A40:
This Phoenix team have to level up this year. Booker and T.J Warren are bonafide offensive studs, Ayton is looking like one too! I know it's just the Mavs they beat but surely they can't be settling for worst team in the West anymore. The talent is there now

Secondly I found it a bit bizarre that almost all the basketball analyts, especially on ESPN were unanimous in agreement that the Spurs would miss the playoffs. A team with LaMarcus Aldridge and DeRozan? Really?

Anyway long season ahead

I dont want to believe the Spurs will miss the playoffs but on a second thought,the west is very tough....I even fear for my team...

Wassup with Mavs na?

aliondo:

I dont want to believe the Spurs will miss the playoffs but on a second thought,the west is very tough....I even fear for my team...

Wassup with Mavs na?

So long as Gay, DeRozan and Aldridge are healthy they are not missing playoffs

Lol Mavs na team? When they went to sign DeAndre Jordan that's when I knew they were not serious. Let's see if Doncic can perform. And DSJ improves in his second year

donlittle25:
look at the nerlens Noel issue... I think he turned down almost $70M and ended up with like a $5M contract.

I don't know if it's greed and why these players can't be honest with themselves. Same problem Leveon Bell is facing with my Steelers. He's missed almost half his paycheck this year and as God go catch am his replacement Running back has been playing out of his mind. If he plays poorly after the bye week let's now see which team will pay big money for him

A40:
I don't know if it's greed and why these players can't be honest with themselves. Same problem Leveon Bell is facing with my Steelers. He's missed almost half his paycheck this year and as God go catch am his replacement Running back has been playing out of his mind. If he plays poorly after the bye week let's now see which team will pay big money for him

Baba, Bell's situation (NFL) is more intricate and critical in comparison to the NBA because the franchise tag does not guarantee anything except for one season and this is very risky for a player, particularly the RB position in NFL. In comparison to other positions in the NFL, the running back (RB) position has the shortest life span, consequently, they must maximize their times.

If Bell blows his ankle under the franchise tag the Steelers have offered, his career is done as there are no financial guarantees past the franchised year, versus if he gets his deserved contract with guaranteed sum over a long period. Don't forget this is the 2nd consecutive season the Steelers are offering him the franchise tag. The Steelers are being petty and cheap because Bell has earned his pay and he does not want to risk another season playing under the tag, that is why he is forgoing his weekly paycheck.

I have no doubt that Bell will get another team that will invest in him financially.

Roland17:


Baba, Bell's situation (NFL) is more intricate and critical in comparison to the NBA because the franchise tag does not guarantee anything except for one season and this is very risky for a player, particularly the RB position in NFL. In comparison to other positions in the NFL, the running back (RB) position has the shortest life span, consequently, they must maximize their times.

If Bell blows his ankle under the franchise tag the Steelers have offered, his career is done as there are no financial guarantees past the franchised year, versus if he gets his deserved contract with guaranteed sum over a long period. Don't forget this is the 2nd consecutive season the Steelers are offering him the franchise tag. The Steelers are being petty and cheap because Bell has earned his pay and he does not want to risk another season playing under the tag, that is why he is forgoing his weekly paycheck.

I have no doubt that Bell will get another team that will invest in him financially.

The franchise tag was not slapped on him for fun. It was due to the inability to agree a deal. Prior to the Gurley deal Leveon Bell was getting $6.5m more than the next highest paid running back for two seasons!!
So it's a bit unfair to claim Bell hasn't been fairly compensated.

You have to realize that the Steelers have an elite Quarterback and one of the best offensive lines in the league. Our ability to take care of everyone would be difficult if we overpay the Running Back.

Bear in mind that this same Bell has been suspended TWICE for missing and failing a drug test. Abi you don forget? That's even overlooking his injury history

Don't you think that played a role in the team being a little tentative to pay him more guaranteed money? Do you realize if he gets into any drug related trouble he could be suspended for an entire season like Martavis Bryant was? Or is the team not entitled to protect itself as well?

