Rockets-Kings trade Landry for Martin

[MoeIsBetter]

I think Lebron will stay in Cleveland. The Knicks might get Wade and Amare. David Lee is probably done in NY. It's a good thing Kerr is doing a fabulous job so we don't need to worry about next year's free agency.

Thats who I wanted...

 

[Divide Et Impera]

Hold on a minute



Griffen is going to be much better than Bash.

I don't think Davis is the right type of PG to play alongside James. I would think a Ron Harper-type would be better. I just don't see that combo working unless you allow them to have 2 basketballs on the court....

 

[Cheesebeef]

Hold on a minute



Griffen is going to be much better than Bash.

Griffen unbelievable superior athleticism is what made him special and he already suffered through a knee surgery that was supposed to only be an 8 week recovery that has leveled his entire year... sound like anyone else you know who?

And he's a Clipper... in other words Cursed.

No way in hell Lebron tries to compete with Kobe in his own city. He wants the East and he'll get it in either NY or Miami.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

i think this offseason may shape up to be even more interesting than any of us expected. for a long time i "poo-poo'ed" all the "wait 'til 2010" talk as being just that, talk with no chance of big name movement. but the closer we get, and the more we see teams positioning themselves as players, the more i think, "well crap, who knows, we could see some big names jump ship!" of course we'll be sitting on the sideline hoping nash and hill can win 45 more games for us next season!

 

[S_Nash]

Has anyone thought about if the Cavs win the title this season?

If it's all about rings, why would Lebron leave after year 1 of his potential dynasty?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Has anyone thought about if the Cavs win the title this season?

If it's all about rings, why would Lebron leave after year 1 of his potential dynasty?

because that team doesn't have legs to actually be a dynasty. Jamison will be 34, Shaq will be 79 and everything else on that team is just meh.

 

[elindholm]

If it's all about rings, why would Lebron leave after year 1 of his potential dynasty?

He's not leaving either way.

 

[cly2tw]

Thats who I wanted...

If healthy, the combination of Wade/Amare will terrorize the league for years to come, definitely more dominant than the current dynasties around Kobe or LBJ.

 

[cly2tw]

All in all, Houston made out like bandit in the trade. Landry+ low 1st rounder + expiring for Martin, Hill, 2 very good 1st rounders and taking on Jeffries'. And our managment couldn't get nothing for an Allstar starter?

 

[S_Nash]

He's not leaving either way.

You sound so sure of yourself.

Reason being?

 

[Chaplin]

All in all, Houston made out like bandit in the trade. Landry+ low 1st rounder + expiring for Martin, Hill, 2 very good 1st rounders and taking on Jeffries'. And our managment couldn't get nothing for an Allstar starter?

Correction: An All-Star starter with contract and health issues.

 

[elindholm]

You sound so sure of yourself.

Reason being?

In my opinion, he's still a homeboy who needs constant reinforcement from his high-school circle of friends. Now sure, he'd have the money to take those friends with him wherever he goes, but some might have lives that they aren't willing to give up. James really isn't the "make a name for myself in the big city" type. He'd be lonely and isolated in a place like New York, and that scares him.

 

[Lorenzo]

because that team doesn't have legs to actually be a dynasty. Jamison will be 34, Shaq will be 79 and everything else on that team is just meh.

It seems like everyone is jumping on the cleveland bandwagon. they are a great team. but shaq and jamison are not elite company. they have LBJ and then a bunch of leftovers if you ask me. Not saying that cannot work. But the moves the cavs have made still leave LBJ to carry that team on his back in the playoffs to win games. and that would scare me if I were a cavs fan. I guess lebron could always watch film of Dwade in 2005 when the underrated superstar did what lebron hasn't done. I question whether they will win the east over boston and orlando. but even then can they beat the lakers? I doubt it. I think cleveland will be in big trouble with bringing LBJ back if they lose ugly again. all they have going from them is that it is lebron's hometown. but cleveland is not the ideal place to be if you are a opportunistic professional athlete. If I were lebron I would not stay even if cleveland was my hometown.

