2015 - 2016 NBA Thread - NBA where amazing happens - all rookie team named!!!

Rumors flying Heat want to move Hassan Whiteside, Loul Deng, & Justis Winslow for...

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Cousins a beast and would INSTANTLY make the Heat better offensively. Whiteside is the frontrunner for DPOY but the team is worried they not gonna be able to offer him the max deal other teams will offer once he's a FA next season.
 
Man Cavs vs Celtics should be good tonight. Plenty of bad blood from last year.

Love getting hurt
Jr ending crowder season, After he just got healthy.
 
Cavaliers-Celtics Preview
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The Boston Celtics showed plenty of mettle in bouncing back from a near miss against the defending NBA champions.

They'll now have a shot at upending the reigning Eastern Conference champs in Tuesday night's showdown with a Cleveland Cavaliers team that's finally getting closer to full strength.

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After giving then-unbeaten Golden State all it could handle in a gut-wrenching 124-119 double-overtime loss Friday at TD Garden, the Celtics displayed little fatigue and lots of resolve in dealing Southeast Division-leading Charlotte a 98-93 defeat on the road the next night.

Trailing by five in the third quarter, Boston (14-10) reversed momentum with a 25-8 run to move to 4-1 in the second end of back-to-backs.

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"It says a lot about us as a team and our character," guard Evan Turner told the Celtics' official website. "Some people will mail it in when they're tired, and we try to step up and do what we need to do."

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The Celtics will have two days of rest before hosting Cleveland (15-7), which just got one key player back from injury and appears on the verge of having one of its most important ones returning.

Sparked by Iman Shumpert's debut, the Cavaliers recorded their most lopsided win of the season in Friday's 111-76 rout at Orlando. The defensive stopper, sidelined since late September by a wrist injury, scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 25 minutes in a game Cleveland led by as many as 40.

"It felt great," Shumpert said. "It was all worth it, the extra work, the extra running, all the trash talk from my teammates to get me ready. I feel good. I could have played some more."

LeBron James had 25 points in three quarters during one of the Cavaliers' most impressive all-around efforts. Cleveland shot a season-best 56.9 percent and scored 31 points off 20 turnovers in its second straight victory following a season-high three-game skid.

Shumpert may soon be joined on the court by Kyrie Irving with the All-Star point guard in the final stages of his rehab from a fractured left kneecap suffered during June's NBA Finals. Irving is expected to play sometime during an upcoming three-game homestand that precedes the Cavaliers' Christmas night rematch with Golden State, which had its 28-game regular-season win streak halted by Milwaukee one night after edging the Celtics.

J.R. Smith is probable for Cleveland after missing Friday's game with an illness.

Shumpert's perimeter defense should come in handy, much like it did during the Cavaliers' sweep of Boston in last season's quarterfinals. The Celtics shot 25.6 percent from 3-point range for the series, but they've averaged 10.3 makes over a 5-2 stretch.

Avery Bradley is shooting 46.7 percent on 3s during that time and Isaiah Thomas is 10 for 22 over his last four. Both guards were instrumental to Boston's latest win, as Bradley scored 11 of his 23 points during the pivotal third quarter and Thomas had a season-high 13 assists along with 21 points.



"He's a handful," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said of Thomas. "He's going to be in the paint. Then you are forced to help and then they are going to get quality shots."

The teams split four meetings during last year's regular season. Excluding the playoffs, the Cavaliers are 4-11 at TD Garden since April 2007.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith doesn't plan on issuing apology to Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder wants an apology from Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith on Tuesday when the two meet for the first time in nearly eight months.

Crowder is apparently still miffed with Smith for landing an unexpected backhanded punch to the right side of his face in Game 4 of the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

The Celtics forward told reporters in Boston on Monday that he 'hopes he apologizes' and if not, then they'll just play ball.

After informing Smith of Crowder's comments, it didn't sound like he would be asking for forgiveness any time soon.

"I mean, we'll just play ball," Smith told cleveland.com after practice on Monday.

Obviously irritated with the topic, Smith refused to exert much energy into the incident that cost him the first two games in the next round with Chicago. He didn't have much to say.