I personally hope he gets traded. I always suspected that his impact had been a tad overrated and that the strength of the Steelers offense was in the Offensive Line which makes it possible for his running style to work. I'm glad this new James Conner kid is proving just that.

Let him go wherever he likes. I wish him well. This infographic should help. Add the last 3 games we've played to it and that tells you the record without Bell

Stauskas and Collins have been tremendous for the Blazers tonight. The Lakers want to focus and score from the interior, the problem is, this is the western conference and you need perimeter scoring to survive. They definitely have the pace but it is obvious Bron is struggling with keeping up especially in the 3rd and 4th as he has multiple turnovers. As for Lonzo, I am sorry, I don't think he is good enough to start for this Lakers team. This is only game one but if this interior offense is going to be Luke Walton's strategy, then, it may be dead on arrival in the western conference.

LeBron James is going to play western conference teams multiple times with these same legs? I they laugh. Especially if he has to waste more energy going into the paint to score. I they laugh

Dame is really Balling... Kuzma still very impressive. See as Aminu dey brick 3s after 3s like say na food

Roland17:
Stauskas and Collins have been tremendous for the Blazers tonight. The Lakers want to focus and score from the interior, the problem is, this is the western conference and you need perimeter scoring to survive. They definitely have the pace but it is obvious Bron is struggling with keeping up especially in the 3rd and 4th as he has multiple turnovers. As for Lonzo, I am sorry, I don't think he is good enough to start for this Lakers team. This is only game one but if this interior offense is going to be Luke Walton's strategy, then, it may be dead on arrival in the western conference.

I hope Nik has found a home. Lost the passion for playing basketball in Sacramento. Then again, Sacramento will do that to anyone. As for Collins, na rookie he be?


I am waiting to see how this Lakers roster works out. Blazers isn't the best defensive team out there, which I think is one of the reasons why Lakers scored a lot from the interior. I just don't see this much points from the interior against Spurs, NOP, Houston, and OKC seeing as these teams have good inside presence.

What then will they do? Lunch the three ball? We they watch

That pass tho from James

Hmmmm surprisingly guys like McGee and Josh Hart were the ones that really impressed me. And Nik Stauskas? Lmaooo just give him MVP already

I hope the Lakers know that there is some type of target on their backs though. LeNomad would realize very quickly why this is the Wild Wild West. Early days yet but I'm very keen to see how they fare having to play with the likes of the

Warriors
Jazz
Rockets
Blazers
Nuggets
OKC
Spurs
Pelicans

3 to 4 times each year

donlittle25:
LeBron James is going to play western conference teams multiple times with these same legs? I they laugh. Especially if he has to waste more energy going into the paint to score. I they laugh

I just dey observe. People think the West is a game

A40:
Hmmmm surprisingly guys like McGee and Josh Hart were the ones that really impressed me. And Nik Stauskas? Lmaooo just give him MVP already

I hope the Lakers know that there is some type of target on their backs though. LeNomad would realize very quickly why this is the Wild Wild West. Early days yet but I'm very keen to see how they fare having to play with the likes of the

Warriors
Jazz
Rockets
Blazers
Nuggets
OKC
Spurs
Pelicans

3 to 4 times each year

I even forget Jazz and Nuggets with good interior defense.

We go see. Last last, they will make midseason trades to put shooters on the floor. Because what they have now, will get them no where.

.it was obvious Portland came with some kind of urgency and that is the heat every western conference team will bring.

"You can't come to our conference and bully us"

A40:

The franchise tag was not slapped on him for fun. It was due to the inability to agree a deal. Prior to the Gurley deal Leveon Bell was getting $6.5m more than the next highest paid running back for two seasons!!
So it's a bit unfair to claim Bell hasn't been fairly compensated.

You have to realize that the Steelers have an elite Quarterback and one of the best offensive lines in the league. Our ability to take care of everyone would be difficult if we overpay the Running Back.

