NBA Chatter Thread

[Jiggyfly]

Marc Stein @ESPNSteinLine
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Was just advised that the Miami Heat are also joining the race for Josh Smith

 

[Deuce]

Yeah, I think he could step in a fill in the Brandan Wright role.

Wright is irreplacable.

 

[Jiggyfly]

The Houston Rockets are emerging as the strongest suitor to sign forward Josh Smith, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
After the Detroit Pistons made the stunning move of releasing Smith, he's expected to clear waivers on Wednesday and become an unrestricted free agent. The Pistons owed Smith $26 million on his contract running through the 2016 season.
Houston has aggressively pursued Smith for the past two years, failing in the summer of 2013 to agree to a sign-and-trade agreement with Atlanta to acquire Smith. Before ultimately signing a four-year $56 million deal with Detroit, Smith had been fixated on finding a way to join the Rockets, sources said.
Houston briefly discussed trade possibilities with Detroit this season, but it was impossible for the Rockets to have absorbed his salary without giving up Dwight Howard or James Harden, sources said.
Howard is a childhood friend of Smith's, dating to their days growing up in Atlanta, and is a strong advocate of signing Smith. He'll be part of recruiting Smith to sign with the Rockets.
The Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat have already expressed an interest in signing Smith to Smith's representatives, league sources said.
Houston can use its biannual exception – worth $2.077 million annually – to lure Smith. Most teams with an interest in Smith, including the Clippers, Kings, Mavericks and Heat, can offer only the veteran's minimum of $1.4 million.
The Rockets want to utilize Smith's ability to block shots, rebound and pass as a unique complement at the power forward to Howard. Clearly, Smith's shot selection has to improve, but the Rockets are strong believers in the corner 3-point shot, especially with their ability to offensive rebound.

 

[Jiggyfly]

So Bulls fans.

Is the front office going to open up the bank for Butler because he going to get at least 15 million per next year.

 

[Smitty]

So Bulls fans.

Is the front office going to open up the bank for Butler because he going to get at least 15 million per next year.

I think they will, but what do I know? They've been cheap before.

It's too bad they couldn't agree before the deadline when he would have been 3m a year cheaper.

 

[Smitty]

Rose with 27 on 12/19 shooting, and takes over down the stretch to beat Toronto.

He still has it. Just needs to get the consistency back.

 

[Smitty]

I'd like to see McDermott add a bit when he gets back.

Mirotic is great. He's scoring at a ridiculous rate based on the minutes he's seeing, for a rookie.

Love the fact that Thibs is having him play over Pau at the end of games too, even.

 

[Jiggyfly]

 

[Texas Ace]

Harden is the very early MVP, IMO.

 

[Simpleton]

So Bulls fans.

Is the front office going to open up the bank for Butler because he going to get at least 15 million per next year.

They better, might have to get rid of Gibson at some point but with Mirotic that might not be a big deal.

 

[Jiggyfly]

Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA
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Houston has strengthened its position as the frontrunner to sign Josh Smith, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.

 

[Carp]

I love vague Tweets...they strengthened it how exactly?

 

[1bigfan13]

Last night's loss to the Trailblazers really has me pissed. I've got to rant.

I'm pissed at Westbrook.

I'm pissed at Brooks.

I'm pissed at Sam Presti (OKC GM).

I've finally given up chasing pipe dreams. This is not a championship caliber team. Not as long as Scott Brooks is the coach. Too many things have to go absolutely perfect for the Thunder in order for them to win. We have to hope have everyone is completely 100% healthy otherwise we can't beat anyone.

OKC is missing ONE player and have to fight, scratch, and claw just to beat bad teams like the Lakers and Pistons. Beating a quality team w/o Durant......HA....forget about it. Circumstances have to be perfect in order for them to beat quality teams.

Meanwhile the Spurs can sit their 4 best players and still pull off wins against good teams. It's all about the coaching and frankly I'm surprised the Thunder have allowed Brooks to hang around this long.

Last night was a perfect example of the garbage OKC fans have to put up with. OKC leads Portland by 3 with 6 seconds to play. Portland draws up a nice play that instantly gets Lillard a clean look for the game-tying 3 pointer.

OKC gets the ball back with 3.5 seconds left. You think Brooks is capable of drawing up a play that will get one his players an open look. Nope.

As expected there's no movement or screens when the pass is inbounded to Westbrook. Westbrook gets the ball with a defender all on him so a bad 3 point shooter ends up taking a 30 foot, off-balanced shot.

