Hittin' the Links: It's Shocking, But LeBron's Not Likely to Sign With Detroit; Pistons Hold Group Workouts
by Packey on May 14, 2010 4:26 AM EDT
in Morning Shootaround
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PrintThat was quite an epic "Drunk and Surly" thread last night, filled with little chestnuts of our undying love for LeBron/Mike Brown, but let's get back to talking about the Pistons today (maybe). Shall we start by discussing the odds of LeBron signing with the Pistons this summer?
Well, they're not good, according to the Free Press:
The gambling lovers at betus.com released odds on the King's next stop Wednesday, and Detroit was the longest shot among the listed destinations at 40-1 (although you could be heartened that the Pistons at least were among the 10 teams mentioned).
Re-signing with the Cavaliers was the favorite at 2-3, with the Bulls (2-1) and Knicks (5-2) also up there.
It's hard to say exactly why the Pistons don't have a better shot, other than their lack of salary-cap room and big-market appeal.
It's pretty surprising to me that the Bulls have better odds than the Knicks, but right, the Pistons... Detroit would have to pull some major magical strings to land LeBron. I will say, though, if LeBron does miraculously wind up with the Pistons, I'm holding Biz Markie Moon to this.
More after the jump.
- The Pistons had at least three players work out for them yesterday: Tyren Johnson, Osiris Eldridge, and Jeremy Wise. According to Scott Schroeder at SB Nation's Ridiculous Upside (who will be having updates all off-season on this sort of stuff):
- Ben Gordon is joining his former Bulls teammate, Luol Deng, in Great Britain for an eight game campaign in August.
- The latest "Draft Dreams" post by Patrick Hayes at MLIVE.
- OT: Woman claims she became pregnant after watching 3D-porn. I think it was Tracy Morgan.
It's an eclectic group of players who all seem to be on the second round/undrafted bubble after being under the radar all season. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, as it seems all three have their agents working the phones and getting them in front of as many NBA teams as possible.
Scott Schroeder says, of the three, he is most familiar with Jeremy Wise. He reports that Wise transformed himself from a shooting guard into a "legitimate starting point guard" in the D-League and adds that Wise's defense is not his strong suit.
USBasketball.com claims the 6'3" guard, Osiris Eldridge, has a promise for a second round draft pick and Detroit is listed as a potential suitor. At Illinois State he was on the Missouri Valley Conference All-Defense Team and First-Team All-MVC.
Lastly, Tyren Johnson was named to Draft Express' First Team at some obscure invitational, and within the same article was likened to Josh Smith. Even with that, and a Sun Belt Player of the Year award under his belt, he seems like a long-shot to getting drafted (raw, "clearly not a finished product," and at 6'6" with a 6'8" wingspan is super small for a power forward).
For the more detailed write ups on these three, check out Ridiculous Upside. Props to Gabe F-B for broaching this in the Fan Shots, too.
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damn! Damn! DAMN!
How dare you spread these lies that LeBron isn’t coming here? Isn’t that why we traded Chauncey to get all that cap space!
Jerk.
:P
by bearded thundar on May 14, 2010 9:25 AM EDT reply actions
NBA -- Fanhouse link: "Cavs Have Most at Stake in LeBron Sweepstakes"
First off the capitalization is a bit off kilter (word to Real Rob G)
Second- Yeah, no shit Sherlock
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
Can we get a downstyle up in here?
My eyes, my eyes.
My two favorite teams are the Tigers and Brewers. Drunk tigers. That sounds about right.
Me in 140 characters
Ahhh
Feels good not cheering for the Celtics anymore. Looking forward to seeing the Magic sweep the douches, and hopefully at least one game being lost by Sheed tipping a defensive rebound into Orlando’s basket.
Im so happy Lebron is out...
…No way he doent resign with Cleveland though…Why owuld he leave and go to a place like NY?
by BennieBladesFan on May 14, 2010 10:01 AM EDT reply actions
Cos Cleveland sucks?
Well, there was the bit that you missed where I distracted him with the cuddly monkey then I said "play time's over" and I hit him in the head with the peace lily.
by Laughton on May 14, 2010 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Seriously?
Have you ever heard anyone say “i’m going to Cleveland”?
Don't be callin' me dog cause I want to hear you say it backwards - Tech N9ne
by MaxiellEatsLittleOnes on May 14, 2010 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Usually followed by a frowny face emoticon.
My two favorite teams are the Tigers and Brewers. Drunk tigers. That sounds about right.
Me in 140 characters
Why owuld he leave and go to a place like NY?
bennie, what planet are you from?
by Gabe F-B on May 14, 2010 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I blame Darkness
because cocaine is a helluva drug
by bearded thundar on May 14, 2010 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
...
Hes talking about the Knicks suck. If he leaves Cleveland my money is on him going to the Nets and ticking the people of NY off by coming so close but yet so far away. If not the Nets then maybe the Clippers. Get Kobe a little jersey sales competition there in LA.
Knicks and Nets are horribly-run, horribly coached franchises
but they also had their share of success (Dr. J-era Nets and Walt Clyde Frazier era Knicks, to name a few) whereas the Clippers have just stunk it up year after year with a season or two to tease what little fans they have left.
It’s Knicks or Nets.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
To be honest
On paper, the Clippers look like they have more pieces in place than both the Nets and Knicks.
You never know how a guy like Lebron could turn around any one of those organizations…he pretty much did it in Cleveland.
he turned them around
but can’t get them over the top.
I blame his ego, because there is no question that he’s a good supporting cast now. He simply chose to not get them involved and trade to run the whole show yet again. It’s like last year. Sure Howard and Lewis were big thorns in their side, but the thing that killed them was that no one else got into rhythm, LeBron even accounted for basically every single second half point in one of the games (even more so than game 5 against us). Instead of averaging 40 points a game, had he gotten his teammates more involved, he could have conserved more energy for the 4th quarter and would finally be “clutch.”
by bearded thundar on May 15, 2010 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Dude...
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
My Blog: Strike Three Mechanics
by madpoopz on May 14, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I was just about to post that video
Damn you and your quick fingers.
by handsomerob1 on May 14, 2010 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions
hey...
I think it was either you or Mike Rogers who got me started with this vid. Blame yourself. :P
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
My Blog: Strike Three Mechanics
LeBron James
Glad he’s done for the year once again proven he’s not on MJ’s level, well i hope to god he doesn’t sign with Chi-Town that would be really bad for us for years. I think it’s safe to say NY will win the Bron sweepstakes, the guy rocks a NY fitted like its part of his waves. He will have box seats for the Yankees w the likes of Spike Lee, Billy Crystal, Jack Nicholson and etc. who would pass that up to play in Cle or Chi.
Has anybody else seen the scenario Chad Ford outlined last night?
He said he heard from 3 different GM’s within the first 5 minutes of the end of last night’s game. They all said they’re 100% sure he’s leaving and they all picked Chicago as the place. Reportedly they’d be using Luol Deng + others to grab LeBron in a sign-n-trade and then they’d still have max money to sign Bosh/Wade/Staudemire/Johnson. For my money, the best fit would be either Bosh or Johnson, because I don’t think D-Rose and D-Wade’s games complement eachother at all (plus absolutely no 3pt-shooting in your starting 5 if Bron is there) and I don’t think Amare is leaving PHX (they just look too damn good right now; if they give LA a legit scare or somehow make it to the Finals, he isn’t going anywhere; forgetting the fact that he was arguably the MVP of the second half of the Chicago. Your team ends up looking like this:
Derrick Rose
doesn’t matter/Hinrich (if he isn’t part of the sign-n-trade)
LeBron James
Chris Bosh
Joakim Noah
Taj Gibson
James Johnson
Brad Miller
1st Rounder
Or swap out Bosh for Joe Johnson, who would be a perfect fit next to Bron/Rose in the backcourt (3pt shooting, can play the point for stretches), and I think either way Bron-Rose-Noah-Bosh/Johnson is EASILY the best team in the league. Never mind the fact that the Chicago coaching job is easily the most attractive spot open this off-season— don’t think they won’t make a push for Larry Brown (and supposedly Calipari is in the running, who, not surprisingly, is a good friend and mentor of both DRose and LeBron— must be the Worldwide Wes connection).
