NBA 2012-2013

Ilpav

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Lets start a new thread for the new season coming up. :)

Latest piece of news:
Ray Allen Decides To Sign With Heat
Jul 06, 2012 10:22 PM EDT

Allen was reportedly torn between remaining with the Celtics and joining the Heat.

Several sources told Adrian Wojnarowski that the deterioration of his relationship with Rajon Rondo play a role in his decision.

Boston offered Allen twice as much per season than Miami's mid-level that starts at $3.09 million.
 
Well, Howard isn't going to Brooklyn, at least for now, because they just signed Brook Lopez to a 4-year $61m deal. There are reports stating that Howard trade talks to the Nets may resume in January, but the Magic would be pretty stupid to take Lopez with that huge contract he just got.

The Magic are now only looking at 2 teams to trade Howard to (if they do at all): the Rockets and the Lakers. If they trade him to the Rockets, they get shit in return and Howard won't stay after next season. If they trade him to the Lakers, they get Bynum + others and Howard goes to a championship caliber team (especially now with the acquisition of Steve Nash); it's a win-win situation for both Howard and the Magic.
 
Knicks are not resigning Lin and as a Knicks fan I could not be happier.
 
Dwight Howard Ready To Commit To Extension With Lakers
Jul 19, 2012 1:52 AM EDT

Dwight Howard has long coveted the Brooklyn Nets as his next landing spot, but after a summer filled with daily rumors of four-team trade proposals, the six-time All-Star has moved on from his Big Apple infatuation and is locked in on joining the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell RealGM.

The Lakers, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly discussing a three-team trade that would send Howard to the Lakers, Andrew Bynum to the Cavaliers, while the Magic would receive Anderson Varejao and multiple draft picks.

Howard has always been impressed with the Lakers? winning tradition and intrigued with the off-court opportunities that come with playing in Los Angeles.

Questions about Howard's role with the team, however, became an early concern for the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Howard has since moved on from those concerns and is confident he will be an integral part of a team that will have a chance to compete immediately for a championship, according to sources that spoke with RealGM.

The Lakers are reportedly ready to make the trade, but first need assurance from Howard that he will commit to the team long-term. Sources say Howard is ?excited? about the opportunity to play for the Lakers and will re-sign with the team when his contract expires at the end of the 2012-13 season.

- Jarrod can be reached at Jarrod.Rudolph@RealGM.com or on Twitter @JRudolphSports

Let's make this happen!!! :w00t:

I don't think Howard would mind taking a secondary role behind Kobe if that means that he will have a great chance at winning a 'ship and that he will be the next #1 Laker after Kobe retires (which is probably when his current contract expires at the end of the 2014 season).

Also (as I've said before, I think), imagine next year's finals with this Lakers team (Kobe, Howard, Nash) vs. the Heat's Big 3??? :w00t:

Kobe is still hungry to win another 'ship (he wants to at least match Jordan), Howard is probably the most hungry in the NBA, and Nash obviously wants to finally win after a long career.

Wade has 2 'ships so he isn't gonna be as hungry as before. I still think Bosh and especially LeBron want to prove a point and defend their title.
 
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Dwight Howard Reiterates Desire For Trade During Meeting With Hennigan
Jul 25, 2012 8:52 PM EDT
Orlando Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan met with the franchise?s disenchanted superstar Dwight Howard on Wednesday in Los Angeles, sources have confirmed to RealGM.

Hennigan traveled to Los Angeles to have a face-to-face discussion with Howard with the hopes of persuading him to back off his trade request and allow the organization more time to build a championship contender. Hennigan, however, was unsuccessful in his pitch as Howard reiterated his desire to leave Orlando as soon as possible, according to sources.

Hennigan?s pitch to Howard had a heavy focus on the two men developing a relationship that would be valuable to the Magic moving forward. He expressed a sincere interest in getting to know the six-time All-Star and working with him to improve the team. Howard, however, was expecting an outline of how the team planned to improve and get back to a championship-contending level, something he didn?t receive during the hour-long meeting, according to sources.

