NBA 2008-09 Season

[HD MM]

Extension For Wade?

Dwyane Wade | [ame]http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=mia[/ame]
Days after Heat president Pat Riley said his biggest nightmare is losing [ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1987"]Dwyane Wade Stats, News, Photos - Miami Heat - ESPN[/ame] to 2010 free agency, Wade said he might consider ending his bosses sleepless nights a year early.

With speculation among NBA executives that the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds could be reduced in the coming seasons amid a struggling economy, the maximum salaries available to free agents could either level off or decrease slightly.

Wade said he hasn't given much thought to signing an extension this summer, but wouldn't rule it out.

"When the time comes and I have to sit down at the end of the season and think about it, I will," Wade said. "I'm not there yet. Who knows where things are going to be in two years? You focus on now." -- The Miami Herald

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Things Are "Quiet"

Despite speculation putting the Pistons in the sweepstakes to acquire Suns power forward Amare Stoudemire, a person familiar with the situation said things are "quiet" when it comes to possible major deals before Thursday's trading deadline. -- Detroit Free Press

Let me ask something here - Why does Phoenix even want to trade A'mare? How are they going to replace a top ten player? This makes no sense to me. Judging by the fact that a trade hasn't been made, tells me this is a "fishing trip".

 

[salsadancer7]

Extension For Wade?

Dwyane Wade | Heat
Days after Heat president Pat Riley said his biggest nightmare is losing Dwyane Wade to 2010 free agency, Wade said he might consider ending his bosses sleepless nights a year early.

With speculation among NBA executives that the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds could be reduced in the coming seasons amid a struggling economy, the maximum salaries available to free agents could either level off or decrease slightly.

Wade said he hasn't given much thought to signing an extension this summer, but wouldn't rule it out.

"When the time comes and I have to sit down at the end of the season and think about it, I will," Wade said. "I'm not there yet. Who knows where things are going to be in two years? You focus on now." -- The Miami Herald

Like I said...I think the ONLY team that has a chance of stealing him from Miami is his hometown of Chicago...and ONLY if they are ONE PIECE AWAY from being legit contenders.

 

[HD MM]

Let me ask something here - Why does Phoenix even want to trade A'mare? How are they going to replace a top ten player? This makes no sense to me. Judging by the fact that a trade hasn't been made, tells me this is a "fishing trip".

I don't understand why they would trade Amare either.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Miami is much closer to being a contender than Chicago is right now.

 

[HD MM]

Miami is much closer to being a contender than Chicago is right now.

Now, yes. But add a Big to Chicago, and look out. They could become legit overnight.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

I don't know about that, they have quite a bit of talent in Chicago already, getting them to gel seems to be the problem, not talent.

 

[HD MM]

I don't know about that, they have quite a bit of talent in Chicago already, getting them to gel seems to be the problem, not talent.

You're right, they do have a lot of talent, except for the Center position. This is their 1 glaring hole. To beat the Bulls, you simply dominate the post and out-rebound them. With their current roster, they have no answer to this.

Right now, the Bulls start Joakim Noah at center. Joakim should be a energy guy off the bench at best.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

How many teams have legitimate centers nowadays anyhow?

 

[BillD1984]

The Celtics don't have a "true" center.

Perk, Big Baby, and Powe are all adequate backups for the 4 and 5, but I don't see any of them as a bonafide NBA center.

MOST of these centers today would be overmatched in the era that saw Abdul-Jabbar, Walton, Cowens, Parish, Lanier, Gilmore, Issel, etc.

 

[salsadancer7]

Now, yes. But add a Big to Chicago, and look out. They could become legit overnight.

That organization is in COMPLETE disarray. They will find a way to screw it up. The year after they swept Miami, they were supposed to be the darlings all over again...they have gone down hill since. Hell, Miami had a 15 win season and they were in better shape than Chicago was. EVEN if they add EITHER Amare or Bosh, they STILL are free agents after the 2009-2010 season unless they sign a longer term deal...and I am sure that IF Bosh or Amare go to Chicago...they will wanna see what they will surround around them before they sign the dotted line.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

The Celtics don't have a "true" center.

Perk, Big Baby, and Powe are all adequate backups for the 4 and 5, but I don't see any of them as a bonafide NBA center.

MOST of these centers today would be overmatched in the era that saw Abdul-Jabbar, Walton, Cowens, Parish, Lanier, Gilmore, Issel, etc.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. Great minds.....

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Let me throw a few more names at you - Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwan, Wilt, Russell, and Wes Unsel, Willis Reed. I would loved to see Shaq pull his "charging" act on Lanier. Lanier would have schooled him in a NY minute. Jabbar always talked about how much he hated playing against Lanier. Geez, that guy was a mountain, with some very soft hands.

 

[BillD1984]

Let me throw a few more names at you - Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwan, Wilt, Russell, and Wes Unsel, Willis Reed. I would loved to see Shaq pull his "charging" act on Lanier. Lanier would have schooled him in a NY minute. Jabbar always talked about how much he hated playing against Lanier. Geez, that guy was a mountain, with some very soft hands.

How did I forget Unseld and Moses??

IMO, Unseld and "The Big E" Elvin Hayes, were as good a 4/5 combo the NBA has ever seen. I can't believe the Bullets didn't win more than one championship in the 70's!

Russ, Wilt and Reed were before I actually started to watch basketball.

 

[HD MM]

The Celtics don't have a "true" center.

Perk, Big Baby, and Powe are all adequate backups for the 4 and 5, but I don't see any of them as a bonafide NBA center.

MOST of these centers today would be overmatched in the era that saw Abdul-Jabbar, Walton, Cowens, Parish, Lanier, Gilmore, Issel, etc.

The Celtics and other teams get around not having a "true center" by having studs at other positions, namely the forward position. Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng aren't exactly Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

Plain and simple, the Bulls need to get bigger in order to take the next step. Most of their talent is at the guard positions. Whether they don't have a "true center" or not, they simply can't match up against bigger teams. Currently, the Bulls allow over 102 points per game which is 3rd most in the Eastern Conference.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Unseld was a rebounding machine, it seemed like that guy snared 20 boards every night.

 

[BillD1984]

Unseld was a rebounding machine, it seemed like that guy snared 20 boards every night.

Exactly. And he always LOOKED like he was out of shape.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

when you think about all those big guys, and most of them played at the same time, it makes you wonder, where are all the "big" guys now? Don't seem to be that many of them any more.

 

[HD MM]

when you think about all those big guys, and most of them played at the same time, it makes you wonder, where are all the "big" guys now? Don't seem to be that many of them any more.

Actually, around the league, players are BIGGER now.

The old "bigs" you used to consider centers would be a power forward by today's standards.

For instance, Wes Unseld, the rebound machine was only 6' 7".

 

[Paul Wozniak]

You might want to check the heights and weights of some of the guys Bill and I listed. A majority of those guys would have pushed today's beanpoles around like the sticks they are. Even the short guys were 6'10" and a minimum 250 lbs.