So I guess what I’m saying is that we (Detroit) are fucked, regardless of the destination for the Queen. He’s not going to the West. I truly don’t think he’s going to NY (it would just take too long for them to put together a contender). It’s either Chicago or NJ (who have the same problem as NY, but the advantage of having Jova and a mad billionaire Russian in their corner). This makes me, and apparently quite a few GM’s in the league, pretty convinced that he winds up back in the Central. Does it make me a pariah if I say I’d actually be really excited as a Chicagoan that LeBron could wind up here? It would be pretty fun to live in the bonafide basketball capital of the world for the next decade. The already hot Buls ticket (best attendance in the league) would become possibly the hottest ticket in all of sports. And don’t forget, he’s already applied for a number change, from 23 to 6, which is wholly unnecessary unless 1) he’s going to Chicago and/or 2) he’s an unoriginal douchebag (Kobe seems to beat him at everything). I’d say it’s a combination of both.
Also, no matter how much you hate Bill Simmons— and I don’t at all, which is well-chronicled here— can we all finally admit he’s a diabolical almost-genius with the conception and execution of the @CelticsChants idea? Now only did it work, but the “New York Knicks” chant might be the already the most famous fan chant in the history of basketball (and maybe sports in general, at least American).
by The Joel on May 14, 2010 12:27 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Sad but true.
I don’t want to see the Bulls ruin another decade for the Pistons…but JOD may have done that anyway with last offseason’s free-agent signings.
Yeah we're fucked.
I’m already reserved to the fact that we’re not going to be good for a while, so I’ve taken on the mantle of “NBA fan” instead “Piston fan” until further notice.
all that chicago talk is well and good
but Paxson’s still the GM, Reinsdorf’s still the owner, and Milwaukee is still a better destination in the division than Chicago, due to those two shitting up a perfectly good #3 market.
If you love playing for the Clippers of the Midwest, Chicago’s for you!
U stay awesome, Chi-nasty!
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Pistons Fan?
Hey, don’t duck your fan label just because your team stinks. Otherwise, you must fight MaxiellEatsLittleOnes with knives.
/semi-kidding
by Big Z in Orlando on May 17, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
That sounds very convincing, but there is a major problem.
Lebron to Chicago in a sign and trade makes tons of sense for Chicago and tons of sense for Lebron. Why in the world would Cleveland want Deng and filler (what filler)?
If I read that right, Cleveland would basically be saying “OK, Bron. You want to go to a division rival, and you want a sign and trade so you can get the most cash. And, Chicago wants a sign and trade so they can unload their overpriced, underproducing contracts and still sign a max free agent. You and Chicago will therefore beat us soundly for the next 5 years while we wither away in crappiness with no financial wiggle room. Sounds great! Let’s do it.”
It just makes little sense to me.
The only way I could see that happening is if Chicago included Taj and a first rounder or two, at an absolute minimum. If Lebron peaces out, Cleveland will not be accepting crappy contracts in return.
You miss the part where Chicago and Lebron have all the power in this negotiation
If Lebron says, “listen you motherfuckers, I’m peacing out whether you like it or not” then Cleveland will take whatever they can get and like it. Even if it is Luol Dung and spare change. Because Cleveland will have shit tons of cap space with Shaq and Lebron off their books and no SG/SF to carry the scoring load.
So long story short, Lebron either gets his way and goes to Chicago, or goes to NYC…at least with the Chicago scenario Cleveland will get something in return.
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
I agree Cleveland would want something in return. I just don’t see why they would crappy contracts with injury plagued players. With so many suitors, it is not accurate to say Lebron and Chicago have all the power.
If Lebron tells Ferry he’s going to Chicago, then Ferry can either work something out or say later tater. With all the suitors out there, I don’t see any way Cleveland would do a sign and trade for Deng and filler. They could just say fine, then you’re leaving x million dollars and an extra year on the table. That’s what I would do anyway.
the sick thing is
credible guys like Henry Abbott are rolling with this bullshit. it’s based off 3 unnamed GMs all bullshitting on the same thing. and none of it makes any sense at all. there was an article about where the ESPN talking heads thought LBJ would go. broussard writes an assassination piece (a real shitty one at that) about ‘NO’ for NY, and 3 ESPN guys pick the Bulls … and none of them picks the Knicks? what is this crazy ass bullshit?
it makes NO fucking sense. the bulls are DOGSHIT.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
obviously
i don’t agree on the level of talent that derrick rose apparently possesses.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
I know! SOME PEOPLE HONESTLY THINK HE'S THE BEST PG IN THE NBA!
Or will be in the next couple years! Do they watch him play? Yes, he’s explosive, and a very good player, but his game has so many holes. He plays no defense, can’t shoot threes, and doesn’t create well at all. It’s ridiculous the amount of hype he’s gotten over Russell Westbrook, who is a much more complete player, and is just generally more impressive.
Rose wasn’t even a top 5 point guard this year. Off the top of my head, I’d say that right now, Paul, Williams, Nash, Rondo, Westbrook, Billups, and Evans (not really a PG, but whatever) are all better. He’s a really nice player, but he’s incredibly overrated.
"Ford! You're turning into a Penguin! Stop it!"
-Arthur Dent
by Thom_not_Tom on May 15, 2010 1:45 AM EDT up reply actions
if lebron would switch to the 4
then maybe all he’d need is a point guard in the top 5. But if he wants to be a badass club that can actually do damage in the playoffs, he’ll need a big man with clout, not a washed-up shaq.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
The others are debatable
but Evans + Billups over Rose?
….
by Stacey_Is_King on May 16, 2010 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions
What defense does Evans play?
And I doubt Billups was being considered a ‘great’ defensive player when Deron Williams ate the Nuggets’ hearts out.
Deron WIlliams isn’t getting shut down of course, so the next best thing is to offset anything he does offensively with points of your own. That’s something Rose can do that Billups cannot.
by Stacey_Is_King on May 18, 2010 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Doesn't make sense
If the Cavs are going to help make a deal work, they’ll want draft picks and or solid contracts (think Atkins/Big Ben).
Nobody still thinks Luol Deng is any sort of star.
by Kevin Sawyer on May 14, 2010 11:08 PM EDT up reply actions
if all the cavs got was a 1st rounder or two and luol deng
then forget watching basketball, because now david stern isn’t hiding the riggems anymore, he’s just trotting them out there on parade, mcmahon-style.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Yeah, and just think if Hinrich's deal "conveniently" got thrown in
How could Danny Ferry possibly explain his rationale for a trade like that? Bye, basketball in Cleveland. Oh, and fuck you loyal Cavs fans. Bulls fans had to endure a couple really bad seasons in the early 2000’s after winning 6 titles. They’ve earned this. Anyway, enjoy multiple years of a Williams-Deng-Jamison core.
"Ford! You're turning into a Penguin! Stop it!"
-Arthur Dent
by Thom_not_Tom on May 15, 2010 2:05 AM EDT up reply actions
if that happened
we’d also have to put up with paxson and gar forman “genius” talk, don’t forget that.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
That honestly might be my least favorite part
This would be handing a championship team to a front office that has done NOTHING to deserve it. What have they done since Jordan retired? They’ve paid the wrong players (Ron Mercer, Eddie Robinson, Jalen Rose, Deng, Hinrich, paying Jannero Pargo ANY money is terminally stupid), totally alienated, and eventually severed ties with multiple lottery picks (Tyrus Thomas, Gordon, Sefalosha, Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Jay Williams — unfair, I know), had multiple coaching disasters (VDN, Tim Floyd, Boylan, Skiles — to a certain extent) and have basically been a giant torrent of suck. Yes, they drafted Rose, but any idiot would’ve taken him #1, and they lucked into getting that pick in the first place. Yeah, they took Noah. Great job guys. That’s ONE guy you can say you honestly stole.
