Basketball

[The Deluded Pablo Diego Jose Francisco]

Embiid is a legit superstar already. Single-handedly turned the Sixers from the worst team in the NBA to almost a playoff team. Can't wait until Simmons gets back, him feeding Embiid is going to be incredible. When we draft some guards then the East better watch out .

Do you want Rondo?

[Mifune]

Embiid is a legit superstar already. Single-handedly turned the Sixers from the worst team in the NBA to almost a playoff team. Can't wait until Simmons gets back, him feeding Embiid is going to be incredible. When we draft some guards then the East better watch out .

Do you want Rondo?

Fortunately the next draft is stacked with guards so I'll pass on that .

If you want to take Okafor off our hands though... maybe for Butler....

[The Deluded Pablo Diego Jose Francisco]

Do you want Rondo?

Fortunately the next draft is stacked with guards so I'll pass on that .

If you want to take Okafor off our hands though... maybe for Butler....

Butler is our only hope for us now

D Wade has done well but he's in the twilight of his career now.

We do need some 3 snipers (i think we're one of the lowest in the league in 3 point shooting ) so if you've got any spare then we'll gladly take em' off you!

[Mifune]

Fortunately the next draft is stacked with guards so I'll pass on that .

If you want to take Okafor off our hands though... maybe for Butler....

Butler is our only hope for us now

D Wade has done well but he's in the twilight of his career now.

We do need some 3 snipers (i think we're one of the lowest in the league in 3 point shooting ) so if you've got any spare then we'll gladly take em' off you!

Aren't there rumours that the Bulls might be looking to trade Butler? No idea why they would though.

We have the same need for shooters. We must be near the top of the league in how many 3 pointers we attempt but near the bottom in completion %.

[The Deluded Pablo Diego Jose Francisco]

Butler is our only hope for us now

D Wade has done well but he's in the twilight of his career now.

We do need some 3 snipers (i think we're one of the lowest in the league in 3 point shooting ) so if you've got any spare then we'll gladly take em' off you!

Aren't there rumours that the Bulls might be looking to trade Butler? No idea why they would though.

We have the same need for shooters. We must be near the top of the league in how many 3 pointers we attempt but near the bottom in completion %.

If we trade Butler then we might as well not bother playing at all!

Getting rid of coach Tibs was a big mistake (even though he and the front office had fallen out on more than one occasion) and then getting rid of Gasol, Rose and (to a certain extent) Noah and not replacing them with equal or better players make no sense at all.

I just look at our team i think its just a bunch of misfits put together with Butler and Wade having to do it all.

Our 21-22 record says it all really. We seem to be a team without any direction or identity and i honestly cannot see it changing any time soon.

[Mifune]

Aren't there rumours that the Bulls might be looking to trade Butler? No idea why they would though.

We have the same need for shooters. We must be near the top of the league in how many 3 pointers we attempt but near the bottom in completion %.

If we trade Butler then we might as well not bother playing at all!

Getting rid of coach Tibs was a big mistake (even though he and the front office had fallen out on more than one occasion) and then getting rid of Gasol, Rose and (to a certain extent) Noah and not replacing them with equal or better players make no sense at all.

I just look at our team i think its just a bunch of misfits put together with Butler and Wade having to do it all.

Our 21-22 record says it all really. We seem to be a team without any direction or identity and i honestly cannot see it changing any time soon.

Yeah the Bulls are in that crappy position where they aren't good enough to do anything in the playoffs but not bad enough where they are going to get a high draft pick. It actually reminds me of where the Sixers were before Hinkie took over and started "The Process". Hinkie's non-compete finishes at the end of the season and if you are in need of a re-build...

[The Deluded Pablo Diego Jose Francisco]

Things have gone from bad to worse for the Bulls over the past 3/4 days; Butler and Wade calling out their team-mates in front of the cameras and then next night they were benched because of it and only combining for 7 points on the night just to more insult to injury .

I understand their frustration (especially from Butler being there longer and seeing what's happened to the Bulls over the past 3/4 years) but for someone like Wade, a guy that has done it all, to say that is just wrong on so many levels. You should never do something like that in front of the cameras, you that behind closed doors and when Rondo comes out to defend himself and (rightly) blame Wade and Butler for what they did, then you know you've f***ed up!

[PISTON (BLACKCAT)]

Bulls are falling apart at the seems right now. Everyone's pulling in different directions.
When a character like Rondo questions your attitude/behaviour you've got big problems. Rondo was absolutely correct about dressing room ethics but he's hardly put himself in a position to preach.

