LeBron on Dime #31Here’s why we’re not taking the Cavs too seriously as championship contenders: If LeBron has a bad game (not likely, but it happens) it’s highly likely that Cleveland loses. The more realistic contenders — Boston, Detroit, Phoenix, L.A., Utah, San Antonio — aren’t in that same position if their #1 guy doesn’t score a lot of points. Yesterday ‘Bron ran into the Pistons, who applied some Jordan Rules defense on him, and for the second time this year held James below 20 points. You have to give Flip Saunders credit for making an adjustment from the last time these two played, when LeBron beasted Tayshaun Prince 1-on-1. This time Rip Hamilton primarily guarded LeBron with a lot of help; Detroit was committed to denying LeBron the ball and being physical with him when he did get it, holding him to 13 points on 4-for-17 shooting. Of course the rest of the Cavs couldn’t muster much of a counter-attack, and they got routed … Rip wasn’t exactly killing it with his shot, still playing on a sore hip, but he got to the line enough to put up a team-high 14 points … Back on Opening Night 1990, the Warriors beat the Nuggets 162-158 in the highest-scoring regulation NBA game ever. Those Nuggets stunk; with Michael Adams, Orlando Woolridge and rookie Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (not to mention Tim Legler, Avery Johnson, a young Anthony Mason and “Send It In!” Jerome Lane), they got buckets but couldn’t stop anyone. Because they were so bad defensively they used their ensuing Lottery pick on Dikembe Mutombo, and you know the rest. The Warriors that year were nasty, featuring Run-TMC in their prime; Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond all averaged between 22 and 25 points on a squad that made the playoffs … When the Nuggets and Warriors met up last night, we were prepared for another 320-point game, given the way these two (don’t) play D and that they’re both gunning for that 8th playoff spot. They didn’t quite get there, but they tried, each jacking up 100-plus shots. Probably the play the personified the game was when Allen Iverson tried to drive left on Baron Davis pulled it back and was literally walking back toward the wing when he dumped a super-casual behind-the-back pass to Carmelo, who had his man posted and went in for a dunk. It was like the Nuggets were scoring without even exerting energy. ‘Melo scored 25 in the win, putting them in that 8th spot and keeping the Warriors in the Lottery for the moment, while K-Mart put up 30. Golden State’s new Run-TMC — Baron, Monta and Captain Jack — each put up 20-plus … We really don’t get the Grizzlies. Friday night they withstood a 53-point assault from Kobe Bryant and still put up enough buckets of their own to steal a win from one of the best teams in the West in their building. Last night, in the same building, they go out and lay an egg against the Clippers, getting lit up by Al Thornton. The rookie went nuts in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 of his 39 points. And you know the better he looks, the less likely it becomes that the Clips will break the bank for Corey Maggette this summer (if he chooses to opt-out) … Speaking of rookies, wasn’t Corey Brewer supposed to be the most NBA-ready of the Gators’ big three? You know what Al Horford has been doing — arguable Rookie of the Year numbers — and Joakim Noah has been coming on late in the season; he put up 18 points, 15 boards and 4 blocks against Milwaukee last night, including a game-sealing play when he poked the ball away from Yi on one of the Bucks’ last possessions. Brewer’s been the one not making much of an impact, but we’ll see how he does when he bulks up over the summer (or at least tries to bulk up) … Did anyone on the Nets not get dunked on by Amare last night? STAT put up 33 points and 15 boards in a road win and crammed on seemingly everyone at one time or another. Josh Boone got it the worst … UCLA handled Xavier to punch their Final Four ticket in a game that just further showed why Kevin Love will be an effective pro. Maybe he won’t be a superstar, but you’re telling us Love (19 pts, 10 rebs) can’t be as good as Brad Miller at his peak? … During the game the announcers were talking about an earlier interview with K-Love where he was asked if he’d ever met Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Bill Walton. Kevin said he hadn’t met Kareem, but that he’d had an hour-long phone conversation with Walton. “After I said my hello’s, I listened for 59 minutes,” Love said. Sounds about right … The second-most debated NBA prospect in the field, Tyler Hansbrough, dropped 28 and 13 boards on Louisville in North Carolina’s win. For those who say Psycho T’s not athletic, you can be that follow dunk he had in the second half will make his pre-draft highlight reel. Rick Pitino’s crew got pretty close in the second half, but UNC’s just too talented and has too many weapons … Now that Derrick Rose’s phobia of needles has been made public, he should probably just go pro (like he wasn’t going anyway). If he comes back to college next year, you know every road game, fans will have a bunch of signs with pictures of needles and big fake needles just to mess with him. You don’t see that kind of stuff with NBA fans; the worst is maybe the arena DJ playing some obnoxious song that has to deal with getting stuck … We’re out like Run-TMC …
March 30th, 2008 at 4:41 am
stanaeciouz says:
numero uno!
