The Official 2011-2012 NBA season thread

[dalyricalbandit]

[size=+4]Grant Hill[/size]

Perhaps the most coveted veteran role player on the market is small forward Grant Hill. For many years Hill has been a very serviceable, and at times spectacular, player in the NBA.

At this point in his career money likely means very little, so he will probably be willing to sign with the contender of his choice on a mid-level exception. That bodes well for the Heat as they have to be one of the more attractive situations for any veteran looking to get a ring.

While the Heat may seem set in terms of perimeter players, Hill bring a certain experience and savvy play that Miami's other bench players don't. This, of course, could be contingent upon the Heat using their amnesty cut on guard/forward Mike Miller who was a disappointment last season.

Even if Miami keeps Miller, however, it will be able to use its full mid-level exception. Hill wouldn't be more than a role player with the Heat, but he does everything well and has seen it all as a player in the NBA, so he would be an invaluable asset in Miami's search for a title.

 

[smittysmith]

LOL @ Orlando GM resigning for drunk calling Howard begging....

 

[b*braze]

LOL @ Orlando GM resigning for drunk calling Howard begging....

lol heard about that too

 

[one_manshow]

Some team gonna fuck up and pay Nene a heavy contract to only get 12 points and 6 boards a game from him.

 

[Beta]

Why he hittin a punching bag? How does that benefit him on the court? Drop his ass.

Some players box,take yoga, and other things to work out in the offseason. Idk what outlaw was doing it for specifically but its not the same as Ellis' moped accident

 

[dalyricalbandit]

The Los Angeles Clippers have been aggressive in their pursuit of New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, but their initial offer to Hornets general manager Dell Demps did not include either shooting guard Eric Gordon or restricted free agent center DeAndre Jordan, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.

The Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics have been the most aggressive teams pursuing Paul, but so far the Clippers have been the least desperate to land him because they believe they are set up to win in the short and long term if they can re-sign Jordan, extend Gordon this year and Blake Griffin next year and upgrade at the small forward position either through free agency or with Minnesota's unprotected first round pick in 2012.

The Clippers are reluctant to part with either Gordon or Jordan in any trade for Paul, the source said, because Paul hasn't given any assurances he will re-sign with them following the 2011-12 season and owner Donald Sterling is still deeply stung from the way forward Elton Brand burned the Clippers in 2008 by signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The franchise has just begun to dig itself out of the crater Brand's unexpected defection left behind. Point guard Baron Davis, whom Brand recruited to join him in L.A., was shipped off to Cleveland last February at great cost, the Clippers 2011 first-round pick that ended up as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

Without assurances that Paul will commit to the franchise long term, the Clippers are reluctant to break up their core group of young players or future draft picks they feel are essential to convincing Griffin to sign an extension with them next summer.

Paul has let it be known that signing free-agent center Tyson Chandler would increase his chances of re-signing with any team that trades for him, the source said, but at this point the Clippers have no intention of pursuing Chandler because is expected to command a deal of between $12-15 million per season, significantly more than Jordan, whom they are optimistic they can re-sign for a five-year deal between $7-9 million per year.

The Clippers' initial offer to New Orleans did include future draft picks, the source said. They also indicated they would be willing to absorb the contracts of players like small forward Trevor Ariza.

While Gordon and Jordan are obviously the Clippers' most desirable trade assets, the team also has former first-round picks Eric Bledsoe and Al-Farouq Aminu, the expiring contract of center Chris Kaman and Minnesota's unprotected first-round pick in 2012.

Paul has been the Clippers primary trade target. While the team also has interest in Orlando's Dwight Howard, it has yet to engage any substantive discussions with the Magic, the source said. Still, at this point Paul is the Clippers' primary target because his game would mesh better with Griffin and Gordon than Howard.

No trades can be completed until a new collective bargaining agreement is passed by the players association and the owners.

 

[caddo man]

Some team gonna fuck up and pay Nene a heavy contract to only get 12 points and 6 boards a game from him.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement agreed upon by the owners and players earlier this month, teams are allowed to waive one player from their team and remove that contract from their salary cap. Team’s will now soon be allowed to place bids on the waived player during the amnesty waiver process.

 

[playmaker88]

Nene Hilario would be an excellent piece to a lot of teams he brings more than those stats to the table.. ..still has that knuckleheadess in picking up silly fouls but that boy is a beast

 

[dabullsss]

t-mac off the board....
he signed a 1 year deal with da hawks

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/73...al-source-says

 

[Stew]

Feelings will be caught over this

 

[king papichulo]

Some team gonna fuck up and pay Nene a heavy contract to only get 12 points and 6 boards a game from him.

Would rather give Nene big money than Tyson Chandler

I'll say it like this, if I woke up on Friday morning and found out we gave Nene $60 million I would say, alright that's an overpay, but he's here and I could live with it.

If I woke up and found out we signed Chandler to anything over $45 I would freak, especially because I fully expect someone to give him $60 to $70 million over 4 years.

Chandler's a really good player, but he's always injured it seems and I question his drive after getting one last fat contract when he's already won his ring.

Seems like a guy who would be sort of content.

Maybe I'm totally off on that, IDK, it's just a weird feeling I get with him.

And Nene is just a bull and an extremely underrated defender himself.

