mudderfudder77

Quote: I don't disagree that we will give up a lot of points.. Again, we are built to outscore. In order to do that successfully, we will have to reach about 105 ppg. I think we are easily 101 ppg. Just look at the numbers I have already provide... If Chillz can get us 16 ppgs... and Smoove can get us more than 12, we will be a 101 ppg team. Another point is Bench scoring. Bench scoring will be the hardest to judge. I say 26 ppg... I think that's modest. We have Salim, batman, Marvinl, Delk, Lue coming off the bench. They have to produce. Delk was a double digit scorer off the bench.. I think Lue can do about 8-9 ppg too. The problem I see is that in order for al of theses players to increase their scoring averages one of two things needs to happen: 1. They take shots away from other players. So who is going to lose their shots? And if someone is losing opportunities how is their average going to go up. 2. The Hawks will have to suddenly be a much better rebounding team. The Hawks were 17th last year in rebounding, and your team is hardly stacked with rebounders. Pheonix was first last year, hence the reason they were able to run. So which one is it? Who is suddenly going to step up and be the dominant rebounder on your team?

Quote: Does the NBA have the right do do it? Absolutely. Is it racially aimed? Obviously. I'd really love for you to actually back up the statement you just made. How is this racialy motivated? This is financially motivated, plain and simple. Whatever David Stern does, the bottom line is always money. He did this because he was losing ratings and sponsors - no other reason.

Quote: yeah, I did. in the car on the way there (if younger and my parents were driving, head phones on). walked in that way too, especially at big meets (like US Nationals) where I just wanted to block it all out and focus on what I needed to do. how much so? I bought wireless headphones so that I could have the freedom to go stretch, chill while watching the races (which is what really pumped me up) without outside distractions. walking through the tunnel to appear friendly or available to the media (prior to the game) should not be a requisite. When you are under contract it is.

Quote: Quote: I'm willing to bet that you don't average more than 95, but that the defense improves considerably. The Hawks are going to average 107ppg, and they will be the most watchable team in the league. Wow, I thought as a Bulls fan I had some crazy thoughts about my team each pre-season, but you think you are suddenly the Suns re-incarnate? Or Dallas? You do realize you are only averaging 97 points a game this preseason. And before you tell me that it is pre-season and that the players are just learning to play together remember that no one plays defense in the pre-season either.

Quote: Again, tell me what's unrealistic about the specifics? I said: JJ - 16. Al - 19 zaza - 11. Bench - 26. That's 72 points my friend. So that leaves 33 points between JC and JS as starters... That means, if JJ scores 18.. JS only has to score 15... Is that unrealistic? How about 17 and 16? Moreover, I was really stingy with the bench scoring... The only laughable thing about the 13 points is that you think that JJ coming in and Al being healthy and the Joshes being one yr older and Zaza over What we had before can't make it up?? So you have your starters avg'ing JJ = 16 -1.1 JC = 17 +6.9 AL = 19 +1.5 JS = 16 +6.3 ZP = 11 +4.8 So your starters are going to improve upon their career averages by 17.5 pts? I think you need to adjust the tinfoil a little bit... I'm willing to bet that you don't average more than 95, but that the defense improves considerably.

Quote: Dude, It's very hard to score 20 a night. Also, moving from SG to PG, I suspect that JJ's scoring average will dip because he will look to create a little more... I think I've been somewhat realistic in the expectations... Even 105 ppg because this team is built to score. You can laugh at the total, but can you look at one place where I have mentioned us getting points and say "impossible"? Sorry, but I don't see 105 points being a remote possibility. Only one team last year avg'd that many points - Phoenix. You are expecting a 13 point per game increase? Again, its laughable.

Quote: Now, is this a small way of the league inching their way in, and getting the headphones banned? So many athletes now, listen to headphones before a game. You see them entering the arena, or getting off a bus with headphones in. This could be considered a dress code misconduct. The headphones no doubt show a form of dress. Headphones are banned, except for in the lockerroom. It's easy, if the players don't want it they can play somewhere else. If they play the in the NBA they are representing the NBA and their team. As such the league and team, their employers, have the right to set rules of conduct. I don't know how many here have jobs, but in mine I can be fired for conduct outside of work because I represent my company at all times. Not just when I am in the office. You don't like what your employer is doing, you go work somewhere else. Salaries in Europe are still more than most people in AMerica will ever make. Not bad if you just have a high school diploma.

