NBA Discussion Thread

by The_Enigma Tue 09 Apr 2013, 11:11 am

Thought I'd make a whole topic dedicated to the NBA. This is for small snippets of newsworthy topics, the weekend games on Sky, and playoff predictions.

by The_Enigma Tue 09 Apr 2013, 11:15 am

Games This Weekend

Sunday 14th April

Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls
New York Knicks @ Indiana

So any play-off tips for the end of the season, Can the Lakers hang on to 8th place. I'm predicting that the Denver Nuggets cause an upset or two in this season's play-offs!

by Guest Tue 09 Apr 2013, 12:33 pm

It's Chicago @ Miami. I still don't think Derrick Rose is going to return until game 1 of the play-offs which is a bummer. He's ready, medically cleared by his doctor and has been practicing 1-on-1 in training for weeks now. Carmelo's been on fire in recent weeks and even though the Knicks are on a long run, I can't see them making the Conference Final. Heat should stroll the Eastern but the Western is where the real competition is at. Thunder, Clippers, Spurs & Nuggets all in with a shout, however the Nuggets just lost Gallinari for the season which is a blow.

by kingraf Tue 09 Apr 2013, 6:10 pm

No way do we lose to Bulls again. Is.Wade a confirmed starter? I hope he rests the knees for the rest of the regular season. We already have the number 1 seed and should have the overrall record.

Looking at things now, I would love a Clippers-Heat final. But the Clippers havent won a series vs a contender in the West so I doubt that will happen.

by Guest Thu 11 Apr 2013, 12:03 pm

Miami been resting Wade`s knees for the playoffs, not sure about him playing at weekend. Not sure if Rose will return before the playoffs, huge discussion and debate about him in the US. Kobe Bryant single handedly trying to keep the Lakers in the playoff spot with 47 pts last night

by kingraf Sat 13 Apr 2013, 8:44 pm

the one season I start reapecting Kobe, he goes and tears his ACL, hope he comes back, thats no way for a legend to go

by Guest Sat 13 Apr 2013, 10:12 pm

Isn't it his Achilles Tendon and not his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)?

He's been single handedly carrying the Lakers this year and been in supreme form. Real shame and hope he comes back but at 35 it will be difficult.

Expected to miss 6-9 months.

by kingraf Sat 13 Apr 2013, 10:17 pm

Oops, so many players have been tearing it off, its become second nature to type that. Yeah you right, achilles freaking snapped. Not fun, Ive had multiple minor tears so I can only imagine how painful that must be!

by kingraf Sat 13 Apr 2013, 10:18 pm

He is an athlete though, so I fully expect him to be back by Halloween

by The_Enigma Sun 14 Apr 2013, 7:22 pm

Nate Robinson's having a stormer of a game...

Double digits in the second quarter so it looks this might be a closer game than I though, probably go right down to the wire.

Just to echo the previous comments, It's a shame to see Kobe's now out of the play-offs, which the guy a speedy recover. In other news, Spurs have released Stephen Jackson, which from what I've heard is the second time this has happend ???

by The_Enigma Thu 13 Jun 2013, 1:58 pm

Brooklyn Nets Appoint Jason Kidd as new Head Coach

Full Story Here...

http://www.nba.com/2013/news/06/12/jason-kidd-head-coach-nets.ap/index.html

Very interesting appointment & something I'll defiantly be keeping an eye on... I hope he does really well. I know he's regarded as a bit of a legend down that way, I just hope this doesn't tarnish his reputation.

by The_Enigma Tue 25 Jun 2013, 12:24 pm

Doesn't the draft start on Thursday?

by Guest Tue 25 Jun 2013, 1:10 pm

Yeah. Haven't really looked at it too much, don't the Cavaliers have no.1 pick? Think there's four quite good talented players vying for that pick.

by The_Enigma Tue 25 Jun 2013, 1:21 pm

They have, with Orlando Magic having second pick. After that I have no idea Laugh

So does this type of event run for a few days? Also are players who are now Free Agents involved in the draft?

by Guest Tue 25 Jun 2013, 2:31 pm

I don't think the free agents are involved in the process, they just go into a 'free agency list' and then they are open to negotiations with teams who are interested during the off-season. So players like Chris Paul & Dwight Howard are in that list.

