Lets talk NBA

[NAMushrooms]

so whos it going to be. we just entered the second half of the season. Its looking more and more like Boston is a lock for the eastern conference finals, however the west seems wide open.

Im taking a dark horse in the west, I really like the lakers. They have the best player in the game right now in Kobe Byrant and his supporting cast is looking better and better with Gasol, Odom, Turiaf, and Bynum who will be getting healthy over the next 6-9 weeks.

But dont count out Dallas or San Antonio either.

[Theoneistheone0]

I agreed with you about the celts gettin to the finals till recently. two losses in a row... eh. Detroit is lurkin, orlando's got mad talent, and cleveland has lebron. But i would still favor the celtics, im just thinking an upset is likely. Hmmm i like the lakers idea. With Gasol, Kobe, and Bynum when he gets back... damn. gonna be a good team. Im gonna go with the hornets though. They are doing amazing, and id love to see Chris Paul hoist that trophy over his head for new orleans. wide open race tho. Im gonna wait and see with the suns.

[NAMushrooms]

Chris Paul has been playing out of his mind lately.

In the East, even detriot has lost 2 in a row.

Cleveland is my team, but we wont be a big playoff factor, Larry Hughes is overpaid and doesnt do what he is there to do, and thats score on a consistant basis. I like Orlando as well, but I think they are still missing a piece of the puzzle. But I love Dwight Howard.

Im hoping Cleveland can keep the #4 spot and atleast open the playoffs with home court advantage and make it out of the 1st round. But I still see the Celtics winning the East.

[GimmethatAK]

new york knicks is my team.. i was born and raised there.. our team sucks tho although i love marbury.. ppl can hate on the knicks i dont give a shit.. i still love em =P i miss the old knicks ahh

[scoobydooby67]

bobcats

[Invictis]

The Rockets are on a 9 game winning streak, they play Miami tonight and if they win it'll be the largest win streak in franchise history. Also, we just traded Kurk Snyder and a 2nd round draft pick in 2009 for Gerald Green, he's not amazing but he's only 22 and he has a very bright future.

[NAMushrooms]

Hell YES!! Cleveland finally managed to pull off a big time trade.

Cavaliers aquired Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Delante West, and Wally Szerbiak

Give up; Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown, and Cedrick Simmons.

We also get a draft pick in the 3-team deal.

What a great move for Cleveland!

[lee420]

dont count the wizards out!!!!!!

[NAMushrooms]

Originally Posted by lee420

dont count the wizards out!!!!!!

why not? Washington is pure trash.

let me add some stats so i dont just hate without reason.

they play in the worst division in all of the NBA. 7 1/2 games behind Orlando. They have an under .500 win percentage. and they are 1-9 in their last 10 games.

[JesusC]

Originally Posted by NAMushrooms

Hell YES!! Cleveland finally managed to pull off a big time trade.

Cavaliers aquired Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Delante West, and Wally Szerbiak

Give up; Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown, and Cedrick Simmons.

We also get a draft pick in the 3-team deal.

What a great move for Cleveland!

I'd say thats a bad move for cleveland.


I take Drew Gooden over Ben Wallace any day of the week. For starters, Gooden can play on BOTH ends of the floor and doesnt become a liability in the 4th qtr (as ben Wallace does). This will come back to haunt cleveland in the post season, in fact, we may even see shades of it for the remaining season.

They also give up Larry Hughes for Wally. This doesnt seem like an upgrade either way for either team...they pretty much cancel eachother out. Both are talented, but both are also lacking on both ends of the floor...although Wally may be a better defender than hughes.

I think the Bulls got the better end of this deal. Theres a reason they wanted to get rid of Wallace (who they offered 60 million to get him out of detroit). Wallace was an over-achiever in Detroit and fit within that system quite nicely, till he got greedy. The sad thing is that he probably could have gotten another 2 or 3 rings had he stayed in Detroit, but instead thought he needed to play a bigger role in an offense....we see how well that worked out in CHI-Town.

Cleveland may not regret the trade-off between Hughes and Wally, but they will eventually regret bringing Wallace on board....believe me.

[NAMushrooms]

Yeah i love Drew Gooden, but i also look at the other pieces, Joe Smith and Delante West, they will both give much more than Shannon Brown and Simmons ever did.

I think Wally is a much better shooter than Larry Hughes. Hughes is soo streaky and always hurt. Not to mention his 5 year, 60 million dollar contract.

Wallace will def help us on both ends I think, dont forget he will have Big Z and Anderson Varejo to help ease his minutes. the only concern of mine with Wallace is his scoring production, he gives 5-6 pts per game, whereas Gooden was good for 10-12 per. and both rebound about the same. But I think LeBron could really help the productivity of Wallace.

