2010 NBA Off-Season Thread

[Dagger]

Lebron is a bitch. Poor Cleveland fans. All he did was talk about everything he did "I did this for them" "I did that for them" "me" "I" "myself".

To spurn your hometown on national television is one thing, but to not have the respect to tell the place that gave you unconditional love for 7 years a heads up that he was leaving is another.

He truly is a punk.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

I think they're going to have to count on a pretty large number of guys taking heavy discounts to play with those three to do well in the next 2 years. Bosh isn't as bad with injuries as Greg Oden but he's had quite a few injuries in the past few years. LeBron has been hurt a fair bit lately too. All three of them - while they aren't OLD by any stretch of the imagination, are getting there by NBA standards. There's going to be some time - guaranteed - next year where one of those three are out for an extended stretch. Who will play for them then?

The three of them aren't taking the maximum themselves so that might free up some money. I don't see them being that good yet. Lakers are still favourites, the more complete team. But in the next few years we could some classics in the Finals.

[valo403]

The good news for the people of Cleveland is that they're more of a football town anyways, and the Browns, oh wait, somebody better guard the bridges.

[Bertuzzied]

Hey i stopped watching this crap, but did he sign for 2 years?

What if he tears an achilles or blows a knee? I hope he doesn't have his rap stars friends as his agent.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

The three of them aren't taking the maximum themselves so that might free up some money. I don't see them being that good yet. Lakers are still favourites, the more complete team. But in the next few years we could some classics in the Finals.

They don't have any money. They took less money so they could fit under the cap. There will be 8 or 9 vet minimum contracts.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Gretzky sold more tickets when he went to the Kings, and converted people who had no knowledge of hockey into season ticket holders. I think people in Miami or Chicago know a few things about basketball.

What the hell does that have to do with what I said?

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

The three of them aren't taking the maximum themselves so that might free up some money. I don't see them being that good yet. Lakers are still favourites, the more complete team. But in the next few years we could some classics in the Finals.

I agree - once they start getting some draft picks in or their mid-level exemption, but next year there is no way they are going to be championship level. Even though they're not taking maximum, I'd bet that at lowest those three are taking up 80% of their teams' cap. They literally only have 5 players signed right now. There are going to be some barrels having their bottoms scraped to fill in that roster for next year.

[transplant99]

Maybe this happens when you get too much, too soon. Maybe it happens when you forget where you came from, or what you mean to the people of Northeast Ohio.





But LeBron James should feel a sense of shame and pain for putting together a self-serving ESPN special to inform the world that he no longer intends to play for the Cavaliers. To sharpen the insult, he titled his switch to the Miami Heat as "The Decision."

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/...es_inflic.html

[Dagger]

I've never been this pissed off about a guy going somewhere. What a bitch. He just screwed the city of Cleveland on so many levels. Their economy was Lebron. That's gone. There basketball team was Lebron. That's gone. The tourism there was based on Lebron.

EDIT: Another announcement? He's coming out of the closet.

[Antithesis]

Yes! I was waiting for the sexuality insult to come out and the thread didn't disappoint! Good job!

[Dagger]

More arrogance? One day we might have another Lebron? I want to throw up. I know he has every right to be cocky, but he should ing show some humility.

No shout-out to Cleveland aside from the one question? Punk.

[D to the iddy]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Hey i stopped watching this crap, but did he sign for 2 years?

What if he tears an achilles or blows a knee? I hope he doesn't have his rap stars friends as his agent.

Latest I heard was 5 year/$99 mil with the option to opt out after 3. It's just hearsay for now but that sounds about right for me.

[SebC]

Miami are gonna have a ton of pressure on them and everyone's gonna be gunning for them. It won't be easy for them.

I'd rather the likes to Miami and Boston win than the Lakers. So much better to have these guys willing to work together to win a championship than Kobe who wants to do it all himself.

That said, I will still laugh if they flop.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by D to the iddy

Latest I heard was 5 year/$99 mil with the option to opt out after 3. It's just hearsay for now but that sounds about right for me.

Opt out to come to Brooklyn. Guarantee.

I don't even want him as a Nets fan. Classless POS.

He could at least tell the teams privately he wasn't going there instead of announcing it to them on national TV. These teams tanked for 1 or 2 years and shipped various assets out for cheap for a chance at you.

ing prick.

[Diet Water]

Deep down part of me was hoping he would go to Miami so we wouldn't have to see Kobe win another ring.

If the Suns somehow make it to the Finals, and then have to face the Heat that will suck though.

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by Diet Water

Deep down part of me was hoping he would go to Miami so we wouldn't have to see Kobe win another ring.

If the Suns somehow make it to the Finals, and then have to face the Heat that will suck though.

Kobe's going to win at least two more rings. The Heat should not be favorites to win the championship this year, and probably not even next year.

The Lakers are a fantastic team. Boston is still excellent, as is Orlando. Chicago, adding Boozer to that team will be good too.

[Diet Water]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Kobe's going to win at least two more rings. The Heat should not be favorites to win the championship this year, and probably not even next year.

The Lakers are a fantastic team. Boston is still excellent, as is Orlando. Chicago, adding Boozer to that team will be good too.

Boston won the first year they combined the big 3, obviously they had a better supporting cast but you can't count out a team with the players that the Heat have. Wade is an absolute beast in the playoffs.

Lakers will go into next season as the favorite, but to win 3 in a row everything has to go right. They are lucky that basically every other elite team is in the East though.

[missdpuck]

Okay now we're counting on the Heat to save the South Florida economy. One analyst said LeBron's presence will likely generate 58 mill. for the local economy, and more if they go deep into the playoffs.

[Antithesis]

I don't think that the disparity in supporting talent between the Celtics in '08 and the Heat next year can be understated. I'm not discounting the talent of Wade, Bosh, and James, but you need real support for those guys. They don't have a center either, and you need those to be successful IMO.

The real "big" teams are in the East, true, but talent-wise, the West is so much deeper and I honestly think (forgetting that I cheer for the Lakers) that they will have a much harder road to the finals than any team in the East.

[socalwingfan]

Duha's take on twitter

Disappointed Lebron didn't at least consider Calgary. I think he and Iginla would have been dynamite together.