THE 2015 NBA PRE SEASON THREAD: BEST WISHES TO LAMAR ODOM

[rck3sactown]

[thread="629224"]Quote:[/thread]

Where's rck Nelson to make sense of these kings decisions?

People still haven't realized that Woj's "source" is just throwing crap at the wall to try to tear the Kings organization apart when big days are coming up? First right before the draft, and now on the day Free Agency begins.....

this

use your brain for once in your life LTB

You're making us Lakers fans look bad

 

[dmbrhs]

Enes Kanter has that playground basketball game so I can't help but like the guy, he gets effortless buckets. The OKC rebounding numbers feel a bit inflated but cant really use that against him.

His defense is just god awful. Not even Ibaka could save their defense when paired with Kanter. I know it was a small sample size, but in the ten games Ibaka and Kanter played together, the defense was equivalent to the 25th worst defense in the league.

 

[jpzx]

Zach Lowe: "[The Spurs] will pick a guy, and they will kick the tires, and they will do it under-the-radar, totally stealth, and that will be a condition of kicking the tires, they'll tell the guy, 'If this gets out, we'll never kick the tires on you again.' And then if it doesn't work out, they'll go back. So that's probably what happened with M.Gasol -- there were feelers, the feelers didn't go anywhere, and now there's going to be a party [for Memphis] in Spain. By the way, the Gasol-Aldridge stories from MEM-POR G3 about the conversation about teaming up, a lot of team officials said that that conversation took place. Aldridge's camp vehemently denied it when I asked them about it, so who knows if it's actually true, but that was the rumor going around, and it got pretty far around."

Lowe: "A S+T is even difficult, because of the cap apron that comes into play ... they may have to lose Danny Green. And like, Danny Green's not a trivial player. Danny Green's good. O/U Danny Green's salary, uh, $11 million?"

Stein: "At least 10."

 

[bhzmafia14]

"By the way, did you hear this story during the POR-MEM series, the story that was going around that Aldridge approached M.Gasol on the floor during a game and asked about teaming up in free agency?" - Zach Lowe

You can come to Memphis LMA for the MLE and move Zbo to the 3rd big spot.

 

[awwsome]

His defense is just god awful. Not even Ibaka could save their defense when paired with Kanter. I know it was a small sample size, but in the ten games Ibaka and Kanter played together, the defense was equivalent to the 25th worst defense in the league.

It was crazy, I saw Ibaka getting visibly angry with him.

Dude has so much quickness on offense then he's living in cement on D.



Thunder even gonna have room for Russ and KD going forward while maxing out Kanter?

 

[antidope]

Not playing defense is a part of the playground game. He's the YMCA star that made it to the league. Bucket and only buckets

 

[georgescorewell]

"They want to compare him to the greatest whether it be Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson, but he's more closer to myself. It's natural for folks to say that, but if you look at how he plays the game and how I played the game, you'll see more similarities with us." (via Northeast Ohio Media Group)

Man y'all remember that Wayans Brothers episode when Marlon pushed his face up against the glass, and his nose was smashed in and he said, "Hey, I'm Scottie Pippen."

 

[a-friend]

If Kanter only played one side of the floor, could never cross half court to play defense, and left a 4 on 5 sitch on the defensive end I say, sign that guy.

Let's go

 

[IATT]

hopefully kanter is only signed for 3 years (or 4 years with a team option for the 4th year).. which is the remainder of adams contract.. by then adams will be ready and we can move forward with funaki on big money

 

[dacomeup]

Pick and pops are a lot more deadly for Draymond when the guy with the ball can literally score from anywhere on the court and you have to pick your poison in a lineup full of shooting

. I'm not saying Draymond's game cannot translate on a lesser team, but I don't expect his efficiency to be better if he goes to a team with less weapons around him. A team like Detroit giving Draymond a max deal would mean he is a major cornerstone for that franchise. It would be different if the rest of their team was pretty much set or they were very close to contending. So, I don't think Jennings or Jackson + KCP + SVG will make Draymond better than Curry / Klay + Kerr/Gentry did. If anything, they may make him worse.

