As the meaningless NBA season starts sometime in the next few days (does it even matter?), a major trade has been executed among two western conference teams.
The Oklahoma City Thunder send James Harden to the Houston Rockets as part of a multi-player trade. The Thunder get Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb along with 2 first round draft picks and a 2nd round draft pick. The Rockets get James Harden along with center Cole Aldrich and forwards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward. Harden and OKC had been negotiating a new long term deal to keep Harden but couldn't come to terms as Harden wanted a max contract. Harden will seemingly get that with the Rockets.
No more room in OKC long term meant that the team had to trade away a key component to their offense. Sure Harden wasn't the biggest star on the team but he sure seemed to be a difference maker with team averaging +9.1 with him on the court as opposed to +1.7 with him off of it. I'm sure the Sixth Man of the Year will do fine in Houston playing with Jeremy Lin but we will have to wait and see how this move will affect the Thunder going forward.
P.S. Someone wake me when the Conference Finals are here.... or when Hockey returns, whichever comes first.
P.P.S. Might go back to sleep if the NBA Conference Finals come first.... just saying.
Showing posts with label OKC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OKC. Show all posts
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Superman Staying in LA as part of Four Team Trade
The big story this NBA off season has been centered around Dwight Howard and where he was going to end up despite the fact he handicapped himself by signing a one year extension with the Magic. However, Dwight has managed to overcome that handicap.
With the Nets pulling out of trade talks, the one team that was still in it was the Lakers, a team that Dwight initially didn't want to go to. Talks continued anyway as Howard was rehabbing from an injury in LA. It seemed that talks were going on forever until we finally had a deal. Sources are saying that Dwight Howard is indeed going to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a 4 team trade. As part of the deal, the Nuggets get Andre Iguodala, the Sixers get Andrew Bynum (not the Magic) and Jason Richarson, and the Magic get Arron Affalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, and Moe Harkless, the 1st pick of the Sixers. The Magic also get a protected 1st round draft pick from each of the three teams mentioned.
The trade is done and Dwight's days in Orlando are now officially over. Central Florida can breathe knowing officially they have nothing... at least right now. They will definitely be hoping for the something in the future but they now don't have a headline for Orlando. Anyone want to see Al Harrington?
I can't help but notice the interesting moves around the big guys or lack of moves. Andrew Bynum is going to Philly while Pau Gasol manages to stay in LA. Gasol mixed with Dwight Howard will certainly be a fun combo to see down low. I hope that Kobe will be happy and stop whining for new pieces to make up for the fact that he's older and realizing that he always needed a big guy to win a title. I don't think MJ needed someone better than him to win at least half his titles for him.
OK. That last sentence, I'll admit, was a little sour grapes and jealousy. But to be fair, I wonder if this actually makes the Lakers the favorite in the Western Conference. This move mixed in with adding Steve Nash certainly makes them a contender, there is no doubt about that, but I wouldn't count out the Thunder just yet. They had a good season last year and are certainly going to get better. It certainly makes things look a lot more interesting.
P.S. WHO TOOK KOBE'S RATTLE?!?!?!
With the Nets pulling out of trade talks, the one team that was still in it was the Lakers, a team that Dwight initially didn't want to go to. Talks continued anyway as Howard was rehabbing from an injury in LA. It seemed that talks were going on forever until we finally had a deal. Sources are saying that Dwight Howard is indeed going to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a 4 team trade. As part of the deal, the Nuggets get Andre Iguodala, the Sixers get Andrew Bynum (not the Magic) and Jason Richarson, and the Magic get Arron Affalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, and Moe Harkless, the 1st pick of the Sixers. The Magic also get a protected 1st round draft pick from each of the three teams mentioned.
The trade is done and Dwight's days in Orlando are now officially over. Central Florida can breathe knowing officially they have nothing... at least right now. They will definitely be hoping for the something in the future but they now don't have a headline for Orlando. Anyone want to see Al Harrington?
I can't help but notice the interesting moves around the big guys or lack of moves. Andrew Bynum is going to Philly while Pau Gasol manages to stay in LA. Gasol mixed with Dwight Howard will certainly be a fun combo to see down low. I hope that Kobe will be happy and stop whining for new pieces to make up for the fact that he's older and realizing that he always needed a big guy to win a title. I don't think MJ needed someone better than him to win at least half his titles for him.
