2013 NBA Offseason News

[improbus]

Originally Posted by NJReds

Nash to the Lakers. Enjoy Landry Fields, Raps. Knicks will probably match Lin & try to sign Kidd or Felton.

Somehow, the Lakers have become bigger title contenders while becoming even worse at defending the pick and roll....

[Razor Shines]

I might have to become a full on laker fan this year. They now I have the two most entertaining players in the nba, IMO.


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[Scrap Irony]

Nash can't play defense-- at all. He likely won't be able to run an offense with Kobe dominating the ball-- and Kobe won't give up the ball. For anyone. Nash is also 38, and the Lakers gave up their entire drafts for the next two years. (Kudos to the Sun for that. Nice sign-and-trade there, IMO.)

But with all of that said, I still think I like this deal for the Lakers. Nash is a deadeye shooter, a great team and glue guy, and willing to sublimate his ego for his team. He'll find a way to make it work.

[cincrazy]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

Nash can't play defense-- at all. He likely won't be able to run an offense with Kobe dominating the ball-- and Kobe won't give up the ball. For anyone. Nash is also 38, and the Lakers gave up their entire drafts for the next two years. (Kudos to the Sun for that. Nice sign-and-trade there, IMO.)

But with all of that said, I still think I like this deal for the Lakers. Nash is a deadeye shooter, a great team and glue guy, and willing to sublimate his ego for his team. He'll find a way to make it work.

I think Nash and Kobe can work it out. There may be issues at first, but I think Kobe will allow Nash to have the ball in his hands enough to be successful. If Kobe trusts you, you're fine. He didn't trust ANYONE on that team last season. Hence the ball-hogging.

I think the Nash deal may help reinvigorate the career of Pau Gasol. Certainly can't hurt.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by cincrazy

I think Nash and Kobe can work it out. There may be issues at first, but I think Kobe will allow Nash to have the ball in his hands enough to be successful. If Kobe trusts you, you're fine. He didn't trust ANYONE on that team last season. Hence the ball-hogging.

I think the Nash deal may help reinvigorate the career of Pau Gasol. Certainly can't hurt.

If that's the case, Kobe's never trusted anyone in his career.

Kobe's never played well without dominating the ball. He's going to have to learn how to play without the ball, or, more likely, Nash will become a spot-up shooter and occasional ball handler.

[cincrazy]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

If that's the case, Kobe's never trusted anyone in his career.

Kobe's never played well without dominating the ball. He's going to have to learn how to play without the ball, or, more likely, Nash will become a spot-up shooter and occasional ball handler.

Kobe's also never had a point guard like Steve Nash. Why would he not dominate the ball when Fisher is his PG? I think he's more than capable of adjusting to having Nash. It may take a while, but they'll figure it out.

[Razor Shines]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

But with all of that said, I still think I like this deal for the Lakers. Nash is a deadeye shooter, a great team and glue guy, and willing to sublimate his ego for his team. He'll find a way to make it work.

I agree with this part. I'm not sure what Kobe will do but I think Nash will adapt. I also think it will be interesting to see the lakers offense when Kobe is out of the game. I think it'll look like a typical Nash team and Kobe will have some pressure on him to "get with the program", from fans, not so much from the Lakers.

I'm not sure that can make it to the finals but i do think they'll be better than they were last year.



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[Scrap Irony]

Superstars, especially those of Kobe's ilk, are notorious for not wanting to adjust. It's part of what makes them so great on the basketball court. And it's not just Fisher, it's every point guard he's ever played with.

True, none of them have been as good as Bash was earlier in his career. And the Lakers might very well work out a plan to have them play well together. Expect to see Nash's assist numbers take a dive. He won't be the same 15/10 guy he's been for a few years, as he's not the last option as the shot clock ticks down.

His shooting ability and occasional ball handling wizardry will help the Lakers, but will it be enough to overtake OKC and San Antonio?

I don't know if I'd go that far yet.

[BillDoran]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

Superstars, especially those of Kobe's ilk, are notorious for not wanting to adjust. It's part of what makes them so great on the basketball court. And it's not just Fisher, it's every point guard he's ever played with.

