New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

[WLVCA]

The problem with Melo is nobody knows what he is like under pressure. If you play the Knicks you can give him his thirty and still win.

I have watched Melo under pressure in person during the 2006 NBA playoffs. That's why I don't want Melo on the Clippers.

During that series (Clippers v Nuggets) he quit on his team when the Clippers took the series lead. It was obvious to any one watching the game in the arena and I was there.

The biggest shock to me was that George Karl left him in the game.

 

[Gregadd]

Mea culpa.
GSW and Stephen Curry was a complete surprise.

 

[jadis]

With focus now on next week's draft, reports are coming in that Ainge is talking trade for the 1st pick with the Sixers for their 3rd pick. Unless Philly gives the C's the 3rd plus 2 more of their previous first rounders, I will be greatly disappointed. But hey, Red Auerbach did that in the 80s when he gave up the No.1 overall (Joe Barry Caroll) for the No. 3 Kevin McHale. A certain Josh Johnson, a 6'8" guard/forward, is said to be Ainge's target at No. 3. With more meat, the guy could be our new Klay Thompson.

On another rumor/gossip/intrigue, my brother told me the other day while we were having lunch, how his 15 yr old son (an aspiring collegiate player- 6'3" and burly) has turned coat to root for Cleveland due to KD's supposed 'treachery' to OKC. My son, a screaming Warriors fan when we were at the Oracle Arena a couple of years ago, has also done the same. No amount of 'objective' explanation could convince him otherwise. And while talking about the just concluded Finals, my brother injected a bit of a far off intrigue when he told me that the poor performance of Tristan Thompson was due to the 'Kardashian Curse'. which befell Kris Humphries and Lamar Odom. That is something to ponder on.

 

[jadis]

A ghastly sight, Jack...

 

[JackD201]

Aarghhh!

Like I said, if PG were to leave the place I'd like to see him would be SA. It would give me a taste of what might have been had Larry Legend not traded Leonard for Hill

Still I hope he stays. I have a sneaking suspicion next year will be Turner's and GR3's break out year.

 

[jadis]

Aarghhh!

Like I said, if PG were to leave the place I'd like to see him would be SA. It would give me a taste of what might have been had Larry Legend not traded Leonard for Hill

Still I hope he stays. I have a sneaking suspicion next year will be Turner's and GR3's break out year.

There's a report that PG says he wants to stay, at least for his last contract season as he believes the Pacers are still very competitive, it's just a matter of jelling the lineup by the coaches. Kerr basically inherited the same lineup as Mark Jackson's but he shuffled the bench players and the starters, to an amazingly good result. Turner can be a monster in the middle in the coming years.

 

[WLVCA]

With focus now on next week's draft, reports are coming in that Ainge is talking trade for the 1st pick with the Sixers for their 3rd pick. Unless Philly gives the C's the 3rd plus 2 more of their previous first rounders, I will be greatly disappointed. But hey, Red Auerbach did that in the 80s when he gave up the No.1 overall (Joe Barry Caroll) for the No. 3 Kevin McHale. A certain Josh Johnson, a 6'8" guard/forward, is said to be Ainge's target at No. 3. With more meat, the guy could be our new Klay Thompson.

On another rumor/gossip/intrigue, my brother told me the other day while we were having lunch, how his 15 yr old son (an aspiring collegiate player- 6'3" and burly) has turned coat to root for Cleveland due to KD's supposed 'treachery' to OKC. My son, a screaming Warriors fan when we were at the Oracle Arena a couple of years ago, has also done the same. No amount of 'objective' explanation could convince him otherwise. And while talking about the just concluded Finals, my brother injected a bit of a far off intrigue when he told me that the poor performance of Tristan Thompson was due to the 'Kardashian Curse'. which befell Kris Humphries and Lamar Odom. That is something to ponder on.

It is good to see your son and nephew came around to the right way of thinking. The Warriors are a devious bunch. The Cavaliers put up against a valiant fight against the Evil Empire from The Bay. Lebron is one of the good guys and KD is Darth Vader. Perhaps they will help you come around as well.

 

[jadis]

It is good to see your son and nephew came around to the right way of thinking. The Warriors are a devious bunch. The Cavaliers put up against a valiant fight against the Evil Empire from The Bay. Lebron is one of the good guys and KD is Darth Vader. Perhaps they will help you come around as well.

Haha. My only beef is with the Traveling King. If he leaves Cleveland, I'm for The Land.

 

[WLVCA]

I was out for my morning walk today and listened to Bill Simmons interview Kevin Durant from three days ago.

You can find it on Stitcher or iTunes. Simmons podcast is called The Ringer if you are interested.

 

[jadis]

I was out for my morning walk today and listened to Bill Simmons interview Kevin Durant from three days ago.

You can find it on Stitcher or iTunes. Simmons podcast is called The Ringer if you are interested.

Sure, will look that up tomorrow.

 

[Steve Williams]

LBJ reminds me of the music group The Traveling Wilbury's

He takes his show on the year every few years in search of putting together another team to win him a ring. Did anyone see Bird or Magic do this or Kobe or any of the greats for that matter

There is a feeling of team manship but it is just that the team changes every few years to suit him so that he can cement his legacy

 

[WLVCA]

It will be interesting to watch player movement going forward. Not necessarily good, but interesting.

