Suns/Spurs

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Tue May 15, 2007 8:44 pm

First off, that was really an entertaining game last night. Too bad it ended the way it did. There is a lot of talk regarding who will/won't/should be/shouldn't be suspended for what happened at the end of the game. Personally, I don't think any of it was that big of a deal and I don't think anyone should be suspended. Now, I do think Horry will be suspended. As for Stoudemire and Diaw it is clear they broke the rule......however it would be tough to suspend them for the following reasons;
The rule is a joke, it was the second cheap shot in as many games against the Suns MVP. If you suspend Stoudemire and Diaw and nobody or Horry off the Spurs the NBA is basically welcoming cheapshots to draw people off the bench in the future. If I were D'Antoni and those two got suspended I would have Pat Burke and then Eric Piatkowski commit an absurdly hard foul against Duncan, preferably in very close vicinity to the Spurs bench, if the first shot doesn't get a reaction then the second surely would...and if that doesn't work you have Marcus Banks take a shot at Tony Parker when he's exposed on a drive to the hoop. If you're D'Antoni why wouldn't you do this? It's clearly what the league would be sanctioning.....trade a crappy player for a great player or three on the other team. The absurdity of the leaving the bench rule has also been shown to work against the Spurs since Duncan and Bowen left the bench in the 2nd quarter...do you suspend them as well? Fortunately I think David Stern will "do what is best for the league" and leave well enough alone here. Considering this is the second time in as many games that Nash has received what could charitably be referred to as cheap shots. You can only pull that so many times without being punished )and Bowen's Flagrant 1 hardly qualifies) before a team will rise to their stars defense. It would be a travesty if Duncan, Stoudemire, Bowen and Diaw or any group of them were to be suspended for essentially a jay-walking offense. Hopefully this incident will cause the league to re-evaluate this idiotic rule. Or they could let it ruin what is likely the only series that will be worth watching in the 2007 Playoffs......frankly I wish I was more certain the NBA would rule correctly.

Finally, the NBA has brought this on themselves. They encourage goonish behavior especially in the postseason and this is what it leads to. The officiating is horrible and beyond inconsistent. If the league doesn't get a handle on their officials and how they run games we will see more of this type of "incident".....and make no mistake, this wasn't really much of an incident in the overall scheme of things. If Stoudemire and Diaw get suspended though, I think we'll all get treated to a real spectacle in Game 5.....

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Tue May 15, 2007 11:09 pm

Well the NBA surprised me and suspended Stoudemire and Diaw for one game and Horry for two games.

If I'm Phoenix I have Burke and the boys really goon it up in Game 5......apparently cheapshots on the court are basically acceptable...and if I'm Phoenix I muck it up until I get several Spurs ejected for Game 6. This is just really terrible for basketball and it's too bad, this is a good series and now by suspending both Diaw and Stoudemire the league office effectively gives the series to San Antonio. What a joke.

L45B · Post by **L45B** » Tue May 15, 2007 11:23 pm

Agreed. No fight broke out after the cheap shot. This is about the stupidest way to handle a meaningless situation.

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Wed May 16, 2007 12:47 am

Then again, you aren't Phoenix and D'Antoni will take the high road. Having both the high scorer on the team and his backup will suck, but I think it will motivate the rest of the team (kind of like last year when Raja got suspended for bitchslapping the rapist in the first round). Without either Amare or Boris in the lineup, look for Marion to step it up.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Wed May 16, 2007 3:45 am

Diogenes wrote:Then again, you aren't Phoenix and D'Antoni will take the high road. Having both the high scorer on the team and his backup will suck, but I think it will motivate the rest of the team (kind of like last year when Raja got suspended for bitchslapping the rapist in the first round). Without either Amare or Boris in the lineup, look for Marion to step it up.

Nice to know you can speak for the Suns and D'Antoni.....can you get me some tickets for the game tomorrow night as well?

