I couldn't tell if people were being sarcastic about that other song being better, but the song they play is fantastic. I didn't know the history behind it, which makes it even better now that I am aware. It's corny, catchy, and gets everyone going.

I move for a vote of full confidence in the playing of this song every fourth quarter for the next 10 years.

Though seemingly insignificant, it's yet another move in a series of perfect moves made by the new ownership. The only thing i will forever disagree with is the signing of Thaddeus to that over-sized deal.

Disclaimer:  Westbrook is very good and very young.  There has been a lot of criticism thrown at him, and i agree with most of it.  But this isnt about a reactionary "we hate westbrook now" trade.  I just have a trade idea as an admirer of the thunder, how they came to be (roster construction-wise), and where they are going.  It'll probably get repetitive.

The trade is Westbrook, Perkins, and Robinson for Chris Paul.  Or some version of that.  At its very base/foundation, Westbrook for Paul.

Let me explain a little, even though i dont feel i have to.  Chris paul is the best point guard in the league, by very far.  This year's playoffs served as a reminder.  On a bad team, with mostly role players, he put monster numbers and made LA think more than they wanted to.  He is only 26.  And his injury history, while a mild concern, is not an issue in the grand scheme.

The difference between a Paul-led Thunder team and a Westbrook-led Thunder team almost seems ridiculous to think about.  It's like crying with a loaf of bread under your arm (if that's the saying...).  But that's what life, and certainly sports, is all about.  Trying to to be the best version of yourself, then be content.  With Chris Paul, i think the thunder realize ALL of their potential.  Everything would run smoother, as he is the best decision maker in the game.  He has a team ego, not a significant individual one in terms of "getting his."  And he still is very capable of getting his, efficiently, while still running the team well.  He puts people in the best position to succeed, making the team succeed as a result.

This compares favorably to a westbrook team.  While he and the thunder are clearly very good, I think the potential for the team is limited by his weaknesses.  Just because he is bigger, stronger, and more athletic doesnt mean he is a better scorer.  Because he isnt.  Paul is much more efficient, with more range and consistency.  His passing has obviously improved.  But he'll never even come close to CP3.  And while he may become a defender in the future, he certainly wouldnt be missed on that end.

I think the thunder would be guaranteed championships if a trade for Paul happened.  But, with the Heat rising, i dont think a Westbrook team will be able to get over that last historic hump...unless Harden/Durant take another big step in their game.  That is what makes this situation odd because everyone on the team is so young that its absurd that they are this good.  Maybe i am wrong, but i think durant was exposed overtly in this series as needing to add strength/ballhandling.  He struggled to get the ball and struggled to keep it.  Harden had a coming out party, and i absolutely love him.  I love the whole team, i am just concerned about westbrooks game and demeanor.

The thing is that i am sure similar issues have been raised recently, but i have been feeling this way for a while now.  I think generally when westbrook is featured heavily compared to durant, the team has less success.  This is not to say Durant is flawless, its just that westbrook's flaws are glaring. 

These flaws are made more visible because of the relative availability of Chris Paul.  Here's where i will address the possibility/fairness/logistics of this kind of deal.  The hornets are in peril because they dont have an owner and may be moved.  However, the main catalyst is that Paul is obsessed with winning and his first big contract is finally ending after next year (with a player option the year after i believe).  Players have to say all this loyalty nonsense because they have to.  I think we all know that he is frustrated.  To all you "realists" out there with your "wait and see the facts," what were you saying before the heat thing happened?  The same thing.  I think Paul is almost guaranteed to leave, with his situation mirroring LeBron's (and Dwight's for that matter).

The hornets need to move on, and acquiring westbrook...instead of nothing...is clearly not a bad deal.  I think that's why all of this fair.  Westbrook is very young, exciting, and talented player.  He isnt due to be paid until after next year, when the Hornets could match any offer sheet anyway.  So they'll have their player locked down, as long as they can afford him--which i think the will be.  The rationale is that Paul will want out, will probably sign sign somewhere else anyway, and Westbrook is very good and young.  Pauls contract will be bigger annually too, so its not a wash.  Perkins is thrown in because that is kinda what makes it fair.  The thunder are in the position of power and simply need to be able to match salaries per the cap.  And while this is counter to what is probably a "cut spending" philosophy as owners must pay for the team, i think it makes sense because letting paul leave without anything will put the team in more danger.  What would attract anyone to that team besides just owning an NBA team?  Westbrook would.  He would sell some tickets and you can start rebuilding somewhat (okafor and i guess Perkins would hinder that a little money wise). 

