Doom878

Outlaw put up some nice stats last year. What happened?

Osamu

if the blazers could get someone of value for lafrenz's paid off expiring deal, they'd have a scary team, but not sure who is worth like 12 mil teams are just willing to dump salary for. Maybe magette, hughes, curry, but I don't think any of those people would really help their team.

I hear they were after david lee. but I think he's too important for the knicks.

The darius miles fiasco is getting kinda ridiculous. They said they are going to take legal action if someone signs him just to put his salary back on their books. I really don't see how they can prove that though, but don't blame them cause it'll like cost them 10mil in taxes alone this season. At least it'll only hurt them this year and next, and I think they can still offer up the contracts to roy and alderage.

jlukja

No way to prove that a signing like that is being done to just hurt the Blazers cap. Miles still may be interesting to some team and I think they could mess up the Bazers with only a 10-day contract. Their attorney is just blowing smoke, he thinks the best defense is a good offense.

scholtew

We will see, if an eastern conference team picks hum up and plays him nothing will happen. But lets say of the nuggets or the lakers pick him up, play him two games and release him, it would seem kind of fishy to me. Bottom line is if he this happens, there wont be a trade this year and they will use the 12 million expiring contract of Lefrenz to offset the loss to miles to it will pretty much be a wash.

CarbonGray Earl

^^Regarding Darius Miles:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3822911

Grizzlies re-signed him. They only dumped him to avoid having to guarantee his contract for the rest of the year. He'll be back with the Grizz on saturday.

scholtew

fuck

S14 n Tsx

Clippers already tanking their season?

Osamu

I really don't understand the clippers. Are these guys seriously injured? None of them seem like they should've been out as long as they have.

they might as well tank their season. When randolph and bdiddy were playing, they looked promising. Never really had kaman and randolph on the floor together yet.

I really don't understand how they could get so much 'better' on paper this season, and yet are still the same ol' clips and can't find a way to win a close game. Even before all the injuries. I didn't become a clipper fan cause I thought they could win, but I still expected a little more this year.

CarbonGray Earl

A couple of quick thoughts:

-The Clipper management and Clipper coaching staff isn't tanking. Their players aren't playing. I've heard Dunleavy complain about agents getting in their players ear and saying if they have an injury, just to ride it out as long as they could. So something is going on there.

Its too bad because they have talent, youth, and a couple of vets on that squad...

-Darius Miles played in a game yesterday. Scored 13 points in 12 minutes, so he's certainly able to play in the NBA (contrary to Portland's management and doctors assessment that he isn't able to). Good thing for Portland is that the NBA isn't going to punish them for their email, nor read into what management or doctors were trying to do in saying Miles would never be able to play.

However, bad thing is that the player's union plans to file a grievance. The threatening email and declaration that Miles can't play looks fishy to them...

scholtew

ESPN reported this morning that there is a trade in the works between the Blazers and Knicks. Point Guard Sergio Rodregez to the Nicks for Point Guard Nate Robinson. Dont really understand this trade so Im very interested to see if it goes through. We allready have more players at the point than we need, what exactly would Nate Bring to the team except pushing Bayless even further down the bench? The only thing I can think of is that Sergio is pissed about playing time and asked for a trade, which his agent allready did early this year. Roy and Robinson played together at WU so it could possibly add some good chemistry with those two.

scholtew

Another quick thought, the Blazers play the Griz next week at home, Miles is going to get booed out of the building if/when he goes in the game. I for one hope Oden/Pryz eat his lunch, or foul the crap out of him.

paz840

iTrader: (2)

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...clearly he's still a little rusty

CarbonGray Earl

Actually, Anthony Michael Hall was a little Rusty in National Lampoon's Vacation. But that's neither here nor there.

tiredandhungry67

well spurs did what they can't do in the postseason.

beat the lakers

CarbonGray Earl

Pretty good game though. Good fight by the Lakers- 3 rotation guys out, last game of a back to back, against one of the best teams in the NBA. I'll take it for what its worth, a loss in January.

BTW it was the first time I've seen a game-winning play not go Fisher's way at the SBC Center.

tiredandhungry67

major bullshit tonight
that was a double T with howard elbowing gasol in the head
couple questionable calls and no calls
the kobe fouled by howard happened right in front of me and the idiot ref who is closer can't see the foul, this is just signifying how poor the refereeing has come along these years. not just the lakers, but everybody is jipped every game due to no calls or bullshit calls in the end of the game
makes me want to slap some sense into steve javey and whoever else worked the game

CarbonGray Earl

^^if you ask me, I think the Lakers are getting a rep amongst the refs.

But I agree, the Lakers have been getting the bad side of some calls at the end of games lately.

No time to fret, cleveland and King Crab on Monday.

tiredandhungry67

they better call the crab
otherwise i will come down from section 219 to the floor and beat some sense into the officials with a cpk box
these refs need to stop playing favorites and call it fair as they see it, and not whistle a call because they blew it on the other end to balance it out.

by the way, here is a fun fact for all you lebron fans
lebron is 3-42 in his career when there is 5 or less seconds left in a game tying or winning decision
this is through hs and nba

can anyone say
king choke?

tiredandhungry67

in all seriousness, i would rather hedo shoot the last shot than king choke-erina

tiredandhungry67

Lakers killled the Cavs

Lebron who?
ain't got nothing on LA haha champions baby

Doom878

Orlando has had some nice wins. They might come out of the east.

