National Basketball Association

[dankrutka]

Mark Cuban's suggests NBA realignment.



Mark Cuban of Dallas Mavericks -- Conference realignment could benefit NBA - ESPN Dallas

I generally like the idea, but why even use the conferences for playoff seeding? What about just seeding 1-16 irregardless of conference?

[Snowman]

I generally like the idea, but why even use the conferences for playoff seeding? What about just seeding 1-16 irregardless of conference?

Unless they got rid of divisions too, then you may have to skip a few numbers to begin with.

[BrettM2]

I'd be ok with keeping the division format, letting the division winner in the playoffs (so 6 of 16), then bringing in the remaining 10 teams by record. I would not give the division winners home court unless their records warrant it though.

[warreng88]

The problem is when you realign, you never know how teams are going to be in the future. Once Timmy, Manu, Parker and Pop retire, the Spurs could be terrible. The Rockets could go no where but the first round of the playoffs with Harden and Howard and that is it. Rose is injury prone and could do that for the rest of his career. God forbid KD goes to Washington and Russ to LA and we are in the non-playoff teams again. Detroit could end up getting some great picks and build a good team. The point is, the only reason to realign is based on geography.

Division 1: Clips, Lakers, Sacramento, Portland and Golden State
Division 2: OKC, Dallas, Utah, Phoenix and Denver
Division 3: SA, Houston, Memphis, Atlanta and New Orleans
Division 4: Miami, Orlando, Charlotte, Washington and Philly
Division 5: NYC, Brookyn, Toronto, Boston and Cleveland
Division 6: Detroit, Indy, Chicago, Bucks and Minnesota

[dankrutka]

I like this proposal: This proposal will fix conference imbalance and the NBA schedule - SBNation.com

[Anonymous.]

I agree, the conferences are useless. They are hardly geographically separated these days. And with modern era money and travel, it is not difficult to jump back and forth during playoffs.

Something needs to be done, though. The West is ten times more competitive than the East. Right now, the East's leader would be the 6th seed in the West. It is a joke over there.

[Teo9969]

I like this proposal: This proposal will fix conference imbalance and the NBA schedule - SBNation.com

Switch the Wizards and Hornets, otherwise that Southeast conference looks awfully suspect.

[Laramie]

The Big West would be one tough region:

Arizona:

Phoenix Suns

Colorado:

Denver Nuggets

Oklahoma:

Oklahoma City Thunder

Texas:

Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
San Antonio Spurs

Like this plan; however, would you continue with the NBA All Star Classic?

NBA All Star Classic

East: Atlantic, Southeast, Divide the Lakes Region (Detroit, Cleveland, Indiana)

vs.

West: Divide the Lakes Region (Chicago, Milwaukee Minnesota), Big West, Pacific.

[Tigerguy]

Something needs to be done, though. The West is ten times more competitive than the East. Right now, the East's leader would be the 6th seed in the West. It is a joke over there.

That said, there is one thing that any team can do to improve their lot: get good.

[Laramie]

2015 NBA All Star Ballot by Sprint:


NBA All-Star Balloting 2015 presented by Sprint begins | NBA.com

Register & vote, if you participated in the ballot last season, your e-mail & pass word should work...

[Laramie]

WITWI: What's wrong with this?


The Thunder vs. Minnesota T-Wolves game in Minneapolis was one of the worst officiated.
Members of that officiating crew should have been disciplined.

[Laramie]

As you watch this guy develop, it looks as though he's on the verge of becoming a great inside post player. One observation you can't ignore about Steven Adams:

This guy is tough as steel.

He's been punched, pushed, kicked, grabbed, shoved, clawed & scratched; no matter what they try to do to him: it's like a mosquito pushing a train--it didn't mean a thing.

Steven Adams (15 points @ Spurs) is developing his inside post game; it has helped complement Serge Ibaka outside shots from the 3-point line.

When K.D. returns...

WATCHOUT THUNDER!

[Urbanized]

He also put Tim Duncan on a poster.

[HOT ROD]

plus a nice, non-called foul.

Adams is my fav OKC big, he just needs to work on his free-throws and develop a reliable post move (I can see he is working on this, though. woo-hoo).

