Fair play. Few major changes for me this week as well, Felton/Lin/Roye out with Nash/Ellis/J.R Smith in.

How do you think JR's gonna fit in at the Knicks? Hopefully it won't limit Shumperts time too much at SG, gonna be a good player that lad. Never a point guard though.

All about depth mate, look at the Mavs last year.

C - Chandler
PF -Amare
SF- Melo
SG-Smith
PG- Lin

2nd string -

C- Jeffries
PF-Novak
SF-Walker
SG-Fields
PG-Davis

3rd string

C-Jordan
PF-Harrelson
SF-Shump
SG-Douglas
PG-Bibby

J.R Smith already with 3x 3's against the Mavs.

...it keeps going.

We all did well in fantasy. I had Ilyasova 29 points and 25 rebounds. Lin coming up big. Melo missing all week as well. 6-2 win for me.

I'm just routinely getting 6-2 wins every week, shooting %'s + FT's let me down every single week.

we all did really well. i dropped aaron afflalo and he goes and hits 27

just how my luck as gone. Still a 7-1 win will do

i slipped up against Emerals in our league didnt do my team for 4 days and lost 6-2. should get intrested 4 of the top 5 teams will be in our division

I haven't looked since early January I think, completely keep forgetting to look, pity as I'm doing my best to stay up and watch a bit of NBA.

Which brings me to a few things that are getting on my nerves. The Clippers against the Spurs was such a weird game, they start unbelievably, but the Spurs rallied back. Then they got back into it but the Spurs got a bit lucky with a few calls, there was one where Griffin was on the break, about to blast past Parker for a dunk, yet Parker effectively punched/slapped him in the face to get the foul, it should have been a flagrant IMO (why do Americans give attackers almost zero advantage?). Then there was the point where Foye (think it was Foye) had the ball on the perimeter, he dribbled round and Tony Parker clearly blocked him, but because Parker flopped, they gave an offensive foul. Just those couple of decisions could have won the game for the Clippers, they're so close to being elite, the more they play together the better they'll get, but they're in dire need of a 2 guard, if anybody decent is available - even if it's only 'til the end of the season - they should look to sign one, Butler is solid at the three, Blake and Jordan are brilliant inside, but they have a glaring weakness at the 2 in the 4th quarter.

Next up, the Thunder. Russell Westbrook is such a good player, yet he can be so frustrating to watch, he's a bit like Josh Smith. He has so much athletic ability, yet he pulls up for soft jumpers all the time, I think he forgets he's a point guard. The Thunder were immense last night, but if the Thunder are to go far in the playoffs, it will be on the back of Durant, Westbrook will have to start passing the ball a bit more IMO.

The best pun left for Jeremy Lin that's not been used is clearly "Peking Dunk"

The Clips wanted J.R Smith but he chose Linsanity over Lob city(and more money). I haven't really paid attention to the rest of the NBA that much, too much Linsanity at the moment. Up at 6 each morning to watch game front night before, can condense a whole game into 1 hour and a bit.

Westbrook is just still a SG playing at PG I think, but he's that good a player everyone will just accept that he'll never be a pass first PG. They've got such a good blend there though at the minute, Ibaka is such a quality player on the sly, him + Perkins are fantastic role players to the Durant + RW. They'll go deep if they are both healthy.

Clippers are fantastic, definite weakness at the 2 though I agree, they kind of got by with Chauncey there as he's good on the defensive end, and Mo coming off the bench covered their scoring. Butler is one of the best pickups of the off season though, great player.

Kenyon Martins given them a bit of a stronger bench, and with Mo coming off the bench as well they have a little bit of depth. Just need that further role player, JR would have been perfect.

loooks like i may take this match up 7-1 just picked up Gerald Henderson as well. Teams lookin strongest it has all year lookin pretty good right now. Even with this trade talk us magic are still winning games. THink they have too trade Dwight but were too? if its the bulls id ask for deng and draft picks and bring a new centre in

Deng and Noah + picks..

for

Hedo and Howard. (would prob want rid of him to get salary off books).

