General Chat / NBA CHAT

The Kings will not win playa. Mavericks all the way.

congratulations to the Kings who just soundly beat the Lakers on thier own floor!

Peace

Aw, now... six points isn't soundly... the Lakers just got outscored by 20 between the third and fourth quarters after having a 12 point lead. And then they almost came back... falling by six.

I'm just confused over how the Lakers are struggling THIS BADLY now. I'd understand a let down after three championships, but not by this much.




Now... to check and see if they did the unthinkable and lost to the Nuggets...

Waits on 56K modem.

Whew! They won by 19! I was getting a little nervous when the lead shrunk to 8. Then I had to eat.

Maybe the Lakers want Lebron.

Hmm...
That would be funny, as Kobe needs to be the star, and Lebron would take that from him.

They could always trade LeBron right away... or Kobe.

Or... the Rockets could trade Yao Ming for LeBron......

No im kidding.

Fatha, Lebron is not as good as Kobe.
Nor ever will be in my opinion. He will be a superstar, but Kobe & Tmac are the 2 most talented players in the league. A 17 year old high school baller doesn't come in and take that spot.

Well no of course not!
But, when he is 22 or so, he will be one of the best players in this league. He is easily one of the most (If not the most) talented high school players ever.

My only problem with LeBron is is age. If he goes to college, then hell get more basketball experience, and probably would be better of coming into the NBA at 21. Hes taking a big risk, as the NBA is a TOTALLY different level then High school ball.

Well no of course not!
But, when he is 22 or so, he will be one of the best players in this league.  He is easily one of the most (If not the most) talented high school players ever. 

My only problem with LeBron is is age.  If he goes to college, then hell get more basketball experience, and probably would be better of coming into the NBA at 21.  Hes taking a big risk, as the NBA is a TOTALLY different level then High school ball.

I agree...just think how raw a college team would be when LeBron is a senior. Makes me wish Dujuan Wagner was still with us here in Memphis

But, he is one of the most talented high school players ever...and some think he isn't ready but I think it'll only take him a year or two before he learns his team's system completely (a reason I dont want him to go to the Laker's triangle offense) But the difference LeBron has from Kobe and McGrady is his exceptional passing abilities. He kinda reminds me of a young, probably more athletic Gary Payton (one of my favorite players) because of his ability to score AND get others involved. And he's got some great defense advantage points too being pretty tall for his position and his vertical jump...I think its safe to say he'll be a superstar in a couple years.

But, he is one of the most talented high school players ever...and some think he isn't ready but I think it'll only take him a year or two before he learns his team's system completely (a reason I dont want him to go to the Laker's triangle offense) But the difference LeBron has from Kobe and McGrady is his exceptional passing abilities. He kinda reminds me of a young, probably more athletic Gary Payton (one of my favorite players) because of his ability to score AND get others involved. And he's got some great defense advantage points too being pretty tall for his position and his vertical jump...I think its safe to say he'll be a superstar in a couple years.

Itll take him more than a couple of years to get with TMAC and Kobe. First off, while it may seem Lebron is the next Michael Jordan, hes playing against High School teams. No matter how sorry any NBA team is, they are much better than the BEST high school team. Another thing, defensively, Lebron hasn't been tested. If he gets in a situation where hes gaurding someone quick, and tall (IE Kobe and TMac), then hes in trouble. Passing wise, yes, he is an excellent passer, however, making incredible passes in High School and making incredible passes in the NBA are two different things.

Here Ill compare the best NBA player (TMac) and LeBron.

- TMac is tall and long, LeBron has the same qualities, so physically they are about even (LeBron is a lot stronger however).
- Quickness: TMac is a little quicker than Lebron is from what ive seen, but there isn't a huge gap.
- Jumpshot: Both can shoot good.
- Ability to Finish/Draw Fouls: Now see, here is something I think LeBron lacks. He doesn't take it to the hole, he loves the jumpshot, in-ya-face kind of shit (From a game ive seen). TMac goes to the hole, albiet not as much as Kobe, however, he still draws fouls.

While this is all true, one of the most important considerations is the teammates that he will have. Think about it...his success will be measured just as much by teammates as it will be by LeBron himself. Jordan never won any championships until Pippen and (gasp) Rodman came along...same with Shaq/Kobe...Rockets and Hakeem/Drexler in 95 and 96. Not only does it determine his success, but many of his stats. How many points would he average on a team with a Kobe or TMac rather than a team with an assist leader? Gotta take all this into consideration, but it will take him a couple years to get a name for himself in the pros...Id still rather see him go to college...unless of course the Grizzlies get him haha

About LeBron....