[Laramie]

Milwaukee Bucks' new arena would cost an estimated $450-$500 million, it would be funded by:

1. $220 million in bonds that would be funded by projected growth from NBA players income taxes.
2. New owners bought the team last April and have promised to contribute $150 million toward the new arena.
3. Ex-U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl (former owner) has promised $100 million of his own money to help replace the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
4. The revenue collected in the enumerated items 1-3 would result in the arena being paid off in 2046.

Plan to help fund Milwaukee Bucks' new arena proposed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker - ESPN

2046? That's 30 years if the arena breaks ground in 2015-16.

Oklahoma City is blessed to have the Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) support from our citizens.

[Laramie]

Adam Silver says the NBA has 'to make a change' to its playoff format

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has picked a good season to go on record about restructuring the NBA’s playoff bracket...

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ba...232835099.html

[Laramie]

Every important NBA trade rumor in one place. Deadline: 3 pm today.

Keep up with the madness of the NBA trade deadline right here.

Every important NBA trade rumor in one place - SBNation.com

[Jersey Boss]

^ I believe that deadline time is 2:00 pm today local time.

[Laramie]

Thunder trade talk trending for Brook Lopez:

Could involve Jackson, Perkins & Smith...

Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder working on trade involving Brook Lopez, Reggie Jackson - ESPN

[Jersey Boss]

Checking out the sports page for the NY Daily News, there are two articles discussing the Nets making personnel moves. Neither article mentions Lopez. One article mentions moving Joe Johnson and the other brings up the possibility of Garnett going back to Minnesota.

[Jersey Boss]

Thunder trade talk trending for Brook Lopez:

Could involve Jackson, Perkins & Smith...

Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder working on trade involving Brook Lopez, Reggie Jackson - ESPN

From your cited article: " One[issue] would be the Nets getting an assurance that Jackson would be interested in signing an extension when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer." Based on prior stories of Reggie wanting to play for a contending team, this seems like a wide gap to overcome. Other moves by the Nets could make the contender issue even wider.

[Laramie]

.

Meet the new members of the Oklahoma City Thunder:

Enes Kanter, Center - 6' 11", 245 lbs - Age 22 13.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, .


D.J. Augustin, Point Guard - 6' 0", 183 lbs - Age 27 10.6 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 1.9 APG .


Kyle Singler, Small Forward - 6' 8", 228 lbs - Age 26 7.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.2 APG.


Steve Novak, Small Forward - 6' 10", 225 - Age 31 2.2 PPG, 0.7 RPG.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Thunder took a dump...

Now, if you’re going to task me with figuring out which of these moves was the best for the team, it won’t take very long at all. The best thing the Thunder did yesterday was send Jackson packing. It’s not even up for debate.

Now, the Thunder can move forward with a locker room full of players seemingly relieved by the front office’s latest trades. They no longer have to worry about one player putting his needs and demands above the team’s goals. They realize how much damage they could do even as an eighth seed in the postseason, and now they can focus on this and this alone.

Dumping Reggie Jackson was Oklahoma City Thunder?s Best Trade Deadline Move | RantSports

[zookeeper]

Oklahoma City Thunder took a dump...





Dumping Reggie Jackson was Oklahoma City Thunder?s Best Trade Deadline Move | RantSports

Dumping Jackson was a great move. Watching and listening to national NBA media, it's pretty clear most think like the guy you linked to - Oklahoma City had the best day in the Trade Deadline. Once in the playoffs, we'll look back on this as a pivotal day.

[Laramie]

A farewell message to Reggie Jackson:

"If you work for a man, in heaven's name work for him. If he pays you wages which supply you bread and butter, work for him; speak well of him; stand by him, and stand by the institution he represents. If put to a pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. If you must vilify, condemn, and eternally disparage, resign your position, and when you are outside, damn to your heart's content, but as long as you are part of the institution do not condemn it. If you do that, you are loosening the tendrils that are holding you to the institution, and at the first high wind that comes along, you will be uprooted and blown away, and will probably never know the reason why."--Elbert Hubbard

Good luck Reggie Jackson with your new assignment in Detroit...