It's NBA time

[jgafs]

So why did Denver trade Nene, because that other dude is like his clone or what?

His contract and injuries were the reasons...And Faried is up there for ROY.

[hippityhip]

I haven't seen the last couple games, but it is a little baffling that Bynum doesn't get 15+ FGA's per night.

Agreed. His game has improved a lot. I do like what they are doing with Bynum and Gasol with Gasol being in a more supportive roll. This allows Bynum to attack the basket more efficiently. Only thing I don't like about Bynum is his mentality. He needs to grow up a bit.

[Taylor]

HUGE game tonight. If we win:

We own the tiebreaker against Denver.
Move to second In the NW.
Move to eighth in the west.

Did it. 6 in a row! This is just a little taste of everything the Jazz will be all season next year.

[hippityhip]

Can't wait to see the OKC vs Miami game today. Also I'm hoping for a Lakers win tonight. Sessions will be key with assists tonight.

[lehorne]

hoping for a Lakers win tonight.

that makes one of us.

Although "Lob City" was possibly (I don't know exactly what he was thinking) first generated from Blake purely as a look into future alley oops from CP3, I think it grew from the precise meaning early in the season to transcend that one particular play. It became a description of the Los Angeles Clippers winning ways. "Lob City victorious again" were on the national headlines and those headlines weren't specifically about dunks. It became broader than that singular type of play. It was a description of everything associated with the Clippers...all the players, the coaches, the FO, the fans. Why do you think Laker players and fans were so upset back then? It was combination of the Clips beating them in games, and in the standings, along with a unique nickname in what they perceived as their city. Now they’re smirking, so it’s time to wipe that smile off their faces and crush all em again.

Lob City has been buried for awhile, but it's still there underneath the surface. Just gotta go back to the hunger and confidence of yore. It's all still there as evidenced by the Grizzly slaughter yesterday.

[hippityhip]

Great game by okc. Durant played an all star game. They dominated Miami. Topped off with Perkins dunk and unintentional kick to Wades face. OKC is legit this year.

Lakers game is up. Hopefully Kobe keeps himself under 20 shot attempts, allows Sessions to open up the big men in the paint, and plays a back up role.

It was strange to see Fish playin with OKC today.

Go Lakers!

[Mr. Dylanja]

Suns only have 11 games left, and last I checked we were 2.5 back from 6th place.

[kreutz2112]

They have 17. And yes, the race for spots 5-8 this year is going to be intense.

[lehorne]

the pain of losing to the Grizz at halftime

[hippityhip]

They have 17. And yes, the race for spots 5-8 this year is going to be intense.

QFT.

Fucking crazy run for the playoffs in the West.

[SepaGroove]

Lakers better win tonight.

I hope the whole Mike Brown vs. Kobe thing isn't a big deal.

[hippityhip]

Lakers better win tonight.

I hope the whole Mike Brown vs. Kobe thing isn't a big deal.

Mike Brown and Kobe don't seem worried about it. Maybe just a misunderstanding... I hope.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...t-substitution

[Mr. Dylanja]

So, how does Lakers Nation feel about Mike Brown?

[unit300021]

I like Mike Brown. Yes he isn't Phil (but who is) and was a strange hiring. I also don't think any of the Lakers problems this season are due to him at all. Whether is was Phil or Adelman or whoever at Coach this season I still think we would be discussing the same problems. I never thought the Benching of Kobe was a big deal at all and that the media made a big deal. I also agree with the Bynum benching the next game. The only thing I don't get about Brown is his rotations, but that's not just me, that's everyone.

[GuyInTucson]

Mike Brown is a one-dimensional coach who doesn't really know offense as well as most coaches. That's not going to go over well in the long run in a town like LA that loves its showtime brand of basketball.

I am not a Lakers fan, but I watched him coach the Cavs for several years and his refusal to build an offensive system that catered to LeBron's strengths really hurt them when the postseason came around each year. I admit I haven't watched him often with the Lakers, so I don't know what he's doing there on offense. Is he still trying to run the triangle? Or is he just letting Kobe do whatever he wants while everyone else stands around watching like he did with LeBron in Cleveland.

[hippityhip]

I don't know about Mike Brown just yet. The Lakers defense has significantly improved since he has been on board as expected. They are really struggling with offense. To answer GuyInTucson they rarely run the triangle. He doesn't have the group buying his coaching style yet. It also seems that he is starting to lose control over his players like Bynum. The last game Bynum shot up a 3 even though there was a lot of time left on the shot clock and missed. He was benched for that. After the game Bynum goes on to say that he will continue to shoot three's and he feels that he shouldn't be benched because of it. Gasol later stated that he hopes Bynum doesn't do it because that's not his game to do so. Just seems like the team chemistry is falling apart since Mike Brown took over.

[bobert]

So, how does Lakers Nation feel about Mike Brown?

