Around the League: Week 12 1/12-1/18

[LazarusLong]

Cap: Wasn't Gary Payton also on those Laker teams? It was like one of those rock super-groups that are formed and then they find out they can't stand each other. The Rockets with Barkley and Pippen joining Hakeem were sort of the same way. Scottie and Charles were like the Odd Couple....

[iLLmatic]

I do know that I wouldn't say Markieff has a high basketball IQ.

Agree with you there, I'd say maybe average at the very best.

[Ring_Wanted]

I'd love a bench with Kieff, Green, Marcus, Ennis and Wright/Plumlee.

[Superbone]

Here's Woj's latest scathing article bashing Lebron James:

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/cavs-need ... 53124.html

So far, the Cavaliers have witnessed LeBron James, the businessman. As much as ever, the Cavs discovered that the opening week of the regular season in contract talks on forward Tristan Thompson, with the Oct. 31 deadline approaching for the draft class of 2011 rookie extensions looming. James' agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, represents Thompson.

James is the biggest reason Klutch Sports exists, and he's an active recruiter of high school, college and current NBA players to join the agency. Of course, plenty of players help their agents recruit. So when James committed as a free agent in July, everyone understood there was a tax – spoken or unspoken – that would come with James' return, that would manifest itself in an above-market deal for Thompson.

Thompson's a rebounder, a defender, an energy guy. He isn't a starter on a playoff team, but he has a good attitude, a good motor and could be a role player anywhere in the NBA. Paul isn't the first agent to leverage a more prominent client's extension against another, nor the last.

Even so, at what price? Within the NBA, officials expected maybe $10 million a year, perhaps $12 million if Klutch wanted to push it. Well, they kept pushing it. Thompson turned down a $13 million-a-year extension offer – four-years, $52 million, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Sound familiar?

[iLLmatic]

I'll tell you, the one thing that was gratifying about that Laker run of championships was Karl Malone trying to ride their coattails to a ring and failing.

Ha ha ha, all the while trying to get Kome's girl in the sack with him.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

If only we could get Lebron to break the Cleveland bread with his buddie Eric... Take him home James, you deserve each other, #writeyouonchapter. Send us that bum Kevin or that disrespectful Irving boy, and you can have your mini-lebron next to you.

[INFORMER]

I don't know what is dumber: Tristan Thompson turning down a $13 million/yr deal or Tristan Thompson being offered a $13 million/yr deal.

[Mori Chu]

I don't know what is dumber: Tristan Thompson turning down a $13 million/yr deal or Tristan Thompson being offered a $13 million/yr deal.

Him being offered it, by far. He's not dumb to turn it down because they're going to offer him even more than that this summer. They dumbest of all will be the amount they offer him after this season.

[Indy]

Right. Don't ever take the first offer, especially if they still have plenty of time to make you another.

[INFORMER]

they're going to offer him even more than that this summer

Why would they do that?

[Superbone]

they're going to offer him even more than that this summer

Why would they do that?

To appease the king.

[Sunsfan4life]

they're going to offer him even more than that this summer

Why would they do that?

For the same reason they offered him 13mil to begin with

[Sunsfan4life]

What about Mo Williams putting up 52 points for Minnesota against Indiana?

He's going to be a great pickup for a contender. Might net the Wolves a late 1st.

[SDC]

I'm not sure if I would say Bledsoe has low basketball IQ.

I do know that I wouldn't say Markieff has a high basketball IQ.

bledsoe is steve francis.

markieff is good at what he does. he knows his strengths and limitations. i say he has a good basketball iq.

[SDC]

I wouldn't mind having Amare back for a low salary, but I don't know if it would actually help us. We have a weirdly crowded frontcourt and suddenly are having trouble finding minutes for Plumlee. I feel like Amare might just create a logjam.

adding wright is redundant. amare can shoot and is still a good scorer in limited minutes.

to make room for amare or oneal, i say "last in, first out" (i'd let go of wright first before plumlee).

[SDC]

Payton can’t shoot, at all, from anywhere. He’s only 20, but he couldn’t shoot in college, and even Payton optimists see him topping out as a tolerable jump-shooter — not a good one. People wonder why Channing Frye, Orlando’s out-of-nowhere veteran signing last summer, hasn’t rained 3s at the level he did in Phoenix. The easy pick-and-pop looks don’t materialize when defenders can dip way under Frye’s picks for Payton, allowing Frye’s defender to stay home:

Defenders often treat Victor Oladipo the same way when he takes his turn at the wheel, even though Oladipo has improved his 3-point stroke in Year 2. And when Oladipo has the ball, that means Payton is off hiding on the perimeter — where nobody guards him. Harris has hit 41 percent from deep, but he was a bricky long-range shooter before this season, and defenses still treat him as such. Teams sag in from the wing against Orlando regardless of which guard has the ball, and it’s hard to score on the pick-and-roll against a clogged lane.

That also hurts Frye; even when his defender does abandon him on the pick-and-roll, the opposing defense rotates a third guy away from an Orlando wing player and into Frye’s grill:

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/a-rab ... ing-to-do/

[Cap]

OKC just lost by double digits for the third time in four games.

[carey]

OKC just lost by double digits for the third time in four games.

The Waiters effect. 6-16 for 16 points in 31 minutes.

[Sunsfan4life]

OKC In talks trying to get Brook Lopez in a 3 way trade.

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nba/ ... lance-deal

Stephenson is also involved. Looks like OKC is trying to go all in for this yr. It would negate there cap space for next.

[INFORMER]

I like Lopez for OKC.