Teams get far too trigger happy with their cap space and end up messing up their squad in the long run. Giving Dray the max right now in Detroit will not make them worse, but its not going to make them one of the leading teams to come out the East. I think there is a time to find out who your true core players are, build off them for a few years, add a few smaller pieces that will make you a playoff team, then make that big push for a guy like Draymond or whoever it may be to put your team over the top. Teams are so quick to throw money out and then lost in the direction the team needs to go in. The only thing Draymond will do is keep Detroit from having a lottery pick next year in the draft. At this point, I'm still trying to figure out their PG situation with Jennings being under contract another year and they probably are looking to re-sign Reggie to a big deal.

I don't really see how signing Dray would mess up their long term plans. You add a really good 2 way player, a guy who can actually play 4 next to Drummond, and he's under 25. Plus, the cap is rising. They're likely going to be in the run for the playoffs next year anyways, if not narrowly missing. Who wants to keep picking in that 12-16 range? They might as well swing for Draymond on a 4 year deal. Worst case, the cap rises and the deal still doesn't look bad. This isn't a Knicks type of signing. Every guy who's making max-level salary isn't going to be a superstar. Dray is worth every penny. 

 

[jpzx]

ESPN: Los Angeles Lakers' offseason allure still strong?

By Baxter Holmes I ESPN.com

View media item 1606949

In the summer of 1996, the Los Angeles Lakers went to work on their annual offseason tradition: hunting big game.

Unlike most teams, the Lakers weren't just after a quality player. As usual, they were searching for a landscape-shifting star who could deliver titles on his way to the Hall of Fame.

Their target: Shaquille O'Neal.

The 7-foot-1 center was the most coveted free agent on the market, a 24-year-old who had been named an All-Star in each of his four seasons with the Orlando Magic.

O'Neal initially had no desire to leave the Magic, with whom he had reached the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference finals the prior two seasons. But the Lakers swooped in, offering O'Neal a seven-year deal worth a staggering $120 million. The icing on the cake was the Lakers' tradition and connection to Hollywood, which catered to O'Neal's interests in rap music and filmmaking.

"It came down to the aura of Los Angeles," said Magic executive Pat Williams, according to the book "The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers."

For decades, the Lakers and their city swayed the NBA's biggest stars. Despite increasingly constrictive rules making it harder for big-market teams to operate, they still offered a total package that other teams couldn't quite match.

But the Lakers have struck out in free agency the past two summers, not only failing to acquire any big names but losing their own: star big men Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol fled in consecutive summers, joining other squads for less money.

Now, after the two worst seasons in franchise history, the Lakers are entering one of the most crucial Julys in their history.

In an era when the rules are increasingly unfriendly to big-market teams, are the Lakers' intangibles, their edge, their aura, still as strong and enticing as before, and still able to bridge the gap?
Do the Lakers have a shot at LaMarcus Aldridge? L.A. is looking to make a splash in free agency. Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images

A key part of the Lakers' mystique is the banners that hang in Staples Center. But Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said prospective players aren't interested in a history lesson.

"They want to know about the team you're building, the opportunity and what they'll be looking at going forward," Kupchak said during exit interviews at the end of the 2014-15 season. "So that's what we'll try to sell them on."

It's a harder sell for the Lakers than in the past thanks to big changes in rules that govern how teams can spend their money.

Unlike in baseball, where a high-revenue team like the Yankees can put as much of their cash to work as they want, the NBA's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) levels the playing field.

"Before, they couldn't quite spend like the Yankees, but they could outspend other teams," one NBA executive said of the Lakers. "Now they can't."

Not only does the league's salary cap limit the amount teams can spend, but a team is able to offer more to its own free agents -- a longer contract and heftier raises -- than any other team. So while Lakers fans entertain dreams of LaMarcus Aldridge patrolling the paint in purple and gold, they should keep in mind that the Lakers' maximum offer of four years and $80.4 million pales in comparison to the Blazers' maximum of five years and $108.3 million. It's the free agency home-court advantage.

The luxury-tax system also squeezes an extra $1.50 for every dollar a team spends over a defined threshold, with the rates ratcheting higher and higher for every additional $5 million the team spends over the tax line. And revenue sharing cuts into the profits a big-market team can make in lucrative local TV deals, higher ticket prices, etc. In 2013-14, the Lakers saw a profit of $158.3 million, of which they gave up $49.6 million in revenue sharing and another $8.7 million in luxury tax, leaving them with just $100.1 million. Where does the revenue-sharing money end up? In the pockets of the small-market teams they're competing against.

The league further encumbers the big spenders by placing additional restrictions on the trades these teams can make and the contracts they can offer with tools like the mid-level exception. The message to these teams is clear: Don't even think about trying to bully your way to a title with your deep pocketbooks.

