2017-18 NBA Basketball

If LeBron goes to Houston, pencil him in for four more rings.

He could only win 2 with Bosh and wade. If this was his last move he might get one... max. I think he'd have a better chance to win more than one with philly or celts. But he would probably throw off the chemistry. "It's hard".

houston needs Paul George who can play defense. It will not happen when they may be losing Ariza to the Warriors. One player on Houston who could play defense.

There's talk of George and lebron together on Lakers too. I don't think that produces a title either.

Current odds for lebron on betonline:

Rockets +200
Lakers +250
76ers +450
Cavaliers +500
Celtics +1000

The Cavs gave up in the 3rd.

Spending a week at Disney starting tomorrow. At least I won't have to worry about missing a game.

Going with 5 of the grandkids and family...the other 4 went last week before their yearly passes expired.

Disney sounds like so much fun with the grandchildren. In regard to Lebron getting four more rings......damn I smile a lot lately. The man did not play a lick of defense in this championship series, and somebody wants to add a defensive liability to an already bad defense. Houston does have a good coach, and maybe for the first time in his career his ego will quit the stat chase and he will actually develop a team which can win, but that would require about 20 minutes a game, and a commitment to defense. He just is not that good to ever see another ring....he will bring down any team he plays with.

As far as the stats go, he missed breaking Michael Jordans record he was 16 points behind and he quit and the end of the third-quarter and then he was out with four minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter.

Odds for 2019 Title:

Warriors 0.8 to 1
Rockets 3.5 to 1
76ers 3.5 to 1
Celtics 8 to 1
Lakers 20 to 1
Heat 20 to 1
Spurs 25 to 1
Cavaliers 30 to 1
Raptors 40 to 1
Jazz 60 to 1
Thunder 60 to 1
Blazers 80 to 1
Pelicans 80 to 1
Wolves 80 to 1
Nuggets 100 to 1
Knicks 100 to 1
Pacers 100 to 1
Clippers 100 to 1
Wizards 100 to 1

Largely dependent upon where lebron goes obviously.

The broken hand with cast is being the target of sports chatter.....most are calling BS as Lebron knows fully what that series did to his legacy. four more titles......the team of ages.....does anybody other than the experts see that this guy does not play defense and disrupts team play to get his stats. He needs a coach. Playing team ball is hard when you have a ball hog.

A fracture, self inflicted, undetected by X-ray but visualized after 2 MRI's..... hmmm I hope he is ok.

I would have expected an ankle injury during game 3. James wore what looked like low quality "designer" shoes. When he turned his ankle, his gray shoes didn't look like they offered any support.

There are ten kids with better skills than Lebron when he came out of high school and was touted for greatness in this draft tonight. Lebron is the mailman. He will be right above the mailman when he finishes his career, and I never heard one person call the mailman goat. The NBA game is changing and James can try to fix his rep, but the truth is he cannot win another championship, and probably will never see a finals again. Unless he joins the warriors........he is desperate so never say never......but basketball people know the truth.....James is the Mailman with bad defense.

The desperation of Lebron James. It is sad, but it only shows that he is very sensitive to his repeated failures which now frame his legacy. The simple truth is good players do not want to play with a ball hog who plays no defense and destroys team chemistry. There are NO players who can make James a winner......he is the mailman.....he is Buffalo, and now is there no doubt he is completely self aware. He should go to the Spurs and at least attempt to be coached in a team environment.....but he has to have the offense run through him.....how has that worked out? KD no more wants to play with James than he did with Russell.....ball hogs who cannot win, but at least Russell can play defense in front of his opponent.

If he can get Leonard and George in LA he may have a shot. They are complete players that can play off of the ball. Leonard is a lockdown defensive player that could help hide James on that end of the court. Lebron really can't even play d. How can the goat just play half of the court? It's laughable.

He is not coachable!

He cannot be coached. At this point he is wheeling and dealing calling players who he thinks can hide his deficiencies. This next year people are going to start being honest. What ever team he joins, it will be ranked low in defense. These other players cannot cover his man. I personally think the media storm over this years free agency is absurd. Next year will have real talented players who will be free agency. James cannot wait. He does not have the patience to build the Cavs, and he is looking for a quick answer in LA. The players and mgt. on Houston do not want him.....as other teams are suggesting the same as next year will be a gold mine in free agency, and James miscalculations this year are shortly going to be hilarious. He is no longer relevant, other than gunning and failing to play defense which appeals to people who know nothing about team basketball and want to sell superstars in the NBA.

Wow... George signed 4 year deal in ok to play with Westbrook instead of la to play with lebron.

Strange decision imo.

Just heard a source said that lebron just put philly back in play. I guess at his age he doesn't want to waste a year waiting for next year's free agents... which will be a good selection.

