NBA Info - December 2012

[Deleterious]

I know he had a big game. But it was still fun watching the Lakers and Howard lose to Orlando. Especially since Orlando was intentionally fouling Howard in the 4th and he shot 7-14 from the line in the quarter, 9-21 for the game.

[Deleterious]

OKC has sent Perry Jones III to the D-League.

[Deleterious]

The New Air Jordans Look Super Dumb

I miss my Jordan VI.

[Deleterious]

Steve Blake Out Six To Eight Weeks With Abdominal Surgery - RealGM Wiretap

[Deleterious]

Source Kupchak Talks To Gasols Camp About Possible Trade - RealGM Wiretap

[Deleterious]

Derrick Rose Could Return To Practice Within Weeks - RealGM Wiretap

[Deleterious]

Things aren't working out so well for Pringles.

[Deleterious]

Howard DAntoni Claim Free Throws Not An Issue - RealGM Wiretap

Right.

Nothing better than a max contract super star that you cant play in the 4th quarter.

[Deleterious]

Nash Was Promised Lakers Wouldnt Trade Gasol - RealGM Wiretap

[Nastradamus]

I would imagine it was that he wouldn't be traded for something like expiring contracts and picks. I can't imagine he would be pissed if Gasol was traded for someone who could help them win now. I'm not sure that trade exists though.

[Deleterious]

Kobe became the 5th person in NBA history to score 30,000 points. He did that on just over 23,000 shots.

[Nolan]

The New Air Jordans Look Super Dumb

I miss my Jordan VI.

The guy who wrote that article doesn't remember the glove? http://images.sneakernews.com/wp-con...-october-2.jpg

[Deleterious]

Report: Lakers shoot down trade talks for Gasol from Raptors, Timberwolves | ProBasketballTalk

[Deleterious]

Nate Silver | MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Silver will speak at the conference.

Can the general public buy tickets to this? It would be fun to go some year.

[Nastradamus]

If the Lakers could get Bargnani in a Gasol deal I think that would be perfect for them. Doesn't help their D, but he would be a much better fit with Howard.

[T&P_Fan]

The Lakers look worse now than they did with Brown. This time it's the defense. I've never found D'Antoni to be a good coach, but in this situation it is really besides the point. The best fit for that roster was Phil. Gasol no longer gets any looks with his back to the basket and Howard can't get enough touches.

Magic Johnson has been killing the Lakers over this.

[Nastradamus]

While its fair to criticize to some degree, its really tough to judge them with this roster and with D'antoni until we see them with Nash for a while IMO. He's pretty key to this system and to getting everyone their touches in the right spots. I mean, they're playing Darius Morris and Chris Duhon at the point right now. Neither one of those guys could beat out Will BYnum for a job, thats how bad they are.

[T&P_Fan]

While its fair to criticize to some degree, its really tough to judge them with this roster and with D'antoni until we see them with Nash for a while IMO. He's pretty key to this system and to getting everyone their touches in the right spots. I mean, they're playing Darius Morris and Chris Duhon at the point right now. Neither one of those guys could beat out Will BYnum for a job, thats how bad they are.

Duhon would definitely beat out Bynum because Duhon can defend. Nash will good, but at his hay day he was at best a terrible defender. I think when Nash gets back they will be able to score, but I don't see how they will play any defense.

When is Nash coming back anyway?

[Deleterious]

Regardless of why, its great seeing the Lakers struggle.

[T&P_Fan]

Regardless of why, its great seeing the Lakers struggle.

Very much agreed.

[Nastradamus]

Duhon would definitely beat out Bynum because Duhon can defend. Nash will good, but at his hay day he was at best a terrible defender. I think when Nash gets back they will be able to score, but I don't see how they will play any defense.

When is Nash coming back anyway?

Duhon is terrible at everything. Either way, he's right there with a Bynum type and shouldn't be more than a 3rd PG. Morris, though I root for him, looks like a D leaguer right now.

[Deleterious]

Kobe Bryant Blasts Teammates For Failure To Criticize Pau Gasol | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

LOS ANGELES—Claiming there was “no excuse” for tolerating weakness, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant publicly called out his teammates Thursday for their failure to condemn center Pau Gasol’s lackluster play this season. “We all need to step up, get right in his face, and vilify him like we really mean it,” said Bryant, who encouraged the entire team to “come together and just attack, attack, attack” the 7-foot-1 Spaniard. “Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one denouncing Pau’s weak style of play every single night. That’s not acceptable. This has to be a team effort. I want our bench guys to get involved. Coach [Mike D’Antoni] is with me on this, but even he knows he could be doing more.” Bryant also issued a challenge to each and every one of his teammates to draw technical fouls for fighting with Pau Gasol during Friday’s game against the Thunder.

Beautiful.

[Deleterious]

Stern says he would like to eliminate “hack-a-Howard” (or anyone)

[Deleterious]

Player Comparison Finder | Basketball-Reference.com

Comparing Martin and Harden this season. Harden wins in most categories, even at the per 36 numbers. But that 65% TS% from Martin is crazy good.

[Nastradamus]

Martin is an extremely efficient player. He fits that 3rd scorer role very well for that reason. He doesn't have to dominate the ball or be the focus of opponents.

