Spurs sign Fabricio Oberto

[lazarus]

That would be the Oberto who is the starting center on the Argentinean national team, and one of the best centers in European league play.

Spurs also have the rights to Luis Scola, Argentina's power forward, but likely won't bring him in for another year.

Word is the Spurs are trying for a sign and trade with Portland, Nesterovic for Shareef Abdur Rahim.

[LisaM]

1. Is he a drama queen flopper?

Like Ginobile? Gee, can't wait.

[lazarus]

2. See, there's a problem with your question

Since Ginobili isn't a drama queen flopper, Oberto can't be, either.

Just because George Karl is a shitty coach who resorts to public whining about opposing players is no reason to buy into his crap.

Shame when people start hating because a player is good and enthusiastic. But if you want whining, check out Ray Allen. He's a real drama queen.

:hi:

[LisaM]

3. Ha ha ha ha ha

Wiping away tears of laughter. Yeah, right, he doesn't dive and act like a big baby. Must have been watching someone else.

I'm not a Sonics fan. I like DEEEETROIT Basketball.

[lazarus]

13. I didn't say you were a Sonics fan

I just said if you want to see a whiner, see Ray Allen.

The Pistons are a fine team. :shrug: But if you want to keep accusing one of the best players on the planet of diving and acting like a baby, go ahead. No real evidence, but believe what you need.

[HuckleB]

5. Whatever.

Ginobili kicks butt. Get over it.

[LisaM]

4. I just did a Google search for Ginoblili and flopping

surprisingly, it only pulled in 489 hits (I'm sure the number will rise.)

Here are some samples:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA060505.1C.BKNspurs.ginobili.2e1a8dfd4.html

http://www.realgm.com/src_goaltending/52/20050601/ginobilis_soccer_style_flops_have_no_place_in_the_nba/

http://www.insidebayarea.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?article=2796366

The NBA needs to do what the NHL had to do after it started attracting European players - have a penalty for diving. For real.

[HuckleB]

6. Hmm.

Sounds like you haven't watched the NBA for long. Flopping has been an art for decades. So has fouling without getting caught.

[LisaM]

8. I have watched it for a long time

Never liked flopping (I like defense and tough, spare play) but the histrionics lately have been too much. It started with Jordan. Style over substance, I don't like that.

[HuckleB]

9. Oh, there were histrionics long before Jordan.

And there have been attempts to fool the refs by every great player, including many of the great defenders. There's no reason to pretend that Ginobili does something more than what's always been done one way or another. Detroit lost, fair and square. Get over it.

Heck, if its flopping that bothers you, I guess I can assume that you weren't a fan of the original Pistons bad boys? I mean, you want to talk about the kings of flop. You have to start there.

[LisaM]

10. Laimbeer did do that, I agree

still don't like it. I also don't like the travelling - just HATE it. I actually do think the officiating was blatantly one sided - but Detroit was able to overcome it in the previous series. I just remember when Detroit had a 9 point lead in Game 7 and my sister and I were on the phone and we just watched the refs hand the game away. It was really heartbreaking. I'm still not over it. I cried I felt so bad.

[HuckleB]

11. Detroit lost.

Not the refs.

Oh, and Laimbeer was not alone.

[LisaM]

12. I'd rather have lost to the Sixers

than to a team from Texas. Actually, I started disliking San Antonio when I watched them play the Sonics in the first round. Brutal. Over all, I think that basketball is by far the worst-umpired major league sport (and the WNBA is even worse.)

[lazarus]

15. That was teh Sonics' fault, actually

they're the ones that decided to play thug ball.

Oh, and that wasn't the first round. We had to beat the whining thugs from Denver in the first round.

What is so beautiful about the Spurs is that they beat four different styles of team by playing each style better. They thugged it up with Seattle and Denver, outran Phoenix, and outdefended Detroit. Can't blame the Spurs for their opponents, and for doing what it takes to win.

I think the officiating is too inconsistent in the NBA, and the rules need to be adjusted to take some of the load off the refs. The whole illegal defense thing needs to be completely scrapped. Travelling, they should just allow an extra step if you're headed to the goal. That just codifies what is generally allowed anyway. The travelling rule, after all, was written back in the day when players smoked during timeouts.

Both teams could easily complain that the refs were biased against them at some point, and maybe they would be right. Doesn't matter, really.

And if you'd rather your team lost in the first or second round than play a seven game Finals series, I wonder how much of a fan you really are. :shrug:

[Longhorn]

16. Well said, from beginning to end!

There were plenty of bad calls against us, too. Bad calls are just a part of the game. Contact was clearly made whenever Ginobili "flopped" -- he was willing to put his body in the mix and he often paid for it physically.

[lazarus]

17. Thanks

There's a reason his teammates nicknamed him "El Contusion", after all.

Oh, I just did a Google search for Detroit + Pistons + Fan + Whining. Got 6,280 hits. :hi:

[LisaM]

18. LOL, you liar!

I don't like the travelling calls. I feel as if I'm watching the Globetrotters.

I just meant, I LIKE the Sixers. If Detroit couldn't win, they were my second choice. Iverson gets away with travelling too (don't like that) but they are a good scrappy team from a lunch bucket city (as my dad would say) and I always always root for the Eastern Conference Team, unless it was Jordan's Bulls or right now, Miami.

[lazarus]

19. Oh, okay

What do you think of my resolution? It's sort of like the continuation play. If you finish the play with a drive, IN THE LANE, and a shot, a third step is allowed.

I liked the Sixers, too. Thought AI should have won MVP.


But I did do that Google search. :hi:

[HuckleB]

7. What do you think of the rumored trade?

[lazarus]

14. I'm not sure

I'm one of the few who still likes Rasho; he's a great team defender, he's just not aggressive enough on defense.

If Oberto can come in and play at the level we expect, that gives us a big man rotation of Duncan, Oberto, Nazr Mohammed, and Robert Horry. Not too shabby, really. We also still have Sean Marks and Tony Massenburg hanging around for added depth.

The Spurs really have an embarassment of riches right now. Too many good players under contract and no real holes that need to be filled.