Around the League: Week 21 3/16-3/22

[carey]

Nationally televised games this week.

I guess the NBA thinks if you want to watch basketball Thursday through Sunday that you'll be watching college. No nationally televised games this weekend. Enjoy March Madness everyone!

Monday: Cleveland @ Miami 8:00PM EST ESPN, L.A. Lakers @ Golden State 10:30PM EST ESPN
Tuesday: Milwaukee @ New Orleans 8:00PM EST NBATv
Wednesday: Orlando @ Dallas 8:00PM EST ESPN, Atlanta @ Golden State 10:30PM EST ESPN
Thursday: None.
Friday: None.
Saturday: None.
Sunday: None.

NBA News.

Anthony Davis had a monster game last night & was very close to a quadruple double: LINK
Sunday Shoot Around, the Grizzlies time is now: LINK

Morning tip isn't up yet, will post when it gets there.

[Shabazz]

Here's the link for the morning tip, which includes this trade idea from Aldridge:

Q: Do you think there's potentially gonna be a trade with Kevin Love heading to the Los Angeles Lakers? Coach Blatt seems to be out of place in not knowing how to use Kevin Love...

A: It's impossible not to notice Love is not playing down the stretch for the Cavs. And it's not that Cleveland's trade for him has been a disaster or anything. But if he isn't on the floor at Winning Time, how can you project him getting a max deal when he becomes a free agent? I'm not blaming David Blatt here; it's not like Love has been awful this season. He could well find his equilibrium. And, of course, nobody asked me (again). But I think it would make sense, this summer, for Love to opt in for the 2015-16 season, and then give his approval for a trade -- not to the Lakers, but to the Suns for the Morris Twins. It's a deal that would truly help both teams. Markieff Morris, enjoying a great season in Phoenix, would be a much better complimentary player to LeBron and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland, and he and brother Marcus would give the Cavaliers quality frontcourt depth. Love would be an upgrade at power forward for the Suns as well as a boon for young center Alex Len, who would see single coverage in the paint most every night with Love on the floor. Love, Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight would provide a pretty strong one-two-three scoring punch for the Suns, and allow them to continue to play fast. And, Phoenix would be set up better to give Love a max deal in 2016 than Cleveland would.

yes. please.

[Mori Chu]

I would do that deal yesterday. I know some people don't like K.Love very much, and I myself am the first one to tout the benefits of the Morrii; I think Kieff is being underrated and overly maligned here lately. But I also think Kevin Love is way better than he's showing in Cleveland this year, and that if he gets into a different situation, he'll be a big star again.

[Mori Chu]

Also: Serge Ibaka has to have knee surgery.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12494 ... jured-knee

Everybody penciled in the Thunder to make the playoffs, especially when Westbrook started going nuts. But New Orleans is quietly making a push alongside similarly insane play from Anthony Davis. They're only 1 game back from OKC. The Thunder are going to be without Ibaka, they've already got a gimpy Durant with a bad foot, and Westbrook has been burning the candle at both ends and can't possibly sustain the minutes and intensity he's been playing with lately.

http://espn.go.com/nba/standings

[carey]

Oh man. That is a big loss for OKC. Hmmm. Could be that N.O. can sneak in now but their perimeter defense is truly awful and they keep suffering injuries too.

[Shabazz]

Ibaka is my dream 4 alongside Len. I think it's extremely unlikely they move him, but with McGary, Adams, Kanter and Collison already there and Kanter due an extension, well... a man's allowed to dream.

[In2ition]

Ibaka is my dream 4 alongside Len. I think it's extremely unlikely they move him, but with McGary, Adams, Kanter and Collison already there and Kanter due an extension, well... a man's allowed to dream.

Dreaming is free, and if we are dreaming, mine would be Anthony Davis next to Len.

[Shabazz]

Ibaka is my dream 4 alongside Len. I think it's extremely unlikely they move him, but with McGary, Adams, Kanter and Collison already there and Kanter due an extension, well... a man's allowed to dream.

Dreaming is free, and if we are dreaming, mine would be Anthony Davis next to Len.

Well, of course. I'm talking quasi-in the realm of possibility targets.

[Cap]

Ibaka is my dream 4 alongside Len. I think it's extremely unlikely they move him, but with McGary, Adams, Kanter and Collison already there and Kanter due an extension, well... a man's allowed to dream.

Dreaming is free, and if we are dreaming, mine would be Anthony Davis next to Len.

And round out the lineup with Steph, Klay and LeBron. Whee!

[In2ition]

Ibaka is my dream 4 alongside Len. I think it's extremely unlikely they move him, but with McGary, Adams, Kanter and Collison already there and Kanter due an extension, well... a man's allowed to dream.

Dreaming is free, and if we are dreaming, mine would be Anthony Davis next to Len.

Well, of course. I'm talking quasi-in the realm of possibility targets.

I thought we were dreaming. How about Jahlil Okafor or Karl Towns?

[Shabazz]

Rodney Hood has looked very good lately. Picked 5 spots after Ennis.

[Superbone]

I was just watching Dragic happy as a clam controlling the ball for Miami as they're killing the Cavs.

[SDC]

I was just watching Dragic happy as a clam controlling the ball for Miami as they're killing the Cavs.

hahaha... wade was the dominant ball handler in this game.

[virtual9mm]

I would love to see Love for Brotherly Love. There would be love between Love and Bledsoe, as someone to throw the ball to when he's caught up in the air. There would be love between Love and Alex Len/Brandon Wright, as they'd get space to work underneath. And there would also be love between Love and TJ/Archie, as a 3-pt shooter would complement their mid-range and penetration games.

In all honesty, you would still need a vocal leader in the clubhouse, but if the Suns were to move for Love before FA season, they'd be considerably more attractive.

[pickle]

Ibaka is my dream 4 alongside Len. I think it's extremely unlikely they move him, but with McGary, Adams, Kanter and Collison already there and Kanter due an extension, well... a man's allowed to dream.

Dreaming is free, and if we are dreaming, mine would be Anthony Davis next to Len.

And round out the lineup with Steph, Klay and LeBron. Whee!

no lebron! he's 30 and injured! len davis steph klay and durant please. since durant has battled injury problems this year we can sign him for the steph curry deal, 11 mil a year.

[pickle]

i know i've harped a lot about how i don't like love, but everything is relative... if we are able to move the morrii for love, then i'd get behind that move too. if we are building in a vacuum and love is my first pick to build a team around, i'd balk...

but i'm focusing on the positives today. so ... yes to that trade please.

[Superbone]

I was just watching Dragic happy as a clam controlling the ball for Miami as they're killing the Cavs.

hahaha... wade was the dominant ball handler in this game.

haha... not while I was watching.

[SDC]

I was just watching Dragic happy as a clam controlling the ball for Miami as they're killing the Cavs.

hahaha... wade was the dominant ball handler in this game.

haha... not while I was watching.

okay. i only watch late in the 4th qtr. if they allowed dragic to be dragic, no wonder the offense ran so much better.

[LazarusLong]

Knicks beat Spurs ... Lou Amundson goes for 12 pts and 17 boards.

[Mori Chu]

I'm happy to see Lou still around in the league wreaking havoc. Loved that guy. Wish we had never let him go. He only wanted like $1m to stay and we just let him walk; will never understand that. He was such a good soldier and was so great to have coming in off the bench.