[JesusC]

Originally Posted by NAMushrooms

Yeah i love Drew Gooden, but i also look at the other pieces, Joe Smith and Delante West, they will both give much more than Shannon Brown and Simmons ever did.

I think Wally is a much better shooter than Larry Hughes. Hughes is soo streaky and always hurt. Not to mention his 5 year, 60 million dollar contract.

Wallace will def help us on both ends I think, dont forget he will have Big Z and Anderson Varejo to help ease his minutes. the only concern of mine with Wallace is his scoring production, he gives 5-6 pts per game, whereas Gooden was good for 10-12 per. and both rebound about the same. But I think LeBron could really help the productivity of Wallace.

Wally is a great shooter, but the rest of his game on the offensive end is limited. He isnt a slasher, he isnt quick, and he cant create his own shots. He's a catch and shoot type guy, although he may find himself open often as Lebron goes to the hole.

Yes, cleveland still has Z and (I hate this guy) Varejo...but they are still minus Gooden. Gooden is a great player man, probably a little underrated...especially come playoff time.

Cleveland basically added a less-mobile, better shooting version of Huges...and Drew Gooden without the offense (Ben Wallace).

The two throw-ins (Smith and West) will indeed make Cleveland a little bit deeper, but not deep enough to get to the NBA finals because Detroit is still the deepest team in the east. The only thing that will get Cleveland back to the finals is the same thing it would take with or without this trade.....

....Lebron is gonna have to have another post season like he did last season. Trust me, I was at the Palace when he destroyed my Pistons....it was hard to watch.

I think Detroit will represent the East this year (and not just because im a homer).

Cleveland can take out Boston to make it to the ECF because Boston has no depth, although a hungry KG will be tough to stop...especially with Allen and Pierce itching to get a taste as well.

Detroit controls its own destiny, as it has for the past 5 seasons. This team IS the best team in the east, and the ECF has become their home. Problem is the ECF isnt good enough to a team thats won a ring. These guys know the window is closing for them to get it done, they are deeper, and as long as Rasheed Wallace brings it every night....Detroit will get back to the promise land.

When it comes to Detroit, 95% of how far they can go depends Rasheed Wallace. The other 5% goes to Billups, Rip, Prince, Dice, and J-Max off the bench.

[NAMushrooms]

I agree, but a lot of Goodens offense was created by LeBron James and Im hoping Wallace can have a similar outcome from LeBrons ability to distribute the ball to open players.

I agree again with Wally being a less mobile and less of a shot creator than Hughes, However Hughes was always hurt and was never consistant, not since he got in Cleveland, and he has a monster contract that we got to unload, in exchange for the potential of Ben Wallace.

Call me crazy but id rather have Ben Wallace than Shaq.

[JesusC]

Originally Posted by NAMushrooms

Call me crazy but id rather have Ben Wallace than Shaq.

Ha that is crazy man....


Ive watched this guy play every game in a Detroit Uniform, and most of what I could see of him in Chicago. There is NO offense within the game of Ben Wallace...none. All you can hope for is a dunk, but if a team is smart they'll just hack him on the way up and send him to the line.

After all, Ben Wallace is THE WORST freethrow shooter in NBA history....FACT. That will keep him from being a major player in the post season, something they didnt have to worry about with Goods.

As for taking Wallace over Shaq, come on now. Shaq is still a dominant force in the NBA. Even though he is older, slower, sluggish, he's still 7'1 300lbs of man in the middle. His offense isnt great, but it doesnt have to be. When you're that big you can get yourself in position to score, no matter who defends you.

He brings in as many rebounds as Wallace, is a problem in the paint on both ends of the floor, and can actually produce offense....at least 15 per. However, I believe he'll be averaging closer to 18 at seasons end.

Shaq is more than enough to get PHX to the finals this year, the only thing in their way is LA. Everybody expects LA to represent the West this year, and you can bet your ass Shaq will have something to say about that...especially if they meet up in the post season.

As the season goes on you'll see the impact of Shaq in PHX. He'll have no choice but to get into shape with the way those guys play, in fact, he will probably enter the post season in the best shape he's been in since his Magic days.


Shaq in shape + Shaq in PHX = PHX in the NBA Finals

Sorry Kobe...

[NAMushrooms]

did you see LAL play Phoenix the other night? I think thats going to be the summary of the post season. That was in phoenix and the Lakers were playing without Andrew Bynum.

Only time will tell with Ben Wallace and how much of Gooden's success was because of LeBron.