RadioFan · Post by **RadioFan** » Wed May 16, 2007 2:37 pm

First off, props to the Suns for never quitting and relentlessly chipping away during the fourth quarter. The Spurs defense collapsed on way too many posessions late in the game, allowing Phx many easy baskets that got them caught up and eventually ahead. And I don't know WTF happened on the offensive side of the ball for SA, but they missed their last 10 of 11 shots. It was like the entire gameplan that had been used for 3 1/2 quarters was thrown out the window. The Spurs flat out blew Game 4, plain and simple, against a great team. They've done this shit in the past and this time it may cost them a trip to the Finals.

And then there was that horseshit by Horry. The last time I've been this angry at a fuck-up such as this is when Rodman played for the team. I am still in disbelief that a veteran like RH, who has been in so many big games, lost his cool like he did. With the exception of Rodman's antics in the mid-90s, that bullshit has NEVER been what the Spurs have been about. It pisses me off because it puts a black mark on what otherwise has been one of the classiest organizations in pro sports. I fully expected Horry to get suspended for at least a game, and wasn't surprised at the penalty.

I agree that suspending Stoudemire and Diaw is an absolute travesty and a misinterpretation of the spirit of the NBA rule. And I'd also argue that by doing so, the psychological advantage now goes back to the Suns. As a fan, I'm pissed off because SA should have won Game 4, and I'd be willing to bet the players are pissed off, too. But with the Suns being screwed over by the league's idiotic interpretation of its rule, it's now the Suns that will be very motivated tonight.

I also agree that D'Antoni will take the high road. The guy is a class act.

This has been a great series so far. I'm disappointed that all of this bullshit might lead to many "what ifs," had both teams played it out with all of their key players.

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Thu May 17, 2007 3:54 am

Mook wrote:
Diogenes wrote:Without either Amare or Boris in the lineup, look for Marion to step it up.
Nice to know you can speak for the Suns and D'Antoni....

Appearantly, I am that good.

And major props to Kurt Thomas.

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:05 am

For the record, If I was Spursfan I'd want to see them going through Findley in the second half. With the current lineup, I can see him being the diferance in this game.

Don't tell Pops, okay?

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:07 am

And fuck the typos. I'm channeling BBJones.

Plus there's the alcohol.

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:11 am

And for the record, I still hate Tim Duncan.

Except when he's shooting free throws.

RadioFan · Post by **RadioFan** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:45 am

Did I just see a repeat of the last game, from the home team's perspective?

:rubbing eyes:

I now officially have 1,000 more gray hairs.

Why can't San Antonio get moved back to the East and this series be the Finals?

It may as well be.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:03 am

It's a fun series to watch....both teams are tough as nails. Suns just weren't quite big enough tonight, hell of an effort though. Looking forward to another good one on Friday. I actually think PHX takes it and we get a Game 7.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:40 pm

RF?

Hello?

Please tell me you aren't one of these tards that thinks the winner of this series is the Champ by some foregone conclusion?

Don't get me wrong -- I'd just as soon blow Karl Rove as see Detroit win, but let's not be silly here. When the Detroit Fucking Homosexual Dipshits are executing their gameplan, they are borderline-unstoppable.

Of course, if the Suns win and go on to face Detroit, then my new favorite team becomes Al Quada. A dirty bomb in the Palace would improve the league quite a bit. Getting rid of Rasheed(who hopefully wouldn't be killed right away, but rather die a very slow, painful death), Chauncy, Webber, Bell, and the Most Valuable Homosexual aka "the worst defender since Kiki" all at once -- a hoopfan's dream.

RadioFan · Post by **RadioFan** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:39 pm

Bwah

No, I didn't mean it that way. Detroit has a very legitimate shot at winning the whole thing, especially when they're clicking as you said.

Raydah James · Post by **Raydah James** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:40 pm

Dinsdale wrote:
Of course, if the Suns win and go on to face Detroit, then my new favorite team becomes Al Quada. A dirty bomb in the Palace would improve the league quite a bit. Getting rid of Rasheed(who hopefully wouldn't be killed right away, but rather die a very slow, painful death), Chauncy, Webber, Bell, and the Most Valuable Homosexual aka "the worst defender since Kiki" all at once -- a hoopfan's dream.

