NBA Thread XXXIII: Paul Stars In: The Clip-Show

[Drillbit Taylor]

Ill Take a Rockets one for fun.

[Unocal 76]

5 questions for Cantus Fraggle's Rockets

1. Last year, Houston's 43 wins were better than the lower-tier East playoff teams. Had Yao held up last year, could they have snuck in and done some damage (given how vulnerable the Lakers and Spurs were)?

2. Was firing their coach the right move?

3. How much of Houston's struggles to break through are attributed to playing in the tough Southwest division?

4. What if Houston had convinced Artest to resign with them in 2009?

5. Your expectations for the Rockets in 2012?

[Rican]

Dec 13, 2011 23:28:09 GMT -5 Unocal 76 said:

5 questions for Rican

1. Did last year's success show the Spurs can play up-tempo, or was it a necessary change given what happened against the Suns in the 2010 playoffs?

2. Was the Spurs playoff failure last year because of old age, getting a bad draw in Memphis, or would they have struggled if New Orleans was the 8 seed? That aside, did you think last year's team at some point was gonna play in June?

3. We know Duncan doesn't have many years left, but which of his Big 3 sidekicks has the longer shelf life- Parker or Ginobili?

4. Given how scalding hot the Spurs were around Christmas, what was the turning point for their season that started the doubts to creep in?

5. Your expectations for the 2012 Spurs?

1) They can play up tempo and I imagine they'll try that again this year, but with the team only getting older for the most part its just not sustainable for long. They didn't make any huge changes to the team this year so I'm looking for them to play a similar style to roughly the same results.

2) Memphis was better. Period. They dominated us in the regular season and walked all over us in the playoffs. We wouldn't have made it past them. Even if we had made it to the 2nd round the Thunder are younger and strong defensively so we would have had trouble with them, and Dallas would have beat us too. It was just the Mav's year.

3) Parker has a longer shelf life due to being the youngest, but I question him being able to carry a team. I imagine this is Duncan's last year, followed by Manu 2-3 years later, and at that point I don't think Tony will stick around anyway.

4) The blowout loss to the Lakers in March was soul crushing. Especially coming from the blowout win over Miami. It just showed we weren't as strong as previously thought. They never totally came back from that loss.

5) I just hope they make the playoffs. I'm picking them to be somewhere in the 4-7 seed range and MAYBE making it to the second round. I expect major changes next summer.

[MGH]

1. Why have the Nets' had a lack of success win-loss wise since 2007?

Just simply a major talent drop off. They went from Jason Kidd in his prime, a still juiced Vince Carter, and a Richard Jefferson that had yet to become a disappointment to Devin Harris and Travis Outlaw. The NBA is a talent league. A team of complimentary parts with no star to run the team through just isn't going to cut it. There were some draft picks that haven't panned out as well as you'd like either. Brook Lopez has turned in to a good scorer, but he isn't the beast on the glass anyone wants him to be. It isn't just Hump taking rebounds from him either. He doesn't out rebound Outlaw by a large margin. Has to get tougher on the glass. Then Terrence Williams was around for a cup of coffee. It's been a rebuilding situation.

2. What is there, player-wise, on the Nets that gives you hope?

Deron Williams is the key to all of it. He is the kind of player that can be that star a team needs. Unlike Chris Paul and Dwight Howard who continue to spew hallow words about where they are, there is a real sense that Deron doesn't really want to leave the Nets. He isn't going to stay if they don't give him a real reason to though. He isn't stupid or loyal to a fault. Not with Dallas right there waiting if he chooses to go. But if they can convince him to stay, they have their point guard for the next 5-6 years.

3. How much of a difference does Prokhorov make?

Well he's clearly not afraid to go out and make a splash. Getting Deron Williams out of NO WHERE last season was a stunner. Now hearing he's not only in with Dwight Howard but maybe even the favorite to land him is encouraging. There was a shaky signing or two (that Outlaw contract ... my god) but I have faith that if the Nets are going to get turned around it'll be with him at the helm.

