NBA Trades: RJ to Spurs, Shaq to Cavaliers, and MORE!

[loon54]

thats all lebron needed a strong big man cavs got this

[iTrick2]

@loon54 FAIL

[pops35]

go cavs baaby best team in the NBA

[iTrick2]

@pops35 FAIL

[AandWRootBeer6]

lebron and daddy are going nowhere this year

[just1morefreash]

cavs are going to own

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Probably not much more than they did last year. Boston still has it's championship team, in addition to Rasheed Wallace, and I still think Howard could own Shaq because let's face it, Shaq is losing his edge.

If the Cavs get to the Finals, they still have to handle either the Spurs or Lakers. And that's not exactly a cakewalk.

[hemelekkoff]

Right Now The contenders 1._Spurs: 2._Celtics 3._Lakers 4._Magic 5._Cavs >The spurs and celtics have a great player in each position and have a good bench >Derek Fisher is the Talon the aquiles of lakers, each PG of the NBA is better, faster, etc Fisher Just make Magic shots >The magic lost a little roster with the additiion of carter and they would have worry in keep Hedo >The Suns added Shaq to stop Duncan and didnt work now the cavs add shaq to stop howard ....and to keep lebron

[paydro911]

I have to agree that the Cav'z are looking like the favorites heading into the season this year, still glad that the coach of the pistons did not accept the trade offer for the celtics

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Yea, looking like faves. But now that Spurs and Celtics went out and got HUGE additions to their teams, I don't think the Cavs are the favorites anymore. Celtics have the same championship team they had a couple of seasons ago, but now with Rasheed Wallace, and an improved Rondo at PG. And I think the Spurs will be a monster force in the West with RJ, McDyess, and Ratliff.

[MrGoon5150]

memphis griizzles is my team i play wit them in the 2k series we did great in the draft and made sum killer trades i think we will get tons of bandwagon FANZ

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

I seriously doubt they'll make much progress compared to last year. Getting Hasheem Thabeet was good, but he's not going to help much in his first season. Remember, he's only been playing basketball for a couple years. He's still got a lot to learn about the game, especially on the offensive side, and also the fact that you can't stand under the basket for the whole game. :-p But hopefully they'll surprise everyone and do well. I actually like Mayo and Gay (who we gave you guys for Battier).

[bingo148]

the reason why the cavs chose shaq is bcoz of ilgauskus...we nid to admit that big"z" is getting old he needs to retire.,ilgauskus can no longer defend on the post..,we can see that during the finals dwight howard owned him..go CAVS!!!

[gcballaz]

you fucking idiot shaq is old too!!!

yea shaq is better but hes old as fuk hes gonna retire in 2.... 3 years!

[brandontheking23]

hey shaq is old to hes like 40 and 370 pounds and illgusas sucks ever since that injruy hes never turned to his real form just like yao face it lebron is leaving and shaq will just retire i like the cavs but it is not enogh to beat the magic

[RAMMSTEINERD]

The Spurs need to get McDyess ;)

[gcballaz]

they already got him

[RAMMSTEINERD]

Yea man, it's gonna be one heck of a year for the Spurs.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Yea. But Dallas is looking to improve. Getting Marion and losing Stackhouse is just the beginning.

And while Houston won't have Yao next season, Daryl Morey has already said he's negotiating a trade... So the Spurs won't have it easy in the West. But then again, they never do.

[astroid911]

Yea I see what you're saying. Still Lebron is way better than Amare, put Lebron and Shaq in the post and I bet they will be able to make it work- you are right not the greatest idea. But they could make it work. I know that Lebron will not play play as PF. Although I would like to see Clevland acquire a good PF.

-Do you know where Chris Bosch is going?

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Toronto. He's not a free agent until 2010. And as far as I can tell, the Raptors aren't looking to trade him.

