2013 NBA Season News and Discussion

[buck008]

Because Tyson Chandler isn't a star. He's a solid defender/rebounder/locker room guy. He's the kind of guy a contender needs, but if he's your third best player, you might be in trouble.

[Blueobelisk]

Meh that just supports what Jib said earlier that we paid him too much to join the team.

Amare needs to step up, he's making me mad.

BAH.

[Windry]

Ugh. If Knicks don't get Nash (doesn't seem like it anymore) or Nets don't get Howard (doesn't seem like it anymore...lakers are double fucking New York) then neither team is really going to be contender worthy.

And guys, why can't Carmelo (Damn Fab Melo...I can't call my guy Melo anymore) Amare and Tyson Chandler be considered a decent "Big 3" along with Boston and Miami's (And theoretical Nets). Do you know how much money I'm spending on those three?!

Uh... I think you're confused. Fab Melo is a different person. Fab Melo is going to be playing for the Celtics.

Carmelo/Amare/Chandler are a "bad" Big 3 because the 3 of them thrive in the post. Chandler can only be a center. Amare can be a center or a PF. Carmelo is naturally a PF... and does much worse as a SF. This was pretty clearly exposed last year.

Knicks will be absolutely fine if they just get a decent PG and a decent bench PG.
Personally, I think the Nets are better off without Howard. Lopez, Mirza Teletovic, and Reggie Evans is good enough, while trading for Howard destroys the depth for the Nets bench.

[Blueobelisk]

No no I mean now that there's a guy named Fab "Melo" in the league I can't call Carmelo by his nickname of "Melo" anymore because it'll get a little confusing.

And meh, yeah I see that. It's really a shame for Knicks, I guess if they get a couple of point guards they'll be...okay...

Nets I was looking forward to having a Big 3 but yeah all the bench depth problems were being caused.

[Windry]

Because Tyson Chandler isn't a star. He's a solid defender/rebounder/locker room guy. He's the kind of guy a contender needs, but if he's your third best player, you might be in trouble.

Oh I completely disagree. He was definitely the 3rd best guy (if not the 2nd best guy) when Dallas won their championship.

Meh that just supports what Jib said earlier that we paid him too much to join the team.

I definitely don't think he's overpaid. I mean his offensive numbers last year were pretty similar to Dwight's. It's arguable who the better defender is, but Chandler is clearly a positive presence on the team and in the locker, and he's getting $13M.

Let's look at the salaries of some of the other big men in the league:
Duncan - 21
Dirk - 21
Dwight - 20
Amare - 19
P.Gasol - 19
Elton Brand - 18
Bosh - 17.5
Bynum - 16
Boozer - 15
R Hibbert - 14
M.Gasol - 13.9
Emeka Okafor - 13.7
Chandler - 13.6

[Felya]

Ugh. If Knicks don't get Nash (doesn't seem like it anymore) or Nets don't get Howard (doesn't seem like it anymore...lakers are double fucking New York) then neither team is really going to be contender

Nash is a laker now.

The salary cap is guided by penalties, Porkarov has more money than he knows what to do with. As much as the numbers suck for the nets and Orlando wants Howard out of the division and not give him what he wants, he to me s still most likely to be a net.

At least Shumpert stays put on the Knicks.

[buck008]

Oh I completely disagree. He was definitely the 3rd best guy (if not the 2nd best guy) when Dallas won their championship

Detroit won when Ben Wallace was arguably their best player. Just because it happens, doesn't mean you should count on it. Chandler's value is inflated because he's a true center in an era when the NBA is light on centers. He's just not a consistent offensive threat. If you go into a seven game series and your third best player can range from 6-18 points and no one would be surprised by either number, I'm not giving you a chance to win four games. He's a phenomenal role player. Great chemistry guy. Just shouldn't be your "Big 3".

All that being said, I didn't realize he was only making 13 mil this year. Considering the list of quality true centers is Howard, Bynum, Chandler, end of list, that's not terrible.

[Jibjabb]

Detroit won when Ben Wallace was arguably their best player. Just because it happens, doesn't mean you should count on it. Chandler's value is inflated because he's a true center in an era when the NBA is light on centers. He's just not a consistent offensive threat. If you go into a seven game series and your third best player can range from 6-18 points and no one would be surprised by either number, I'm not giving you a chance to win four games. He's a phenomenal role player. Great chemistry guy. Just shouldn't be your "Big 3".

All that being said, I didn't realize he was only making 13 mil this year. Considering the list of quality true centers is Howard, Bynum, Chandler, end of list, that's not terrible.

