NBA Offseason 2009

[LoveDensity]

also why would it matter if lebron can't guard pfs? just stick shaq on them.

That only works against some teams. Putting Lebron on PF is also a rebound liability. Most times when Lebron gets a rebound, its either a Defensive Rebound or a sneaky offensive rebound. Also now you are basically putting lebron against a huge center. It won't work if the teams have a good center+PF combo like Boston, LA Lakers, Orlando, or New Orleans.

Lol I am a Warriors fan and I have seen Don Nelson trying to pit Stephen Jackson vs Yao Ming because they think Biedrins can't guard Yao. It worked the first game because the whole team was swarming on Yao Ming's ass when SJax needed help and the Rockets couldn't make shots. But thats not good in the long run when coaches can adjust their gameplan or if other players have gotten hot or back to normal shooting touch. Teams that put smaller guys against bigger guys like Charlotte, Warriors, Knicks, rarely have that success because they lack an overall versatile bench

 

[Aeroblacktyl]

lol what? cavs will see lakers twice a year, the celts game will be a slow down game aynways and lebron can 100% most definitely take care of brandonbass/rashard lewis and david west. i've see artest/battier shut down last year ffs.

and it still doesn't change the fact that w/e lebron gives up on defense, he'll get back twice as much on offense. the only person that has a hope of guarding lebron at pf would be kg, and even then he's still going to be getting a lot of help. and you're going to tell me lebron is going to be better off having anderson varejao right next to him at pf? yeah right, because lebron will have an easier time being guarded by pierce and having kg help out cause no one gives a shit about AV. but if kg had to guard him, the others can't leave their man. pierce/ray helps out and it wide open 3 pointers for cavs, which is kind of how their system works with lebron distributing anyways

 

[Lakers]

lol what? cavs will see lakers twice a year, the celts game will be a slow down game aynways and lebron can 100% most definitely take care of brandonbass/rashard lewis and david west. i've see artest/battier shut down last year ffs.

and it still doesn't change the fact that w/e lebron gives up on defense, he'll get back twice as much on offense. the only person that has a hope of guarding lebron at pf would be kg, and even then he's still going to be getting a lot of help. and you're going to tell me lebron is going to be better off having anderson varejao right next to him at pf? yeah right, because lebron will have an easier time being guarded by pierce and having kg help out cause no one gives a shit about AV. but if kg had to guard him, the others can't leave their man. pierce/ray helps out and it wide open 3 pointers for cavs, which is kind of how their system works with lebron distributing anyways

You also have to realize a team would adjust their game plan if they were to put Lebron at the 4. A Team like the Celtics could just go small, putting KG at the 5, Pierce at the 4, then Walker at the 3 (Although I doubt youd see that). If that didnt work then they could just switch to a zone to stop lebron on offense. Even if it opens up the 3 for the Cavs I think theyd rather turn the Cavs into a jump shooting team then a just give Lebron the ball on the block team

 

[LoveDensity]

lol what? cavs will see lakers twice a year, the celts game will be a slow down game aynways and lebron can 100% most definitely take care of brandonbass/rashard lewis and david west. i've see artest/battier shut down last year ffs.

It is easy to adjust your gameplan to play better against Lebron offensively and defensively. But, Lebron James against people like Amare Stoudamire, Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, Carlos Boogers, A healthy Elton Brand, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Antawn Jamison, can score on James all day with their good post up offense. If its Cavs vs Lakers finals, where it matters most, it will not be twice a year. I'm looking Lakers to repeat a champion performance. I've seen Artest/Battier do a pretty good job at guarding David West, too, but he still has a good game in scoring and rebounds. Putting James in PF just gives up so many rebounds and the Cavs are known for their rebounding skills. Moon+James can't rebound as well as Varejao+James. But I admit Varejao shouldn't start, Cavs should have just signed a better PF or try to trade for a PF later.

and it still doesn't change the fact that w/e lebron gives up on defense, he'll get back twice as much on offense. the only person that has a hope of guarding lebron at pf would be kg, and even then he's still going to be getting a lot of help.and you're going to tell me lebron is going to be better off having anderson varejao right next to him at pf? yeah right, because lebron will have an easier time being guarded by pierce and having kg help out cause no one gives a shit about AV. but if kg had to guard him, the others can't leave their man. pierce/ray helps out and it wide open 3 pointers for cavs, which is kind of how their system works with lebron distributing anyways

Lebron James is an overall dominant force and it is too hard to guard him. Teams best hope they keep Lebron to just long range shots. Is it even good to let KG and Paul Pierce guard Lebron James and having Moon play offense? Yes, Lebron can leave open 3 pointers and maybe this year, the cavs can start making 3 pointers and start having other players contribute other than himself.