[Mifune]

Cavs are going to get knocked out of the playoffs by the sixers

[PISTON (BLACKCAT)]

Cavs are going to get knocked out of the playoffs by the sixers

Can't believe what's happening to the Cavaliers. They've lost all momentum and even the close games aren't dropping their way.
Still plenty of time to turn things around but now Kevin Love has lower back problems and he'll be out for a little while.
Cavaliers need to get back on track as there's other more balanced squads starting to make moves on them.
I still think they'll find form but these loses are more than the usual one-off shock results now, they're becoming a mini-trend.

[Mifune]

Cavs are going to get knocked out of the playoffs by the sixers

Can't believe what's happening to the Cavaliers. They've lost all momentum and even the close games aren't dropping their way.
Still plenty of time to turn things around but now Kevin Love has lower back problems and he'll be out for a little while.
Cavaliers need to get back on track as there's other more balanced squads starting to make moves on them.
I still think they'll find form but these loses are more than the usual one-off shock results now, they're becoming a mini-trend.

LeBron's outburst was really telling. GSW have seemingly solved their chemistry problems and Cavs had a rough January and with the trade deadline coming up they don't have the cap space to bring in the quality to match them. LeBron is stil Lebron though.

[streamable][/streamable]

[Mifune]

KD getting absolutely trashed by the crowed in OKC .

I love watched Westbrook so much . Should get MVP this season.

[The Deluded Pablo Diego Jose Francisco]

KD getting absolutely trashed by the crowed in OKC .

I love watched Westbrook so much . Should get MVP this season.

Yeah, that was pretty intense until GSW pulled away and silenced the crowd.

I love to watch Westbrook too, the guy is an absolute beast and is always capable of pulling off some incredible move/explosive dunk!

[TBC]

Does anyone think Basketball would be better off with just a one game final?

I struggle to get behind a sport that has a 'best of' series.

[PISTON (BLACKCAT)]

Does anyone think Basketball would be better off with just a one game final?

I struggle to get behind a sport that has a 'best of' series.

There's no straight answer to that. Sometimes the series is a blow-out and i could understand that being a non spectacle to passive fans. On the flip side when two fairly well matched sides go toe to toe and it really does take five or seven games to separate them there's little better, especially the Game 7 when various "feuds" have developed over the series.
Through the play-offs there's always an argument that a winning team could be resting after a blow out while their next opponents are still slugging it out in a long series but that's why it pays to finish high in the regular season seedings.

If it were down to one game it'd probably be the biggest annual sporting event on the planet. One game gives more chance of a "shock" result but most would say seven games finds the true champions.

[Mifune]

Only a month left of the regular season now. Who do people think should get MVP?

I guess the contenders are out of Harden, LBJ, Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard.

Harden is probably the slight favourite at the moment but if Spurs can steal the number 1 seed from GSW then that might tip it for Leonard. LBJ and Westbrook have strong cases as well because of how s*** their teams are without them on the court. If Westbrook finishes the season averaging a TD then I think he should get it.

[The Deluded Pablo Diego Jose Francisco]

Only a month left of the regular season now. Who do people think should get MVP?

I guess the contenders are out of Harden, LBJ, Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard.

Harden is probably the slight favourite at the moment but if Spurs can steal the number 1 seed from GSW then that might tip it for Leonard. LBJ and Westbrook have strong cases as well because of how s*** their teams are without them on the court. If Westbrook finishes the season averaging a TD then I think he should get it.

I think Westbrook should win it above the others, he's deserved it considering the team he has and if he does manage to end the season averaging a TD (or near enough) then it also shows his consistency to perform night in night out at the highest level.

[PISTON (BLACKCAT)]

Play-Off time.
It all starts for real!!!

[The Deluded Pablo Diego Jose Francisco]

Just watching the GSW v Portland game.

Even though he's had a really good game defensively today, Draymond Green is a massive cronut!

[PISTON (BLACKCAT)]

Just watching the GSW v Portland game.

Even though he's had a really good game defensively today, Draymond Green is a massive cronut!

If GSW signed a genuine dominating big man i just can't see how they could be stopped apart from the salary cap.
If they went with a core of stars and absolute duck eggs on the bench they'd still have enough to cover an injury or two.
With a dominating big man who needs to draw a double team where do opposition defenders go? They'd need eight on the court to barely contain GSW.
As for Draymond Green, he's a good fit in their team as a general blue collar player but he's also good enough to require defending himself.

With a genuine inside threat it'd be almost impossible to set up defensively as GSW are so consistently dangerous from all points way outside the perimeter. The floor is opened right up and their shooters can drive too. It's pick your poison.