I really like T.J. Ford, and Bosh is quite a player, but it seems like the rest of their team is the best of the C.B.A. or something. I.E. not so good, I mean don't get me wrong Anthony Parker was a great find, but they've got to get some more talent on that team before they go anywhere. They need an elite 2 guard.

He's taking over as the "Human Highlight Reel"
yea, the Raps need to do a little more building. I think TJ Ford was a lot of the reason they lost the first 2 games. He shot a total of 11% because he was trying to force it.

Heh, woops I didn't know that. But there a few basketball players that will have my infinite respect regardless of how they fare on the court-such as T.J. Ford, Grant Hill, Salim Stoudamire, & B.J. Armstrong.......also Jason Williams who has continued to try out for the Nets, and hasn't made it all the way back yet, but it would be nice to see him back, though.

Salim was awesome in the NCAA. Grant Hill is a stud..in the beginning of career before all the ankle injuries he was an amazing player, and still is for what hes gone through.

Josh Smith, under the dar for sure. I think they were talking about him on TNT when they brought up the record for most blocked shots under the age of 22, which he holds above some big names... But I'm still celebrating the lakers victory tonight (and the only sweep of the playoffs so far) and I was wondering if anyone could argue Hawks > Nuggets? i can't imagine. What the hell is going on??? The lakes are here to PLAY... they just destroyed, in so many ways, a 50 win team in one of the saddest series I've ever seen. the powerhouses of the east are looking embarrassing... more of a rant than a post I guess

I would also have to add Alonzo Mourning to list of players I have infinite respect for, (unless they end up killing somebody, or something similarly terrible)
What is Josh Smith - 6'9"? I wonder if he also set the record for blocks in a year by a player who's under 6'10" You rarely see them lead in blocks.

"On March 3, 2007, Smith broke the 500 block mark, making him the youngest player to do so in NBA history."

Also, in his rookie year he finished second in the league in blocks. And yea, he's only 6'9".

phoenix game in a couple mins. They got this >.<

I don't understand why anybody would have fun rooting for a team like the spurs, not only have they had plenty of time to shine in the post-season, they incredibly boring to watch.

I don't care about the statistics, Tim Duncan is ****ing boring.

Matious

If you think the Spurs are boring to watch, you know nothing about how Basketball is supposed to be played. To a fan of the game itself, the Spurs are the pinnacle of the last 10 years.

Duncan is fabulous; every player over 6'10" should aspire to be like Tim Duncan.

Josh Smith is one of the unique players the game has ever seen. It's doubtful he'll go down as an all-time great but he could become an All-NBA player for 3-5 years before all is said and done. He's the kind of guy that could average 20 points 10 rebounds 3 blocks and 3 steals a game.

Also he won a Dunk contest, I believe as a Rookie and has improved significantly in each season since he left HS for the NBA.

Right, they got great fundamentals.

Im not praising myself to be the genuis at basketball. ITs like watching a game of baseball, where its a pitchers game. Its being played well, but its hardly entertaining.

And come on, every player? I know KG isn't included in that.

you're saying players that can get to the rim the way Parker and Ginobili can, are boring to watch?

From what ive seen, to put it bluntly, yes.Though I would certainly love to have them on my wolves. They play solid, and if your a fan, thats great. I like rooting for the underdog, or celtics.

Hell, the only guy on the team who is entertaining is Bruce Bowen :P

jp jp

You watchin the game right now?
Tony Parker 20 first half points, gettin in the lane and puttin it in over the 4's and 5's of Phoenix.

so >.<

phoenix is just taking their time. They got this!

haha my grandpa always said wish in one hand and spit (or something that rhymes with that) in the other and see which gets full first. I'm just glad you have shaq for 2 more years ahahahaha

It's not just the fundamentals, it's the unselfish play, the ability of role players to hit big shots, the defensive rotations etc.

And of course KG should try to be more like Duncan, Duncan has four rings and KG has not even made it to the finals. KG is more talented physically and athletically then Duncan, but has never understood the game the way Timmy does. KG is very unselfish, but a lot like Rasheed Wallace, he doesn't always understand what's best for his team. There are times when a post player needs to score 40 points and times when he only needs 15, Duncan gets this, KG and Sheed do not.