[gcballaz]

next year hes leaving dis year hes staying wit chrish bosh

[spursbucswhitesoxfan]

PG-Tony Parker

SG- Manu Ginobili

SF- Richard Jefferson

PF- Tim Duncan

C- Matt Bonner

START GINOBILI!!! Spurs still need another Center...

[gcballaz]

i know matt boner suxx!

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

I think now that they have McDyess, they'll move Duncan over to C and use Matt Bonner off the bench.

[brandontheking23]

bandwagon fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

OK... Who are you calling bandwagon fan? I hope you're not talking about me, because I am in no way, shape, or form a bandwagon fan. You must have me confused with someone else.

[brandontheking23]

no im tlk bout spursbucswhitesoxfan hes saids the celtics are his team even thought hes supporting the spurs

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Where did he say anything about the Celtics, cause I'm not seeing it.

To be quite honest, I'm not a Celtics fan, but I'm picking them to come out of the East now that they've got Wallace and Daniels. That's going to be a powerhouse team that even LeBron and Shaq won't be able to slow down.

[Hypnotist22]

ok? but th cavs match up with boston and orlando really good they will beat both of them

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

I can't agree.

Let's do a matchup:

PG-Williams/RONDO/Nelson

SG-West/ALLEN/Carter

SF-JAMES/Pierce/Pietrus (or Barnes)

PF-Vujacic/GARNETT/Lewis

C-SHAQ/Wallace (or Perkins)/HOWARD

All caps means advantage. With centers, I think that even with his age, Shaq and Dwight are both excellent centers. I think Dwight's a better defender, but Shaq's got the adv. on offense because he knows how to score while backing down (something Dwight desperately needs to learn).

[Hypnotist22]

ok the only place they have problems is the shooting guard position, but also delonte west is a good defender and shaq will body up howard and anderson varejao gives kevin garnett problems i know this because last year in the playoffs

[ShuffLeRxSLO]

ok umm (from best to worst)

PG - rondo / nelson / williams

SG - carter / allen / parker

SF - james / pierce / pietrus

PF - garnett / lewis / varejao

C - howard / wallace / shaq (now dont' get me wrong shaq has accomplished so much more than wallace, probably more than howard ever will altho he's still got a long future ahead, and he was spectacular in his prime, but right now he doesn't "have it" anymore, you can see he's not doing well in cleveland, they're better with him off the court)

[spursbucswhitesoxfan]

hater!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!

[astroid911]

C- Shaq

PF - Lebron

SF -Hickson

SG - Gibson

PG - West

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Umm... I don't think LeBron does not need to be playing PF. He'll stay at SF. I'm sure they can find someone else to fill the PF position. If LeBron and Shaq are in the post, it'll be another Amare/Shaq situation.

And I'm sorry, but why the hell is West at PG? Is Mo Williams leaving? Did I miss something? I don't remember there being any talk about him going somewhere else.

[astroid911]

Amare is no where near what Lebron is so there is no comparison

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Wow. That's not what I was talking about.

I meant, if both Shaq and LeBron are in the post, I believe it will be like Amare and Shaq were in Phoenix. For Shaq to do well, he can't have another big presence in the post. That's why they should leave LeBron at SF instead of PF. The reason Amare and Shaq never worked out was because they were two big men taking up too much space in the post. LeBron will be more effective at SF, giving Shaq more room to be more effective.

[toxicrexdawg]

LCL, the last center left. thats shaquille oneal. lets see what s happens

[crazybigdave34]

my favorite team is the nj nets you guys can call me a looer if you want my opinion on the rj trade i did not like it also i am happy the pistons didnt get rajon rondo and ray allen because allen has not been shooting well also i am happy the nets traded vc it was time for him to go to another team my opinion on the shaq trade the suns got ripped off

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

The RJ trade was the best for both sides. If the Bucks kept RJ, they wouldn't have enough cap room to bring back Villanueva. And Spurs definitely needed another scorer. VC to Magic was good for both sides, and Shaq going to the Cavs was a good trade for the Suns because it opens up cap space for 2010, and if they keep Stoudemire, it gives him more room to work, and speeds the tempo up for the team.