Roy Hibbert. Marc Gasol. Joakim Noah. Andrew Bogut when hes healthy. Going off numbers Marcin Gortat put up better ones than Chandler did (more points, blocks, and rebounds) and is making half the money. Heck even Greg Monroes stats are compareable. Chandler is also old and that 11.3 points was close to a career high for the guy, hes nowhere near a big 3 caliber player. 13 million is overpaid for what he does under this new CBA, his deal also increases as the years go by.

Nash on the Lakers could be a good fit, hes clearly a monster upgrade. Its all about how can Kobe play without being ball dominant if Nash is around. Bynum and Gasol should be the big beneficiaries of Nash's presence, Kobe might take a hit but if it means a better team they should let it happen. Lakers were already pinned down with contracts and are still a win-now type team so them giving him decent money I dont see as that bad. They mostly need Kobe's absurd contract to run its course.

[conscript]

Ugh. If Knicks don't get Nash (doesn't seem like it anymore) or Nets don't get Howard (doesn't seem like it anymore...lakers are double fucking New York) then neither team is really going to be contender worthy.

And guys, why can't Carmelo (Damn Fab Melo...I can't call my guy Melo anymore) Amare and Tyson Chandler be considered a decent "Big 3" along with Boston and Miami's (And theoretical Nets). Do you know how much money I'm spending on those three?!

They aren't considered a decent Big 3 because they are in no way complimentary at all. The Miami Big 3 is similar but they worked to be complimentary and they started much closer to that mark. STAT is a great PNR player who can't play defense. Melo shoots the ball roughly 35 times per game. Chandler is a defensive stalwart, Their games just don't mesh which is why they are better when STAT or Melo are on the bench with an injury while Lin is healthy to pass the ball. Miami, Boston, and the potential Nets Big 3s all have a distributor in Williams, Rondo, and LeBron. The Knicks had that for a short time with Lin, but their Big 3 alone are two black holes that do nothing but take shots.

And ya the Knicks overpaid, but Chandler is about one of six true Centers in the NBA so you have to pay what you can. Portland just did the same thing with Hibbert whether the Pacers match or not. He isn't a near match player, but you have to pay those guys when there are one for every 3-4 teams in the league.

---------- Post added 2012-07-05 at 07:10 AM ----------

Heck even Greg Monroes stats are compareable.

Greg Monroe is a true PF and Drummond better not suck dick and force him to move back to the five. Monroe simply can not defend the lane all that well so it will be great to see him freed up a bit.

Chandler wasn't completely awful. His stats would have looked much better if their offense had involved him at all. He led the league in field goal percentage by a mile along with true and effective SP. He shot 67.9%, 10.6% better than the next guy in the NBA. I won't claim to have watched many non-Linsanity era Knicks games and a couple games over the second half, but I seem to remember Chandler having a little bit more range than a guy like Dwight Howard, second in SP, who is purely and under the hoop guy.

He is probably overpaid, like tons of guys in the NBA which is what happens when you cap the money the true stars can make, but he put up 11.3/9.9 which isn't awful considering he only shot 5.7 times per game.

[buck008]

Roy Hibbert. Marc Gasol. Joakim Noah. Andrew Bogut when hes healthy. Going off numbers Marcin Gortat put up better ones than Chandler did (more points, blocks, and rebounds) and is making half the money. Heck even Greg Monroes stats are compareable. Chandler is also old and that 11.3 points was close to a career high for the guy, hes nowhere near a big 3 caliber player. 13 million is overpaid for what he does under this new CBA, his deal also increases as the years go by.

Gortat and Bogut are not traditional centers. Hibbert and Noah are ok. Gasol is good though, forgot about him. I'd take Chandler over any of the guys you listed except Hibbert and, even then, only because of ages. The center position is just in decline at the moment. It's why people are willing to throw money at a head case like Howard. If I think I can get interior points from somewhere else, Chandler is as good as you can get defensively at his position. If he was consistent offensively at all he'd be a monster, but he just isn't.

[conscript]

Kidd pulled a 180 and just signed with the Knicks. Thought it was a done deal in Dallas yesterday but apparently not.
Lowry got sent to the Raptors for at least a first. Not sure if terms are out on the pick. Supposedly it was supposed to be an innovative use of the protection rules.

---------- Post added 2012-07-05 at 05:36 PM ----------

Knicks are either going to keep Lin when the Rockets offer him a deal or they are going to bring back Raymond Felton. I really want to watch the Lin Knicks for a full season so I hope they bring him back.

[Blueobelisk]

HAHAHA you beat me too it conscript. Kidd is rolling with New York. Not huge upgrade but pretty nice, lol at how worse and worse Dallas is becoming.