Even the government has a hand in making the Lakers less attractive to free agents. The Lakers (like the Clippers, Warriors and Kings) play in California, where the personal income tax rate tops out at 12.3 percent -- the highest in the nation. On the other hand, Florida, Tennessee and Texas -- which collectively host six NBA teams -- have no state income tax at all.

But while the Lakers, aided by a 20-year deal with Time Warner Cable worth $3 billion, are among the league leaders in direct team revenue, they're far behind other ownership groups when it comes to total available resources. That's because the Buss family is almost alone in counting on the NBA as income.

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen made billions outside the league -- the former largely in nickel mining in Russia, the latter from co-founding Microsoft -- and thus could drop big money for team resources and amenities or on big tax bills, like the record $90.57 million the Nets paid in luxury taxes ($197 million overall) in 2013-14.

For the Buss family, their team is their business. Family members take money out of the company every year, and during the 2011 lockout, when most revenue streams stalled, they laid off video coordinators and other staffers.

Still another factor is the building of a player's brand. If players once needed larger markets -- and the exposure they offered -- to gain national attention, that's no longer the case. Today, there's social media. There's NBA League Pass, with games available on smartphones. Consider Kevin Durant, for instance, who is one of the league's biggest stars, featured in numerous advertising campaigns and followed by millions on his various social media accounts -- all while playing in one of the league's smallest markets, Oklahoma City.

With so much limiting the reach they once leveraged to much success, do the Lakers still have the same appeal to players?

"It's a close call," said one NBA agent, "but probably not, only because it seems players are valuing other things [roster, culture, etc.] these days a lot more."

Said another: "I don't think so."

In many respects, the Lakers are fighting more of an uphill battle than ever.

"The advantages in this league for teams like us and New York and Chicago, they're not the same as they were 20, 30 years ago," Kupchak said during a radio interview with Bleacher Report. "It depends on the player's age, [but] it's rare that you get a young player to make a jump and give up $30 million to come to any city."

Many free agents will face an interesting dilemma this summer. Do they ensure their financial security by locking in maximum dollars at today's rates, or do they gamble a little, signing a short-term deal this year in order to become free agents again next summer when the cap skyrockets?

"I'm not sure how it's going to play out," Kupchak said Thursday, after the NBA draft. "I'd be very curious to see how that plays out this summer, how a lot of free agents deal with that."

Already, it seems as though the Lakers will, as in the past two summers, have their work cut out for them.

While their top target may be Aldridge, sources tell ESPN's Marc Stein that the San Antonio Spurs are the most likely destination for the native Texan, who averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds last season.

The Los Angeles Times also reported that, according to sources, All-Star center Marc Gasol "has no interest in the Lakers because of the uneasy last few years his brother [Pau] spent with them."

As for Kevin Love, Fox Sports reported Sunday that the All-Star forward has indicated to the Cavaliers that he will return.

Could the Lakers strike out again, for a third straight summer, leaving Kobe Bryant to play the role of veteran tutor alongside several rookies -- namely their No. 2 overall pick, D'Angelo Russell -- during his final season of a storied NBA career?

The mere idea that the Lakers would have to pitch a player on why they should join the team feels ... odd. After all, they're the Lakers.

"They don't have the same pull, but they do have the city, weather and off-the-court appeal," one executive said. "Also, Kobe is only there for a short time, then you can be the face of the team."

Said another executive: "The Lakers will always be a huge draw. They will be fine regardless. While losing Howard was not planned, they will still be in on anyone."

And said another executive: "They just need one big guy to go there, and the rest will follow. I expect [Russell] Westbrook and [James] Harden to join forces there when they become free. It definitely still has allure. It's still L.A., and they are still the Lakers. No free agent can question whether or not they will spend the money to win titles."

Indeed, the Lakers are the Lakers, still a powerful brand.

"They still have an edge," one executive said, "but not like they used to."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13174634/nba-los-angeles-lakers-offseason-allure-strong

 

[jpzx]

Pelicans' most critical move in free agency is getting Anthony Davis to accept 5-year extension

The Times Picayune By John Reid, NOLA.com

June 30, 2015 at 9:37 AM, updated June 30, 2015 at 9:59 AM

Just after 11 p.m. central time Tuesday, the free agency period will begin for the New Orleans Pelicans and general manager Dell Demps.

