Around the League: Week of 4/14-4/20

[Big Jake Little Jake]

We need a Chris Bosh type. A big who is quick, can pick and pop AND pick and roll, decent post game, decent rebounder...who best fits that mold?

Kevin Love!

Yeah, I was afraid someone would say that! He really is perfect for this team. Imagine his outlet passes to Dragic in the open floor...

Not sure how good his defense really is, but who cares. We just team him with a strong post defensive Center (Len in a couple years?) and blow everyone out.

There's gotta be someone else out there who fits that mold and is being under utilized.

[INFORMER]

Monroe's overrated. My best buddy watches every Pistons game and even he doesn't even like him.

And I know a Suns fan that watches every and who hates PJ Tucker.

he's got no motor and seems disinterested in most games.

It's kind of hard to grab 9 rebounds a game without a motor.

[JeffreyLee]

We need a Chris Bosh type. A big who is quick, can pick and pop AND pick and roll, decent post game, decent rebounder...who best fits that mold?

Kevin Love!

Yeah, I was afraid someone would say that! He really is perfect for this team. Imagine his outlet passes to Dragic in the open floor...

Not sure how good his defense really is, but who cares. We just team him with a strong post defensive Center (Len in a couple years?) and blow everyone out.

There's gotta be someone else out there who fits that mold and is being under utilized.

Okafor

[TOO]

Monroe's overrated. My best buddy watches every Pistons game and even he doesn't even like him.

And I know a Suns fan that watches every and who hates PJ Tucker.

And 1.

[INFORMER]

Memphis Grizzlies guard Nick Calathes will be suspended 20 games for testing positive for a banned substance and violating NBA's anti-drug policy, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The banned substance – Tamoxifen – was part of an athletic supplement that Calathes had been using, sources said.

NBA lab results found no traces of synthetic testosterone or performance-enhancing drugs, and, as one source told Yahoo Sports, "There was no intent, nor advantage gained here."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/grizzlies- ... 39105.html

[Superbone]

Memphis Grizzlies guard Nick Calathes will be suspended 20 games for testing positive for a banned substance and violating NBA's anti-drug policy, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The banned substance – Tamoxifen – was part of an athletic supplement that Calathes had been using, sources said.

NBA lab results found no traces of synthetic testosterone or performance-enhancing drugs, and, as one source told Yahoo Sports, "There was no intent, nor advantage gained here."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/grizzlies- ... 39105.html

Obviously this news should overturn our losses against Memphis and therefore put the Suns in the playoffs in their place.

[INFORMER]

NEW YORK -- Armed with majority support from owners and saying "we're ready to go," NBA commissioner Adam Silver made it clear that pushing back the league's age minimum to 20 is at the top of his priority list.

The league's owners hosted NCAA president Mark Emmert to discuss the issue as part of their annual two-day spring meeting this week. Any changes wouldn't be in place by next season because the league is waiting for the players' association to name an executive director before formally starting negotiations. But it's clear there's a growing momentum to force this occasionally divisive issue through soon, possibly in time for the 2016 draft.

Silver said owners discussed possible changes to the draft lottery and the current playoff system. There has been a growing sense of a need to change the way draft position is established to discourage teams from attempting to lose games to enhance draft or playoff spots.

Owners presented a number of options, including changing the odds, the so-called "wheel" that would rotate the No. 1 pick to all 30 teams over 30 years and a play-in tournament to determine draft order. But Silver said there was no consensus on which direction to take and that it will be studied by the league's competition committee at its annual summit over the summer. The owners did not discuss a timetable for potential changes.

NBA president Rod Thorn presented playoff seeding options and the idea of abolishing conferences when it comes to picking the 16 playoff teams. In 11 of the past 14 seasons, the ninth-best team in the Western Conference would've been a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. Silver has hinted recently he'd consider removing conference designations but said this was also headed to the competition committee for study.

Read more: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10803 ... p-priority

[SDC]

Silver said owners discussed possible changes to the draft lottery and the current playoff system. There has been a growing sense of a need to change the way draft position is established to discourage teams from attempting to lose games to enhance draft or playoff spots.

teams with philly, utah, milwaukee in their schedule in april were lucky.

[SDC]

Owners presented a number of options, including changing the odds, the so-called "wheel" that would rotate the No. 1 pick to all 30 teams over 30 years and a play-in tournament to determine draft order. But Silver said there was no consensus on which direction to take and that it will be studied by the league's competition committee at its annual summit over the summer. The owners did not discuss a timetable for potential changes.

1) bottom 17 teams should get equal shot at 1-4 picks. the first and second seed need only to beat the 7th and 8th seed three times to advance to the second round. H-H-R-R-H-H format.

H=Home R=Road

[Big Jake Little Jake]

Monroe's overrated. My best buddy watches every Pistons game and even he doesn't even like him.

And I know a Suns fan that watches every and who hates PJ Tucker.

Fair enough, but those Suns fans just hate when PJ tries to create his own offense. No one would say PJ can't play D or doesn't hustle is ass off.

he's got no motor and seems disinterested in most games.

It's kind of hard to grab 9 rebounds a game without a motor.[/quote]

Yeah, he's as good a rebounder as Tristan Thompson and JJ Hickson.

Gortat has slightly better rebounding numbers than him and I would never say Gortat was a great rebounder. Sometimes all you have to do is be big and play 32 minutes a game.

Anyway, point being, I wouldn't be excited spend 10 - 12 mil on this guy.

[Big Jake Little Jake]

Silver said owners discussed possible changes to the draft lottery and the current playoff system. There has been a growing sense of a need to change the way draft position is established to discourage teams from attempting to lose games to enhance draft or playoff spots.

I wonder if they can just set your lottery position once every teams has hit like 65 or 70 games, so those last 12 or so games have no effect on your draft position. No reason to try to lose anymore at that point.

[Ring_Wanted]

I am happy there are considering changing the playoff seeding. I've been 'demanding' top 16 for years. The current system has its perks, like a better pick in our case, but I believe that fairness and entertaiment win out if you put the best teams out there, period.

[Ring_Wanted]

Regarding tanking, I just don't consider it a big issue, and actually am amused that this year it's become the toy of the media and fans.

The reason is no doubt the hyped 2014 class, but even if it was true that the awful teams are doing it on purpose (which is clearly not the case with teams like Milwaukee, Detroit, NOrleans, Cleveland or Sacramento, considering the kind moves made and money spent), I say that they have all the right to do so.

It's ugly, some times more than others, but that's the way the NBA is built and honestly, I don't have a problem with it.

[INFORMER]

Yeah, he's as good a rebounder as Tristan Thompson and JJ Hickson.

Gortat has slightly better rebounding numbers than him and I would never say Gortat was a great rebounder. Sometimes all you have to do is be big and play 32 minutes a game.

Well I didn't say he's a great rebounder. But I also wouldn't disregard averaging 9 rebounds next to a rebounding machine like Drummond.

JJ Hickson is actually one of the best rebounders in the league, so I'm not sure what your point was there.

And there are plenty of 6-10 and over guys that can't even manage 9 rpg. Brook Lopez and Channing Frye come to mind right off the top of my head.

[Sunsfan4life]

Roy "Max contract" Hibbert is averaging less then 7 a game this yr haha.

[TOO]

I used to be a Hibbert apologist, but man.. He's been AWFUL.

[Superbone]

What happened to him? He was so good last year.

[Sunsfan4life]

Seems like he has no confidence. He lost his MOJO!