NBA Random Thoughts

[Primetime]

Solidifies Mo's position on the roster for the season. J.R. Smith is such a love hate player. Can't say I don't want to see him on the Clips though.

 

[NAHSTE]

All I do is :lin:

 

[Rudi]

 

[calgaryballer]

What site you watching on?

NBA.TV, international league pass

 

[Bomberooski]

NBA.TV, international league pass

You lucky bum

 

[Rudi]

Monta Ellis cookin :kobe: :lebron:

 

[Rudi]

lol marc jackson. what an idiot.

 

[Primetime]

:smh:

 

[Bomberooski]

Back to back road wins for the Thunder. (yes I'm still REAL bitter about the goaltending call Monday night...)

They are tough as nails and just never quit. I hate being in their Division because they aren't going anywhere for a while.

Also, Monte is a bad mother when he gets hot.

 

[FedEx227]

Chicago Bulls: How History Shows the Benefit of Acquiring Dwight Howard
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-shows-the-benefit-of-acquiring-dwight-howard

There is still a general uneasiness among Chicago Bulls fans and the media alike for the Bulls to attempt to acquire Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

Last week, Chicago Sun Times report Rick Telander made the case that the Bulls should not break up their core in an attempt to acquire Howard.

But the desperation talk about the Bulls needing to break everything up and deal for disgruntled and possibly available Magic center Dwight Howard — shedding Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, C.J. Watson and/or Omer Asik or Taj Gibson in the process — is scary chatter, no matter how you frame it....So add Dwight Howard? I wouldn’t mess with that.

Telander points to recent history of star big men not bolstering their team's title chances, most notably the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2009 acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal to try to give LeBron James another weapon on the floor.

There is a big difference though. O'Neal was a shell of his former self at that point. The comparison is just not sound.

The Bulls are in a position to potentially acquiring a 26-year-old Howard who is entering his prime. Additionally, Howard is the best center in the NBA right now. Shaq was nowhere near that level in 2009.

Despite Telander's concerns or the concerns and pleas from the Bulls fan base to maintain the core of this Bulls team, acquiring Howard should be a no-brainer.

While Telander unfairly looked at the 2009 O'Neal for his history reference, there is a strong correlation to teams trading for the best center in the NBA and winning a title soon after.

A situation where the best center is available does not come up frequently, but when it does, the team that is able to snag him has had profound success.

In 1968, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired superstar center Wilt Chamberlin. Although Chamberlin was no longer the dominant scorer (24.3 points per game in 1967-68) he was in his earlier years, he was still the best center in the NBA.

The Lakers had lost in the NBA Finals the year before falling to the Sam Jones and John Havlicek-led Boston Celtics, 4-2; they needed some extra firepower alongside Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

While it took three years (and two additional NBA Finals appearances) Chamberlin eventually led the Lakers to the NBA championship in 1971-72.

A few years after Chamberlin departed, another heralded big man found his way in Los Angeles, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar moved from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Abdul-Jabbar was still in the prime of his career at this time holding averages of 30 points per game and 14 rebounds per game.

The year before acquiring Abdul-Jabbar the Lakers had missed the playoffs with a sub-.500 record. In Abdul-Jabbar's first year with the Lakers, he helped them reach a more respectable 40-42 record. After three consecutive playoff appearances, Abdul-Jabbar and the Lakers were able to break through winning the NBA championship in 1980.

Abdul-Jabbar went on to play a key role in four additional championships through the '80s.

Moses Malone brought a championship to the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers after being acquired from the Houston Rockets. The 76ers were a great team the year before led by Maurice Cheeks and "Dr. J" Julius Erving. They had reached the NBA Finals before losing 4-2 to the Abdul-Jabbar-led Lakers.

It certainly was not a panic move, but the Sixers acquired the best center in the NBA in Malone, and wound up winning the championship in Malone's first season largely on the efforts of Malone.

Telander's example of O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers is interesting is Shaq has to precedent of going to teams and bringing them championships.

The first, a move from the Orlando Magic to the Lakers saw O'Neal alongside Kobe Bryant grab three additional championships for Los Angeles.

Later in his career, but still at a dominant point, O'Neal teamed with a young Dwyane Wade to bring the Miami Heat franchise its first NBA championship.

Again, the NBA's best center is typically not on the trade block. This year, that is the case. The Bulls would be crazy to pass up the opportunity.

Howard is still only 26 years old and is undoubtedly a dominant scorer, rebounder and defensive presence. Like Chamberlin, Abdul-Jabbar, O’Neal and Malone before him, Howard is the best center in the NBA today.

NBA history has taught us the impact of acquiring a center the caliber of Howard has on a team's championship aspirations. Each of the five teams mentioned eventually won a title.

The Bulls should not ignore history.

 

[TheImmortalGoud]

The Bulls aren't winning a title with the current roster. The only shot they have of beating the Heat is to acquire Howard. You give up anything, but Rose.

 

[ralaw]

In sports I like how people always look at history and try to justify why something will work now. While I think the Bulls should go after Howard I don't think he's the franchise changing player that Wilt, KAP, and Shaq were. However, if Chicago can get Howard they have to. IMO the Magic really want Bynum and some pieces; however, if I was the Lakers I'm not even sure I'd trade Bynum and pieces for Howard.

 

[Primetime]

If you have the chance to get Howard for Bynum and pieces....you ship him ASAP wrapped in bubble wrap so he doesn't blow a knee during shipping.

 

[ralaw]

If you have the chance to get Howard for Bynum and pieces....you ship him ASAP wrapped in bubble wrap so he doesn't blow a knee during shipping.