True, none of them have been as good as Bash was earlier in his career. And the Lakers might very well work out a plan to have them play well together. Expect to see Nash's assist numbers take a dive. He won't be the same 15/10 guy he's been for a few years, as he's not the last option as the shot clock ticks down.

His shooting ability and occasional ball handling wizardry will help the Lakers, but will it be enough to overtake OKC and San Antonio?

I don't know if I'd go that far yet.

I'm hesitant to believe the Spurs will make another run similar to this year. I feel this way every year, but they just seem so damn fragile and old. I suppose only time will tell.

I also think Nash is heady enough to know, going in, that it's going to be Kobe's team and that he'll be riding shotgun. I agree his numbers will dip, but he's clearly making the late-career dive at a championship. Between Kobe, Bynum, and whatever Gasol can provide, they have lots talent, aging as it maybe.

No matter what, adding Nash's as a threat from deep (career 43% from 3) and his ability to make others better makes the Lakers considerably more formidable IMO.

[NJReds]

Sounds like Kidd will finish his career in Dallas.

That leaves Felton for the Knicks, unless they go after Sessions, which I doubt. Speculation is that the Knicks do a "sign and trade" for Felton, match on Lin and try to use their mid-level exception on Rashard Lewis or Marcus Camby.

Knicks getting killed on Twitter by the so-called experts, but I don't see how they've done anything wrong in this FA market so far. They already got their big name players, everything else is just trying to assemble decent talent around them.

[Razor Shines]

I can't imagine Rashard Lewis being any kind of help to the knicks. Camby would work. Doesn't need the ball and plays defense.


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[NJReds]

Originally Posted by Razor Shines

I can't imagine Rashard Lewis being any kind of help to the knicks. Camby would work. Doesn't need the ball and plays defense.


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I'm not sure Lewis is an answer, but he'd come off the bench. The Knicks are going to lose Landry Fields to Toronto and they still haven't signed JR Smith and/or Novak.

Camby would be fine, but he wants to start, and he's not starting in NY. Only way he comes to the Knicks is if all his other options fall through.

[Scrap Irony]

I like Camby for the Knicks. Provides great defense behind a great defender and allows for a gambling style by those around the perimeter. (And between Carmelo and Stoudamire, they have to have a big that can erase mistakes.) Lewis would be a backup behind Anthony and has to be a better answer than Renaldo Blackman. If he were to sign for veteran minimum, he's serviceable. A career 39% 3-point shooter, he's not a bad option for limited minutes.

But the Knicks need a backcourt. Lin is okay, but seriously turnover-prone. Felton played well in New York in 2011 (17/9/3.5); perhaps between them, New York has a solid duo. Both JR Smith (who they need to re-sign) and Iman Shumpert showed flashes; perhaps they also find a nice, productive balance.

Right now, they're okay. With health, they should be better-- though how much better largely depends on old dogs learning new tricks (i.e., Amare playing defense, Chandler willing to shoot the 15-footer on a pick-and-pop, Carmelo playing interested from the get-go). I'm guessing Chris Paul is looking to New York next summer. With Paul, this team is a title contender. Maybe they're just playing out the 2013 string?

(Actually, New York is the floor of what LA's deal for Nash could be. Carmelo found it frustrating to play with Lin, whose style demanded the ball. Lin found it difficult to play with Carmelo. There's only so much orange to go around.)

[KoryMac5]

Mavs with a terrible free agency period. First they let Tyson Chandler walk last year with the hopes of making a run at Williams. Unfortunately Williams chose to stay in Brooklyn instead of coming home to Dallas. Then Cuban guessed wrongly that the other owners in the league would curb spending based on the new CBA and the tax threshold penalties that can be pretty severe depending on how many yrs in a row you violate them. Looks to me by the contracts being handed out the Mark guessed wrong. Dallas is left at the dance with no date looking like a very old team.

[NJReds]

ESPN reports that Kidd had a change of heart, and will join the NY Knicks. I wonder if Tyson Chandler gave him a call. I think his pass-first style fits the Knicks, and he'll be a good mentor to Lin (assuming the Knicks match, if Lin ever actually signs Houston's deal).