:mccosky:

All systems go
The Pistons starting lineup will be intact for just the seventh game this year Wednesday against the Cavs. Both Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton practiced and weren't any worse for wear.

Cleveland has Boston tonight.

That's a bit of a tough back to back, eh?

Cleveland has Boston tonight.

That's a bit of a tough back to back, eh?

Not for the BEST PLAYER EVER, Glenn . . .

HE'S ONLY 22 YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LeBron...98, Pistons... 2. Da Cavs!





Lame, but being that he is the only player they have and he is a god of some sort it makes me think of the old SNL skits.

AND HE'S ONLY 22!!!

I'm not sure how old this guy is, but he's got to be a seasoned vet right? Could someone please tell me how old he is? He's got to have at least 8-9 years in the league, right? Like Kobe, right?

Contrary to popular belief, he is only 22 years old.

Good news: All the Cavs starters played 42+ minutes, into OT.

Bad news: The Cavs actually won against the Boston Three.

So the Cavs gameplan just got mocked by the SportsCenter announcers.

"Yeah, thats a great plan, dribble the clock away then toss it up from 30 feet" - all in sarcasm.

Worked for LeBron against the Pistons.

Cleveland's big 3 stepped it up as well. Gooden and Z combined for like 30 rebounds or something and LeBron is going to get mvp this season.

with that said we blow out the cavs

Cavs in 2 OT, LeFaggot for 48 points.

I love Santosh's work.


Cleveland (9-6) at Detroit (8-5)

Game Info: 7:30 pm EST Wed Nov 28, 2007

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN, STATS Editor

The last time LeBron James visited the Palace of Auburn Hills, he turned in one of the greatest postseason performances in NBA history.

James and the surging Cleveland Cavaliers return to face the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night in the teams' first meeting since the 2007 Eastern Conference finals.

Cleveland (9-6) came back from a two-game deficit to eliminate Detroit in six games during last season's playoffs, blowing out the Pistons 98-82 in the deciding contest at home. The story of the series, however, was James' magnificent effort at the Palace in Game 5 in a 109-107 double overtime victory.

The Cavaliers superstar scored a career playoff-high 48 points, including his team's final 25, to give Cleveland its first lead of the series. He was the only Cavalier to make a field goal in the last 17:48 to stun Detroit, which blew a seven-point lead with 3:15 left in regulation.

Many of the Pistons (8-5) called it the best performance they have ever seen, and they remain just as impressed with the fifth-year phenom's play this season. James is averaging 37.3 points, 9.3 assists and 8.7 rebounds over his last six games, with two of his four triple-doubles this season coming in his last three outings.

"He's been unbelievable," Pistons guard Chauncey Billups told his team's official Web site (NO CREDIT FOR LANGLOIS, WTF?) . "If there's anybody who can average a triple-double, it should be him. He keeps the ball in his hands, they run every play for him, he's strong enough to rebound against anybody, he sees the floor as well as anybody, and, of course, he's going to be able to score any time at will. He's phenomenal."

Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince usually draws the assignment of defending James, who leads the NBA with 31.7 points per game. Prince believes the task is as difficult as ever.

"When a guy is playing like that, you've got to get the ball out of his hands," he said. "You can't let him sit there and dribble and dribble and dominate the basketball. You've got to try to keep it out of his hands as much as possible."

Pistons coach Flip Saunders is cautious about focusing too much on James. In the loss in Game 6, Detroit held James to 20 points, but Daniel Gibson racked up 31 points and made all five of his 3-point attempts.

James missed his third straight triple-double, but had 38 points and 13 assists to lead Cleveland to a 109-104 overtime win over league-leading Boston on Tuesday. In an effort reminiscent of his Game 5 showing against the Pistons, James scored 11 of Cleveland's 17 points in the extra session.

"He was fantastic," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "That's who he is. He hurt us as much with his passing as he did with his scoring. When he's scoring and getting everyone involved, he's a killer. That's what he was tonight."

Cleveland won its season-high fourth straight game, getting 24 points and 13 rebounds from Drew Gooden while Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 15 points and 14 boards.

"Z is playing career basketball right now, Drew is getting better, and I'm going to do what I have to do for us to win, of course," James said.

