okay, I really must post this photo...

Bargnani and a journalist...

If you think being a Mavs fan is tough, try being a Heat one (K, spare me the laughs ). From the joy and happiness of 05/06 and the dramatic finals to repetitive Wade injuries, key players leaving, to last place last year. I hope we pick up at least a bit this year and I pray for Dwyane to have a full season this time around.

I heard that during the draft, they were considering getting rid of Wade. Yea, but at least the Heat won a title and didnt choke. The Mavs choked.


Preseason Results from Tuesday

Toronto (1-0) Cleveland (0-1) 104 84

Washington (0-1) Dallas (1-0) 82 108

Rockets 96, Grizzlies 93

UTH (1-0) LAL (0-1) 99 90

SAC (0-1) POR (1-0) 81 110

exactly.

Yes, but the fact that we were doing so well and to see in a pit we are in now just hurts that much more.

I wish I could share your concern for the plight of the Heat Vic, but I just can't bring myself to do it Just gotta hope that Beasley can be somewhat good in his rookie year.


Looking forward to the Magic season already. We added a viable starter at the shooting guard position in Pietrus, and of course we have the Superman himself and his rapidly improving game. Winning gold at Beijing was obviously a boost for him, and it seems like he's working even harder to improve his game. The word on the street is that he's got a decent jump shot now, something he very rarely showed last season.

I still think we're a year away from really contending for a title, but the expectations have definitely been raised in this town.

I'm not sure we'll win it again, but I think it's going to be an riveting year. I feel like more teams are moving away from the one-superstar-carries-the-team mentality and it's one of the most exciting times to follow the NBA in a while. Also, I am at my sporting happiest when EPL and NBA are both in season at the same time. Let's keep banter in this thread alive over the coming months no matter who we support.

Lamar Odom only having 3 points in the first two pre-season games is really troubling to me. I know its just preseason but he has been on the court for over 30 minutes and he has 4 points to show for it.

I hope he steps up production soon.

Beasley has been very impressive for the Heat so far in the pre-season. Rookie of the Year.

Haha, and I'm not expecting you to as it's pretty much impossible. I gotta say I don't follow (mainly because I rarely can) new promising rookies, but I'll take Eddie's word for it and hope that Beasley does well for us. What position does he play anyway?

Oh and K, I'm quite a fan of Pietrus. He's not the most stylish player you'll ever see but he gets the job done and he's strong as a bull.

Beastly is a PF

Wonderful, we really needed a big, strong presence under the basket. Can anyone help me put out our best starting V? Wade, Marion, Beasley...

Chris Quinn is the future.

I saw a bit of Pietrus at Golden State, he seemed to be an athletic player and a dogged defender, something that the Magic were lacking last season at his position. If he can improve his offensive game, then we've got a hell of a signing, I think. He's adjusted quite well to the Magic game plan during the preseason.

Speaking of Golden State, they just suspended Monta Ellis for 30 games without pay He was going to miss them anyway, but he's literally paid the price for lying to the team about his injury.

Ellis is pretty average anyway, he doesn't even deserve that money.

He deserves it. It shows that you need to be truthful with your team. Didnt the Lakers do something like that to Radmanovic?

Yup, after he "slipped on a patch of ice" at Park City

Be nice to Vlad, he is a space cadet.

Monta Ellis is a great player. I don't know if he is ready to fill Baron Davis' shoes. But he should have been capable of a 40 win season with that team. Not anymore. I can't see GS being anything this year. They open up space for Portland to become the new hip team to pick.

And the best starting five for Miami I would guess would be, Wade, Banks, Marion, Beasley, Blunt. (Do Miami have another center?)

They have Haslem, i don't know if he can handle the C position though

For speaking in nba, anyone here know any forum/site like that(soccerpulse) about basket/nba??

Thanks ;p

realgm.com

Thats freaking awesome, it looks like something that should be in a AND1 mixtape.

preseason

Yea, you gotta love preseason! haha What I am wondering is like last year, New York did awesome in preseason and then they sucked in the regular season....how does that happen? They have the same players...

Could Marcus Banks do that?

NBA preseason basketball counts for nothing. Thats why NY wins games. Then when people care, they get their asses kicked night in and out.

And no Marcus Banks couldn't do that. However, I don't think Chris Quinn could do that twice

My Pistons are going to make a lot of noise and then fizzle out in the playoffs, probably ending their streak of ECF appearances

Derrick Rose's last two games:

vs Dallas: 30
vs Wolves: 17

not bad. not bad at all


Beasley has 16.4 PPG right now.

I'm not convinced he's (Rose) going to make the splash everyone is thinking he will. at least not in year 1...PG is a tough position to make a big impact right away...Last player to do that was Kidd...Problem with Rose and the Bulls is that he has no perimeter shot...Bulls have a lot of holes to fill, IMHO...Now with Hughes out for a spell, they are going to be hurting on the perimeter outside of Gordon...That team really deflated pretty quickly eh?