So what is their reward for their terminally retarded behavior? They get LeBron James, another Max free agent (or two high priced guys for depth), and you shed one of your worst contracts. I mean, if this were a Sam Presti-type front office, I might excuse a Gasol trade 2.0, but these assclowns DON’T DESERVE A GIFTWRAPPED LEBRON JAMES. This would totally ruin parity! It’s basically saying: “Yeah, you can totally fuck up your team’s affairs for an entire decade, and just get bailed out by free agency. Sorry other teams. I know you guys kept your shit together, but fuck you, assholes.”
"Ford! You're turning into a Penguin! Stop it!"
-Arthur Dent
by Thom_not_Tom on May 15, 2010 2:35 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think the part about the Lakers and C's getting gift-wrapped stars recently says a lot.
I can’t defend Pau Gasol to the Lakers. That was dirty. You couldn’t make trades like that work against the AI GMs in basketball video games, but somehow that flies irl. LeBron to Chicago would pretty much solidify how much the NBA needs to be re-organized.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
by sauce1977 on May 15, 2010 3:10 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well said Thom and sauce. I agree, but annoyingly enough it could still happen…. :(
by garrettelliott on May 15, 2010 7:44 AM EDT up reply actions
You know what, though?
At least Memphis got DBB favorite Marc Gasol out of that deal, as well as some cap space. If Chicago offered Deng for Marc Gasol, Chris Wallace would laugh at them and hang up the phone. But somehow he’s good enough to be a centerpiece for LeBron?
"Ford! You're turning into a Penguin! Stop it!"
-Arthur Dent
by Thom_not_Tom on May 15, 2010 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
correct to some extent
But your missing the point. It isn’t that Deng is anywhere close enough to being the centerpiece of a swap for LeBron. It’s that if/when LeBron tells Danno’ that he’s fed up with that shit and is going to leave without hesitation, then the Cavs have to settle for whatever they can get.
While they could certainly get more than Deng in trade, LeBron’s voice also matters here. Unless if he signs the contract, they can’t do said sign and trade. Thus LeBron still does get to decide where he wants to go, and Cleveland will likely have to settle for whatever is thrown at them.
Should this situation come to fruition, the Cavs biggest hope will be that LeBron is nice enough to choose a team that can give them a good deal in return.
by bearded thundar on May 15, 2010 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions
i dont think theres any trade that the cavs can do that wont look like a huge failure. like if they trade with the bulls and dont get rose or noah then its a really awful trade. any team that does a s&t with the cavs will have to give up enough pieces that the team bron is going to will be in rebuilding mode. why should the bulls do a trade anyways if they can just sign bron flat out? to help out a division rival? whatever trade happens cleveland looks like a loser.
Like when Grant Hill left us. He could have just bolted to Orlando, but he was cool enough to work with the organization to get a sign and trade.
by garrettelliott on May 15, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Wouldn’t that be a kick in the ass if Cleveland made a sign and trade with Chicago and got Deng/Heinrich/any other scrub with a gigantic contract, and the LeBron blew out his knee while Cleveland was able to put some piece together to make a run in the playoffs?
by garrettelliott on May 16, 2010 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Right
But taking bad contracts for mediocre players is not getting something in return.
If it happened, though, I’d blame a desperate attempt to get something in return, rather than a conspiracy. LeBron to Chicago doesn’t benefit the NBA nearly so much as LeBron to New York.
by Kevin Sawyer on May 15, 2010 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Chicago
Clearly has the most money to spend and the Cavs may as well try and get something out of the deal. Bah with the bah Luol Dang the Dang, diggy, diggy…
Lebron’s switch to #6 works best in Chicago. He did make the switch just to sell more jersies though. More than honoring MJ.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)!
If all Ferry can get for LeBron is...
Fucking Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich, then he should just commit seppuku. At least he’ll go out in an honorable fashion. Losing your star is one thing, but if all you can get in return is an injury-prone 17-7 guy and a rapidly declining backup point guard — both with horrible, franchise-crippling contracts, by the way — then he should be fired about a thousand times. Seriously, if Chicago wants to sign and trade for LeBron, they’re giving up AT LEAST Noah. He’s not coming to Chicago through a trade, or even at all. Why would he want to deal with that front office? They’re a fucking mess, and they always will be with Reinsdorf running the show.
Oh, and no team is getting two of the marquee guys. I don’t care what kind of “pacts” got made on the Olympic team, it’s not fucking happening. Plus, if Bosh wanted to play second fiddle for a championship, signing with OKC would make a hell of a lot more sense fir him than whatever team gets LeBron or Wade. Can you imagine a Westbrook-Harden-Durant-Bosh-Ibaka starting lineup? And with their bench depth (Maynor, Sefalosha, Collison, Krstic, 1st rounder)? That’s pants shitting-level scary.
"Ford! You're turning into a Penguin! Stop it!"
-Arthur Dent
by Thom_not_Tom on May 15, 2010 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think people here are not seeing the point.
It’s not a fucking trade. It’s a sign-n-trade. Everyone knows they’re losing LeBron. They know they’re losing LeBron. Just like when we lost Grant Hill. Now they can either lose him for literally nothing (and try in vain to grab one of the top-tier FA’s this summer— won’t happen), or they can at least get some assets in return. Stop comparing it to the Gasol/KG trades— it has absolutely nothing in common. The Bulls have the money to just sign LeBron outright. The sign-n-trade is just a way for them to be nice to the Cavs and at least let them get something out of the deal. And remember, they could always just do the sign-n-trade with someone else for one of the lesser stars so that people like you don’t get their panties in a bunch. Luol + Kirk for Bosh/Johnson isn’t going to cause as much of an uproar. Either way you slice it, the Bulls have the most attractive immediate circumstance for LeBron to jump into. Derrick Rose IS very good, Joakim Noah IS the second or third best center in the league (behind Dwight and… who?), Taj Gibson and James Johnson are great role players— you add Lebron and a Bosh or Johnson to that group and they’re competing immediately for championships. Grab a good coach and this becomes even more obvious. There’s really no reason to get so upset. We’re fucked. Just stop worrying about the Pistons because they’re going to be irrelevant for a while.
by The Joel on May 15, 2010 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
yeah, teams have the ability to sign him outright
and it’s a better idea to go to the Knicks than the Chicago Clippers.
but if Cleveland bawbaws, these sign-and-trades become mandatory, and suddenly LeBron goes to teams even worse than what the Knicks would be with LeBron and another max name (Wade, Bosh).
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
and these sign and trades become mandatory*
I mean at that point it’s just changing the rules, and who the hell wants Luol Deng as compensation? Stern decrees “look, if you want LeBron you have to give the Cavs something” would be bad enough … if LeBron decided to do it out of his own sense of welfare, maybe, but why the hell do that at all if all you get is Deng? And NY beats the ever-loving shit out of Chicago, straight-up. I don’t see it, at all.
/rambles
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Sign and trade means more money for the Player
Take Lebron. Right now Cleveland has his larry bird rights because he is their franchise player, so they can go over the salary cap with his contract and not be penalized. These rights get traded to Chicago or whoever, so they can enjoy the benefits. In agreeing to the sign and trade, Cleveland gets to go shopping with the other teams roster to fill up enough value to make the trade legal, but not to actually match the value of losing lebron, something is better than nothing.