4. If you could only do one- get Dwight Howard or keep Deron Williams- long term?

That's really hard to answer because they're linked to one another. Get Dwight, Deron stays. Those are his words, not mine. I guess gun to my head I'd get Dwight, even if it meant Deron goes to Dallas next season. At the end of the day Dwight is one of the five best players in the NBA. Deron is one of the five best point guards. I'll try to build around Dwight if I can lock him up.

5. How much of a benefit is it playing in a weak Atlantic Division where only the Celtics and Knicks kept their heads above water last year?

Well if the team gets Dwight and Deron together, it'll be a big plus. Boston is aging and Philly is still a mystery. I can deal with a battle for the division against the Knicks. It's much more preferable than getting crammed Southeast with the Heat, Orlando, and Atlanta. Nets aren't winning the division no matter what they do this season, including getting Dwight, but Toronto and Philly aren't scary teams, and who knows with Boston this season.

[Tyfo]

5 questions for Tyfo:

1. Last year, the Mavericks finally scaled the mountain and won the NBA title. In your mind, what and why did they do so?
They just finally found the right combination to unlock the safe that was the NBA title. After a decade of trying different styles, different player combos, they finally found the right one. Dirk being Dirk, a big man who could hold up the middle in Tyson Chandler, an excellent distributing point guard in Jason Kidd, a few lights out outside shooters, and several defensive minded veterans and some guys who brought that right amount of toughness, like, Shawn Marion, DeShawn Stevenson, Caron Butler, Brian Cardinal, etc. We finally found those role players we really needed to compliment what we've had for years.

2. Fill in the blank- the player that contributed the most to this title not named Dirk was (blank).
Shawn Marion. I know everyone expects me to say Tyson Chandler, but honestly Shawn Marion may well have been MVP 1-B of the playoffs for this team. He was lockdown at times on guys like Kevin Durant and LeBron James, when we needed his scoring, he delivered, and he was rebounding like we hadn't seen since he was in Phoenix. It's hard to find someone that played as well last postseason as Shawn Marion did.

3. So, just how did Dallas managed to spoil the media's wet dream teams this postseason (I.e. The Lakers and Heat)?
I don't really know what happened to the Lakers. It was like they never even had a chance in that series, and they quite obviously quit in Game 4. I think they just weren't ready for what the Mavericks brought. They just assumed it was the same old Mavs and they didn't need to be at their best, and they were wrong. With Miami, I don't think they were a "team" yet. Individuals can only take you so far. At some point you figure out that beyond those few individuals, you aren't anything, and it showed HUGE in the Finals. They had no capable point guard or center play, no real boost off the bench. All things the Mavericks had. If one of the Big 3 is off, they struggle. It's one of the things Miami is going to have to figure out if their going to win a title with this group.

4. What did Dirk do last year so differently to get the team all the way to the top compared to 2006 and 2007?
The last few years he has really elevated his game, but it wasn't until this postseason that those outside of Dallas took notice. He's become a complete player. He's not soft, he's not a jump shooter, he's basically shed every label he's had on him since the beginning. And the biggest thing now is that he's become a leader, a role he seemed to shy away from as recently as 06-07.

5. What are your expectations this year?
Obviously we've lost a lot of key pieces of the championship team in Chandler, Barea, and Caron Butler. But at the same time we've added some good veteran talent like Lamar Odom, Vince Carter, and Delonte West. I don't think there's going to be a huge drop off as long as the new additions can gel quickly. The major factor is what we get out of Brenden Haywood. Down the stretch last year and in the postseason, he was starting to look like the guy who earned that big contract. Hopefully it was foreshadowing whats to come. Hopefully losing his spot to Chandler last year lit a fire under him and he comes out to prove himself. If he does, then we're going to be just fine and right back in the hunt this year. Dirk's still Dirk, guys like Kidd, Terry and Marion are still here, and the x-factor of Roddy Beaubois, who from training camp reports seems to finally be over his foot injury that basically cost him all of last season.

