drafted by the Charlotte Hornets (as they were known at the time) in the NBA Draft .
Herb Kohl owner of the Bucks .
Kareem , I believe would be a great asset to the franchise , which made the postseason last season , only to be blown out of the water be the Heat in the first round .
The team in its present guise is struggling in having one of the worst seasons in recent NBA history in terms of the league’s franchises .
tophatal …………………….
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Which of these NBA coaches now teetering on the brink are likely to lose their positions at the end of this season ?
Larry Drew of the Milwaukee Bucks (12-47)
Brett Brown (rookie) of the Sixers (15-46)
Jacque Vauhgn of the the Orlando Magic (19-43)
Mike D’Antoni of the Lakers (21-40) worst record in the Western Conference as of the 4th March 2014 .
Mike Malone of the Kings (21-39)
Tyrone Corbin of the Jazz (21-39)
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She’s not a coach in the NBA but she does love being around guys who love to play with and bounce balls , because she loves to play with at one pair of balls, herself. .
Are these asymmetrical enough ?
She’s got a better crossover dribble than Joakim Noah .
tophatal ………………………
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hank/fantasyfurnace
Your thoughts on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar becoming a possible minority stakeholder and minority owner with the Milwaukee Bucks , given their issues on and off the court this season ? Do you believe that it will be of benefit to the franchise ?
Coach Larry Drew and his coaching staff have tough job ahead , because I do not believe that the team is simply good … enough to be viewed as any type of contender within the NBA for a title !
Other than OJ Mayo , quite possibly the best player on the roster , is there anyone there , who stands out in your mind ?
tophatal ……………..
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hank
We can both agree, that this off-season beyond the NBA Draft the Knicks will have a considerable amount of work to do concerning their roster and their impending free agents beyond ‘melo likely to opt out of the final year of his contract . Do you not feel that GM Steve Mills should have “pulled the trigger” at the trade deadline and sought to trade the forward ?
It’s simple idiocy that the front office is now prepared to gamble on the likelihood that the player may or may not seek to return to the franchise and then seek to sign a six year max $129 million contract .
Granted , Carmelo Anthony could leave and join team taking less money but still a substantial deal over five years that is likely to pay him just over $110 million .
From left to right , Knicks owner James Dolan , former Head of Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas and current GM Steve Mills .
Your thoughts on that all ?
tophatal ……………………
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The Pacers seem to be slipping in form as of late with a couple of losses that one wouldn’t have thought possible based on earlier form this season .
Paul George’s … scoring has tailed off somewhat in the last few games especially in the losses suffered by the Pacers as have the team’s during that time-frame .
tophatal ……………………..
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The LeBron love crush drives me crazy. There were more stories just on his mask last week than perhaps anyone else in the NBA. Then he has a great night and puts up 61 points, and everyone is ready to toss Durant’s season into the garbage and hand LeBron the MVP. Durant is the MVP IMO, and if I can find some more free time, I’m going to write up a comparison piece on it.
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kp/thewifeheatessports.com
Anyhow LeBron James wins the MVP this season , then it has to be seen a monumental farce with the beat writers who judge this, being seen as complete @sshholes !
Kevin Durant has been far more consistent than James has been , all season long . Besides, the Thunder lead the Western Conference whereas , the Heat sit in second place in the East behind a vastly improved Pacers’ team that has given Miami a great deal more trouble than they have been use to, against any opponent this season .
In the postseason LeBron James will be asked once again to heave the team on his statuesque shoulders , because as sure as hell neither Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh are much less make major postseason contributions for the Heat.
tophatal ………………………………………
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The Pacers are far from running away with the Eastern Conference, Al.
As of right now, they only have a two game lead over the Heat.
That’s a lead they’ll definitely want to sustain because personally, I think that having led the conference season all season long only to give it up to Miami will be an obstacle they won’t be able to overcome in the Conference Finals.
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Chris Humpherys
The Pacers have to sustain that lead to give themselves any positive chance in terms of a deep postseason run. Both Miami and Indiana have struggled as of late as reflected in their results and streaks over the last ten games . Overall , they are by far the two best teams within the conference without a doubt !
The Raptors and the success . they have had this season , come down to playing within a lousy division . They will be caught napping either in the first round or in the conference semi-finals’ match-up against whomever that might be .
Most dangerous team within the East outside the top-two are the Chicago Bulls . Doubt my word ? Simply look at their record since the All Star Break (14th-=16th Feb) and then at what they were able to achieve in January and February . All of this idiocy about ranking teams by giving them points is akin to playing a child’s game , any damn child’s game !
tophatal ………………………
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