NBA Thread

[Black Death]

There goes the Bulls season again

[GM Franchise]

Yeah it looks like it although they didn't do too bad last season without him. This makes it come down to the Heat and Pacers out East with Rose out.

[GM Franchise]

Jordan's Hornets will bring back old purple and teal color scheme.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10030177/michael-jordan-charlotte-hornets-use-old-color-scheme

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan says his team will use purple and teal as its primary colors when it changes its name to the Hornets next season.

Those are the same colors players wore when the Hornets were in Charlotte from 1988-2002, before the franchise moved to New Orleans.

The new color scheme will be accented by secondary colors of black, gray and light blue.

The Hornets name became available when New Orleans became the Pelicans this season.

Jordan said in a release Sunday that "it was important to us to acknowledge the heritage of the Charlotte Hornets when bringing the name back to the market" and "the purple and teal color scheme was instantly recognizable as being associated with the original Hornets."

On Monday, the organization will begin a three-week campaign focused on "painting the city" with the return of the purple and teal colors to Charlotte.


Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press

[GM Franchise]

Derrick Williams traded to Sacramento Kings

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10040488/minnesota-timberwolves-announce-derrick-williams-trade-sacramento-kings

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Timberwolves' starters have logged more minutes than any other starting group in the NBA this season, in part because former No. 2 overall draft pick Derrick Williams couldn't gain the trust of coach Rick Adelman.

Now Williams is gone.

New Wolves president Flip Saunders traded Williams to the Sacramento Kings for Luc Mbah a Moute in a deal that was completed Tuesday morning.

"Luc is known as one of the premier defensive players in the league with an ability to guard multiple positions," Saunders said in a statement issued by the team. "He adds a lot of energy, grit and a high basketball IQ to our team. We thank Derrick for his contributions to our organization and wish him well in Sacramento."

Williams became the highest draft pick in franchise history when the Wolves took him second in 2011. But his style of play didn't mesh with Adelman's system, and the impasse reached a breaking point early this season. Williams missed one game because of back spasms and did not play in four others as Adelman elected to go with Robbie Hummel and Dante Cunningham with the second unit instead.

Adelman wanted to see more energy from Williams on both ends of court. But Williams often said that he had difficulty getting into the flow of the game with such sporadic playing time. He bounced between small forward and power forward in two-plus years with the Wolves, averaging 10.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 155 games.

Sacramento hopes Williams can bring some offensive punch to a team that could use more of it in the frontcourt alongside DeMarcus Cousins. The Kings have been searching for an answer at power forward after Carl Landry went out with a torn hip flexor in the preseason. They've used Jason Thompson and Patrick Patterson to varying degrees of success and see Williams as a player who may just need a change of scenery to realize his potential.

Williams is more comfortable playing power forward, which he showed when filling in for injured Kevin Love last season. But with Love back, and Cunningham earning Adelman's trust as a veteran off the bench, there was little room for the 22-year-old Williams. He played less than 15 minutes per game this season, much of it in garbage time during blowouts.

The move will help the Wolves balance their roster, relieving a glut at power forward while addressing a weakness at small forward. The 6-foot-8 Mbah a Moute played alongside Love at UCLA and brings some toughness and defensive presence that the Wolves are sorely lacking.

With Chase Budinger still not close to playing while he recovers from knee surgery, the Wolves needed another body to help take some pressure off Corey Brewer as the team's primary perimeter defender.

Adelman has told others in the organization that he likes Mbah a Moute's game, an important endorsement if the Wolves were going to cut ties with Williams.

Mbah a Moute's size will help the Wolves to match up better with some of the toughest covers in the West, including Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, the Clippers' Blake Griffin and Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki.


Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press

[Cory]

D. Rose has to be the softest athlete in sports.

[Black Death]

D. Rose has to be the softest athlete in sports.

Cory sorry that a fuck up statement ... He can not control getting injury ...Shit happens.

[Jon]

But it's true BD.

Kid can't stay healthy.

[Black Death]

But it's true BD.

Kid can't stay healthy.

That does not make him soft and you guys know that.