 

[Aeroblacktyl]

amare plays center, suns used shaq to dominate bosh both ends last year, lamarcus is soft, paul milsap i'd just stick shaq on him, since their center is okur and he's not going to abuse lebron with his "post moves" same with boozer, have shaq guard him and let lebron stick on okur. dirk and jamison can't even do up lebron considering they like shooting, so if anything, they're shooting over lebron. duncan is also negated by shaq as proven in the past decade of their match ups

so really no one takes advantage of cavs with lebron at pf. and it's sure as hell better than letting any pf on the roster guard them

 

[iBeast]

Ok, if you guys aren't keeping up with the Warriors (My Team) here are some trade rumors.

• Andris Biedrins + Speedy Claxton + Acie Law for AMARE STOUDEMIRE
• Andris Biedrins + Brandan Wright + Corey Maggette + Speedy Claxton + Acie Law for AMARE STOUDEMIRE + JASON RICHARDSON
• Corey Maggette + Speedy Claxton for CARLOS BOOZER
• Corey Maggette + Speedy Claxton + Acie Law for ANDREI KIRILENKO
• Andris Biedrins + Speedy Claxton + Acie Law for CHRIS BOSH
• Corey Maggette + Brandan Wright + Acie Law + Speedy Claxton for TRACY MCGRADY
• Speedy Claxton + Acie Law for SHANE BATTIER
• Corey Maggette + Acie Law for BARON DAVIS

I like the JRich/Amare one. I love JRich. He was the true warrior. In the "We Believe" Era, he helped us get to that.

 

[Zabuza momochi]

i think that ariza was the best thing the rockets could get also the rockets are going for it again they look better than ever now

 

[Lakers]

amare plays center, suns used shaq to dominate bosh both ends last year, lamarcus is soft, paul milsap i'd just stick shaq on him, since their center is okur and he's not going to abuse lebron with his "post moves" same with boozer, have shaq guard him and let lebron stick on okur. dirk and jamison can't even do up lebron considering they like shooting, so if anything, they're shooting over lebron. duncan is also negated by shaq as proven in the past decade of their match ups

so really no one takes advantage of cavs with lebron at pf. and it's sure as hell better than letting any pf on the roster guard them

And the Lakers wouldnt take Lebron to school with that frontline? Bynum is still developing, but hes not exactly a guy you just stick Lebron on. Same with Odom, who can guard Lebron as well. You are also forgetting we got Artest now. If the Lakers start Artest/Odom/Gasol as the 3/4/5, we perfectly match up with this idea. Artest can guard Lebron, and stick Odom on Moon. The Lakers dont lose anything on that, and just gain offensively. Last I checked, Artest was 1/2 defenders that held Lebron to 0 assist in a game last year and less than 20 pts

 

[iBeast]

Yeah, I think he is another Artest. I like him better than Artest, but I don't know about you guys. Artest is good, but I just like Ariza better.

 

[TDS]

i think that ariza was the best thing the rockets could get also the rockets are going for it again they look better than ever now

You do realize that they dont have tmac yao or artest right?

 

[omni]

I like the JRich/Amare one. I love JRich. He was the true warrior. In the "We Believe" Era, he helped us get to that.

you guys call one year an era? haha

 

[Lakers]

you guys call one year an era? haha

Well that is the highlight of their franchise, other then trading VC for Jamison lmao

 

[iBeast]

Yeah, of course! What else do we got? The ERA of Mookie Blaylock, Chris Mills?
That is an ERA for us. But I got a feeling that this year will be another good year. We got a wonderful backcourt, that can both SCORE (FLAT OUT SCORE)

