NBA Thread

[GM Franchise]

My new favorite sports fan...Angry Knicks Fan.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1910653-angry-knicks-fan-returns-after-jr-smiths-most-recent-blunder?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national

New York Knicks fans are angry.  Actually, they're really angry.

The latest blunder for the Knicks came on January 3, with J.R. Smith putting up a questionable three-point shot against the Houston Rockets instead of running the clock out for the last shot.  The Knicks lost the game, and this NSFW video below was released shortly after by a very angry Knicks fan.

This was the same Knicks fan who was made famous a little less than a month earlier for another NSFW rant video.  This most recent video was much shorter than the 10-minute rant in the earlier one.

Angry Knicks fan

Here is the original NSFW rant video featuring Angry Knicks Fan.

Knicks Fan Goin' In!

EDIT:

Found one more epic Angry Knicks Fan video.

Knicks Fan Still Goin' In!

[GM Franchise]

Eric Bledsoe (knee) out for a week

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10242799/eric-bledsoe-phoenix-suns-week-sprained-knee

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns say guard Eric Bledsoe will be out for at least another week with a sprained right knee.

The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns' victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the team's home loss to Memphis on Thursday night.

After the morning shootaround on Saturday, the Suns issued a news release saying Bledsoe would miss Saturday night's game against Milwaukee and would be re-evaluated in a week.

Bledsoe and Goran Dragic have formed the double-point guard lineup that has Phoenix off to a surprisingly successful start to the season.

Bledsoe will miss most, if not all of, Phoenix's five-game trip that begins Tuesday night in Chicago.


Copyright 2014 by The Associated Press

[GM Franchise]

[GM Franchise]

Andrew Bynum traded for Luol Deng

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10255605/cleveland-cavaliers-agree-trade-andrew-bynum-chicago-bulls-luol-deng

The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to trade Andrew Bynum and three future draft picks to the Chicago Bulls for All-Star forward Luol Deng.

The deal will save the Bulls more than $15 million in salary and luxury taxes because they are expected to release Bynum by 5 p.m. on Tuesday before the second half of his $12.3 million contract becomes guaranteed. The move will take the Bulls below the luxury tax.

The Cavs will send a first-round pick -- top 10 protected over the next two years -- that the Sacramento Kings owe them to the Bulls, plus two future second-round picks that belong to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Bulls will also have the right to swap 2015 first-round picks with the Cavs as long as the Cavs' pick is outside the lottery.

Deng, who has missed time recently because of a sore Achilles, is averaging 19 points and 6.9 rebounds in 23 games for the Bulls this season. An All-Star for the past two seasons, Deng becomes the first star to play small forward for the Cavs since the departure of LeBron James in free agency in 2010.

The Bulls had resisted trading Deng after they failed to reached a contract extension with him before the season. But with a season-ending injury to Derrick Rose and the offer of savings plus three draft picks, they pulled the trigger.

The Cavs had discussions for more than a week with the Los Angeles Lakers involving in a deal for Pau Gasol but could not come to an agreement. Part of the reason was the Cavs were unwilling to include picks for Gasol as they ultimately were for Deng.

Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert welcomed Deng on Twitter early Tuesday morning.

[Ian "Wolfie" Trumps]

Long term as a Bulls fan I see this as a good move, but for the moment its a step back or so...I will miss Deng who to be honest got his All-Star apperances similar to why half of China vote for players of the Houston Rockets.

Onwards and upwards...in about 2 seasons.

[GM Franchise]

Eric Bledsoe out indefinitely

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10269880/eric-bledsoe-phoenix-suns-needs-knee-surgery-indefinitely

Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe, a top contender for the NBA's Most Improved Player award, is out indefinitely after the team determined he needs a surgical procedure to repair cartilage in his right knee, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

Sources told ESPN.com that the scope and severity of the injury will not be known until Bledsoe is in a surgeon's care, but he is suspected to have suffered meniscus damage during his Dec. 30 return to Los Angeles to face the Clippers. Bledsoe was selected No. 18 overall in the 2010 draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who immediately traded him to L.A.

Bledsoe has missed the Suns' past four games with what the team said is a sprained knee.

The electric 24-year-old is averaging 18.0 points, 5.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in his first stint as a full-time starter, forming a dangerous backcourt tandem with Goran Dragic that has sparked the Suns to a wholly unexpected 21-13 start.

[Reya Serra]

...damn it.

[GM Franchise]

Celtics part of three-team trade

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/10297979/boston-celtics-trade-jordan-crawford-marshon-brooks-golden-state-warriors

The Celtics have traded guards Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks to the Golden State Warriors in a three-team deal that will send Toney Douglas to the Miami Heat and Joel Anthony and two draft picks to Boston.

Crawford became expendable with the expected return of Rajon Rondo, perhaps as early as Friday. Crawford was having a career season, averaging 13.7 points and 5.7 assists in 39 games.

The Celtics on Wednesday assigned Rondo to the Maine Red Claws of the D-League so he can take part in a workout. The 27-year-old All-Star point guard has yet to play this season as he works his way back from a torn ACL.

"Rajon is progressing terrifically in his rehab and this is the next step," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said in a statement. "This is a brief assignment so that Rajon can participate in a workout this afternoon with the Red Claws and he will be called back up to the Celtics upon the conclusion of the workout."

The Celtics get the seldom-used 6-foot-9 Anthony and the two draft picks: a second-rounder and a protected first-round pick acquired initially from Philadelphia that could become a second-rounder.

"This was very, very, very, very hard," Heat president Pat Riley said of trading Anthony. "He was the last center that I coached, I remember in 2008. He helped us win two championships. He's part of the Heat family. We wish him nothing but the best."

