The Rest of the NBA

[reese125]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/40746/20060601/arenas_thought_he_was_being_punkd_by_mtv/

arenas thought he was getting punked

[phattymatty]

I've pinpointed the exact second that the Heat lost this series

[MDS]

Heat win tommorrow, farg Detroit.

[Geowhizzer]

Heat win 95-78 to take the series.

[BigEd76]

Mavericks/Heat will be a fun series to watch.  One of those teams will win their first title.  It's also the 3rd different team taken to the Finals by both Pat Riley and by Shaq....

I'll go Dallas in 7....

[Geowhizzer]

Go Heat! 

[reese125]

Im gonna have to go heat in this one. The way they played Detroit was like no other. I just dont think the Mavs have enough defensive inside/post presence which is Miamis very strong suit. When the Mavs played Pheonix, they got boards out the ying yang and wore the Suns out, and I dont think that will be the case against the heat. The have 3 killer rebounders in Shaq, Haslem and Mourning who have too much power inside for the Mavs this year IMO.

Heat in 6

[PhillyPhreak54]

Dallas in 6.

I want the Mavs to win.

I like Dirk. I like Avery Johnson as a coach and I like Mark Cuban. I wish he was an owner of one of our teams here in Philadelphia.

If Dallas wins, it means KVH gets a ring. And Stack.

[The BIGSTUD]

I like Dirk, but I hate everything Dallas.

Can't root for them. I'm not rooting for the Heat necessarily either, but I hope they win.

[reese125]

it means KVH gets a ring


your were laughing out loud hysterically to yourself when you wrote this right?

[PhillyPhreak54]

Laughing aand crying, actually.

And I hate south Florida sports fans. They're a buncha transient bandwagon jumpers. Farg 'em.

[MDS]

farg dallas

[Geowhizzer]

Laughing aand crying, actually.

And I hate south Florida sports fans. They're a buncha transient bandwagon jumpers. Farg 'em.

You cut me, Phreak.  Cut me deep.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Laughing aand crying, actually.

And I hate south Florida sports fans. They're a buncha transient bandwagon jumpers. Farg 'em.

You cut me, Phreak.  Cut me deep.

You know what I meant. I mean those hosers in Miami who were Marlins "fans" in 1997 and 2003 but can't tell you who Dan Uggla is now.

[phattymatty]

It's probably a bad idea to permanently post something like this on the internet, so that people can see what an idiot I am for years to come. Oh well, here goes nothing:

> 1 – Toronto: Andrea Bargnani – Combo Forward, Benetton Treviso (Italy)

Obviously I've never seen Bargnani play, but Brian Colangelo seems like someone who would jump at the opportunity to draft the next Dirk. And unlike Darko Milicic when he went #2 to the Pistons, Bargnani is actually a solid contributor for one of the top club teams in Europe. So in terms of immediate impact, don't think Darko, think Pau Gasol. Comparison: Dirk

> 2 – Chicago: LaMarcus Aldridge – PF, Texas

LaMarcus Aldridge fits an immediate need at the 4 for the Bulls. Tyson Chandler is a defender and rebounder at the 5, so the Bulls are in desperate need of a scoring big-man to fill the hole left by Eddy Curry's departure. Aldridge has a nice mid-range post-game that reminds me in a lot of ways of Jermaine O'Neal. That said, the Bulls might want to trade this pick for a veteran, given the overall youth of the squad. Comparison: Jermaine O'Neal

> 3 – Charlotte: Tyrus Thomas – PF, LSU

I'm not as high on Tyrus Thomas as everyone else seems to be. Some people compare him to Shawn Marion, but I don't see Marion's ball-handling skills or jump-shot. And until I see an indication that Thomas can develop his non-athleticism skills, it seems like a huge risk to spend a pick this high on him. Ideally, he'd go back for another year, and we would see what kind of skill progression he is capable of. At the moment, the player he most reminds me of is another undersized, low-skill, high-athleticism PF, Kenyon Martin. Comparison: Kenyon Martin

> 4 – Portland: Adam Morrison – SF, Gonzaga

I think Adam Morrison is going to be a bust, but I wouldn't be surprised if Portland took him here and turned around and dealt Darius Miles to try to win back some fan support. It's tough to be an All-Star swingman at the NBA level when you have a 12-inch vertical and a complete lack of lateral quickness. Morrison's not going to overpower anyone either, so I'm not exactly sure how he's going to score at the pro level. And he can't guard anyone either. So yea, good luck with that. Comparison: Ed O'Bannon

