Thread: NBA 2008-09 Season

Dyess has to clear waivers before coming back to Detroit....

[ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3694041"]Antonio McDyess waived by Denver Nuggets - ESPN[/ame]

Originally Posted by HD MM

Dyess has to clear waivers before coming back to Detroit....


ESPN - Antonio McDyess waived by Denver Nuggets

He won't.....he is a talented guy and he will have a tough time coming BACK to the Pistons.

Great article updating the life of Josh Childress and his days as a basketball player in Athens, Greece.

The article talks about his decision, salary and all of the perks. (Childress has a $20 million contract which his team pays all the taxes. Also, as part of his contract, his team provides him with a car, personal chef, maid service and 3-story flat.)

It also goes onto talk about how Greece is extremely passionate about basketball and how the game is different.

Really enlightening. Please read.......


ESPN - Mark Schwarz: For Josh Childress, Greece is the word

Originally Posted by HD MM

Great article updating the life of Josh Childress and his days as a basketball player in Athens, Greece.

The article talks about his decision, salary and all of the perks. (Childress has a $20 million contract which his team pays all the taxes. Also, as part of his contract, his team provides him with a car, personal chef, maid service and 3-story flat.)

It also goes onto talk about how Greece is extremely passionate about basketball and how the game is different.

Really enlightening. Please read.......


ESPN - Mark Schwarz: For Josh Childress, Greece is the word

A VERY telling caption from the article:

Gherardini is reserving judgment about whether more stars will follow Childress overseas. But he says the Childress deal was a wake-up call to every NBA team.

"Nobody really had an idea that such an unbelievable amount of money could've been put on the table," Gherardini says. "There is always a first time something like this happens, so it can surprise anybody. Not just Atlanta."

I also found how the country treats the game much differently than the NBA very refreshing. Just seems more pure and more passionate...

"They're a little bit more passionate about their sports here. You see tons of people in the street who just love you just because you play for their team," Childress says.

He has only been in Athens since late summer, yet Childress says he's already more famous in Greece than he could ever be in the United States. We watched a bartender kneel at his feet, and begin to kiss them. Passionately. Then his zealous admirer -- as if to confirm that he was not worthy -- bowed before the bemused Childress.

The European game is radically different from the NBA version he knows. On most nights, Childress will be the most athletic player on the court. But in Greece, athleticism is neutralized by gimmick defenses. To get to the rim, Childress must navigate a thicket of traps and zones that is as daunting as the unfamiliar streets of his new home. There are no isolation plays. It's all about ball movement.

Oh, and one more thing: The referees do not protect scorers in this league. Essentially, it's no autopsy, no foul.

"I can tell you they don't want me to score 30. They don't want me to score 25. Probably don't want me to score 20. They want me to be well-rounded."

"We didn't bring Josh here to make 40, 30 or 50 points," Olympiacos head coach Panagiotis Giannakis confirms.

In Greece, statistics mean nothing unless the team wins.

"We must win every game," says Christos Stavropoulos, Olympiacos' general manager. "Maybe in the States you can lose some games. Not here."

Brash billionaire brothers Panagiotis and George Angelopoulos own Olympiacos. They made their fortune in shipping and steel, but they hope to forge their legacy from their true passion: basketball. The brothers say they are happy to lose money if it means winning championships.

Originally Posted by salsadancer7

With that same thought....D. Wade score 14 of his 33 points in the final 5 minutes to help the Heat win after being down 12 with 5 minutes left.

...somewhere, there are Mavericks fans going...."shit, we have see THIS before..."

The Heat are looking REAL good in the early going!

I don't think there's any doubt that they're a playoff team this year!

Originally Posted by BillD1984

The Heat are looking REAL good in the early going!

I don't think there's any doubt that they're a playoff team this year!

Well...I think they MIGHT make the playoffs...but compared to LAST YEAR....they will be TONS better. I think 35-40 wins is not out of the question.

Originally Posted by salsadancer7

Well...I think they MIGHT make the playoffs...but compared to LAST YEAR....they will be TONS better. I think 35-40 wins is not out of the question.

I REALLY think 45 wins and a 6th seed in the playoffs is posible.

Originally Posted by BillD1984

I REALLY think 45 wins and a 6th seed in the playoffs is posible.

They still have some issues with the middle and scoring from the front court. I would NOT be surprised if they pull of a trade that involves Shawn Marion