The jury is still out for me. As has already been stated, his defensive scheme is stellar, offense not so much. I like that he's beginning to put his foot into the ass of several of his stars. I love the way Bynum plays the game but a side of his personality has emerged this season that I never saw before (his flagrant foul against Jose Barea in the playoffs last year was the exception.) He's turned into one of the cockiest pricks in all of the NBA, and I applaud Brown for benching his ass against the Warriors, even though it almost cost us the game. He shot one three pointer, was benched, then Brown re-insterted him into the game and he pump-faked another 3pter then drove to the basket instead passing to a wide open Artest in the post. Ron-Ron to get called for a 3 second violation and Bynum got benched for good. It was the right call. The bench play has improved dramatically as of late and I feel like Ron and Matt Barnes have really responded to his coaching. If he can get Bynum and Kobe to pull their heads out of their asses I think we can make a good playoff run. If not, it's hard to see us improving much next year.

[Gribbz]

How is Stan Van Gundy still coaching the Magic?

[lehorne]

by a thread?

Clips back on track it seems. Mo Williams' defense being the difference on the bench. I know there are lots of Blake fans here:

[Gribbz]

This is a good game. Very chippy.

Clips back on track it seems. Mo Williams' defense being the difference on the bench. I know there are lots of Blake fans here:

In fairness, the Suns kind of suck.

[Mr. Dylanja]

In fairness, we have the best record in the western conference since the all star break.

[lehorne]

gotta admit, I'm pullin for Oki

[Gribbz]

Russell Westbrook should shoot the ball more.

In fairness, we have the best record in the western conference since the all star break.

I know.

[SepaGroove]

Westbrook shoots the ball too much.

If he actually distributed and got it to Durant more OKC would be better. Which scares me as a Laker fan cuz they're already really good.

This game is pissing me off. The Lakers are the worst team in the league when it comes to holding a lead.

[HotHamWater]

Westbrook shoots the ball too much.

If he actually distributed and got it to Durant more OKC would be better. Which scares me as a Laker fan cuz they're already really good.

"All he does is win."*







*apparently this only applies to Tim Tebow

[Gribbz]

Westbrook shoots the ball too much.

I was being sarcastic. He's a good player, just reminds me too much of Monta Ellis/Brandon Jennings.

[HotHamWater]

I was being sarcastic. He's a good player, just reminds me too much of Monta Ellis/Brandon Jennings.

Too harsh of a comparison, in my opinion. Haters gonna hate, and whatnot.

[HotHamWater]

Russell Westbrook. Clutch gene.

[Gribbz]

Too harsh of a comparison, in my opinion. Haters gonna hate, and whatnot.

Perhaps. I just think he makes questionable decisions and over-dribbles. Maybe he'll become more rounded as he matures.


Also:

Steve Nash: I won't stay if Suns don't 'upgrade' roster

How long they remain side by side could be decided in July, when Nash will be a free agent and Sarver will have to bolster the Suns roster to entice Nash to stay. Nash made that clear Thursday morning, when he used the first of three days without games to do a media circuit promoting Dove Men Care.

"I'm not going to come back to the Suns if there isn't an improvement, if they're not ambitious and they're not looking to upgrade the roster seriously," Nash told "The Dan Patrick Show." "And I think they are. They'll have a lot of flexibility in free agency. They'll also have been standing pat in many ways so they could do some things this summer. I think they'll become a definite possibility for me. I do want to win. I do want to consider all my options."

Nash also told Patrick that he did not believe the Suns entertained trading him last month.

"They always said to me they weren't going to, and I don't think that they really got close or really entertained it to any serious degree," he said. "I don't think it was that close. But it's going to be interesting this summer, being a free agent. I didn't really want to leave at the deadline. I feel like I owed it to my teammates and the Suns organization and the fans. And I possibly could be back, for sure, but that'll be more interesting, I think, than the trade deadline."

Nash stayed along the same line on Jim Rome's radio show, reiterating that he wants to win a championship "but there are a lot of things to consider."

He began the day with an appearance on ESPN2's "First Take," where he explained why he did not ask for a trade.

"I would've loved to have a chance to play for a title," Nash said. "But at the same time, it's a difficult situation. There's no guarantee. I can't walk in and say, 'Trade me here.' There's no guarantee where you go or what happens. For me to put myself in that position to, in some ways, jump ship on my teammates and a city and an organization that I've had a lot of success with, I feel a great connectivity to, I thought that was too much for me.

"This summer, I'll definitely consider all my options as a free agent. At the trade deadline, I feel like that wasn't the time or place to do it. I still feel like our team, in particularly when nobody gave us a chance this year, has a chance to sneak into the playoffs this year. It's not a championship but it's still something worth doing. I feel proud to be a part of the team."

Hopefully Sarver grows a pair and actually makes a trade.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns...de-roster.html

[Gribbz]

Russell Westbrook. Clutch gene.

WORST.