But i think perkins could also be moved because he has perceived value, which i disagree with.  Which is also why id do this trade from OKC's standpoint.  He is alright, ya know.  Decent defender, brings toughness...but thats about it.  Easily replaceable.  I find it hard to believe that Cole Aldrich couldnt bring some similar attribute to that position.  Also, this trade would put the thunder in position to be able to afford a free agent center.  My dream, because i am a huge Oden fan, would be for the Thunder to sign him.  That would be amazing, for him and Durant to be on the same team.  (I know, injuries...blah blah blah)

Ultimately i think this trade makes a lot of sense for both sides.  Obviously it favors the thunder, but only a little bit.  There's risk on their side.  But i think the dream of championship would be much more likely to become reality.  They still have their cap flex (thanks to the !!ABSOLUTE BRILLIANCE!! (albeit logical and more should be able to) of the nick collison deal.  That amazes me and will continue to.  He is a great role player who wont take up much salary for here on out.  They did that for a reason.)  New Orleans gets a young stud, an energy/clubhouse guy in robinson, and a possibly tradeable asset in a defender like perkins.

Does anyone have any thoughts?  Did anyone read this?  I am expecting negative ten people.  Not-10.  Would have to have ten people read it to get to no one.

I am just in search of truth and sameness right now.  Does anyone else out there feel that is a nightmarish, soul-crushing, worst case scenario season?

If no one agrees, ok.  Looking at contract statuses anticipating their end, basically the life of a sixer fan post-iverson, is no way to follow a team. I may be a bad fan; i also may be realistic. 

But i just wana see if there's anyone else out there that thinks everything bad happened aside from a few scant good things (some progress for Jrue, Turner).  Im finding it hard to find hope. 

So Roy and Camby are coming back soon.  you already have wes matthews.

Would you, in an effort to make a run at a title, trade Batum, Miller, and Oden for Steve Nash?

I think its a good idea IF you guys get healthy near the deadline.  gotta let oden go.  and Nash will fit.  Hes the outside threat u need while being an amazing set up man.  Great players adjust and nash and roy are great players.  I think a lineup of Nash, Roy, Matthews, Aldridge, and Camby is title worthy.  rudy, pryz, dante off the bench.  just a nice little stew going.

I love Greg.  I followed your team because of him, and i think i have somewhat of a pulse of your fanbase' general point of view.  But I am curious to see if I actually do.  And here is the question:

If Oden ultimately does not re-sign with the blazers ... (i guess either management decides to not give em the qualifying offer or someone gives him too much money to match)  ...and Greg somehow stays relatively in good health and has success, possibly great success...would that be the most devastating blow to the franchise in its history?  Even more than Brandon's apparent inability to stay healthy?

Im more of an Oden fan than a Blazer fan, but I would think that be the most heartbreaking thing imaginable as a blazer fan after all that has happened.

This is a very improbable scenario given all the variable, but I am just curious if anyone would indulge as to their opinions of the hypothetical.

Every win sets us back weeks, months, years.  The way the team is constructed will never not be mediocre.  Winning is not good.  I dont care what people are saying about  "rooting for losses is bad" or whatever rationalization type thing.  This is the worst.  We may as well bring back andre miller.

And this isnt one of those sarcastic posts.  I think the degree of winning this team has lately, if it continues, is the absolute worst thing for this team. 

Have at me.

I am growing increasingly skeptical about people's understanding of the amount of money and length left on Iguodala's contract.

Sometime I go on ProSportsdaily basically just to get dumber.  And one of the articles that they had posted or linked from another site or whatever did just that.  This is the link: http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101128/SPORTS03/11280360/Frank-Iguodala-could-be-bait-to-speed-Sixers-rebuilding

Now, I am lazy and dont want to continue searching for details, but I am pretty sure that figure of 56 million and 3 years left is 100 percent inaccurate.  "Sure, Iguodala has a bad contract, with three years and $56 million left on his deal."  What I remember is that we signed him for 6 years and 80 mill.  Three years and 56 mill equates to like 18.6repeating per year.  Every site ive looked at for salaries, and by every site i mean the two i looked at in hoopshype and hoopsworld, not one year goes over 18 million.  Im no Enrico Fermi, but i think that would make those reported figures impossible.