[bluebeetle099088]

ok so i hear people say that allen iverson is going to get traded AGAIN, is it true or what?

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Well, with Joe Dumars, anything is possible.

He just fired Michael Curry after one season.

Hasn't Detroit had like 4 or more different coaches in the last 5-7 years?

Detroit's in rebuilding mode, so it really wouldn't surprise me if they traded him...

But from the way he talked earlier in the season, if he can't be a starter, he'll retire. So we'll see what happens.

[ArjayTorres101]

when shaq is in the court stoudomire is limited bec. of the space shaq takes..i think the suns sre trying to improve stoudomire capability as a center

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

No, they're still trying to trade Stoudemire away. Why, I have no clue... Last rumor I heard, he was going to GSW for practically nothing but more players to open cap salary. I don't think Phoenix management realizes that EVERY team is opening up cap space for 2010 free agency, and chances are, they're not going to get any of the players they want, so getting rid of Stoudemire is going to look straight up stupid this time next season.

[likedatskill]

Steve Kerr is giving Phoenix a slow death.

Yeah he is going to GSW, but only if they include Stephen Curry. I think they should of got a point guard instead of Earl Clark.

They still have Matt Barnes so I think Earl Clark was a very bad pick.

[40granados]

I THINK that next years starters will be

Tony Parker

Richard Jefferson

Manu Ginobili

Tim Duncan

DaJuan Blair

who do u think is more likey to start??

Go Spurs Go :) NBA champs 2010

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

It's going to be similar to last season.

It'll most likely be

TP

Manu

RJ

TD

Bonner

Honestly, there's no way Dejaun Blair starts for the Spurs, especially not at Center. He's only 6'7. Bonner's 6'10, and TD's 6'11. He could definitely be a 6th man, although I still believe Finley can fill that role, but if they need defense, they can take RJ out &put Blair in b/c he's going to have to work on some things before that's a permanent options.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Also, I don't think the Spurs are going to win another championship anytime soon.

While this is definitely going to enable them to compete with the other teams in the West, I believe the West is getting younger, faster, stronger, and deeper than it was a last time the Spurs won a championship. While this team looks great on paper, I just don't see them getting to another Finals. Maybe Western Conf. Finals, but definitely not NBA Finals.

But I could be wrong... I would love to see them beat LA.

[likedatskill]

I think this is a possible Spurs lineup.

C- Tim Duncan

PF- Matt Bonner

SF- Richard Jefferson

SG- Micheal Finley

PG- Tony Parker

I think the Spurs do have a shot at the NBA championship, but if Boston gets Rasheed Wallace, then I would go with Boston.

[peroxide11oz]

mate..did u even consider the lakers?

C- Bynum

PF - Gasol

SF - Artest

SG - KOBE

PG - Fisher

Odom off the bench

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

I believe when he left that comment, Artest had not signed with the Lakers yet.

And honestly, there's still time for him to back out... So he could back out like Turkoglu and go to the Cavs for more money, but he probably won't.

And I'm sorry but I'm not giving into the Lakers hype now that Artest is on the team.

Artest & Kobe both have egos the size of the sun. If Artest chews out Kobe the way he did Brooks and Lowry, and try to take control of the locker room, he's going 2 get bitchslapped.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Question... Why is Manu not at SG instead of Finley? Finley can't play starter minutes. He's been a sixth man for a long time for a reason.

And while I think the Spurs have a shot at the NBA Championship, so does Portland, LA, Den, NO... and that's only coming out of the West.

I like Celts, Cavs, Hawks, and Magic coming out of the East, and SA, LA, Denver, and Portland coming out of the West. But I just don't think SA's going to overcome any of those other teams.