But their top priority won't involve around a targeted free agent, it will be to get star forward Anthony Davis to agree on a five-year, $143 million extension the Pelicans are set to offer.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

As a transcendent star player, the Pelicans believe they are in good hands with Davis as the cornerstone of their franchise's future.

One of the primary reasons why Alvin Gentry took the Pelicans' head coaching job last month was because of Davis' enormous talent. But the Pelicans are hoping Gentry is a reason Davis will hopefully agree to a long-term extension.

Gentry's up-tempo offense this upcoming season is expected to feature Davis and take more advantage of his enormous skills in the open court than the offense used by former coach Monty Williams, who was fired in May after five seasons.

''I just think he's one of those special players that comes along once every 25 or 30 years,'' Gentry said. ''He's got a chance to be Tim Duncan. He's got a chance to be Kevin Garnett. He's got a chance to be one of those special players and I think when you have a foundation of a great player like that, then I think you got something special.''

Davis, 22, ranked first in the league in blocks (averaging 2.94 per game), fourth in scoring (24.4), seventh in field-goal percentage (53.5) and eighth in rebounding (10.2). Davis finished with a league-leading Player Efficiency Rating of 30.8, the 11th highest in NBA history, and was an All-Star starter for the first time.

Davis, 6 feet 10 and 220 pounds, also led the NBA in Player Impact Estimate, which measures a player's statistical contribution against the total statistics in games in which he's played.

Although the Pelicans were swept in four games in their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Davis still emerged. He averaged 31.5 points, 11 rebounds to become the first player in 40 years to average those numbers participating in his first NBA playoff series.

Nearly all of the franchise's future hopes involves on the prospect of building around Davis, which is why they are prepared to pay him at least $30 million annually.

Mickey Loomis, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, said he believes all indications point to Davis appearing to be on board.

''Obviously, I've had conversations with him in the past,'' Loomis said. ''He's done nothing but express how much he loves New Orleans. He likes the direction of the team, so that's all I can go by. The rest, you have to ask him.

''But yes, I feel good about Anthony and his relationship with our organization, obviously he's the focal point.''

Davis has a year remaining on his existing rookie-scaled contract that will pay him $7 million this upcoming season. If he accepts the Pelicans' five-year offer, his first season under his new deal would not begin until 2016-17.

''It's a business, so whether this July or next July or the Julys down the road, it's going to come up,'' Davis said in May regarding his contract extension. ''When that time comes, you are going have to deal with it and make tough decisions.''

Sources say the Pelicans want to move quickly, hoping the negotiations won't drag on, although negotiations can continue until Oct. 31.But if an extension agreement is not reached by Oct. 31, the Pelicans would have to wait until after the 2015-16 season ends to extend Davis a qualifying offer.At that point, the Pelicans can sign him to a new contract or match any offer he receives as a restricted free agent.

Davis hasn't showed his hand on what he may decide. He could accept an extension offer from the Pelicans that is less than five years if he pushes for it. There's also the likelihood the Pelicans will include a player option on the final year of the deal that would allow him more flexibility to re-sign or enter free agency.

The Pelicans are able to offer a Davis a maximum-money contract without fear of having to pay a luxury tax penality because the NBA's salary cap is expected to increase significantly starting with the 2016-17 season when the NBA's new nine-year, $24 billion TV deal begins.

The salary cap for the 2014-15 season was $63.1 million and teams with payrolls above $76.8 million had to pay the luxury tax penalty. But when the influx of TV revenue kicks in, the projected salary cap of $67.1 million for next season is expected to jump to $89 million in 2016-17 before soaring to $108 million in 2017-18. The luxury tax threshold is expected to jump to $108 million for the 2016-17 season.

If Davis agrees to the extension deal, the Pelicans can start his maximum deal at 30 percent of the league's salary as opposed to 25 percent provided that he is voted again as a starter in the NBA All-Star Game or makes the All-NBA team next season. For a designated player to be eligible for 30 percent of the salary cap, he has to be voted to start in two All-Star Games, or be named to an All-NBA Team twice or be named league MVP.

Davis, the No. 1 overall pick out of Kentucky in 2012, led the Pelicans to their first playoff berth for the first time since 2011. He was a first team All-NBA selection and finished fifth in the voting for the league's MVP award.

Davis was close to Williams. But in one of the few interviews Davis has granted this offseason, he told Sports Illustrated he is excited about playing for Gentry.

