We somehow had the #2 overall defense with the corpse of Jermaine Oneal and defensive juggernaut Mike Beasley manning the middle last year... I am not worried.
This thread is hilarious. As a Lakers fan, I love this time of year, the entire league is filled with hope, the fans are jawjacking each other and to be honest, us Laker fans kind of sit above all of it and laugh. Every time the Lakers drop a game here or there, fans start popping off, saying how Kobe and Co., are falling apart, that L.A.'s time is done, yet we just smile. Oh and then come February and beyond we may casually watch a game or two down the stretch, just to see how the team looks heading into the playoffs. Then the pre-season ends and the real season begins. So, if I could chime in, I would say that yes, the Heat had the best offseason on paper. I would venture to say that the Knicks probably had the second best offseason on paper (although a very distant second) and the Lakers had the third. I base this on how much room for improvement each team had to gain. The Lakers shored up their second team and ar eprobably the deepest team 1-9 in the league. But there really isn't a ton of room for them to expand. Unlike the Knicks who can realistically think playoffs again in my opinion, and the Heat who can realistically think number one seed after jettisoning draft busts, and clearing cap space to lift Bosh and LeBron over to Miami. They will probably lead the league in regular (pre) season wins and have already benefitted from their drawing power by staking claim to a lot of marquee nationally televised games (including Christmas Day against the Lakers, who will seemingly always play on this day and never be watched by me). So in conclusion...we won't know much more until October, and we won't know the true outcomes until April, May and June of 2011. /thread
In my experience, most years nobody is talking NBA in August. The Lakers are the two time defending champs, so they're clearly on top. But I expect Miami to be the favorite this coming year and I believe Vegas lines already indicate that. I think the odds are better than most years that we'll see the two best teams in the finals. I think the Lakers and the Heat are a step above the rest of the league, although I like what Oklahoma City has done and Orlando is very good as well. I don't think L.A. or Miami can assume they have cake walks to the finals or anything but with a gun to my head those are the two teams I'd pick. I think it would be a great match-up. Miami has three superstars and the Lakers have two in Kobe and Gasol along with Odom who is capable of playing like a superstar in any given game. I think both benches are deep. Miami has better perimeter players and L.A. has better bigs. I just hope both teams have everybody healthy if they meet n the finals.
Very true Sam, even the Cavs had the #1 seed and the best record in basketball....and look at their emberassing exit to what was a much better "team" and the fact Prince Pippen II quit on his hometown boys, all 8 months of cav hoopla went out the window. So basically rather your a Knicks fan, Heat fan whatever, you should likely just keep it in your pants until June.......because like he said thats when the real season begins.
Stop worrying. You guys are still the champs till a team walks off your court with the trophy. We are not taking that from you in October, or now for that matter. The league is insisting that we wait till June.
I found this to be a very interesting article on Lebron's decision, possibly the most insightful piece I have seen.http://www.theknicksblog.com/2010/08/04/sources-lebrons-team-wanted-new-york/#more-17490
Doesn't seem particularly insightful to me. It describes how LeBron was supposedly hours away from becoming a Knick... a week after SAS broke the news that LeBron would be going to Miami. So if LeBron was THAT close to signing with the Knicks as recently as two days before The Decision, then we have a problem, because SAS was dead-on a week beforehand. Le Batard was also getting the same information from different sources days before The Decision. There's nothing insightful about a Knicks blog contradicting that timeline of events. It just seems like an attempt at self-consolation over the appeal of New York as a destination for premier basketball players.
All the article tells me really is that LeBron's team wanted Lebron in new york more than LeBron himself wanted to be there.
The article seems completely made up. The article says that his "team" was pushing New York as close as the day of the decision...yet it was verifed that Lebron's people booked the 25 cabanas at the "W" for their signing party 5 days before. (Oddly enough, the day of the Riley/Lebron meet and subsequent late night meet with lebron's agent) The article reads like a Knick fan pathetically reassuring himself through delusion. It is sad really.