> 5 – Atlanta: Randy Foye – Combo Guard, Villanova

Foye could be very successful at the NBA level if he lands with a team that doesn't try to force him into a specific PG or SG role. He just needs to be a Guard. Atlanta could pair him with Joe Johnson in the back court, run a fast-paced offense, and really have an exciting young team along with Josh Smith and Marvin Williams. It's tough to come up with a good NBA comparison for Foye, because I really think he's a unique player. Comparison: Gilbert Arenas

> 6 – Minnesota: Rudy Gay – SF, UConn

Nobody's gotten a more unjustified bad rap this season than Rudy Gay. As the youngest core player on a stacked team with a strict coach, how can you expect him to take all the shots and demand the ball in clutch situations? Cocky, veteran leaders like Marcus Williams and Rashad Anderson aren't about to just turn the reins over to a 19-year-old, not matter how talented. Even so, playing within the UConn system and letting the game come to him, Gay led the Huskies in scoring and steals, and finished just behind Armstrong and Boone in rebounds and blocked shots. His game is perfectly suited to the 3 position in the NBA, and the Wolves should pounce all over him if he's available at #6. Comparison: Rashard Lewis

> 7 – Boston: Rajon Rondo – PG, Kentucky

Rondo is a tremendous athlete and energetic floor leader who was trapped in the wrong offensive system at Kentucky. In an open-court game, his defensive tenacity and speed would be devastating. His upside reminds me of TJ Ford or Tony Parker, however he is a far better rebounder than either. Like Ford and Parker, his shot is pretty awful, but on a team like Boston he could get to the rim or feed shooters like Pierce, Szczerbiak, and West. Comparison: TJ Ford, Tony Parker

> 8 – Houston: Brandon Roy – SG, Washington

Brandon Roy keeps getting mentioned as a higher and higher pick, and I'm not exactly sure why. He's a nice player, but he doesn't do anything particularly well. He's not overly quick, he's not particularly athletic, he doesn't handle the ball or see the floor like a PG, he's a little short to play SF, and he's not a lights out 3-point shooter. So where's his niche in the NBA? I don't see him being anything better than a nice complimentary player on a good team. Is that worth a top-10 pick? Comparison: Mo Peterson

> 9 – Golden State: Marcus Williams – PG, UConn

Marcus Williams is old school. He plays at a steady place, looks for his teammates first, and will make you pay if you leave him open. And when its crunch time, he has no fear of taking the shots. Throw in his high dribble, and there are two obvious old school comparisons for Marcus... Comparison: Mark Jackson, Rod Strickland

> 10 – Seattle: Shelden Williams – PF, Duke

I expect a tremendous instant impact from Shelden Williams. Much like happened with Carlos Boozer, I think we get so overexposed to Duke big men that we forget what they are capable of and start looking elsewhere for guys with more upside. In reality, how is Shelden Williams any different from Emeka Okafor two years ago? Similar height, same shot-blocking defensive impact, and both have efficient post games that feature a jump-hook. Comparison: Emeka Okafor

> 11 – Orlando: Rodney Carney – SF, Memphis

In my mind, Carney is the most overlooked player in the draft. I would have no qualms taking him in the top-5. He's an absolute FREAK of an athlete, and he improved his 3-point shooting ever year, to the point where he now hits at a 40% clip. With his size, speed, jumping ability, and jump-shot, how can you stop him from scoring? Comparison: Jason Richardson, Shawn Marion, Richard Jefferson

> 12 – New Orleans: Patrick O'Bryant – C, Bradley

I wouldn't be shocked if O'Bryant ends up going higher, due to the dearth of legit Center prospects in this draft. Especially if he impresses in workouts. From what I saw of O'Bryant in the NCAA tournament, he could be an impact pivot player in the league. He looks to be a legit 7-feet, and was very nimble and athletic. Comparison: Robert Swift (I'm high on Robert Swift's potential, so that was a compliment)

> 13 – Philly: Kyle Lowry – PG, Villanova

I'm not sold on Lowry's NBA potential yet, as I think he benefited from all the attention that Randy Foye and Allan Ray drew, and I'd like to see how he could step up on his own. However, if the Sixers decide to move Iverson, a local product with an NBA body, quickness, and strength like Lowry could be a tempting replacement. Comparison: Jameer Nelson

> 14 – Utah: Ronnie Brewer – SG, Arkansas

For some reason, I've just never seen this guy play. I guess they just don't show a lot of Arkansas games in the northeast? Utah needs a SG badly, and I feel like saying JJ Redick to Utah is just a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that Utah is a Mormon state and once featured a white-wash backcourt of Stockton and Hornacek. Comparison: N/A

> 15 – New Orleans: Shawne Williams – SF, Memphis

A ton of talent, but seems undisciplined and raw. Definitely a boom or bust pick, and 15 seems like a good time to try it. Comparison: Eddie Robinson