[likedatskill]

I think Manu provides a spark for the Spurs off the bench. I do agree with all those choices coming out of both conferences, except for the Hawks. I just

can't see them compete with the Cavs, Magic, and Celtics. Especially if A.I signs with Miami, I would see Miami possibly taking that 4th seed.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Manu has to be the starter at SG. There's no debate about it. Having him come off the bench would be like having Kobe come off the bench. He's their best scorer. That's his main purpose. Finley can't handle starting minutes, nor do I think he'll even want them.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Miami didn't get Boozer. If they had gotten Boozer, I would agree with you. But they've made no real improvements since last season, so I don't expect them to do much.

Last postseason, the Hawks were injured for most of the playoffs. Joe Johnson was having a lot of off nights. They just weren't gelling.

Now they've got Crawford, and they have Josh Childress they can trade away for another player. They've improved since the playoffs, something Miami hasn't.

[james09876543]

im excited to see if the trades have worked out

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Honestly, the best trade is RJ to the Spurs. It gives them the offensive power they lacked in the playoffs without Manu.

Shaq to Cavs is going to be an overrated trade to say the least. While the Cavs will finally get a big man who can battle on the inside, his minutes will be limited compared to the other big men in the league, and the wear and tear of an entire season will take a toll on him when the playoffs come, and the effects of spending two years at home during playoff time will show.

[yuckfoubittlelitch]

not overrated its exactly what the cavs need. if shaq can play 20 a game its a world better then ben wallaces contribution..its the same core with the additon of an inside presence good trade...i agree rgay to spurs is the best trade with a healthy team as much as i hate to watch em play hard to see them not making at least conf finals.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

I just don't see Shaq contributing as much as he did last season.

Shaq's not going to dominate Dwight Howard. He's going to trash talk him a whole hell of a lot, but he's not going to dominate him. And that's what the Cavs needed was someone to dominate D-Howard. I think he'll help them, but I don't think he'll put them over the top, whether it be because of injury or because of lack of ability.

[Adelaide1994]

exactly, i dont really get their main reason for giving a paced and three point shooter like pavlovic.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

They did this because they had to make a bold move to prove to LeBron that they are willing to do just about anything to help him win a championship. Shaq's a good addition if you think about it. If he comes in and helps them out, that's great. Mission accomplished. If he doesn't, then they don't have to resign him, and LeBron will be leaving anyways. So it was a smart move, but it definitely was only to satisfy LeBron.

[mrbatchtv]

say fam thanks for the insight on the jerseys. now you got players changing teams. salary dumps if you ask me. the free agent market next season will be wild. plus this is a way for the nba to cut back on some of the money spent on players. got to get under the cap. then can they still build a competitive team?

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Yes, most of the trades are going to be for salary purposes because everyone's hyped up for the 2010 free agency market. You have LeBron, Wade, and countless other superstars ready to test the free agency market. And plenty of teams willing to dish out big money for every one of them.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

UPDATE 2!!!

The New Jersey Nets have agreed to send Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to the Orlando Magic for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee.

The Nets will draft Louisville shooting guard Terrence Willams at No. 11, if hes still available.

I will post another video later tonight about today's trades.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

UPDATE ON TRADES!!!

Golden State Warriors have traded Jamal Crawford to the Atlanta Hawks for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton.

[JSmoove214]

if the celtics got stuckey,hamilton,prince

they would be the favorites

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Yep. Most definitely. But like I said, Joe Dumars isn't a dumbass.

That would've been almost a bad of a trade as Gasol to Lakers for basically nothing.

[str8philly]

Totally agreed bro. I like the old school "throwback" look my 76ers are going with, & I wish many other teams would do the same, because many of these "new school" jerseys some teams use are borderline discusting. My 76ers NBA Draft Needs=PG, SG. My Wants=#1)-Ty Lawson, PG-UNC, #2)-Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse #3)-Wayne Ellington, SG, UNC #4)-Gerald Henderson Jr., SG, Duke #5)-Jeff Teague, PG, Wake

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Yea, I agree. I loved the Red and Yellow colors for the Rockets. I wish they would make alternate jerseys that said Clutch City on the front with those colors but a different design than the old jerseys.

