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Post by Derek Fisher on Feb 20, 2013 23:53:20 GMT -4
Anyone else see the OKC - HOU game? Harden went for 46 points on 19 shots.
INSAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNEEEEE
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Post by sirphawk on Feb 21, 2013 0:29:52 GMT -4
Including that awesome half court shot
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Post by Derek Fisher on Feb 21, 2013 2:32:22 GMT -4
And including 16 points in the 4th to overcome a double digit deficit.
Top 5-ish player this year hands down.
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Post by kfilament on Feb 21, 2013 10:52:57 GMT -4
I think we all knew he would put up numbers in Houston b/c really, who else is gonna score? But basically Houston has recreated their teams with T-Mac. They will be lucky to win a game in the playoffs, much less a series.
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Post by Derek Fisher on Feb 21, 2013 18:09:20 GMT -4
Its one thing if you're just scoring the ball as the sole scoring option on your team and its another if you're doing it incredibly efficiently AND leading your team to a playoff spot in VERY competitive Western Conference.
Don't forget that this is the YOUNGEST team in the entire league and will have max cap room this offseason. Losing in the first round is no problem this year, the point is to make it to the big dance and prove we're a team of the future ala OKC in their first Lakers series. Suddenly signing Dwight Howard seems plausible and if not Dwight, some star in the next season or two is going to want to play next to Harden.
Really interested in what steps this team takes next. I love our roster/management so much and oh, we just got gift wrapped a top 5 pick in Thomas Robinson who is only in his rookie year.
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Post by kfilament on Feb 21, 2013 19:01:04 GMT -4
Yeah, WTF was that Robinson deal about? Excellent move there. I would avoid Howard like the plague. Dude has never won. He is one of the most, if not THE most overhyped player in the NBA. He hasn't done shit really. His success in Orlando was in a TUURRRRIIIBLLLE eastern conference. Seriously, those few years Orlando was good that was a terrible, terrible conference. Just look at their squads, they wouldn't have made the playoffs in the West and they were winning 55 games in the East.
Anywho, I am curious to see what the Rox do going forward. I am not totally up to date on the FA pool since my Grizz won't be doing anything, but other than Howard who is out there for max type money?
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Post by rogworld1991 on Feb 21, 2013 19:29:00 GMT -4
No one, but Josh Smith and Al Jefferson will both probably get max deals. JJ Reddick is a free agent, and some others can opt out like Iggy, if they choose.
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Post by kfilament on Feb 21, 2013 21:09:13 GMT -4
yeah, so a poo poo platter. rox need to raid a team for a star.
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Post by Derek Fisher on Feb 21, 2013 21:19:43 GMT -4
Yeah, WTF was that Robinson deal about? Excellent move there. I would avoid Howard like the plague. Dude has never won. He is one of the most, if not THE most overhyped player in the NBA. He hasn't done shit really. His success in Orlando was in a TUURRRRIIIBLLLE eastern conference. Seriously, those few years Orlando was good that was a terrible, terrible conference. Just look at their squads, they wouldn't have made the playoffs in the West and they were winning 55 games in the East. Anywho, I am curious to see what the Rox do going forward. I am not totally up to date on the FA pool since my Grizz won't be doing anything, but other than Howard who is out there for max type money? Maloofs gonna Maloof. I'll give you that Dwight is a total bitch/drama queen and has one of the softest mentalities I've seen in a superstar...but overhyped? We're talking about the clear-cut #2 player from a year or two ago. He came back early this year from back surgery and just hasn't looked the same out there with effort possibly being a factor. Houston's best shot at a title with Harden is to sign Dwight and just hope he returns to superstar form. If Dwight is never the same again then he's still a fringe All-Star level player that would still warrant a max contract due to his position. It just would be stupid to not roll the die on a Dwight-Harden duo, Asik is a good player but c'mon he's not an All-Star nor is he going to get this team beyond the 2nd round (when you have a top player like Harden though, you always have a chance to win). I don't think Al Jefferson will get a max, the new luxury tax is going to come into effect and we just saw this trade deadline how reluctant teams are about salary now. Then again maybe I'm overestimated some GM's because Toronto just traded for Rudy Gay and locked themselves into cap hell.
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Post by kfilament on Feb 21, 2013 22:23:16 GMT -4
I agree Howard is valuable, but he is a terrible FT shooter, thus eliminating himself down the stretch in games. His offensive skills really aren't that good either. Now defensively, yeah, he is a fucking bawse. No one denies that. And thats worth a lot.
He will get max, for sure. i am just curious to see who gives it to him. I think he stays with Lakers though. Unless he gets a S&T, which the Lakers might be interested in. I don't think they wanna build around him going forward. Obviously their coaching plan going forward is key. If they bring back Phil then I can see him sticking around.
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Post by kfilament on Mar 1, 2013 23:54:00 GMT -4
Fuck you Heat, fuckers. If they played in West they would be a 3 seed. Fuck em.