Players can make more by staying with their current team but the money is so big now that players will give up some to play where they want.

With the new CBA some of these guys will make $40,000,000 a year, $200,000,000 over 5 years. What is a few million one way or another to them? Especially when they have big shoe contracts, commercials, etc., etc. Might as well play where you want to.

This could change in a few years when the current TV deals are over. ESPN has already started pulling back - witness their recent layoffs. Maybe the days of these massive TV deals will be over.

Maybe Fox Sports will step up, maybe not. Perhaps a new player will emerge to spend the big bucks for contracts.

At some point the current model will be unsustainable. Hasn't happened yet but will have to happen at some point.

 

[Gregadd]

LBJ reminds me of the music group The Traveling Wilbury's

He takes his show on the year every few years in search of putting together another team to win him a ring. Did anyone see Bird or Magic do this or Kobe or any of the greats for that matter

There is a feeling of team manship but it is just that the team changes every few years to suit him so that he can cement his legacy

They did not have to. Bird and Magic played for legendary franchises. MJ had the players he needed. Is there anyome else who could bring a championship to Cleveland?

 

[Steve Williams]

They did not have to. Bird and Magic played for legendary franchises. MJ had the players he needed. Is there anyome else who could bring a championship to Cleveland?

Maybe so Greg but IMO he takes the meaning of "ownership" out of the equation. Don't also forget that Cleveland is so far over the cap that their penalty is $35M

 

[Gregadd]

Credit Cleveland for not wanting to make the s e mistake twice.
Listen LBJ left Cleveland the first time the NBA had him for a bargain price. You could go to any team but
your pay was about the same. All a player could do was chase a ring. I do not know finance but after a certain point the money goes to taxes.



ow

 

[Steve Williams]

after a certain point the money goes to taxes.

He could be the first athlete to become a billionaire

 

[Gregadd]

He could be the first athlete to become a billionaire

I thought it would be Tiger Woods.

 

[Steve Williams]

I thought it would be Tiger Woods.

Let's say Tiger has had some recent issues

and what was he thinking anyway with his wife

 

[jadis]

I have been having a good exchange of views with my son regarding the hot topics after the Warriors victory in the Finals. First was about Lebron's and KD's moving to another team in their quest for a ring, and second was about Super Teams, which LeBron said he never joined, only a few days ago, and which Draymond responded to at the end of the victory parade.

I told my son that when James made the decision to join the Heat in 2011, there was nothing really wrong about that in that other big free agents before him had done that - join other teams in search for a title. What turned off many basketball fans was that he prepackaged that in a show special on ESPN that had a title that gave the word 'decision' a very bad connotation from that time on. And it didn't end there. For me the worst part was the Introduction Party of whatever they called it, with James, Wade and Bosh sitting in stools in front of 13,000 fans like a rock concert that culminated in LeBron promising to the fans not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7....championships. All of these, BEFORE they played a single game let alone won any title. I don't recall Shaq having such shows or promises when they moved to the Lakers.In fact, Shaq refused to talk about it after the signing.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...ream-team-shaquille-o-neal-los-angeles-lakers

KD chose to move to the Warriors last year, and I don't recall him declaring a title is at hand or something like that.His move was very disappointing to Thunders fans but that can be said about Orlando's fans as well when Shaq moved out. That KD moved to an already championship molded team is a subject of long debates in sports desks.

As for Super teams, Lebron says he never joined a super team. It can be argued that Miami only had a champion in Wade and that Bosh was a newcomer, ready to adjust and jell into the Heat's system. In my perception, the Introduction Party's promise of not less than 8 titles made me think that the Heat was a super team, to be capable of winning that much titles. To play with semantics, James did not join a team that was already super, but that he joined a team that he feels that will win 8 titles. It's just a difference of past and future. If we don't call a team that wins at least 8 titles Super, I don't know what to call them.

 

[jadis]

They did not have to. Bird and Magic played for legendary franchises. MJ had the players he needed. Is there anyome else who could bring a championship to Cleveland?

Imo, mostly, it can't be done with just 1 man or player. It's the GM's job to build a team that can jell and win. James was in Cleveland for the first 7 or 8 years and didn't bring a title to the city due to lack of help. Bird came in as a rookie with oldies Dave Cowens and Pete Maravich and Don Chaney. The next year he led his team to a title as the front office added Robert Parish and Kevin McHale via a trade down from No. 1 to No. 3 pick. MJ didn't win a title in his fist 6 years but waited till front office assembled some good players around him in 1990. Magic won a title for his team in his first year, playing the clinching game as a center and scored 42 points and dishing several assists, with Kareem not playing due to injury. To me, this feat is hard to equal in the history of the game. LeBron came back to Cleveland with Kyrie as a young superstar and reportedly lobbied for a trade for Love and giving up No, 1 pick Wiggins. Didn't win the first yeear but did on the second try. One would note that Cleveland in the past few years had THREE No. 1 picks in Irving, Wiggins and Bennett. TWO No. 4 picks in Tristan Thompson and Deion Waiters. All happened after James left Cleveland. In contrast, as Draymond mentioned, Steph was No. 7, Klay No. 11, Himself was No. 42, and they won the title in 2015 without any super player 'coming in'. Could all those top picks of Cleveland won a title without James? We'll never know as they were not given a chance to try it. James came back and there was a re-organization.