March 30th, 2008 at 5:12 am
YOUNGFED says:
Stat was vicious last nite, but why dude thinks he’s the MVP of the league is just ridiculous.
TOP 5 SMALL FOWARDS:
1.) Lebron
2.) Melo
3.) Josh Smith (insert hate here)
4.) Pierce
5.) Captin Jack/Hedo/Jefferson
March 30th, 2008 at 5:16 am
K-Hova (Insert hate here) says:
Hey dick S-Jack’s nickname is spelled “captain” Jack. And my nickname blows. So please let go.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:23 am
YOUNGFED says:
Oh almost forgot
BIG UPS TO ALL MY HATERRRRSSS!!!
K-HOVA LIVES!!! lol
Naw but on a serious note glad to see I sparked a conversation on the TJ vs. Calderon debate yesterday. Even through all the haters I’m still WHAT THE DIMES BEEN MISSIN’. Can’t for the life of me see why people think they’re so far apart. When I played ball in Highschool and college the best players always started. Seems to still be that way in the NCAA today. NUFF SAID!
PS…You just do you, UMMA DO ME!
March 30th, 2008 at 5:23 am
K-Hova (Insert hate here) says:
FYI: Youngfed has a phobia of needles too…needle dicks that is. He prefers them nice and meaty like my mamba snake!
March 30th, 2008 at 5:23 am
Herrschel says:
Saw that loisville against north carolina game and what is it with this ty hansbrough dude, at best he can be compared with eduardo najera based from the skill set, but dude seems to have the heart of an allen iverson, just ridiculus, psycho t. hopefully his game translates to the pro’s, otherwise he will be the next mark madsen.
What’s your pick to win the big dance?
i would like to see carolina versus memphis with memphis winning it all.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:27 am
YOUNGFED says:
Straight baller you really need some bitches in your lame as country then maybe you could GROW THE FUK UP!!! Say What you want but Fuk Foriegns Ridin’ our coat tails. Yo bitch ass wake up lookin for typo’s (LAME). We not following sports in your lame ass country so stop lookin for ours. Ya’ll probably still got dirt roads. Cock sucka and anyone who thinks your funny gotta be just as lame. GET A LIFE DIK RIDER.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Zech says:
How many dunks did Amare have last night?
http://www.squidoo.com/AmareStoudemire
March 30th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Str8baller says:
kid…. I’m not even gonna say anything about it. Didn’t write shit. Just woke up now. 11.36 a.m. and checked Dime because I love the game of basketball. Speaking of basketball it is universal, it was even invented by a Canadian so chill dude. You don’t even know where I’m from so how can you judge me? If some other dude is using my name there’s nothing I can do about it. All I can say is I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING. since you say you’re some kind of Secret Agent, you can check my IP address. And if you don’t follow sports in my lame ass country, I guess you didn’t know we’re the WORLD CHAMPS. we beat Greece (who beat the US Team by the way). So we know a bit about basketball. And in a team level, the Sixers lost to Barcelona in NBA Europe (Navarro gave Iverson BUCKETS). So kid, relax and take a chill pill.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:48 am
KB24! says:
Youngfed..what about Caron Butler yo? i think hes a bit better than hedo.
March 30th, 2008 at 7:06 am
YOUNGFED says:
KB24
Caron Butler is really hot but you gotta admit Hedo is mudering right now. But good call with Caron his defense is mos def better than Hedo.
March 30th, 2008 at 7:55 am
YOUNGFED says:
I love to swallow
March 30th, 2008 at 8:09 am
YOUNGFED says:
Being a copy is supposed to be funny how. Get a life and be yourself. We already been thru this are you, like 9 yrs. old. If you wanna say sumthing man up and say.
March 30th, 2008 at 8:24 am
YOUNGFED says:
I wish all you haters would just bend me hova and have your way with me.
March 30th, 2008 at 8:55 am
word says:
kmarts season high, good for him I guess they are in 8 spot right now, we’ll see if they hang on to it.
Noah has potential but did yall see Hansborough? He’s going to be top pick next season. Kevin Love too.
Davidson might win tonight, Curry reminds me of a young AI.
March 30th, 2008 at 9:35 am
jz_smoove says:
i’m gonna put myself on the line again. i once told a dude (circa 1997) that when tim duncan bolts wake forest and goes to the nba, he will be an ok pro but wont be a superstar or dominant force. well we all know how that went down and i still regret those words coming out of my mouth. and so having said this, i say k.love and t.hansbrough will be ok pros but not superstars. what u all think?