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Post by stevegamer on Mar 5, 2013 2:14:03 GMT -4
The issue with Howard is he's a crazy cancer. He can play, though, so they have to decide if they want to risk the clubhouse baggage. I think he'd fit fine in the offense by being a guy who they throw it in to down low some of the time, and he gets the rest of his offense on rebounds.
Also in the mix for the Rockets will be the land mine that is Jeff Ruland and his knees, sorry I meant Andrew Bynum and his knees. He won't be near a max deal, unless someone is insane. I think he may be basically done, though. I don't want to see him back in Philly, unless it's on reasonable cap number. saw he may have season-ending surgery, which is ironic, since he hasn't had a season yet.
How bad is the East? My 76ers are terrible. And are sitting 9th. Really didn't mind the deal we made, except for giving up Vucevic & Harkless both to Orlando. Could really use Vucevic right now.
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Post by kfilament on Mar 5, 2013 10:56:39 GMT -4
Yeah, funny how we (or at least I did) dogged the Magic after that trade, but shit, they may come out smelling like roses! Granted, they are dumpster fire right now, but they got some interesting pieces in that deal.
As far as Howard goes, my god he was awful the other night in the Lakers/Hawks game. On the last two possessions the Hawks went right at the supposed best center in the game (Marc Gasol laughs) with screen and switches and both times he was watching the ball as his man was coasting to the basket for a fucking uncontested dunk. The only reason the Lakers won is b/c on the second time I think it was Horford saw the basket so wide open he fumbled the pass and allowed other Laker defenders (still not Dwight) to recover and force a TO. He is awful when forced to think on D. Sure, if he can stand there and just block shots he is great, but fuck, so was Thabeet. He is just Thabeet with more meat on his bones. I mean that, he has no offensive game, he can't shoot FT's enough to be in tight games at the end. He can't switch on D.
Ron Artest was up in his ass after he let that first dunk go uncontested and he was trying to blame it on Ron. Come on...
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Post by Derek Fisher on Mar 8, 2013 19:02:36 GMT -4
When your team is the worst defensive team in the league when you sit and are 12th when you're on the court, there is no way you're a cancer. Dwight is a fucking douchebag but when you put him in a winning situation, you really don't have much to worry about other than his ability to stay healthy. He came back way ahead of time and there's no telling how well he can play with another offseason's rest. A healthy Dwight is the 2nd or 3rd best player in the league, no team should ever turn that down.
Its different with Bynum because he HAS missed the entire year and its not being reported that he may have degenerative knees, which if true might mean the end of his career and any team with common sense should stay the hell away.
Going back to the Dwight stats, the Houston Rockets are very similar with Asik. When Asik sits, Houston is also one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA but when Asik is on the floor Houston is a top 10 defensive team. Daryl Morey also mentioned in his interview with Grantland that the Rockets are the #1 half-court defense when Asik is in the game. These are all promising stats and why Daryl was so excited about signing Omer in the first place. The thing is that Omer isn't nearly as mobile as Dwight (who can play D outside of the paint albeit he's been reluctant this year), he can't catch a pass to save his life, he can't post up, and he sure as hell doesn't even have an limpy Dwight's stamina. I think Asik is a top 10 center in this league but the possible rewards with Dwight are too great to pass up.
I'm not too sure how he'd fit our offense, the Rockets run VERY few set plays and instead emphasize on two things each play: attack the basket (to draw a foul) or take a three pointer. No in-betweens because long 2's are the most inefficient shots in the game and we're actually on pace to set the record for the least long 2's in NBA history. We don't really have anyone worth posting up, Motiejunas maybe but we prefer keeping a stretch 4 near the corner three. So its going to be interesting how the Rockets would intend to utilize Dwight (assuming they somehow sign him, which again is unlikely. One tidbit though: Houston firmly believes they have Dwight Howard as good as signed.).
In Orlando Dwight was able to anchor a top defense with garbage like Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, etc etc. He also was a threat to score 20 a night when Orlando was one of the worst "post-feeding" teams I've seen. Literally outside of Hedo and JJ Redick, I don't think anyone on that team understood how to feed Dwight down low. Its really no wonder the Magic made the Finals the year Jameer Nelson was out and Rafer Alston, who had years of experience feeding Yao Ming in the post, was filling in (and the Magic got destroyed when Jameer returned).
Really its tremendous what he was able to accomplish in Orlando with all the crap he was working with, and he's doing great (not all-time great like in his previous years) even now when trash like Antawn Jamison get 25 minutes a game. Its a HUGE risk, paying big money long-term to anyone coming off of back surgery when he has been in the league for 8-9 years is always a big risk but taking that chance on Dwight is the only way the Rockets return to the championship scene.
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Post by kfilament on Mar 8, 2013 19:45:37 GMT -4
I don't lend much credit to Orlando when he was there. The East was probably as bad as either conference has EVER been those few years.
The stark difference between Lakers D with and without Howard says a lot about how think the Lakers are more so than Howard. Like I said, he will get max, from somebody, but they will regret it shortly there after. Write it down.
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