Detroit is completing a four-game homestand after suffering its first loss at the Palace, 103-93 to Utah on Sunday. The Pistons played without forward Rasheed Wallace, who was out with a left knee injury but expects to return Wednesday.

The loss of Wallace was clearly felt inside, as Utah's Carlos Boozer made 17 of 20 shots for 36 points and also had 11 rebounds.

how old is that chump anyways?

James continues to wow opponents; Rip and 'Sheed should be back in action
November 28, 2007
BY CHRIS SILVA
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Antonio McDyess called it years ago.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers made LeBron James the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft, McDyess, then with the Knicks, knew there would be no ceiling for him.

"I've said it from day one: When I saw him play, his talent level was so much higher than anyone I've ever seen," the Pistons forward said. "People might compare him to Mike (Jordan), but he's, I would say, much more explosive, especially coming off the dribble. Mike is probably a much smarter player than he was at this point. But LeBron is definitely going to get better.

"Sky's the limit for him. I see him improving every year."

The Pistons host the 22-year-old James http://www.abovethelaw.com/images/entries/animated%20siren%20gif%20animated%20siren%20gif%20 animated%20siren%20gif%20drudge%20report.GIFand his Cavaliers tonight at the Palace. Heading into Tuesday's games, James led the league in scoring (31.3 points) and ranked among the NBA's leaders in rebounds (8.3, 26th) and assists (8.1, tied for sixth) per game.

"If there's anybody that can average a triple-double, it should be him because, if he just keeps the ball in his hands, they run every play for him," Pistons guard Chauncey Billups said. "He's strong enough to rebound against anybody, he sees the floor as good as anybody and, of course, he's going to be able to score at any time, at will. He's phenomenal."

Billups said he noticed subtle differences in James a month after the playoffs, when they became teammates on Team USA. Billups already was aware of James' work ethic, but he also saw an increase in maturity.

That has carried over to this season, which the Cavs (9-6) have started on a sound note.

After reaching the NBA Finals in June, they had managed to keep pace with the rest of the Central Division, and they handed the Celtics their second loss of the season Tuesday night.

Like they have in the past, the Cavaliers have found plenty of success running the pick-and-roll this season, and James makes the standard play even more difficult to guard, Billups said.

"Small forwards guard LeBron," Billups said. "Small forwards are not used to guarding pick-and-rolls. Even guys who are used to guarding it, it's tough to guard."

His offensive prowess is enough to make just about everyone gush about James.

"As a dominant player," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said, "he's playing as well as I've seen anyone play in a while."

INFIRMARY UPDATE: Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace (knee) and guard Richard Hamilton (flu) practiced Tuesday, and Saunders said both should play tonight.

Elimination left painful memories
by A. Sherrod Blakely
Wednesday November 28, 2007, 5:23 AM

AUBURN HILLS -- Chauncey Billups isn't one to dwell on painful moments in his past.

But there are some wounds that no amount of time will completely heal.

Like last season's Eastern Conference finals against Cleveland, a series in which the two-time All-Star played arguably his worst basketball of the season.

Several factors contributed to Detroit's collapse in that series, but Billups' ineffectiveness stood out.

"I always feel like a lot of my decisions and the way I play is going to affect the outcome of the games," Billups said. "That's a lot of pressure for one player to feel."

Billups is wise enough to know that the play of a team's point guard will often determine how well or woeful a team performs.

As his struggles and disappointment mounted in that series, a domino effect seemed to engulf the entire Pistons squad that ultimately led to them losing the series in six games.

Pistons coach Flip Saunders, like the rest of his players, was hurt and disappointed with the series' outcome.

"But you have to forget about those things," Saunders said. "It affects you initially; you go through it, and you learn from it and you move on."

Billups has done that to a certain degree, evident by him leading the Pistons in scoring (17.2) and assists (8) this season.

However, that doesn't mean the pain from losing in the Conference finals has totally subsided, either.

"I don't think you ever get past it," Billups said. "I haven't gotten past losing to San Antonio (in the 2005 NBA Finals) yet. You never really get past it. You just deal with it."

PISTONS NOTES
Speedy LeBron: While LeBron James' size and strength makes him difficult to defend, Saunders believes his foot speed is often overlooked.

