The Official NBA 2014-2015 Thread: Simp City

General Discussion
281

Look at MIA’s roster right now. Who is technically signed? You see ALL that flexibility they have? Next year, the NYK are in the same position, though I think JR might have a player option. All the big contracts are GONE. That’s a GREAT situation to be in if you have Phil Jackson at the helm with a large building block like Melo, in the mecca of hoops. No, Melo is no longer a spring chicken and needs ot win sooner than later, but lets be honest here, he’s not winning next year no matter WHAT. If he goes to Houston, they still can’t get past SAS. If he goes to LAL, they still won’t be serious contenders. If he goes to Chicago, they most likely still won’t come out the East assuming MIA stays together and IND does a good job rebuilding. No situation is going to get him a chip next year. The question is the year after that.

As I mentioned Chicago is CHEAP, tat doesn’t mean “we won’t pay anybody”, it means they aren’t going to spend into luxury tax for a better roster. It means that with 3 max/near-max guys, the bench is going to get thin, and that’s magnified under Thibs who WILL run them into the ground…just ask “I look like I’m 50” Luol Deng. So how’s that going to look long term?

As for Rose, I don’t think anyone is counting him out, but their is reality to look at. If you haven’t played a physical sport for two years, getting back into game shape is HARD, I’m speaking from experiience, I took ONE year off to play in a lesser league when I balled and when I tried to get serious again, it was TOUGH…and I honestly was never able to get back into that shape I was before I quit. So you have a guy who’s entire game was predicated on athleticism…he’s not a good shooter, he was a ‘solid’ passer, but he had a ridiculous first step and could blow by people. So even if working out, he won’t be in game shape, its just another gear, he’s got legs that are questionable, and his game is predicated on those things. If he does great - awesome, but there should be no expectations of what he’ll be able to do.

I hate to say it, but signing to Chicago could be just like LBJ signing to MIA with Wade having bum knees. He may have to carry Rose and his contract. "We just don’t know’.

And the animosity between Paxson and Thibs is REAL…so the coach you like might not be there.

So…
Chicago - questionable roster, questionable coach
NYK - questionable roster, rookie coach backed by a Mt. Rushmore of Coaching GM

It is NOT a sure bet. If it was, Melo would have already made up his mind.

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282

[quote=“Reason4U, post:280, topic:169978”]

Pretty much every contract comes off the books after 2015.

After Jordan left and the team got blown up, the Bulls have been terrible, a lottery team pretty much every year until a few years ago when Rose was healthy and still young. But even then they didn’t get farther than Melo.

There is no “winning” in Chicago. This isn’t the Spurs we’re talking about here. Or Miami. It’s just another team in a league full of other teams.

If recent championship history is really that important and the personnel in place and going forward aren’t important, then the Lakers are the biggest championship team in the league. But their big time champion is running the Knicks, so maybe the Knicks are the ones with that championship success on their side.

These players should just go where the money is, or go to the Spurs. Choosing between the other teams for a championship is pointless because none of them have a good guarantee at all.

283

“LeBron’s wife Savannah wants him to return to Cleveland, according to veteran NBA writer Chris Sheridan, whose source also tells him that James’ agent Rich Paul and close adviser Maverick Carter also are in agreement about Cleveland, as well. What’s more, this storyline seems to be gaining steam by the day. Could the Heat quickly go from the Big Three and an expected dynasty to an old Dwyane Wade and lots of cap room?”

This shit really has become TMZ.

UD never did get him back for that one. Instead of a pending physical, maybe there’s a clause in JMR’s contract that says he has to survive for 10 minutes in a cage with UD.

284

Thibs is not a questionable coach, that shit is a joke. He does not even run his players into the ground, he just makes the practice defense. Something that every team used to do, you know what other coach has been accused of that in the past? Phil Jackson and Pop and Pat Riley, they all made their players practice a metric fuck ton and the results generally showed.

285

It’s different, its not just about Practice…we aren’t talking just practice.

As well, lets be realist here, Riley made his teams ‘run more’ because the players wanted to be an up and down team (confirmed by Magic).

(don’t know squat about Phil practices so I can’t speak on it)

Add in longer post season, longer and more complex work out regimens, and bigger and stronger bodies that you are crashing into, and the wear and tear on players today is a lot harsher than they were. Yeah the play was more physical, but that affected bumps and bruises, not knees and joints. Why do you think Noah is perpetually beat-up? Same thing for Deng, Deng logged the most minutes in the NBA in his year(s) with Chicago. He was run into the ground and aged quicker in basketball years because of it.

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286

Phil’s practices were Michael Jordan punching people for not being as good as him.

