Official 2011-2012 NBA season thread

[ACIDBATHBELFORT]

I assumed they already had a secret agreement with Phil and that's why they fired Brown when they did. I guess that wasn't the case and tey just wanted to ax Brown. I'm a little suprised, but I think DAntoni is a good coach and the Lakers team probably fits his philosophy better than Melo's Knicks did.

I have to disagree that the Lakers personel fits his system. The Lakers dont have any good shooters to line up on the 3pt line. Outside of Kobe and Nash the Lakers dont have a consistent deep threat. Not to mention it doesnt at all fit Howard and Gasol. The Lakers are an older team who arent made for that up and down game DAntoni likes. Plus he doesnt coach D. The Lakers have a team that could be excellent on D with two big 7footers to anchor down low. I think they should have went after Brian Shaw or just let Bickerstaff continue to be the coach if they didnt want to cater to Phils demands. Unless DAntoni is willing to change his O, which I dont see happening.

[split decision]

Kobe is the fastest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 points. I wonder if he's going to become #1 in overall scoring someday?


Kobe Bryant youngest to 30,000

Kobe Bryant's ultimate place among basketball's greats may be up for debate. But there is no denying Bryant's spot as one of the all-time best scorers after he became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points Wednesday.

Bryant made a slashing right-handed runner in the lane with 1:16 remaining in the second quarter against the New Orleans Hornets, giving him 30,001 career points at just 34 years, 104 days old.

Bryant surpassed Wilt Chamberlain's previous record of 35 years, 179 days. The Los Angeles Lakers star scored 17 points in the first half against the Hornets.

Bryant joins Chamberlain (31,419 points), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928) and Michael Jordan (32,292) as the only five players in NBA history to reach the 30,000-point plateau.

"It's just a tremendous honor," Bryant told reporters after finishing with 29 points in the Lakers' 103-87 win. "I don't really know how else to put it. I've just been very, very fortunate."

NBA commissioner David Stern was present at New Orleans Arena to witness Bryant's achievement.

"I want to shake his hand. I think Kobe is, as a talent and a competitor, he's up there on the pedestal with Michael Jordan as one of the greatest," Stern told reporters before the game. "Kobe has such an extraordinary run playing at the highest level for so long with the championships to prove it in a league that is extremely competitive.

"Kobe and the Lakers have been an important part of the league, and I wish him well for this season and beyond."

Bryant spoke to the commissioner before the game.

"(Stern) said he was in (Las) Vegas when Kareem set his milestone and he just congratulated me and told me that I was one of the best competitors that he's seen in this game," Bryant said. "I really appreciated that. He's done a lot for the game and obviously this kind of being his last in the office and so forth. It really means a lot."

Bryant was the fifth-fastest player -- in terms of games played -- to reach the milestone, needing 1,179. Chamberlain was the fastest at 941 games, followed by Jordan (960), Abdul-Jabbar (1,101) and Malone (1,152). Bryant also was the youngest player to reach the 20,000-point mark.

"That just means he's old. He's played a lot," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni joked before the game. "I think it's great. Not many people can get that achievement. That's something he's earned and deservedly so. That's great."

Four of the five names on the 30,000-point list played for the Lakers at one point in their careers, a fact not lost on Bryant, who has spent all 17 years of his career suiting up for the purple and gold.

"This is a franchise, like I've said in the past, guys whose jerseys hang up in the rafters are some of the all-time greats," Bryant said earlier this week as the milestone was approaching. "Not just greats for the franchise. I don't know if there's any other organization that can say that."

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...-career-points

[Guilty]

I have to disagree that the Lakers personel fits his system. The Lakers dont have any good shooters to line up on the 3pt line. Outside of Kobe and Nash the Lakers dont have a consistent deep threat. Not to mention it doesnt at all fit Howard and Gasol. The Lakers are an older team who arent made for that up and down game DAntoni likes. Plus he doesnt coach D. The Lakers have a team that could be excellent on D with two big 7footers to anchor down low. I think they should have went after Brian Shaw or just let Bickerstaff continue to be the coach if they didnt want to cater to Phils demands. Unless DAntoni is willing to change his O, which I dont see happening.

Yeah it hasn't really worked out too well for them so far. I thought Dwight would kill it in the pick and roll with Dantoni as the cvoach. And Gasol is a good passer and decent enough mid range that I thought he'd be getting open looks. Having steve nash back would help somewhat, but their problem is more onthe defensive end than it is scoring. It's looking ugly for them right now.