Don’t we know this from the “This is how we got Ben Wallace” story?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Salary_Cap#Larry_Bird_exception
i get it that the sign and trade makes more money for bron
but if the cavs have the option of letting him walk or loading up on shitty contracts just to make the deal work, like deng and heinrich, why would they do that? in addition to losing lebron they now have all their cap space tied up on mediocre players. if its just to be nice to lebron and give him all that sweet money as a parting gift for lifting up their franchise for a few years before damning it to lowest pit of hell than people in ohio are pathetic doormats.
two reasons
the fans and the owner. Ferry suddenly looks like even more of a dumbass if LeBron walks and they get nothing in return. However, if they get at least something, he can tell their fans he did his best with the situation.
It’s the samething that’s going to happen this free agency. Once all the real stars are gone, someone’s going to offer Joe Johnson or Carlos Boozer a max contract to show their respective owners and fanbases that they are making progress. You watch, NY will end up with T-crack, Boozer and Lee as their only real players (unless if you count Bill Walker, who’s shown a lot of promise).
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions
ferry looks like a dumbass no matter who he gets for bron. i dont think luol deng will take the sting off losing the best player in the game.
better to get Deng than to get nothing though (at least from the standpoint of a casual fan). I bet you that at least 2/3 of Cavs fans don’t even know what the CBA stands for, I doubt they would truly understand how Deng could be a bad contract beyond the injuries.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions
"Deng? .. um yeah, we're good."
trolololuol
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
by Skylar on May 17, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
and no, derrick rose is NOT very good
and no, Noah is a cheap shitty center. Cleveland is his best option, regardless. NY’s a waaaaaaay better option with no players on the team (start the rebuild with a front office that would be capable of actually doing that).
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Didn’t you just try to give me shit about replying to my own post? Dipshit
Practice safe sex . Go fuck yourself !
yeah if i had an edit function
I would have c-c-c-c-combo’d, but I don’t. And I didn’t reply to myself, I was replying to The Joel, there’s a difference.
And here’s an image for you and your moms.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
by sauce1977 on May 15, 2010 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
rose and noah arent great
but rose is still improving and noah is pretty decent for a center. there isnt a lot of competition really at that position besides howard. i tend to like him because of his mad shit talking and his hustle. he doesnt quit out there. he’s like a non bitchmade version of varejao with more talent.
those guys might be ready to run the table
around LeBron’s 30th birthday. I hope he likes waiting a few more years.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
decent?
Noah is one of the best rebounding centers in the league. I would take him in a heartbeat if Chicago was dumb enough to give him up whilst on a cheap contract. Any offense you get out of him is bonus, so the fact that he can offer 10 ppg is actually very nice. In fact, Noah actually averaged 15 and 13 in the playoffs, which is what we’ve always wanted out of centers.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions
no need to Q&B here, lol.
Noah is damm good and doesn’t take shit or bow to anyone(ie LeBron)
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)!
are you seriously still upset about that? I didn’t even quote here, it was just an ordinary response. I don’t see how that’s “bashing” either, I just mentioned that I happen to think Noah is one of the most underrated centers in the league
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions
lol I was just joking
Poking a little fun at us.
I was actually agreeing with you about Noah he is good, I’d take him in a heartbeat too.
I was never upset to begin with. Ah text where sarcasm doesn’t always work.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)!
I know you didn't quote shit
Just thought I could have a laugh at some of our past antics. They were pretty funny. I imagine if someone read them they would have gotten a chuckle, admittedy maybe at my expense.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)!
fair enough
I’ve been under a lot of stress from April 10th to last Monday, it’s not your fault about the sarcasm (fairly obvious after a second read). I’ll need a few days before I get back to my old self.
On the bright-side, I’ve just about completed the my next article. I won’t give away what it is, but I will say that Mike asked me to work with him on it (little clue right there). Once he’s finished moving, a few major pieces should be flowing in.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions
now I never said that.
All I said was that it would be a useful article.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 9:59 PM EDT up reply actions
D. Rose is only getting better
and I would take him or Noah over anyone on the Cavs right now. Except Bron of course. Cleveland’s supporting cast ain’t shit without LeBron.
So I respectfully disagree Saucey. Though David Lee is better than anyone LeBron currently plays with. Shaq doesn’t count’ too old, probably retiring…
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)!
I would love Joaquim Noah in Detroit
and maybe he can throttle some sense into Ben Gordon while he’s playing Mighty Warrior defense… sigh
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
Thats my dog, lay off. Your on crack if you don't think Rose is good!
I suppose you would just love him if he had a Piston jersey on. Rip on me being a Viking whore, easy on the Pup.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)! Also, Lesnar, Lesnar, Lesnar!!!!!!!
there's a lot of people on the rock then
smoke it if you got it, DAAAAAAAAAWG!
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Having a homosexual cannibal as an icon picture is much better.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)! Also, Lesnar, Lesnar, Lesnar!!!!!!!
4 the record
i don’t think Hannibal Lecter was a homosexual character.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Ah, lol
Nothin’ like an English accent for questioning it, but Hugh Grant has to be bye, no? Thanks for appreciating my sweet buns.
We’ll see if you don’t like Rose next year when he is an All-Star, but to each his own.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)! Also, Lesnar, Lesnar, Lesnar!!!!!!!
bye?
not how that’s spelled, and that’s not Hugh Grant.
Allen Iverson was voted to the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. What might be popular is not actually that good.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Ah just poking some fun at the English, bi then or, ah who cares.
Not a big High Grant fan…
As for Rose I guess we shall see how he progresses next year. You can tell me his stats don’t mean shit, but the were impressive. I guess Charles and Kenny that when calling him the 3rd best pg in the league are idiots too? He is at least top 5.
AI must have had all the people in Philly voting like crazy, that was just stupid that he got voted on.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)! Also, Lesnar, Lesnar, Lesnar!!!!!!!
no way is rose the third best pg in the league. maybe one day, but not yet. rondo, cp3, and d-will are better then him and thats just off the top of my head. i would take nash over him too.
I'd take Nash and Rondo as well
I just pointed out Chuck and Kenny’s #3 PG pick from a few weeks ago. They probably have changed them by now.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)! Also, Lesnar, Lesnar, Lesnar!!!!!!!
Yes mother, lol.
Hugh Grant does at the very least seem in touch with his feminine side.
One joke I can point out is us both agreeing the Celtics were aging dinosaurs a few weeks ago. Someone must have forgot to tell them.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)! Also, Lesnar, Lesnar, Lesnar!!!!!!!
I wish there was an edit function.
“Chicago” at the end of the first paragraph was supposed to say “Season)”, and “now only did it work” was supposed to say “not only did it work”. Maybe I should proofread. Or maybe I should just post this super neat gif!
This is why I like to see James in flames.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
I remember that game
And thinking what a piece of shit he is . how are you ‘’KING JAMES’’ gonna try and make this kid look like your bitch?
Practice safe sex . Go fuck yourself !
All I thought was
“Ok, do not hand it to my offered hand”
by Taiwanese Tora on May 14, 2010 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
but Cleveland sang him a song.
http://www.sbnation.com/2010/5/14/1472157/video-lebron-james-free-agent-song-cleveland-citizens
Detroit Bad Boys- SB Nation's Detroit Pistons Blog
Twitter
by Packey on May 14, 2010 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
that definitely deserves a rec! The best part is that Bron will look like an even bigger asshole for leaving after they fucking made a song for him
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions
If LeBron leaves...
I’ll feel bad for Cleveland. I honestly will.
I’ve never had any reason to resent them before LeBron came. Before LeBron, they were like the Milwaukee Bucks. Yes, they’re a Central Division rival, but they were usually mediocre or worse and never really affected the Pistons season.
The only reason I resent them now is because they were the best team in the regular season while the Pistons sucked. No one likes winners when they’re not your team.
Plus, if he stays in Cleveland, they’re not guaranteed to win any titles because his supporting cast isn’t good. If he goes to Chicago and plays with Rose and Noah, I would say they’d win at least two titles.
That being said, if he does leave, my order is LA (or anywhere out West), NY, NJ, stay in Cleveland, then the Bulls.