2nd

RadioFan · Post by **RadioFan** » Fri May 18, 2007 11:55 pm

A lot of the clueless local radio fucktards are saying the same thing ... if it's an SA-Detroit Finals.

Of course, it wasn't so many years ago that these same morons were calling the Spurs soft.

Should be a hell of a Game 6 tonight. I'll be interested to see the AT&T crowd tonight after the atmosphere in Phoenix on Wednesday night. Two usual keys to the game: For San Antonio, it's Parker ... being able to hit the outside shot and break down the Sun's D. For Phoenix it's Stoudemire's ability to stay on the floor via no foul trouble.

The last two games, one team pulled it out at the very end, after being down most of the game. I see this game being much closer tonight -- maybe more like Game 1, where neither team had more than like a 7-point lead -- with it coming down to the wire, if not OT.

bbqjones · Post by **bbqjones** » Sat May 19, 2007 1:46 am

time to rock and roll and not get into fould trouble early and make lots of three pointers and make duncan keep throwing up bank shots off the to po rf the backboard. does he even shoot regular 18-12 foot jumop shots anmbom anmo anny anymore?? go suns go

bbqjones · Post by **bbqjones** » Sat May 19, 2007 1:51 am

the commentatoes area lready gettynign on my gizzard.

wh the fuck telss me how to get punani. the douchebags are mindbogtgleing. retarded.

RadioFan · Post by **RadioFan** » Sun May 20, 2007 5:27 am

Good read on the series here. (ESPN columnist Gene Wojciechowski)

The hoops drama that was the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Phoenix Suns should have lasted seven games. And if Maximum Dave and his curiously reasoned form of punishment hadn't made an appearance this past week, we might be counting the nanoseconds until Sunday's series finale between the two best and most compelling teams in the league.

Instead -- and this is going to come out the wrong way -- we get Game 1 of the Western Conference finals with the Utah Jazz. Nothing wrong with that, except that the Spurs-Suns got jobbed. We all did. In fact, I could have watched these two teams play a best-of-17 series.

The Spurs were the better team Friday, but thanks to Stern, we'll never truly know if they were the better team for the series. This isn't a rip on the Spurs. They did what they had to do, and they did it with cool, heartless efficiency. But this will be forever known as the What-If Series.

Obviously, I'm glad the Spurs won, but I agree with this sentiment, as I posted earlier.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Sun May 20, 2007 5:20 pm

Yeah, the Stern and crew should definitely enforce the rules selectively, based upon the star-power of the players in violation of the rules.

Bevause it's not like that's what led to the NBA's current state of affairs, like low television ratings, or anything.

Dumbest basketball "take" ever.

Is there, or is there not a rule that says players can't leave the bench to step onto the court during an altercation?

Does every player and coach in the league know of this rule?

Did Stoudemire and Diaw leave the bench and step onto the court, to the general direction of the altercation?

So what, exactly, is at issue here?

That Stern didn't pick and choose who the rules apply to? While Shaq never would have had a HoF career if this wasn't NBA policy in the past, it's also what brought the NBA to its knees, viewership-wise. Why the fuck would anybody start advocating going back to a policy that almost killed the game in the first place?

That's some of the dumbest shit I've ever heard.

Face the facts -- Phoenix is NEVER going to be confused with an intelligent team. At no point in its current incarnation has Phoenix ever played what would be called "smart basketball." And if one wants to see a not-so-smart team get worked by one who is, just watch a tape of that fight. The Suns got worked like a Thai whore at a navy base, by a very wise old player. You can spin reality all you want, you can whine and cry about "getting cheated out of a great series," and you can play the denial card all you like...it doesn't change fact...that a team that isn't quite as smart as it thinks it is got WORKED by a team that DOES play smart.

Period. EOS. Bottom line. The Suns weren't mentally prepared for the battle they had on hand, and even after the tone was set, their coach did a piss-poor job of mentally preparing his team, even though SA made it quite clear how the series was to be played.

