MoistVaj

Clippers have already moved to say that their not interested in moving Blake, and rightly so too. As much as I love Melo, there's no sense in the move right now. I think from Melo's shortlist of clubs he wants to move to, Clippers, Bulls or Lakers, he's most likely to land in Chicago, I think it's a massive reason why they didn't really strengthen their bench this year and they haven't gone all out to extend Deng's contract. Melo and a fit again Rose would be the best team the Bulls have had since 98. I think they'll move Boozer too, free up some cap space. This off season is going to be brilliant viewing.

Can anyone remember that old WWF magazine which had Lex Luger and Michael Jordan on the front cover together? What was it all about? Did Jordan actually speak to the WWF magazine?

It's Lebron James' birthday today, and on Twitter this morning he wanted to know where he can get a 'real WWE title belt from'. The Rock sorted it out for him, looks like he's sending his belt from last year to him. What a guy!

Cavs @ Celtics live on BT Sport 2 now. Been a good game so far. I actually think Cleveland will be better off without Bynum, who's been suspended and apparently doesn't want to play basketball anymore...

 

Good comeback for the Cavs, I personally hope Bynum stays in Cleveland could see my Nets trading for him and he is all we need for to continue train wreck of a season even though I have seen a Pierce for Bynum trade rumored which we then see the Nets waive Bynum to reduce the luxury tax with have to pay this season which I would be cool with.

Bynum is done. He'll be waived by the Cavs before the 7th, I'm certain of it. I'd actually take a punt on him in OKC if it meant getting rid of Perkins. Pierce back to the Celtics seems to be a rumour with more legs to it. I think it could happen. Trouble is, half the Celtics roster is full of players the Nets didn't want in the first place and Pierce didn't want to leave Boston in the first place. It's a mess. I'm not sure how big Brandon Bass' contract is but I suppose he could be one option. Anything other than a disinterested coasting to retirement KG would be better. They really need to fire J Kidd first though, before they do anything. He's lost that dressing room a long time a go.

Al Horford is out for the rest of the season too. They might as well just give the Heat the title now, Lebron is getting so lucky with all these injuries!

On a serious note, it's probably been the worst NBA season since 98/99. A lot of stars are going down and for long periods too, a lot of ugly basketball being played and the East just being a laughing stock. I'm not sure how you rectify it either, other than player a shorter season. It's a mess.

Losing Westbrook for 27 games is an absolute killer. He was then getting back to top form, the Thunder have been killing a lot of teams too. I still think they'll be a top 2 seed but it's frustrating, losing momentum.

So that's Rondo, Rose, Westbrook, Kobe, Horford, Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Melo who have missed at least some game time this season. It's killing the league at the moment, attendances are down around the league and it's hardly a surprise. At this rate, the Bobcats are legitimate contenders for the 3rd seed in the East. What a clusterfuck. Not the way David Stern would have wanted to go out.

It's a tough call on the James/George play. I think the Pacers will end up beating the Heat should they meet in the Eastern Finals, which let's face it they should do this year as every other team is garbage. I'd like the Cavs to get a positive record at the end of the season and get to at least the second round of the playoffs, should set them up nicely for a good run at Lebron.

Good point on the Knicks not being able to tank. I forgot they traded away a shit load of picks until 2018!

Bad news NBA fans, Kobe has a knee fracture. Out for 6 weeks at least. This season has been dire as far as the stars being out of action.

I got drafted number 5 by the Suns and played 5 games before stopping after reading about the glitches. To be honest, as much as I love the game, the Career mode is so scripted that it actually ruins the experience. Oh you've had a poor game from the field so you have to do shooting practice, you hit perfect free throws which somehow miss in the game, so you do free-throw practice. It's a WWE style storyline plugged into what was the best single player experience in a sports game. Things and stories should play out depending on how you perform, not the game dictating what happens next. They need to address this next year. On court it's actually better than it ever has been. I've ran some sick plays which have resulted in some brilliant dunks and some generally brilliant OMG moments. The dunks feel so much meatier on Next Gen, so satisfying.

I generally roll with the classic teams at the minute until the 3rd patch hits and I can get into some different game modes. I particularly enjoy running pick and rolls with Lil' Penny and Shaq. It's a shame that the end of game highlights are fucked too, I play 12 minute quarters and they disappear at the end, another glitch that needs fixing!