I told you SAS changed his mind multiple times. The blog is run by a guy that hosts a show on SNY, not some random fan. Apparently there are people better connected then SAS. Considering he had the Amar'e signing before any major outlet and he had the Felton signing before any major outlet I'll take his assessment over any of the major outlets at this point who pretty much all proved to be worthless during this free agent period. So thats possible isnt it? Actually you'll find that if you scroll back to the days prior to the Lebron signing much of what is reported in that article is in this thread. The article added a few new points as well. Basically it sounds like the entourage wanted New York and Lebron chose Miami because of Bosh/Wade. Its not possible that Lebron booked Miami cabanas while the entourage wanted New York? Cause last I checked it could have easily happened that way. It doesnt change the facts in the end but it sure adds an interesting angle to it that maybe you and other Heat fans dont want to read but it doesnt make it less valid.
And I've told you that Le Batard arrived at the same conclusion as SAS from entirely different sources at a date earlier than this blog suggests LeBron was ready and willing to go to New York. The timeline doesn't work, Boik. There is no way that LeBron himself was 48 hours from signing with New York. It simply cannot be, based on everything we know about what happened during and prior to free agency. It really doesn't matter if you think SAS isn't credible on this topic, because Le Batard was still talking about this well earlier than 48 hours before The Decision. LeBron had already picked Miami before Bosh and Wade announced that they would sign with the Heat. Whether or not LeBron's friends preferred to go to New York is irrelevant. Potentially true, but irrelevant. LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat: LeBron James' friends did not sign with New York.
I am not disputing where Lebron signed dude. Im saying its very possible that Lebrons camp was in one corner and Lebron alone was in another corner. You can choose to believe what you will and I will believe what I will. I respect Lebatard but SAS has become a fool over the years. He holds zero credibility with me. You may not believe that story and I am not saying its 100% true but its certainly plausible and I wouldnt entirely dismiss it. The blog has a history of being correct.
My point is, that scenario in no way means LeBron was hours away from going to New York. He was never going to New York. That interpretation is simply wishful thinking fueled by a need to take solace in a silver lining. I believe the guys who were right days in advance. This really isn't a matter of personal interpretation of a vague event. We know what happened and when. There's very little up for interpretation here. He absolutely is a fool. But in this instance, he's a fool who was right. This counts for something.
So if you believe that LBJ was close to possibly signing in NY, does that mean you've abandoned that ridiculous 'LBJ was leading NY on' theory?
if it was about Bosh/Wade..then he decided on Miami on June 30th. Because I had solid info on Bosh being a lock to join Wade here in Miami. On July 1st, Bosh basically committed. and my source has a better track record than all of these guys. But there is something to be said about leBatard going on his show and saying that without a doubt that Lebron/Bosh/Wade was a lock right after the SAS report. To the point where, he sent in his report to ESPN and ESPN did not want to run with it, because their insiders couldn;t verify it. he then said, "I am going to keep verifying it.." and he did. The cabana story is the one that holds the most water for the timeline and I will explain why, I doubt that he books the cabanas himself. So somebody in his entourage had to do it. The booking was sandwiched between his appearance on "the decision" and melo's wedding in NYC. The cost for booking the cabanas was a little under 100k, of which 75% was non-refundable. 75k is a helluva alot of money to just throw away. They also booked entertainment, and catering. All of this happening the day of Riley's second meeting with Lebron's agent. You know the adage of "smoke and fire"..well this was a nuclear blast. that is not to mention The curious furious attempt at dumping Beasley the day after the Lebron meeting, and holding off on the Miller and Haslem deals. IMO, Chicago had no hope of signing him, and it was between Miami and Cleveland with NY and NJ as the fallback positions. I think as soon as the cap space was promised, he was on board 5 days before the decision, then the cabana rental. Again, as rich as these guys are..you are talking around 100k committed to a party in advance. We have learned since that the Fountain Bleu rental that was made On July 1st for July 9th was a Party for Heat front office personnel and NOT the Wade signing party that was speculated on.
Again, this is your opinion. Why is your information true and mine not? No because LBJ was leading on NY in my opinion. LBJ's entourage wanted NY not LBJ. All I did was hold LBJ to what he previously said. I didnt put words in his mouth. Obviously thats a lot for you to handle.