The Spurs have BODE on so many levels, it's silly.

But let the stupid fucks have their day, I suppose. What in reality is shitty writers scraping the bottom of the barrel for controversial subject matter, is being trotted out as some sort of valid opinion. Idiots. Continue blaming the Spurs, Bruce Bowen, the refs, David Stern, or the Boogey Man. And then when reality[/i[] kicks in, blame the Suns for playing horrrrrrible low-post defense(Amare is a horrrrrible low-post defender who is constantly out of position, which makes him commit dumb fouls after running 8 steps over from the weak side, something that is easily exploited by clever coaching; and Kurt Thomas doesn't keep his feet moving when he gets backed down close to the basket, and starts hacking instead) against one of the greatest low-post players in history(let me know how that works out next year, OK?), thinking they were going to goad a half-court team into playing run-and-gun for 48 minutes, and not having the wherewithal to keep their heads in the game, rather than the sideshows.

Despite the obvious disadvantages, the Suns still made a series of it. Props to them for that. But as long as they have a point gaurd that can only play at one speed, to compensate for playing ZERO defense(just a horrrrrible defender, which every single NBA diehard I know gets endless laughter out of, and fall to the floor laughing when announcers try to paint a diffrerent picture), and continues to roll out players who make horrrrrible decisions on the court, and think their up-and-down style excuses them from playing halfcourt defense, this team is going nowhere. I like D'Antoni(former Blazer assistant), but he needs to go, if he can't get that motley crew's heads together. If they want to score, score, and score, while focusing on nothing else...what the hell are Bell and Diaw doing out there? Makes no sense.

But damn, Matrix sure does it all, don't he? No weakness in his game, anywhere. Halfcourt O, halfcourt D, transition O(one of the best in the league at this, for sure), transition D...is there anything dude can't do well?

Most people knew Amare was done when he came on national television whining about the refs and getting dinged up (in the...playoffs? Really?).

I'm not sure if I can think of a PG who is worse at keeping his guy from waltzing down the lane than Nash, and it's fairly common knowledge that Parker will KILL you if you don't stop the ball at the point-of-attack. Which allows Duncan to suck in behind the collapsed lane...probably the worst-case scenario in the current NBA.

But in the end -- the Spurs had Tim Duncan, and the Suns didn't. BODE Spurs.

bbqjones · Post by **bbqjones** » Mon May 21, 2007 12:52 am

pig vomit

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon May 21, 2007 2:15 pm

Dinsdale wrote:Yeah, the Stern and crew should definitely enforce the rules selectively, based upon the star-power of the players in violation of the rules.

Bevause it's not like that's what led to the NBA's current state of affairs, like low television ratings, or anything.

Dumbest basketball "take" ever.

Is there, or is there not a rule that says players can't leave the bench to step onto the court during an altercation?

Does every player and coach in the league know of this rule?

Did Stoudemire and Diaw leave the bench and step onto the court, to the general direction of the altercation?

So what, exactly, is at issue here?

I think the issue was that during another altercation in that game Duncan came off the bench, then Bowen went to retrieve him. Though they didn’t get that far onto the court, technically, they were both in violation of the same rule.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Mon May 21, 2007 3:31 pm

Dinsdale wrote:But damn, Matrix sure does it all, don't he? No weakness in his game, anywhere. Halfcourt O, halfcourt D, transition O(one of the best in the league at this, for sure), transition D...is there anything dude can't do well?

Ummm.....no weakness in his game?? He is a very nice player but he has VERY limited offensive skills. He is athletic and will get his points, but he is weak off the dribble, has a marginal jumper and can most definitely be taken out of his game. He is a perfect complement on this team but you will see his weaknesses exposed if/when he or some team decides he will be "the man" of the team.

I love Shawn Marion, and in this system he is one of the most productive players in the league. He will always be tough defender. But if you're going to fall all over yourself pointing out Nash and Stoudemire's weaknesses I think you need to be a bit more honest in your assessment of Shawn Marion.