My two favorite teams are the Tigers and Brewers. Drunk tigers. That sounds about right.
Me in 140 characters
As an Indiana native
with no major rivalry with Ohio, such as the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, and can claim complete unbiasedness: yeah fuck Ohio.
I drove to Dayton one time...
to see the air force museum (great place btw). Most boring drive ever. My friends and I got excited when there was a slight uphill. Ohio is truly America’s armpit.
The question I can never find an answer too is why Ohio has so many sports franchises?
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
My Blog: Strike Three Mechanics
Wikianswer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population
In terms of pop by state, Ohio has a huuuuge population. It’s just spread out among a lot of shitty nowhere towns and some semi-big shitty cities. And they’re perpetually bored and always trying to blame Michigan for something they did.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
good point.
to many shitty cities to set up shitty franchises in.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
My Blog: Strike Three Mechanics
But Guided By Voices was from Dayton
and they were pretty much the greatest band ever.
Aside from that, Ohio never did much for me. But GBV means forgiveness for a whole, whole lot.
My blogs: pakagankarachi.livejournal.com (dormant)
burmahunkalove.livejournal.com (occasional signs of life)
by MrHappyMushroom on May 16, 2010 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah an what about the Dayton Family potna
..oh yeah that’s right, they from FLINT
take that Ohio ass busters
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
i had some clown
tell me Bone Thugz was better than Eminem the other day. Cleveland native. Figures.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
...that's rap music for kids.
Eminem has made some horrible music in his day, but he is an insanely great writer and lyricist. Those guys are just schtick rappers. Gimme Busta Rhymes or Juice Crew era Big Daddy Kane, over BONE, those two cats can rhyme fast and still the flow is marvelous
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
I always liked the Fu-Schnickens. Now THOSE guys could rap, amiright?
by garrettelliott on May 17, 2010 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, that's Chip-Fu you must be referencing.
One of my favorite speedrappers ever. They could even make Shaq sound good.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
I actually don’t know anything about rap besides that What’s Up Doc song and I’m The Type Of Guy by LL Cool J. That is the bar by which I measure all other rap.
by garrettelliott on May 17, 2010 10:59 PM EDT up reply actions
These are excellent standards
the kind of which nearly no rappers can meet
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
Does The Percolator count as rap? Or is that more dance music?
by garrettelliott on May 18, 2010 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions
I've always felt like Bone Thugs wasn't all that either.
Listen to Notorious Thugs with Biggie. You know the good part of the song? Biggie tearing shit up with that first verse. You know what park sucks? The cartoon characters that show up afterwards.
by Biz Markie Moon on May 18, 2010 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Good point Shinons
Screw ’em all.
My two favorite teams are the Tigers and Brewers. Drunk tigers. That sounds about right.
Me in 140 characters
All You Need To Know About Ohio
The State Patrol waiting at the state line on 75 waiting to hand out tickets to those with MI plates for driving 5 miles over the limit, because the limit changes to 65 in OH.
I don’t mind LBJ like some of you do. About the two only good things to come out of Ohio were the O’Jays and Chrissie Hynde. Then again, northern Ohio once belonged to MI.
by V. on May 16, 2010 6:03 AM EDT up reply actions
ha
I drove 75 all the way to Dayton. Even Ohio cops suck.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
My Blog: Strike Three Mechanics
ohio cops are the worst
V. is correct, if you’ve got a Michigan plate they’ll pull you over for the smallest infractions
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
+1 on Cavs supporting cast not that good.
Jamison can’t play D, Moe Williams isn’t consitant and presented no challenge to Rondo. Andy V plays D and rebounds okay, but his offence is well… Okay Andy V is a good role player just don’t expect anything on offence and he will get you afew garbage points. Shaq can’t jump or move anymore and is sure to retire.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)!
Also a fan favorite, part of the James gang too.
There’s several reasons why they had to bump his money up.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
That shit dissolves, along with the future of Cleveland Basketball.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
yeah, they're no good
they only won 60 games, they’re terrible.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
There are a few .500 team like Chicago
That if LeBron played with could win 60 games. Take LeBron off the Cavs and they only win 40 at best.
They won as many games as they did because they were average at best and got to play with LeBron. In the weak Eastern Conference a .500 team that adds LeBron can win 60 games!
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)! Also, Lesnar, Lesnar, Lesnar!!!!!!!
take Shaq away
And that team wins at least 50 games. With LeBron you’re talking, dare I say it, 70. They already won 66 last year without Jamison, with him 70 should be in reach. They aren’t nearly as good as a defensive team as the 96-97 Bulls, but they are a better offensive team as a whole (though I’d take MJ over James in the playoffs any day).
That Cavs actually do have a good team built around LeBron. They perform very well in the regular season. It’s just that in the playoffs James prefers to run the whole show himself, and thus you end up with the other players not playing up to their potential. To be honest, I can think of 2, maybe 3 players that can win a series by themselves, and none of them are LeBron. They would be for sure MJ and The Dream, and Wade is debateable. You could also argue Kobe had the ability but not the attitude back in his mid 20s, but so far LeBron just doesn’t seem to have that killer instinct. That, and the fact that his game is purely based off getting bullshit foul calls, which have not been given to him against good teams in the playoffs. Even JVG noticed it, giving kudos to the refs for not bailing him out on his drives in game 6.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I should clarify
My basis of comparison are the Bulls. Before MJ returned, they won 55 games. Pippen would be the only all around better player they had over the Cavs. Rodman was a better defender than anyone the Cavs have, but he also had a lot of holes in his offense.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm on repeat here but
I’d take Noah and Rose over anyone other than LeBron on the Cavs.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)! Also, Lesnar, Lesnar, Lesnar!!!!!!!
not disagreeing
But the Cavs (minus LeBron) as a whole are a better team than the Bulls. They’re deeper at every position and don’t have any major holes, unlike the Bulls.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Mike Brown's out.
It’s just showing up in reports now after being on fire on the twitter links.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/nba/05/14/brown/index.html?eref=sihp
And, I had the luxury of knowing about it a good hour before this shit dropped like it was hot.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
l33t info skillz!
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gilbert make a hard push for Larry Brown before Lebron hits free agency. Which would be hilarious because LeBron would still leave and then Larry Brown would be stuck with the Mo Williams All-Stars.
they can do a lot worse than Mike Brown
but like all mediocre and terrible coaches, they’re the sum of their players. while mikey b was a good defensive coach, he suffered from the same adjustment malaise that flip saunders did while in detroit … can’t make the right reads when shit doesn’t work the way he planned it.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Yeah, a smart coach would’ve played Sideshow Bob 48 minutes a game that series, and where the fuck was JJ Hickson? The way Cleveland was going to beat Boston was by running those veterans ragged with their youth and athleticism, and by playing Shaq at all, they basically nullified any advantage they might have had. If Sheed and KG are, at this point in their careers, beating your center down the floor, you’re not going to win.
Oh, and Antawn Jamison is a joker. And Mo Williams is an upper-middle-class Delonte West. And nobody on that team could guard Rondo. And LeBron straight GAVE UP. Have you ever seen anything like the last 3 minutes of that game? It was sad and embarrassing, and I really feel for Cleveland fans having to watch a disgraceful performance from their entire team like that. Just inexcusable.
that moment last night
when tony allen elevated over antawnia and laid down the manhood in a rainbow skyjam reminiscent of the biggest unicorn leaps we’ve seen here @ dbb, i said to myself, “jamison’s career is over.”
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
They're Denying the "Brownout"
But Mike Woodson.. to quote RBX from 1994’s Murder was the Case, is “A dead muthafucka now”
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
Yeah I just saw it
What it comes down to, is Ferry got butthurt that he was scooped for what he was planning to do (I seriously doubt this was a bullshit story that suddenly got lucky and made the rounds). What it remains, Ferry’s one of the lousier GMs in the league.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
1. Ferry's shite
2. Take Mike Brown’s shoelaces from him
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
Quattro. Make a fire next winter for the homeless
Them MVP and Witness shirts? Burn them shits.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
by Skylar on May 14, 2010 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I'd shit on them, then burn them
Then leave ‘em on Ferry’s doorstep.
