2006 / 2007 NBA Thread

[Cowboy22]

He's scoring like 22 points a game, so I'd imagine so. He's been unreal this year. I'm not even sure that he's technically the "most improved" player, I think it's more that he's just finally getting a lot of minutes.

[svosen]

After I bragged up Walton, he went 1 for 8, and the Lakers lost to Memphis...

[Cowboy22]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...simmons/070117

Great article by Bill Simmons about the Suns this year. It's one of the better NBA columns I've read this year and I agree with almost everything he says. Not only have the Suns looked amazing this year (once they got passed a slow start), but they're insanely fun to watch. I try to catch every televised game they have. In particular interest for me was when he compared Nash to Stockton, a comparison I made to my Dad a few weeks back after seeing Nash set a particularly hard pick.

The only thing he wrote that I really disagreed with was some off-hand comments about Kevin Durant being a number one pick. Which is insane because there's absolutely no way Greg Oden doesn't go first. Great as Durant is, no team is going to pass up a strong, polished 7-footer who's been absolutely dominant despite playing with one good wrist (forcing him to play left-handed, when he's naturally a righty).

[svosen]

The attitude that he talks about (Nash) as a reason to like him is actually a reason I don't like him anymore. And I just can't stand Raja Bell. Funny that one player can cause me to dislike an entire team, but that's the way it is...

The Mavs played well tonight, and the Lakers totally didn't. Frustrating that they play well enough to beat the Spurs one night, then forget to show up the next night. And Josh Howard... he's very good.

[Cowboy22]

The team is still fun to watch regardless of how he acts. The attitude probably makes him a little less likeable, but I think it will help the team out in the long run. I've kinda got a soft spot for dirty players though, (except Bruce Bowen for whatever reason) being that through my illustrius basketball career I was one. Since I was totally devoid of any real talent, I watched a lot of NBA basketball and tried to find little things I could do to help give me an edge (well placed elbow here and there, hard, moving screens, a tap on the inside elbow of a shooter, how to properly draw a foul...way too much Karl Malone and John Stockton in my life). I wound up leading my team in rebounds, free throw attempts, and fights provoked. I was like the Dennis Rodman of the 14 and under Catholic League (and of my High School team before I wound up quitting to concentrate on Football). I'm sure my parents were very proud.

As for the Lakers, playing well enough to beat the Spurs and playing well enough to beat the Mavs are two completely different things. The Mavs are probably the first or second best team in the leauge along with the Suns (and there's a big gap after the two of them), the Spurs have been in a bit of a slide lately. I think they're just doing what they always do, treading water a bit until the drive to the playoffs really kicks in.

[Cowboy22]

My midseason Awards:

MVP- Nash
ROY- Brandon Roy
Coach- Phil Jackson
6th Man- Leandro Barbosa
Most Improved- Deron Williams
Defensive Player- Garnett

All-NBA team

PG- Nash
SG- Kobe
SF- Dirk
PF- KG
C- Howard

[svosen]

What - no comment about Kobe "stiff-arming" Ginobli (as Stu Jackson called it)? What a crock. Even Popavich said it was clearly an accident.

Hard to argue with your lineup, except: I'd take KG out and move Dirk to PF (that's not a knock on KG; it's just that Dirk isn't a SF, and Dirk's better than KG). Then I'd place Shawn Marion, LeBron James, Tracy McGrady, or maybe even Caron Bulter at SF.

Too bad the Lakers traded Caron for Kwame. I cursed that deal even when it was made. I recall the last couple games of that season, where Kobe and Butler were really making a connection. Could have been a nice deal, with Kobe, Lamar, Caron, Farmar/Parker, and Bynum (in another year or two). Oh well.

[Cowboy22]

Yeah the Kobe thing is dumb. It wasn't even bad enough to be called a foul in the game, but somehow it's a one game suspension? Bullshit.

Dirk plays a little of the 3 and the 4. I suppose technically he plays more power forward lately, but he still plays LIKE a small forward and I wanted to get Garnett on there, so I fudged it a little. Not that I'd really argue with a team that had LeBron or Marion instead.

I think I probably called the Kwame trade a good deal at the time because there was a period early in his career where he tricked me into thinking that he'd reach his potential once he left Washington because he'd always have stretches during the season where he was dominant. I think it was mostly because I WANTED to believe that because I felt so bad for how shitty he was treated in Washington under Jordan. Needless to say, I was wrong, and in hindsight the trade was a bad one.

[svosen]

That was a nice win for the Jazz tonight. I watched the last quarter. Okur looked good, and AK looked goofy, as usual.

[Cowboy22]

It was a nice win, although it's tough to be too excited when it happened on the same day where I learned that Boozer will be out a month or more with a broken bone in his leg. Millsap looked very good in his place though, I think he'll fill in well enough that they'll surive without Boozer for awhile. Monster night for Okur, with Williams also having a good game, and AK doing all the little things that he does. He looks goofy as hell, but he's such a great all-around player. I wish they'd find a way to get him more involved on the offensive end.