Let me put it another way, if you could start a team and pick only 1 of Nash, Stoudemire and Marion, who would it be? If you say Marion and his no weaknesses, you would be making a very poor choice.

As for your other points about the league making subjective decisions, well they do it all the time. How about Horry's hit and subsequent "elbow" getting two games? When Davis' elbow gets no games? How about the subjective determination of "altercation"? How about Tim Duncan wandering onto the court? And if nobody on the Spurs thought he was wrong, why did Bowen come out to escort him back? My point is the league is subjective and they do make excpetions for players. The argument that the leagues hands were tied is just ridiculous.......and short-sighted. And I would make the argument that Diaw never even left the bench. He never set foot on the court and was stopped before he got out of the coaches box, in my definition that is still definitely still in the vicinity of the bench. Stoudemire on the other hand was on the court, but no further than Mr. Duncan.

I think the Spurs deserved to win and were possibly the better team. They did what they had to do. Hats off to them. They are a deserving winner of the series.

But your takes on Marion and this decision were possibly the "dumbest two basketball takes, ever."

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon May 21, 2007 4:36 pm

My thoughts on "the altercation" remain unchanged.

Your thoughts on Marion are valid, and noted. But Mariopns numbers didn't suddenly jump when Gash or Stoudemire came to town. They've been solid since the get-go. While he's never blown anyone away with his work off the dribble in the halfcourt, the style Phoenix plays rarely gives him the chance to showcase his abilities in that regard, so I don't think a conclusion can be drawn either way...it's like saying the "mature Chauncey" couldn't play on a run-and-gun team...no way to say, really.

What I do know, is that without Marion's all-around game and his tenacious defense, the Suns would be in trooooouble. Dude doesn't get nearly enough credit for that team's success, and Gash gets too much. Marion could possibly be the best transition player in the league(although I think over the next couple of seasons, the rest of the league will come to fear LaMarcus a great deal in that category), and a transition-focused team without a fast-break animal like Matrix isn't nearly as effective. And I'm not sure I can name a player who is better at defending anyone at the 1-5 spots better than Marion.

But if there's a problem in the Suns organization, I'm pretty sure we could work a Zach Randolph for Shawn Marion deal...like yesterday. Halfcourt bruiser for an open court stud...we'll do that...hook it up. Z-Bo and Nash should mix about as well as oil and water, but I'm pretty sure that trigger could get pulled rather quickly. Marion doesn't have a particularly extensive police record, does he?

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Mon May 21, 2007 4:59 pm

Dinsdale wrote:My thoughts on "the altercation" remain unchanged.

What I do know, is that without Marion's all-around game and his tenacious defense, the Suns would be in trooooouble. Dude doesn't get nearly enough credit for that team's success, and Gash gets too much. Marion could possibly be the best transition player in the league(although I think over the next couple of seasons, the rest of the league will come to fear LaMarcus a great deal in that category), and a transition-focused team without a fast-break animal like Matrix isn't nearly as effective. And I'm not sure I can name a player who is better at defending anyone at the 1-5 spots better than Marion.

But if there's a problem in the Suns organization, I'm pretty sure we could work a Zach Randolph for Shawn Marion deal...like yesterday. Halfcourt bruiser for an open court stud...we'll do that...hook it up. Z-Bo and Nash should mix about as well as oil and water, but I'm pretty sure that trigger could get pulled rather quickly. Marion doesn't have a particularly extensive police record, does he?

You are right about Marion and his value to the Suns. But I think he gets a lot of credit...he's an All Star, he's on the all defensive team, he'll make $16 million a year next year. He's damn good and a main reason for the Suns success. Check out the Suns record without Nash, and I think you'll see why he gets a lot of credit. Check out their record the year before when Marion was one of the "main" men.

Once again, I'm a huge Shawn Marion supporter, so don't take this as a slam on him, but he is definitely number 3 in the pecking order on this team. But, and I'm not trying to double talk here, he is very valuable.

Your last paragraph about Zach and Marion made me laugh! Nice work!