/round the bases
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Burn the shit(s)
Then salt the earth
and give the team to Seattle
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
SEATTLE SUPERSABRESWORDS
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
Really I bet it came down to
Ferry realizing that if Lebron leaves and he fires Mike Brown, he has no scapegoat for next year.
At the very least if Lebron leaves and he keeps Mike Brown he can blame their shittiness on Lebron leaving and then the following year blame it on Mike Brown’s ineptitude
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
Best Case Scenario
Mike Brown hired by Bulls…Lebron says, “fuck that idiot, I’m headed to NYC”
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
Best Case Scenario
LeBron’s entourage decides they want to live like Entourage and he goes to the Clippers…
by Quick Darshan on May 14, 2010 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Anybody hear about..
the rumors of Delonte West sleeping with Lebron’s mother?
Can anyone back this up?
I beg you Garrett (and the rest of the dbb nation)
Please no animations/photoshop visualizations of this please…
by Quick Darshan on May 14, 2010 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions
mmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyy prrrrrrrrrrrrrrreshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhious...
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
LOL
That’s totally what he looks like. Nice chop, Diablo!
by garrettelliott on May 14, 2010 8:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm pretty sure all of Cleveland is in shock right now...
because there are no fanposts, no comments, no mention of Lebron’s mom getting blasted by Smeagol’s precious.
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
...over at fear the sword that is.
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
If LeBacle leaves
then Shaq is probably leaving too… If he doesn’t retire, he could be a nice backup center for some team, if he’s willing to accept that role.
But yeah, LeBron just looked totally out of it, you could see it in his eyes, and his mom getting umm, you knowed by Delonte freakin’ West would be enough to throw him off-kilter. Plus, it gives him a perfect excuse to get a change of scenery if he comes out with it. Delonte will be a dead man by the end of the week if this rumor is confirmed.
One of the draft workouts today
Was apparently Darrington Hobson. As much as we really don’t need another small forward, I’m in grad school at UNM – it’d be pretty cool having him on the Stones…
Brown is done in Cleveland
You don’t make the statement that coaching is one of the things you are looking at unless you are getting rid of the coach.
I say hire Brown. He’ll improve the defense, which is the weak point right now. Worry about the x’s and o’s later.
No way. I’m not convinced Mike Brown is an upgrade over John Kuester. Since it’s not a clear improvement, some coaching continuity would be nice (for a change).
by Birdman84 on May 15, 2010 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'm with Birdman.
Inconsistency with coaches has got to come to an end…we need to find someone and stick with him
Fine...
But we need to find him first. Without Ben Wallace, our defense would have been the worst in the league, and there is no suitable reason for Detroit to finish in the bottom third of the league in offensive efficiency.
by Kevin Sawyer on May 15, 2010 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions
that was what really surprised me about kuester.
why was the offense so … BAD?
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Yeah, I thought Q-Star was supposed to be a defense-first Larry brown guy, who also happened to orchestrate Cleveland’s successful offense last year? He really didn’t orchestrate anything good defensively OR offensively. We pretty much looked lost on both ends of the floor. But I still wouldn’t hire Grimmace.
by garrettelliott on May 15, 2010 7:49 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm kinda curious
Obviously he wasn’t able to do jack shit with Detroit’s roster this year, for whatever reason(s), but I wonder how much better the Cavs would’ve fared with Kuester on their Staff.
And I vote no on the California Raisin in Detroit for a handful of reasons. I mean, if you wanna bring in a guy who’s clearly lost the ability to coach his team and command their respect, I’d rather it be Mike Woodson
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
Need we be reminded of the Tao of Mike Brown's pwn?
Skylar and I are the St. Peter and Paul of that particular strain of thought.
by Biz Markie Moon on May 15, 2010 2:41 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Lebron needs a great center
The Pistons are a rebuilding team and the future is bright. Considering that the Pistons will land James in the lineup, they would also put up a good big man in the middle. Wallace is not as his prime as he was way back.
But Lebron doesn't really care about winning
How much of Lebron’s “decision” has to do with where he’ll play his best basketball, and how much of it has to do where his money people can find the most lucrative marketing deals? I bet he is arrogant enough to think he is destined to win, and if he isn’t the people in his ear certainly think that way.
If its about winning why is NYC in the picture at all?
The chance of any team in NYC winning a title anytime soon is unrealistic, I mean come on, the knicks??? why are they even part of the conversation? There only two decent players that are under contract, chandler and gallinari are getting replaced by Lebron! They will have to put together a roster scramble thats twice as inventive as what the celtics had at the end of their bench when they got 3 hall of famers. Best scenario he knicks will sign 1.5 HOF’s and probably no rondo out the draft.
The fact that the Nets were competing for worst team ever should also take them off the map as well. Do you know how hard it will be to rally around the locker atmosphere of the worst team in the league to start winning games? No offense, but Lebron couldn’t get the team with league’s best record to win a game at home a couple days of go, hard to think NJ is plausible. Yeah, I know, they will all love him, the owners will do anything to please him, the city will wrap their loins around him…but wasn’t that what he just came from? If he is going to win he needs a place that is a better basketball organization than cleveland? You can say “Maybe this owner is going to throw money around and not be afraid to do what it takes to win” and I’ll say “Mark Cuban”
If Lebron wants to win he would join a “team,” perhaps one that made the playoffs (chicago or miami), with an organization that has one a championship in his lifetime. However, the fact that New York is repeatedly on the table shows me that Lebron is really interested in being marketable, litlle else.
I'd take NY
Out of Chicago, Cleveland, Miami, and NY, which one of them has a proven coach and a proven GM? Donnie Walsh put together a great Pacers team in the 90s, then did something that only very good GMs can do – rebuilt it back into a title contender. D’Antoni has a huge ego, but the guy can coach.
I wouldn’t trust Paxton, Ferry, or Riley to put together a pizza without screwing it up.
by Shinons on May 15, 2010 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Anyone Check Out Miss Michigan?
She’s Lebanese-American, and smoking hot.
by V. on May 16, 2010 6:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Damn I'd go to war with Israel for a piece of that.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
by Skylar on May 16, 2010 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'm Sure There's A Line Of Guys Trying To Invade Her Holy Territory
by V. on May 16, 2010 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Who wouldn't want to get to that promised land?
by handsomerob1 on May 16, 2010 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Can't Call Her Miss Michigan Anymore, Either
I must say, I had a feeling about this.
Anyone want to tell me how to post pics?
Click the tree icon
in the comment area, then post the link. Just make sure the picture isn’t too big.
by handsomerob1 on May 17, 2010 8:44 AM EDT up reply actions
NY is no good
They have 3 decent players, Lee, Chandler and Gallinari, and 2 of them play the same position as LeBron(Chandler can play the 2 as well). They have swapped 1st round picks with Houston this year and given away next year’s 1st rounder. It is going to be a while before they are close to contenders. Sure, they will make the playoffs just by having James in the team but they won’t be serious ’ship material.
Any franchise Lebron goes is going to be rebuilt. Trust me, he'll see to it.
Looking at teams as currently constructed means little to me, the league moves fast, and free agency is crazy. Lebron has the clout to order any club he joins as to who to sign. He’s looking at location, and finances. It’s a job to him.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
Cleveland didn't
Partly because of Lebron. The two moves that had Lebron’s fingerprints most all over them were Larry Hughes’ fiasco and the Shaq trade. But look at all the other moves made to appease Lebron: Jamison, Mo Williams, Ben Wallace, overpaying Varejao. There’s been no stability there because of all these impulsive moves, changing the roster so much every year. It’ll take a GM with balls to tell him that chemistry is more important than bringing in another big name when James doesn’t think his teammates are good enough.