Live 14 is apparently better the more you play it, they've got a big patch hitting over the xmas period, I think my girlfriend has bought me it for Xmas so I'll give it a try as a distraction to 2K.

In real life Basketball, Rondo and Asik are the subject of trade talks, apparently Rondo is on his way to the Kings. I like the dynamic of Rondo, Gay and Cousins. Could be interesting that team. They are giving up Mclemore, Thomas and a couple of scrubs and a first round pick to make it happen, so looks like the new owners are serious about making the Kings a viable destination to play basketball.

In other news, the Knicks go from bad to worse, Woodson says Amar'e is injured and could be out for a while. Amar'e meanwhile tweets that he's not injured... I think they may be tanking for Wiggins. It's the only viable reason Woodson hasn't been sacked.

I love Steph Curry. Still catching up on last nights schedule, some encouraging signs from the Knicks there.

I see the Knicks took my advice on Felton. He's in trade talks with the Raptors for Kyle Lowry. I must say, it's pretty much a pointless trade. They are both very similar in terms of talent, originally it was meant to be Shumpert but reports from ESPN suggest he didn't entertain talks to go to Toronto.

I think the Knicks should probably look to Free Agency. I'm not sure about when the Chinese Basketball season runs, but they could give Gilbert Arenas a call to give them some leadership off the bench on a short term deal.

I can't believe people are still sleeping on OKC. After that win against Indiana, they've shown that they can go all the way in the west.

Been saying it all along, I've got a feeling that if KD is going to win a championship in Oklahoma this is his year. It's so open. I don't think anyone in the West is good enough to beat a completely healthy Thunder, I think we would have made the finals again last year had Westbrook not got injured. If it does come down to a Heat Thunder finals, as long as OKC doesn't get sucked into playing the Eastern style too much, there's no reason why this can't be the year.

Not sure. I've got a feeling the Knicks are going to rip the team to pieces around the trade deadline. I'd imagine Melo will let the higher ups know what his intentions are so they can plan for the future. The Nets will get better when Williams gets back, I'd expect them to make the playoffs. I think the Knicks might squeeze in if they go back to the playing style of last year. At the moment, they look like the D'Antoni Knicks. All Iso's and forced shots, it's ugly to watch. I'd probably cut back on JR Smith's minutes too, he's looking horrible.

Yeah I agree about Brad Stevens. Once he gets Rondo back I think they'll be fine. I had them down for tanking this year, but with how weak the East is, I reckon they might get as high as 5th or 6th seed.

Erm... this surely is the end of Woodson? What a stagnate offense! It's all iso's and poor contested shooting. I'd ditch Felton too, he's garbage.

Watching the Heat get beat by the Pistons the other night was enjoyable. Bosh still doesn't do enough work on the boards for a man of his size. The Eastern Conference is absolutely terrible right now. So many bad teams sitting in the playoff spots too. I'm surprised the Hawks have started out ok this year, although they lost Jefferson, they brought in a replica in Millsap. They won't go past the first round again though. The backcourt is way too weak to make a real run. I'm surprised they didn't make a serious run at Jrue Holiday in the Summer. They need a top class Point Guard desperately.

The Trail Blazers are amazing right now. They deserve a deep run in the playoffs with all the bad luck they've had with injuries over the years. If Brandon Roy and Greg Oden had avoided all the bad injuries they would be a top 4 seed for years. I still expect them to die off somewhat, they've got a deeper bench than the previous few years, something which they've desperately needed. LeMarcus Aldridge is currently the best PF in the league and I'm delighted for him, I've been a huge fan of his for years.

Derrick Rose's injury press conference was amazing. When asked if the Bulls should go in a different direction instead of waiting for him to return :''If they wanna be fools, yeah. I'm gonna be fine.'' You've got to admire his confidence if nothing else. The league is far poorer place without him active.

I don't doubt Cadle knows his NFL stuff. It was more of a go at Sky for being lazy and thinking 'he's American, he'll do as a host for basketball'. He actually ruined my enjoyment of the presentation, he made so many factual errors and repeatedly called players by the wrong name that it became a joke. They should have just kept the American feed for the half time show. Sky's a bit of grim place to be right now, they seem to be losing rights and exclusivity on a lot of deals right now.

