NBA Thread

[drunkpirate66]

I grew up a Celtics fan. Guys like Bird, McHale, DJ, The Chief, Ainge and others were my heros . . .

SO . . . since the Celts have gone out and signed Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett I figured why not try to be a fan again for the first time in about a decade . . .

I think Boston has a legit shot of winning the East . . . if the refs aren't throwing games in the Knicks favor all year that is . . .

thoughts?

[Lightning Bolt]

I'm happy for both the Celtics and Kevin Garnett for the possibility that
both can realize championship dreams now

otherwise, the only teams I can bear watching in today' NBA
are PHX and DAL. Whoever thought hack-attack defense
(and the endless timeouts called)
would make the sport BETTER must have been betting with that stupid ref.

I'll check in again next April when the playoffs start...

[_Mike_]

Lemmee clear a seat for you here on the bandwagon. Welcome back.

I too grew up thinking "the Celtics just win championships" - probably the way kids today think about the Patriots. Been watching the team struggle for a loonng time - although I did like the team that went pretty deep a few years ago beating Philly and losing to the Nets - those were fun times to be watching basketball in "The Garden".

The acquisition of Garnett and Allen is HUGE...and has made them contenders in the East (overnight) but I think next year they have a better shot at a ring, once the entire team gels.

Either way I love the buzz this has created and can't wait for the season to start.

[Capt.Flock]

I grew up a Celtics fan. Guys like Bird, McHale, DJ, The Chief, Ainge and others were my heros . . .

SO . . . since the Celts have gone out and signed Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett I figured why not try to be a fan again for the first time in about a decade . . .

I think Boston has a legit shot of winning the East . . . if the refs aren't throwing games in the Knicks favor all year that is . . .

thoughts?

LETS GO BOSTON

[spendingmoney]

I'm glad to see Garnett head to Boston. It gets him away from the crappy ownership and management that held him down for 12 years in Minnesota.

The one year Taylor and McHale managed to put decent players around Garnett, Sprewell and Cassell, he almost got to the finals.

So good luck Celtics and maybe nba fans will actually care about the East this year

[LIPH]

I grew up a Celtics fan. Guys like Bird, McHale, DJ, The Chief, Ainge and others were my heros . . .

SO . . . since the Celts have gone out and signed Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett I figured why not try to be a fan again for the first time in about a decade . . .

I think Boston has a legit shot of winning the East . . . if the refs aren't throwing games in the Knicks favor all year that is . . .

thoughts?

Jumping on the bandwagon before it gets too full to make sure you get a seat?

[drunkpirate66]

I grew up a Celtics fan. Guys like Bird, McHale, DJ, The Chief, Ainge and others were my heros . . .

SO . . . since the Celts have gone out and signed Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett I figured why not try to be a fan again for the first time in about a decade . . .

I think Boston has a legit shot of winning the East . . . if the refs aren't throwing games in the Knicks favor all year that is . . .

thoughts?

Jumping on the bandwagon before it gets too full to make sure you get a seat?

yeah, I guess I am a fair weather Celtics fan. And to be honest, I stopped watching the Patriots for a season or two back when they were the joke of the league . . . I think they took the Pats game off tv at one point. Always been die - hard Sox, though.

These moves that the Celtics made are just exciting. Curious to see how it all pans out.

[Indiana Jolly Mon]

The east is pretty weak so I think they have a shot. Pistons are old, Cleveland is a one man show, the Bulls are... well the Bulls, Miami is either old or injured, so why not have Boston be the team that gets crushed in the finals?

[CaptainP]

The Celtics have a dominant starting rotation now.
But they sacrificed all of their depth to get it.
We'll see...

[Tequila Revenge]

I grew up a Celtics fan. Guys like Bird, McHale, DJ, The Chief, Ainge and others were my heros . . .

SO . . . since the Celts have gone out and signed Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett I figured why not try to be a fan again for the first time in about a decade . . .

I think Boston has a legit shot of winning the East . . . if the refs aren't throwing games in the Knicks favor all year that is . . .

thoughts?

Come on DP, don't forget the NBA is a business too and the nuber one rule in business is to make as much money as possible.