Thunder have found their groove. Have won seven or eight in a row now. Westbrook has gotten better this year, he's been distributing the ball and he's really come far with consistency on the defensive end. Durant has madeh is game more well rounded too, he's playing better defense and cleaning up onthe glass a little bit too. These guys are hitting their prime and even without Harden they still have a shot at the title.

[BulldogWrestler]

It's baffling to me how bad the Lakers look right now.

Steve Nash, btw, doesn't solve these problems. As a team - they turn the ball over WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too fvckin' much.

[ACIDBATHBELFORT]

THe Lakers should have went with Phil. The dumb ass Jim Buss strikes again. He will ruin that franchise. He needs to put his pride aside. Dantoni is a solid coach but he is too damn stubborn on his system. The Lakers dont at all have the personel to play his up and down style. They are too old, not athletic enough, and lack the outside shooters. He doesnt bend to coach to the skill of his players. You need a coach who will focus on a half court, slower tempo. That will play to their strength of a low post game.

Kobe is most certainly an all time great. Im not sure he breaks the record. I think he only wants to play about this season and two more after. That would put him about 2-3 thousand short. I dont think Kobe is the type of player to play far below his standard. Kareem didnt mind, but I dont see Kobe playing on if he isnt a top tier player. He is the best player Ive seen outside of Jordan, Magic, and Bird. In time he may surpass Magic and Bird, but never MJ.

[split decision]

Steve Nash, fellow Canuck, is the fifth player to hit 10,000 career assists. Loooooong way to go to catch John Stockton at 15,000+. Not gonna happen, IMO.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...career-assists

[Guilty]

the Los Angeles LOLakers. There couldn't be a more dysfunctional team. The whole is less than the sum of their parts (I think that's right). I guess they're gonna trade Gasol? Is that contingent on Dwight signing an extension, or are they gonna give up Pau for someone's equipment manager then watch Dwight sign with Orlando next year? I would lmao if that happened.

Thunder/Clips tonight for best record in the NBA tonight. This has been a great season so far. Lot of stuff going on. Lakers and Celtics suck. Wizards are starting to look good. The Kings are going to Seattle, which I'm sure Seattle will reject on the principle of it being wrong to accept another city's team The Knicks aren't terrible, the Nets are somewhat good. Westbrook rejecting the Nuggets mascot from half court. This is a fun season.

[ACIDBATHBELFORT]

the Los Angeles LOLakers. There couldn't be a more dysfunctional team. The whole is less than the sum of their parts (I think that's right). I guess they're gonna trade Gasol? Is that contingent on Dwight signing an extension, or are they gonna give up Pau for someone's equipment manager then watch Dwight sign with Orlando next year? I would lmao if that happened.

Thunder/Clips tonight for best record in the NBA tonight. This has been a great season so far. Lot of stuff going on. Lakers and Celtics suck. Wizards are starting to look good. The Kings are going to Seattle, which I'm sure Seattle will reject on the principle of it being wrong to accept another city's team The Knicks aren't terrible, the Nets are somewhat good. Westbrook rejecting the Nuggets mascot from half court. This is a fun season.

I put almost all of this on that dumbass Dantoni. He clearly isnt a good coach. There is too much talent for them to suck like they do. His problem is he is hell bent on implementing his system. The Lakers clearly dont have the players for that system. The Lakers need to be in a half court set, pounding in to their bigs. Thats not his system and he wont bend to fit their skill set. Its really all on owership for not wanting to cater to the ego of Phil Jackson. If he were coaching the Lakers I promise you one thing, they wouldnt be this bad.

[BulldogWrestler]

D'Antoni is trying to squeeze his square system into a round hole and is unwilling to compromise or deter from his ways in any form.

It was a bad hire from the get go - I thought as much. I'd love for him to get fired and have Bickerstaff coach them. They looked like a different team under Bickerstaff.

Lakers - btw - are still in this. If they can make the playoffs - it's anyone's game. And they're still not far out - as bad as they've been this year.

As for the Kings going to Seattle - I expect fully for them to change the name to the Supersonics and Seattle will have its team back.

[ACIDBATHBELFORT]

I think Bickerstaff would have been a much better coach than Dantoni. Or even Brian Shaw if you dont want to cater to Phil. Either way, youre dead on about his sytem.