As for Beasley, it'll be between him and Oden for ROY

Yeah, forgot Oden is technically going to be a rookie this season. He might not make an impact right away, but if he's even close to regaining the athleticism he had, he could turn out to be a beast.


I can hardly wait for the season to start, I'm looking forward to another division title for the Magic We've had a pretty good time of it in the preseason so far and appear to have an even better team than last year.

Found this on the bus back from uni this afternoon:




I guess at least one Magic fan still hasn't forgiven Shaq for leaving town a dozen years ago

Boston, Chicago, and LA (Lakers) won tonight.

Almost all teams are in action tomorrow night!

ESPN was slobbering all over Rose's nuts after yesterday's game.

ESPN has a propensity for doing that with many a 'star'...

YES KNICKERBOCKERS! YES!

ESPN is just a bunch of biased ass holes that LOVE to talk shit about Chicago Teams so i'm suprised they said something good about Rose. He scores 11 points and all of the sudden things like "He's the real deal" n "Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah" when he hasn't done anything. When he starts going Chris Paul on Teams and putting up Triple Doubles night in n night out let me know. Till then he ain't ish but another rookie.

Well that optimism suddenly disappeared.

Yes. Bulls were brought down to Earth with their loss vs the Celtics. When they can't shoot they can't win. The Bulls shot in the high 20%'s. That's not going to get it done in the NBA.


However. Bulls won today and Rose had his breakout game with 26 points.


In other notes. Chris Paul is just and Joe Johnson is so underrated imho. Great player.

Mavs grab their first win Lovely assist off the rebound by Jason Kidd. Another guy that has really impressed me is Josh Howard. I is so very, very underrated.

Went to the Raps home opener
Had fun.

Good to see them off to a good start.

Pistons trade Billups and Dice for AI...As a Piston fan, I like it but mainly for the longterm...21 million coming off the books at the end of the season makes them a serious player in FA...Plus, for now, they get a PG that can penetrate as opposed to Chauncey

I don't understand the trade. Pistons add an old liability. Denver adds two players that don't fit their style. Denver isn't adding any defense by doing this and thats what they need the most. I am just confused on this.

AI's moving again? Damn.

Can't wait to go to as many Hornets games as possible this season.

I think there are a few ways to shake out the trade.

For Denver, they get out from under that huge contract of AI's and they actually get a hometown product and legit PG in Billups...I agree with Andre Aldridge, either they end up just missing the playoffs with Chauncey or they would've missed it with AI anyway...This way, they're under less financial commitment...I agree that it changes the tempo of the Nuggets, for sure, but they're going to be a more balanced team...JR probably will slide over to pair with Chauncey and now Melo gets the bulk of the shots rather than splitting them with AI....For Melo and Martin, I think their numbers improve due to Chauncey.

For Detroit, they get huge salary cap relief when his 21 million goes off in 09...Plus, they get a penetrating combo guard rather than all perimeter all the time PG in Billups...Getting to the freethrow line is a problem for Detroit but no longer...It has the potential to backfire in the short run as Rip and AI could be fighting for shots just like AI did with Melo...But, Detroit has more talent around him than he did in Denver...Not sure Curry lets him go shoot happy...I worry, as a Piston fan, about how MIA Tayshaun may go now...He's already a wallflower and watching Rip and AI take shots all game, he may go completely off the grid...Either way, Detroit wasn't getting past Boston this season, IMHO...Now, they still may not but they present different challenges for opponents...And, I suspect Joe Dumars may not be done dealing.

Are you from Detroit?

I think the trade makes sense for both parties. AI will be gone at the end of this season and Stuckey can finally step in as point guard.

Nothing is going to work for Denver. You will never win a championship with Carmelo in the NBA. Look how the Pistons and Boston won their chamionships. I've always seen his as too soft.

Nah, but the first player to ever get me into basketball was Isiah...I fell in love with the game & the Pistons, before I fell in love with football & Barca

I think Denver's situation is tough, obviously...I don't think anyone ever truly believed an AI and Melo marriage could work...And while I think Chauncey will give them a lot, not sure they will be able to be the same sort of uptempo team they have been...They'll be a different team but that may not be a bad thing...Boozer's stats probably will see a boost...I think Denver will be fine in the short run.

Not a highway robbery trade (Pretty even, IMHO) like KG's last year but then again, Joe wasn't trading with a former teammate as a GM either

But, I think the upside for the Pistons is going to be great...I really like how they look so far this season, irrespective of their record...They're deep and they're playing with energy...AI will only add to that

Derick Rose keeps playing well. Had 20 the other night vs the Cavs.

The Magic just put up 71 points in the first half at Oklahoma City

Good. I hate them. Maybe if they fail, they will return to Seattle.