[Deleterious]

Lakers lost at home to the Jazz tonight. Gave up 117 points. They are now 9-12.

[PuNk42AE]

Blow em up!

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Stern says he would like to eliminate “hack-a-Howard” (or anyone)

Just go back to the old days of players receiving up to 3 free throws to make 2. In such a scenario one would expect a 50% free throw shooter to make 1.5 points on average, which is more than any team's points allowed per possession rate, which effectively kills the strategy.

I get the whole, 'they should be able to make free throws' argument. Trust me I do. I think they should make 'em as well. That written:

I do not watch basketball to watch guys shoot free throws. I especially don't watch basketball to watch guys foul a dude intentionally so that he can, in turn, shoot free throws poorly. That isn't basketball. That is boring as **** to me and basketball is supposed to be entertaining.

[Deleterious]

Twitter tells me Kyrie Irving is cleared to practice and should play against the Lakers on Tuesday.

[Deleterious]

Just go back to the old days of players receiving up to 3 free throws to make 2. In such a scenario one would expect a 50% free throw shooter to make 1.5 points on average, which is more than any team's points allowed per possession rate, which effectively kills the strategy.

I get the whole, 'they should be able to make free throws' argument. Trust me I do. I think they should make 'em as well. That written:

I do not watch basketball to watch guys shoot free throws. I especially don't watch basketball to watch guys foul a dude intentionally so that he can, in turn, shoot free throws poorly. That isn't basketball. That is boring as **** to me and basketball is supposed to be entertaining.

Tell me the last game you watched where this happened.

If this was some league wide epidemic maybe I could get behind a rule change. But it basically applies to 1 person and 1 person only. I'm not a fan of changing the rules for a single player.

[Deleterious]

The Dallas players are all class.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Tell me the last game you watched where this happened.

If this was some league wide epidemic maybe I could get behind a rule change. But it basically applies to 1 person and 1 person only. I'm not a fan of changing the rules for a single player.

There has been a player in the league the last 12 years or something that this applies to.

I am not a fan of intentionally fouling guys at the end of games hoping for splits and regaining the possession to try for threes either. That is fairly common.

In summary, I don't like intentional fouls in any form. The team is doing it because they perceive it a stategic advantage. I think, in general, it is a bad idea to create situations where breaking the rules in some form or fouling the opposition is advantageous.

[Deleterious]

There has been a player in the league the last 12 years or something that this applies to.

I am not a fan of intentionally fouling guys at the end of games hoping for splits and regaining the possession to try for threes either. That is fairly common.

In summary, I don't like intentional fouls in any form. The team is doing it because they perceive it a stategic advantage. I think, in general, it is a bad idea to create situations where breaking the rules in some form or fouling the opposition is advantageous.

Kudos. 12 years sounds better then saying it only actually applies to 3 players (Shaq, Howard, and Ben a bit).

I enjoy the fouling at the end of games. Watching someone try to shoot a pressure packed FT is more entertaining than someone pounding the ball into the court for 20 seconds at the time line. But everyone is different.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Kudos. 12 years sounds better then saying it only actually applies to 3 players (Shaq, Howard, and Ben a bit).

I thought you would like that.

I enjoy the fouling at the end of games. Watching someone try to shoot a pressure packed FT is more entertaining than someone pounding the ball into the court for 20 seconds at the time line. But everyone is different.

It depends. I've seen 1 point games where it is exciting, and I've seen 6 point games where all it is accomplishing is dragging the game out.

A balance could be struck as well, wherein once a team reaches something like 8 team fouls in a quarter the other team gets 3 shots to make 2.

[Deleterious]

I admit, some teams should learn to give up a bit quicker.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

I admit, some teams should learn to give up a bit quicker.

Another way to do it is base it on the score and time.

Something like if you [EDIT: intentionally] foul someone in the last minute and are down 5 or more, that team gets 3 shots to make 2.

[Deleterious]

Another way to do it is base it on the score and time.

Something like if you foul someone in the last minute and are down 5 or more, that team gets 3 shots to make 2.

Does that take away a players aggressiveness trying for an actual steal and not intentionally fouling?

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Does that take away a players aggressiveness trying for an actual steal and not intentionally fouling?

I was speaking to intentionally fouling. I have no beef when a player is actually trying to make a play.

As I wrote before, the sport is marketed and sold as entertainment. Look for ways to take out the boring stuff while not negatively impacting the exciting stuff.

I don't think there is anything wrong with refs warning teams not to intentionally foul a player in certain situations and give them the hammer to punish the team to discourage crap like dragging games out when it is out of hand or having Shaq try 14 free throws or something in the 4th because you can't stop him otherwise.

I frankly hadn't thought about it prior to the article, so I am just spitballing here - it just is a sports related peeve of mine when I perceive teams are trying to game the system instead of playing the game, so I chimed in.

[T&P_Fan]

I agree with Biggs, take it out of the game. It happens in other scenarios as well...DeAndre Jordan sticks out.

It's like using the long putter in golf, everyone knows it is poor and against the code, but it was just now made illegal. Same will happen here, I don't need to see Howard shooting FT's, or worse yet, teams taking star players off the floor for stupid reasons.

[Deleterious]

I hope it stays. Make your free throws and STFU.