I think the draft is just a one night event.

Also, it's been confirmed that the Atlanta Hawks will play the Brooklyn Nets next year in the latest regular season game to take place in London, the NBA say. The game, at the 02 Arena on 16 January, is part of the NBA Global Games London 2014 and is the fourth year in succession the NBA has taken the series to London.

by The_Enigma Tue 25 Jun 2013, 3:32 pm

Ahh right, cheers for clearing that up John

I've never visited London, but I might just make the trip down there for that game as I'm quite fond of the Brooklyn Nets. Have you heard about the pre-season friendly taking place in Manchester John? OKC Thunder will play Philadelphia 76'ers

by The_Enigma Wed 26 Jun 2013, 12:17 pm

After a failed attempt with the Denver Nuggets, I've decided to give Association Mode another chance and have started with the Brooklyn Nets! -23 Million starting budget Laugh

I've been thinking about trading 1 or 2 of the higher paid players. Been offered M.Ellis for J.Johnson I'm seriously considering.

by Guest Wed 26 Jun 2013, 12:21 pm

The Nets contracts are ridiculous, especially Joe Johnson. Yeah, I love Association Mode, play 29 games at 5 minutes with CPU games at 6 minutes to even out the scoring to make it more realistic. I see NBA2K14 is already developed and looks sick.

by The_Enigma Wed 26 Jun 2013, 12:27 pm

I've gone for 58 Games at 5 Mins with CPU games at 7 Minutes....

Yeah the contracts are amazing to look at and it's no wonder why we're in the red at present. I'm thinking of letting Johnson go, would that be a wise decision? Plus a couple of fringe players. Because of a PS3 Error I havn't got the update so could pick up Chris Anderson as a free agent!

by Guest Fri 28 Jun 2013, 9:59 am

Well, what a surprising night in the draft, more action that I would have thought and we still haven't had the free agency deals yet.

Overall No. 1 PF Anthony Bennett went to the Cavaliers from the main draft. The New Orleans Pelicans then traded their center pick Nerlens Noel from the draft for a 2014 protected first-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for point guard Jrue Holiday.

Then the serious action came. The Brooklyn Nets became a legit contender during the NBA draft Thursday night when it was announced a blockbuster deal would package Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics will get a package of three future first-round picks for 2014, 2016 and 2018 in addition to Gerald Wallace, Tornike Shengeliaand the expiring contract of Kris Humphries.

That means the Nets could look like this next season. D-Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Peirce, KG and Lopez.......wowzer!!!!!

by The_Enigma Fri 28 Jun 2013, 12:57 pm

That's a serious piece of business from the Brooklyn Nets... They'll be a force next season!

I can't help but think that trade was for the here and now instead of planning for the future. While they are good players they're all in their mid to late 30's so they'll only get 2/3 years out of them at best. Quite surprising to see the 76'ers trading Holiday away, I thought he was the player they were trying to build their team around.

Looking forward to seeing where all these free agents end up now!

by **hampo17** Fri 28 Jun 2013, 1:33 pm

As a big Magic fan we need to make use of the free agency. We'd built our team around Howard and had nothing in reserve when he left us for the Lakers.

by kingraf Fri 28 Jun 2013, 6:53 pm

Stupid business from Nets. They just got old, overnight. Not winning a coin toss with those oldies.

by The_Enigma Sat 06 Jul 2013, 12:07 pm

Seems like Dwight Howard has finally made his mind up in agreeing to sign with the Houston Rockets with the deal expected to be completed this Wednesday, although the Rockets are not completely finished re-building their team as they continue to chase Josh Smith from Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors have freed up more cap space as they continue to push through a deal with ex-Denver forward Andre Iguodala, Denver are believed to have a replacement lined up Monty Ellis from the Milwaukee Bucks.