+ The Western Conference got kinda weaker, besides the Lakers and the Spurs. The Rockets are dead (Unless Ariza carries them, doubt it) The Suns are dying also. Nash is getting REAL old, and I don't see unity in their team anymore. The Pacific Division is weak besides the Lakers. 2-3 teams in the playoffs are gonna drop down this year, and the Suns are gonna be out of contention (I think) So I think we could do it this year ;)

 

[Aeroblacktyl]

And the Lakers wouldnt take Lebron to school with that frontline? Bynum is still developing, but hes not exactly a guy you just stick Lebron on. Same with Odom, who can guard Lebron as well. You are also forgetting we got Artest now. If the Lakers start Artest/Odom/Gasol as the 3/4/5, we perfectly match up with this idea. Artest can guard Lebron, and stick Odom on Moon. The Lakers dont lose anything on that, and just gain offensively. Last I checked, Artest was 1/2 defenders that held Lebron to 0 assist in a game last year and less than 20 pts

uh are you dense? regardless of what cavs play they'd lose to the lakers...so this has no relevence to anything about lebron not succeeding at pf.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

 

[Lakers]

uh are you dense? regardless of what cavs play they'd lose to the lakers...so this has no relevence to anything about lebron not succeeding at pf.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Even if its not the Lakers, I guess you arent seeing my point of how a team could easily adjust to Lebron playing the 4. They just put their SF on Lebrick, and put the 4 on moon. They dont exactly lose much defensively, and they still have mis matches on offense. Plus, if you actually watch a Cavs game, he isnt exactly the best defender. He may be a great defender on the break, but he still isnt good as a 1 on 1 defender. Any team that has two decent big men will just wreck him

 

[HeroMasaki]

I'm loling too hard here. You guys do understand that LBJ is stronger and 95% of PFs in the League? There are only 4 PFs that he can't guard (I'm counting Timmy as a Center) Dirk, KG, Gasol, Amare. And possibly LaMarcus Aldridge. You guys are acting like he doesn't have any resemblence of a Post Game. The man didn't shoot 48% (58% TS) from the field by shooting all jumpers. Think about this - the guy has 10-30 Pounds (!!!) on most starting PFs. And lets not even COMPARE the Athleticism. Also LeBron plays PF all the time when Cleveland goes small ball.

 

[Lakers]

I'm loling too hard here. You guys do understand that LBJ is stronger and 95% of PFs in the League? There are only 4 PFs that he can't guard (I'm counting Timmy as a Center) Dirk, KG, Gasol, Amare. And possibly LaMarcus Aldridge. You guys are acting like he doesn't have any resemblence of a Post Game. The man didn't shoot 48% (58% TS) from the field by shooting all jumpers. Think about this - the guy has 10-30 Pounds (!!!) on most starting PFs. And lets not even COMPARE the Athleticism. Also LeBron plays PF all the time when Cleveland goes small ball.

I doubt that. Lets just say hes stronger than Pau Gasol just for example. Lets see him guard that in the post when Gasol can just shoot over him and have a field day

 

[Aeroblacktyl]

so how is that any different than what gasol would do to varejao? if you honestly think lebron would fare WORSE than anything cavs put out there at pf, then you're highly cynical

 

[Lakers]

so how is that any different than what gasol would do to varejao? if you honestly think lebron would fare WORSE than anything cavs put out there at pf, then you're highly cynical

Until Lebron can be a proven 1 on 1 defender, I might consider taking Leon Powe or even Varajao as the 4. Plus, Varajao might be weak as fuck, but he has length and size. Varajao is 7 feet with a decent wingspan. Lebrons 6'8, maybe 6'9 if hes lucky? Those extra inches in height can make a difference. In a small ball lineup Lebron is a decent option at the 4, but an every day 4? No, their best option would have been to try and sign a decent PF instead of throwing varajao 10 mil

 

[HeroMasaki]

Wait, Wait, Wait. LeBron can't defend 1 on 1? Really? Explain to me then how Cleveland had the #1 defense in the NBA last year. I wouldn't exactly call Delonte West or Anderson Varejao defensive stoppers. Who do think is put on the other team's best guy?

EDIT:

The guy was second in DPOY voting for a reason (Even though D-Wade had more steals AND blocks, just sayin..)