Noah
Anderson
Deng
J-Rich
Nelson

If the Magic trade Howard, they should probably look to get a few role players as well. Gibson and Asik are so underrated, I'd probably try to get them as they're both young.

Still, I can't see Chicago going for him, the temptation is there but they aren't too far off being a side capable of winning it all. If they had Rip Hamilton last year against Miami, they probably would have won IMO.

I can only see the Lakers trading for Howard. Anyone else that could entice him to a contract doesn't have the pieces (Nets) or is already a title contender and doesn't have to risk it (Bulls).

Lakers however could make a big run at it with Howard + Kobe, especially if they can get Nelson thrown in someway as well.

IMO, teams will see what the Knicks did and think "we'll wait for Dwight, he clearly wants to move, so we'll just play the waiting game". The Knicks are looking OK now, but there's no doubting they gave up a lot to bring in Carmelo, especially when he was apparently willing to sign at the season's end.

Before Dwight goes to New Jersey/Brooklyn, apparently a favoured destination, he should really look at what will be available when he gets there. Championship teams aren't built overnight, it takes time to form them, will he really get to where he wants to be by joining a NJ side with Deron Williams and very little else? It's rumoured that he'd like a move to the Mavericks, which could work for him in ways, but they're an aging side, within a couple of years, he could be the only true superstar at the team in a similar position to what he's been in at Orlando.

This year's free agency is decent, not amazing but there could be a fair amount of decent players available if they don't sign with the current teams. I'd love to know what the Magic plan on doing, if he goes, do they just get rid of all of the salaries and start from the draft? Wouldn't surprise me if they get lucky and get the next great big again.

The Mavs are ageing, but they've cleared enough cap space to make a run for both Deron Williams + DH, throw in Dirk there and you've got a crazy rival to Miami. I'd forgotten abouts the Mavs to be honest, but theyre similar to the Nets in that they probably don't have enough pieces to get a trade done now, he'd need to be a free agent.

I do think the Nets could be contenders pretty quickly if he went there though, Williams would have to re-sign as well, but if they re-signed Humphries (although it gets overshadowed cos of his off the court business, he's actually a good player), and used Lopez as bait to get some role players, throw Marshon Brooks in there as an improving youngster, and the new arena, they could get some momentum going.

It will be the Lakers imo. They have the best pieces and get a replacement in Bynum. I agree about a team waiting as whoever get;s D12 will have to take on Hedo with that daft contract.


The Knicks got torn a new one in Miami, Lin got found out a bit. Melo looking a bit better, still got great depth, just need time to mesh.

I watched most of the Knicks game (up 'til the 4th quarter but then I fell asleep). Lin struggled, largely because Miami made it their aim to shut him down, a lot of PG's in the league would struggle with that kind of intensity on defence, let alone a PG who's only just got into the routine of starting in a jam-packed season.

I think Lin's shown enough to show he'll be a good player, but last night he probably should have been taken out earlier on once it was established he couldn't cope with the pace of the game.

Watched up to half time ish last night, Mario Chalmers was just playing top defence on Lin, and he got rattled early. JR is looking decent though, and Fields is stepping back up to what he was pre-All star break last year.

Great Britain to play the USA at the MEN Arena on July 19th.

A bit harsh for LBJ to be getting grief for not taking the last minute shot in ASG.

He'll get it everytime until he wins a championship though. He's as unselfish a superstar as there is (imo), but he made the rod for his own back when he took his talents to South Beach. He's going to have a target on his back until he gets that ring.

I think it'll take more than a ring for some. A lot was made about LeBron having to sign with another superstar (or two if you rate Bosh) to try and win, many seemed to think he should have carried on trying to do it on his own. So I think many will continue to be dismissive towards him until he wins one without Wade, although I personally think LeBron is far superior to Wade.

think its really hars on Lebron. Hes 1 of the best but he was carryin a poor team. Anybody who has aspirations will never turn down a chance too play on a better team with another superstar. Hes not a selfish player but in a ood way hes no longer so heavely relied on. The number he is puttin together this year are amazin. I do think Miami will win this year they will beat the Thunder in the finals. I just hope he gets the credit for bein the superstar he is then