HAKEEM: HOWARD IS ‘READY’ FOR AN MVP-TYPE SEASON

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If Howard plays like this again he could come close

 

Spoiler

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hopefully we do more harden/howard pick and rolls this year... i don't want to see howard posting up and harden in the corner. They both need to be involved when their on the court. Dwight ran a lot of pick and rolls when he was in orlando but after the injury he just kinda barely did it. Hopefully he really is healthy. I'm ready for the season!

 

Harden/Chandler is offended.

 

Right on!!!!!

 

Well let's see how the refs officiate this year. Cause if they officiated for Shaq like how I saw they did in Howard's only preseason game, then Shaq would have never been an All-Star, much less a HOF'er. Howard gets whistled for playing stand-yr-ground tough good D on one end, and then gets whistled at the offensive end when the opponents have skinny small ball centers flopping.

I'm pumped with what Hakeem said and with how Howard looks physically/conditioned this year, but I'm also sick of the officiating they do on him. It reminds me of how crappy they officiated against Yao. I mean we lost a series last year that went to 6 games, all tight, with 3 of them having next morning, official NBA ref "oops we're sorry" statements that all went against us and severely affected the outcome of the game. /harangue>

 

There should be outrage at this as it is eliminating strong post players from the game.

The refs shouldn't call a flop period in the post. Play F'n defense. As they call it now, power post players can't dominate like they used to. Which is why you see a lot more tall lanky centers than the old school huge guys with huge shoulders. So many teams can get away with playing guys like Channing Frye at Center because all he has to do to guard Howard is just fall down.

It used to be you'd have to push the guy out of the paint, be stronger than him and prevent getting backed down. Now it's just if you are getting overpowered just fall down. Not sure why the refs fall for this, it's not legit defense at all.

 

I was always confused at the logic of a big center backing somebody down.

As a defender, you have a right to occupy the space. If the offensive guy runs into you while you are standing there, it should be an offensive foul.

Which is why I never understood how a big guy ramming into a player over and over to move closer to the basket wasn't a foul.

 

Seems Hakeem believes so strongly in Dwight's readiness that he had to proclaim it in all caps.

 

Paging DMo and TJ

 

This year, I am expecting..
- 20 ppg
- 14 rbg
- 3 apg
- 2.5 bpg
- 1 spg
- 2 new baby mamas
- 3 offsprings
- 300 tweets
- 200 instagrams

 

Great that Howard is regaining his form but the problems with him are far more between the ears than with his physical ability. He needs better judgement, more maturity, and he needs to be an actual leader. No more stupid technicals. Make a damn free throw too. Same with Harden, we need that focus on defense. Time to grow up.

 

I could not agree any more. Dwight getting called for fouls when he would absolutely DOMINATE the guy guarding him is the lamest **** I've ever seen. You shouldn't be punished for being stronger than the opposing player, especially not in the post.

 

Yeah, in agreement that it'll be the refs that potentially keep Howard down.

In the Portland series, you had legit big men willing to actually D him up and you all saw what he did. There are too few of those guys league wide so you end up getting the lanky ****ers falling down and euro trash doing their euro crap to get the cheap calls.

Obviously ran into the same issue with Yao. All the time. Just let the big men dominate. Defenses should send the double team not fall down.

 

similar discussion
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=258810

 

Damn right!

 

He needs to come back from his knee booboo first.

 

I just pee'd a little

 

About the refs always falling for flops. I think the NBA needs to have the refs play in a mandatory basketball league during the off season so they can realize it takes a lot more force to knock humans down during basketball games. Maybe then they will realize that players who flop are really falling down on purpose.

I'm 5'10 160lbs good shape and stay active. I play match up against people 200-230 lbs who are my height and taller. And I don't go falling down when they back me down in the post.

The flop is horrible for the game, i hate it even when our own players flop. Even Matt Bullard dislikes it when our own players flop.

Too bad the NBA doesn't do automatic 1 game suspension for flopping. It would be wiped off the face of the game if they instituted that. Because that's a huge pay check for an NBA player. And if they player is making Max money that's about $100,000.000 gone from their bank account.

I apologize for rant, but flopping robs so much integrity for the NBA.