Now that the NBA season is over, let's talk about some of the off-season stuff that's been going down lately. I read on espn.com today that the Celtics and Wolves had an offer on the table that would send Al Jefferson (whose game has been likened to Elton Brand) the #5 pick in this years draft, and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract for Kevin Garnett and Troy Hudson. However, Garnett nixed the deal by saying that he wouldn't play for the Celtics. He doesn't have a no trade clause like Kobe does, but because he can opt out of his contract, the team that trades for him could be left with nothing after this season because he'll just bolt after only playing one year for them. I kept reading, and it says that the only team he's willing to play for is the Phoenix Suns, and now they're trying to put together a package for him without having to include Amare Stoudemire. It might take a 3rd team to get it done, but even though Amare is younger, he lacks the defense that Garnett has, and if Stoudemire and Garnett were traded straight up for each other, i honestly think that Phoenix would become a better team. I think they would finally be able to seriously compete with the Spurs and even win it. The draft is next thursday, and there could be a lot of trades going down before then, so i'm definitely excited about all of the off-season activity right now because i was suffering a little bit without any interesting sports stuff to talk about. I'm also anxious to see what happens with Kobe. Just my opinion here, but i don't think Kobe plays another day for LA. I think he'll be traded and gone before the start of the season. It's his goal to be shipped out, and i think he's going to get his wish soon.
Bryant my man, are you saying that Kevin-looks like Tarzan plays like Jane-Garnett is better than Amare Stoudemire???? WHATTTTTTTTt????? Ok, I borrowed the "Looks like Tarzan plays like Jane" from Skip Bayless from ESPN first take to describe Garnett, and I am sorry but it is true... Amare is a beast!!! he can put the fear in any opposing player...Garnett is good but he doesn't scare anyone...too much finesse, fade-away kinda guy!! Garnett should go to the Suns and the Suns should find a way to keep Stoudemire...Garnett could take Shawn "The Matrix" Marion's place, and yes, only then, Phoenix will have a chance against the Spurs!!! ps: Bry, stick to football man ...oh, I know you can't, nobody believes in da Bears, even Tommie Harris criticizes Sexy Rexie Grossmann...Poor Teddies!!!
Ahhh, i was waiting for good ol' Jrem to show up. I missed smack talking with you man. Am i saying that Kevin Garnett is better than Amare Stoudemire??? Hellz yes! That's exactly what i'm saying. I'd make that trade a hundred times out of a hundred. Phoenix needs to win right now, and Garnett can get them over the top. Think about it, Stoudemire is a beast just like you say, but he doesn't play any defense. What do the Suns need?? Defense. Garnett is the more complete player right now. Amare will be there down the road (because he's younger) but if i was Phoenix, i would have to make this trade. Garnett is basically Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas rolled into one. Thomas' defense, and Stoudemires offense. The Marion deal won't go through, because the Wolves have said that they would want much, much more than Shawn Marion in exchange for KG. They'd probably ask for Barbosa and their number 1 pick in next years draft along with Marion, and i don't know that they'd do it because Barbosa is the only one who is effective at backing up Nash. Anybody who thinks Garnett is washed up, i can't wait for him to bring it. I know what this guy is capable of. He's no longer in the stratosphere with Duncan, but he's the only player in the league who even comes close. With Nash, Bell, Marion, Diaw, and Garnett, they would be a title team. With Nash, Bell, Marion, Diaw, and Stoudemire, they will continue to get beaten by the Spurs every postseason guaranteed. Just remember that a few years ago when Stoudemire was averaging around 40 ppg against San Antonio, Phoenix still got bounced. They need more defense to contend. It's the only way. If Nash wasn't getting so far up there in age, i would say not to make this trade and to keep Stoudemire and Nash together, but because Nash and Garnett are both in their primes, i think they'll make a better pairing while Phoenix still has this little window of opportunity. Hahaha...i knew you were gonna tell me to stick to football. Can't you see Jrem, i already know what you're gonna say before you even say it. I can read you like a book. You're just a predictable, delusional, overconfident Saints fan. And c'mon, Tommie said he was kidding!!