George is an incredibly intelligent player. One of my favorites in the NBA. His decision was simple. Playing with Lebron is a disaster. He and Wesbrook have incredible efficiency when they are both on the floor, but last year they had to deal with an aging Anthony who is rumored to be cut by OK, to save 90 million in tax. This means they could slip a younger player into the starting lineup. I like Adams at center and believe they are one defensive player away from being top four in the NBA. Going to LA was going to be getting in a car which was going over the cliff.
Butler is being offered an extension. I believe the timberwolves have told him that if you sign the extension, we will trade Wiggins. Butler would get 27 million a year which would be less than the 35 million next year when he is a free agent. However, Thibs signed Rose last night for 2 million, and talk is that NY is going to buy out Noah and the Wolves will sign him to a veteran contract, and the same is being rumored about deng with the Lakers. With Rose Deng Noah and some young players that second unit would be greatly improved and the question would be what wing would be available for wiggins. I would love to see pop make the trade for Leonard, but the wolves know he wants to go to LA.....but so did george. The next week is going to be exciting.

James going to Philly would be a disaster for the young players, but in his desperation to get the rings which have his legacy now as the big final loser, he might destroy another team. The NBA money has gotten goofy, but look....it is July and people are talking about the NBA......they have had brilliant leadership.

Agreed... it would be a shame to see that philly team corrupted. But from lebron's pov it's probably his best shot next year. George is from la... so it's still an upset to them and could cost them signing lebron and maybe Leonard. But in all reality they would've only been the 3rd ot 4th best team in the west along w ok now that they kept George. Neither could beat hou or gsw.

Now the sources saying lebron signed w la. 3 year w 4th year option for 130+M. Spurs say they will NOT trade Leonard to la. Also: https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/report-dwight-howard-has-serious-interest-joining-warriors

I am laughing my asz off this morning listening to experts talking about LA competing for a championship with James. Too funny. He hand picked and had management give huge money to smith and the rebounder who I forgot his name and his game, and they have been saying what a weak team.....you see James simply never was coached, cannot play defense, and has ran the offense for his entire career through him. It took Jackson to stop Jordan from being a selfish player. There has never been a buffer for James and now these experts think this old man who plays no defense will make the lakers a contender. Here is the truth. Utah is better. The timberwolves are better. Denver is better. Portland is better. The warriors are better. Ok is better. The spurs are better once they clear leonard. NO is the sleeper next year and is much better. So exactly who is LA going to unseat to get into the playoffs. Dallas is going to be much better, and the suns are no longer going to be an easy win. No James fades into history as the mailman.....great stats......just could not win when it counted because he crippled team play and cannot play defense.

I put their over/under at the number 5 seed... but wouldn't be surprised if they missed the playoffs.

Welcome to the west lebron.

2seaoat wrote:I am laughing my asz off this morning listening to experts talking about LA competing for a championship with James.  Too funny.  He hand picked and had management give huge money to smith and the rebounder who I forgot his name and his game, and they have been saying what a weak team.....you see James simply never was coached, cannot play defense, and has ran the offense for his entire career through him.  It took Jackson to stop Jordan from being a selfish player.  There has never been a buffer for James and now these experts think this old man who plays no defense will make the lakers a contender.  Here is the truth.  Utah is better.  The timberwolves are better.  Denver is better.  Portland is better.  The warriors are better.  Ok is better.  The spurs are better once they clear leonard.  NO is the sleeper next year and is much better.  So exactly who is LA going to unseat to get into the playoffs.  Dallas is going to be much better, and the suns are no longer going to be an easy win.  No James fades into history as the mailman.....great stats......just could not win when it counted because he crippled team play and cannot play defense.

He will now be playing twice as many games against the West teams which for a decade plus have been light years ahead of an almost D league in the East. He ran up his stats playing twice as many east weak teams than west. If James was on a Western team the last eight years, nobody would even be talking about a player who brings team defense numbers to the bottom of the league.....playing weak eastern teams. They will NOT make the playoffs with the team they have right now. Hell Cleveland will beat them. Now if these kids develop or the trade for a good defensive player, maybe they make the playoffs. The whole laker fantasy is hot air and media trying to get ratings claiming the emperor has new clothes........not a stitch....not a stitch, and this fantasy is going to finally have people telling the truth.....James is a clever NBA marketing tool, as seen by how the refs do not call his bullrush charges for a decade.....when you got nothing in the east.....James was that swampland which had to be sold.....media interest.....highest ratings......success for NBA, but in the end, James just cannot win. You judge a player on how he played with contemporaries.....and the truth is there are ten better players right now.....truth......if winning championships is the goal rather than stat grabbing.