[EmpireEmperor]

Originally Posted by FLpaintballer23

GL Lakers, cant wait to see you loose to OKC in this years western conference finals! Quote me on that

You think the second best team in the West is going to lose to the best team in the West? What a bold prediction. Next you'll go out on a limb and say Miami is going to win the title.

[SmartyJones]

Originally Posted by FLpaintballer23

What about the way they were fouling you at the end of the game, what are your thoughts on that? Dwight Howard: I don't have any thoughts.

WTF happened Lakers fans? I thought you all were supposed to win this one? Oh sheet, looks like the dwightmare has arrived in LA. I hope you trade Pau and stick with your chemistry killing, poor free throw shooting, stoopid *** center. GL Lakers, cant wait to see you loose to OKC in this years western conference finals! Quote me on that

If the Lakers even make it that far.

[raidenssj10]

Its disgusting how biased the reffing in this league is. Large market teams will always win because that is the way Stern wants it.

[Fat_Joe]

They will. Its gonna take some time for them to get going.

[SmartyJones]

Originally Posted by Fat_Joe

They will. Its gonna take some time for them to get going.

I think they can be good but I have zero faith in D'Antoni's ability to be an effective coach.

[protofiend]

Knicks

[EmpireEmperor]

More Evidence of Rebranding to New Orleans Pelicans This Offseason
Hornets reportedly changing team name to New Orleans Pelicans

How long until New Orleans Hornets gear replaces Charlotte Hornets stuff as the "retro" thing to wear?

[memorex]

Do they want to kill off the franchise?

The New Orleans Hornets are expected to become the New Orleans Pelicans, perhaps as early as the 2013-14 season, according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

Yahoo! Sports, citing numerous sources, reports the team also considered Krewe and Brass as potential nicknames.

The Hornets have planned to change their name since New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, who also owns the rights to the Pelicans nickname, bought the team in April.

Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan said in November he'd be interested in bringing the Hornets name back to Charlotte.

"It's definitely an interest down the road, but right now it's the New Orleans Hornets," Jordan told the Charlotte Observer. "We would definitely entertain the opportunity. That's as much as we can say right now. We've heard the community ask the question, and we would listen."

The pelican is Louisiana's state bird and appears on both the state seal and flag. A New Orleans minor league baseball team held the Pelicans nickname in all but nine seasons from 1887-1959, and again in 1977.

The Hornets moved to New Orleans from Charlotte in 2002, and when Benson bought the team earlier this year he said that he would like to change the name to something more fitting of Louisiana. His wife, Gayle, reiterated that idea and added that the franchise also would like to change the team colors from teal and purple to red, gold and navy blue.

[EmpireEmperor]

Maybe it's just me, but I think Brass would be a decent name or at least better than Pelicans. Krewe would just be retarded. I can guarantee many people outside the city wouldn't get the reference and instead assume it's just some hip-hop variation of the word "crew".

[Nah 85]

What would that do for all the unsold memorabilia? if that should happen.

[raidenssj10]

Originally Posted by EmpireEmperor

Maybe it's just me, but I think Brass would be a decent name or at least better than Pelicans. Krewe would just be retarded. I can guarantee many people outside the city wouldn't get the reference and instead assume it's just some hip-hop variation of the word "crew".

Brass has a good ring to it alongside New Orleans, plus it goes back a little to those Jazz roots.

[SmartyJones]

I liked Perk before reading this article but this really gives you an idea of how great a guy he is

Kendrick Perkins soothes egos, resolves issues in Thunder locker room
9 hours ago

NEW YORK – For Kendrick Perkins, the telephone calls from frustrated Oklahoma City Thunder teammates come with a far greater frequency than passes into the post. Sometimes, this is the blessing and the curse of playing with the greatness of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. In victory and defeat, the ball belongs to the NBA's two best 20-something scorers and everyone else is left to sort through the scraps of shots.

"I get phone calls at all hours of the night from different teammates," Perkins told Yahoo! Sports. "And I've got to tell them: OK, you didn't get yours tonight but…

"So OK, take Serge [Ibaka]. I'll tell him, "OK man, you got seven points tonight, then you need to go get eight blocks. Some nights it's not going to be your night, where you can touch the ball. It's like that on this team, especially when you've got scorers like Russ, K.D. and Kevin Martin leading the league in scoring."

Twenty-four hours before Perkins made an immense block on the Brooklyn Nets' Deron Williams in the final minute of the Thunder's 117-111 victory at Barclays Center, Perkins gave a knowing nod and shrugged. "The game ends, you go home, take an hour break and then I know it's mentoring time.

"Guys are gonna call."