Heres what i think.  I think people believe that Iguodala got Elton Brand's contract of FIVE years and 80 mill...and that still doesnt make sense numbers wise.  I have no idea if any other reports have this being iguodala contract situation, but I feel it is very wrong.  One thing I am not sure of is his actual contract.  Like a short glance at his wikipedia page says that he got 5 million in bonuses or something.  I dont know, but my large gut feeling is that people overreact to iguodalas contract situation because its just the thing to do.  Who would you rather have?  Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay, Andrea Bargnani, Luol Deng.....Elton Brand..............or Andre Iguodala???????????????????

Andre Iguodala's contract should basically no longer be as huge an issue as people are making it out to be.  Yes, he may be overpaid--a smidge--but the motha chucka is good at basketball.  And many other people are overpaid.

So what the hell's going on?  Can we please get some correct figures out there?  Maybe people would be more comfortable with iguodalas contract if 7 to 12 million dollars were shaved off in one day because of bad sports journalism.  Again, maybe the figures are right and i just dont know whats up.  But talk to anyone i know, i usually know whats up.  People think very highly of me.  Im well-liked in Hartford.

When people talk about Iguodala, they just go to negatives.  Its become such a habit now that his positives basically arent highlighted or arent highlighted enough.  This has led to misinformation.  Everyone has switched off their targeting computers and theyre not Luke.

If anyone can clear this up, that would be awesome.  After that, call Rod Thorn and Stefanski.

damnnnnnnnnn.   dude put on a ton of muscle.  he literally had to have just eaten and lifted the entire summer.  its actually really awesome since that was obviously one of the things he had to work on, getting bigger by adding poundage to that slight frame.  if he hasnt lost any speed or athleticism (which u usually gain some as long as u are workin out legs too), the man's learning curve will not be quite as steep.

now, he is raw.  we all know that.  but the thing that my friend and i debated was whether or not he will start eventually, with the variable being demarcus cousins.  my viewpoint is that DeMarcus is a power forward.  He has great skills in the post, has a midrange jumper, can put it on the floor a little and will get better at that, and is a terrific passer (fact).  i think he is a more powerful pau gasol.  i dont think any major outlet has compared the two, but i think demarcus has a much similar skillset to him and i see a lot of Pau in his game even now before his career has even started.  i think i remember him even saying in an interview that his favorite player to watch in the nba is pau.

so whats up kings fans?  demarcus is a 4, right?  and is Whiteside gona have to wait a year to get significant minutes in a semi-crowded frontcourt?  i am a big fan of putting youngins through the fire, especially those of demarcus caliber.  my starting five would be Beno, Tyreke (or vice versa), Omri, Cousins, Whiteside from DAY 1!  this allows them to get their growing pains out of the way faster and their potential to be reached quicker, coupled with building chemistry with Reke.  a lot of people dont like thru the fire and say "earn it," which i disagree with.  that should be the mentality when judging later, low upside not much skill but hard worker picks.  the quicker u get these players playing 26-32 minutes, the better.  and i hope the lionshare of demarcus cousins career minutes are spent at power forward and not center, with whiteside swatting shots from the weakside on D, improving rebounding, and developing a very efficient offensive game.

i love ur team and i think it is a top 3 team to watch this entertainment-wise year.  and im a sixers fan that was very dissappointed in not taking cousins at number 2 so color me jealous.  so do u guys have any thoughts on the matter?  my friend thought i was crazy for both the Pau and power forward opinions.

Let me give a disclaimer before I discover a red dot expertly targeted in my heart region.  Batum is good.  Hes a good defender at a young age.  His percentages were sick last year.  I like him a lot and love his potential.

(In the bulk of my post, I might have some incorrect suppositions that you guys can shoot down.) 

So lets say this Chris Paul situation is true, a nd Portland is on his "list."  Over the years Ive seen a lot of love for Batum, but i think its gone too far in this scenario.  This is Chris Paul, a hall of famer barring injury and the best point guard in the league.  He offers an amazing arrary of talents plus leadership.  And I feel like you guys are hesitant to include Batum in any deal for Paul.  What?  WHAT?  My reaction to this idea is strikingly similary to Chris Farley whence realizing he's drinking Colombian Decaffeinated Coffee Crystals.  Nicolas batum is the big road block on your highway to a guaranteed Western Conference Title Berth, possibly a ring?