"Deception is the only felony."

Just waiting for Dwight to Brooklyn and Linn back to Knicks for my teams to bein business.

[Pendulous]

Clippers picked up Chauncey Billups and Jamal Crawford. They're out of the Ray Allen running. More chance he might stay in Boston?

[Blueobelisk]

Clippers picked up Chauncey Billups and Jamal Crawford. They're out of the Ray Allen running. More chance he might stay in Boston?

More chances his jersey depicts a flaming basketball.

[Windry]

Hm... ok NOW I think the Mavericks should start to worry. Jameer Nelson resigning with the Magic. Dallas isn't even pursuing Lin.

Maybe a Raymond Felton/Kirk Heinrich might be the best way to go, that's left. I'd offer either one of them $3-$5M.

Nash wants to recruit Grant Hill to the Lakers too. I'd pick him up for the MLE in a heartbeat. I hope they do it!

[jreg]

You know, if Lakers and Heat find their way to the Finals, it's going to be draft class of 1996 vs draft class of 2003. Hilarious.

[conscript]

You know, if Lakers and Heat find their way to the Finals, it's going to be draft class of 1996 vs draft class of 2003. Hilarious.

Now someone just needs to trade for Darko to round out that 03 class minus Melo. I get the feeling that final would result in an amazing Slam cover.

---------- Post added 2012-07-05 at 07:17 PM ----------

Clippers picked up Chauncey Billups and Jamal Crawford. They're out of the Ray Allen running. More chance he might stay in Boston?

That Crawford signing is just lol. The Clippers really need a GM.

[Blueobelisk]

My ESPN App just told me Linn signed agreement with Rockets, so the Knicks can still get him but he's expensive and they'll have to match that offer.

.....

By the way I got an email from Nets.

Hey Tariq,

Thanks for your interest in the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center.

I know you recently requested to get some information on partial plans. Right now we’re only on sale with full season tickets. Feel free to give me a call to further discuss but we probably won’t be going on sale with shorter plans until later in the summer. I would be more than happy to give you a heads up when that day may come. I look forward to chatting with you more soon.

Thanks,

JEREMY ERBER
Premium All Access Manager

I'll give him a call....When that roster is a little more set in stone.

[Jibjabb]

This may sound crazy but honestly I could see Dallas shopping Dirk for a series of picks and young players to a team that has their trade exception to take on his contract. With the roster as is its more of a rebuilding mode, if he talks to Cuban about it I could see it possibly getting done. It will only work if its what Dirk wants though, he doesnt seem like the type to demand a trade and may just want to finish up his career where he has been all along. But he could pressure them into a trade if he isnt satisfied with the current roster.

Quotes from Dirk: "I’ve always said I want to finish my career here and obviously the championship season topped it all off; that’s what I always was chasing and dreaming about so that kind of sealed that deal on that front. If we really come out with nobody this summer then maybe they want to rebuild and, obviously, I’m too old for that. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens on that front. But I still think I got two, three good years left in me and if we get some players in here we can be right back up there and compete."

That sounds like a guy who is leaning toward asking for a trade since they arent getting anybody solid. He could be a major shakeup in power what if he went to dare I say... Oklahoma City. Sign and trade Harden along with some other players to Dallas and add a bucketload of 1st round picks (assuming they still have a bunch Im not sure). Its outside the box thinking, but not out of the realm of possibility.

A Lineup of Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant, Nowitzki, Ibaka... fucking scary.

[conscript]

A Lineup of Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant, Nowitzki, Ibaka... fucking scary.

That would be incredible, but completely impossible. There is no trade exception you can fit a $20 million contract into. Even with a sign and trade, Harden is only making $5 million this year (unless you mean next season in which Dirk is making $22 million). They would have to trade away about their entire roster aside from Westbrook and Durant to make the salaries work. Assuming Sham Sports trade exception list is up to date, OKC only has a $1.2 million exception they can use so there is just about no way that could ever work.

Not to say they shouldn't at least consider trading Dirk if he wants. They are taking a huge gamble again next offseason hoping that Paul doesn't stick in LA and Howard doesn't sign long term anywhere. If either of them do their options to give Dirk any shot at another title in Dallas looks incredibly bleak.

---------- Post added 2012-07-06 at 09:52 AM ----------

My ESPN App just told me Linn signed agreement with Rockets, so the Knicks can still get him but he's expensive and they'll have to match that offer.

Ya Knicks will match it. In the last year of that deal they have something like $65 million committed to four guys lol. I'm sure the money they make from Lin's marketability alone will totally make up for the huge tax they'll face that year.