Within the Thunder organization, they understand Perkins' value extends far beyond the modest statistics. These Thunder are undergoing the natural evolution of a rising power, where shots and minutes are rubbing egos the wrong way. Perkins plays the part of traffic cop, counseling in ways significant and slight.

Kendrick Perkins, far right, has tried to help Serge Ibaka, left, understand his role. (AP)After Thunder coach Scott Brooks substituted Ibaka out of Saturday night's victory over New Orleans, Ibaka snapped at Brooks upon returning to the bench, sources told Yahoo! Sports. "Just emotional," Ibaka said Wednesday night, and there was a lot of truth to it. Ibaka cares deeply and wants to be an even more significant part of these Thunder with James Harden now gone.

Nevertheless, there were a couple of conversations with Ibaka and his coach on the off days in New York this week, and, as always, Perkins worked Ibaka over, too. Ibaka played brilliantly on Wednesday night: 18 points, six rebounds and three blocks. These things happen every day, everywhere in the league. As one Thunder official said, "It's how you manage it."

For the front office, coaching staff and locker-room elders, this season has been a challenge in managing the frustrations of developing stars (Ibaka) and developing players (Eric Maynor) who want more shots, more minutes, more of everything. Perhaps never before has it been such a balancing act for the organization, and that's where Perkins plays such an important part.

Perkins is one of the true tough guys in the NBA, one of the NBA's best defenders of the post and defenders of professionalism. He learned under Kevin Garnett in Boston, and will quote K.G. – will tell you stories of his unselfishness, his team building – for hours if you permit him. He'll tell these Thunder about the way Garnett sacrificed his scoring when united with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, about how he made sure everyone else fed themselves first.

When Perkins partially tore his groin late last season, the prospect of sitting out the Thunder's playoff run never occurred to him. He did the most professional thing of all: He never disclosed the severity of the injury, never revealed the truth to spare himself the criticism that came about how sluggishly he moved, how limited he had become. Perkins is an original, one of the last of the true tough guys in the sport.

Ask him about playing those months in excruciating pain, and he shrugs and grumbles and says, "That groin injury, it was definitely… Ah, I don't like to make excuses, but … that groin injury was definitely a pain in the ***."

For everyone else suggesting these Thunder will go to the Finals for years to come, that this young core will go on for years and years, Perkins simply says, "I was there when we lost 18 in a row in Boston. I'll never take this for granted."

Perkins frequently shares the lessons he learned playing next to Kevin Garnett in Boston. (Getty Images)For everyone believing that the most significant friction had developed between Durant and Westbrook, that relationship has fortified itself this season. Much of that has to do with the way Westbrook has grown, matured and pushed himself into a broader playmaking role. He's turned into a true attacking guard on defense, too. All over the floor, Westbrook has blossomed into a relentless ballhawk. He's a nightmare for everyone now.

And maybe most of all, Perkins sees the transformation of his disposition.

"His communication skills toward everybody have been off the charts," Perkins said. "We used to call Russ, 'Trey,' as in Russell Westbrook III. He would act like a little Trey, where he would go off and no one could talk to him last year. It happened a few times. But there's been none of that this year. He's been a great leader."

And through it all, Westbrook and Durant will still need Perkins to be a buffer for them. This is a committed roster, an organization that has created a culture of accountability inside and outside the locker room. From the front office of Sam Presti and Troy Weaver, to coaching of Brooks, this is a franchise that's been unblinking with confronting its issues. They happen everywhere. With success, with talent, there come desires unmet, expectations unfulfilled. Those are everyday issues for the Thunder now.

Long after the game ends, the phone rings for Kendrick Perkins and his message is unwavering: Get over yourself and get to work on whatever is necessary to win basketball games. That's the program here, that's the value of leadership that transcends all those statistics, all those metrics, all those things that'll never measure how a franchise keeps itself together.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--ke...071044932.html

[Rain]

Haha

Heat lost to the Wizards.


Also Pelicans? ......

[Fat_Joe]

Kobes rise to the top hits a major milestone.

[Rain]

Haha Heat lost to the Meloless Knicks.

[memorex]

Well there were rumors the twolves were interested in gasol. honestly I would have liked to land him. Love and Gasol as our big men would be nice! Also Rubio and gasol have played together on the spanish team. Don't think it is gonna happen though, our Prez David Kahn said that we weren't looking into him. If he comes available later on, we better take a look at him. The rumors were giving up D.Willaims and Pekovic

[Barber]

Was at the Pacers/Nuggets tonight and I have never seen anyone jump like Javale McGee does.

[Rain]

Javale makes a lot of boneheaded plays and yet he gets paid lots of $$$

[Kellster]

Hawks win again. ATL is playing great basketball.

[mrchuck234]

Lol, Cavs blowing out the Lakers.

LA is a time bomb.

[imhungry (Banned)]

the lakers ****ing suck