I wish I can say that was an anomaly and that Brooks is usually more creative than that but that situation is par for the course for the Thunder coming out of timeouts. About 85% of the time when they call a timeout to "draw up" a play in late game situations we end up having to take some ridiculously difficult shot that looks like it belongs in that old Larry Bird-Michael Jordan McDonald's commercial.

So that' why I'm pissed at Brooks. He's incompetent and incapable of out-coaching the opposition. If he doesn't have the talent edge he doesn't have a shot.

Westbrook...I'm pissed at that dude because he's a hot head who puts his team in bad situations too many times with his temperament.

OKC is leading the Blazers by 7 points with about 1:15 to play and Westbrook ends up picking up a technical foul arguing a call. Just flat out dumb. Giving away a free point to a talented team like that. And of course that 1 point was the difference as OKC likely would have had a 4 point lead down the stretch rather than the 3 point lead.

It also didn't help that Westbrook missed a FT with 6 seconds left. He makes both FTs it's a 4 point game and the Thunder likely win. So ol' hot-head left 2 points on the floor, leaving the game wide open for the Portland.

Westbrook, Portland presents you a game ball for your efforts last night.

Finally, Sam Presti. There can no longer be any debate that he botched the Harden trade. That's the kind of trade that should get a GM fired.

I tried to put up a front and pretend that everything would work out for us. That the young guys we acquired in the trade would develop for us, etc., etc.

But no more.

Presti got bent over the barrel by the Rockets. This is right up there with the Herschel Walker trade, IMO, as dumbest trades of all time.

Presti, with his Spurs pedigree, got too cute and thought we could turn draft picks and fringe role players into quality NBA players and stars. Instead OKC has got a bunch of nothing out of that trade. When your best piece from the Harden trade is Steven Adams, yeah, I'd say you fucked up. Big time.

I still don't understand the rationale behind the move. OKC had a young team that was on the rise. Ibaka, Durant, Westbrook, and Harden were all 23 y/o and younger.

Why would you not give that group one more run at the title? Blowing that team up prematurely was one of the most idiotic moves in recent NBA history.

Just a dumb move by a GM who got full of himself and who thought he was still in San Antonio where there's a coach in place who can actually develop young talent.

So I'm done pretending that we're contenders because as I mentioned too many things have to go perfect in order for this team to compete. One rolled ankle and this team is incapable of beating teams over .500. Until we get a coach in place who has an actual system and who knows how to work around injuries we're not going anywhere.

Last year they got by w/o Westbrook because Reggie Jackson does a pretty decent Westbrook impersonation.

[/rant]

 

[1bigfan13]

I love vague Tweets...they strengthened it how exactly?

If it's from Adrian Woj. it's probably accurate.

He's usually spot on w/his sources and inside stories.

 

[Carp]

If it's from Adrian Woj. it's probably accurate.

He's usually spot on w/his sources and inside stories.

I'm sure it is, but it would be nice to know how they strengthened it. It is lazy.

 

[Texas Ace]

I'm sure it is, but it would be nice to know how they strengthened it. It is lazy.

I mean, it's not like there was a lot they could do to sweeten the deal for him, right?

So all they've done is further emphasize how they can offer him a few more dollars and give him a bunch of playing time, two things everyone already knew.

 

[Texas Ace]

[MENTION=6]1bigfan13[/MENTION]

I'm ready to go on a rant about the Mavs.

They have a solid record because they've had some impressive road wins against good teams, but my goodness is this team littered with inexcusable losses.

We've lost to Phoenix, Indiana, Houston with no Howard, just to name a few.

If they want to be then seriously as a contender, they have got to stop racking up these bad losses.

 

[Carp]

I really think Dallas is the best place for him. Wright, while not a premier guy, was very good for the Mavs. You need those types off the bench. Smith does not have the athleticism he once did, but he can do things that Wright couldn't, like pass. So instead of finishing at the rim, he might kick to Ellis for a corner 3. Wherever he goes, Smith will have to re-invent himself and be a 20 min a night role player.

 

[1bigfan13]

[MENTION=6]1bigfan13[/MENTION]

I'm ready to go on a rant about the Mavs.

They have a solid record because they've had some impressive road wins against good teams, but my goodness is this team littered with inexcusable losses.

We've lost to Phoenix, Indiana, Houston with no Howard, just to name a few.