LeBron has a Wingspan of 7"0. That's just fine for a PF of 6"8/6"9

Oh and if height is such an Issue, how do PFs like Boozer and David West manage to perform well in this league? Oh and LeBron is stonger than both. He has atleast 20 pounds on David West. Hell sources say he might be at 270 (!!!). In comparison Big-Z is 7"3 260. Just sayin.

 

[Aeroblacktyl]

Until Lebron can be a proven 1 on 1 defender, I might consider taking Leon Powe or even Varajao as the 4. Plus, Varajao might be weak as fuck, but he has length and size. Varajao is 7 feet with a decent wingspan. Lebrons 6'8, maybe 6'9 if hes lucky? Those extra inches in height can make a difference. In a small ball lineup Lebron is a decent option at the 4, but an every day 4? No, their best option would have been to try and sign a decent PF instead of throwing varajao 10 mil

oh so their best option is to hop in a time machine and do something else that they can't do now? you ARE dense. they have lebron and varejao now. using what they HAVE and not what they SHOULD HAVE DONE A FEW MONTHS/YEARS AGO, lebron is the better choice at pf anyways. and that also means more offensive options other than crap ass varejao making cavs play 4 on 5 on offense

 

[LoveDensity]

Wait, Wait, Wait. LeBron can't defend 1 on 1? Really? Explain to me then how Cleveland had the #1 defense in the NBA last year. I wouldn't exactly call Delonte West or Anderson Varejao defensive stoppers. Who do think is put on the other team's best guy?

Of course because Cleveland has a defensive-minded coach that stress on defense. A defense need a whole team to perform on defense. Cleveland succeeds in defense because they have good help defense which can help force bad shots, block shots, and steal the ball. Delonte West ain't no slouch in D.. he is a pretty good stealer and a guy who has to the potential to block shots at 6'3. Varejao is not the best defender, but is decent. Although heshould be better for a championship-caliber team like Clevevand and what's he getting paid for.

The guy was second in DPOY voting for a reason (Even though D-Wade had more steals AND blocks, just sayin..)

First of all, Cleveland has the best record during the season. Teams with some of the best record always have an upperhand in award voting. But anyways, James managed to get second because he has good help defense and good transition defense.

LeBron has a Wingspan of 7"0. That's just fine for a PF of 6"8/6"9

Lebron James can play any position not named Center. But PF is not his natural position and takes a while to adjust. Lebron James doesn't necessarily have the post-up game that PF should have or an energy level like Paul Millsap or David Lee.

Oh and if height is such an Issue, how do PFs like Boozer and David West manage to perform well in this league? Oh and LeBron is stonger than both. He has atleast 20 pounds on David West. Hell sources say he might be at 270 (!!!). In comparison Big-Z is 7"3 260. Just sayin.

PF are their natural position. They can post up, rebound, and are real good at the pick and roll or pick and pop. Cleveland has to mostly rely on Lebron to execute the pick and roll(he is a point forward after all and Mo Will isn't really a distributor PG.)

 

[Lakers]

oh so their best option is to hop in a time machine and do something else that they can't do now? you ARE dense. they have lebron and varejao now. using what they HAVE and not what they SHOULD HAVE DONE A FEW MONTHS/YEARS AGO, lebron is the better choice at pf anyways. and that also means more offensive options other than crap ass varejao making cavs play 4 on 5 on offense

Its really funny if you think lebron could be an every day PF for the Cavs. I can tell you now his assists would drop easily, possibly along with points. Playing the wing is a lot different then playing the post. Lebrick might be able to do it, but he wouldnt be the same Lebron you see now. Plus, not every team has a Rashard Lewis that will just tear up Varajao. Also, Varajao isnt all that bad on offense. Saying its like a 4 on 5 is a joke. If you put it that way, after watching the playoffs it should have just been 1 on 5. Their game plan was let lebron carry us, and they failed miserably.

@ Love Destiny: Im glad somebody doesnt just try to go by voting. If you actually watched a Cavs game, Lebron isnt a good 1 on 1 defender. Hes a good defender on the break, but that doesnt translate into 1 on 1 defense.

 

[darkie]

sjax to dallas rumor

 

[Zero]

They want to get rid of Ellis? Wow.