Ricky Bobby's dad has one saying, "If you don't finish first, you finish last." Doc Rocket may be implying that the Rockets are getting the big fish of this free agency to create a BIG 3 in Houston (which is why he tweets "In 1 corner...In the other corner...& in the other corner.") Is that free agent Carmelo or Lebron? Either way, it's gonna be a crazy next few weeks
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>If LeBron really ponders other teams -- and we have no indication yet he's planning to -- playing next to Dwight Howard must be worth a look</p>— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/statuses/479848609953759233">June 20, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Steven A. mentioned Harden being sensitive to his comments.. does anyone remember Harden's reply? What exactly is he referring to ?
could have been a private conversation they had; not sure specifically what he was referring to though.
Don't know what SAS is referring to. But Harden did freak out and call Fran Blinebury a weirdo when Fran asked him about not stepping up and perform like a real superstar in the playoffs.
Mark my words: this LeBron fiasco is a ploy by our FO to open the door for the guy we really want... Chris Bosh. -V-
*Throws up* Do NOT want! I'm assuming you are being sarcastic, but in case you aren't: The Rockets aren't desperate... We would rather wait for Kevin Durant next offseason than to go for that Dinosaur. The Rockets gave Bosh a chance to play for us... To put it as a metaphor, Its like a girl dumping us, we aren't that desperate to go for that girl again, when there are better options out there now... She had her chance! Meaning, we gave Bosh an opportunity, and declined us. Why would we want BOSH as our third star, when we could EASILY go for Kevin Love, if we wanted a PF? Hilarious.
There was sarcasm there, but to answer one of your points: I don't think Love is realistic for us given how other teams can simply offer the T Wolves more than we can. I'd like to think that Parsons is staying in Houston, especially considering how he helped bring this all together, and I'm sure Morey doesn't want to come off as a complete douche for trading away anyone and everyone (He even stated on twitter that Parsons would be back next year). That leaves you the PF and PG position. Rondo is looking unrealistic at this point and isn't an ideal fit, Irving would give us the most stagnant, lackadaisical defensive backcourt in NBA history, and Pau Gasol is close to retirement. What else is out there, REALISTICALLY.
Brian Windhorst: Carmelo Anthony? Short of suffering some catastrophic injury, he's definitely opting out. He's doing extensive research on teams. He's going to test the market. All signs point to him zeroing in on Chicago. Bulls are interested in him. They have moves to make. How desperately does Phil want Carmelo? Not desperate at all. The only thing the Knicks can offer is money. They can offer the full $130 million deal. Phil has asked him to take a pay cut. The big choice the Knicks have is do they participate in a sign and trade? Dwight Howard an attractive teammate? They better not call players on the Lakers. They'll get a thumbs down. He keeps saying he wants to mature and focus on winning. He's taken strides. The big selling point is not just Dwight Howard, it's the overall strength of the roster. They feel they can get $16-$17 mil in salary cap space. If that happens, that's a compelling opportunity for someone. They can still re-sign Chandler Parsons. So you have two all stars, a budding all-star with Parsons, with a gaping hole. Whether you love Dwight or not, there is a lot of talent on that team. They'll pitch Carmelo and LeBron if he opts out. There are issues there. Howard is one of them. James Harden is a ball dominating wing player, Carmelo and LeBron like to dominate the ball, but player by player, the Rockets are in a great situation. What is LeBron James going to do? I think LeBron will opt out and become a free agent, if even only for a few minutes. I think he wants to apply pressure to the Heat, and also see what's out there but isn't looking to leave. It's a green light for a team somewhere to step up and get his attention. If you want a chance at LeBron, step up and do it. It will take a big move. There is no clear viable option. He knows that. Riley speaking to James yesterday? He has a lot of perspective. He knows the Heat have done a good job for him. He also knows Riley is being hypocritical. LeBron's concern is, are the Heat willing to invest heavily? Riley pointed to the Spurs adding one player and improving from within. Adding one player won't get LeBron to stay. They don't have the ability to re-tool. Could LeBron be a serial monogamist? I don't think he wants to hop around. He knows his power and will apply pressure.
He is likely to get rings in Houston. And while there will likely be some puddle jumping critics, the truth is nobody really cares in the end as long as you are the best player on that team. They remember that you got 6 rings. On jumping ship when it's heading South ( and I'm not saying that's happening ) I'm good with that, because most teams do not recover. Very few seem to plug the hole. So why not change it up. His legacy is better served playing with players rising than players on the decline. And as he gets older, he will likely need more help anyway because his game is based on being explosive. So many players have moved, it's not a big deal. Just more media to talk about it nowadays. He survived the snowstorm of the decision and came out relatively rosy. He can do it again. I don't know what he will do though. Both Houston and Miami are good decisions. He has good options.
I don't know the source where they got the numbers, but on Mike and Mike this morning they stated: 58% chance LeBron stays in Miami 17% chance he goes to Cleveland 10% Chicago 10% Houston Then they talked vegas odds:
Why does everyone think the Bull are that good? 2-1 to win in 2015 if they sign Lebron? And 5-1 if they sign Melo (LMAO)? The Bulls couldn't win a 7 game series against the 8th seed in the West.
1. They're in the East. Getting to the Finals is half the battle and skews the odds massively. 2. Lebron moving to Chicago removes the #1 obstacle to teams in the East, IE, the Heat. It also means Lebron doesn't have to go through a Rose led Bulls team. Who's left after that? The Pacers? Melo moving and Lebron staying means Melo still has to get past Miami AND Chicago. Lebron moving to Chicago eliminates both Miami and Chicago as obstacles in his road to another ECF. I have no problem with those odds.