I think Teague should've returned to Wake personally... But Ty Lawson or Flynn would be a great pickup.

[str8philly]

Damn bro, I just told my friends that same exact thing last night-(Jeff Teague should've returned to Wake). He started off on fire-(when Wake was #1 in the country), but defensively he needs polish, & it showed in the ACC tournament last March. I feel a similar way about LeVance Fields, PG, Pitt-(He made some huge shots in the Tournament, but there are stretches when he disappears in games offensively, as if he wasn't sure how to run the offense)......

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Yep, if you're a PG, you need to be able to lead your team.

And I think if Teague were to improve his D, he could be the next great PG in the league. But I don't think he's going to be able to at the professional level.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

That's one thing a lot of people and players don't understand.

You can't really improve your skills in the NBA very much. Most of your improvement and growth is going to occur in college. In the NBA, coaches aren't really there to IMPROVE your game. They're there to win a championship, and if you're not good enough, they'll get rid of you in a flash. In college, they're more invested in you, and take the time to teach you and help you grow as a player.

[str8philly]

This comment you made about College coaches & NBA coaches is the 100% truth, & I couldn't have said it better myself. People don't understand that much, but forget that, I wish players understood that about college. Think about all the players that have come into the league outta high school, they all would've benefited greatly, & been better players once they've recieved their 1st NBA check--(Kobe & LeBron included)

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

You do have your exceptions to the rules of course, but Kwame Brown came straight out of high school, and we see what's happened to him. Maybe if he had went and played college ball and developed his skills a bit, he might be a star in the league. But we'll never know.

That's why they implemented the 1 year rule, but even then, players are finding ways around it (Jeremy Tyler) and also those that only go ONE year to college.

[str8philly]

Everytime I hear the name "Kwame Brown", I think "MJ's Fault", LOL. it just amazes me the risk NBA teams are willing to take with these unproven high school players. For every high school player that comes into the NBA, there's about 10 players that don't pan out & are unemployed within their 1st 3 years in the league. Had Kwame gone to college, he would've been an okay player, but he's still in the league now, so @ least he's doing just enough to still command an NBA contract....

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

I think because he was given so much hype, teams are still holding out, hoping he'll improve. LOL

[what356]

lol, they shud trade nash to houston =D. trade that useless t-mac to some fucked up team already@@@@

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

That would be absolutely awesome. But that would never happen.

1. T-Mac has a 20 million dollar contract, and they just sent Shaq to the Cavs to free up cap space.

2. We have a really good PG in Aaron Brooks. He evenly matched Steve Nash in the March 6th matchup in Houston, the game I went to. He's definitely a keeper.

But yea, I do wish we could get rid of T-Mac, but I don't see that happening, so all we can do is hope that he gets better, and can contribute. I heard Yao's hasn't healed yet.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Well, 76ers didn't get any of the players you suggested, but they did get a decent PG in Jrue Holiday, so hopefully that'll work out.

Or maybe they can try and trade for Flynn from Minnesota, even though I don't think he'd be much better. 6'0 players don't usually turn out too well. At least with Jrue Holiday you have a 6'3 guard.

[FetketBC]

Steve nash is your Favorite player..... are you serious...lol. Sure the jersey was 25 bucks because nobody wants to wear that...lol.you overpaid for that thing. C if you could get a real players jersey for 25 bucks...cant do it. jus Joking...

Cool vid, next time talk about the draft tho.

Lakers to repeat the 3 peat  2010,2011.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

I'm not really all that interested in the draft. I think by now everyone kind of knows who's going where for the most part.

Yea, Steve Nash is my favorite player. Has been for a long time. His story is pretty cool. He played HS ball and was turned down by a bunch of big colleges, and finally went to a small school in Cali (blanking on the name) and now he's got 2 MVP's and is considered one of the best PG's to ever play the game.

Lakers won't 3 peat. Sorry dude. Too much talent coming up.