''I know he did a lot in Phoenix when he was with Amar'e [Stoudemire] and Steve Nash,'' said Davis, who has spent most of the offseason in Los Angeles. ''I remember watching them play all the time and how they played that up-tempo pace. I'm very excited for what he can bring to our organization. I can't wait for the year to start and get rolling and see what he has to bring to our team to make us go to the next step.''

What Are the Hornets Doing?

Michael Pina, Sports On Earth I June 30, 2015

The most thrilling NBA organism is an unpredictable front office, a pack of decision-makers that's either lost or gradually getting there.

The Charlotte Hornets aren't nearly as bad as Sacramento, but Michael Jordan, their owner, is slowly dragging them into the same conversation. The Hornets made two trades over the past few weeks, and they reportedly turned down as many as six draft picks from the Boston Celtics for the ninth overall pick last Thursday.

Jordan didn't want six draft picks. He wanted this guy. So Charlotte drafted him. You need both hands to count how many statistical categories Frank Kaminsky led the Big Ten in last year. He won a bunch of awards and nearly claimed a National Championship. He's seven feet tall and can shoot threes. That's all very nice, but was he the best available player? Did he fit a need?

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Charlotte's issues go deeper than its inability to evaluate talent. In today's climate where rookie-scale deals won't climb with the soaring salary cap, how many current players are worth trading four first-round draft picks for?

LeBron James? Even though he's 30 and (presumably) on the downside of his career, the answer is yes. Kevin Durant? Foot injuries are scary, but so far we're two for two. Anthony Davis … yes! Most All-Stars, contract info pending, are conceivably worth four first-round draft picks. We might even be able to have a conversation if Charlotte was dead set on taking Justise Winslow.

But Frank bleeping Kaminsky? Nah. Don't think so. It's possible Jordan believes Kaminsky can be his franchise centerpiece once Al Jefferson's contract expires next summer. Bigs who can stretch the floor are invaluable, rare commodities in today's league, but Kaminsky doesn't figure to be a plus defender at the next level.

This criticism once again stretches beyond any criticism of the 2015 Wooden Award winner's game. Let's go back to the trade Charlotte made for Nicolas Batum last week. In that deal, it gave up on last year's No. 9 pick, Noah Vonleh, an athletic elastic band who's still only 19 and entered the league with comparisons to Chris Bosh. Instead of waiting for the 6-foot-10 forward to grow, they moved on for a 26-year-old on an expiring contract who's coming off the worst shooting season of his career.

Looking at this deal and then the draft, the Hornets are primarily motivated to solidify a middling short-term future. (Assets be damned!) But here's the thing: They don't even need Kaminsky! Their frontcourt was a jumbled mess before acquiring Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes for Lance Stephenson. Hawes is only 27 years old and looking to bounce back from a nightmare in Los Angeles. A few years ago he was one of the better shooting big men in basketball. Not only that, but Hawes can pass, do some nifty things in the post and, on rare occasions, put the ball on the floor when absolutely necessary without totally embarrassing himself. He's very similar to Kaminsky and under contract until 2018.

So now it's Jefferson, Hawes, Kaminsky, Cody Zeller and Marvin Williams in the frontcourt next season. (Head coach Steve Clifford is also interested in playing Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at the four. Last year's backup center, Bismack Biyombo, is apparently headed out the door.)

But it doesn't feel right blaming general manager Rich Cho for some of Charlotte's recent controversy. He's made some savvy moves: landing a first-round pick for Corey Maggette back in 2012 (aka how they landed Vonleh), signing Jefferson to a short-term deal that vaulted Charlotte into the playoffs two years ago, and extending a max offer sheet to Gordon Hayward that was eventually matched by the Utah Jazz. When GM of the Portland Trail Blazers, Cho also signed Wesley Matthews. All smart decisions. Stephenson was toxic waste as a Hornet, but Cho negotiated a movable contract, then executed a decent enough deal that prevented a bad situation from getting worse.

(As ESPN's Kevin Pelton wrote in his evaluation of every NBA team's relationship with analytics, most of the stink belongs to Jordan. He's the best basketball player who ever lived, but he's, like, soooo not the most accomplished evaluator of talent.)