Howard was staunch in his stance and again made it clear to Hennigan that he has no desire to return to Orlando. He told the 30-year-old general manager that he would ?never sign another contract with the Magic,? sources tell RealGM.

During the meeting, Howard informed Hennigan that he would be willing to re-sign with the Lakers at the end of the 12-13 season if the two teams were able to complete a trade. The scenarios Howard was open to during the meeting were: An immediate trade to the Lakers, a January trade to the Brooklyn Nets or a clean break at the end of the 2012-13 season. But he was clear that he would not return to the Magic, choosing to leave as a free agent after the season, sources said.

Hennigan informed Howard that he didn?t have any deals in the works and wasn?t quite sure how to respond to what he was told, according to sources. He was non-committal on any of the discussed scenarios as the meeting ended.

Hennigan?s noncommittal approach has only frustrated Howard more as it?s believed that several acceptable offers have been presented to the Magic only to be turned down due to a lack of a true intent to trade the All-Star center, sources said.

There is now a belief that Hennigan and the Magic have half-heartedly entered into trade talks which has resulted in frustration among the many teams rumored to have included in the ongoing negotiations.

Trading Howard, however, is a process the Magic won?t rush as they understand his value on and off the court and aren?t willing, at this point, to lose him without acceptable compensation.

Everyone is blaming Howard for this mess, but it's the idiotic Magic organization that refuses to trade him. They say they haven't received any valuable offers yet, but they did get pretty good offers from the Nets, Rockets, and Lakers and they say they're waiting for the right offer and they're willing to keep him until that offer comes (even if that means keeping him the whole season and losing him for nothing in free agency).

If they keep him at least until the trade deadline, he will be playing for a team whose fans already disowned him and for a team he doesn't want to play for because he wants out ASAP and he's not gonna play to his full abilities on purpose (probably).


They had and still have the offer of a 3-team trade involving the Lakers and Cavs. Magic deal Howard, Turkoglu, and J Rich to the Lakers, while LA sends Bynum to Cleveland and the Magic receive Verajao + some young players and picks. The moronic Magic should do this trade, forget about trying to persuade Howard to sign another contract, and finally put an end to this debacle.
 
Lakers, Magic Talking Dwight Howard Trade With Nuggets, Sixers
Aug 09, 2012 12:43 PM EDT

The Lakers and Magic are again discussing a trade involving Dwight Howard, according to sources.

The two teams are also involving the 76ers and Nuggets in trade talks. Talks have been ongoing for several days and are substantive even though no agrement is close.

The deal would send Howard and Al Harrington to the Lakers, Andre Iguodala going to the Nuggets, Andrew Bynum to the Sixers, while the Magic would receive Pau Gasol, Arron Afflalo and Nikola Vucevic.

Orlando could trade Gasol in a future trade to receive additional assets, whereas the team runs the risk of losing Bynum in free agency in 2013.

The Magic would also acquire draft picks and cap relief.

ESPN's Chris Broussard reports that a deal is close and could be agreed upon on Friday.

I really hope this gets done so this "drama" can finally end and I can start looking forward to becoming a Lakers fan. :D
 
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Since Nash (my favorite player) is a Laker now too I'm rooting for them also. I can't wait to see what the trio of Nash - Bryant - Howard will be able to do this upcoming season.
 
YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! :mrgreen: FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!

Dwight Howard Traded To Lakers
Aug 10, 2012 2:07 PM EDT

The Magic have finally traded Dwight Howard.

Orlando has acquired Aaron Afflalo and Al Harrington from Denver, Maurice Harkless and Nikola Vucevic from Philadelphia, as well as Josh McRoberts and Christian Eyenga from the Los Angeles Lakers.