by Guest Sat 06 Jul 2013, 12:33 pm

Interesting move for the Rockets. Lin, Harden, Parsons & Howard is a good side. I hear Chris Paul has re-signed with the Clippers after Doc Rivers was signed as the new coach. I fear for the Lakers next year, what's happening there in terms of the line-up next year?

by Bull Sat 06 Jul 2013, 1:18 pm

Howard picks Houston hmm can see them being real contender, hoping the Bulls make some good signings, am i the only one who was annoyed that the Bulls did not resign Marco Belinelli?

by Guest Mon 08 Jul 2013, 9:22 pm

News on free agency

After failing to land Dwight Howard in free agency, the Dallas Mavericks reportedly are targeting fellow free agent center Andrew Bynum. Bynum, 25, doesn't come without risks. He missed the entire 2012-13 season because of ongoing knee problems that have plagued him in recent seasons.

The Golden State Warriors have landed a coveted free agent to join alongside Steph Curry. The Warriors reached an agreement with Andre Iguodala on a $48 million, four-year deal.

This one surprised me but the Detroit Pistons reached a contract agreement with the highly-rated and in demand Josh Smith on Saturday. The contract is for four years and between $54-56 million, according to multiple reports.

Mike Dunleavy Jr. has agreed to a two-year, $6 million contract with the Chicago Bulls and Manu Ginobli has decided not to retire and has re-signed with the San Antonio Spurs for two more years.

by CJB Mon 08 Jul 2013, 11:55 pm

Top 10 teams for next season IMO

Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, Dubs, Rockets
Heat, Nets, Pacers, Bulls, Knicks

by Guest Tue 16 Jul 2013, 12:48 pm

Is it me or are the Knicks having a shocking off-season in terms of signings. Metta World Peace has signed for the Knicks and I'm also surprised they bought Bargnani from the Raptors, hardly been impressive last few years. They've also decided to let go Chris Copeland, who I thought was impressive last year, to the Indiana Pacers. Also J.R Smith is out for 3-4 months with an ankle injury.

Monta Ellis has joined the Dallas Mavericks.

by kingraf Tue 16 Jul 2013, 8:30 pm

Miami Heat amnesty Mike Miller. I think this is beyond stupid.

by kingraf Tue 16 Jul 2013, 8:31 pm

They save $16 million though

by Guest Sat 03 Aug 2013, 8:44 pm

Greg Oden is to sign for the Miami Heat. Interesting signing, obviously gives them size and rebounding ability but the guy is seriously injury prone. For anyone that is not familiar with Oden, he was the number 1 draft pick in 2007, however knee injuries have blighted his whole NBA career. A risk signing for but something the Heat ownership see as worth taking on a reported two-year deal.

Update

The return of Chicago star Derrick Rose will highlight the opening night of the NBA 2013-2014 season, with the Bulls taking on the champion Miami Heat on October 29.

by The_Enigma Thu 26 Sep 2013, 12:57 pm

Got Tickets for the Thunder/76'ers exhibition game this morning Yahoo

by Guest Fri 25 Oct 2013, 10:36 pm

NBA season underway this weekend, heard nothing about SkySports picking up a contract to show any games so far. Big disappointment. Hope we don't have to wait until February or something like last year. I was expecting an improvement of the coverage, as it was a success I thought. I mean, they scrapped Nascar highlights last year that I enjoyed, what else?

by kingraf Sun 27 Oct 2013, 12:01 pm

Well, they'll be on in South Africa, so I'm sorted! Looking forwArd to seeing D. Rose play, he's been gone a while, and I dont see him jumping straight into it. Alternatively, this is probably Miami's weakest team since the Big Three came together. Can't see The Heat not scorching the Bulls though.

by CFCNick Sun 27 Oct 2013, 12:09 pm

Go Nets!!!

ESPN didn't show games until about November last year.

by Guest Mon 28 Oct 2013, 11:24 am

I hope Sky pick a contract up before February but I fear they will show the NFL upto the Superbowl & then the NBA will take over. Disappointing.

