DBAHO

QUOTE (3E8 @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 08:10 PM) I'd like to bang Freida Pinto Agreed.

Gotta say I'm impressed with Rafer Alston so far. He's a good distributor of the ball, and a good defensive PG. Didn't think we could beat Boston or Cleveland when Jameer went down, but I think we have a chance if we have no more injuries from here.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 04:19 PM) id wait to see how much money they gave hudson, before id call the deal excellent....especially considering they gave up a pretty high draft pick 3.4M with 4.6M to be made in incentives apparently. Giving up the draft pick hurts, but there's no doubt that Hudson is a better ballplayer than O-Cab when healthy.

DeWitt moves down to AAA, O-Dawg slides into 2B, and they can still sign Manny. Excellent deal for the Dodgers. Hudson gives them the best defensive 2bman they've had in years, and he'll give them an excellent top of the order hitter.

Yeah not a good day at all on the OC front, and it means we're definitely going with Getz/Lillibridge etc at 2B now (still had minute hopes that Hudson would end up here). Imagine if he did accept arbitration though from the Sox, and how that would have screwed up our off-season plans (e.g no Viciedo or having to trade JD).

That sucks for Phoenix. Stoudemire looked like a MVP player again under Gentry (albeit both game were against the Clips). Guessing they'll miss out on the playoffs now.

I purcahsed NBA2K9 on E-Bay yesterday for the PC. After the dissappointment of NBA Live 08 on the PC (especially graphics wise), really looking forward to checking this one out.

I get to conduct interviews for people from Britain who get to replace me in 2 months time this afternoon. Fun Times.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 04:29 PM) If they wind up with a pick around say, 22 or 23, and a pick around 15 or so, I wonder if they'd be able to package them together and move up in to somewhere in the late lottery. The only problem is, this year's meant to be a really weak draft, so it may be harder to move up. In fact, you'll probably see quite a few teams selling their 1st rounders for cash at the draft I would have thought because of the current economic conditions. So the Bulls may have an opportunity there as one of the higher revenue teams. I heard a rumor that Washington for example didn't want to use their 1st rounder because of the cap implications (which is just crazy).

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 04:26 PM) Cap implications: This clears a good amount of space under the Luxury Tax for the Bulls this year, might have been an important thing after the James deal. OKC is holding 3 first round draft picks this year, their own, Denver's, and San Antonio's. Those 2 are both likely to be late first round. Both are lottery protected, but neither of those teams will be in the lottery. I don't know yet which pick it is. Next year, Thabo would have earned $2.7 million, and in 2010 the Bulls would have had to make him a $3.8 million Qualifying offer as he'd be a RFA that offseason. Moving Thabo for a pick cuts $3.8 million off our salary in 2010. The 2 draft picks for the Bulls, 1 around 15 and 1 around 20, will likely earn about $2.5 million together next year, $2.7 million in 2010, assuming they aren't otherwise packaged. This deal therefore clears about $1 million, give or take the exact pick the Bulls are getting and the exact draft order, off of the Bulls 2010 salary, and maybe a couple hundred thousand off of the Bulls 2009 salary. The Magic may want to buy a late 1st rounder after dealing theirs for Alston (who's played his best ball under SVG also), but a lot of that depends on the Hedo Turkloglu contract negotiations. I think it's a good deal for both teams. Thabo wasn't going to get any playing time with the acquisition of Salmons, and he'll go to a team where'll he get some decent playing time.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 04:21 PM) Getting anything for Thabo is an accomplishment. He can't play. He's certainly not a good offensive player. All the Thunder will ask of him is to guard to opposition's best PG/SG/SF and let Westbrook and Durant concentrate on their offense. And he's an upgrade on Kyle Weaver, so for a late 1st rounder, I don't mind the deal at all for the Thunder. If they draft Griffin and can sign a good center to rotate with Kristic next season, they're a serious contender for the playoffs next season.

John Hollinger just said this;

Interesting trade from the Thunder, but they have a lot of draft picks to burn. I think it'll be the Spurs 1st rounder probably (so don't get your hopes up of it being an early one).