In addition, the Magic have also acquired five additional draft picks over the next five years. Orlando receives: a second round pick from Denver in 2013, a first round pick from either Denver or New York in 2014, a conditional first round pick from Philadelphia and a conditional second round pick from the L.A. Lakers in 2015, and a conditional first round pick from the L.A. Lakers in 2017.

The Magic traded Howard, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark to the Lakers, while sending Jason Richardson to Philadelphia. As part of the deal, Philadelphia has acquired Andrew Bynum, while Denver has acquired Andre Iguodala.

?A primary goal for our basketball team is to achieve sustainability while maintaining a long-term vision. We feel this deal puts us in a position to begin building in that direction,? said Magic GM Rob Hennigan. ?In addition to the six players joining our team, we will be in a position to maximize our salary cap flexibility in the near future, as well as utilize the multiple draft picks we have acquired going forward.?

?Dwight Howard accomplished tremendous success on and off the court during his eight years in Orlando,? said Hennigan. ?We wish him, Chris (Duhon), Earl (Clark) and Jason (Richardson) all the best in the future.?

?We?d like to thank Andrew for all he?s done for the team and the organization,? said Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak. ?Andrew has been with us since we drafted him at seventeen years old and over the last seven years we have watched him develop into an All-Star player who has helped the team win two NBA Championships. He?s a special talent with a bright future. We appreciate all of his contributions and wish him well for the remainder of his career.?

?It?s not often you get the opportunity to improve your team by adding an All-Star player like Andre Iguodala,? said Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri said. ?He?s an Olympian, a great defender and a great all-around player. We think he fits in really well with the type of system coach George Karl runs and the team we have here in Denver.?

"I?m excited to be heading to Denver,? Iguodala said. ?I have a great relationship with (team president) Josh Kroenke, and I really respect what he and Masai have built with the Nuggets. They?re a great young team with an excellent coaching staff, led by Coach Karl. I also feel like I will really complement their system and roster, both offensively and defensively."

"We are very excited to welcome Andrew Bynum, one of the league's best, young centers, and Jason Richardson, a proven, respected veteran, to the Philadelphia 76ers," said Managing Owner Josh Harris. "As we stated from the outset, our ownership group is committed to exploring every option available to us in order to improve our team. This trade is the culmination of a very active off-season, one that we believe positions the Sixers for success this season and for many years to come."

The Lakers are officially my #1 team right now! They look unstoppable because they have Kobe's scoring prowess and they have Nash to feed Howard offensively (who does his own thing defensively as the best defensive player in the league). Think about it, which elite team has anyone to stop Howard scoring and rebounding? The Heat have Bosh who won't do anything, the Thunder have Perkins who might slow him down a bit in scoring (but not rebounding), Pacers have Hibbert who doesn't even match up...I think the only top team that has the best chance to stop Howard is Boston with Garnett (and they're not really an elite team anymore). The most important match-ups the Lakers have to worry about are the Thunder in the West Finals and the Heat in the Finals...both those teams only have Perkins and Bosh to try to stop Howard. ;)

I really think (and hope) they're gonna win it this year because Kobe knows this is his best chance to finally match Jordan in rings so he's gonna give it his all (he'll also try next year to surpass Jordan ;)). Plus, Howard is hungry for a ring and Nash would like a ring to show for his illustrious career. :)

Edit:


He's smiling so hard he can hardly speak! :lol:

Dwight-Howardx-large.jpg


Here's a sick pic of the starting lineup (new avatar time :D):

lakers-600x600.jpg


:D
 
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I can't wait for this season to get started.
 
As much as everyone complains about parity (fairness between teams), I like that there are a few teams with the best players out there. Sure some of the fans of the bad teams might be pissed, but you get a higher level of play come playoff time. Makes for a more interesting game. Discuss.
 
As much as everyone complains about parity (fairness between teams), I like that there are a few teams with the best players out there. Sure some of the fans of the bad teams might be pissed, but you get a higher level of play come playoff time. Makes for a more interesting game. Discuss.