OK. That last sentence, I'll admit, was a little sour grapes and jealousy. But to be fair, I wonder if this actually makes the Lakers the favorite in the Western Conference. This move mixed in with adding Steve Nash certainly makes them a contender, there is no doubt about that, but I wouldn't count out the Thunder just yet. They had a good season last year and are certainly going to get better. It certainly makes things look a lot more interesting.
P.S. WHO TOOK KOBE'S RATTLE?!?!?!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
ALL HAIL THE KING AND THE MIAMI HEAT!!!
9 years ago, LeBron James entered the NBA seemingly already a star. During his path to a title, he developed his skills, grew and matured, and lit up the league as a star. His team grew around him and made strides to try and get an NBA title. LeBron then saw he couldn't win in Cleveland, ditched them for Miami, and now, two years later, finally gets the crown he so desperately needed.
The NBA Finals up to this point were just taken over by the Heat. Games 2-4 were close but the Heat just kept the Thunder at bay and prevented them from making any good comeback. They did an even greater job tonight. It was basically the Heat's night from the start with the Thunder making a few comeback runs to get it close only to have the Heat pull away again. By the third quarter, the Thunder couldn't keep up anymore. The Heat pulled away in the third and never looked back. The Miami Heat win, 121-106, and win their 2nd NBA Title in franchise history. It was LeBron James... sorry, "King" James' first title and he was named NBA Finals MVP.
"It's about damn time" were the first words from King James about winning the title and it pretty much summed it up. 9 seasons in the NBA and finally he has a ring. James proved he was the MVP of the Finals in Game 5 with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. But he definitely had some help around him. Mike Miller tried to steal some of the spotlight shooting 7 for 8 from behind the arc. He had 23 total points. Dwanye Wade, who gets his 2nd ring, scored 20 points and 8 rebounds while Chris Bosh, the last of the Triple Heat, score 24 points and got 7 rebounds. While the King carried the Heat through much of this postseason, the team came together to shutdown OKC.
Don't feel bad, though, Thunder. Many of you guys are young and will have another bite at the apple someday. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are likely going to be able to lead this team back to the NBA Finals. Not sure whether or not James Harden will come back but he will have to do better for OKC if he does. The Thunder at least took another step closer to becoming a great team.
As for the Heat, their moment is now or at least one of their moments is now. I hope King James and the Heat will soak in the meaning of this title and truly appreciate it because everyone around them is expecting multiple titles. Ignore them all. People get lost when they look at the big picture. Just enjoy the nice brushstrokes that you all just made together.
The NBA Finals up to this point were just taken over by the Heat. Games 2-4 were close but the Heat just kept the Thunder at bay and prevented them from making any good comeback. They did an even greater job tonight. It was basically the Heat's night from the start with the Thunder making a few comeback runs to get it close only to have the Heat pull away again. By the third quarter, the Thunder couldn't keep up anymore. The Heat pulled away in the third and never looked back. The Miami Heat win, 121-106, and win their 2nd NBA Title in franchise history. It was LeBron James... sorry, "King" James' first title and he was named NBA Finals MVP.
"It's about damn time" were the first words from King James about winning the title and it pretty much summed it up. 9 seasons in the NBA and finally he has a ring. James proved he was the MVP of the Finals in Game 5 with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. But he definitely had some help around him. Mike Miller tried to steal some of the spotlight shooting 7 for 8 from behind the arc. He had 23 total points. Dwanye Wade, who gets his 2nd ring, scored 20 points and 8 rebounds while Chris Bosh, the last of the Triple Heat, score 24 points and got 7 rebounds. While the King carried the Heat through much of this postseason, the team came together to shutdown OKC.
Don't feel bad, though, Thunder. Many of you guys are young and will have another bite at the apple someday. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are likely going to be able to lead this team back to the NBA Finals. Not sure whether or not James Harden will come back but he will have to do better for OKC if he does. The Thunder at least took another step closer to becoming a great team.
As for the Heat, their moment is now or at least one of their moments is now. I hope King James and the Heat will soak in the meaning of this title and truly appreciate it because everyone around them is expecting multiple titles. Ignore them all. People get lost when they look at the big picture. Just enjoy the nice brushstrokes that you all just made together.
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