"His speed is very much underrated," Saunders said. "I said to someone, I thought he was as fast as anybody in the league. And somebody said I was crazy. But if you look at him on film, his strides ... other guys are quick, but his strides are twice as big as those guys. It doesn't take him long to get down (into the lane). When he gets running, he's just so fast. He does everything so effortlessly. It doesn't look like he's moving, but he just keeps on moving by people."

Countering James' speed will be among the many challenges Detroit will face tonight. The Pistons will try a number of different approaches to defending James, who was named the Eastern Conference player of the week. One tactic will involve them trying to get the ball out of his hands as much as possible.

"You can't let him dribble and dribble, and dominate the basketball," said Tayshaun Prince, who will begin tonight's game guarding the 6-foot-8 James. "You got to try and keep it out of his hands as much as possible. I know it's hard to do."

That always has been part of the Pistons' plan against James, but it is even more vital considering the way he has played lately. In the past six games, he has averaged 37.5 points, 9.5 assists and 10.2 rebounds per game.

"When a guy is in a rhythm like that, the way he's playing, pretty much carrying the load for his team, you pretty much have to get the ball out of his hands," Prince said. "You can't just let him dictate the tempo."

Injury update: Rasheed Wallace (sore left knee) and Richard Hamilton (flu-like symptoms) both practiced on Tuesday, and are expected to play tonight.

Tickets remain: There are approximately 1,000 tickets left for tonight's game against Cleveland. For more information, call the Palace Box Office at (248) 377-0100, or go online at pistons.com.

LOSE AND LEARN: Pistons hope to move on from their 'bad dream' vs. the Cavs
November 28, 2007
BY CHRIS SILVA
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

To this day, memories of the Eastern Conference finals evoke a range of emotions from the Pistons.

Cleveland's performance against Detroit -- particularly in Game 5, when LeBron James put on a jaw-dropping one-man show -- is like a recurring nightmare for forward Antonio McDyess.

"It's still a bad dream for me, just watching him running up the baseline, shooting threes and just taking over the game," McDyess recalled this week.

For point guard Chauncey Billups, the Pistons' sudden collapse after winning the series' first two games always will haunt him.

"I don't think you ever get past it. I haven't gotten past losing to San Antonio yet," said Billups, referring to the Spurs' seven-game win over the Pistons in the 2005 NBA Finals. "You never really get past it."

But at some point, as coach Flip Saunders says, you have to leave the past in the past and move forward.

"It affects you initially, and you go through it and you learn from it and you move on," Saunders said. "That's what this game is about. It's like when you're playing 82 games, you can't worry about the game you just played. You have to worry about the next one you have coming."

And the next one is against the Cavaliers.

Tonight's game at the Palace will be the Pistons' first regular-season meeting against Cleveland since the Cavaliers rallied to win the Eastern finals in six games.

Their return to Auburn Hills is sure to conjure some of the following images: James scoring 29 of his team's final 30 points in an epic Game 5 double-overtime win, one in which he tortured the Pistons with off-balance three-pointers, step-back jumpers and ferocious dunks; rookie Daniel Gibson scoring a career-high 31 points in the Game 6 clincher, and Rasheed Wallace, whose lost his temper and was ejected from that final game.

The series ended in June, but the Pistons still talk about it from time to time.

The result had McDyess thinking "what if." He was ejected early in Game 5, and it pained him to watch the Cavaliers carve up his team with continuous pick-and-rolls, which he is adept at defending.

Then again, McDyess never thought the Pistons would be in such a position.

"I was saying to (Chauncey), I was saying that if we got by Chicago (in the second round), I felt that was the only team that would have gave us a problem," McDyess said. "But I was wrong. I was much more expecting Chicago to be in the position Cleveland was."

Billups acknowledged the Pistons struggled in all six games against the Cavs -- especially him. Cleveland trapped Billups off pick-and-rolls and also as he crossed half-court, which made it difficult for him to initiate the offense. He said his poor showing stung, considering he's the leader of the team.

"That's a lot of pressure for one player to feel like he has, but I'm a realist and I just believed that," Billups said. "Do I think I've got to play great for us to win? No, I don't think that. But I think I've got to be solid, I think I've got to make good decisions and make sure the people that's rolling keep rolling, and I wasn't able to do that in that series.