[andrew8798]

Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that the Nets are assembling a "blockbuster" four-team offer for Dwight Howard.

[The Captain]

Curious to see how much Vyse and I agree/disagree on these.

1. The Knicks were treading water nicely before the Carmelo trade, with Galinari and Felton showing flashes of brilliance. Was it the right move?

While I would've like to keep Gallo as I think he's a great sixth man type, ultimately I do think it was the right move. Felton and Amare gelled really well, but Melo is a huge upgrade on offense. Ultimately, it was sacrificing surprising short term success for a long term vision. And that vision is Amare + Melo = Knicks Relevant Again. It's already paid off with the Knicks getting Chandler in a sign-and-trade. It makes the other pieces they gave up (Wilson Chandler's expiring contract and Timofey Mozgov, who is quite frankly a scrub) look insignificant in comparison. Ultimately, the 2012 Knicks are MUCH better built than the 2011 Knicks.

2. Had the Knicks gotten a few bounces of the ball their way last spring and get a split or sweep of the two playoff games in Boston, would they have had the momentum to make postseason footprints?

I don't think so. Maybe they would've made it to the next round, but I had zero expectations of the Knicks winning that series against the Celtics. Would've been nice for them to win at least one game, though.

3. How much has D'Antoni contributed to the Knicks post-Isiah revival? Conversely, how much has Stoudemire?

D'Antoni helped bring the team out of the murky depths that Isiah Thomas dumped them in, but he's still not the ideal coach. The Knicks' struggles on defense showed that, and D'Antoni's never been a defensive minded coach anyway. Hopefully that changes this year. Stat, on the other hand, has almost singlehandedly revived interest in the franchise here. Knicks fans were really apathetic for a long time. But here comes Amar'e, and he got people excited again. Melo may be the bigger star, but this is Stat's town. I really can't praise Stoudemire enough for the effort he's made in getting this jaded city to want to go to Knicks games again.

4. With the Celtics looking a bit wobbly amidst age and a lack of depth, can you see the Knicks winning their division?

Absolutely. Though I think the Sixers can make another surprise run like last year, but the Knicks have improved significantly in this offseason with getting Tyson Chandler, giving them one of the best frontcourts in the NBA. The Celtics... haven't, and they're not getting any younger either. The Nets could be a big threat, but that's largely dependent on if they can get Dwight Howard or not. The Raptors look to be a non-factor.

5. Your expectations for the 2012 Knicks?

Division win, making it to at least the second round of the playoffs. Wouldn't be surprised to see them make it to the EC Finals, though I wouldn't be surprised to see them tank before then.

[vm88]

Dec 13, 2011 23:34:58 GMT -5 Unocal 76 said:

5 questions for vm88 and the Heat, staying away from obvious questions about LeBron and the 4th quarter stuff

1. How do last year's Heat do if they had gone in one of two directions: not signing LeBron and going forward with a Wade-Bosh duo or if they went with LeBron-Wade-Amare Stoudemire?

2. Did the locker room players only meeting really turn the season around as I hear it did in late November, as well as Bosh wanting the ball more after the 5-game skid in March?

3. Spoelstra sometimes got a bad rap, but given how the team rebounded from low points (Shouldergate in Dallas, and the infamous crying episode), plus how he did in 2010 and 2011 with lesser talent, how much credit does he deserve as a coach?

4. LeBron- was he any different a player last year than we saw in Cleveland?

5. I know what your expectations for the Heat this season, so I ask this- most important non Big 3 Heat player?

1. The Heat with just Wade and Bosh would've probably been a Top 5 team in the East. With LeBron, Wade, and Stoudemire, they probably would've been in the Top 3 at least, probably #1 if Stoudemire played like he did last season with the Knicks.

2. If anything, the "Players only meeting" definitely helped the Heat, cause it motivated the players to perform better. I think going in to the season, the Heat were thinking to themselves that they were just going to win games easily. However, it turned out not to be the case. As for Bosh saying that he needed to get the ball more, it paid off for Bosh, cause his numbers went up towards the end of the season, and his contributions helped the Heat get the 2nd seed last year.

