Official 2011-12 NBA Thread

[Toronto]

I'll post the first one, because it will be my only one. I don't care about the NBA these days and it has nothing to do with the lockout.

I just can't get into a league that has become a smaller version of the English Premier League. Life is good if you're a Laker, Celtic, Heat, Bulls, Knicks or Mavs fan, but for me, I have no hope as a Raptor fan.

As I watch Chris Paul try and engineer a trade to NY, I smiled and realized how fruitless it is for a lot of teams right now, and the Raptors are near the top of that list. Between the NHL and NFL I'm a happy guy anyways.

Enjoy the season.

[ZachLV27]

Small market teams can succeed in the NBA just like they can in the other sports. It just takes good management.

I'm honestly not a huge NBA fan. I am a huge Lakers fan though. I'll follow the Lakers throughout the entire season while mostly ignoring the rest of the league. Towards the end of the season is when I start paying attention to everyone else.

[Titansfan777]

Grizzlies!!!

[Johnnyb]

Small market teams can succeed in the NBA just like they can in the other sports. It just takes good management.

I'm honestly not a huge NBA fan. I am a huge Lakers fan though. I'll follow the Lakers throughout the entire season while mostly ignoring the rest of the league. Towards the end of the season is when I start paying attention to everyone else.

The Lakers got completely hosed in that nixed trade! I don't even like the Lakers but now I'm pretty I hate the Cavs more than any team. That owner sounded like a crying little baby in his email to the commish. And Stern looks like a little puppet for being talked into killing this trade! If these teams can't handle their own business then that's their fault, not the Lakers for trying to get a player they want.

Here's a link for the letter that the Cavs owner sent to Stern:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ArmFL.YeXqF7Aqe1btDiS.A5nYcB?slug=ys-nba_dan_gilbert_email_lakers_hornets_trade_120811

Edit:

In reading some more on this it makes a lot more sense why Stern nixed the deal. The NBA owns the New Orleans Hornets, so Stern did it to try and keep that franchise looking as good as possible for someone to buy. But in actuallity all he has done is hurt that franchise even more because there is no way that Chris Paul is going to resign there, he's going to leave in free agency no matter what. So getting something for him would be by far the best option.

The short of it is Sterns using his power far more than he should and is probably the worst commisioner in all of professional sports.

[JimOkc]

I am confused as to what the Lakers got in return for Odom. I was stunned to see Gasol as tradebait. Kobe and his situations...The circus as usual. People gonna be missing Phil.

I am reading locally of Perkins coming into camp this year seemingly recovered from his knee injury, Westbrook stating he isn't worried about a new contract, Durant being challenged by newly acquired Lazar Hayward, the signing of the first rounder and Cook's resigning as the 3 point specialist. Looks to be a tough OKC Thunder team again.

[ZachLV27]

The Lakers traded Odom for salary relief and an $8.9 mil trade exception. Now if they want to go after Howard they don't have to make the money match up exactly. If teams are at the luxury cap in the NBA then any trade made has to match up financially. Now the Lakers can trade away $20 mil in contracts and bring back $29 mil in contracts. It's a nice thing to have for the future because it will help them absorb a bad contract in a trade.

I'm not a fan of the Lakers trading Odom to the team they did but I was fine with getting rid of him. He is a good player when he's on but he's a fickle player. If he has the smallest thing on his mind he'll just disappear for entire games at a time. With the initial trade for CP3 being vetoed Odom started whining and crying that the Lakers were even thinking of trading him. He was truly shaken and emotional during interviews and he said he was hurt the Lakers would even think of trading him. It's kind of funny coming from him seeing as how he demanded his way away from the Clippers at the start of his career. I guess he only treats the NBA like a business when it best suits him.

Anyways, the Lakers have pretty much only lost Odom and gained McRobert's. It's a dropoff but not a very big one. This should still be a very good team and sooner or later (this season) the Magic are going to trade Howard and the Lakers are still the most likely destination.

[JimOkc]

LOL'd at this

http://www.dailythunder.com/2012/05/video-beard-like-harden/

now i got this in mah head LOL.....

[TRUTitan]

The Grizzlies- Clippers series was one of the best of the first round this year. I am only a little disappointed that the Grizz lost. My only critique is all the flopping that the Clippers were doing, but hell it is a LA and you have to expect some Hollywood style acting. Guess I am pulling for the Heat now so I can see Lebron get his ring.

[titan122]

Thunder up 2-0 on the Lakers. Lakers better put together a heck of a run if they plan on getting to the finals.

THUNDER UUUPPPPP!!!!

FEAR THE BEARD!