Bear in mind that this same Bell has been suspended TWICE for missing and failing a drug test. Abi you don forget? That's even overlooking his injury history

Don't you think that played a role in the team being a little tentative to pay him more guaranteed money? Do you realize if he gets into any drug related trouble he could be suspended for an entire season like Martavis Bryant was? Or is the team not entitled to protect itself as well?

I personally hope he gets traded. I always suspected that his impact had been a tad overrated and that the strength of the Steelers offense was in the Offensive Line which makes it possible for his running style to work. I'm glad this new James Conner kid is proving just that.

Let him go wherever he likes. I wish him well. This infographic should help. Add the last 3 games we've played to it and that tells you the record without Bell

Isn't it ironic that we are using the adverb 'fairly" to describe the level of Bell's compensation? We are talking of a top 2 running back (RB) in the NFL, shouldn't we be speaking about the best compensation? Show me any credible NFL RB ranking that does not have Bell among the top 2/3, if none, then pay the man his due. The fact that the Steelers have refused to invest long-term with Bell shows they are not vested. The franchise tag for a second consecutive season is not acceptable especially for that position, you want to be taken care of and not worry about getting injured during your franchise season. Don't forget, the average shelf life of RB in the NFL is less than 5 years and these guys carry a lot of loads.

Baba, Ben is no longer the Ben of 5-7 seasons ago. At 36, the Steelers need a good running back to take the load and burden of the offense off him. 5-7 years ago, Ben was only behind Rodgers and Brady but today, I think he has dropped lower and that is not because he is bad but there are younger QB's and playoff's woes over the last 3 seasons have haunted him. Over the past 2 seasons, I have seen Ben tap dance more than I have ever seen and it does not look pretty. Don't get it twisted, Ben and the Steelers need a very good RB to sustain Ben at this age. While Connor has been exceptional, he is no L. Bell and Big Ben made it very clear during the post-match interview after the win against the Bengals. The off-field issues are typical of the Steelers and not just with Bell, so it would be unfair to pin those on him alone like it's not discipline problem with the team. AB has had his own issue, including Twitter rants but he still got paid, In fact, he refused to show up for a team meeting and was disciplined by Tomlin, how about Bryant before he was traded to Oakland and now is at the verge of being cut by the Raiders?

The O line has a job to do, so does Bell and he has delivered the goods and numbers to back it since he joined the league. No running back of his quality would play in the NFL with another franchise tag. It is way too dangerous for his career, any injury and he is done because no one would want him. Despite the injuries in the past, the man has bounced back with dominant seasons. I am happy for Conor because I believe he is playing with a chip on his back and he runs hard but this is only his 1st season and teams will take some time to plan for him in comparison to Bell who is tested and experienced and renowned around the league.

If the argument is that he is only behind T. Gurley, which is debatable, shouldn't he be getting paid with trust from the Steelers? I believe he will get paid, there are teams with space to pay the man.

donlittle25:
I even forget Jazz and Nuggets with good interior defense.

We go see. Last last, they will make midseason trades to put shooters on the floor. Because what they have now, will get them no where.

.it was obvious Portland came with some kind of urgency and that is the heat every western conference team will bring.

"You can't come to our conference and bully us"

They play the Rockets on Saturday. Should be dope

Every season, I have maintained "The Wizards are who we think they are". I saw portions of this game and all I saw was complaints from the Wizards and taunting that cost them points in technical fouls.

Roland17:

Isn't it ironic that we are using the adverb 'fairly" to describe the level of Bell's compensation? We are talking of a top 2 running back (RB) in the NFL, shouldn't we be speaking about the best compensation? Show me any credible NFL RB ranking that does not have Bell among the top 2/3, if none, then pay the man his due. The fact that the Steelers have refused to invest long-term with Bell shows they are not vested. The franchise tag for a second consecutive season is not acceptable especially for that position, you want to be taken care of and not worry about getting injured during your franchise season. Don't forget, the average shelf life of RB in the NFL is less than 5 years and these guys carry a lot of loads.

No. Fairly meaning he's been the highest paid back in the league for 3 seasons. Up until the Gurley deal when did any Running Back get paid $14mil a year? It's unheard of in the history of the league.