[str8philly]

Wizards=Getting a guard like Foye works, because he's a slasher, & a solid jumpshooter. Mike Miller gives them a long-range threat that was missing throughout last season with Gilbert Arenas hurt most of last season. They don't lose much either, Etan Thomas is much like their Center-(Brendan Haywood), you won't get big #'s from him, but you'll get some rebounding, & Darius Songaila is like a journeyman, he was a solid 8th or 9th man off the bench, with his best year coming in Sacramento...

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Indeed. I really wouldn't be surprised if the Wizards make it back to the playoffs this year now that they've got another solid player. But they're definitely going to have to do something else in the offseason to improve.

[str8philly]

I think the Wizards will be a force again, with a healthy Arenas, Antawn Jamison, & Caron Butler, they have their "big 3" to build around so to speak. I expect them back in the playoffs, but I agree they have to make another move to get back to the team they were a few years ago-(Annually winning around 50 games & going down to the Cavs in the postseason, LOL).

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Yea.

Arenas has to stay healthy. That's key. If he stays injury prone, Wizards need to deal him ASAP. And Jamison isn't getting any younger. The time is now to make moves towards a championship for them, but I doubt they'll be able to pull it off.

[str8philly]

Yeah, Arenas health is the key. But remember, the Wiz are almost stuck with him no matter what because before the '08-'09 season, he signed that massive 111 million dollar contract extension. The funny thing is the original contract was for 126 million, but Gilbert came out & said "I gave back 15 million because I didn't want the contract to be too huge, & I want us to have money to sign other players." Now when I heard that, I thought: "But you still got 111 MILLION DAMN DOLLARS!!!" LMAO!!!

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Shiiiiit. I totally forgot about that. That was before THIS season? WTF were the Wizards thinking? That's ridiculous...

But yea, he's still got 111mil... But obviously he's going to need it for all these surgeries and rehabs (or do the teams pay for all of that?)

He'll probably still need some of that money for the future because he sure won't be doing anything else after the NBA I bet.

[brandontheking23]

yea i agree 100 percent what the wizards need is another star player and theyll be up there with orlando i mean jamision and butler are getting older even miller. areans must stay healthy for the wiz to go deep

[str8philly]

The RJ 2 Spurs trade is interesting, the Spurs were pretty much dead in the water as soon as Manu Ginobili went down, & with RJ coming in, it'll take pressure off of Parker, Finley, Ginobili, & Duncan 2 score so much. This allows RJ 2 come in & flourish under a great coach in gregg Poppovich, & while RJ isn't the defensive player Bruce Bowen is, I think the Spurs can live with that if they can get somewhere along the line of 15-20 ppg from him.

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

I agree.

But I am almost 100% certain they're going to miss Bruce when they play Kobe.

Besides Shane Battier, Bruce Bowen is really the only other player in the NBA that has had some success CONTAINING Kobe.

"You can't stop him. You can only hope to contain him." LOL

But yea, that was the smartest move the Spurs have made in awhile. I think it'll pay off. Maybe not enough to win another championship, but who knows?

[str8philly]

Absolutely. That is definately gonna be when they miss Bruce the most. RJ isn't a great defender, but he has solid defensive footwork though. I have to wonder, who will be their starting Center now? It seems like they traded size for scoring IMO getting rid of Thomas & Oberto---(LMAO @ the "Oberto Beef Jerky" pic!!!). It should pay off, & it possibly turns what was an aging Spurs team into a threat out West-(which is what they usually are anyway).

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Yea, but size is what killed the Rockets against the Lakers in the playoffs. If the Rockets were to get Thabeet (BIGGEST STRETCH EVER at this point) I guarantee you we would be able to win a 7 game series against the Lakers.

Size seems to be more important in the West because of the Lakers.

And yea, Oberto Beef Jerky. I just HAD to include that.

