Arena The NBA Thread

I hesitate to say I'm a Knicks fan because I haven't cared about them since Isiah Thomas destroyed them, but hi...

 

it would be ironic if isaiah thomas saved them.

 

Thanks, Alanis...

 

oh great, now it's stuck in my head.

it's like raaaiiiiiaaaaaiiiin

 

I do pub quiz in HK when I'm there and -- separated by about 3 months -- one of the song/artist identifications was Head Over Feet and then 3 months later Ironic and I was like... really?

 

"Never bring back Isaiah Thomas" sounds like good advice that James Dolan just can't take.

 

It's like telling fans... don't worry, just a game...
It's like trading for a draft pick... who's already lame...

 

A "No Charles Oakley" sign ... when he's already at the game.

 

And we booed a unicorn, it fiiiiigures

 

I've been watching the summer league highlights and Kevin Knox has been one of the stand outs, as his athleticism and scoring ability has been on full display. His highlight reel is pretty awesome.

Latest news on the former Knick, Melo, is that he was given permission to speak with the Rockets and Heat. I could see the Rockets wanting to sign him because of losing Ariza and A Moute and of course, because of the splashes that the Lakers and Warriors made in free agency, but I don't think Melo helping the Rockets all that much, especially on the defensive end. I could see Melo going to the Heat and just balling with DWade. If Melo wants to play for a contender, he's going to have to accept, most likely, a bench player role.

 

I keep trying to read that to the tune of the song SSP and it's not working?

 

fxd

 

I guess we're still doing that.

Fine...

Well, Knox has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think the Knicks will be okay and everything's going right
And a rookie as a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up
In the Knick's face

 

4 years ago today. This time it was a Sunday so...no softball game lol.

I had a lot of conflicting feelings when the news hit, and kept trying to parse them out. But what I realized is that looking critically at conflicting things is what LeBron James has always made me do, this is just the latest version.

Like, I didn't like him leaving Ohio for seemingly just bright lights, maybe throwing into question his "Cleveland Against the World" mantra...as I make that observation from NYC, where I've lived for the past decade or so.

I wanted to say my indifference to his new team (and Boogie added to the GSW juggernaut) would make me not care about the NBA...as I watch more Summer League than ever, wanting to peep Sexton and Cedi GOATman.

I was annoyed that Laker fans would start to take ownership over him...though any sense of ownership over Shaq hasn't dimmed my love for that big guy.

That last point is important b/c, believe it or not, I stopped watching the NBA when Big Aristotle went to LA. Yes, the dude who drafted 5 Shaqs only peripherally followed his prime-- in part b/c a kid at the campground made fun of my Orlando jersey being out of date, which I promptly ditched in embarrassment. (Sidenote I hope that kid fell in the lake that night, and thankfully @xblackout would get me a vintage one years later)

What's nice about this place-- which isn't always the case in places like reddit or a bar-- is that none of you are quite like that campground kid, i.e. create a sense of your own superiority out of your team's success. I mean look at tom, a fan of clearly the best team and yet still a piece of **** who can't even capitalize! It's a nice change of pace.

So that's a really long way of saying I've basically grown up with LeBron James, and also with you peeps. And while it was a really rad last 4 years, it was a pretty rad 4 years before that (Mavs! Spurs!). And it'll hopefully be a rad next 4, even if that's more about a cheap Barclay's ticket with some of y'all vs. a Boston-GSW Finals that makes me wanna rip my face off.

LeBron James giving me emotions and softball, two constants in life lol.

 

that post got me wanting to try to find a reason to get my ass to barclay's center when the cavs are there.

 

DO. IT.

 

Some will, sure, but a lot won't... or they shouldn't.










Obviously there's the all-career Lakers: West, Magic*** & Kobe; those who are part-career (even with how long some of their stints lasted) Lakers, but still primarily/greatly associated with the franchise: Kareem, Shaq. Then perhaps a 3rd category, for the likes of Wilt & LeBron (focusing on those on this SI cover): the "tapestry" squad- those players who enrich the franchise with their contributions, but their time here doesn't overwhelm what was achieved elsewhere. Wilt's always associated with Philly basketball; LeBron will always have a great, special connection to Cleveland/Northeast Ohio.



Even with presumably more immediate paths back to The Finals/a title in Cleveland & Philly, I do like & appreciate that there's a part of LeBron wanting to add his mark to the Lakers... the challenge of that with the overall history of the franchise, and the current great obstacles in the West (you know who they are ). A certain buzz is back out here in La La Land over the purple & gold; going to be a hell of an experience.





***The Lakers G.O.A.T. is Magic. Others belong in the conversation, and West comes the closest as I see it, but it's still Magic.

 

I saw that LeBron somewhat trolled Laker fans the other day with a suggestive appearance at one of his pizza shops.

LeBron James never showed up to that pizza party he teased on Twitter and Lakers fans are mad

 

isaiah thomas just signed a one year $2 mill contract with the nuggets. very interesting fit if he's healthy.

 

Still waiting to see what happens with Jabari.

 

There was a period last year when Denver didn't really have a PG on the roster, before they picked up Devin Harris. Thought it was a mistake to put so much responsibility on Jokic.

IT will have to fit in among a cast of guys, he can't show up and think it's his team or that he instantly has some authority there, or it will be CLE all over again.

Nets trade Lin to Hawks (both teams swap certain 2nd round picks), clearing up space to take on Faried, Arthur, a 1st (top 12 protected) and a 2nd from Denver. Seems like a good deal for Nets, there's a good chance that 1st will convey. Wouldn't think Faried and Arthur's expiring contracts would have so much negative value that they would require those picks to dump.

That trade put Denver significantly below the tax, especially in today's buyer's market, so they could have something already planned for it.

 

@DarthTunick i really didn't want to see Lebron go to the Lakers. would have liked to see him finish in cleveland. My brother is a huge Lakers fan. All year he was against Lebron to the Lakers. I know some other fans feel that way too. Although other stars have gone there, it's been earlier in their career. I don't really see how he can win a title there in the next couple years. Even if it happens it'll be one and then probably have to be torn down for another rebuild.

 

I really don't see any downside to IT signing with the Nuggets and I think it's beneficial for both. IT won't have the pressure or the scrutiny as he did in Cleveland as there's no expectations of making a Finals run, and will probably get more playing time than he did in LA. The Nuggets could use more offensive fire power considering they're in the West and just missed out on the 8th seed for the playoffs.

I saw the Kwahi rumor mill churned out yesterday that Toronto might be trading DeMar DeRozan to the Spurs for Kwahi. This rumor got more heated when DeRozon deleted all his photos from his Instagram account. If this rumor turns out to be true, I like it, even if Kwahi splits at the end of the season. Why? Because DeRozan isn't the answer in Toronto. He's not the type of player to get the Raptors into the Finals. And with the departure of LeBron to LA, the Raptors with Kwahi have a very good chance to make it to the NBA Finals, with the Sixers still a young team and the Celtics being the biggest obstacle.

 

I understand that perspective, but anything that happens during LeBron's tenure out here will be better than the past 5-seasons. Yeah, the young core took a great step last season, but say Magic & Rob Lowe struck out in free agency this summer, then what? Maybe a winning record? 43-46 wins, but missing the playoffs (for the 6th consecutive season)? As I see it, the timing is right to do something more.