3. I think Spoelstra deserves a lot of credit for handling the pressure of trying to build the Heat to become title contenders. Plus, he's got input from Heat President Pat Riley, so that definitely helps. Keep in mind that the Heat have been to the playoffs in all three seasons since Spoelstra took over for Pat Riley, so in that aspect, he deserves credit for helping the Heat get to where they are today.

4. When you're playing alongside the likes of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, you sometimes have to step aside and help them get the ball, and that's what LeBron has been able to do. He's not exactly scoring 60+ points like he did in Cleveland (Although he did score 51 against Orlando, which was the highest point total in a game last season), but he's becoming a better team player because he realizes that he's not the only primary offensive option out there for the Heat like he was with the Cavs.

5. This one is tough, because you can point out certain aspects of players that you like about them, like Joel Anthony's defense, Mario Chalmers's clutch shooting, etc. Overall though, I'd have to say the most important player outside of the "Big 3" has to be Heat Co-Captain Udonis Haslem. Yes, he missed almost the entire 2010-2011 season due to injury, but he has been there for the Heat since debuting with them in 2003. Here's a guy who has averaged 10 PPG and 8 RPG throughout his career in Miami, helped the Heat win their first NBA Championship in 2006, and is beloved by the Heat fans. Not only that, he came back to Miami last year to play alongside the "Big 3" when he could've made more money playing for the Dallas Mavericks. If that's not dedication, than I don't know what is. Here's hoping that he makes a big impact this season with the Heat.

[Drillbit Taylor]

1. Last year, Houston's 43 wins were better than the lower-tier East playoff teams. Had Yao held up last year, could they have snuck in and done some damage (given how vulnerable the Lakers and Spurs were)? I think they might have made it to the middle of the playoffs and lose to the Thunder in 6 games. Yao would have been a HUGE asset as he is actually over 7feet tall, but he was also the face of the team for the last decade. Having his presence in the paint, ontop his leadership on the sidleines would have helped propel them into knocking one of the big time teams off early like SA or LA, and falling to a team that could match thier speed but with better talent like OKC.

2. Was firing their coach the right move? Yes. Sleepy is one of the best coaches of all time in the NBA. And he did good work with the team. But he never seemed to have the drive and willingness to change his plans and let the younger guys take over. When Yao went down, leaving the team with no center he seemed to phone it in and just go through the motions. Was he a good coach, yes. But as the team starts to transition into the next stage, he was not the one to lead them anywhere past the 2nd or 3rd round.

3. How much of Houston's struggles to break through are attributed to playing in the tough Southwest division?
I think some of the problems is due to the SW, but alot is due to not having a center. The lack of Center is what is killing, and will continue to kill the Rockets moving forward untill they get someone. It is real hard to play a team like LA who last year had 3 or so players on the court at one time over 7feet, when no one on your team even sees 7feet. I think the lack of Center, and the lack of a big name to be the leader is more the problem in breaking through right now over the divsion that they are in. Would being in the Atlantic help? YES. But even if they were in one like that, they would still not go too far without a Center and a Star

4. What if Houston had convinced Artest to resign with them in 2009? They would have gotten another name to be with him. All Star talent attracts All Star Talent. Crazy World Peace was a good addtion to the team and I was sad to see him go. I think if he was still on the team, they would have gotten another player of good calibair to be with him, and Scola would not have gotten hurt. They would be in the playoffs, and could be a soild #3 in the West, and not a #9/10 like they are without him.

5. Your expectations for the Rockets in 2012?
3 Games over .500, miss the playoffs again. Teams like the Spurs are falling, but I think they still have one more year in them until teams like the Rockets can get in. I think that if "Basketball Reasons" did not happen the Rockets would have been a much better team because they would have height, and at least one name, possibly two, in the front court. But since "Basketball Reasons" exist, the Rockets are left with angry Martin, No height in the front court, and a mixed bag of good, but not great talent, some of which are on the down slope and some are young near rookies.