The pieces the Magic want is Gasol and there in no way I'd trade Bynum (who gets Howard's production and defensive presence) and still have to give up a top 5 PF in the league. Bynum is one healthy season away from changing the oft-injured reputation and he seems to be putting that together this year. Once Kobe gets old Howard would be the lead guy and IMO he doesn't have that type of heart. IMO fans and the media raise Howard to a higher level than what he actually is....I think he's an ideal #2 guy at best.

 

[FirstTimer]

In sports I like how people always look at history and try to justify why something will work now. While I think the Bulls should go after Howard I don't think he's the franchise changing player that Wilt, KAP, and Shaq were. However, if Chicago can get Howard they have to. IMO the Magic really want Bynum and some pieces; however, if I was the Lakers I'm not even sure I'd trade Bynum and pieces for Howard.

He's a top 5 player in the league. Frankly, this year with or without Howard I'm not sure the Bull take down the Heat but too often fans look at this as a one year thing and don't look down the road. Moving forward for the next 5-10 seasons I'd rather have Rose and Howard and put pieces around that than Rose and Noah/Deng and try to cobble together acceptable parts around that.

The Bulls have movable assets. They need to use them.

 

[FirstTimer]

The pieces the Magic want is Gasol and there in no way I'd trade Bynum (who gets Howard's production and defensive presence) and still have to give up a top 5 PF in the league. Bynum is one healthy season away from changing the oft-injured reputation and he seems to be putting that together this year. Once Kobe gets old Howard would be the lead guy and IMO he doesn't have that type of heart. IMO fans and the media raise Howard to a higher level than what he actually is....I think he's an ideal #2 guy at best.

If true(different discussion) that makes Howard even more of a great fit in Chicago.

 

[Primetime]

I don't think the Lakers are worried about having D12 be a lead guy in LA. There is too much of a drive to play in LA that they'd have no problem getting a huge piece to get D12 back as the #2 guy. Fuck trading both Bynum and Gasol though.

 

[ralaw]

Fom Bird to now Kendrick Perkins LeBron has had a tough few days

Kendrick Perkins rips LeBron for tweets

Kendrick Perkins can live with being dunked on as part of the game. He can even handle being tweeted about being dunked on.

But LeBron James' Twitter reaction to Blake Griffin's did-you-see-that dunk over Perkins didn't sit well with the Oklahoma City Thunder center.

Perkins found himself in Griffin's career highlight reel when the Los Angeles Clippers forward soared over him, absorbed contact and threw the ball down into the basket, fingers grazing the rim, in the Clippers' 112-100 win Jan. 30.

Perkins then found himself on Twitter, where James, among others, could not contain his amazement over what he had seen.

"Dunk of the Year! @blakegriffin just dunked on Kendrick Perkins so hard!!! Wow! I guess I'm No. 2 now. Move over #6," James tweeted, apparently referring to his own dunk the day before over Chicago Bulls point guard John Lucas III being relegated behind Griffin's poster-quality jam.

Perkins told Yahoo! Sports that he didn't appreciate that.


"You don't see Kobe (Bryant) tweeting," Perkins said, according to the report. "You don't see Michael Jordan tweeting. If you're an elite player, plays like that don't excite you.

"At the end of the day, the guys who are playing for the right reasons who are trying to win championships are not worrying about one play. They also are not tweeting about themselves talking about going down to No. 2," Perkins added, according to the report. "I just feel [James] is always looking for attention and he wants the world to like him."

Perkins told Yahoo! Sports he respected Griffin for not making a spectacle of the moment. But if Griffin goes at the rim again the next time the Clippers and Thunder meet, Perkins said he won't back down.


"If I was in the same position, in the same rotation, I'm going to jump again and again and again," Perkins said, according to Yahoo! Sports. "A lot of people are afraid of humiliation or don't know how to handle embarrassment or would even get embarrassed. I don't care."

"That's my job," Perkins added, according to the report. "How will my teammates look at me if next time I just back out of the way and just let him dunk when I'm supposed to be defensive-minded, a shot-blocker? That would be a coward move on me. He'd just have to dunk on me again."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7...nder-rips-lebron-james-miami-heat-dunk-tweets

 

[FedEx227]

In sports I like how people always look at history and try to justify why something will work now. While I think the Bulls should go after Howard I don't think he's the franchise changing player that Wilt, KAP, and Shaq were. However, if Chicago can get Howard they have to. IMO the Magic really want Bynum and some pieces; however, if I was the Lakers I'm not even sure I'd trade Bynum and pieces for Howard.

He's not the franchise changer like those guys but you can't argue with almost 95% of NBA champions being built around two stars usually (with the exception of Jordan/Pippen) one of those two stars is a post threat.

Just to get it out of the way now before someone says: "YOU IDIOT LOOK AT DA PISTONS" the 2004 Pistons were an anomaly. If you want to look at the 1 in 50 that did it a different way to show how it should be done, more power to you.

 

[FirstTimer]

He's not the franchise changer like those guys but you can't argue with almost 95% of NBA champions being built around two stars usually (with the exception of Jordan/Pippen) one of those two stars is a post threat.

Just to get it out of the way now before someone says: "YOU IDIOT LOOK AT DA PISTONS" the 2004 Pistons were an anomaly. If you want to look at the 1 in 50 that did it a different way to show how it should be done, more power to you.

And that was a bit different too just because of the offense the Bulls ran. Jordan and Pippen were dominant in the post as wings and the offense put them there a lot.