this will be the 3rd season Memphis have been solid as hell.Originally Posted by !purerockfury!
their lineup didn't change that much between 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 but i think Gasol and Gay finally hit their prime, the addition of Randolph(when he's been healthy) has been ridiculous and overall the team has just gelled to learn Lionel Hollins coaching style.
i picked them to win the West the last 2 seasons.
They've always been talented enough. It just comes down to comfortability with one another I think. Gasol/Z-Bo are probably the most in sync Big Men combo in the game right now. Unselfish and always know where each other is going to be on the floor. And combine that with Gay's scoring, Conley's decision making, Allen's defense, you have a recipe for success. Long season though. It remains to be seen if they can keep it up
I don't like what Stern did at all. Someone from the Owners group (who Stern works for by the way) needs to remind him that it isn't his job to try and run each individual team when he doesn't like something. I mean really..what's next? Teams have to turn a lineup in to Stern? How about amount of minutes played per "superstar"? How about reduction of substitutes playing time because that would interfere with the stars being out there? Survey the fans after each game to make sure they are satisfied with how things went? Stern needs to just ride his dumb @ss off into the sunset and know that overall not a lot of people like him or respect him...even in NBA circles.
If I'm Pop from now on in...each time I want to rest my guys I put them in for exactly one possesion. Then I send them to the showers and let them head out while the rest of the team finishes the game. In other words the equivalent of a middle finger to Stern and his bullsh@t....
The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound: That is why some people appear really bright until they talk.
Thanks Murph/Matty
Spot on Rov, I agree 100%. Stern has always been an attention whore who likes to flex his muscles.
I'm not in love with the huge fine but do think you owe it to fans to try and win games during the season. Its reasonable and expected during the very, very end of the season when playoff spots are secured and fans are well aware players will be rested. The bloggers/sports writers claiming NO fans care about seeing San Antonio are totally full of ****. Why do the tickets to see the #1 team in the league cost more if no one cares? A Spurs ticket for the Lakers cost a lot more than seeing Phoenix because they are a better team and fans think it will be important and competitive.
Its a fan based league without the same HUGE television deals as the NFL and MLB. Its a fine line to walk acting like these NBA teams owe fans nothing and if they want to sit players whenever they want no one can argue against it. Popovich was also being an attention whore announcing this to everyone and doing it on the nationally televised game against a Heat team that has owned San Antonio. Was he throwing in the towel because the Heat had destroyed them by 30 points the last two times Ginobli, Duncan and Parker played in Miami or was he really "resting" his players and would have done it against anyone?
I wonder if he still hands out the fine if the spurs had won the game???
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
There you get into intent and you cannot legislate that. Stern with the Owner's voting on it needs to come down with concrete rules saying what is/is not acceptable in terms of sitting players on any given night. Just picking out Pop and the Spurs randomnly because it was a nationally televised game to me was a huge cheap shot and I would appeal it in court if I was the Spurs management group. You either come down with concrete rules or you shut your trap. Saying this fine happened because they infringed on what is good for the league (i.e. don't mess with our TV ratings) rule is total b.s. because every team does it. Only reason Stern went after this one was because it was TV and Lebron was playing. If this game had been against the Pistons in Detroit it would of been the equivalent of a tree falling in the woods....
The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound: That is why some people appear really bright until they talk.
Every team sits their top 4 players on a game during the first quarter of the season when your 5th best player is already hurt? Come on...it has never happened except for this particular coach doing it. This isn't the last week of the season and they already have the #1 seed and home field advantage.
I don't think any rules need to be changed as this will only happen on rare occasion and only with Popovich. You can't legislate intent - you're correct. But, you can tell owners that you expect them to try and win games when the final standings are still being decided. I doubt other owners will support the Spurs on this and I haven't read any of them coming to Popovich or the Spurs defense. The television contracts are what keeps the NBA alive - its NOT the Miami Heat or any season ticket holders. Saying "fck you" to the league on a nationally televised game against the Heat and making sure every reporter in the nation knows you are doing it deserved some type of response. If it was a Saturday morning game against the Pistons and not televised nationally? You're right - we probably never would have heard about it. But it wasn't.
Hypothetically, what happens if a team decides at the end of the year to sit every starter the final 20 games and play their reserves the final month. They want to improve their chances for the #1 pick in the lottery? Is that up to the owner or does the league have a right to expect teams to try and win?
but the spurs almost won.....
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Again you are attaching intent to something that you cannot prove. If the Spurs want to take this to court Stern gets his @ss handed to him. And by the way...you don't remember the Cavs the year before Lebron came out tanking games left and right to make sure they got him? These things HAVE happened before...many times. I agree with you that Pop is much more in your face about it, but saying there is no history backing his move up is false. Its been done before and nothing has been done and there are exactly ZERO rules in place legislating it from the NBA side of things. If Stern wants this to stick he is going to have to fine/penalize every team out there who rests a starter...otherwise it was more about a national TV game then it was about the NBA.
The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound: That is why some people appear really bright until they talk.
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