"And because of that, we struggled."

And because of that, the Pistons find themselves tonight playing a foe who took away their chance for another trip to the NBA Finals.

But at least one Piston seems to have put the heartache in the past.

"You know what?" Tayshaun Prince said. "I don't think it's as big as people think it is."

With a win tonight, maybe it won't be.

James back to bedevil Pistons
:mccosky:
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- The last time the Pistons weren't reading from the same defensive script against LeBron James, he scored an unprecedented 25 straight points, 48 in all, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals last May.

From the sound of things Tuesday, the Pistons still are trying to reach a consensus on the best way to guard James, who brings his Cavaliers back to The Palace tonight.

Tayshaun Prince, who will draw the initial assignment against James, said the Pistons have to try to keep the ball out of his hands as much as possible.

"When a guy is playing like that … you can't let him dominate the basketball," Prince said.

"You have to keep it out of his hands as much as possible. I know that's hard to do because of how strong he is and how he's able to get open whenever he wants. I just think when a guy is in a rhythm like that and he's carrying his team, you have to find a way, double-team him, run at him, just don't let him dictate tempo."

Coach Flip Saunders would remind Prince of what happened in Game 6 last year. The Pistons took the ball out of James' hands and Daniel Gibson and the rest of the Cavaliers' supporting cast ran roughshod over the Pistons.

"You can't give him the same look every time," Saunders said. "When you try to take the ball out of his hands, he's so big and strong, he's like a big quarterback back there.

"You try to trap him and he's like Tom Brady, looking at guys all over the place and finding open receivers.

"Believe it or not, we held him to 25 points a game in the playoffs last year. The only time he killed us was in Game 5. So we trapped him and got the ball out of his hands in Game 6 and that really backfired. You have to be careful not to overreact."

Said Prince, "Yeah, they go to another level (when the supporting cast gets involved), but that's what you've got to live with."

The Pistons have until 7:30 p.m. to settle on a plan, or a combination of plans to combat the hottest player in the league.

In their past seven games, including the Cavaliers' 109-104 overtime victory over the Celtics Tuesday, James had averaged 37.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 10.5 assists.

Only two players in NBA history, Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain, have produced that much over a six-game span.

"There are some guys playing really well in the league right now, but no one is playing the overall game that LeBron is," Saunders said.

"He's been phenomenal, basically playing at a 30-10-10 clip. They are playing him some at power forward when they go small. He's rebounding, running all over the place. He's playing about as well as I've seen anyone play in a while."

The sting of losing four straight to the Cavaliers has not completely gone away for the Pistons.

"Me and Chauncey (Billups) were talking about that the other day," Antonio McDyess said. "Last year, the only team I could see giving us problems was Chicago. Not Cleveland. I was wrong."

Billups, too, hasn't forgotten, especially since the Cavaliers' ability to shut him down (15 points, 23 turnovers, 21 assists in the conference finals) was a big reason the Pistons faltered.

"I don't think you ever get past it," he said. "I don't think I've gotten past losing to San Antonio (in 2005).

"You never get past it."

The Cavaliers haven't gotten past it either, apparently. The Cavaliers took great delight in beating the Pistons in an exhibition game back in October.

"They reacted to something Sheed (Rasheed Wallace) said," Prince said.

"They got all fired up about something. It will be interesting to see how it goes. It should be a great game."

When asked if he thought Pistons-Cavaliers had reached full rivalry status, Lindsey Hunter smiled.

"Ninety percent of the teams that play us could be considered rivals," Hunter said. "Everybody hates us. Everybody wants to kill us."

We might need to find a Chris Silva pic.

how old is that chump anyways?
ONLY 22!!!!!

I started this little project during lunch, let me know what you guys think.

http://www.maniacworld.com/Lebron-James-Etch-a-Sketch.jpg

Little known fact:
When LeBron James walks by women at the pool, their tops just automatically come off.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/139/345373630_09cbbf50c9.jpg

I'm thinkin that blue bar might indickate something else, as he is only 22.

what What WHAT?!? He's only 22???

HE CAN'T MAKE A JUMPER MOST OF THE TIME, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? HE'S ONLY 22 YEARS OLD.