Cavs close it out at home tonight

I said we'd get it done in 5

Lebron 40 points

Ben Wallace needs to smack dirty Haywood in the mouth

Tim Duncan has benefited from having a better team around him. Better coaching staff, people who actually know how to draft and to sign good players. Something the t-wolves still haven't figured out.

Considering this is his first year since being out of highschool were he hasn't had to do everything by himself(and i do mean everything, he was practically the coach, the point guard and center for t-wolves) hes doing okay.

I guarantee you Tony Parker wouldn't be nearly the player he is if he had been drafted by the Timberwolves. I do like Garnett, but I really think Duncan is better at making the other players around him better.
With Parker, he had a strange approach. He didn't even talk to him in his rookie season. But, I guarantee you it has toughened him up, and along with Poppovich, has really helped him become a better player.
I suspect that Ginobili also wouldn't be nearly as good if he played for a team like the Clippers or Knicks; whoever.

I agree. Or at least I agree that it is being played well when compared to how well you or I could play or an NBA team vs. a college team. Its ability to entertain me has gone way done in the last 15 years. There are very few great shooters like there used to be. It's a league of slashers and dunkers and you do need those guys, but it would be more fun to watch with some more really great shooters on the floor. And there are some rule changes that should at least be experimented with.

1. Move the 3-pt. line in to college distance. Now college is moving it out, why? Whatever they decide it should be the same between college and the NBA.
2. Let the defense camp in the key as long as they damn well want, it's called a zone (not allowing this defeats the purpose of the zone in the first place).
3. Why do players have to foul out? It is the only sport where this happens. Change the rule so that after 5 or 6 fouls the other team gets two shots and the ball or three shots and the ball but don't send the guy out for the rest of the game.
4. I am not sure if this is the case or not because I almost never watch the NBA anymore but get that semi-circle under the basket painted on every court if it's not already. This gives the referee a reference point to determine where charges can be taken.

I disagree I think the NBA has gotten much better consistently over the past 10 years. It's not quite what it was in the 1980's but it's better then the late 90's for sure. Also there are way more great shooters now then there ever were before. Guys don't stand out like they used to however because almost everyone can shoot now. Currently 11 of the top 15 players in career 3-pt% are active. The NBA record for three pointers was set the last three seasons. I'll agree that guys take worse shots and maybe the game isn't as crisp as it once was, but the talent and athleticism levels are the highest they've ever been.

To address your suggestions, which I mostly like the sentiment behind.

1. They tried that in the mid-nineties and it was awful. Guys like Charles Oakley and Hakeem starting hitting threes. The fact that that the line in high school and college (until next year) is so close is a major reason that shooting was become less valuable. The difference between a HS and NBA three is huge and really does demand outstanding skill to make consistently.

2. Zone defense is for teams who are not good enough to play man-to-man. If the NBA allowed traditional zone defense only bad teams would play it primarily and it would muck up the game.

3. I love this idea in theory but Basketball has always been a game where fouls have played into strategy. Even though it would be weird to see it change I do think it would benefit the game. I think officials would be more "honest" and consistent. How many time do you hear an announcer say "you can't give a guy his sixth foul on a play like that" or something to that effect. Maybe the player should be required to sit for 2 mins or so each time his personal fouls exceed the limit.

4. That circle is everywhere and is used by officials to decide if a player was far enough from the goal to take a charge. I hate charging, I don't think it should be an offensive foul unless the offensive player initiates contact. It's essentially an undercut, in football or Hockey (much more physical sports) it would be a foul on the defender or a no call. I think if the player gets there in time it should be a no call and if the defender is late, or is determined to have flopped it should be a defensive foul.

Creative ideas and thinking.

I think they need to change the rules so teams can't use the 'hack-a-shaq' to their advantage. I mean it's legal so teams should do it if it can help, but it's just not basketball.

I'm glad to hear you like the sentiment behind if not the rule changes themselves. I think your more conventional ideas about the game are shared by league rule makers.

Yes, but did they allow zone at the same time? Let's see what happens when the rules between college and professional are consistent.