The way he plays the games puts a lot of pounding on  his knees over the years. injuries happens ... it just mess up that it happen to him.   I hope he can recover and come back. But he going to have change his playing style now 

[GM Franchise]

I think it's something genetic with the muscles in his legs. His legs are the issue, not so much so with the softness.

[Jon]

That does not make him soft and you guys know that.

The way he plays the games puts a lot of pounding on  his knees over the years. injuries happens ... it just mess up that it happen to him.   I hope he can recover and come back. But he going to have change his playing style now

Should have already learned that.

[The TeeJ of Philly]

D. Rose has to be the softest athlete in sports.

No, he's not the softest nor most fragile nor the unluckiest. Injuries happen sometimes happens to the same person more than once. I mean, if we're saying being injured alot, Chad Pennington has to be considered soft. Chase Utley is soft by those standards. Why people hate on him so much is beyond me, I'm not a Bulls fan and I'm devastated, I love watching D. Rose play whenever I can.

[J-Reb]

I think it's something genetic with the muscles in his legs. His legs are the issue, not so much so with the softness.

The way he cuts puts tremendous pressure on his knees. It was only a matter of time.

[Black Death]

The way he cuts puts tremendous pressure on his knees. It was only a matter of time.

yep... what he going to have to do now ... it heal up and change his style of play... he not going to be that same player any more  work on the mid-range jumper ... stop and pop ...  cut back on the slashing game.  He going to have to strength other aspects of his game now.  Wish him the best of luck

[Black Death]

Jason kid ... you sneaky mofo

[GM Franchise]

Jason Kidd denies Premeditated Spill

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/10048774/jason-kidd-brooklyn-nets-denies-intentionally-dropping-cup-sidelines

NEW YORK -- Jason Kidd intended to make a splash as coach of the Brooklyn Nets, but probably didn't expect anything like what happened Wednesday night.

With 8.3 seconds left in Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers and his team out of timeouts, Kidd, who was holding a cup of soda, appeared to say "hit me" to point guard Tyshawn Taylor in order to stop the game so the team could draw up a last-second offensive play.

Jason Kidd came up with a creative way to "ice" a free-throw shooter late in the Nets' loss to the Lakers, and social media reacted. The Moment

After Lakers guard Jodie Meeks made the first of a pair of free throws, giving his team a 96-94 lead, Taylor walked toward Kidd near the sideline and collided with his coach, who was holding a cup of soda at the time. The cup of soda spilled on to the court. While it was being cleaned up, the coaching staff drew up a last-second play. Taylor was subbed out of the game for forward Mirza Teletovic.

Adding to the chaos of the moment, while Nets assistant Tim Welch drew up the team's final play, two Lakers appeared to be in the middle of the huddle.

Meeks then made the second free throw, and on the ensuing Brooklyn possession, small forward Paul Pierce missed a 3-pointer that would've tied the game with 2.2 seconds remaining. The Nets ended up losing to the Lakers, 99-94, at Barclays Center.

"Cup slipped out of my hand while I was getting Ty," Kidd said of "Cupgate." "Sweaty palms. I was never good with the ball.

"In the heat of the battle, you're trying to get guys in and out of the game, and the cup feel out of my hand."

Video replays appeared to show Kidd saying "Hit me," something Taylor flatly denied.

Said Taylor: "No [Kidd didn't say that]. I wasn't paying attention. I just kind of bumped him. I didn't even know he was holding [anything]. [But] coach was drinking a soda on the sideline. I was like, 'What's he doing?'

"It could ice a free throw shooter and be a timeout when you don't have one, but that wasn't the thought process. I was just coming out, and he was in my way. 'Coach, get out of my way, bro.' "

The rookie coach's seemingly slick move could end up being investigated by the NBA.

It isn't the first time Kidd has done something odd to create a stoppage in play.

Back when he was playing with the Dallas Mavericks, Kidd made contact with Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson as the point guard dribbled up the sideline. Kidd appeared to initiate the contact with Woodson, though he pointed at Woodson as if to show the coach impeded his progress down court.

Mike Mazzeo is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.