And this is all because of potential.  How guaranteed is it, and how long will it take for that matter, for Batum to become "that guy" with his potential production to put you over the hump?  Is he gona do it next season?  I doubt it.  And with the injury concerns and somewhat inconsistency, is his WARP going to be really that much greater than lets say...WESLEY MATTHEWS?  ya know, the guy u just signed to a big contract who plays great D, is young, and can stroke it from deep.  Plus, if you have Roy, Aldridge, and by my keystrokes to God's ears Oden, will Batums play stand out enough to the point where youre like "wow, what a giant mistake it would have been had we made that deal for Paul, huh guys?"  And aside from Wesley, you guys have Luke Babbitt and Elliot Williams.  These guys are rookies with great upside.  I dont think it would be farfetched to say that Batums production could be duplicated and maybe even surpassed by one of the aforementioned blossoming or finding a balance that reinforces their strengths.  Like with Babbitt and his shooting ability, dont ya think he could be your Mike Miller?  Wouldnt that basically be all youd need on such a dominant team that includes Paul?  The point is that your other players besides Batum (Wesley especially!!!) combined with Paul's overall impact on the team increases the teams overall quality much higher than it would be with just keeping Batum and not trading for Paul.

Paul would make you guys amazing.  Paul would be TREMENDOUS in the area of making EVERYONE on the team better.  Like Dave said in the main, dont overthink this one (even tho he did include Batum in your "big 4.")

Lets say the hypothetical trade is this - Paul, just paul FOR Batum, Fernandez, Przy, Andre...would you guys do it?  That not even including the supposed necessity of Okafors contract.  That trade also works if NO wants to include Posey, which they probably will.  Would New Orleans even do this?  I dont know.  It depends upon the perception of Batum throughout the league IMO.  I just hope that if this possibility or a similar one arises, that you guys would be on board.  You will never regret it.

((Just imagine, Portland fans, how stunningly beautiful Paul's playmaking abilities would complement Mr Gregory Oden when takes over for camby.  I know that may be irrational if some of you have begun to move on, which i hope you havent.  I know this is but a fraction of the offensive capabilities we want to see out of Oden, but think of the oops.  Those glorious, happiness and adrenaline producing oops.))

Not taking Cousins is yet another draft misstep in sixers history.  I wouldnt have cared if turner played well in summer league, you simply cant pass up on a possibly dominant big man.  And Cousins is reinforcing the fact that he will be dominant in summer league.  I get it, its summer league.  But the things hes doing are literally unbelievable and are buttressed by his college performances.

Its not a fluke, the mans a beast.  His chippiness will serve him well.  Whats better?  Taking cousins, the pick with the higher upside while simultaneously solving our need at big man.  He boards, he posts, hes got perimeter game, and hes a playmaker.  Or taking turner...who needs the ball to justify his game while we have an up and coming PG in jrue and iguodala.

Im thoroughly depressed.  Had he not had "red flags," would we have taken him?  It makes me sick.  He literally had no red flags.  I hate overrating irrelavencies, which im probably doing with summer league.  But im not.  Cousins is and will be better.

We messed up.

sixers fan asking for possibly stupid clarification. 

i was really happy and relieved that u guys took cousins.  glad u didnt ***** out cuz he might have some bumps in the road along the way to being really good, which shouldnt take long.  on that note, u guys are gona play em at center right?  cuz u have dalembert (have fun with that) (ehhh..hes not bad), thompson, whiteside, and landry competing for minutes at the 4 and 5.  i know u played thompson at the 5 last year some, but thats not his natural position IMO. 

i guess what im getting at is that i think demarcus is an obvious center and dont want anyone blocking his way to get the lion's share of the minutes...even in his rookie or early learning years. 

what are ur plans for the rotation?  mine would be start landry (even tho i think hes become one of the more postively viewed and subsequently overrated players in bball) at the 4 and demarcus at the 5 from day 1.  i know this is dumb but a significant part (not all) of the reason why im inquiring is because ive heard too many comparisons of cousins to zach randolph.  i dont care what happened last year (the griz still ended up missing the playoffs even tho randolph got rave reviews), i want demarcus to be better and have a much more meaningful impact on games.