March 30th, 2008 at 10:11 am
IGP says:
I think Love and Hansbrough will be pretty nasty in the NBA…why does everyone think they will only be okay? They dominate big games, and Tyler has been killin for a while now. They both are not as athletic as Lebron, but they dont really need to be. How athletic is Duncan really? I think they will both probably have a few 20-10 seasons.
March 30th, 2008 at 10:12 am
YOUNGFED says:
K-love= Superstar 4sure
March 30th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Brown says:
The one thing I like about Love is that’s he’s a basketball player first and an athlete second. Over the past decade or so, NBA GMs have for the most part drafted athletes, hoping they can be taught basketball skills. Those players never pan out, or just end up being a waste of talent. Can anybody say Stromile Swift? The league is riddled with athletes with low bball IQ, and the game has suffered because of it. I remember back in the late 80s early 90s when the guys on the end of the bench had high IQs and could produce when called upon, but that ain’t the case today. I hope the league gets away from drafting useless athletes with so-called “skills”. I’ll take a baller over an athlete any day.
I think Love will be a starter in the right situation. As for Hansbrough, I’m not so sure. He’ll definitely be in a rotation somewhere though at the least.
March 30th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Furai says:
I bet you that in the first few plays of Texas Vs. Memphis, Rose is gonna get elbowed on purpose and his ass will cry and miss the first half.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Dennis Castro says:
Brown, excellent points. I think Love can be a 16-18ppg/8-10rpg/4apg type player. I wouldn’t mind having him on the Sixers. I was skeptical on how his talent would translate to the league, but I don’t have too many doubts now.
I think Hansbrough can be the 3rd or more likely 4th best player on a good team.
Any top 5 list of SF’s in the L that doesn’t have Caron Butler isn’t a legitimate list. I have him as the 2nd best SF in the NBA this year, behind Lebron and way ahead of Melo/Hedo/Josh/Pierce. Caron plays nasty defense and can drop buckets whenever.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Celts Fan says:
Great point Brown. Dime, you guys are DEAD ON about Love as Brad Miller in his prime at least (you’d think based on everything he’s done anyway.)
Hansbrough reminds me of an energy guy like a Varajauo type that can hit a jumper. IF he keeps working on thta and doesn’t get just thrown around in the pros (still a question mark) he could be a starter next to a good center, but most likely he’s a spark off the bench that does all the dirty work. Think Leon Powe or Reggie Evans or Anderson Varajau or Ronny Turiaf. These guys are a dime a dozen in the pros, but the good ones are the difference between contending teams with weak benches and contenders who don’t lose anything when the starters sit. The contributions we’ve gotten from Powe and Big Baby (and those that the Lakers have gotten from Turiaf, and every contender’s gotten from their own version of these guys are invaluable and vital to win something beyond a division.)
March 30th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Jim says:
I don’t see Love’s game translating that well. He’s not a very good athlete, I think he will get ate up on pick and rolls. Miller is taller and a better athlete, but hey, they’re both white so I guess that’s the best comparison we can make.
Speaking of other caucasians, Hansbrough is a good athlete with a good touch. He is also a good team defender. A big guy with a motor who plays good team defense and rebounds will get burn in the league. A big guy with a great offensive skills and not much lateral movement will get burnt in the league. I think that’s the difference between my two cousins.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Dennis Castro says:
And Youngfed, you’re mad ignorant. No need to denegrate other countries when you big up the US. Unless you forgot, America was built by the work of immigrants from some of those countries you put down.
Sorry yall, back to bball, but I had to call a spade a spade.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
YOUNGFED says:
Oh really never would’ve known, guess that’s why I’d be African-American. LMAO. Who’da Thunk It? lol
DC - Don’t trip my girl is canadian so I do like certain countries just not 3rd world countries. Holla!!
March 30th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Willis says:
Kevin Love as good as Brad Miller n his prime? Actually I can see that. The only problem is Love had better hope he grows to be taller because he’s listed 6′9 and B52 is a legit 7′0. Love would be a great fit on the Sixers. Brad was what, 18 and 10 in his prime? Love can probably do 20 and 10.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
YOUNGFED says:
Except for AFRIKKKA!!!
March 30th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Dip Set City says:
Butler is not, never has been and never will be better than Melo. Dude must live in DC
March 30th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
YOUNGFED says:
Good call Dipset I’m out. works done here.
Big Ups To all My Hattteerrrrssss!!!!
YOUNGFED Been gettin’ Papppeerrrr!!!
One Luv..Pimps up, Hoes Down and ya’ll know who I’m talkin’ bout.
Holla.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Claudio Leoni says:
Mason just palyed 3 games with the Nuggets this Year (90-91)
March 30th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Dennis Castro says:
One more thing I was thinking about. I think Calderon would be a perfect fit with Washington.