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 03:43 PM) If there is one thing I have learned from this trading deadline, it is that a lot of NBA players make way, way too much money for being bad. Jerome James makes 6.8 million? Raef LaFrentz - $12 million??? Wally Szczerbiak - $13 million???? I am sure the list goes on and on but who in the world signed these players to these contracts?????? James = Isiah Thomas. Enough said. He got that deal based on 1 playoff series for the SuperSonics. LaFrentz - I think it was either Denver or Boston's GM at the time about 7 years ago who signed that deal. And to think LaFrentz was the 3rd pick in the draft back in the day. Szcerbiak - Kevin McHale I believe. That's why he's a head coach now and not the GM.

Yep, I thought after last night something was going to go down. Anyone know of Alston's contract situation? At least he'll provide an upgrade at PG over Johnson and Lue. And it's not like we'll miss a late 1st rounder in a weak draft with a guaranteed 3 year contract anwyays.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 02:28 PM) Ben should not go to the bench for Salmons. If you think Ben is a blackhole on offense, you really have seen nothing yet compared to Salmons. Never said that. My point is, Salmons could stick with the Bulls until 2011 while Gordon will probably leave after this season. I'd know who I'd rather keep happy out of the 2. Salmons offers better D, and has an underrated offensive game (47FG% and 41.9 3PTFG% this season) and has better defense than Gordon for mine. Of course Gordon has the better offensive ability out of the 2, but I still think his role for the Bulls would be best served as an instant offense guy off the bench playing 30mins a night.

Shaq in Cleveland?

It's addition by subtraction. Hughes was obviously a clubhouse cancer, and he should get a chance to play for the Knicks now at the SG spot. Being a 30.5% career 3 point shooter won't endear him to Mike D'Antoni though I would have thought. Thomas will replace Nocioni at the backup SF spot, with Salmons backing up Gordon. I'd actually think Gordon should go to the bench now with Salmons starting, and Ben being that Jason Terry instant offense type of player again. James will obviously never play, and Robertson is a scrub. Talent wise the Knicks win obviously, but it'll be interesting to see how Hughes will mesh with that team. They also acquired Chris Wilcox for Malik Rose, in a deal I really like for the Knicks. Lee and Wilcox could give you both double - double's. Really like how Donnie Walsh has that team saving cap room for 2010 and has upgraded the roster since he's been in charge. Very underrated job he's doing here in New York.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 12:30 PM) 21 was unbearable. Felt like a film made for the USA network. All of my housemates who watched it last night with me quite liked it as well. What didn't you like about it?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 12:08 PM) There is talk that the NBA recently sent out a warning about the luxury tax and salary cap levels going down, next year, not up. Yep hence why so many teams are desperate for expiring contracts right now. The Nets would probably trade Vince Carter for Raef LaFrentz right now if they could. That's how bad things are.

Richard to me is going to be the ideal swingman, he'll be able to throw 3IP when needed from the pen, but could also be used in other situations. The Tampa Bay playoff series last year being a perfect example. If the Sox could sign a lefty reliever on the cheap right now and start Poreda in AAA, that would probably be an ideal scenario. I think they'll carry 3 lefties in the pen if possible.

There are rumors that the Magic are shopping Redick and Cook hard for a PG after the Chris Paul debacle from last night. A lot of people also think Portland will definitely pull the trigger on some sort of deal today.

I also watched 21 for about the 3rd time in the past month last night. Good film I thought with an absolute class soundtrack (Time to Pretend from MGMT and Young Folks from Peter Bjorn and John for instance). Jim Sturgess reminds me of a taller version of myself also (for some reason).

QUOTE (Brian @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 01:57 PM) I know a lot of people don't agree, but I like "Tropic Thunder" a lot. I think if Downey and Cruise weren't in it, it would of been awful. But I like it. Agreed. I only really cracked up laughing at 2 bits in the film; 1 - Where Alpo Chino is insulting Lazarus calling him Kangaroo Jack, throw a shrimp on the barby etc. 2 - Where Downey tries to speak Vietnamese to that little kid, and ends up using words like constipated a lot.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 17, 2009 -> 10:08 AM) I watched American Gangster for the first time this weekend and really enjoyed it. Saw it a couple of nights ago also, and enjoyed it also. Didn't think Washington was as good as he was in Training Day for instance, but it was a decent enough storyline.