Douglas was averaging 3.7 points in 24 games for Golden State.

"Toney Douglas has always been on our radar ever since the New York Knicks drafted him," Riley said. "He's always been on our mind a little bit. This will be a great opportunity for him. You don't know what's going to happen in the future, but we have six weeks to keep trying to figure that out."

The trade will save the Heat $6.4 million in luxury taxes and remaining salary this season and frees them on the $3.8 million they owed Anthony for next season. Depending on the Heat's salary situation for next season, the deal could end up saving the team more than $15 million in salary and luxury taxes for a player who played just 37 minutes this season.

The Heat are sending the Celtics a 76ers first-round pick that is lottery protected for the next two years, that will turn into two second-round picks if not conveyed. The Heat are also sending their own 2016 second-round pick to Boston.

"This really is about flexibility more than anything else. In today's game, with the punitive nature of a team that's trying to win and trying to sign players to win, it's changed the landscape in how you think," Riley said. "I mean, 10 years ago, if you wanted to waive a player, you'd waive a player. You have to give that some thought now, especially if your team is $20 million over the tax. But this was not a money move.

"This was not a money move. This is a flexibility move. We've been I think a pretty good team over the years trying to find players midseason to try to help you possibly down the stretch. We'll see how this goes."

The Celtics add to their pile of draft picks and give up a couple of guys who were not going to be re-signed after the season. The trickle-down effect means more playing time for newly acquired Jerryd Bayless and backup point guard Phil Pressey.

ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst, ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg and ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh contributed to this report.

[GM Franchise]

Happy MLK Day!   

Inside the NBA: MLK or Oliver Miller?

[Justin]

Kobe has been selected to the all-star game. This is why I have always been against the fans voting for all star games in all sports.

[GM Franchise]

Kobe has been selected to the all-star game. This is why I have always been against the fans voting for all star games in all sports.

Like I always say, the fans shouldn't vote. Charles Barkley agrees with us on this.

Chuck making fun of bb fans


All Stars Voted In

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10341370/kevin-love-stephen-curry-earn-first-all-star-starting-spots

NEW YORK -- Stephen Curry, Kevin Love, Paul George and Kyrie Irving were voted NBA All-Stars Thursday, putting four first-time starters in the Feb. 16 game in New Orleans.

Kobe Bryant was elected by fans to his 16th All-Star Game, second-most in NBA history, but this one is shaping up as a kids' game.

Curry, perhaps the biggest snub last season, will join him in the Western Conference backcourt. Love passed Dwight Howard in the final days of voting and will start in the frontcourt along with Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and the Clippers' Blake Griffin.

LeBron James was the leading vote-getter with 1.4 million and Miami teammate Dwyane Wade also was voted in Thursday. George, who has led Indiana to the league's best record, and New York's Carmelo Anthony are the other East forwards, and Irving will start at guard.

Bryant has been limited to just six games this season because of injuries and will be out until at least early next month, but remains one of the league's most popular players with fans. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 19, was selected to more All-Star Games.

But even Bryant could finish only second to Curry among West guards, a remarkable turnaround for the Golden State sharpshooter. He was the highest-scoring player not chosen last year, but moved past the Clippers' Chris Paul in the third returns of balloting, then passed Bryant in the final days to finish with more than a million votes and become the Warriors' first All-Star starter since Latrell Sprewell in 1995.

Love also made a late move to surge into the top three, finishing about 8,000 votes ahead of Houston center Howard to become Minnesota's first All-Star starter since Kevin Garnett in 2007.

"I was hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, and knowing the worst was I was going to still probably end up in the All-Star Game (as a coach's pick) and represent the West and the Wolves and the Twin Cities," Love said. "Right now, I'm very happy."

Kevin Love passed Dwight Howard in the final days of voting and will start his first All-Star Game in February.
The Wolves' public relations staff made a massive push to get out the vote, urging fans to use social media to stuff the box. It's a bit of vindication for small-market Minnesota to be successful in pushing its star into the game when he was competing against the likes of Griffin and Howard in much bigger cities with much bigger fan bases. Love received 661,246 votes.

"It means a lot. It doesn't go unnoticed," Love said. "The fans have been so great this year not only to me, but to the rest of the team. Everybody's had my back and had the team's back so much. It really means a lot."

Indiana hadn't had one since Jermaine O'Neal a year earlier, but now George will get to play for Pacers coach Frank Vogel, who has already clinched the East's coaching spot.

"It means a lot because that means the fans are really watching us as a team," George said. "For us to have the No. 1 record in the league, and playing at a high level, I think the fans are starting to follow us as a whole and I think that's the biggest thing with me being a starter."

The four first-time starters are all 25 or younger. Curry went to All-Star weekend as a kid when his father, Dell, competed in the 3-point contest, and now he'll finally get to play in the game.

"It's kind of just a surreal feeling," Curry said. "I saw Kobe come on the screen and you knew that next person on the screen was going to be me or I was going to get left off that list. Just when I saw my name it was a real emotional kind of experience and glad my wife and daughter were here to watch it with me."

The reserves will be announced next Thursday. Head coaches in each conference will vote for two guards, three frontcourt players and two players regardless of position.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[¿PapaPancho?]

Its an exhibition game ... Still got the all star selection right o er what Cory did in the FBL

[Justin]

Melo is going ape shit

[Ian "Wolfie" Trumps]

Yeah I think to be honest there needs to be some sort of better structure to this. If Noah misses out I am going to riot.

[Justin]

Yeah I think to be honest there needs to be some sort of better structure to this. If Noah misses out I am going to riot.

I'm not a fan of Noah, but he definitely deserves to be in the allstar game this year.