And what if drafting Kaminsky wasn't even associated with the belief that he's the best player available? On numerous platforms after the draft, ESPN's Chad Ford said Charlotte's fixation on the 22-year-old might be linked to its heartbreak over losing Josh McRoberts, who signed with the Miami Heat last summer. Well, if the Hornets are so obsessed with replacing that skill set, why not just go and get Josh McRoberts? Miami wants to shed salary, and Matt Barnes' non-guaranteed deal would be perfect for this type of transaction. (Money is presumably an issue. There's more value with Hawes, Kaminsky and Jeremy Lamb, than Hawes, McRoberts and Barnes.)

The Hornets also could've simply kept Barnes, Hawes, Gerald Henderson and Vonleh, then drafted either Winslow or Devin Booker -- or taken advantage of the vulnerable Celtics and make off like a bandit. Even if those picks came with various protections, it'd still so clearly be worth it. Six picks! Four first-rounders! (If all this isn't bad enough: The Hornets didn't even bring Kaminsky in for a workout.)

In the slightest sliver of a way, the Hornets' strategy almost resembles the blurry-eyed, short-sighted cousin of Sam Hinkie's leisurely developing rebuild in Philadelphia. They have their collection of assets (Vonleh, Zeller, etc.) and are cashing out as soon as they can, tearing the walls down before the fruits of their labor are even close to ripe. Philly sent the reigning Rookie of the Year to Milwaukee. Charlotte tossed Vonleh to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Philadelphia's strategy could eventually yield a championship, but Charlotte and Jordan are too fixated on a playoff spot to see one step ahead. The Hornets have a rocky path to achieve anything beyond a ceremonial first-round exit. They either honestly don't know how far they are from contending or know and don't care.

To be fair, not all franchises have the patience to collect assets and play the long game, and Charlotte's recent history suggests its closer to competence than the aforementioned Kings.

Building a team is really hard work, and every organization has a different set of priorities as it goes about putting pieces together. The Hornets don't have any cap space this summer, but like everyone else, their books are mostly clean in 2016, and it'll be interesting to see who they sign with their exceptions in a few weeks. If they can somehow exchange one of their bigs (most likely Zeller) for a future asset, all the better.

But some concepts are universal. Giving up on a lottery pick before his 20th birthday, then thinking Kaminsky is more valuable than four first-round picks definitely puts a dent in the belief that Charlotte has things under control.

 

[antidope]

JPZ is the real MVP of today

 

[a-friend]

Man I'm about to join the train that boo's Kristaps.

How is this dude going to skip the Summer League.
Nah man, need more info but....he's getting dragged by me if he skips SL.

*mad as hell right now

 

[everysingletime]

I don't want Anthony Davis to resign for 5 years with the Pelicans

I want dude to have the chance to be on a winning squad

 

[nycknicks105]

Man I'm about to join the train that boo's Kristaps.

How is this dude going to skip the Summer League.
Nah man, need more info but....he's getting dragged by me if he skips SL.

*mad as hell right now

I don't think he's missing Summer League. He supposedly just has a tight hip.

 

[coldcity]

I don't want Anthony Davis to resign for 5 years with the Pelicans

I want dude to have the chance to be on a winning squad

 

[Chester McFloppy]

One of my co-workers just said that Enes Kanter could be a top 3 center if he improved a little on defense.

I walked out of his office.

 

[jpzx]

@ChrisMannixSI: As several NBA execs have noted: Calipari/Cousins relationship wasn't the smoothest at UK. Improved over time, but it was rocky for awhile.

@MrMichaelLee: @ChrisMannixSI Cousins told me he thought about transferring because Cal was so demanding.

 

[georgescorewell]

It'll be interesting see what Coach Clifford can do with the roster...

 

[licensed to ball]

One of my co-workers just said that Enes Kanter could be a top 3 center if he improved a little on defense.

I walked out of his office.

Top 3 is definitely a reach.

But he'd be a beast if he could defend, your coworker ain't all that off.

Walk back in his office and show respect.

 

[comptonprince]

One of my co-workers just said that Enes Kanter could be a top 3 center if he improved a little on defense.

I walked out of his office.

Well he aint lyin lol Top 5 at least 

 

[nelson999]

Did Luke Ridnour get traded again yet?

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

I keep wondering why I'm always getting these notifications that ridnour has been traded. Gonna head to the Verizon store in a minute to get my phone checked out

 

[georgescorewell]

I don't know what Jordan is thinking most of the time. I'm cool with Kaminsky, but we have way too many guys in the front court. Talk about a jumbled mess...

Then who's the guard to replace Henderson?