Quote: I'm not so sure on Marv getting 30+ Minutes a game anytime soon. Before or after All Star Break. In 39 minutes, he got 12 points. And remember the competition level that the Hornets offer. No blocks and 1 steal by Pachulia can't be right. I guess they aren't too active in the stat count right now. Hornets had a steal with 8 blocks. As for Al and JJ both getting 20 PPG. Let's just go ahead and throw Chill in. I say these 3 get 60 PPG, so I don't think we will have 2 twenty point guys, but maybe 3. I think a lot of games these three will put 60 points up. Obviously the averages will break down differently. Al, JJ, and Josh putting up 60 points a game is ridiculous. Atlanta averaged 92 points a game last year and now you are expecting 3 players to score 60 between them? There were only three teams that had 3 players avg 60 points a game combined last year and all three were in the top 5 for points scored. Sorry, but the idea that the Hawks can suddenly become an offensive juggernaut is laughable. Especially with a first time point guard running the show.

Quote: I think you're short changing both JJ and AL...JJ has much to prove and AL is in a contract year...I think they're both good for more then 20ppg per night. And, I think AL will be at or near a double-double this year....I believe that both Chill and Smoove are good for between 10-15 ppg...Marvin is good for 6-10 ppg just because he's the primary back up at the 3 and 4...plus Delk and Salim....Offense will not be a problem for this team...It's all about us taking care of the ball, stoping people and rebounding the ball!!! And most of all...getting a consistent effort night in and night out...which is usual because inconsistency comes with being young. We'll be fine!...We have good players and players that are going to be good...this is a players league not a coaches league...you need good players to be competitive and we're well on our way! JJ & Al both over twenty points a game? Thats laughable.

There is nothing wrong with expecting your employees to maintain a certain decorum while they are employed and working. Nearly every business across the country has a dress code for their employees. Teams already had dress codes - this just standardizes them and allows for a league rule.

Quote: According to his ESPN profile he will be 22 in 2006. These Agents aren't stupid, they know that a younger player with the same skill set is worth more money to teams - that magical word "potential". It's just like Latin American players in baseball that have fudged their birth certificates, or Cuban exiles that have knocked 5 years off their real age.

I hate to disagree, but the Rockets were an excellent defensive team (regardless of where thy ranked)- thats how they won the Titles. They won it by having Hakeem protect the basket and playing a ball control offense (to use football terms)

There are onlt two Big FA's next year; Peja & Big Ben, personally I think both will be resigned by their teams - its the second tier that interests me - as a Bulls fan (The Bulls will have approx 15 million in cap room) Second Tier FA's (from Chad Smith's article) 4. Tayshaun Prince, F, Pistons ® The skinny: After three years in the league, Prince is still flying under the radar. That's thanks, in part, to his no frills games, and also due to his largely anonymous role on a team loaded with anonymous, but deadly-effective players. Prince had a real breakthrough after the All-Star break averaging 17.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg and shooting nearly 49 percent from the field. He has the wingspan of a 7-footer, is a fluid athlete, and can both defend and score. He still needs to be more assertive (his disappearing act against San Antonio in the Finals didn't help his cause) but if Joe Johnson can get $70 million for a desperate team under the cap ... who knows? The Pistons will work hard this summer to lock up Prince to an extension. It's going to take Richard Hamilton money (6 years, $56 million), maybe more, to get it done however. 5. Nene, PF/C, Nuggets ® The skinny: He's 6-foot-11, weighs 260 pounds, is an amazing athlete and just turned 23 years old. That alone is enough to turn just about everyone's head. After a disappointing season plagued by injuries, coaching changes and rotation issues, Nene is hoping that this is the season that he takes his game to the next level. Concerns about his relative lack of rebounding and injury woes didn't stop a number of teams from trying to acquire him via trade this summer. The Nuggets tried to use him as bait to pry away Paul Pierce, and will continue to see if his upside can land them the star two guard they desperately need. If he stays in Denver all season and has a good year, he could be one of the hottest names on the market. 6. Al Harrington, F, Hawks The skinny: The future for Harrington in Atlanta is questionable, both this year and beyond. The team is going young and drafted a player with the No. 2 pick in the draft, Marvin Williams, who plays the same position as Harrington. Look for the Hawks to try to find a home for Harrington before the trade deadline, especially if the addition of Joe Johnson doesn't translate into more wins. Al Harrington Al Harrington looks like the odd man out in Atlanta. Next year, he'll likely be a hot commodity. Though he's never put up big numbers, even in Atlanta, he's only 25 years old and averaged 17.5 ppg and 7 rpg last season. Given how thin the market is, that should be enough to get Al paid next season. 7. Vladimir Radmanovic, F, Sonics The skinny: The chances of Radmanovic's staying in Seattle next season are slim to none. The minute that he took their one-year tender offer, the wheels of his departure were set in motion. Unfortunately for the Sonics, they'll be unable to trade him this season, which means they might lose him for nothing. Radmanovic wants to start and he was looking for upward of $80 million over six years to do it. The Sonics couldn't satisfy either demand (not that we blame them). The question is, will anyone else next summer? After reportedly getting into a locker room brawl with one of his own teammates at the European Championships, he's already off to a rocky start this season. 8. Jason Terry, G, Mavs The skinny: Terry is coming off a very solid season for Dallas. After beginning the season on the bench behind rookie Devin Harris, he came on toward the end of the season and ended up posting an impressive 18.33 PER for the season. Terry shot over 50 percent from the field, 42 percent from the arc and kept turnovers to a minimum. However, he just turned 28 years old, and most GMs still feel that he's more of a combo guard than a true point guard. That could limit his value on the open market next summer. 9. Caron Butler, F, Wizards ® The skinny: Butler's career has been all over the place. A nice rookie season in Miami. An injury-filled sophomore campaign. A trade to the Lakers last summer and a subsequent trade to the Wizards this summer leave Butler on unsteady ground. Last season, Butler was an effective scorer for the Lakers, especially when Kobe Bryant was out of the lineup. Knowing what Larry Hughes was able to do despite the ball-hogging ways of Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison should give him hope of a potential breakout season. 10. Joel Przybilla, C, Blazers The skinny: He's still an offensive liability, but last season Przybilla turned himself into a rebounding and shot-blocking machine for the Blazers. He ranked seventh in the league in blocked shots per game despite averaging only 24 mpg. And his rebounding rate (rebounds per minute) had him ranked in the top 10 in the league. Given the dearth of centers in the draft and in the open market, Przybilla could cash in big-time if he keeps it up this season. At just 25, he still has some upside left in him.