"Honestly man, I'm done with that whole situation," he said. "I'm not even going to feed into it."

The blow occurred while the two were battling for position for an anticipated rebound opportunity early in the third quarter. Crowder immediately dropped to the floor upon impact and sprained his left ACL in the process. Smith was accessed a Flagrant 2, resulting in an automatic ejection.

It was also the game Kevin Love suffered a dislocated shoulder. The Cavaliers swept the Celtics, but it was a competitive, physical series. When asked if that was one of the most physical series he's been a part of, Smith responded, "Nah. It's just playoff basketball."

It should be an interesting reunion at TD Garden.
 
LeBron James: The Celtics 'took Golden State to the brink'
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LeBron James said there would added emotion tonight for the Cavs in Boston, but he said that's common. (Charles Krupa)
By Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com
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on December 15, 2015 at 11:25 AM
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BOSTON – The potential for emotions to spill in tonight's Cavaliers-Celtics game is there and obvious, what with Kevin Love's return to TD Garden and Jae Crowder calling for an apology from J.R. Smith that isn't going to come.

LeBron James knows, but is downplaying it nonetheless.

"You're coming to Boston and playing in their building, if there's no emotion then something is going on," James said before the Cavaliers' morning shootaround. "It's just part of it. Boston always has emotion, from everyone, so we expect it."

James loves playing in Boston and his numbers belie his affection: In 30 games at TD Garden, counting the regular season and playoffs, James is averaging 29.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists.

This is the Cavs' first game here since Game 4 of a first-round playoff series, when Cleveland completed its sweep of the Celtics but lost Love for the remainder of the playoffs via Kelly Olynyk's arm tug. Also, Smith whacked Crowder in the face with a backhand punch; Crowder's knee buckled after Smith blasted him.

James' focus, at least this morning, was on the here and now. The Celtics are 14-10 and in seventh in the East, but only two games behind first-place Cleveland.

The basketball world was watching Friday when the C's pressed the then-undefeated Golden State Warriors through two overtimes, eventually falling to the defending champs.

"This is a very good team and in their building they've been playing some very good basketball. So we've got to understand. They took Golden State to the brink."

Speaking of the Warriors, James was asked how evolving technology has helped him in his NBA career – greater Boston is a tech hub, of course – and James cracked:

"Can it make me shoot better? Can they put a chip in my arm where I can shoot like Steph Curry? No, then I don't care about it."
 
LeBron James compares Iman Shumpert to Kawhi Leonard as NBA's best defensively

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LeBron James compared Iman Shumpert to Kawhi Leonard on Tuesday. (JOSHUA GUNTER)
By Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com
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on December 15, 2015 at 11:48 AM
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BOSTON – Kawhi Leonard is considered a "LeBron stopper," or at least one of those few NBA players who can guard LeBron James alone and give him some trouble.

On Tuesday, James compared Iman Shumpert to the Spurs' Leonard.

"He probably has the best hands in the NBA along with Kawhi Leonard, as far as defensively," James said, before the Cavs' shootaround at TD Garden in preparation for an evening tilt with the Boston Celtics.

"He just plays, it's just very, very good basketball," James said of Shumpert. "His energy level is at an all-time high, he doesn't go below 100, which is incredible. He brings something fierce, a competitive nature to our team."

Shumpert has played all of one game this season, missing the first 21 recovering from wrist surgery. The Cavs' starting two guard for much of the postseason, it's unknown whether he'll make his first start of the 2015-16 campaign, or if David Blatt will stick with J.R. Smith.

James said that when Shumpert is on the floor with him, and James is of course guarding the three position, "it's going to be very difficult for wing guys to score."

"We take that side of the floor, I mean, that's the most important side of the floor that me and Iman take," James said. "We talk to each other, saying let's see who can get the most stops in a quarter, let's see who can get the most stops in a game. So we're competing against each other on the floor, defensively."

The sample size for this season is obviously too small to make any judgments, though in Shumpert's debut James did record four steals in a 35-point blowout of Orlando.