He's got huge potential, but he'll do nothing if he is not brought up in a correct, nurturing environment. Remember when Kobe came out of high school? Jerry West gradually accustomed him to the NBA. He was a bench warmer, then a 6th man, and then a starter. His minutes were little at first and slowly increased. He was taught the right tricks slowly, instead of being thrown into the fire. If LeBron James can experience that, then he could become better than Kobe or T-Mac, because he would learn to utilize his gifts and also work on his flaws, just like the other two have been doin. If he goes to a team who treats him wrong, however, he's just screwed.

Also, LeBron basically can't play college ball because of all the shoe companies and stuff recruiting him for endorsement deals. You can't do that if you want to play college ball, and the colleges have basically given up on him. Actually, they gave up on him last year.

About My Lakers
Hmmm... looks like they're finally starting to put it together. I hope this is a real surge, instead of a failed ascension like the Rams did this year. Hopefully, everything is falling into place. I'd like for L.A. to finish 6th (which is very possible, of course). They could beat Portland/Phoenix/Houston in the first round, rematch and beat Sacramento in the second round, and then demolish the Mavs in the [Western] Finals, then run over Indiana/New Jersey in the Finals. That's my dream, of course, which I obviously hope happens, just like Iris and Fatha hope Dallas gets past the second round.

OK, LeBron will be a star in the league. I'm thinking he will be around Paul Pierce quality. That is incredible, but maybe one little level under the Kobe/T-Mac level. Still a 25 PPG scorer but not the "best player in the league". At least not until T-Mac and Kobe are gone.
There are a few guys that are getting heavily overlooked in the draft next year, just because of LeBron James. I'm going to say something that may surprise a few people.....I don't think LeBron James will win Rookie of the Year.
The transition from high school to NBA is just way too big in my opinion. It will take James a couple years to reach that level. Jermaine O' Neal, Kobe, T-Mac, Garnett (to a lesser degree) all took a couple years to reach their level, and now they're all basically the best players at their position. Amare Stoudamire may be an exception to that rule, by the way he's playing, he deserves ROY this year, although Yao will get it. Stoudamire is insane right now, and the Suns will be too very soon, they're putting together an amazing foundation with Marbury/Stoudamire/Marion.

Anyways, I'm guessing Carmelo Anthony will win Rookie of the Year. He's a freshman at Syracuse, and woulda been a top 5 pick last year if he hadn't decided to go for one year.

Anyways, Mavs are still going strong. And I'll give it to the Lakers, who are seemingly starting to pick it up....thanks to Kobe alone (seemingly).

Hey Cork, let's fricken get to the playoffs before we worry about a fourth title.

Looks like they're finally able to mop up on bad teams and beat decent teams. I won't say they're playing top-notch basketball until they beat the Nets, Pacers, Kings, or Mavs again. But they ARE shooting a HELL of a lot better than they were earlier this season.

Looks like I turned 'em around after I went to the Sunday game against Phoenix. I think the Lakers will score a 5 or 6 spot in the Western Conference.

Oh, and whoever thinks that they are winning just because of Kobe...he's definitely one of the main factors, but you also gotta look at how much better shape Shaq is getting in, and how the shooting of George, Horry, Fox, and Fisher are really picking up. And the backup guys like Slava and Kareem Rush have some great young talent. Expect big things from Rush in the near future.

~G

Ill admit Amare Staudemire is playing incredible, but Yao is just, wow. He is easily the best passing center in the league (Probably of all time as well). He has the best jumpshot in the league (Zyldrunas and Sabonis are up there to). Yao it the truth!

Go Rockets!

Vlade Divac is still the best passing center in the league, most NBA insiders agree on that. Sabonis is to old, and Yao is still to young. Vlade is getting old and will soon loose that spot, but for now he is the best passing center in the league.
I thought i'd go get some stats to back up my claim:

Vlade: 3.8 apg, tops in centers
Yao: 1.4 apg
Sabonis: 1.7 apg
Zyldrunas: 1.6



PEACE

Wow! A very close game between the Mavs and the Kings. I could have sworn that the Kings were going to loose throughout the game, but they managed to barely come back in the final minutes and win by a hair. It's hard to determine who the better team was because it was just too close. But that's what you should expect when you're playing the #1 team in the NBA.

Bwahahahahah.

There's no doubt that the Mavs are a better team. Remember, the game was in Shaqramento. Next time they play in Dallas, you watch. Until then, I still say it's Mavs #1 and Kings #2.

Watch out for the Lakers! They beat the Hornets in New Orleans tonight, making it 5 in a row. I don't know about playing at the level of Sacto or Dallas, but definitely one of the teams to beat at this point. A big test coming up against the Nets...then the Kings on Jan. 31. You going to that one Radu?

~G