I agree with your premise, but I think that part of the GM’s job is going to be to resist James’ pressure.
But can every franchise win a championship?
I’m sure the front office in Cleveland making deals up until the deadline in order to get this team which totally fell apart at the end of the game. It’s not easy to try to just “buy” a team in basketball, the only one that comes to mind would be miami, and they really only won because Wade willed them to. Salary cap and free agent rules make it even harder to sign players, or to trade with other teams. Surely the Lebron show will put a roster together that will win some playoff games, but will they be able to win four 7-game series before legs start to fail him?
That's the crazy part.
Lebron’s series vs. the Celtics damaged his credibility pretty seriously in the now. ESPN for all the gladhanding they’ve done for him over the years have also spent lots of hours since that horrible game 6 (his final in Cleveland as a Cav?) tearing him apart and questioning his character, and drive to really win titles, not just regular season games. It’s been pretty nutso if you ask me, I expected everybody to just publish headlines like “He’ll be back” and all that, but there’s quite a lot of negative press on the man right now. The same guys who 2 months ago would refer to him as Jordanesque and the greatest player in the league are instead quick to point to the Celts’ blowout and subsequent series loss. It’s been a surprise, to me at least.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
im surprised as well, though i think its fair that these questions begin to be asked. its kinda hilarious that two weeks ago he is the chosen one and now he’s t-mac or Vinsanity 2.0.
depends on who you ask
I’ve always believed that he’ll end up more like Reggie Miller than MJ – he’ll always lead the league in several categories but will not win many titles (if any with the way he acted this post season). LeBron will make every team he plays on a contender, but until he finally gets that x-factor that Kobe and Wade have when it matters most, he’ll never win.
Lets be honest, that Cavs team was built for him. They had depth at every position, such that they could surround him with good defenders (as he chooses to guard the opponents worst player), good 3 point shooters (so that way he can drive at will) and former all star bigs (Shaq and Jamison). while Shaq is a dinosaur, Jamison is still a very good player, the Cavs simply did nothing to get him consistently involved. Not to mention, Mo Williams was on fire the first half of game 6, but then he stopped getting touches that went to LeTurnover.
They had no excuse for losing to Boston, especially with how the Celtics collapsed internally in the second half of the regular season. LeBron at the very least should have gotten to the finals, if not won the whole damn thing.
by bearded thundar on May 15, 2010 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
agreed
simmons is a tool but his article comparing bron to dr j was pretty interesting. he needs to be a cog in the machine not the entire machine. the whole system in cleveland that is based on him doing everything is just flawed. hes not good enough to do it all. he’s not as good as everyone thought he was. hes good enough for the regular seaon but that shit doesnt fly in the playoffs.
basketball's a team sport
Kobe only got so far when he was the only man in town. No player can do it all by himself. This isn’t 1955, and the talent pool isn’t that thin.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
I think LeBron can get the furthest of anyone by himself
But he can’t win it all by himself. No one can.
My two favorite teams are the Tigers and Brewers. Drunk tigers. That sounds about right.
Me in 140 characters
Some might say Hakeem Olajuwon came pretty close. He had a bunch of solid role players around him, but he was miles better than anyone else and didn’t necessarily have a Scottie Pippen. The second year he had more help with Clyde, but Olajuwon was pretty special those years.
by garrettelliott on May 16, 2010 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions
That's Not Crazy
That’s just the media doing their job. The fact that our culture has a permanent case of ADD just exacerbates the problem.
Look at it this way. I’m 50, and nobody my age remotely gets Twitter.
the chance of any team winning a title other than Cleveland or the Lakers or Orlando
is unrealistic, if LeBron heads there. Wherever he goes, if he goes to a team like Chicago, he’ll never fucking win it. If he goes to NY, he’ll have a shot of winning it in a couple years depending on who they put around him. It is about the market bonus and the extra money, and NY’s the best place for that, despite Chicago having that bonus-kicker as well for being a top market.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
NY is offering free lap dances for life
and the strip club is even offering a LeBron James day, when the dancers only wear his jersey
That would sell me if I didn’t care about winning
by bearded thundar on May 15, 2010 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions
that would sell me too
the food, the city, the lap dances, a halfway-intelligent GM that will put guys around me, all the marketing firms are blocks away, the league office is there, everything is there for Darth James’s bidding. No-fucking-brainer.
Chicago is for the lame-brainers.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
How marketable will Lebron be if he doesn't win?
If he doesn’t put some banners in rafters new yorkers will forget about him like his name was John Starks
pretty much
but lebron’s a big boy, it’s put up or shut up with him, and i’m sure he’ll put up if he goes there.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
i hope he goes to ny. there is less of a chance of winning anything there than with the cavs and the bloom will quickly be off the rose if he doesnt win. its not like ohio where he is treated as some demigod. people in NY will get on him when he defers to whatever d-leaguer is on his squad instead of making the play. plus dantoni will never win anything.
if he leaves
it’s about the money, and the marketing bonus with his deals outside of the NBA probably work with Chicago LA or NYC, but the best opportunity of the 3 is with the Lakers (not the Clippers), and he’d have to get the Cavs to swallow guys like Ron Artest and Lamar Odom (or Andrew Bynum) in trade. Unless the league makes some one-time compensation plan (really unfair to the other teams in the league), LeBron’s probably outright walking if he walks at all, and it’s probably NY because Chicago’s the midwestern Clippers, and if he gave any shit at all about winning it would really be best with Cleveland.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
i really dont see any sort of sign and trades with bron. thats just epinion but i dont think its going to happen. as for where its best for him to win, i dont even know where bron could go that he could win. what kind of team does he need to win?
like mike jordan
a 2nd superstar, a solid coach.
LeBron had a pretty decent roster (minus the whole O’Neal makes them so much better smoke up everyone’s ass) the last 3 or so seasons. Maybe he was missing the better coach?
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
The cleveland roster was pretty close, but he’d need mo williams to be a hall of fame guard that can cause legitimate defensive headaches for the other team, and he’d need shaq to be playing like a hall of famer, better yet, they need an inside scoring threat that they can trust to put on the floor in the fourth quarter. Most importantly they need a coach with a deep understanding of how the whole roster is going to work together, and is able to motivate the team in depths of tough playoff games.
that's horseshit
Why should LeBron require 2 other players to play at a HOF level? The league keeps shoving down our throats that he’s the greatest player ever, well then its time for him to fucking prove it. It’s not like the Pistons had even 1 player that looked like he was going to the Hall when they won. In hindsight you could argue that Ben deserves to get in because he literally had the greatest defensive rating of all time in 03-04. However Billups is still borederline at best, had he won one more title, he probably would have gotten it, but he choked too many times after 05. Who knows, basketball is easy to get in compared to baseball, but definitely no one else from the Pistons would get in.
The Cavs were just as good or better than the 03-04 Pistons at every position but center (Billups didn’t become a star until about 05). They had no excuse to not make the finals, even without 2 of their role players playing at a HOF level.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions
i completely agree bt. if lebron is the greatest player, if he is a god come down from the heavens like the league always says he is then he shouldnt need all that to win. if he’s just another paul pierce or something then stop making such a big deal about him.
exactly my point
If Stern is going to throatfuck us with LeBron’s ego, then LeBron has to put up with whatever he gets. And quite frankly he had a damn god team built around him, it was his own fault he didn’t get Jamison and Williams involved more.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions
What about Phil Jackson? There’s a strong chance he leaves LA (the only thing keeping him there is the owner’s daughter, ironically enough), that should be the magic to get him over the top. The only problem would be their roster isn’t very well built for the triangle offense.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
that could be interesting. i think phil jackson will stay in LA for at least the remainder of kobe’s prime, so like 2 more years maybe.
kobe seems to have reached the end
I don’t know if it’s due to injuries or just because he’s played in so many games, but he just couldn’t jump or change directions very well against OKC. He seemed more fluid against Utah, so that could have just been due to injuries, but still, he didn’t look like Kobe.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah i think this will be the final year he is talked about as an MVP candidate or is able to perform at a super high level. if he looks better in the last two rounds i might be eating my words.
he's got a lot of injuries
So we’ll see, as he got something like 10 days of rest.