Because your information violates the timeline of known events. We're not trying to piece together a vague scenario based on half-complete documentation. We know what happened and when. At a time when Le Batard was verifying from different and reliable sources on a daily basis that LeBron was coming to Miami, that Knicks blog says that LeBron had already chosen New York. It's simply wrong. This isn't a matter of interpretation: it's wrong. I have no doubt that the person who wrote that blog has been right in the past--you've said that earlier, and I take that at face value. But in this particular instance, he is not right: LeBron was never going to New York. Period. Maybe LeBron's entourage wanted to go to New York. I can see that. But the blog claims that LeBron himself, not LeBron's entourage, was 48 hours away from announcing New York as his destination. This is not accurate.
I believe Cleveland was more unlikely than NY or Chicago....once he couldnt lure Bosh I think they dropped far down the list. To me it was obvious he was ready to move on midway through the Celtics series.
No, my information violates the information you believe. That doesnt make it truer than what I have posted. Youre dealing with two reputable sources so you cant just dismiss one like hes armando.
See thats why a college education is so important. If Lebron had gotten a college degree he wouldve chosen New York
Knicks are about to hire isiah Thomas as a consultant only. He will keep his job at fiu. At least its only as a consultant but still ultimate :facepalm: I'm guessing this is in some way related to his quote that he could deliver cp3. He better do it when the time comes.
LBJ also clearly stated that he preferred to stay in Cleveland and you ignored those statements. He also repeatedly stated that he would consider all the pitches. All you did was only look at things from NY's point of view.
He must really have some stuff on the FO in NY. How they let him back into the payroll after the huge buy-out a few years back really is beyond me.
thats interesting because if you go back about 700 posts you will find me saying that I thought it would be ny or Cleveland. He did say a lot more then he would consider all the pitches. I always felt he and bosh were tied together and I thought amare and wade were tied together. I was wrong on that but I never looked at things from a ny point of view solely. And its only recently that I have been bothered by the pro Miami stance because frankly the arrogance stemming from that fanbase is the type they usually complain about from new yorkers.
You see...we have found the problem. What you are taking as "arrogance" is actually happiness, but it sounds like arrogance to those that got "jilted" by their imaginary lover. When we say we are favorites to win it all, that is not arrogance BTW, that is reality seeing as las Vegas and everybody else has us the favorites.
It is usually the opposite. The smarter you are, you seem to know instinctively to run away from that cesspool.
BTW..let me be clear. I LOVE NEW YORK CITY. FIRST CLASS city..the people ..not so much..but again... I love that city, but I would rather blow my brains out than live there. But visit? of course..I would visit there all the time.
The information I believe? Boik, you can go look up my posts; at the time, I thought the information was wrong, and that I didn't believe LeBron would have a TV special to announce that he was leaving Cleveland. It wasn't until a few hours before the special, after one of Le Batard's sources in the Heat told him that LeBron had signed a commitment to the Heat, that I believed he was coming to Miami. This isn't a bias issue. This isn't a matter of considering one opinion versus the other. This isn't a matter of deciding which version of events sounds more believable. We know what happened and when, and the blog you linked disregards this. That blog is just as wrong as if someone had come out and said "Brett Favre has never waffled on his retirement." You can go back and check and see that Favre has indeed waffled on retirement. Likewise, you can go back and check the reports of where LeBron was going and when they were issued, as well as some secondary information (like LeBron reserving space in Miami for his party) and see for yourself that the blog you linked simply is not right. I don't know what the New York media is feeding its listeners, but from what you're telling me, it's BS aimed at covering rear ends, reputations, and fragile egos.
Future President/General Manager/Director of Player Personnel/Head Coach/Owner of the New York Knicks, Isiah Thomas will be on with Dan Lebatard in the next 5 minutes. Something about a Multi Year, Multi Million dollar extension for Eddie Curry is my guess.
I don;t want to make you nervous Boik..but this interview sounds ominous. Gotta say, Isiah Thomas is very likeable. and I have always thought he was a helluva coach.
Isiah Thomas on the old guys hating on the LBJ move: "Those guys have selective memories of how good their teammates were." Says he would have done the same thing if he were in LBJ's shoes.