Tyson is moving to his more natural position of Center. The Bulls are hoping Sweeney will do what Curry never could, rebound and play defense. The Bulls hope is that with Gordon, Heinrich, Deng, & Thomas they have enough offense and that with Tyson & Sweetney cleaning the glass they will get their points on offensive putbacks. The Bulls will stil be able to run, with the defense they play they should get plenty of opportunities, and Sweetney is already in better shape than Curry ever was. They'll definitely miss Curry's ogffense, but I think that they're hoping Thomas offense and Sweeneys defense and rebounding will more than make up for it. We'll see.

And don't forget Nate Robinson is going to be getting minutes as well. Where the hell are they going to play all of those 2's?

The problem is that Isiah traded away two expiring contracts. The Bulls will be anywhere from 10-15 million under the cap next year, and that is with a core of good young players: PG Kirk Heinrich SG Ben Gordon SF Luol Deng C Tyson Chandler As far as comparing the two trades, I think Atlanta got the best player - but they also gave up the most. Chicago was just happy to get something for Curry who was going to leave anyways, and as always Isiah was happy to oblige by overpaying. The players Chicago received are irrelevant, its the expiring contracts that are the most valuable. I'm assuming the Chicago Frontcourt will look like the following SF: Luol Deng, Tim Thomas PF: Antonio Davis, Michael Sweetney C: Tyson Chandler, Othella Harrington

Quote: You left out the most important acquisition: Larry Brown. Isaih would end up with egg on his face except Brown will make this a decent team. I think BK made smarter moves. I think the Bulls are questionable. But Thomas has the luxury of money to spend and a team that the best players and coaches want to be on. That is a huge advantage. Aside from Marbury (who is questionable as well), who exactly are the great players that are coming to play for the knicks?