Also Pau seemed to really wake up against the Jazz, and should have a big advantage against the Suns is Lopez isn’t back (that or Bynum will go wild). If their front line capitalizes again (which they should), then Kobe won’t have to exert himself as much to score.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions
The Lakers seem too big for the Suns
Kobe shouldn’t have to carry much of the load in this series. He’ll have Hill following his every move too. Bynum, Gasol, and Odom will be the stars of the series for LA.
by handsomerob1 on May 16, 2010 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
We'll see after the long layoff
But yeah, dude’s got knees like my 90-year old grandpa. I still think LA’s front line will have their way with Phoenix in this series, regardless of Bynum’s status.
by handsomerob1 on May 16, 2010 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
As long as Kobe has the killer instinct and can turn it on when needed, maybe he can coast a little bit during the regular season and rely more on Pau and Odom. He definitely has a lot of wear and tear on his body.
by garrettelliott on May 16, 2010 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Phil did say in this years playoffs
That he will not coach anywhere but in LA for the rest of his career. He could change his mind, but he seemed pretty adimit about it. It sounds like he wants to reitre after the Lakers run is done. How long that lasts, I’m guessing at least another year.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)!
don't forget he's the zen master
Phil is a genius when it comes to mental games, it’s very hard to tell when he’s sincere or when he’s just spinning things
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions
When Phil sported the beard a few seasons ago.
He reminded me of the flying dog in the Neverending story. A good scruffy advisor.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)!
if phil leaves LA
i can’t see him doing much else. it’s retirement time.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Especially since his body is pretty much breaking down. Have you seen him try to walk? I cringe. He needs to relax in a log cabin in the mountains some where, fishing and counting his championship rings when all is said and done.
by garrettelliott on May 16, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I Think It's The Bulls
The Pistons are only on the board because of Joe D’s relationship with World Wide Wes. I think what is the absolute deal killer for LBJ is the fact that ownership is uncertain right now. If Mr. D were alive and healthy, we’d be in play for him for certain.
Chicago is the best fit for him, no doubt. Look…Mitch Kupchak and Danny Ainge are not what I consider even marginally competent as GMs, they happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Finally, OKC’s time is probably coming in the next two-three years. They will own the WC for 4-5 years after that if they can keep their core intact. Kobe’s decline is imminent, and none of the competition (PHX, SAS, DEN) is getting younger.
I don't think we ever were in play
Even if Mr. D were alive. We likely would be in play for Wade or Bosh, but not LeBron. There’s just too much animosity between both sides that unless if he got offered part ownership (which would never happen), he wouldn’t consider the idea of coming here.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions
yeah there was no chance of us ever getting lebron. ever.
by dandresden on May 16, 2010 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think there's a good chance...
That LBJ is too full of pride to leave Cleveland (not necessarily in a bad way). Plus, Ohio’s his home, and for as much as I detest him as a player, he’s been loyal to his home thus far.
public relations
The one thing I’ll give is that he’s done an excellent pr job, but for that reason I think that his loyalty to Cleveland is fake. I think that he unknowingly exposed his true colors after the brutal home loss, when he said that he spoiled his fans with his play, and they should be more forgiving of him (as if they don’t worship him enough).
His true loyalties have always lied with himself and his pockets. I think that he’ll take the best offer, wherever that may be, and perhaps make some sort of fake apology or explanation to Cleveland to keep his brand up.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
I think he exposed his fake loyalty with a Yankee's hat.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
My Blog: Strike Three Mechanics
by madpoopz on May 16, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
that's also true
Only a whore of a sports fan roots for the yankees (unless if they are from NY, of course – they have to pay ridiculous amounts for tickets)
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
He loves the Cowboys too.
He’s a bandwagon ass cat. Whatever state pride he has will be a non-factor in where he decides to go next.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
by Skylar on May 16, 2010 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Outrageous and egregious egotism.
I think that he unknowingly exposed his true colors after the brutal home loss, when he said that he spoiled his fans with his play, and they should be more forgiving of him (as if they don’t worship him enough).
Carlos Boozer 2010, with much more build-up and hubris.. Get ready for the swerve, Cleveland. Akron’s finest will abandon you.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
If I were LeBron
I’d stay there. He owns Ohio, which is kind of like owning Luxembourg or Guam, but it’s something. And that team is put together for the best shot.
But everyone says he wants the money and the huge market, and Ohio is none of that.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
Seriously
put him in the dunk contest next year
by handsomerob1 on May 16, 2010 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Give that doctor a medal
Allen’s knee is fine.
by handsomerob1 on May 17, 2010 8:45 AM EDT up reply actions
He didn't blow out his knee.
He blew Antwan Lameison str8 out the frame
That was a morale-killer. I nickname him Tony The Trebuchet Allen.
I was in a bar watching that shit go down live, I think me & el hermano were the only cats in the building cheering against Cleveland. The Trebuchet popped those motherfuckers like the hindenburg. Good times.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
BOOMSHAKALAKA!
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
Why isn't MFWB in the Dunk Contest?
Isn’t he infamous around the league for being nasty when it comes to getting air? I mean, I get it’s a joke, but I think you could really justify Will Bynum more than some contestants.
Does anybody know Sprite’s justification for the contestants? I respect their fine soft drink, but the contest effing blows.
by Biz Markie Moon on May 16, 2010 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions
might be cool to see a rematch of the 2008 finals if the celts managed to beat the magic and the lakers beat the suns.
It'd be nice
but I’d rather have Phoenix win that series. Not likely, but Hill and Nash deserve shots at a title.
by handsomerob1 on May 16, 2010 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
It's time to pass the torch
you’re too old for rock, no more rockin’ for you.
"Someday pray that he will grow a farm barn full, Recent research shows its not so darn harmful"
Random question: if LeBron stays in Cleveland, do they have the ability to sign another premier player, or are they all out of money?
I don't think they have enough to get some outsider
http://hoopshype.com/salaries/cleveland.htm
I might be reading this wrong, but even if LeBron opts a “no” there isn’t much money underneath the cap for them to go out and swing for the fences.
I think the killer is Sideshow and Antawnia. They pretty much play the same spot, and they don’t equate to max player money. It’s possible they move one, but they’re stuck with at least one of those guys, and there’s no way to magically get a guy like Bosh unless there’s some serious sign-and-trade going on and teams are absolutely taking Cleveland’s donks.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
That is a truly ugly payroll.
Jamison is under contract for two more years at $13-15 million per, Williams and Gibson for three more years, and Varejao is signed until 2015. When/if James leaves, the Cavs are DONE. At least the Pistons won’t have to worry about finishing last in the division.
don't be suprised
The Cavs had a very good supporting cast for LeBron this year. I do believe that Jamison, Williams and Hickson can lead that team to at least 45 wins, closer to 50. All they would have to do is add a true SG to the mix and they’ll be set. They won’t be contenders anymore, but they should definitely make the playoffs.
by bearded thundar on May 16, 2010 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions
it just depends on whether or not LeBron wants to win things sooner or later.
if he doesn’t, there’s a clean slate waiting in the Big Apple, either Nets or Knicks would be good, but Knicks are leaps and bounds better an option than anything else in the whole wide world, unless of course Sideeq Farouq Al-Emin Mohammed oil baron offers him 1 billion dollars to cultivate basketball in Qatar.
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
The 1st year cap number on a max deal for 2010-2011
Assuming LeBron inks something somewhere …. what’s a max deal count against the cap next year, 14 million?
Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun.
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