As for the Bulls, undefeated in pre-season & Rose has looked 'sharp' & 'his old-self'. Good news. Be interesting to see the Nets & their line-up this year.

by The_Enigma Tue 29 Oct 2013, 12:58 pm

So the official NBA 2013/2014 Season finally gets under way tonight with 3 tasty games on offer for the opening day of the season. Having had a look at Sky's listings between now and Sunday evening there doesn't seem to be anything at all which is rather disappointing.

Perhaps, they'll show the 'Live' game from the UK on Sky Sports and take it from there with regular games shown on the weekend. I wonder if BT Sport will pick up anything, they did show the Pre-Season game in Manchester earlier this month.

There seems to be quite a few transactions that have taken place on the off-season with quite a few teams fancying a shot of making it into the play-off's this season. Having looked at a few teams this season, I'll make a prediction on who I think will make the play-offs in the Conference East.

1 - Miami Heat
2 - Brooklyn Nets
3 - Chicago Bulls
4 - Indiana Pacers
5 - Detroit Pistons
6 - New York Knicks
7 - Cleveland Cavaliers
8 - Boston Celtic's/Philadelphia 76ers

by nasisillmatic Tue 29 Oct 2013, 3:54 pm

I'm gutted none of the games are being shown at the moment, I'm tempted to buy the season pass. Has anyone bought it before?

by The_Enigma Tue 29 Oct 2013, 4:13 pm

Mate of mine as bought the Season Pass this season, says you can buy and stop your subscription on a monthly basis. Works out between £12-£14 a month.

by nasisillmatic Tue 29 Oct 2013, 4:24 pm

Sounds decent. I seen they're doing a free trial for the first week so going to have a look at that later.

by kingraf Tue 29 Oct 2013, 6:33 pm

Nas is illmatic - Love the album. Greatest hip hop album of all time... In Beatles territory, actually.

Anyway Good luck to you all. Viewership is important, otherwise the discussions here will be muted.

by Guest Thu 31 Oct 2013, 10:50 am

Anyone see Michael carter Williams of the sixers vs heat? On rookie debut bagged 22 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds & 9 steals. Those steals were an NBA record & he looks to be one of best defensive prospects.

by kingraf Thu 31 Oct 2013, 11:16 am

didn't catch it, but a rookie nearly bagging a quadruple double first gun? That's impressive!

by The_Enigma Thu 31 Oct 2013, 11:40 am

John wrote:Anyone see Michael carter Williams of the sixers vs heat? On rookie debut bagged 22 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds & 9 steals. Those steals were an NBA record & he looks to be one of best defensive prospects.

When The Sixers rolled into Manchester to play OKC Thunder earlier this month, Carter-Williams looked a decent prospect. They've made some cracking draft picks and trades over the summer so I can see them surprising a fair few teams this season.

by kingraf Thu 31 Oct 2013, 11:47 am

Rumour had that the 76erz were throwing this season, to get better draft picks..

by nasisillmatic Fri 01 Nov 2013, 8:19 am

I watched the game after work yesterday. I couldn't believe the start the 76ers got, amazing. After Miami pulled it back i thought we would easily seal the win.

Good game either way and very impressive from Carter Williams.

by Guest Fri 01 Nov 2013, 8:23 pm

Saw highlights of the Bulls win over the Knicks. Rose with a game winning floater with six seconds left. Great to see him back.

by Guest Sun 17 Nov 2013, 12:12 pm

Good old Chicago Bulls. They ended Indiana's 9 game unbeaten start to the season with Rose bagging 20 pts. I still can't really get into the season until it's back on Sky, hopefully the Bulls will be in a good position post January. I hear CP3, Kevin Love, LeBron, Paul George & Kevin Durant are early pace-setters for the MVP.

by Guest Tue 19 Nov 2013, 11:40 am

The_Enigma wrote:That's a serious piece of business from the Brooklyn Nets... They'll be a force next season!

Currently 3 - 7, not looking great so far for the new look Nets & beaten by the TrailBlazers @ home.

See the Bulls have now won 5 on the spin.

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