The Official NBA Discussion Thread IV

[RyanRXP]

What is chance that Sacramento somehow is able to keep the Kings?

It is likely that they are staying for next year:

NBA officials now expect the Kings to play next season in Sacramento, league executives told The Times on Friday.

Whether the team, which was about to seek permission to move to Honda Center in Anaheim, stays in Sacramento beyond next season is yet to be decided.

Officials say it will depend on Sacramento-area governing bodies and businesses fulfilling Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's pledges to the NBA relocation committee last week in New York, including construction of a downtown arena for the Kings.

Commissioner David Stern declined to compare the Sacramento and Anaheim packages — "That's for the committee to decide," he said — but confirmed the NBA's continuing interest in Sacramento's offer.

"Mayor Johnson made certain representations about community support that he had secured," Stern said from New York. "The committee thought it would be prudent to send an NBA task force out to Sacramento to verify those commitments.

"And that is now what's being done."

League officials agree that if Sacramento lives up to its pledges, committee members and NBA officials want the team to stay there long-term.

Kings co-owner Joe Maloof told the Associated Press that he is "as anxious as anybody" to see if Johnson can deliver.

"There's been no decision made," Maloof said. "As far as we're concerned, we're still looking at our options."

After a decade of failed negotiations for a new arena — with Stern washing his hands of the matter afterward — Sacramento politicians had lost credibility with the Maloofs and the NBA.

However, Johnson's new presentation with the I's dotted, the Ts crossed, the timetable specific and the funding appearing to be credible, things changed.

A league official called Johnson's presentation "amazing."

NBA officials agree that there is no problem with Anaheim's offer, or the area's suitability.

The problem is Sacramento's bid, which was big and, as far as the committee has found to date, solid. At that point, Anaheim became, as one league official put it, "immaterial."

Suggesting he remains skeptical, Maloof told the AP:

"I don't know that Kevin Johnson's meeting in New York swayed the NBA one way or another, but I think that the NBA next week is going to go into Sacramento to verify a lot of the promises Kevin Johnson made to the board.

"There were various sponsorship promises and a promise to show the board once and for all how a new arena not only will be planned, but financed."

Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett, a member of the relocation committee, and NBA attorney Harvey Benjamin spent two days in Sacramento this week.

Local politicians received them like royalty, including Darrell Steinberg, the president pro tem of the State Senate, as well as Johnson, a former NBA star.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...,7538878.story

As for Knicks. What a very disappointing for a home game.

Why does everyone act like the Knicks are a top team? They lost because they are only a barely .500 team who isn't any better than the 76ers. Plus they are missing their staring PG, their best player is only at 65%, their role players have no playoff experience, and they don't have any depth. They are simply over matched by a Celtics team that is the most experienced team in the east and has the best defense in the east. The Celtics wanted to face the Knicks and the Knicks wanted to avoid the Celtics for a reason. There is a very good chance that the Knicks would be swept in the series even if they were 100% healthy.

So it wasn't disappointing at all, only inevitable. The only reason why the Knicks kept the fist 2 games close was because the Celtics were playing poorly. The Knicks not only need more experience, they need better players before they are ever going to win a playoffs series.

[Mr. Pink]

Why does everyone act like the Knicks are a top team?...They are simply over matched by a Celtics team that is the most experienced team in the east and has the best defense in the east. The Celtics wanted to face the Knicks and the Knicks wanted to avoid the Celtics for a reason. There is a very good chance that the Knicks would be swept in the series even if they were 100% healthy.

So it wasn't disappointing at all, only inevitable.

Preach it dude!

[Mr. Pink]

Bye bye Legacy and Overdrive

[Legacy]

I am not Knicks fan Mr.Pink. I am sadly a Wizards fan.

[Legacy]

So Hornets stay alive! Ballsy move by Jackson for going for Gasol and not the 3. However too bad this could be last playoff game for CP3 as a NO Hornet

[RyanRXP]

Preach it dude!

You entirely missed my point. My point was that everyone was acting as if the Knicks won 50+ games, when they were only 1 game over .500.

Lets compare the Knicks to the 76ers. The 76ers finished only 1 game behind the Knicks, but they didn't have even 1/4 of the expectations of the Knicks. If the 76ers lost Holiday after game 1 and if Brand was only 65% healthy, they would be expected to lose by 35 points every game. But when the Knicks are in the same position, people act like they were the favorites in the series. Do so many people actually think that 1 game is such a huge difference?

I am sick of people complaining about the Knicks in that series. They played better than they should have and it is very clear that the future is bright for this team.







I keep on saying that the #1 problem with this team was how they handled the Melo trade. If they were to give up Fields, let Denver keep Billups, and keep Felton and Galo in New York(the deal that Denver wanted), they would have been a better team.
Billups never fit into their offense well and wasn't a good leader on the court. Felton was a true leader on the court, was younger and fit better into the Knicks offense. Fields is not that great of a player and doesn't have a lot of potential. And Galo would have given the team exactly what they now lack, shooting and defense(not to mention another 10 free throw attempts per game with an 89% FT shooter).
If they still had Galo, Melo would be able to defend Rondo, instead of being worn out from defending Pierce. The Knicks overvaluing Billups and Fields proved to be just as harmful as I thought it would be. They still have a bright future, but they need a lot of work. They first need to get a good SG who can shoot and defend in the draft, then they need to sign Jerome Jordan, and they need to resign Mike D'Antoni. If they can do those things and sign a few good role players, they can maybe be a top team next season.

[Mr. Pink]

You entirely missed my point. My point was that everyone was acting as if the Knicks won 50+ games, when they were only 1 game over .500.

Which is very important when you have some people like Mr. Legacy there saying certain teams are immediately better because they're from New York and always going to beat a loser team like Boston

[Legacy]

I never said they would beat Boston there is always the element of chance and possibility, but NY was better with addition of STAT and Carmelo no doubt no one can argue that point compare this team to last season it is better. But Boston was going to win series.

[Legacy]

The Washington Wizards announced today that they will unveil the team’s updated brand featuring a red, white and blue color scheme during an exclusive event at Verizon Center on May 10 at 11:00 a.m. The event will be highlighted by the introduction of the team’s new uniforms and marks.

“The updating of the Wizards brand has been a priority we have focused on with our partners at Adidas and the NBA league office for the better part of the past year and we look forward to the introduction of our new look on May 10,” said Wizards Executive Vice President of Business Operations Greg Bibb. “We are excited about the finished product and we are eager to share the new designs with our fans on a day where our proud past will meet our exciting future.”

The unveiling event on May 10 will be attended by Wizards Majority Owner Ted Leonsis, Bibb, President Ernie Grunfeld, Head Coach Flip Saunders, current Wizards players, notable Bullets/Wizards alumni, the Wizards Girls and G-Wiz. It will be open to media and invited guests only, but will be streamed live on www.washingtonwizards.com. Additional details concerning press coverage will be released at a later date.

http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/wizard_042111.html

Sounds like Bullets scheme is coming back. as a Wizards fan i am happy. Time for a change. We have John Walls we need a redo, a start over and best way to do it is with fresh new uniform.

[RyanRXP]

http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/wizard_042111.html

Sounds like Bullets scheme is coming back. as a Wizards fan i am happy. Time for a change. We have John Walls we need a redo, a start over and best way to do it is with fresh new uniform.

We knew about the new colors a long time ago. The teams new owner created a list of 101 changes he planned for the Wizards back in October:
http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/teds101.html

Change 28 and 31 explained that the color change was happening. Change 31(Change Wizards’ team name to Bullets) is a change to look out for and is listed as "Under consideration"