 

[Lorenzo]

In my opinion, he's still a homeboy who needs constant reinforcement from his high-school circle of friends. Now sure, he'd have the money to take those friends with him wherever he goes, but some might have lives that they aren't willing to give up. James really isn't the "make a name for myself in the big city" type. He'd be lonely and isolated in a place like New York, and that scares him.

maybe so....but I think that hurts a player more than it helps. I think he is more likely to win a title somewhere else if you ask me. Chris Bosh during the all star break said he would prefer not to play for the mavs for the very reason that you just mentioned. being in toronto allows him to stay away from his hometown friends and family that will just bring him down.

 

[elindholm]

maybe so....but I think that hurts a player more than it helps. I think he is more likely to win a title somewhere else if you ask me. Chris Bosh during the all star break said he would prefer not to play for the mavs for the very reason that you just mentioned. being in toronto allows him to stay away from his hometown friends and family that will just bring him down.

Right, but winning titles isn't James's top priority. Feeling good about himself is. He'll be a wealthy celebrity wherever he goes, but socially, he'll be most comfortable if he stays home.

 

[Lorenzo]

Right, but winning titles isn't James's top priority. Feeling good about himself is. He'll be a wealthy celebrity wherever he goes, but socially, he'll be most comfortable if he stays home.

well IDK know if that is the case or not. I'd like to think not, but I don't follow lebron like the rest of the league does. he's no better than DWade if you ask me....and DWADE has been overlooked compared to lebron maybe the injuries cause it. Lebron needs a title if you want to put him over guys like karl malone who never won one either. but I always here people already ranking Lebron as one of the greatest ever.

 

[AzStevenCal]

well IDK know if that is the case or not. I'd like to think not, but I don't follow lebron like the rest of the league does. he's no better than DWade if you ask me....and DWADE has been overlooked compared to lebron maybe the injuries cause it. Lebron needs a title if you want to put him over guys like karl malone who never won one either. but I always here people already ranking Lebron as one of the greatest ever.

Healthy, Wade is an incredible player but in many ways he's not in Lebron's class IMO. We used to hear people say the same thing regarding Drexler and Jordan until a head to head championship series showed the vast difference between the two. Wade and James may never play against each other in that setting but they square off against each other often enough to see the difference.

Lebron still seems to be lacking somewhat in the killer instinct that Kobe and Wade posess but he far outclasses them in overall physical skills IMO. If you're in crunch time Lebron may take a back seat to the other two but a lot of game gets played before then.

Steve

 

[elindholm]

We used to hear people say the same thing regarding Drexler and Jordan

LOL, yes, but it was only a shameless marketing ploy to try to prop up the Chicago/Portland finals. No one actually thought Drexler was anywhere near Jordan's league. For openers, Jordan had already won one title and however many MVPs, scoring titles, etc.

 

[Lorenzo]

Healthy, Wade is an incredible player but in many ways he's not in Lebron's class IMO. We used to hear people say the same thing regarding Drexler and Jordan until a head to head championship series showed the vast difference between the two. Wade and James may never play against each other in that setting but they square off against each other often enough to see the difference.

Lebron still seems to be lacking somewhat in the killer instinct that Kobe and Wade posess but he far outclasses them in overall physical skills IMO. If you're in crunch time Lebron may take a back seat to the other two but a lot of game gets played before then.

Steve

I think lebron is a better passer and is bigger and stronger than wade. a lot of people get lost in lebron's size, speed, and power. and his talent. but they overlook his inabilty to make people pay when they force him into jumpers in the halfcourt. wade and kobe as you say have made others pay in these situations while still excelling in the areas that lebron does as well. I'm not dissing lebron by no means. He is incredible. I'm just not saying he's that much better than anyone else in the league because he's not. He is right there in the mix with kobe, dwade....then there is a drop for the next tier of players. now I do like lebron the defender. that is an aspect that he does stand out.

 

[AzStevenCal]

LOL, yes, but it was only a shameless marketing ploy to try to prop up the Chicago/Portland finals. No one actually thought Drexler was anywhere near Jordan's league. For openers, Jordan had already won one title and however many MVPs, scoring titles, etc.

You're probably right about it starting as a marketing ploy but I witnessed enough message board/forum arguments to know that a sizable contingent bought into the hype. Back then very few people out west got to see Jordan play more than a few times a year (until playoffs) so it would have been easier to snow the masses. Especially since the west tends to get overlooked by the eastern biased media.