Playing zone is not soley determined because a team is bad at defense, it is also used when the other team matches up poorly against it. You go with what works for your particular team. If there are so many good shooters in the league they should carve up teams that play zone. But we can't know for sure because the league does not allow a real zone defense. The league may have instituted this semi-zone nonsense (undermining it with the defensive 3in the key rule) to appease those in favor of the zone while not affecting the number of dunks in a game. It wouldn't be as sensational on ESPN highlight compilations.

Your right and it's not. That is how it is supposed to be ruled at least. This is one of the least understood rules in sports. Commentators get caught up on if the defenders feet are moving when it has nothing to do with the foul. The charge/block is called based on (1.) who initiates contact and (2.) where the player with the ball is when that contact occurs. The offensive player's head and shoulders need to be around the defender before it can be called a blocking foul.

I dont think by any means the 3 point line should be changed. That would ruin all kinda of old records set by amazing players who deserve them until someone rightfully beats them.

yea, I dont like the defensive 3 in the key. I just finished my last year of highschool basketball as im graduation this year and under FIBA, our set of rules. There is no Defensive 3 in the key, only offense. I agree about the zone thing.

With players fouling out it makes them want to play clean defence, and I dont think that should be changed at all. I would hate it.

And yea, the Semi Circle is already under all the hoops in the NBA now.

That's very true. What we're talking about is incentive. As in, players have incentive to not get their 6th foul because they have to leave the game. But that doesn't mean that there aren't other ways of creating the same incentive. For example, what if after the 5th foul the other team got three shots (anybody on the team could shoot them) and the ball? Wouldn't that create a pretty strong incentive for guys not to foul? Is it not even worth a run through a pre-season schedule?

The record book is something that has already been compromised when the 3 pt. line was jerked with in the 90s so when those records are recorded in the official record (ha, ha record 3 times) they have to be qualified anyway. This is usually done with the asterisk*. Different records for different rules, there is no other fair way to show them.

I think that over-complicates things to an unnecessary degree.

if it ain't broke, don't fix it

It is complicated and it is broke. If it was simple the ratings for the NBA Finals would not be in the toilet. I still can't link the damn thing but check out the wikipedia entry for National Basketball Association Nielsen Ratings. Take a look.

Ratings for all sports except professional football is down. It can be attributed to many things.

-Kids don't go outside as much.
-Theres a lot more programing on then they're was previously, with 3billion channels i can choose to watch a midget eat his own foot, or i can watch baseball.
-People are also occupied with internet, videogames etc.

I don't think changing the rules is gonna give an immediate rating boost, people just don't rely on sports as entertainment as much as they did. I mean, hell, my dad used to watch bowling as a kid, he didn't even like it, but it was the only thing on.

If they don't go outside as much, shouldn't that boost ratings? HA J/K,
I see what you mean, that kids are playing less sports, and thus are less interested in watching sports.

lol hard @ the Celtics.

Haha. It's not like they didn't play the best of the west in the regular season so I can't think what happened. I guess the Hawks just wanted it more, lol. I haven't watched any of the games.

I don't like all this politicking for foul calls that goes on nowdays. However, it seems to work in the whiner's favor many times. The idea that the whinier, bitchier team is giving themselves a better chance to win seems preposterous.

Watching the Lakers beat the Jazz. I hope they sweep, 'cause I sure don't like the Jazz

I loved watching the spurs lose last night.

tim duncan, 1 outta 9 and 3 rebounds. :P

I thought CP3 would suck in his first playoffs,
but he's yet to prove me right so far,
anyway, I predicted the Hornets didn't have a chance, and I still don't think they do, although I would like to see it, and David West looked like an All Star the other night.

Spurs win the next three games and the series in six; that's my prediction. Spurs played as bad as they could and still had a chance to win. Still the Hornets are definitely on the rise.

Pistons in six over Magic

Celtcs in seven over Cavs (but if the Cavs win game 1 or 2 look out)

Lakers in seven over Jazz

-hmm the spurs/hornets series is too hard to call. my guess is that the veteran spurs edge it out in 7
-Lakers > jazz in 5 (LA gives one up in Utah)
-Pistons > Magic in 4
-umm celts > cavs in 5

spurs suck lol xD

yeah what is goin on?

The Spurs will get back together at the SBC Center or where ever it is they play.