whitesoxfan99

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 4, 2011 -> 11:33 AM) Id argue that his assists should have increased playing with Lebron/Bosh as he should have a more reliable outlets when he passes. I just think when you look at Wade he is a depreciating asset. I like bigger guards, I thought that MJ was about the ideal size at 6'6, so Im not sure why Lebron at 6'8 cant play SG. Id also venture to guess that there have been definitely times that Lebron has been on the court and has played the 2. And it really doesnt matter, as I said I take scarcity into account. Whether Lebron is a SG/SF/PG he is still better than Wade. After that its pretty clear that the next 10 or so guys are just a matter of taste, so Im not sure why its so unbelievable that Wade is a top 10 player but not a top 5 player. Name your 5 players who are better than Wade at this moment. Wade might be a depreciating asset but that has nothing to do with whether he is a top 5 player in the league right now. If we were conducting a fantasy draft I wouldn't take him in my top 5 for building a team long term but I would take him 2nd or 3rd if I'm building a team for a single season.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Feb 4, 2011 -> 05:52 PM) However, I fully understand that not everybody thinks that way, especially the people who actually vote for the MVP. Most sports writers are stupid.

Voting for the MVP in the NBA is easy but people make it difficult for no reason. The best player in the NBA (and really all sports) is also the most valuable player (as long as he doesn't miss a bunch of games). It really isn't even debatable that James is the most valuable player in the NBA right now and will be for the foreseeable future.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 3, 2011 -> 11:11 PM) I used to love Wade back when he was at Marquette and will never forget the day that he was drafted by Miami and the Bulls took Hinrich. Now you could say I hate Hinrich, that would be fair, but I loved Wade. He isnt what he used to be, and without his exception athleticism he is not a top 5 player. I hate to say it, but the injuries appear to be piling up. You can say Lebron cant be a SG, but that just isnt true, his skill set fits perfectly as a SG. Just because on most teams he plays SF due to that being the best match up, does not mean that his ultimate best position could not be SG. Against a team that has a bigger combination of SG/SF there would definitely be advantages in having Lebron be the SG. I guess I dont really compartmentalize players that are 2/3s unless they have some sort of size issue. If they are in the 6'6-6'8 range they really can play any position, especially if they are as good as Lebron. Sorry if that doesnt fit your criteria for how I rate my top 5 basketball players, but so be it. Wade is having either his first or 2nd most efficient year scoring in his career. He is averaging 25.7 pts while playing with the best player in the NBA on his team. His rebounding rate is at a career high and his steal and block rates are around his career norms. His PER is 3rd in the NBA behind LeBron and Paul and he was 2nd last year behind LeBron and Durant. How isn't he a top 5 player?

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 3, 2011 -> 09:38 PM) Zen, I wish I was still in Grad School so I could write a paper on the struggles on the court for minority coaches. Oh well...in the end, it's better for GT to lose every game. What is bizarre is that minority coaches have done very well in the NBA and NFL but have struggled immensely in college sports. Obviously part of that has to do with the fact that there haven't been very many minority coaches that have gotten the elite jobs but it still is surprising that it is difficult to come up with a minority coach in either college football of basketball that has actually built or maintained a powerhouse.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 3, 2011 -> 03:36 PM) Its pretty biased towards the south, but then again they have sports year round. Its good for the overall picture, but the star ratings are just guesses. You'll see players commit to schools and drop a star based on who they chose. Star ratings for individual players are very hit or miss, but the programs that consistently have the best classes on signing day are pretty much also the teams dominating college football.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 3, 2011 -> 08:48 PM) Who cares about the All-Star game? Bosh isnt an all-star, I dont care what he may do for another team, its about what he has done this year. Unless the All-Star game is now a lifetime achievement award. And the only top 5 player on the Heat is Lebron. Im not sure who would pick Bosh or Wade as their first choice at either PF or SG. Wade is arguably the second best player in the NBA who the hell would you possibly take at SG are over him?

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 2, 2011 -> 09:01 PM) Michigan St isn't even trying it appears. I've been saying this for a while, but there has got to be some major issues going on with that program. They keep running off players, but the attitude of some of their younger players is awful as well. Poor Izzo, should have taken the Bulls job. Appling and Payne were accused of sexual assault before the season started but no charges were brought. Lucious and Allen both obviously have issues and Summers has always been a guy who only shows up half the time. In the past MSU had enough depth to cover that up but now they are down to 3 guards and when he dogs it they are screwed.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Feb 2, 2011 -> 01:11 AM) So you're saying it's bad out there? That is crazy. I'm really hoping my office is close tomorrow, not so much because I don't want to work but more so that I just have no desire to go out in what is obviously going to be still awful conditions tomorrow morning.

QUOTE (He_Gawn @ Feb 1, 2011 -> 05:51 PM) Watford probably done for the year with a broken hand. IU now has 3 starters out. Can't wait to see more walkons..... Losing Watford really hurts. Frankly IU is better off without this years version of Creek (last years version was a stud though). He was killing them because he couldn't make shots and he was bringing nothing else to the table. I've never been a Jones fan either, very inefficient scorer who turns the ball over constantly.