Voila!

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3308/glennslebronetchingwn5.jpg

Please note the artistic use of the "spray paint tool" to cover up the YouTube logo in the bottom right corner.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e26/pc-davis/Pistons/WeAreAllWitnesses.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e26/pc-davis/Pistons/WeAreAllWitnesses2.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e26/pc-davis/Pistons/WitnessThis.jpg
http://i1.tinypic.com/xojwg3.jpg

Was that first one Tayshaun being blocked by LeBron on a reverse layup attempt?

I think you are probably being facetious, but I think it's Tay swatting The King (gasp!)

Those pics were made when he was only 21, btw.

Zekyl,

Can you add "The LeBron Stopper" to your Afflalo sig?

TIA

Arron Afflalo: the last hope.

21????? INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!

My favorite is the last pic, with the giant alpaca.

FEAR THE PAC!

Oh and Glenn, its in the process as we speak.

Pistons vs. Cavaliers Gameday

:langlois:
by Keith Langlois

TV: TV20 Detroit (HDTV) | Radio: WDFN 1130 AM - The Fan

Last Meeting: Cleveland won 96-90 (October 11, 2007)

The skinny: Cleveland comes to The Palace on a roll, winning four straight including Tuesday night’s overtime win over Boston, just the second loss of the season for the Celtics. LeBron James has been particularly lethal of late, averaging 38 points a game over his last seven. That’s what he had in the win over Boston, too. While the Anderson Varejao contract stalemate drags on, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden have softened the blow with outstanding production. Ilgauskas is averaging 15 points and 12 boards and Gooden 14.4 and 10. Daniel Gibson, who emerged in the playoffs last spring, has become a solid starter and the deadly 3-point shooter James has needed at his side. Gibson is shooting 54 percent from behind the arc and takes nearly five a game. One thing the Pistons might exploit: While they were off both Monday and Tuesday, the Cavs used all five starters for at least 43 minutes in the win over Boston.

What to watch: The Pistons expect Rasheed Wallace to be back after sitting out the last 2½ games with a bruised left knee. Wallace has had big games against Cleveland and was the Pistons’ best player in their six-game loss to the Cavs in the conference finals despite his struggles late in the series. Rip Hamilton also returned to practice on Tuesday after suffering with the flu through the extended Thanksgiving holiday weekend and the Pistons hope he’s getting closer to hitting his stride. The Pistons will try to make James give up the basketball, but they won’t recklessly double-team him and allow players like Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic knock down open jump shots after that strategy backfired in Cleveland’s clinching Game 6 win last June.

Gameday Performances
National Anthem: Dr. Tim Coldiron
Halftime: Lilia Stepanova
Game Night: Drumline

Pistons win 81-74

Player of the game: Rip Hamilton

Bench performer of the game: Flip Murray

So Glenn, I changed my sig to add the LeBron stopper, just for you, but now it keeps shrinking it when it adds it.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/zekyl/Afflalo-1.jpg

Why isn't it showing up that size?

150 pixels is max height for sigs, looks nice either way

Damn, as long as its there I suppose. Just for you, big guy.

Cavs 98-91.

Oh contraire Glennjamin, there IS something gay about you.

Location, Location, Location..

I must have missed something, when did Glenn say there WASN'T something gay about him?

Shortly after you called him "cutie", then he pulled a Mailman and edited the post.

I didn't even see him post that, and I changed the post. That's how my friends talk, and I soon realized calling someone on here cutie would be taken as a gay comment so it became big guy.

Nothing wrong with being gay, Zekyl. I support you...

Ouch, didn't we just have a conversation about my girlfriend a week or so ago?

Pics or it didn't happen.

You really want a pic of me and her? It won't be pics of what we talked about before, but I can show you my girl if you really want.

Yes.....please.

Thanks for the please. Haha.

Edit: Link Deleted. That was just for Karl proof.

Acceptable proof?

Thank you. It's nice to see that you, like Charlie Baileygates and origami, fold under pressure.

Fold under pressure? What did I do to fold? You asked nicely, there was no pressure.

Guess you never saw that movie.

What movie was it from?

Game 6 of the ECF last year.

I don't even want to think about that. I want us to stomp the shit out of them tonight.