Washington needs a PG who distributes the ball to Jamison and Butler and can knock down the open shots. If I were them I would take some or a good amount of the money they were going to give Arenas and throw it at Calderon.
I think Gilberts a very good player, but he needs the ball in his hands to be effective, and Caron and Jamison don’t get the ball in optimal positions when Agent Zero is running the point.
A lineup of Calderon, Stevenson, Butler, Jamison, and Haywood would be pretty solid. I might even make Blatche an unconventional starting C and just run, run, run.
It’s a little out there, but you’ve got to think outside the box and take a chance sometimes to be effective.
March 30th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Ignant says:
“When I played ball in Highschool and college the best players always started. Seems to still be that way in the NCAA today. NUFF SAID!”
Ever heard of Josh Duncan? He comes off the bench for Xavier, and was their best player.
and Africa’s a continent, jackass and why you got the triple k in there like it’s cool?
March 30th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Dennis Castro says:
Na, I’m actually a Sixers fan and live in Philly, but Melo and Caron’s stats are debatable. Melo avg about 3ppg more, they rebound about the same, Caron avg an assist per game more, but Caron’s defense is WAY better than Melo’s. It’s not even close.
Just because Melo was the 3rd player drafted and has all this hype around him yall might think that he’s better. I’ll take Caron anyday. I think he’s the leader of that Wiz team, while Melo had his leadership title straight jacked by AI.
March 30th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
BustJlaze says:
“Golden State’s new Run-TMC — Baron, Monta and Captain Jack — each put up 20-plus”
Why not just call ‘em Run-DMC instead of TMC? I don’t get it…
Davis
Monta
Captain Jack
March 30th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
BustJlaze says:
just to clarify, ’cause I know someone’s gonna go “YOU DON’T KNOW WHO RUN-TMC IS?!?”
I know there was a TMC in the day, but it was based on DMC so why are we calling them….OH JUST FORGET IT
March 30th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
for real says:
Steph Curry’s mom is a STONE COLD FOX !!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 30th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Austin Burton says:
Brad Miller is taller than Love, but with the way he plays, I don’t think it matters. Miller’s game isn’t posting a guy up and getting hook shots. It’s going to the high post, making passes out of that and hitting jumpers. Being 6-9 or 7-0 in that situation doesn’t really matter.
And I think Hansbrough could actually has as good as someone like David West. His mid-range J isn’t as consistent, but he’s a bull underneath the glass. Varejao has little skill and thrives off energy. Hansbrough actually has skills.
March 30th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
SAS Sizzle says:
Some of y’all ruin this blog with your Kobe-like EGO, it’s getting more embarrassing by the day, nuff said
you know what kkk stands for right
March 30th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Brown says:
BustJlaze, TMC stands for the initials in their first names:
T M C
i i h
m t r
c i
h s
Calderon would be nice on the Wiz. I honestly think they should get rid of Arenas and get a PG, cuz he takes too many shots away from Butler and Jamison. Arenas isn’t a team player and is only looking to get his because of that gigantic chip he has on his shoulder. I’m glad G-State let him walk. They should have kept Jamison though.
If you’ve been paying attention, when Arenas goes down, his team plays better because Butler and Jamison get to carry the offensive load, not just Gil taking 60% of the team’s shots and leaving everyone else to fight for scraps.
As far as Butler goes, if you’re comparing how the two play offensively, Melo gets the nod, but if you’re comparing their whole games, including defense, then Butler gets it. There’s so many people out there who only look at how players play offensively and don’t understand that defense is just as, if not more, important. I’d take Butler any day, hands down.
Coming from a dude named Dip Set City (not even spelled right), he’s obviously not a very good judge of talent. Dipset is all hype, no substance. Cam and Juelz are ok, but the rest are bums. How can you have a crew where every member has the exact same style?
March 30th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Steve M says:
Youngfed:
TOP 5 SMALL FOWARDS:
1.) Lebron
2.) Melo
3.) Josh Smith (insert hate here)
4.) Pierce
5.) Captin Jack/Hedo/Jefferson
7 players on a top 5 list?? Souldn’t this be a “Top 7 Small Forwards” List?
March 31st, 2008 at 12:57 am
kowtz says:
Run - DMC is back…
Dizzle
Monta
Captain Jack
March 31st, 2008 at 3:54 am
kowtz says:
Isn’t marion a small forward?
I mean hedo better than shawn? better than AK47? better than Luol deng? Tayshaun Prince? Peja? lamar?
March 31st, 2008 at 5:02 am
YOUNGFED says:
This year he is. Sorry Kowtz.