[PackPhanGirl]

...and can I just add that just because Michael Jordan has say with the Bobcats, it doesn't mean they have to be a mini-UNC!!! I won't be spending my money there to watch a "grown up" tarheel team play!!

[jonesbeach10]

I grew up a Celtics fan. Guys like Bird, McHale, DJ, The Chief, Ainge and others were my heros . . .

SO . . . since the Celts have gone out and signed Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett I figured why not try to be a fan again for the first time in about a decade . . .

I think Boston has a legit shot of winning the East . . . if the refs aren't throwing games in the Knicks favor all year that is . . .

thoughts?

Come on DP, don't forget the NBA is a business too and the nuber one rule in business is to make as much money as possible.

doesn't matter...they still s*ck

[Dezdmona]

Man, this absolutely burns me up.

He wouldn't have been on the team as long as he was if Don Carter hadn't been so soft hearted and kept giving the guy second and third chances.

What a jerk.

[popcornjack]

Is it bandwagon jumping if you were a fan growing up, but then just stopped caring--not about them, but about the whole league--but are now curious as to what might happen?

IMO, the signing will do more for putting butts in seats than it will rings on fingers. I like KG and think he's a great player, and I've been watching Ray Allen since his days at UCONN, but he's been way too injury prone. And Capt P. said it best: There's no depth left. 3 superstars are great, but when of them misses sustained time due to an injury (and I believe it is not a matter of IF, but a matter of WHEN) there's going to be trouble.

So...will I watch Celtic games? Yeah, probably. But will they, and the game in general, keep my attention all season, especially when college starts? Nah, probably not. But if, in April when college is over, they are doing well, you might want to clear off a seat for me.

[drunkpirate66]

It is bandwagon jumping if you were a fan growing up, but then just stopped caring--not about them, but about the whole league--but are now curious as to what might happen?

IMO, the signing will do more for putting butts in seats than it will rings on fingers. I like KG and think he's a great player, and I've been watching Ray Allen since his days at UCONN, but he's been way too injury prone. And Capt P. said it best: There's no depth left. 3 superstars are great, but when of them misses sustained time due to an injury (and I believe it is not a matter of IF, but a matter of WHEN) there's going to be trouble.

So...will I watch Celtic games? Yeah, probably. But will they, and the game in general, keep my attention all season, especially when college starts? Nah, probably not. But if, in April when college is over, they are doing well, you might want to clear off a seat for me.

there was an article in the Wallstreet Journal shortly after the Celtics signed Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett about how when East coast teams perform better the rest of league prospers. In terms of the NBA; Boston, Philly, and New York, when playoff contenders, produced better television ratings and other revenues throughout the league. When Portland and Seattle got the number 1 and 2 picks in the draft most experts predicted a drop in ratings. Interesting, I felt. The same is true for other sports as well . . . specifically baseball.

[CaptainP]

NBA thread doesn't stir nearly the same amount of interest around here as the Baseball thread and Football threads.



That being said, is everyone ready for the big event?


Tonight's Milwaukee Bucks / Houston Rockets game is expected to be the most watched sporting event of all time!!!

They are expecting up to 250,000,000 to watch the game.

Why?

The first ever matchup in the US between China's Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian...they are expecting that many people in CHINA to watch the game...the largest audience ever for a sporting event....

[SharkOnLand]

Nene tore a ligament in his hand, he'll be out for at least 6 weeks, they're saying.

The Nuggets have had a whole lot of problems with injury (and the fight with the Knicks) these last few years.

[Hoosier PH]

People still watch the NBA?

[CaptainP]

People still watch the NBA?

Only in China...

[AlbatrossFlyer]

from yesterday's press conference announcing the 2009 All-Star game in Phoenix.

When questioned about the 2 Suns players suspended for coming off the bench last year during the play-offs, Commissioner Stern responded "A rule is a rule"

Yet when pressed why not one official was disciplined after more than half of the league officials where found to have violated the no casino / no gambling rule Stern replied "One of the reasons I was lenient toward the officials, was that I was dissatisfied with our consistency in enforcing the rule"

Right, and the league doesn't fix games through the officiating..... The NBA is no better than pro wrestling.