And the refs have been playing favorite for years. Jordan got ALL the calls.

tiredandhungry67

I'd love to see orlando in the finals
LA vs. FL
home of the disneys
the young guns with huge potential upside vs. the vet who wants it all

Osamu

I called orlando winning it all last year, but that was before last season, when the celtics were still coming off having the worst record in the league, and the lakers didn't know if kobe was sticking around or not.

I'm glad to see it them coming around this year. I'm still not sure they can win it all. Doesn't seem like they have the depth and rely too much on the 3. But I guess people are comparing them to the 94-95 rockets that just had a dominant big man and surrounded him w/ 3 pt shooters.

the laker win over the cavs was pretty big, but them missing Z and west was way worse than missing farmar and walton. Kobe did a pretty good job trying to guard Lebron. Seems like he was just trying to keep it out of his hands whenever he could. Hopefully Kobe's injury isn't too bad.....maybe just bad enough to have him sit out the next game against the clips

scholtew

Orlando is tough as nails, but they haven't proven to be winners in the playoffs yet (cue PLAYOFFS!!! sound bite here) , and we all know know that post season is a different monster, no matter what team you are.

Memphis comes to Portland in a few weeks, Im trying to think up a classic derogatory Darius Miles sign to bring with me....

Doom878

Doesn't Orlando pretty much have the same squad as the last 2 years? Pietrus has been hurt most of the year so they're getting their wins with the same guys. Maybe they are playing together as a sum better than before?

FiftyFive

I think if the Cavs had their full lineup the outcome would've been different.

The Lakers front line is too big for a Z-less Cavs team.

tiredandhungry67

way to piss on my parade haha
but honestly, Z was missed. his outside jumper always killed us, and when we start guarding it, we left the lane open, and you know how bad that can be with lebron.

scholtew

yea Im getting ready to go to Portland vs. Cleveland right now at the Rose Garden, our really only hope tonight is if our big fellas can take advantage of Z not being there. Because you really cant stop Lebron, only hope that he has an average night instead of a superstar showing, which I feel like he did in the game against the Lakers.

CarbonGray Earl

Bynum: 42 and 15 tonight. Kobe with another triple double; 4th 10+ assist night in a row while scoring over 20.

I think we're starting to see Bynum return to last seasons form. Mind you, I'm not anointing him the next big thing, but I like his progress. If he's back to 90% of what he was last year, i'd be happy.

Osamu

the clips/laker game was entertaining.

bynum was an absolute beast against a beat up clip front court, but Deandre Jordan was amazing too. I was hoping the clips would pick him up in the 2nd round, and glad he's getting some minutes and showing he can really play.

kobe getting a triple double w/ a broken hand got overshadowed by the play of bynum.

CarbonGray Earl

Ya, Jordan was a BEAST. Its too bad the clips are missing so many guys.

tiredandhungry67

poor clippers
their "studs" have gone duds for the season
b diddy
randolph
camby
kaman
there goes 3 of the starting 5 and a superb 6th man
it's as if there is a dark cloud on the other team in LA
once you go there, it's just never the same. even elton brand is having problems recovering from the clippers curse, and he is on the other side of the country in philly

Doom878

In all fairness, Brand is recovering from surgery and got hurt again. He won't be Brand probably not until next year.

Osamu

seems like whoever is on the clippers can't stay healthy at least for the past couple years. I know a lot of it is just pure horrible accidents ie. shaun livingston, but I can't help but start looking at the training staff.

for at least the past 3 years, between kaman, cassell, brevin knight, maggette, and obviously brand and livingston, and this year, davis, davis, randolph, taylor, hart, camby, and kaman again, they can't seem to keep anyone on the floor. I know the training staff is probably not to blame, but it's just hard to cope with it.

I still can't believe Jake Voskuhl got away w/ the shove on randolph that injured him, and basically took their season with him.

CarbonGray Earl

^^man I really feel sorry for Baron. I don't know him personally, but I knew a couple of his friends from grad school and his agent was a friend of mine back in HS. He's a good LA area guy.

His biggest wish forever was to come back and play for the Lakers, but he was really happy to get to the Clips. Then all that bullshit happened with Brand, and the whole team gets injured this year. Only the Clippers (sorry osamu).

How there is such a difference in franchises that share the same building is beyond me. I'd love for the Clips and Lakers to meet in the playoffs, but it will never happen as long as Donald Sterling is the owner. He's making bank, but only because everyone in LA goes to clipper games to see WHO they are playing, not the clippers themselves.

Doom878

Clippers have a nice future. Deandre Jordan had a couple of nice games. Eric Gordon is already a badass. Al Thornton is developing nicely. Camby still racks up tons of rebounds and blocks when healthy. Once they all play on the floor together for a little while, this team could become very competitive. This might be one of those spoiler teams in April even though they'll probably be eliminated from playoff contention. It is pretty good to be a Clipper fan right now.

tiredandhungry67

that;s the problem with the clippers. they have always had a future. first it was odom olowokandi q-rich maggette and darius miles, then it was brand maggette jaric and kaman, and now its this.
they have the potential to spend the big bucks but donald sterling doesn't ever want to shell out the money for reasons i do not want to explore.
all in all, its just a curse. clippers have never and will never win while they are in LA. relocate to vegas or another basketball hungry city, change the name, and they should be pretty good within 5 years.

Doom878

But didn't he spend the big bucks to get Davis and trade for Camby?

scholtew

Clippers are the worst team in NBA history

paz840

iTrader: (2)

how about that Cheikh Samb fella?...

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