 

[t_m_a_c_f_a_n73088]

Would rather give Nene big money than Tyson Chandler

I'll say it like this, if I woke up on Friday morning and found out we gave Nene $60 million I would say, alright that's an overpay, but he's here and I could live with it.

If I woke up and found out we signed Chandler to anything over $45 I would freak, especially because I fully expect someone to give him $60 to $70 million over 4 years.

Chandler's a really good player, but he's always injured it seems and I question his drive after getting one last fat contract when he's already won his ring.

Seems like a guy who would be sort of content.

Maybe I'm totally off on that, IDK, it's just a weird feeling I get with him.

And Nene is just a bull and an extremely underrated defender himself.

I have the same damn feeling and I want my team to sign him. Still theres something about those players that play the way we thought they could since they entered the league during their contract year that throws me the fuck off(word to Erick Dampier). If healthy and motivated like he was last year he is clearly the best center for a team who needs a defensive anchor and some heart in the locker room, but I just have a funny feeling. Gasol is the prize out of the centers to me but he's not going anywhere....

 

[t_m_a_c_f_a_n73088]

Aiight so am I being naive in thinking that kyle lowry, kevin martin, another player and 1st round picks would be a better offer than curry + filler or gordon + filler because thats really how I feel. We averaged the third most points in the league last season and that was mainly because of lowry and martin....

 

[af.r.i.c.a.]

Aiight so am I being naive in thinking that kyle lowry, kevin martin, another player and 1st round picks would be a better offer than curry + filler or gordon + filler because thats really how I feel. We averaged the third most points in the league last season and that was mainly because of lowry and martin....

yea you are because the warriors filler includes thompson and udoh and the clips is kaman/aminu/bledsoe not to mention draft picks.

 

[south4life]

Feelings will be caught over this

Lol thats a pimp slap in the face of the fans in New Jersey.

 

[dalyricalbandit]

NBA players have agreed to offseason testing for performance-enhancing drugs for the first time as part of the new labor deal reached with owners, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press.

Players' union executive director Billy Hunter sent the memo to players on Wednesday detailing these and other changes to the labor deal and recommends they ratify the agreement.

Previously, the NBA did not test players during its July-September offseason. Now, players could be tested up to two times during the offseason but would not be screened for drugs such as marijuana.

The memo was less clear about testing for human growth hormone, saying only that a committee would study the "possibility of an HGH testing program." NBA spokesman Mike Bass, however, insisted that both sides agreed to HGH blood testing, subject to the process being validated by a "neutral committee of experts."

It wasn't immediately clear who would be on that panel.

Major League Baseball and its players recently agreed to start HGH testing in spring training. The National Football League's new labor contract also included a provision for HGH testing as soon as this season — but only once the players' union approves the process. That hasn't happened, in part because the union says it needs more information about the test.

No matter what, NBA players will face additional testing if the deal is ratified.

According to the memo, players can be tested up to two times during the offseason for steroids and performance-enhancing drugs, beginning in the 2012-13 season. The memo said a majority of players will be tested no more than four times throughout an entire year, and that no tests could be given at the arena on the night of a game.

Players began voting electronically on the deal Wednesday night and could vote through Thursday afternoon, when team owners will hold a meeting in New York to vote. If the deal is ratified by a majority on both sides, the NBA fully reopens for business Friday with the beginning of training camps and free agency.

If the agreement is ratified, a 66-game schedule will begin on Christmas. Players will receive a prorated portion of their 2011-12 salaries.

After owners and players reached a tentative agreement on the main labor issues on Nov. 26, owners opened up the arenas so players could begin workouts without coaches present. In the meantime, lawyers for both sides continued to negotiate a lengthy list of "B-list" items right into Wednesday.

Among the items agreed upon, per Hunter's memo:

— A joint committee will discuss the NBA age limit, which for now remains at 19, with one year out of high school.

— Players with three years of service or less may be assigned to the NBA Development League, with no limit on the number of assignments. No player in the NBA for more than three years may be assigned to the D-League without his consent.

— There will be a neutral review of any fines imposed by NBA Commissioner David Stern for players' on-court actions.

— Upon request, a player will wear a microphone for one nationally televised game per month, one locally televised game per month and up to two playoff games per round. The player must consent before the content can be aired live and can't be subject to discipline for content captured as a result of wearing a microphone.

— Neither the league nor a team may discipline a player solely based upon an arrest.

The division of basketball-related income and numerous issues related to the salary cap system were the biggest obstacles to reaching an agreement. Players were guaranteed 57 percent of basketball-related income in the old deal but will receive 51.15 percent this season and will earn between 49 and 51 percent during the remainder of the deal.

In giving up the guarantee, transferring about $250 million per year to owners, players were able to maintain the current soft salary cap system that allows teams to use exceptions to exceed the cap, rather than the hard cap the owners sought.

...............

 

[infamous114]

Shane Battier announced on twitter he's coming to the Heat

 

[dalyricalbandit]

Shane Battier announced on twitter he's coming to the Heat

good pick up for the heat

 

[usmarin3]

SMH if the Heat even think of entertaining Eddie Curry. Just amnesty Mike Millers injury prone ass and give Dalembert his money and pay the luxury tax.

 

[KeepOnPushing]

SMH if the Heat even think of entertaining Eddie Curry. Just amnesty Mike Millers injury prone ass and give Dalembert his money and pay the luxury tax.

He's visiting them today