Yes, Kevin Garnett is better than Amare Stoudemire. There isn't even a comparison between the two. Granted, Amare is the most athletic big man around, runs the break and has a nice jumpshot, but so does Garnett. Have you even watched the both of them? Amare is one of the weakest defending big men i have ever seen. He's terrible at defense that whenever the Suns play the Spurs, they have to put Shawn Marion or Kurt Thomas on Timmy D. I don't know about you guys, but i have been watching KG since he came into the league in the 1994/95 season and the guy has been good since. Granted, it took him about 2 or 3 years to settle in the league but the same is true for prep-to-pro players like Kobe, T Mac, Dwight Howard to name a few (with the humble exception of Lebron). Ever since then, KG has developed into one of the most consistent all round players in the league. He's always a double-double candidate (and i mean, always) and that is something Amare cannot testify to yet. He hasn't mastered the paint the way KG has and even though he may be younger, after Tim Duncan, the next best power forward in the league is Garnett. Amare still has a long way to go.
Had to get in on this... First off let me say that I'm a HUGE, HUGE, sports guy but I hardly post in here because I hate typing long messages and it's hard to really make your point thoroughly without typing a lot. With that said, I want to try to start posting more. Anyway, I agree with you all who are saying KG is CLEARLY better than AS. Recently, I saw them both play the Hawks live and up close and it's so much different than watching them on TV. I don't know if anyone ever noticed this but Amare offensive fouls almost EVERYTIME he gets the ball in the post. He pushes off and lowers his head. In the game against the Hawks he had forty-something but I sware 'ol boy could have been called for an offensive foul everytime. The refs didn't start calling it until the 4th qtr. when the Suns started to pull away. When they did call it, 'ol boy got pissed and got a tec....Anyway, KG on the other hand had forty something in his game as well. This time my man was on fire. He was hitting everything from everywhere and he also had a few monster dunks as well. AS is athletic and can dunk (not quite as well as before the knee sergury btw) but cannot shoot too well. Besides, he never had to carry a team...I can go on and on but give me KG all day. Other off-season issues I'm concerned about all involve my 'Stones (Pistons). Will they keep Chauncey. The rumors have Milwaukee going after him heavy and possibly Denver. All I know is that he may have lost a few millions with how poorly he played against the Lebrons in the ECF. I dunno, theres plenty of other stuff but I been tired of typing for a minute now...
Bmanz, glad you could finally join us in here. 8) I think grandpa Jrem missed his naptime this morning, and he came on here talking crazy lol. Anybody who thinks that Stoudemire is better than Garnett right now is a mad man. It's the classic case of a great player being stuck in a city where nobody gets to see him play anymore. That's what happened with Garnett. There's no doubt that his window may be closing, but he's still a great, great player IMO. So you're a Pistons fan huh. I hate to say it bro, but the Pistons need to make some changes. I don't know if they can contend with their current roster. They "HAVE" to ship Rasheed out of there. He's such a cancer. By the way, I don't think Chauncey hurt himself too bad with how he played against Cleveland. If it weren't for Chauncey killing Ben Gordon in the Chicago series, it would have been Bulls all the way. He definitely has value. I don't know why he struggled against Cleveland like that, but their entire team struggled in that series, so maybe there's something else to it. I hope he doesn't sign with the Bucks. I hate the Bucks. :evil: They stink.
I totally agree with everything you said here. Garnett basically started the whole preps to pros phenomenon. He's still a great, great player IMO. He just needs to get the hell out of Minny. :lol:
You know, I think Rasheed is a problem to some degree but I think he is far from a cancer. His teamates love him and so does Joe Dumars. Now dpn't get me wrong he still may be traded but he is not the main problem. Coach Flip Saunders is the problem IMO. The players simply don't respect this guy and he can't motivate them. There is no way that they go from totally dominating a good Chicago team to getting swept in 6 games by a pathetic Cavs team. No way. The players basically did their own thing and Flip couldn't control them or make any other adjustments.... Anyway, your Bulls need to get some help in the post and they will be just fine...