The top 3 paid backs are
Bell
Gurley
Johnson

Both guys below Bell only started getting 8 figure pay this season so what gives?

Again the yearly valuation is a fair one. The main problem is the guaranteed money and I have explained to you the rationale behind that. If you were a GM would you not hedge your bets for a running back that has been suspended by the league TWICE??

Did we hesitate to pay Antonio Brown? No! Because he has been on the straight and narrow path since he entered the league. Bear in mind Brown was a 6th rounder, Bell is a 1st rounder so why wouldn't we pay him if he was drama free like Brown?

Roland17:

Baba, Ben is no longer the Ben of 5-7 seasons ago. At 36, the Steelers need a good running back to take the load and burden of the offense off him. 5-7 years ago, Ben was only behind Rodgers and Brady but today, I think he has dropped lower and that is not because he is bad but there are younger QB's and playoff's woes over the last 3 seasons have haunted him. Over the past 2 seasons, I have seen Ben tap dance more than I have ever seen and it does not look pretty. Don't get it twisted, Ben and the Steelers need a very good RB to sustain Ben at this age. While Connor has been exceptional, he is no L. Bell and Big Ben made it very clear during the post-match interview after the win against the Bengals. The off-field issues are typical of the Steelers and not just with Bell, so it would be unfair to pin those on him alone like it's not discipline problem with the team. AB has had his own issue, including Twitter rants but he still got paid, In fact, he refused to show up for a team meeting and was disciplined by Tomlin, how about Bryant before he was traded to Oakland and has now being cut by the Raiders?

Are you for real? Ben is leading the league in passing yards as we speak. Did you see how he carved up the Bengals? We already have a good Running Back. What we need is a good secondary that will not have us chasing games every time.

On a very good day there are still only two QB's in the league better than Ben. Brady and Rodgers

Brees , Ryan , Ben and probably Russell Wilson are on the second level

When you say playoff woes is Ben to blame for Blake Bortles scoring 45pts on our defense?

Bell had 9 TDs last season. Conner already has 7 in six games. Forget the Bell hype bro the other year he had his issues we acquired DeAngelo Williams and he led the league in TD's for the year despite his age and limited playing time. I bet you if Conner is allowed to play till season end he would shatter every record Bell ever had. He is doing so already posting back to back 100+ yards rushing and 2+ TD games which Bell has never done in 5 years in Pittsburgh

Twitter rant is different from drug related suspension. AB has never been suspended by the league!!! Bell has been suspended TWICE. He has failed and missed a Drug Test!!!

Why didn't we extend Bryant as talented as he was? It's because of the same issue! Bryant was suspended for a full season because of drug related issues! That is the same reason for the Bell matter.

Roland17:

The O line has a job to do, so does Bell and he has delivered the goods and numbers to back it since he joined the league. No running back of his quality would play in the NFL with another franchise tag. It is way too dangerous for his career, any injury and he is done because no one would want him. Despite the injuries in the past, the man has bounced back with dominant seasons. I am happy for Conor because I believe he is playing with a chip on his back and he runs hard but this is only his 1st season and teams will take some time to plan for him in comparison to Bell who is tested and experienced and renowned around the league.

I have already told you that what Bell is doing can easily be replicated by any other back if he gets the carries and plays behind that Offensive Line. An aging RB and now James Conner have proven that so I don't really send if Bell stays or goes at this point. He is not irreplaceable

In fact I'm hoping we trade Bell so he doesn't come and phuck up James Conner's momentum like he did with DeAngelo Williams

Roland17:

If the argument is that he is only behind T. Gurley, which is debatable, shouldn't he be getting paid with trust from the Steelers? I believe he will get paid, there are teams with space to pay the man.

Todd Gurley is the best Running Back in the league as we speak. No questions about that! He took that crown since last season

I'd even put Alvin Kamara ahead of Bell atm

There is a limit you can trust someone who has disappointed you twice. Like I have said before, I only hope we can get a fair return of picks and possibly a veteran Backup for Conner. Bell can go wherever he likes. Jets, Colts, 49ers anywhere but my Steelers

Game 1 of 82..but that didn't stop the screeching hot takes from coming out.


