2013-2014 NBA Season

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

How about Gary Payton? Did winning a ring with the Heat legitimize him as a great player? I just don't think you can categorize players as great, just because they won a championship. Gary Payton was great with or without a ring.

He was amazing and played great D. The glove. Speaking of GP. Here....

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ba...1742--nba.html

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Charles Barkley was a great player in the playoffs. He had some monstrous post seasons.

I love Chuck. Loved him then love him now.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

I'm obviously biased, but every time OKC meets the Clippers, Westbrook usually outplays Paul, or at the least matches him. So it gets old listening to how great Chris Paul is to be honest. Paul is obviously one of the top players in the league, I just don't think he is one of the 3 or 4 best like a lot of people claim.

He is clearly the best two way PG in the league. I like Westbrook a lot but he isnt in Paul's league as a playmaker but who in the NBA really is considering Nash is finished? Really Westbrook, Rose, Lillard, Wall arent true PG's but more of combo guards.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

He is clearly the best two way PG in the league. I like Westbrook a lot but he isnt in Paul's league as a playmaker but who in the NBA really is considering Nash is finished? Really Westbrook, Rose, Lillard, Wall arent true PG's but more of combo guards.

I dont think Paul is clearly the best anything. How is he clearly better then Westbrook or Curry? I could fire some stats out, but you already know them.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

He is, but if they finish the season with about the same record and get bounced in the 1st round again, what does it matter?

I don't like players lobbying for new coaches, just old school I guess. Blake Griffin lobbying for a new coach is hilarious...dude has several flaws in his game that he hasn't improved much on. He should start there.

The team has flaws that we have talked about and I said earlier in this thread that they should have worried more about getting better defensively with a player, not a coach. But Del negro probably set an NBA record for not having a TO left at the end of the game to advance the ball during his run as Bulls and Clippers coach. He lived a long time off of his 1st year improbable series with the Bulls against Boston. Made Ben Gordon rich which effectively ruined him lol.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

I prefer Westbrook and Curry all day over Paul. I like those athletic combo guys.
Russell has to get himself healthy. He is a guy I hated, but am now sold on. He is a super player.

Paul is a more complete player. Curry is a huge negative 1/2 the game. Westbrook takes far too many bad shots.

There isnt GM or coach in the league that isnt taking Paul at PG if they need to win one game. The advanced stats on Paul are crazy good. His PER's dwarf those two guys. In roughly the same amount of games Curry has 157 turnovers and Paul has 85. Thats a lot especially for the guy running the show

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

How about Gary Payton? Did winning a ring with the Heat legitimize him as a great player? I just don't think you can categorize players as great, just because they won a championship. Gary Payton was great with or without a ring.

I remember the first time I saw him play. I was at U of AZ and Oregon State came into town and Payton was just great that night. This was 1987 I think and we had no internet and West Coast games were hardly ever on except when UCLA played someone. I saw this guy who was the best player on the floor playing against a team with 4 future NBA players that was going to the Final 4 that year and I hadnt ever even heard of him. AZ won because Oregon state wasnt that good but he just dominated Kerr and wound up guarding Elliot who was half a foot bigger than him.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

What he's doing out there in Phoenix is really remarkable. It's going to be really tough to keep it up now with Bledsoe gone, but the Suns and their fans should be thrilled with the way that team plays...hardest playing team in the league.

2nd lowest payroll in the league next to the Sixers. Have a ton of cap space moving forward too. They only have 39 million committed for next year if all the guys exercise options (Channing Frye-6.8 million)
Plus they have 3 extra 1st rounders this year as well as their own in a loaded draft. If MN and Washington make the playoffs and MN doesnt have the worst record among playoff teams which seems impossible considering the East they will be huge players this off season. Plus they have the Lakers 1st round pick next year hich is only top 3 protected and its unlikely the Lakers are one of the 3 worst teams in the league next year.

Hopefully Bledsoe can come back 100% and they add some talent in the draft or via trades using some of the extra picks and they can be damn good soon.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

I dont think Paul is clearly the best anything. How is he clearly better then Westbrook or Curry? I could fire some stats out, but you already know them.

A PG that has a lot more assists and lot less turnovers doesnt need much more.

[Duvalier]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

I remember the first time I saw him play. I was at U of AZ and Oregon State came into town and Payton was just great that night. This was 1987 I think and we had no internet and West Coast games were hardly ever on except when UCLA played someone. I saw this guy who was the best player on the floor playing against a team with 4 future NBA players that was going to the Final 4 that year and I hadnt ever even heard of him. AZ won because Oregon state wasnt that good but he just dominated Kerr and wound up guarding Elliot who was half a foot bigger than him.

Was he as good a trash talker back then too? The only way you really got to hear of lesser known players back then was through a Sports Illustrated article or something, and usually most articles were centered on the top teams in the country.

[RockHardTen1985]

Melo up to his old tricks right now. 17 points on 18 shots.....
As they are down 7 to the Bobcats.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

Was he as good a trash talker back then too? The only way you really got to hear of lesser known players back then was through a Sports Illustrated article or something, and usually most articles were centered on the top teams in the country.

Oh yeah. That was when you could talk a lot more than now too.

[Duvalier]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Hopefully Bledsoe can come back 100% and they add some talent in the draft or via trades using some of the extra picks and they can be damn good soon.

I agree. I really thought they were done and tanking when they moved Gortat to Washington just prior to the season starting. The way the West is currently, it won't be a surprise to see Phoenix in the mix as one of the better teams in the conference in the next few years with the right additions. It's always good to see teams who play hard be rewarded.

[RockHardTen1985]

I guess the Knicks little run is over. Melo tonight 20 points, 21 shots.
They get blasted tonight, and they will get blasted Thursday night in Indiana.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

I guess the Knicks little run is over. Melo tonight 20 points, 21 shots.
They get blasted tonight, and they will get blasted Thursday night in Indiana.

hater

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

hater

Listen, we should come together. Our team is #1.
Seriously though, before the season I said I prefer Houston and Golden St in the West. Golden St is on fire right now, no one says a word about them. The Knicks are 15-23 and because they won a few games in a row its news?

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

He is clearly the best two way PG in the league. I like Westbrook a lot but he isnt in Paul's league as a playmaker but who in the NBA really is considering Nash is finished? Really Westbrook, Rose, Lillard, Wall arent true PG's but more of combo guards.

He is better on D than Westbrook? The position has evolved. Paul is more traditional, doesn't make him better.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

He is better on D than Westbrook? The position has evolved. Paul is more traditional, doesn't make him better.

Chris Paul is the best PG on the Earth. This is an eminently defensible position by virtually any manner.

I think Westbrook is great. Love his intensity. However he simply isn't as good a player as Chris Paul is. But Westbrook can have questionable clock management, he takes bad shots, he gambles on defense and often can be caught out of position and he commits a lot of unforced turnovers. Paul rarely has any of these issues. His only real weakness is his 3 point shooting can be streaky both ways.

The position can evolve or change or whatever but the guy handling the ball the most who has way more assists and way less turnovers is the better player.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

Listen, we should come together. Our team is #1.
Seriously though, before the season I said I prefer Houston and Golden St in the West. Golden St is on fire right now, no one says a word about them. The Knicks are 15-23 and because they won a few games in a row its news?

You are the Earlie Fires of internet boards. Loves to jump on the front runners....

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

You are the Earlie Fires of internet boards. Loves to jump on the front runners....

The Rockets simply don't belong in the conversation about being one of the West's best teams. And I'm a Rockets fan.