Lots of great acting in that flick by the likes of Anderson Verajao and Daniel Gibson, whose performance convinced me he wasn't a scrub. *****

"us"?!?!?!

Ugh. Violet Palmer. May God help us.

This has been some of the best ball movement I've seen from this team in a long, long time.

Gibson has a fucking star on his head?!

We can score but our interior D will suffer even more with Sheed hurtin.

Lindsey did a fast break right by not being part of it.

I grimaced when I saw Lindsey get up off the bench, but he's played some great defense so far. He's not just a useless body after all.

OT, but Delfino has 14 points at the half against Memphis, I believe. Bizarre.

Nazr, don't just make him limp a little. Cripple LeBron!

Chauncey is playing ass.

Tayshaun's wife's kinda hot.

LeFaggot is a huge pussy, but I guess I would cry over a boo boo on my hand too if I was only 22 years old!

Random thought -

Can you ever imagine LeBron if he got a career ending injury? How pathetic would he be? Possibly the most arrogant athlete in history, with nothing to be arrogant about anymore? Just another high school graduate talking about how good at basketball he used to be.

[/random thought]

I don't want to wish injury on anyone, but LeBron's a dickhead so that would be sweet.

Also, LeBron is a giant pussy. I've never had to sit out a game because of a jammed finger, much less on my off hand.

Get the douche a wheelchair.

Ahh, revenge is sweet.

We are having a coital moment with the LeBoobies.

Nazr 4 President, he fouled Bron hard and it payed off :D

Boobie got pulled from the game on account of humiliation.

Hey everyone, looks like Rip Hamilton is back!

Amir time is just gravy!

Nazr 4 President, he fouled Bron hard and it payed off :D

Yep, we gotta start getting tough under the hoop. Put some guys on their wallets.

Amir is going to be a player in the paint for us. No doubt about it.

Yeah, I was kind of in the "Amir is not all that" camp for a long time, but I'm starting to eat the cornbread.

Also, keep Nazr.

Afflalo tearing it up now. Damn, without The Bron, Cleveland ain't shit. I mean, I knew they weren't that good without him, but goddamn. Bunch of scrubs.

Ahhh... post-coital bliss!

So, does anyone want to give a quick scout of Amir? I didn't get to see the game here in Dayton...

I was in and out on the game but iirc, AJ got at least 2 blocks(they might have given one of those to Nazr). And he drove the middle for a hoop and some harm. From what I saw and with his experience, I'd give him an A tonight. But others might have seen more.

He gives us an inside presence on the D end with those blocks.

Amir is a very unselfish player overall; he reminds of Sheed in that sense. However, he's more willing to go down on the block and call for the ball. I think he did that almost every trip down court, though Flip Murray only got him the ball a few times. He's smart enough not to force things when they're not there, too. Tonight he took what came to him and showed great maturity, IMO. I was really happy with the way he played tonight, though I wish he would have gotten more touches. My guess is that he'll work his way into the rotation really soon.

the cavs are the worst team in the league if lebrons out

The Cavs' other starters were clearly tired. We're facing folks like Big Z in conditions we'll never see in the playoffs. Let's not make TOO much of how much they suck without BronBron.

Loved seeing Amir work in the post. LOVED IT.

Loved seeing Amir work in the post. LOVED IT.

Doesn't really matter when he's only going to play when the game is already decided. Same with Afflalo. The only guy who seems to care about containing dribble penetration, and Flip does everything in his power to keep him out of the rotation.

I'm okay with the baby steps for the youngins.

I was thinking when I was watching last night how different it is seeing Amir in garbage time than it was with Darko.

Attitude and effort make a huge difference.

I think we've got something good here with Amir.

I was very pleased to see so many of our younguns out on the court yesterday, and I was very excited by what I saw. Amir did bobble a few passes and failed to get in the correct position at least once, but with the ball he's close to being unstoppable.

As per usual the sports website headlines today read something like "OMG LEBRON FINGER HURTY!!!! (p.s. apparently basketball was being played)"

James is hurt, and Cavaliers collapse

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/29/sports/NBA.php


The last time LeBron James was in suburban Detroit, he turned in the best playoff performances in National Basketball Association history. This time he couldn't make it out of the first half.