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon May 21, 2007 5:40 pm

Mook wrote: Your last paragraph about Zach and Marion made me laugh! Nice work!

We can dream, can't we?

Rumor has it, a sign-and-trade for Rashard Lewis might be Zach's fate. Then again, there's options -- Lewis could be signed as a free agent without any trades(he's indicated that he wants to play for Nate, and might take a few less bucks to do so), so it's a matter of whether Blazer management wants to keep Zach another year(which I think most fans don't want, and management is starting to realize the fans are in charge, and have let that be known by not buying tickets when we're unhappy...which is nice for a change), could be shipped of for Rashard, or could be used as bait to move up in the draft. Stats-Bo and Sergio for Gasol and Memphis draft pick is a possibility. Everyone seems to either have their eye on Jarret Jack or Sergio Rodriguez right now, so the Zers have some options. But it would have to be one hell of a sweet deal to get anyone to part with a lottery chance this season, of all seasons...obviously. But as long as Danny Ainge has a GM job, we should never say "never." Worked him like a doped-up hooker at a Navy base last year(sup Sebastian Telfair for Brandon Freaking Roy...limitless BODE on that one), so it's not completely out of the realm of possibility, although in reality, it sounds like Corey Brewer might be "our guy."

But if for any reason Phoenix has a problem with Marion, and want to search for greener pastures...sorry Rashard...was nice knowing you. The Blazers have all the makings of a team that could get up-and-down with the likes of the Suns, but with one fatal drawback -- the franchise player is a halfcourt slug. Dude would be an absolkute monster in the East, but in the West, he's a slowpoke of a 4, who has no business gaurding Duncan, Garnett, or Dirk Lewinsky(dubbed that by the local radio hacks, for "sucking so much in the playoffs"...I laughed).

But hell...let's just get it out in the open and quit dancing around the subject -- we want Oden...just like you do. The Blazers are one of the few, if not the only team that could make a legitimate run at moving up without trashing their entire roster. Don't get me wrong -- the odds are about as good as Detroit winning thw Super Bowl next year, but the Blazers would have better odds than most. But unless a deal gets done in the next 24 hours or so, I'm guessing no one is going to talk the GM who gets to wave his Oden jersey around out of his score. Biggest lottery drawing since Duncan, imo. We'd take Durant, too, although there would have to be some deal-making after that to make it work out. If that were the case(more dreaming on my end, obviously, but in out very few trips to the lottery, we've exemplified "getting screwed by the odds, so we're due), I'd rather see a front line of Pryzbilla The Vanilla Gorilla, Aldridge, and Durant, with Jack and Roy in the backcourt, which would be a good fast-attacking lineup, with Pryz providing needed interior defense(all he's good for, besides stubbing his toe...although he scored a bunch playing old-school pick-and-roll with Tefair, in Telfair's brief stay at starting PG). That would be a solid, solid lineup for years to come. None of the long term dream-lineups I've heard seem to include Zach, oddly enough. Again, he'd be a beast in the East...he's averaged 20/10 every year he's been a starter. He's just very weak in transition D. He can bowl over just about anyone in the low post out of a halfcourt set, though. So if any other GMs don't realize what an asshole the dude is, we might be in business. 20/10 guys don't come along every day, he just doesn't fit well with the core that's been built.

But let's get the Zach-for-Marion ball rolling.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Mon May 21, 2007 6:14 pm

The only way Marion goes is if PHX gets Atlanta's first round pick. They'd try to deal Marion and either one or two of their other Number 1's to move into the top 2. I also think they might try to package Marion and Atlanta's pick for Garnett. Those are the only two deals I've heard or mentioned or that make any sense at all for the Suns. If they couldn't work those, or decided not to, I don't think they trade Marion just to avoid the luxury tax. As we mentioned, he's a perfect fit for this team and system. But, if you could get rid of him for Oden/Durant and/or Garnett I think you'd have to make that move to "improve" the team. Like you said though, dare to dream if you're a Blazer fan!!