[str8philly]

LOL, Ya'll getting Hasheem Thabeet would be huge but extremely unlikely. Size was a big factor in the West, & when you look @ it, Dwight Howard was a huge matchup problem for the Cavs, but the Lakers had size to combat Dwight's size so they won the title. I think it would be kinda crazy to see Shaq vs. Kobe in the 2010 NBA Finals--(you know come next April, May, June, it's all you're gonna hear everywhere).....

[brandontheking23]

i like the cavs but still they wont make it to the nba finals cuz they need more help especially when the magic just got carter

[Hypnotist22]

the magic got worse even thow they got carter cuz they lost hedo turgolou rafear alston courtney lee they lost athletic players on defense

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

I can't really agree with you. Yes, the Magic definitely lost some depth.

But Losing Turkoglu isn't the worst thing. Now they can use Pietrus to his fullest abilities. As for losing Alston and Lee, I'll take a healthy Jameer Nelson over Alston and Lee still has some growing to do. The Magic are obviously looking to win NOW, rather than in the far future.

[Hypnotist22]

yes but hedo turkoglu made all the clutch shots at the ends the magic would have never beat the cavs without him and jameer nelson is a great player but he doesnt make up for alston and courtney lee now i think that knowbody can truly guard lebron james and now shaq can guard dwight howard so i think the cavs will win the eastern conference

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

Umm... Turkoglu wasn't the one playing excellent defense on LBJ. Pietrus was. Turkoglu definitely made the difference on offense, but they can go out and get another perimeter shooter. But I don't think the Cavs or Magic win the East. I'm going with Boston.

[str8philly]

It'll be interesting 2 see Shaq & LeBron team up, especially since he didn't get close 2 a title with Phoenix. It shows the Cavs are willing 2 do anything 2 keep LeBron after 2010, & if there's ever a time when Shaq is motivated 2 win, it should be now=#1-Kobe just won a title, #2-He has 2 constantly hear how Dwight Howard is "Superman" eventhough he used that moniker 1st, #3-Seeing how the Cavs breezed through the season up until the East Finals, he knows he could be the missing piece 2 a title

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

One thing I was thinking about...

Kobe and D-Wade didn't win a championship without Shaq (until Kobe did it this year) and now LeBron may not win one without Shaq.

Shaq will have played with 4 of the best players in NBA history (if LeBron lives up to hype continuously...) with Kobe, D-Wade, Steve Nash, and now LeBron.

I just hope the Suns can find the players they need to help Steve win a championship. I've constantly heard talks about trading Amare which makes NO SENSE to me.

[str8philly]

True, I've heard everything from Amare going to the Wolves for Al Jefferson, to Amare being traded for Carlos Boozer-(which would be horrible for the Suns IMO), to a few other scenerios. I love Steve Nash, but if I were a betting man, I'd guess he's gonna end up leaving. They're doing everything they can to keep him, but I'm not sure if they'll be able to bring him the players he wants to compete for a title again. Just to think, wasn't it only 3 seasons ago when the Suns won 62 games??? Damn...

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

What I heard is that he told the organization and the press that if the Suns wanted to keep him and build around him, he'd stay and if they wanted to part ways and go a different direction, he completely understood.

But from what I've heard, they want to keep him. So whatever. He'll probably never win a championship but he's definitely a shoe-in for HOF.

[str8philly]

1,000% agreed. The Suns wanna keep him but even with that cap space they'll have, I don't see many players wanting to go to Phoenix especially when they don't know if Nash will stay--(It's like the College kid that doesn't wanna commit to a school because the Head Coach is thinking of leaving, example: John Calipari anyone? LOL!). That last statement is total truth though, Nash may never win a title, but he'll go down as a Hall of Famer, & one of the best PG's to ever do it.....

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

It's just like your 76er's ORIGINAL AI. He's not going to win a championship, but I have a feeling he'll make it into the Hall (although probably not a first ballot :-/)

[NoPlaceLikeHomeField]

So what are your thoughts on the new 76ers Logo and unis? Or old 76ers Logo I should say. haha. I like that they're going old school. I didn't ever really like the "modern" look.

And who do you think Philly's going to draft?