Yeah this isn't the commie-NBA.
 
Dwight recently updated his Facebook profile pic:

523108_10151106299198788_338092470_n.jpg


Whoa! :w00t:

#99 - George Mikan (1947?1954, 1956) (Minneapolis Lakers, before they moved to LA in 1960)
#13 - Wilt Chamberlain (1968?1973)
#33 - Kareem Abdul Jabbar (1975?1989)
#34 - Shaquille O'Neal (1996?2004)
.
.
.
#12 Dwight Howard (2012-)

Lakers have a history of having the best big men and it is continuing with Howard. :D
 
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New pics of Dwight working out at UCLA:

A0EubOSCAAATTwe.jpg

UCLA-Womens-player.jpg

217694_256806501104961_647110761_n.jpg


Fuckin' awesome and now there's a report that he might actually be healthy enough and ready to play by the start of the season (1st game is vs. Mavericks on Oct. 30th):

Renowned Dr. Robert C. Klapper, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Group and Cedars-Sinai Health Associates, was recently interviewed on the Mason and Ireland show on ESPN L.A 710. The main topic brought up by Mason and Ireland was the health situation of Howard?s back, specifically whether or not he will be able to open the season with the Lakers on October 30th when they face the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center.

Since the interview was so long I highlighted the key four points that any Lakers fan would like to know.

1. Dr. Klapper stated that Howard should be back in All-Star form once the season begins October 30th. Dr.Klapper has held this stance for awhile now and will not move away from it one bit. The reason Dr. Klapper holds this, not popular, opinion is that the surgery, rehab, and recovery time are all pretty forthright. Dwight?s surgery occurred on April 20th, 2012, recovery time for said surgery is four months, which would put the date at which Dwight could begin working out again at August 20th, 2012, just a few days ago. And, if I recall correctly, just a few days ago pictures started to surface of Howard working out at UCLA.

2. The second very important point that Dr. Klapper made is one that opened up many people?s eyes, mine included. Mostly everyone believes that Howard suffered this season ending injury on a huge blow involving basketball activity, whether it be practice, or a game. But Dr. Klapper believes that the injury was in fact a result of the lingering effects of Howard having missed only a handful of game sover a seven year period. Dr. Klapperpointed out that once the procedure is fixed correctly, which it was as the surgery was successful, then thereshould not be any long-term effects.

3. The third point that Dr. Klapper made is short and to the point, Howard should be paying more attention to his core strengthening, adding in more exercises to target this specific area, thus relieving pressure from his back.

4. The fourth and last point was something that some Laker fans may not want to hear. Dr. Klapper stated that any surgery, not just the one that Howard had done, will cause the patient to have a full year of recovery time until they feel fully normal again. But, Dr. Klapper also added that this should in no way have any affect on Howard?s athleticism, speed, back strength, or the way in which he plays basketball. Dr. Klapper finished off the interview by insinuating that, unlike Andrew Bynum, Howard will not be playing in fear of yet another back injury, in the case of Bynum it was his knees, this upcoming season.

I really hope that is all true (this doctor is very well renowned, so I have high hopes) so Howard can start on the Lakers' opener and continue his dominant play for the rest of his career. :)
 
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Former great Laker big man and current great Laker big man:

A15eiOxCMAAvIdT.jpg:large


:D

http://desmond.imageshack.**/Himg208/scaled.php?server=208&filename=dhtweet.jpg&res=landing
http://desmond.imageshack.**/Himg31/scaled.php?server=31&filename=kajtweet.jpg&res=landing
 

For someone working out/playing for the first time in 6 months, I say he looks really good and his movement hasn't been affected by the surgery at all. Now all he needs to do is continue getting back into shape (not that he's even that much out of shape, just that he hasn't played since March or April) and start what should be his best season yet as soon as possible. :D
 
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