Also, because Shumpert mostly came off the bench during the regular season last year when the Cavs acquired him via trade, James played the second-fewest minutes with him of any of Cleveland's regulars. But when they were on the floor together last season – for a total of 446 minutes – the Cavs averaged 1.5 steals more than their opponent.

It's the highest steal differential of any two-man combo featuring James that the Cavs had last season.
 
Y'all who's watching the game(I'm at work) let me know if Boston's defense fa real...
 
Heinsohn old ass hatin on Kosi all fuckin night. Sorry CAC Bron the best small forward to ever come in that building.
 
Biggest difference between the two of them, Kawhi isn't made out of peanut brittle... Shumpert is a fragile ass motherfucker for real.... :smh:

LeBron James compares Iman Shumpert to Kawhi Leonard as NBA's best defensively

19391632-mmmain.jpg

LeBron James compared Iman Shumpert to Kawhi Leonard on Tuesday. (JOSHUA GUNTER)
By Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com
Follow on Twitter
on December 15, 2015 at 11:48 AM
Comments



BOSTON – Kawhi Leonard is considered a "LeBron stopper," or at least one of those few NBA players who can guard LeBron James alone and give him some trouble.

On Tuesday, James compared Iman Shumpert to the Spurs' Leonard.

"He probably has the best hands in the NBA along with Kawhi Leonard, as far as defensively," James said, before the Cavs' shootaround at TD Garden in preparation for an evening tilt with the Boston Celtics.

"He just plays, it's just very, very good basketball," James said of Shumpert. "His energy level is at an all-time high, he doesn't go below 100, which is incredible. He brings something fierce, a competitive nature to our team."

Shumpert has played all of one game this season, missing the first 21 recovering from wrist surgery. The Cavs' starting two guard for much of the postseason, it's unknown whether he'll make his first start of the 2015-16 campaign, or if David Blatt will stick with J.R. Smith.

James said that when Shumpert is on the floor with him, and James is of course guarding the three position, "it's going to be very difficult for wing guys to score."

"We take that side of the floor, I mean, that's the most important side of the floor that me and Iman take," James said. "We talk to each other, saying let's see who can get the most stops in a quarter, let's see who can get the most stops in a game. So we're competing against each other on the floor, defensively."

The sample size for this season is obviously too small to make any judgments, though in Shumpert's debut James did record four steals in a 35-point blowout of Orlando.

Also, because Shumpert mostly came off the bench during the regular season last year when the Cavs acquired him via trade, James played the second-fewest minutes with him of any of Cleveland's regulars. But when they were on the floor together last season – for a total of 446 minutes – the Cavs averaged 1.5 steals more than their opponent.

It's the highest steal differential of any two-man combo featuring James that the Cavs had last season.
 
I thought Divac didn't want to get rid of Boogie.

That's not a bad trade for Sacramento. I don't think Cousins is a winner though. Pat must be hoping their culture will change him.

and who didn't know Howard would be unhappy with his touches in Houston?
 
decent half, old ass tommy getting on my nerves even though i m a celtics fan. might have to mute it.
Man somebody needs to slap the shit out of that salty ass cracka... Even his partner be throwing some subliminal's towards him... CAse point, during the game Tommy said some shit that LeBron has no left hand game... Then later on in the game the other guy said, after LeBron made a slick left hand lay up, that it must feel good to be able to use your left hand like that...
Tommy didn't say shit because the jab flew over his head..
 
Man somebody needs to slap the shit out of that salty ass cracka... Even his partner be throwing some subliminal's towards him... CAse point, during the game Tommy said some shit that LeBron has no left hand game... Then later on in the game the other guy said, after LeBron made a slick left hand lay up, that it must feel good to be able to use your left hand like that...
Tommy didn't say shit because the jab flew over his head..


Flew over his head naw...that shit went straight to his throat
 
I thought Divac didn't want to get rid of Boogie.

That's not a bad trade for Sacramento. I don't think Cousins is a winner though. Pat must be hoping their culture will change him.

and who didn't know Howard would be unhappy with his touches in Houston?

Heat not trading winslow and kings aint trading boogie but hey anything is possible lol....
 
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