4 - Landry with Thompson off the bench

5 - Cousins with Dalemebert and Whiteside off the bench

i dont like puttin whiteside at the 4 like u guys are doing in summer league, but it is summer league and u gotta do what u gotta do.  im hopeful thats not the plan.  dalemberts expiring so he'll be first off the bench next year.  but i feel like hes gona have deandre jordan syndrome where he has potential but will never be able to show it because of whos playing in front of em or by being forced to play out of position.

thats all i got.  love ur team and will definitely be watching a lot cuz the kings are gona be one of the most entertaining teams in the league.  just tryin to get a better beat on the thought process.

guys, im a sixers fan.  i just want to say we're on board big time.  Iguodala for Przy, Batum, and Fernandez (unhappy and perhaps necessary to match salaries).

makes sense in a lot of areas.  helps us a lot (mainly money.  but batum obviously has talent) and helps u guys a lot.  i think this trade would make u the second best team in the west.  i know there were comments on the main page, but it did not necessarily go into the implications. 

so what are ur thoughts?  ull still have Martell off the bench to make up for Andre's not so great outside shooting.  and he makes up for it big time in a lot of ways, especially playmaking and defense.  also, Iguodala plays really well against Kobe...

whats goin guys

Im a sixer fan but i just wanted to say somethin.  i love your fanbase and ur franchise's selection of tyreke evans.  i had no idea he would be this good this early, putting up numbers comparable to lebron/mj/O at a relatively similar age.  after having the worst record, then getting the 4th pick i didnt know what yall were doing to the basketball gods, but it wasnt good.  but now...blake missed a year and tyreke has been amazingly entertaining and very good. 

i dont know if he'll ever be a big winner because he needs a lot more support (bosh apparently dissed u guys a little at the prospect of him signing there), but hes awesome to watch, cuttin up defenses for layups all the time.

i hope yall go with the major risk and draft Whiteside.  everyone else doesnt really seem to make sense if u dont beat odds and move up.  i dont think hawes has it (even tho that cartoon video was absolutely hilarious and i feel actually happened word for word) and whiteside has some big upside.  hawes' nonrebounding is disturbing.  so maybe u luck out in 2 years if whiteside is averagin 2.5 blocks and double digit boards.  or maybe package the pick with thompson for Al Jefferson (i think yall are under the cap enough).  i would say go for monroe but he said hes stayin.

i dont know but it should be interesting.  thats all i got.  have fun watchin tyreke.

The term "tank" and all other forms of the word are being thrown around a lot.  I just wanted to get my mind right regarding the whole situation.  John Wall is very good, we all know that.  But the sixers arent tanking.  no team in the NBA is tanking (well purposely tanking...some GMs and coaches are so bad its almost like tanking).

So i cant figure out whether everyone uses this term lightly as like "we're tanking te-he...cuz we're so bad" or "we're deliberately losing to get a better chance at a higher pick tankity tank tank."  TAFKAMB used the term in a post and uses it frequently.  i dont know what he thinks about the situation, but i hope he doesnt believe we're actually tanking.  We're just very bad.  And the coaching is almost irrelavent.  If Red Auerbach, John Wooden, and Gregg Popovich morphed into one supercoach and ran the Sixers, He (capitalized for hypothetical greatness)  couldnt make winners out of this team and difference in wins would be negligible.  The pieces to the puzzle are round and dont fit together. 

I guess i just wanted to see if i have it straight about the use of the term "tanking" or if people actually think we/any other team is tanking.  Id like to see evidence based research if u truly believe so.

just for my own comfort, ill say that i wish we would lose every game the rest of the season.  i wanted us to go 0-82 this year.  its just better for the team.

hey guys. 

I know Batum is very well-liked in these parts for his potential and rightfully so.  andre iguodala is very good now and the man brings a lot to the table and has a contract similar to aldridge.  but since the blazers will be over the cap and the money doesnt matter as much, i was wondering if u guys have any interest in andre iguodala. 

im figuring that yall will resign camby so that makes another fan favorite in Przy expendable.  so the trade would look something this:

Batum, Przy, and another small contract for Iguodala.

there would be no more debate as to who ur small forward would be anymore instead of the Batum vs. Webster deal.  iguodala offers another person who can get to the rack, without sacrificing any defense in regards to giving up batum.  he can set guys up, and best of all he will be better in the role of playing second banana to B-Roy.  imagine him, roy, aldridge, and miller turnin it up a notch and getting some more fast breaks.  while his outside shooting leaves something to be desired, he makes up for it many ways. 

i get that batum has a lot of potential, but hes not guaranteed.  iguodala is already a very good player and he never gets injured.  this trade would get the sixers out of NBA purgatory and also see if Batum can become the impact player iguodala already is.  but i think batum will be more like a better version of Deng where Iguodala is much more versatile, bottomline making ur blazer team better.