So the Cavs are about to lose their 21st straight game tonight (down 15 in the 1st half to Miami, they aren't coming back). The record for consecutive losses is 24 (23 for a single season) and their next 4 games are: Indiana @ Memphis Portland @ Dallas If they lose to Indiana we are probably looking at a new record for consecutive losses in the NBA.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 10:27 PM) That s*** gave us an extra week of winter break. The worst blizzard I remember was 2007 down in Champaign. It was the first time they shut the University down since the 1880's or something like that. Snow was still piled up in parking lots when it was 70 in April. 1999 was a lot worse than Champaign, it is just that Champaign is a lot less prepared than Chicago for large snow falls.

So exactly how much are most models predicting for Chicago?

QUOTE (Felix @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 09:25 PM) Cute, Dwight Howard had a Kevin Love today as the Cavs reached 20 straight. Cavs have lost 30 out of 31 and their one win was in OT. That is unreal.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 05:07 PM) I never saw it. Either that or I just don't remember. Kobe's hit at least 20 game-winners in his career. It's amazing to me that even despite that he's really not that clutch. I've been saying it on this board for a while.

QUOTE (GoodAsGould @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 07:58 PM) I like Zack Snyder movies, Dawn of the Dead, 300, and Watchmen were all entertaining imo. I know a lot of people didn't care for Watchmen but I was a big fan. I liked Dawn of the Dead and didn't care for 300 or Watchmen at all. I just hate the way he shoots his movies and I think his action scenes suck.

Zack Snyder is directing the new Superman movie? Ugh, so I guess we have nothing but ridiculously shot slow motion action scenes to look forward to.

QUOTE (hitlesswonder @ Jan 28, 2011 -> 02:11 PM) The Illinois DIA is pretty conservative so I'm sure they won't make a move even if Illinois misses the tournament. That said, I don't think that the Illinois recruiting class is any reason to keep Weber. Few if any of those guys would bolt if Illinois hired a different coach, and several would probably welcome someone else taking over the program. Moreover, the only class with commitments is the 2011 class and that class looks like it's nothing special per ESPN: 77 Mycheal Henry 79 Mike Shaw 84 Nnanna Egwu 87 Tracy Abrams Langford unranked And it's questionable if any of those guys will actually improve their game once they get to Illinois. As testimony to that, look at Stan Simpson who after moving to a junior college is being recruited by Memphis and Kentucky among others. Why can a JC coaching staff develop players better than a BCS school's staff? Sort of odd. ESPN recruiting rankings suck really really badly. Look at RSCI and rivals. In reality Illinois has 3 top 50ish type players in that class in Shaw, Henry and Abrams and then Egwu is a top 100 kid who probably has more potential than any player in the state (for the class of 2011) not named Anthony Davis (arguments can also be made for Henry, Blackshear and Thompson, although Thompson still doesn't produce enough for my liking) when you look at the amount that he has improved over the last 2 years. Langford is a boom or bust kid, positives are that he is 6'7, handles the ball well, seems to have good court vision, and he is long and athletic for a wing but on the negative side he isn't always assertive and he doesn't always dominate the way he should. Worth taking a flyer on though IMO considering they had space and the 2012 HS class in Illinois is quite possibly the worst group of players in state history.

I forgot to mention this but how about Mike Davis missing yet another open 3 footer at a crucial moment. The story of his career. A 6'9 guy with very good athleticism who play like a giant p****. Good riddance to him and the rest of this senior class. I don't even want to go to senior day this year because it is going to be depressing and I don't believe in booing college athletes (who play for my team) unless it is for off court reasons or they just completely dog it on the court.

QUOTE (hitlesswonder @ Jan 27, 2011 -> 11:30 PM) True enough...I was just impressed with his coaching tonight. Of course, going up against a team whose down-by-3-last-second-play is to have Tisdale turn the ball over probably just makes the opposition look like geniuses relatively. IU scored 52 pts tonight. There was no genius in that win. Only epic fail by Illinois.

2nd time this year a team has rushed the court against Illinois. Pretty ridiculous but whatever. Also DMac after playing great through 19 games is now 4-22 over the last two games, in addition to playing awful defense, turning the ball over and not creating easy baskets for anyone else on the team.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 27, 2011 -> 11:16 PM) Bertrand and Griffey seem to be the likely candidates. There might be transfers but Paul Klee knows nothing. I don't think he has ever been ahead of the curve on that type of inside info.

QUOTE (hitlesswonder @ Jan 27, 2011 -> 11:14 PM) Maybe Richmond could transfer to Indiana and play for someone that can actually coach. If I were Jereme I would leave the tranwreck in Champaign as fast as possible. It's not too late for him to develop into an NBA player someplace else. Unfortunately it might be for Brandon Paul. What an awful job of developing an immensely physically skilled player. At some point, it should be clear why every player on a roster is underperforming. Oh, and McCamey is not even in the conversation for best point guard in the Big Ten. He was thoroughly outplayed by Hulls. Illinois should not make the dance this season -- they are not a tournament quality team. If I was going to transfer I sure as hell wouldn't transfer to play for Crean. He has won one NCAA tourney game without Dwyane Wade in 11 years.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 27, 2011 -> 11:06 PM) The thing is, it's not like any of the recruits would go elsewhere if he left. Howard's the heart and soul of that recruiting pipeline. I've been saying for a while this was Weber's make or break year for me. He was the perfect coach with the perfect offense for the 04-05 team but since Dee the program has been no where near where it should be. But really even up until last year he got everything out of his teams, getting a 5 seed with a team starting Trent Meacham, Chester Frazier plus Tisdale and Davis as sophomore is remarkable. But his job the last two years has been awful.

Fire Weber