2014-15 NBA Sternless Season...

[Kingspoint]

It sounds alot like you just want the 77 Blazers back. I can't blame you there.

I do like an up-and-down tempo and will trade turnovers for the faster pace with more passing, more assists and fewer three-point attempts. Love the way Popovich coaches. Loved the way Dr. Jack coached. Don't like the Triangle Offense, or versions of it, though I coached it myself years before Phil Jackson ever used it. If you want discipline with your players and don't have a lot of basketball IQ on the floor, it's a great method for creating higher-percentage shots while limiting turnovers.

[Kingspoint]

From Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:

Sure, there are assumptions he makes that are cringeworthy—but the questions about how to attract more white fans were entirely reasonable. Well, the pitchforks are already sharpened and the torches lit anyway, so rather than let them go to waste, why not drag another so-called racist before the court of public opinion and see how much ratings-grabbing, head-shaking and race-shaming we can squeeze out of it? After all, the media got so much gleeful, hand-wringing mileage out of Don Sterling and Michael Brown. The only problem is that Atlanta Hawks controlling owner Bruce Levenson is no Donald Sterling. Nor is his email racist. In fact, his worst crime is misguided white guilt.

http://time.com/3296175/bruce-levens...-abdul-jabbar/

[improbus]

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/pos...e-out-of-sport

I've been arguing this for years. Hopefully the NBA has the guts to make something like this happen.

[Kingspoint]

So, who's going to Indiana vs Cleveland in Cincinnati tonight?

[Boston Red]

Go Jazz!

[Kingspoint]

Go Jazz!

Good luck!

Saw them once already this year.

[Kingspoint]

I know most people don't care about the NBA, especially this time of the year (thank you David Stern), but as expected, it looks like nothing is going to be different to win back the fans it lost over the last two decades. The refs under Adam Silver appear to be using their same WWE guidelines as before. Harden misses his typical 10 of 17 shots but gets gifted with 16 free throw attempts on Opening Night at the Forum. Tragically, the only reason to watch the Lakers this season was to witness the Rookie-of-the-Year campaign of Julius Randle, but the 19-year old wonderboy broke his leg. Pity.

[Kingspoint]

Congratulations to Cleveland fans. You just received a rising star in the sports reporting world in Chris Haynes. This bright, articulate, insightful and pleasant new face will be covering the Cavs as a local beat writer. You're blessed to have him and he'll sorely be missed in Portland as we have no one now worth listening to or reading stories about the Trail Blazers. We were lucky to have him for two years and we got him for four. He's destined for National Media, but he may be too nice of a guy to climb that ladder.

[Kingspoint]

Improbus, I think Miami is going to surprise a lot of people. McBob is good. Bosh will go back to being a dominating All-Star. The team has a mindset of winning playoff games. Chemistry is huge in the NBA (and other venues in life), so it will take some time for everything to blend, but their second half should be solid and have them fighting for a 1st-round homecourt seeding.

[Redsfaithful]

I think I'm going to be more of an NBA fan this season, usually I wait until the playoffs to pay attention. Kobe vs. Dwight Howard was entertaining last night.

[Razor Shines]

I think I'm going to be more of an NBA fan this season, usually I wait until the playoffs to pay attention. Kobe vs. Dwight Howard was entertaining last night.

I'm a Pacer fan but I love Kobe and I'd like to see them make the playoffs at least, losing Randle really sucks though. I think the first thing Kobe said was "I call Randle's shots".

[Big Red Smokey]

The Lakers are BAD. Unfortunately Kobe is untradeable because if they play Kobe they won't suck as much as they should, and there's a chance they could lose their 1st round pick, which is only 1-5 protected

[Revering4Blue]

The Lakers are BAD. Unfortunately Kobe is untradeable because if they play Kobe they won't suck as much as they should, and there's a chance they could lose their 1st round pick, which is only 1-5 protected

With Jordan Hill as the only solid defender in the starting lineup -- if not the roster -- they'll have to outscore teams to have a chance of winning, even when Nick Young returns to bolster the bench. In other words, with that porous defense, it's doubtful that the Lakers, as currently constructed, lose a top five pick in the upcoming draft, even with Kobe.

[Revering4Blue]

Improbus, I think Miami is going to surprise a lot of people. McBob is good. Bosh will go back to being a dominating All-Star. The team has a mindset of winning playoff games. Chemistry is huge in the NBA (and other venues in life), so it will take some time for everything to blend, but their second half should be solid and have them fighting for a 1st-round homecourt seeding.

Agreed.

Health permitting, the Heat will be just fine. Overall top - seed Homecourt advantage or not, they're not relinquishing the East Crown without a fight. Starting Cole instead of Chalmers is a stroke of genius from Spoelstra, who, IMO, has never received enough credit as a HC.

[Revering4Blue]

Props to the Knicks. After laying an egg last night at home against a Bulls team missing Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony and company proceeded to ruin the Lebron's homecoming/Kevin Love's Cavs debut.