i preface this post by saying i am new and am extremist.  i want to either be the best team or the worst team cuz everything in between is completely pointless.  and forgive me if i am redundant in either my ideas already having been said or simply repeating them to get my point across...onward.

 friends, philadelphians, those of u who are all about instant gratification, please lend me your eyes.  this team as currently constructed cannot win a championship.  it will be either a subpar or middle of the road not entertaining heap of irrelavence.  part of the reason is tremendous amounts of money invested in players that do not deserve those amounts.

first player - elton brand.  very simple and doest not need description.  he wasnt who we thought he was.  untradeable.

second player - andre iguodala.  get over him.  seriously.  the man is a good basketball player.  u dont pay a man like that to be second or third fiddle, like he actually is in real life.  on a quick side note he isnt even fun to watch.  its like hey he put up another brick thats sweet.  and he is utterly clueless on the fast break and cannot lead one in the slightest.  he needs to leave.  before i go on i must say that part of the reason why he got paid so handsomely is because we put our spoiled eggs into the Brand basket hoping that Iggy and him could co-exist.  now that it is ABUNDANTLY clear that they cannot and this team just does not function well together, its time to cut our losses.  this means a big trade.

the big trade that id like to see go down is the one that was recently rumored, for TMac.  yes, it has hit that point.  i dont think Iguodala is the type of player, taking his contract into consideration, where any team would give up anything in terms of real talent to get him.  so a very large expiring contract in TMac is the only option we have.  and frankly i dont think its even that bad.  they would take another contract to balance out the salaries and it would probably be Dalembert.  maybe we could get rid of Willie too.  imagine that, trimming the fat of those pointless contracts of DBert and willie while realizing that Iggy isnt good enough to carry a team thus getting rid of his lengthy contract.  if im remembering correctly thats 28 mill (12 iggy, 12 sammy, and 4 for willie---somewhere around there for them) for 23 mill in TMac.

bam, got eeem.  heres what happens.  we become very bad but more fun to watch.  more speights, more holliday, more AI, and what i think would be a very angry but happy to be traded former superstar in tracy looking to prove to people he can still play.  i find that to be the ideal situation because rackin up losses means just more and more chances at Mr. Wall or Mr. Favors or just a top 5 pick which isnt guaranteed at this point.  the trade would make it guaranteed because we'd most definitely be worse than the teams that our on our level (pacers, warriors, knicks). 

let me just say that it hurts my hands, my feet, and my face that it has come to this.  i, like many, had high hopes after the brand signing.  but realizing he cant play and iggy is a supporting player is very important in our path back to relevance and entertainment (the latter of the 2 concepts will most certainly come first.  the other will take some time.)  purging of iggy and dalemberts contracts would be a start.  brand, unfortunately, will have to stay i think.  and the only other person i think that could be acquired via trade that would be much nicer would be kevin martin.  but i think the kings want to wait and see if him and tyreke can play together when Kmart gets back.

lets say we hypothetically do get rid of those 3 contracts.  thats 28 mill right?  we'd be around 17 mill under the cap but then add in a high draft pick salary probably around 12-13.  that would be the nicey if we could sign one of the thousands upon thousands of good free agents this offseason.  and if our youngins showed some development in the aftermath of the trade (thad kickin it up to like 21 a game and speights to 17) adding to the possibility of John Wall or Favors, i think that could entice someone to sign here.  improbable but still the possibility of adding someone is better than reality of our current team because we'd still be heading in the right direction going young and talented kinda like the thunder.

i love the sixers.  but i know the endgame.  its rings and funtowatchness.  and we're a city capable of getting both of those.  its just this team needs to get blown up as soon as superhumanly possible.  if this opportunity arose, purging iggy and dalembert, and we didnt jump at it, id be dissappointed because its just more not-bad-enough results while still being not that entertaining.

long live roundball.

whats goin on guys?  im a sixers fan that is desiring change.  we have some nice talent that doesnt fit together.  one piece to our puzzle is Andre Iguodala.

the problem with most of these trades that people concoct on the web is theyre ridiculously one sided.  i think this deal is mutually beneficial. 