287

that story was hilarious to me…

And Mike Epps had me laughing at this one…

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t1.0-9/10520529_10154312030835268_8106307696310277299_n.jpg

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EDIT - I heard that IND was trying to move Hibbert, I can’t figure out what they should shoot for though. He’s like 10-12M a year if I remember, maybe more, but they would want another big man and bench help. I doubt Detroit would help out…

288

So melo is waiting on bosh, bosh is waiting on lebron, lebron is waiting on Pat Riley, Pat Riley is waiting on the cavs, the cavs are waiting on yeeeeaaaa this is bullshit

289

Kobe said Phil never talked about defense much

Here is the quote actually

“I mean Phil’s been here, and – to be honest with you – we might have, in all the years I’ve been with Phil, (had) maybe three defensive drills the entire time. And I’m not understating it at all. But his philosophy was always – you guys need to figure it out on your own. And that’s what made him a phenomenal coach, was that he was able to sit back and trust the process and trust players to communicate with each other.”

290

Knick fans look at your coach. He officially looks like a coach now

291

oh jesus christ

is that khaki shorts…with a t-shirt tucked into them? all he’s missing is the high socks

292

Well whenever a team scrimmages the side without possession at the time is going to have to play defense. That’s probably what Phil meant when he said they needed to figure it out on their own. Want Kobe/Shaq to stop scoring on you? Get better at defending screen and rolls, box out, move your feet and keep your hands up, etc.

I remember reading how Jordan and Pippen were never on the same team during scrimmages and a reason why they got as good as they did at defense was because they were always matched up against one another.

293

LeBron had a meeting today with the heat Nike

294

Had to name my team for EVO X-Mania. Only could think of one

http://www.caraudioforum.com/picture.php?albumid=141&pictureid=592

Golden State World Warriors seems appropriate for a norcal team who started playing WW

295

LOL Miami has Lebron who is like peanut butter and goes well with pretty much any team or any top players in the NBA. You guys are far from that position…

because you guys will have an older Carmelo on the books, a barren wasteland roster, and be competing with sunny LA who will also have a ton of cap space, a much better history of getting shit done and being competitive, and only one year left on that expensive Kobe contract. Without a real team to back it up you won’t be able to attract a big player to come there because Melo has proven he can’t carry even decent teams far in the playoffs. Anything other than a solid starting 5 and great roleplayers and it’d still be a hard sell with all the competition you’ll have. The year after that other teams (LAL,CHI,SAS,DAL,HOU) will either

  • have even stronger rosters than you which all already do
  • have more cap to spend or comparable
    -some combination of the two

You have absolutely no reason to think you’re gonna clean up next year when Phil Jackson couldn’t even get the coach he wanted because Kerr didn’t wanna deal with James Dolan and NY’s shit. Meanwhile most people from fans to former and current players agree Melo on the Bulls would be title contenders and fit like a glove.

1.Chicago isn’t cheap by any means we’ve been over this, the Bulls know Melo by himself isn’t worth going into luxury for and their right. Fuck that.

2.Thibs is a great coach with experience who is respected across the league, you’re wrong on this period. Unless Mark Jackson or someone else great is on the horizon Paxson is not gonna do anything stupid and fire Thibs because of personal shit. Pax is logical as fuck, sometimes to a fault.

3.Luol Deng is a bitch who got injured alot during games not in practices or whatever dumb idea about Thibs you have who also demands more money from teams than he’s worth. Deng is a trap player for teams trying to improve who is inconsistent and should accept his role as a bench scorer where he can really shine. Any team paying him what he thinks he’s worth are idiots.

  1. Fuck Luol Deng.

  2. No offense but comparing your own athleticism and recovery with someone of Rose’s caliber? LMAO!!! Also he’s been practicing with Team USA if I’m not mistaken so he’s getting all his “ring rust” out over there. Everything I’ve heard about him has been positive so far and multiple people have said he could have came back already. All that said, sure Rose is still questionable but he’s not Dwayne Wade lvl beatdown on his body either I think.

TL/DR: This could all work out for New York and you guys could be good in 2 more years I guess but c’mon now. This is all much more likely to blow up in their faces and I think we all know that.

296

I don’t get your hatred for Deng. He busted his ass and logged the most minutes the last few years because nobody could be as reliable as him on the floor.

297

Deng is a damn good player, Chicago’s bench has always been suspect at best which has always been an issue for them.

298

yeah whats with the deng hate. I’m not even a bulls fan but I was upset when they traded him

299

Deng may be overpriced, but he’s a good player. He keep getting hurt because he was averaging 38 minutes a game the last 4-5 seasons

300

Chris Sheridan talking about there’s a 90% chance LeBron is going back to Cleveland.

When is this shit gonna end.