Phoenix is right there for a title and I don't think they need big changes. A playoff season without major injuries or "suspensions" would really answer the question of whether or not this team has what it takes.

I agree with you whole-heartedly that the Blazers are moving in the right direction. They weren't that bad this year (I made a LOT of money betting them as home underdogs this year) they might have been my most profitable team. They have some nice pieces and I think if they continue to make good decisions they'll be a real force in couple of years.

It'll be an interesting off season starting with the lottery tomorrow tonight.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon May 21, 2007 6:52 pm

Mook wrote:It'll be an interesting off season starting with the lottery tomorrow tonight.

Werd, brother.

We have about 24 hours or so to talk the truly stupid shit, then all trade talks must take on a little more reasonable tone.

It's too bad the Blazers didn't have so much as one nationally televoised game this season. I think John Q hoopsfan would have been shocked at how badly the Zers woodshedded the rest of the league on draft day last year. I think Bargnani is way solid, but I think Toronto is going to be kicking themselves in a few years for getting too wrapped up in the search for "the next DirK," to the point they didn't take Aldridge, who has a unique skillset for a man his size. And every team that picked 1-5 might be bummed about not taking Roy, who was a no-brainer pick, but somehow slipped to 6(then traded for the #7 and $1 mil). The the Blazers went and got Sergio Rodriguez, who turned out way better than anyone thought(assist MACHINE, but needs to take better care of the ball...picture a young Nash), and would be a lottery pick if they knew then what they know now, and apparently not a day goes by without a call inquiring about his availbility. He might be the bargaining chip the Pinwheels need to move up in the draft.

Just need to find a sucker(sup Ainge) who would be fool enough to do that. Maybe call up the Celts and say "yeah, we hear you need a new point gaurd..." Love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.

We'll trade Arius Miles for anyone's 3rd round pick in 2025-btw. Hopefully, he retires -- he still gets all the money, but wouldn't count against the cap if he files retirement. I mean, I've still got a day to dream, right?

As soon as the draft dust settles, resigning Ime Udoka becomes a priority. Hate to let that guy get away, but I understand there's some future implications if they retain him against other restricted free agent offers, and we're going to have a bunch of young guys to throw money at over the next couple of years. So, e-mail your GMs and tell them not to make offers on Ime, OK? Limited offensive skills, but hard to find a guy who brings it harder. Even when Kobe had "one of those nights," Ime never bitched, cried to the refs, or did anything exceot try harder while he was getting lit up for 65, despite the fact that he played excellent defense...but KJobe is hard to stop when he's feeling it like that(and getting assists from the Gray Shirts).

How about Raef LaFrentz and Arius Miles for Marion? Think they'd go for that? Raef is an open-court terror, you know.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Mon May 21, 2007 8:07 pm

Dinsdale wrote:[\How about Raef LaFrentz and Arius Miles for Marion? Think they'd go for that? Raef is an open-court terror, you know.

Aaaah, you got me......I am after all a Jayhawk first and foremost!

RadioFan · Post by **RadioFan** » Tue May 22, 2007 12:42 am

Mook wrote:As for your other points about the league making subjective decisions, well they do it all the time. How about Horry's hit and subsequent "elbow" getting two games? When Davis' elbow gets no games? How about the subjective determination of "altercation"? How about Tim Duncan wandering onto the court? And if nobody on the Spurs thought he was wrong, why did Bowen come out to escort him back? My point is the league is subjective and they do make excpetions for players. The argument that the leagues hands were tied is just ridiculous.......and short-sighted. And I would make the argument that Diaw never even left the bench. He never set foot on the court and was stopped before he got out of the coaches box, in my definition that is still definitely still in the vicinity of the bench. Stoudemire on the other hand was on the court, but no further than Mr. Duncan.

'swat I'm sayin. The interpretation of the rule was subjective. But they might want to think about tweaking it if they're going to treat it like fundamentalists at a revival ... so to speak (and not in tongues).

I think the Spurs deserved to win and were possibly the better team.

This is true, though had the teams been reversed during this interpretation of THE RULE, I'd have been pissed, too.