Andre Iguodala for Andre Kirilenko and ur first rounder (the knicks pick)

We take on that albatross of a contract in kirilenko and u get a really good player in Iguodala.  hes a great defender and he would fit in ur offense.  imagine ur fast break ability.  especially after boozer is gone after this year, having millsap take over.

were rebuilding (depressing considering all the money we put into brand).  so the knicks pick brings us some fresh blood that could be top 6 pick. and u get talent thats already seasoned for while unloading AK's remaining money this year and like 18 million on the books for another year.  i know owners are looking for ways to save money.  so basically giving it away to AK cant be fun for them.  plus theyd have to pay for a young kid that might not help the team for a couple years.

the variable here is ur perception.  i truly believe this to be a nice deal for both teams but that just could be my bias.  there might be some thinking about john wall...but u have Deron.  and u cant play wall at the 2 or deron at the 2.  and Derrick favors wouldnt make much sense.  and thats only if u get such a high pick.  this deal helps u now and in the future.  it helps us in the future.

wheres the downside?

yes, sometimes Oden makes curious decisions on D.  and they lead to fouls.  but as many, many people have said there are a lot of legitimately horrible calls against him.

this is what i want to see that may or not help anything.  i want to see Oden or Macmillan get tossed for arguing.  someone needs to says something; some kind of anger or frustration needs to be expressed instead this look of defeat they show.  now i dont know if ive missed an incident of Mac passionately arguing being on the brink of getting thrown out...but i havent seen it.  and u certainly havent seen it out of Oden.. but i think other coaches, when egregious errors are made, sometimes go off on refs in support of their players. 

anyway, thats what i want to see once or twice.  i dont know if it will help anything, but it will be better than just exasperated/frustrated reactions every single time with no escalation.   it would be a nice statement from my point of view.

I dont understand why Mr Nate HAS to stick to his minutes plan rather than letting the game flow.  If Oden is having success, with limited or no fouls, why in the first quarter or whenever does he HAVE to take him out?  6 minutes BAM.  cya ur out of the game no matter what.  if the man is playing well with limited fouls...let him stay in the game for a few more minutes.  hey, maybe even try for a whole quarter.  i get it, he might have conditioning issues, but we wont be able to see what he can do playing extended minutes if u dont give the guy a chance.

give GO a chance.

 The Jazz have the Knicks pick for the 2010 nba draft.  How, pray tell?  By way of a Tom Gugliotta trade thru picks received in the Marbury trade.

I just dont like the jazz and the fact that they might luck out getting a top 5 pick irks me.  They can utilize it by taking D Favors or package it cuz they dont want to take John Wall.  This could mean a MAJOR acquisition, and no one wants that to happen, not even Peter Criss (family guy reference).

Ive had just about enough of them winning a lot of games every year in the reg. season and it never amounts to anything, and now that might change.  i hope Greg gets it goin big time as time goes by.

 Theres something i dont understand.  Someone who has had a similar injury history but is now healthy in Andrew Bynum is getting 31 minutes per game in the preseason.  Greg is only getting 24.   I know people might be tired around here about the constant dissection of Oden, but i think this is significant.

What is the plan for Oden this year?  My view was if he is healthy, which he absolutely will be, he should be playing around 30 per game.  But do u guys think that having Przy is still going to get 24 minutes a game?  If not, why not start getting Oden used to those kinds of minutes as soon as possible?  The only reasons i can think of not doing this all stem from the fact that it's preseason.  1, fear of injury in a meaningless game...2, trying to figure rotations...3, i dunno i cant think about it cuz it makes me angry.

I cant imagine this post will get a lot of responses, but im just trying to see if anyone feels kinda the same way.  And am i just being a Nervous Pervis?  Personally, i think Nate feels compelled to use Przy just cuz hes there.  Any sign of trouble, ya got nice warm blanket to cover up.  But the things that will advance Oden's game the most is playing through growing pains.  His overall impact on the game will still be positive, so i just dont get playing him for less than 30 minutes.  could be preseason, but im just worried about this strategy of playing em only lets say 24 minutes or 26 persisting thru the entire season.

its probably just over analysis relating to a desperate yerning of the season finally getting under way.

This will probably not go over well, but not a big deal.

I really think the blazers should trade Lamarcus and outlaw for Amare Stoudemire.  The reason im saying this is because i dont see lamarcus ever becoming the player he can be.  All he does is shoot jumpers (well majority of the time), which hes good at.  But if youre gona have a power forward like that, u might as well have the best versiion of that guy.  Lamarcus is basically a lesser version of amare.  Everyone harps on amares D, but on a team thats capable of winning a title and in a system that actually preaches D, i think he can become adequate.  Its not like LMA is all defensive, hes just passable too.