Lmaooooo...the over reacting was expected though.

Roland17:


I agree with Ayton but don't sleep on L. Doncic. I watched him closely last night and he is everything you want from your PG. He is a hybrid, only thing is he may not be as fast as other younger PG's in the league.

Oh i aint ignoring him, he's gonna be v. good no doubt , just needs to adapt to the NBA environment unlike Ayton who already has the American mentality and all that so his assimilation did be faster..

Am surprised at some of the comments here oh, just one game and all of a sudden Htown suck?! Nawa o!

Wont it better by Nov 15th for us to make better tho not great assumptions bout teams.

No. Fairly meaning he's been the highest paid back in the league for 3 seasons. Up until the Gurley deal when did any Running Back get paid $14mil a year? It's unheard of in the history of the league.

The top 3 paid backs are
Bell
Gurley
Johnson

Both guys below Bell only started getting 8 figure pay this season so what gives?

Again the yearly valuation is a fair one. The main problem is the guaranteed money and I have explained to you the rationale behind that. If you were a GM would you not hedge your bets for a running back that has been suspended by the league TWICE??

Did we hesitate to pay Antonio Brown? No! Because he has been on the straight and narrow path since he entered the league. Bear in mind Brown was a 6th rounder, Bell is a 1st rounder so why wouldn't we pay him if he was drama free like Brown?

Baba, your Steelers are petty and I hold strongly to it. In July, the Steelers offered Bell 5yrs/$70 million contract with only $10 million guaranteed in his first year, $33 in 2 years and a value of $45 million over 3 years (not all guaranteed). Please compare that to Todd's guaranteed sum, after all Gurley was also injured 2 seasons ago but still got paid. Todd is getting 4 yrs/ 60 million with 45 guaranteed without any restrictions. The game is all about business and sources confirmed the Steelers were planning to release him after this season if he signed the contract so that means he gets only $10 million? Baba abeg make una fear God oh and since the other years are not all guaranteed he losses big time.
Why should he take that sum when he is set to become a free agent at the end of the season? Isn't it hypocritic that the Steelers are paying Bell a combined $26 million in franchise over 2 years, yet drafted a contract that guaranteed him only $10 million in his 1st year? If na you, with that level of talent you go take? Infact, how many RB have completed their contracts without it being restructured for less because of the beating they receive and injuries?
The issue is not about what round you are drafted, it is all about your value and getting your bread. Bell is not just a running back for the Steelers. He is involved in the entire offensive scheme of the Steelers. That means he is running, catching and blocking for the line. Bell is the reason Gurley got paid and Gurley duly praised Bell for his influence as there is no way Gurley gets that money without Bell's insistence to hold out for what he deserves.

Bell is 26 and this would be his last significant contract considering the life span of the RB in the league so he is right to seek the best. Like you said, the guaranteed money is the problem and if I was Bell, I will not back down. I know he will return and guess what, he will earn a whooping $14.5 million for playing less than half of the season before free agency. I don't know if he will get $17.5 from another team but the man is betting on himself and deservedly so.

I wish we can continue this debate but I sense we will get Mynd's attention for distracting the board and that is why I am responding to only your first paragraph.

Roland17:


Baba, your Steelers are petty and I hold strongly to it. In July, the Steelers offered Bell 5yrs/$70 million contract with only $10 million guaranteed in his first year, $33 in 2 years and a value of $45 million over 3 years (not all guaranteed). Please compare that to Todd's guaranteed sum, after all Gurley was also injured 2 seasons ago but still got paid. Todd is getting 4 yrs/ 60 million with 45 guaranteed without any restrictions. The game is all about business and sources confirmed the Steelers were planning to release him after this season if he signed the contract so that means he gets only $10 million? Baba abeg make una fear God oh and since the other years are not all guaranteed he losses big time.
Why should he take that sum when he is set to become a free agent at the end of the season? Isn't it hypocritic that the Steelers are paying Bell a combined $26 million in franchise over 2 years, yet drafted a contract that guaranteed him only $10 million in his 1st year? If na you, with that level of talent you go take? Infact, how many RB have completed their contracts without it being restructured for less because of the beating they receive and injuries?
The issue is not about what round you are drafted, it is all about your value and getting your bread. Bell is not just a running back for the Steelers. He is involved in the entire offensive scheme of the Steelers. That means he is running, catching and blocking for the line. Bell is the reason Gurley got paid and Gurley duly praised Bell for his influence as there is no way Gurley gets that money without Bell's insistence to hold out for what he deserves.

Bell is 26 and this would be his last significant contract considering the life span of the RB in the league so he is right to seek the best. Like you said, the guaranteed money is the problem and if I was Bell, I will not back down. I know he will return and guess what, he will earn a whooping $14.5 million for playing less than half of the season before free agency. I don't know if he will get $17.5 from another team but the man is betting on himself and deservedly so.

I wish we can continue this debate but I sense we will get Mynd's attention for distracting the board and that is why I am responding to only your first paragraph.

Ahn Ahn. Who dey give you this fake news? Even Bell himself has said the yearly money was not the problem but the guaranteed money so how can you claim we only offered him $10m?

His guaranteed money was $30mil over two years not the $10m you're reporting. Total deal $70m.

Besides franchise tags aren't always beneficial to the team. For example if we tag him again next year we would have to pay $17m so it goes both ways

I notice you're intentionally and conveniently ignoring the suspensions part so I would reiterate again. Teams are usually hesitant to pour in long term money on a player that has been twice suspended for drug related yawa. A third suspension could mean he misses a whole season just like Martavis Bryant did

Bell has played his part but like I have proven to you already, he is not irreplaceable and the cold hard facts all highlight this. His replacement has proven a capable rusher and blocker and Juju Smith is already an elite #2 receiver so nobody can hold us to ransom. I have no problem with Bell holding out for what he wants but he is not being smart about it. Suppose he comes back and doesn't have a good season what next?

He is not or did not bet on himself. He bet on the team sucking without him. If he did he would have showed up Week 1 and deliver the best season of his career like he claimed, instead he trolled the team for tying against the Browns. Instead he would probably show up by Week 8 and become a distraction

Ohh and FYI he is actually being deducted his check for every week he has missed and so he is not getting anything close to $14.5m. Multiply $855,000 x 7 that's what he's been deducted already for not showing up this season.

Frankly I don't care what any other team wants to give him. It's his right to fight for whatever he feels he is worth. I'm sure he thought the team would suck, unfortunately his replacement has already outperformed him so it's my wish that he gets traded but we can't even do that because he has refused to sign his franchise tag.

Ibaka is just abusing us offensively with some very good inside/outside game.

Roland17:
Ibaka is just abusing us offensively with some very good inside/outside game.

Yea.. This is Ibaka at his best, but Kawhi mehn

Omo, the last 2 minutes na case of rape o. Raptors just rape Celtics anyhow

This game is going to be a learning curve for Celtics, particularly Tatum. He has to learn not to force some moves and give up the ball when the defense collapses on him. Kawhi is special, he gives the Raptors a lot of bite on both ends and that is something they did not have in Demar.

Kyle Lowry though mehn!

FIRE!!!!

Wetin Jaylen Brown do Coach Stevens wey him no gree use am?

Kawhi was a Monster though! If he's going to play like this all season then the Raptors might be a problem in the East.

Still I feel Boston need to take a good look at their effort today. They are the deeper team and can play much much much better than they did tonight

I don't recall Kyrie Irving getting to the line at any point in the game. Weird

Boston not playing to their full potential yet imo. Toronto won't be a problem by the time Kyrie is fully locked in.

J. Butler received deafening boos when he was introduced and after the game started by Timberwolves fans. The fans made it clear they also don't want him at Minnesota.

Poorly reffed game. Again.