If they want to be then seriously as a contender, they have got to stop racking up these bad losses.

Rant away, my friend. Rant away.

 

[Jiggyfly]

Last night's loss to the Trailblazers really has me pissed. I've got to rant.

I'm pissed at Westbrook.

I'm pissed at Brooks.

I'm pissed at Sam Presti (OKC GM).

I've finally given up chasing pipe dreams. This is not a championship caliber team. Not as long as Scott Brooks is the coach. Too many things have to go absolutely perfect for the Thunder in order for them to win. We have to hope have everyone is completely 100% healthy otherwise we can't beat anyone.

OKC is missing ONE player and have to fight, scratch, and claw just to beat bad teams like the Lakers and Pistons. Beating a quality team w/o Durant......HA....forget about it. Circumstances have to be perfect in order for them to beat quality teams.

Meanwhile the Spurs can sit their 4 best players and still pull off wins against good teams. It's all about the coaching and frankly I'm surprised the Thunder have allowed Brooks to hang around this long.

Last night was a perfect example of the garbage OKC fans have to put up with. OKC leads Portland by 3 with 6 seconds to play. Portland draws up a nice play that instantly gets Lillard a clean look for the game-tying 3 pointer.

OKC gets the ball back with 3.5 seconds left. You think Brooks is capable of drawing up a play that will get one his players an open look. Nope.

As expected there's no movement or screens when the pass is inbounded to Westbrook. Westbrook gets the ball with a defender all on him so a bad 3 point shooter ends up taking a 30 foot, off-balanced shot.

I wish I can say that was an anomaly and that Brooks is usually more creative than that but that situation is par for the course for the Thunder coming out of timeouts. About 85% of the time when they call a timeout to "draw up" a play in late game situations we end up having to take some ridiculously difficult shot that looks like it belongs in that old Larry Bird-Michael Jordan McDonald's commercial.

So that' why I'm pissed at Brooks. He's incompetent and incapable of out-coaching the opposition. If he doesn't have the talent edge he doesn't have a shot.

Westbrook...I'm pissed at that dude because he's a hot head who puts his team in bad situations too many times with his temperament.

OKC is leading the Blazers by 7 points with about 1:15 to play and Westbrook ends up picking up a technical foul arguing a call. Just flat out dumb. Giving away a free point to a talented team like that. And of course that 1 point was the difference as OKC likely would have had a 4 point lead down the stretch rather than the 3 point lead.

It also didn't help that Westbrook missed a FT with 6 seconds left. He makes both FTs it's a 4 point game and the Thunder likely win. So ol' hot-head left 2 points on the floor, leaving the game wide open for the Portland.

Westbrook, Portland presents you a game ball for your efforts last night.

Finally, Sam Presti. There can no longer be any debate that he botched the Harden trade. That's the kind of trade that should get a GM fired.

I tried to put up a front and pretend that everything would work out for us. That the young guys we acquired in the trade would develop for us, etc., etc.

But no more.

Presti got bent over the barrel by the Rockets. This is right up there with the Herschel Walker trade, IMO, as dumbest trades of all time.

Presti, with his Spurs pedigree, got too cute and thought we could turn draft picks and fringe role players into quality NBA players and stars. Instead OKC has got a bunch of nothing out of that trade. When your best piece from the Harden trade is Steven Adams, yeah, I'd say you fucked up. Big time.

I still don't understand the rationale behind the move. OKC had a young team that was on the rise. Ibaka, Durant, Westbrook, and Harden were all 23 y/o and younger.

Why would you not give that group one more run at the title? Blowing that team up prematurely was one of the most idiotic moves in recent NBA history.

Just a dumb move by a GM who got full of himself and who thought he was still in San Antonio where there's a coach in place who can actually develop young talent.

So I'm done pretending that we're contenders because as I mentioned too many things have to go perfect in order for this team to compete. One rolled ankle and this team is incapable of beating teams over .500. Until we get a coach in place who has an actual system and who knows how to work around injuries we're not going anywhere.

Last year they got by w/o Westbrook because Reggie Jackson does a pretty decent Westbrook impersonation.

[/rant]

All I can say is.................Thanks?


But really its a 82 game season 1 game is nothing to get worked up about, plus its Ibaka's fault for not switching on that screen moreso than Brooks.

I will say that Brooks probably needs to be on the hot seat but I bet Durrant holds the key to that.