Quote: I think the book will be out this year on these GMs... First Paxon, he trade Curry for a first round pick... At one time, Curry was thought to be one of the pillars of the future of the Bulls... NY gave up a first plus TT, plus Mike Sweetney for Curry.. BK passed on Curry because of his health and his effort. The question is.... Is this another case of NY picking a longterm bust... Or will Isiah prove to be smarter than BK/Paxson? Don't forget - Paxson got two servicable NBA players & a first round pick for a player no other team was bidding on, and was going to leave Chicago at the end of the year. It looks like once again Isiah overpaid for the toy he had to have. For Paxson, it wasn't the option of keeping Curry or trading him - Curry was not going to play for the Bulls after this season, and according to Paxson if Curry didn't take the DNA test he wouldn't play this season either. I think Paxson got a hell of a deal, but I'm biased. As for BK, when you are bad as a team you have to overpay for great players. I think trading for JJ could turn into a real coup for the Hawks. He might not be a "great" player, but he will bring some respectability to the Hawks. And finally, once again Isiah has shown that he is the worst GM in the league. Running Toronto into the ground wasn't enough, now hes doing it to New York. He had all the leverage and he still gave up two good players and essentially 2 first round picks for a guy who doesn't play defense, rebound, and is turnover prone. I hope good things for Eddy Curry - but if he thought the Chicago papers were bad I can't wait to see what New York has in store for him.

Quote: Quote: Otherwise he's a 20 point scorer, who can do nothing else and who will cost your team in the fourth quarter. actually, he won't cost your team in the 4th because you won't play him in the 4th bulls sat him at the end of games cause they knew he would lose the game for them You're right, I should have mentioned that. He's a hell of a player for 3 quarters. But thats all you'll get or want out of him.

Quote: Am i frickin dreaming. Where did we find this monster? If this guy has any talent, I am so happy we passed on Diop. Man I hope this guy sticks around. Sure he could lose a little weight, but there is definitely some potential there. Yeah, because a guy that big has to be good? /sarcasm

Quote: how about antonio davis, frye, mo taylor, malik rose, and jerome james. Also Stephon has the tools to be a hell of a defender if brown can get through to him. Again, they're not contending, but with that much power on the inside coupled with marbury houston qrich and crawford on the perimeter I can't imagine them missing out on the playoffs in the east The problem is none of those guys will be starting. I like Curry as a person, hes a good Chicago kid who comes from a good family, and he's a hell of a scorer - but for every 20 he scores, he seems to give up 25. If Brown can get him to rebound (something no Chicago coach could convince him was important)he can be a force. Otherwise he's a 20 point scorer, who can do nothing else and who will cost your team in the fourth quarter.

Quote: I think they'll be somewhere around 6-7 seed. I don't see why not. They still have Marbury, Crawford, Q Richardson, Curry, Frye and more. They should definitely make the playoffs with Brown at the helm. Their problem has been that Marbury and Crawford have been allowed to do whatever they want. They won't anymore Ummmm - who's going to play defense on that team? Houston - no. Crawford - hell no. Marbury - not likely. Curry - forget about it.

Nothing can be done until the judge removes the restraining order preventing the other owners from replacing Belikin as NBA Governor. Until the restraining order is released, you, JJ, BK, and everyone else has to wait to announce anything.

Quote: and in case you guys cant see this, there are degrees to which you can state the truth. He could have said things completely different though to not be so insulting. Instead of: "Worse yet, they probably miss out on the first marquee free agent in memory who actually wants to be a Hawk, making Johnson more valuable to Atlanta than Belkin cares to consider." He could have said: "Worse yet, they probably miss out on the first marquee free agent in the past several years that both the Hawks and the player have had a mutual interest in..." ----------------------------------------------- Instead of: "Belkin's survival, besides alienating what's left of the Hawks' tiny fan base" He could have said: "Belkin's survival, besides alienating the Hawks' fans" ----------------------------------------------- Instead of: "Would Johnson, who has already stunned many league observers by choosing Atlanta over Phoenix" He could have said: "Would Johnson, who chose Atlanta over Phoenix" ----------------------------------------------- See, thats what I mean. He could have plainly stated the facts without giving his clearly biased opinion about the Hawks and without trying to make us look like a pathetic franchise. Why rub salt in the wounds of what is left of our tiny fanbase by writing what he did? Thats my point. I never said his comments werent in line, I just disagreed with his method for making them. Why does Stein need to sugarcoat it? So you can feel good about being a Hawks fan? The Bulls got 7 years of this kind of treatment and the Clippers are going on 20 years of it...

Quote: It's impossible, you can't get 30% to equal 51% no matter how hard Belkin tries. In a fluke decision he may get the courts help and snuff this deal. That is worse case scenario for the Hawks. However, long term Belkin will have his power stripped. I lived in this scenario. Our company has one owner with 30% share. The other three owners would meet and make decisions for the entire company without inviting the director who owns 30%. Belkin will not be able to keep this up. He doesn't need 51%, his 30% is the majority single stockholder and he was voted in as Governer.