I know by the time they faced each other in the playoffs that I was quite aware of how much better a player Jordan was but I can remember a time when I thought Michael was overrated (boy was I wrong). His first few years in the league brought him rave reviews but we saw so little of him out here (So Cal for me) that I figured it was just the NBA marketing machine at work and I suspect there's still a lot of people that believe the same thing is happening now with Lebron.

When I watch Lebron play alongside and against the rest of the league he seems like a man among boys. I've only felt that way about two other players in my lifetime - Wilt and Shaq. Michael Jordan is the greatest player ever IMO but those three players all share a physical dominance that outpaces all others.

Steve

 

[Lorenzo]

You're probably right about it starting as a marketing ploy but I witnessed enough message board/forum arguments to know that a sizable contingent bought into the hype. Back then very few people out west got to see Jordan play more than a few times a year (until playoffs) so it would have been easier to snow the masses. Especially since the west tends to get overlooked by the eastern biased media.

I know by the time they faced each other in the playoffs that I was quite aware of how much better a player Jordan was but I can remember a time when I thought Michael was overrated (boy was I wrong). His first few years in the league brought him rave reviews but we saw so little of him out here (So Cal for me) that I figured it was just the NBA marketing machine at work and I suspect there's still a lot of people that believe the same thing is happening now with Lebron.

When I watch Lebron play alongside and against the rest of the league he seems like a man among boys. I've only felt that way about two other players in my lifetime - Wilt and Shaq. Michael Jordan is the greatest player ever IMO but those three players all share a physical dominance that outpaces all others.

Steve

that may be the case with LBJ. and I'm waiting for him to do just what MJ did. But i'm also waiting for him to do what kobe, DWADE, and MJ did to become a champion. and that's hit a jumper consistently in the playoffs. those guys can take anyone to the rack one on one. LBJ can blow by two guys sometimes. But can you iso lebron and watch him sink jumper after jumper like these guys do? IDK...sometimes he gets hot. but other times he fizzles into the night. I just want to see it come to fruition. I'm not doubting him at all. he has the goods and he makes people around him better with his passing skills.

 

[AzStevenCal]

that may be the case with LBJ. and I'm waiting for him to do just what MJ did. But i'm also waiting for him to do what kobe, DWADE, and MJ did to become a champion. and that's hit a jumper consistently in the playoffs. those guys can take anyone to the rack one on one. LBJ can blow by two guys sometimes. But can you iso lebron and watch him sink jumper after jumper like these guys do? IDK...sometimes he gets hot. but other times he fizzles into the night. I just want to see it come to fruition. I'm not doubting him at all. he has the goods and he makes people around him better with his passing skills.

I can't really disagree with that but remember that there is more to the game than shooting. Lebron impacts the game in many ways beyond shooting and his passing. Look at his surrounding cast there and then look at their record - it doesn't really match up IMO. Wade reaped the benefit of a lot of luck the year the Heat won it and he was playing alongside a version of Shaq that was still pretty dominant.

Steve

 

[Lorenzo]

I can't really disagree with that but remember that there is more to the game than shooting. Lebron impacts the game in many ways beyond shooting and his passing. Look at his surrounding cast there and then look at their record - it doesn't really match up IMO. Wade reaped the benefit of a lot of luck the year the Heat won it and he was playing alongside a version of Shaq that was still pretty dominant.

Steve

certainly you are right...see jj reddick who is a incredible jumpshooter. or TJ Ford who is a incredible PG in penetrating the line. They looked like men in college, but they are one dimensional guys that don't make much of a name for themselves in the NBA.

there is more to the game that being one dimensional. certainly lebron is not. He is a great passer and plays great defense. He gets to the basket easier than any perimeter player in the game. But his jumper/post game.. needs work to be on the level of kobe. I give him credit for improving no doubt he has. He doesn't have that jordan, kobe, or bird touch touch in the clutch. I think a guy like wade(not in the above league either) has shown more of that than lebron has......

to me i bring up Dwade because in that finals against dallas, while shaq was spending a lot of mins on the bench ineffctive, wade was averaging almost 40 pts a game in that series. and the mavs made him a jumpshooter even saying it in the media. Wade answered by knocking down clutch jumpers in 4 straight games. Anyone who watched that year's finals would have to say that wade carried that team to a championship. certainly the heat players played well in the prior series of the playoffs, but wade did most of the heavy lifting in that series. without DWade they had 0 chance.