Art, my gamertag is bumclasshero. We will have to have a few games soon, I'm just starting my career, looks amazing so far, I went number 5 in the draft to the Suns, as a PG. I haven't played a pro game yet but I did get drafted before the rival Jackson Ellis!

Yeah it will be the American feed. Kevin Cadle was absolutely dreadful, clearly knew little to nothing about the sport and the 'pundits' were even worse.

Westbrook's game winner was incredible, I finished installing 2K14 on my PS4 in the early hours of the morning and ended up watching the game live. 2 great results in a row now for the Thunder. Minnesota seem to have fallen off a bit in the past 2 weeks after a bright start.

The BT deal is great news, it will help the game grow over here. There's also rumours going about which have not been denied yet by NBA UK that Channel 4 or 5 are getting a weekly highlights package. It's also great news. I can't go back now I've got League Pass Premium but 5 games on Xmas day is even better than the 4 we've usually had from ESPN. Plus we get all the half-time shows and pre-match build up on TV. The League Pass is amazing but this is one thing that is lacking. Staring at a blank screen at half time is no good when you're trying to stay awake before having to get up for work in the morning!

Last night's schedule was great fun. The Thunder turning over the Spurs was a huge result. I'd still back the Thunder in a series too. Just like in 2012 when youth prevailed. Westbrook had a HORRIBLE night from the field though

Melo has admitted the Knicks are in a crisis. They had a players only meeting last night. I'd imagine Woodson will be gone this weekend.

In terms of the league being of a high standard, it's been a disastrous start to the season for league officials and David Stern's last few months. A lot of poor teams are picking up wins early and the two New York teams are rotting. I still expect a lot of that to change. What is hurting the league more is top players going down with injuries. I'm an advocate for a shorter season, well lighter schedule with 50 odd games spread from Nov-Apr being more than enough. It's killing some of the players out there. You only have to look to see that two of the top 5 point guards in the league are both out injured. (Rose and Rondo) as well as Kobe and Westbrook is easing his way back. It seems some of the franchises are starting to understand it, they're giving stars the rest they need. From a spectators point of view it's no-win.

Anyway, most people Stateside are going with the Pacers or Spurs at this stage. It's still too early to tell but my prediction of the Bulls winning the East has gone right out of the window. I doubt he'll ever be the same again this time. Such a shame. People are probably sleeping on the Thunder too, a lot of people got them down as 3rd or 4th seed. I think they'll top the West.

Bumping this again. Derrick Rose, Andre Igoudala and Mark Gasol all injured last night. Not looking good for Rose, MRI today to confirm but many fearing a torn ACL. If that's the case, you have to question if he'll be the same again.

 

 

 

It's the other knee, which in a way is good news. But it's terrible news for the league. The Heat have probably just been given a free run to the finals again. Unless the Pacers can keep up their form. I just hope Rose doesn't end up like Penny Hardaway, never being able to trust his body again to let his talent flourish again. Bad news.

Yeah, I'm getting the digital download upgrade from current gen for 11 quid. I can't wait. Although they seem to have stripped away quite a few modes, there's more than enough there to keep me happy till 2K15.

Sad news about Live. It looks horrible. Absolute waste of the ESPN license too. It looks and sounds like a PS2 game.

I saw that trade rumour earlier on NBA TV regarding Rondo. I have to agree with Brent Barry. Rondo would at the Knicks would almost certainly spell the end of Melo at the end of the season. They both need the ball in their hands too much to co-exist on a team together. On paper it looks like a dream trade, but I don't think it would work. I'm sure if Amar'e was given a chance to start regularly again he could still put up 18 ppg. The Celtics don't really need Shump, they've got a carbon copy player in Avery Bradley. Felton is a perfectly respectable PG, but he's not going to pull up any trees with his output. I don't see it happening. I saw the Kings were interested, but unless the Celtics get Cousins in return, they've got literally zero other trade prospects. I know the Celtics have looked at Cousins in the past, I think he'd be a great fit for them. Under the right coach, Cousins being discliplined properly and applying himself properly all season long he could be a top 3 Centre in the entire league. If I'm Boston, I'd hold out for either Cousins or LaMarcus Aldridge. Then hope to the lottery gods that they get the number 1 pick.

Real breakout performance from Blake Griffin last night; time to hit the panic button in Brooklyn too?