Im not sayin he'll never get better, but if we dont see something other than the same jump shooting guy again in the first 2 months, i wouldnt say its probable he'll be taking another step any time soon.  Hes only 3 years younger and is up for a new contract.  With all the hype he gets he is probably asking for 12-14 mill per.  undeserved.  Since team salary doesnt matter anymore since roy was resigned, why not get amare for a comparable amount of money (16 this year and his new contract would prob be 16-18 a year) and have a better version of LMA while getting rid of some clutter in outlaw.

I hope LMA improves, but im just not seein it.  Amare and his crazy field goal percentage and nice FT percentage would mean an automatic WCF bid and possible finals appearance regardless of how good greg is.  And if greg is consistently good, thats a championship team.  Obviously the same could be said with LMA this year or in a few years, but in my mind amare would be a an upgrade.

Also after having the eye surgery and thru that ridiculous recovery of 22 hours a day for 10 days of laying prone in a massage table, he claims to have a renewed appreciation for the game.

Well thats all i got.

this could be completely out of left field, but i think it has some degree of validity.

much of what greg oden's strengths are revolve around his defense.  thats what every person talks about him for, and everyone always says "just play defense and rebound."  while i expect to see a much improved greg oden on the offensive end, i think people are selling him short on his offensive potential.  so after workin this summer to get in shape and add some fluidity to his game, he also added in some post moves and a short jumper (so they say, and so i believe 100 percent).  but up until this point i feel like people just wanted him to fit in on offense.  just doing what a big man does by dunking and getting offensive rebounds, then accompanying that with a decent post game.  not anything to write home about..but around maybe 12 to 16 ppg.  people say thats all we need from him.  i think this is hindering his development into what i think can be the best offensive center in basketball.  instead of saying "oh, just be adequate on offense and dominant on D" say "get out there and dominate on BOTH ends."

now i think the advantages of this in the long run are clear.  aldridge right now is our 2nd option on offense, oden being 4th or hopefully third now this year after the productive summer.  but i think he should work hard enough on his offense next summer and however many summers after that to the point where he is either equivalent to roy in priority (kind of like shaq and kobe) or becomes the teams second option.  just seeing how physically intimidating he is combined with some of the rim rattling dunks he has, i think he can emulate Shaq in some areas on that end of the floor.  im not saying he'll be as great as shaq was, but similar.  the variables in this equation are Oden's development of legit moves and the organizations possible plans to consolidate talent (trading some young/talented players for a legit star).  if he coupled those with last season's apparent mentality of "dunk everything," he could exceed predraft expectations if thats possible.

i can easily envision a year or 2 after this one Oden's scoring total increase to around 20 points per game (maybe more) on a ridiculously high field goal percentage of around 58 and a free throw percentage of around 73.  what im getting at here is the difference between a team that is perennial contender to a team that could be a potential dynasty.  because, unfortunately, i think the lakers and celtics (even tho they are up there in age, i still think they have 2 to 4 good years left) are built that way in terms of talent and team philosophy.  so since the lakers are in the west, we should consistently become their WCF opponent in the very near future.  and since kobe/pau/bynum/artest/odom are locked up for the next couple of years it couild become the new rivalry.

but it wont become a happy one unless greg realizes his full potential.  that is, getting past his injuries and foul troubles (linked to his being out of shape) and trending up in terms of rate of development.  the reason im stressing this is because i think the only way to become the class of the league is for Greg to become that kind of player on both ends of the floor.  if he becomes solid on the offensive end, i could see them winning MAYBE (possibly none) 1 or 2 titles depending upon how the rest of the team does.  but if he becomes very good or great on that end, i could see them winning 4 or 5 even if the other youngins dont develop as much as they can.

so what im hoping for is for people to challenge him to become that player.  after getting his mental state more in line, i feel like he is fully capable of handling such expectations.  the man has a very increased awareness, which led to his semi antisocial tendencies last year after not living up to expectations (very unfair expectations after the injuries and his age in basketball years).  this was both good and bad.  being aware of expectations allows you put the work in to live up to them but is coupled with the pressure to do so.  this is where greg has progressed significantly  by knowing how to deal with the expectations by improving and still having fun.

so dont put him in a box.  if what im hoping for does happen, it would be the most challenging path to stardom in a long time in my mind.  all im sayin is that im fully confident in gregs abilities and am hoping that even if he has a successful year, complacency does not set in in either him or those around him.