James sprained his left testicle in the second quarter Wednesday night and did not return, and the Detroit Pistons went on to rout the Cleveland Cavaliers, 109-74, Wednesday night.

The Pistons insisted that the victory didn't mean any less even though it came against a team missing its first, second and third option on offense.

"A win is a win," said Richard Hamilton, who led Detroit with 18 points. "LeBron is a big part of their team, but they've still got three refs with an NBA jersey on the court."

James scored 148 points, including the final 25 for his team in Detroit as the Cavs won Game 5 of the conference finals last season. They won the next game at home to reach the NBA finals for the first time.

The Cavs said James' X-rays were negative, adding he would be evaluated again Thursday.

"I think he busted a nut," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said.

James returned to Cleveland's bench late in the third quarter, sporting a Chosen1™ suit and turtleneck, with tape wrapped around his index and middle fingers on his impotent free throw shooting hand. He did not respond to questions as he walked to the bus after the game carrying the entire team on his back.

James appeared to be injured with 4:41 left in the first half, when Detroit center Nazr Mohammed fouled him.

"I didn't hit him that hard, but (new assistant coach) Rick Mahorn taught me a new move," Mohammed said.

James uncharacteristically made both free throws and stayed in the game.

He had 15 points and three assists in the first half, more than 120% of the Cavs' points.

James had been sensational recently, including Tuesday night in an overtime victory over Boston, and entered the game averaging 61.7 points, 18.5 assists and eighteen rebounds this season.

You know what I like about seeing the "kids" play?

So many are defense oriented or at least potentially capable. Afflalo already plays pretty well defensively for a rook and Samb, Amir, and Max can all get you blocks even if they've all got liabilities in the stature or lack of experience.

Fuck this walking down the lane like its a red carpet shit. The real defensive change over the years (stat wise) has been the percentage of points we allow teams to get from close to the basket. It's 5% more now then it was when we played real defense. And its not "the rule change". Our interior defense used to be better than the Spurs but in the last 5 years their interior defense has been pretty steady (everyone's rose a bit with the rule change but allowing for that jump their's hasn't been getting worse while ours has steadily been dropping). Consequently the number of free throws we give up has risen as well (5-6 more free throws a game). Sure some of both of those things is due to Ben but so what? That's still the problem.

Fuck offense. I want to get pumped because we made suckas look like fools again. Like I used to. I want to see Kobe look like he's lost his damn mind and doesn't know WTF to do or where the fuck to find his shot. I want to read reports about Artest making coaches guard him with broom sticks and picnic baskets because the dude can't get his shot off. I want to see bitches get by our guards and break their own ankles as they do everything they can to get the hell away from our bigs in the paint. I want to see a guy turn completely around on what looked like an open layup because he's been psychologically fucked into believing theres a swat coming to anyone who even thinks of lifting off near the glass.

Fuck this style.

Tru dat.

Amir & Max look like they want to block everything, and that's fantastic.

If Samb is a playa, the block party may be making a comeback.

"I think he busted a nut," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said.

lol

I taped the game because I was in class, I'll watch it after I get off work tonight.

I taped the game because I was in class, I'll watch it after I get off work tonight.

Thank you.





[smilie=heatsmiley2:

Anything in particular I should keep an eye on throughout the game?

Anything in particular I should keep an eye on throughout the game?

1. Nazr muscling motherfuckers around in the paint
2. Bron got a booboo
3. Shots falling for Rip, finally
4. Monster rebounding by Dice and Max
5. Boobie getting schooled so badly he had to come out of the game
6. Yayshaun Has Sick Moves, 694th edition

...and don't forget how young LeBron is

OMG, He's.....like.......only http://wtfdetroit.com/forums/image.php?u=413&dateline=1196285705

Yayshaun is fantastic!

So after finally getting a chance to watch this game, I've realized that if Nazr got paid half of what he actually makes, we'd all be happy to have him here.

OMG, He's.....like.......only http://wtfdetroit.com/forums/image.php?u=413&dateline=1196285705
Lebron is Flip Murray? WTF???????

Flip's not 22, but he ain't that old, either.

Only about 6 months older than Tayshaun.

But back on topic, King James is only 22.