[Unocal 76]

With the return of the NBA threads, hopefully this means we may see the return of Jay Carroll, who hasn't posted since July.

It's been a while since we've heard from him- and he really did a lot of contributing in the NBA playoff threads.

[Objection!]

I can try and field a few questions for the celtics, though I'm probably less than qualified.

[stealthamo]

Dec 14, 2011 1:45:11 GMT -5 andrew8798 said:

Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that the Nets are assembling a "blockbuster" four-team offer for Dwight Howard.

ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting that Portland would be one of the teams involved, sending Gerald Wallace to Orlando.


And I'll take a Pistons 5 questions for fun.

[Deleted]

Dec 13, 2011 18:40:01 GMT -5 ashcampbell said:

Darnit, Crawford. Fine, go play with the crappy Timberwolves and their terrible owner. And you can watch as Indy makes it far into the playoffs while your team sits at home.

Hmm. The Pacers lose out on both Mayo and Crawford, and one of their bargaining pieces (McRoberts) signs with the Lakers. I'm curious as to where they go from here/who they go after next. They need another guard who can create his own shot.

Yeah, the Pacers do need another guard, and they did fail in their quest to get rid of Brandon Rush. However, I don't know of any good options at the moment, but we got money to spare, and there should be somebody willing to play here for a positive situation.

But we did sign David West, and we still have a bunch of quality players willing to go the extra mile, so the Pacers should be a top 5 team in the East if everything goes to plan.

[MGH]

WojYahooNBA Orlando has ended trade talks for Dwight Howard, league sources tell Y! Sports.


Fine, then shut up and play the season out. This has become as annoying as the Paul saga.

[Rican]

I can't wait to watch Chris Paul and Dwight Howard half-ass it on their respective teams for a whole season and then freely go wherever they want in the offseason.

Because that's whats gonna happen.

[LastCall]

Dec 14, 2011 15:07:43 GMT -5 Rican said:

I can't wait to watch Chris Paul and Dwight Howard half-ass it on their respective teams for a whole season and then freely go wherever they want in the offseason.

Because that's whats gonna happen.

And their respective teams get nothing in return.

[MGH]

chadfordinsider Nets offered everything they could for Howard: Brook Lopez + FIVE 1st Rd picks. Theirs in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 + Rockets 2011 pick.

That plus players from the other teams involved. What the f*** do you want Orlando?

[Massive G]

oh man, watching Dwight Howard sulk all season long is going to be such a bummer.

[Koda, Master Crunchyroller]

Dec 14, 2011 15:15:59 GMT -5 MGH said:

chadfordinsider Nets offered everything they could for Howard: Brook Lopez + FIVE 1st Rd picks. Theirs in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 + Rockets 2011 pick.

That plus players from the other teams involved. What the f*** do you want Orlando?

Jesus f***ing christ! The Nets were willing to completely destroy their drafting capabilities for the next 5 years, plus a solid Center in Brook Lopez for Dwight Howard.

Seriously, what more does Orlando want?

If anything, this offseason basically has now made it impossible to trade for All Star players. Seriously, think about it, the Clippers offered the Hornets almost an entire starting 5, plus a draft pick for Chris Paul, that got turned down, and now the Magic turned down 5 first round picks and a decent player for Dwight Howard.

The front office at Orlando REALLY dropped the ball here. I'm simply in awe at how the turned down so much trade bait. Seriously, there is no team in the NBA that is ran by logical people, that would turn down 5 first round draft picks for a player with an expiring contract.

Does the front office in Orlando really think Howard is going to re-sign with them?

[The Captain]

Dec 14, 2011 15:15:59 GMT -5 MGH said:

chadfordinsider Nets offered everything they could for Howard: Brook Lopez + FIVE 1st Rd picks. Theirs in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 + Rockets 2011 pick.

That plus players from the other teams involved. What the f*** do you want Orlando?

As good as Dwight Howard is, I don't think he's "giving up 5 first round picks" good, especially if the Nets are basement dwellers again. Probably best for the Nets they didn't take it.