Without being smug, I knew this would happen in Brooklyn. I even called it on the eve of the new season. I just couldn't see those pieces fitting together. Paul Pierce should have been allowed to finish his career as a Celtic. I'm surprised KG didn't retire after he didn't get reunited with Doc Rivers too. Deron Williams is the most overrated star in the league, he hasn't been worth his salary since he became a Net. He shows flashes of the brilliance he had in Utah, but meh, there's too many individuals in there. You've Joe Johnson lost in the shuffle there too, he's a former all-star, he doesn't do much in Brooklyn and then they expect him to to take the final shot every game when he's not a regular part of the offense? Crazy. You can't pin the blame on J Kidd either, it's the owners that have assembled this roster. The good news is that we're still so early in this season. In recent years we've seen the Knicks and Celtics both have horrible first half of seasons and then after the All-Star break they've turned it on and made the play-offs. They've got some valuable pieces too. If their going to run the organisation around D-Will, I'd probably trade Joe Johnson and see if you can get a decent starter and a bench player in return, or even a draft pick. Problem is, Brooklyn want to win NOW.

Yeah I'm a member of OS so I've been following all the news and videos. I was so hyped for Live 14, but I had my reservations about it. It's such a shame they've essentially wasted the ESPN license. If this flops well and truly, they should do the right thing and let 2K have the ESPN license. I'd imagine they'll quit putting out basketball games this year. They put a no review embargo on Live 14 until it's launch, so it was obvious something was up. I think the worst part is that there is no reason whatsoever why that garbage couldn't have been released on PS3/360.

Next gen 2K looks like probably the best launch title, it looks incredible. The half time interviews look ridiculous (in a good way) too! Can't wait to start a new MyCareer and give MyGM a whirl too.

Yeah I did. It's not been a great few days for the Thunder. Still think we'll win the West though, Ibaka should never have been ejected the other night.

Can you do catch up on NBA TV on Apple TV? I can watch previous content on my iPad or Laptop but can't seem to find a feature on Apple TV.... The reason I ask is because I'm re-watching all of the Hardwood Classics, watching Jordan drop 54 on the Knicks last night in the 93 Eastern Conference Finals was a thing of beauty, I fell asleep in the first quarter of the next episode though!

I'm not trolling, and it's not just my opinion

Bleacher Report is mainly amateur writers. If you're going to go with people who have said it in the past at least use some margin of credibility. Charles Barkley has said it, Scottie Pippen has said something along the lines of he 'could' be better before his words got took out of context, the majority of the Pistons Bad Boys era team have said it and it's through sheer envy as Jordan ended their run after taking physical abuse on the court from them for years and as soon as he beat them they acted like tossers.

LeBron James is without a shadow of a doubt a better athlete than Jordan ever was. He's probably faster and stronger than Jordan was too. He's not a better basketball player. He's still miles off. He doesn't have the clutch gene like MJ did. In the final seconds of the game, you knew Jordan would take the shot. It didn't matter what the situation was, he would always take the shot, no questions asked. LeBron has a tendency to hide when the pressure gets high. In the 2011 finals, he actually called Wade over from the other side of the court to take the final shot when he had the ball in his hands. Wade knocked down the shot, but that's not the point. If LeBron was the greatest, he would take the shot every time, and it's something he's not prepared to do. Some LeBron fans make excuses here and say it's because he's a team player. It's really not. He just doesn't have a killer instinct like Jordan did. Jordan had the killer instinct like no other. The only player to ever come close is Kobe in that respect.

Michael Jordan played in the greatest era of the NBA. He went up against some of the greatest players of all time. First ballot Hall of Famers. He beat all of them. He won 6 rings. He went undefeated in the finals. If that Bulls team stayed together for another 2 years after 98, he would have won 8. Michael Jordan was so good, he was actually bigger than the game of basketball. He's probably the greatest sportsman of all time. LeBron James has done some great things since entering the league, but he's no Michael Jordan. He won't match MJ's ring haul, the current Heat team will be dismantled in the Summer and I can't see him sticking around to wait in his final prime years for the pieces to fit again, so I'm guessing unless he goes home to the Cav's, he probably won't win another ring and MVP award after this year. If he went to LA, him and Kobe together would be a disaster. Which brings me to my final point, Lebron took a pay cut in order to join up with two other superstars in order to win his rings. Jordan didn't need to do that. He had far more will and desire to get the job done in Chicago instead of taking the easy way out. Something LeBron has done often in his career.