Ok...I actually think that the comparison between KG and Amare is not really justified, but since you guys are all in love with KG, let's do it... KG has been in the league for 12 yrs...Amare only 4, and actually, given the knees injuries, only 3!!! So KG may have all the all NBA defensive teams (only 2nd team since 2006 by the way) but he is not a beast as a defender!! 1.7 BPG against 1.3 BPG for Stoudemire in 2007. 10.4 RPG for KG, 9.6 for AmareNot a huge difference. KG is much slower than Stoudemire up and down the floor, he has always been...and like I said, ppl fear the paint when Shaq or Tim Duncan are in it...and Amare is starting to make ppl feel the same way...KG in the paint as a defender???? he doesn't scare anyone!!! Did u say that KG carries a team??? Yes he does...but he carries them WHERE exactly? when he had Sam-I am-Cassell, Latrell-crazy-Sprewell and Troy-one year wonderHudson at their best level, only then he advanced past the first round in the playoffs...it's not like he did anything Jordanesque in Minnesota... Don't get me wrong, KG is scary good, but I am saying that RIGHT NOW, I wouldn't take him over Stoudemire...I think you guys are looking at his past glory...but at 32 he is fading fast while Amare at 25 is just starting to show what he can do!!! Amare has a long way to go, no doubt, but if I had to start a team TODAY with one player, I'd take Amare over KG for sure!!!
My point was that KG knows how to carry a team on his back where as AS has never been "the man". That is a quality that we cannot over rate. Also, before I saw both of them play live, right in front of me, I agreed with you wholeheartedly. However, I don't think Amare has the same explosiveness after that knee sergury and besides his athleticism, he does not have much. Age difference aside (or maybe even with the age gap) I will still take KG, just my opinion.
I think KG is the better player. Let's not forget that he did happen to win the MVP a few years back. Put him on a better team and he could be a MVP candidate again this coming season. He just needs to be back in the spotlight.
NBA OFFSEASON. :? Kevin Garnett has a few good seasons left in him and I think where ever he goes he'll have an almost immediate impact.But let's keep things in perspective.Moving him to Phoenix is an upgrade, but the defense needs to improve before they'll advance in any post season. I preach defense all the time but for a lot of teams merely acquiring a name deludes them into thinking that they'll be a contender. Nah.......... you can look at teams like Portland from a few years back and see what a mess they were because there was a lot of scoring potential but little in the way of basic defense. So go ahead and get him if you can, but along with him try to find some defensive guys and then see if you can get out of the second round.
I would have to agree with the Flip comment here. Whenever i visit Pistons.com message boards, all they ever talk about is "Fire Flip!" so maybe there is some merit to that claim lol. Oh, and you would be surprised to know that i'm actually a Heat fan. Unlike football, when i'm watching the NBA, i'm more a fan of great players than of teams. And since Shaq is my all time favorite player, i've been a Lakers and Heat fan because i was following him. And it doesn't hurt that D-wade is such a stud player either. 8) If KG or Pierce or Ray Allen gets traded to the Bulls, or any of my favorite players get traded to the Bulls, i'll probably start cheering them on a little more.
Re: NBA OFFSEASON. That's exactly the point Wedlock. KG is a major upgrade defensively all by himself. Stoudemire doesn't do any of the dirty work that Phoenix needs in order to be successful. He scores, and that's it. KG does so much more, and he would do so much more for that team :wink: .
NBA OFFSEASON Phoenix would need more than just KG for them to advance, though Bryant.That's what I was saying. He's an upgrade, but it isn't about just one guy taking them all the way.I think in order for Phoenix to get back to the finals as they were in 1993, the model would have to more like what San Antonio has in the way of some defense. I'm not saying KG wouldn't be nice, it's just that I don't see him doing it by himself.
NBA OFFSEASON.Kevin Garnett/Phoenix or Los Angeles? Kobe will probably break down and cry if the deaL doesn't materialize,LOL.
Re: NBA OFFSEASON.Kevin Garnett/Phoenix or Los Angeles? Well he may as well break down and cry 'cause I doubt it's going to happen...
